Technical Specialist

Office/Unit/Project Description

UNDP Pakistan works with the Government and communities to develop and implement local solutions to development challenges. In an evolving development context, UNDP supports the efforts of the Government of Pakistan to build a more equitable, prosperous, peaceful and resilient society, and to achieve its SDGs and COP 25 targets.

RECCU is supporting projects across the country to respond to the growing threat of climate change, to mainstream environmental concerns into national development planning processes, and to expand access to environmental and energy services for the poor. UNDP has sought to ensure that the poor have stronger capacities to manage, adapt, and monitor climate change. Climate Change is a huge development challenge as well as a huge environmental challenge. It is a growing problem and is now hitting the poorest and the most vulnerable first and hardest.

Water for Development project aims to boost climate adaptation and resilience in Gilgit Baltistan, a highly fragile ecosystem, to support sustainable and inclusive development. Despite national policies, significant scientific and technological gaps hinder effective environmental risk management and resource sustainability. The project seeks to strengthen institutional and community capacities to protect ecosystems and manage natural resources, especially water. Aligned with the National Climate Resilience and Adaptation Plan 2023-2030 (NAP), the project aims to:

1. Improve water and disaster risk management by monitoring glaciers, collecting data, and sharing it with local authorities and universities.
2. Enhance agriculture and livestock quality management through new labs for sustainable practices, in collaboration with the Dept. of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries.
3. Promote sustainable tourism to conserve the environment and create jobs, using a community-based approach with the GB Dept. of Tourism.
4. Build local government and community capacity in sustainable resource management and ecosystem conservation through training and awareness campaigns.

Institutional Arrangement

The Technical Specialist works under the direct supervision of the Assistant Resident Representative (ARR) and closely liaises with the Programme Analyst of the Resilience, Environment, and Climate Change Unit at UNDP Pakistan.

Lead, manage, coordinate, and develop effective project planning and implementation.

• Lead strategic planning for the project as well as formulation and periodic revisions of the project’s annual work plan (AWP), including plans for budget, HR and procurement that are developed in close coordination with UNDP’s Country Office Programme, HR, and Procurement teams. Lead development of detailed implementation plans. 
• Manage, coordinate, and supervise project implementation to ensure the overall project relevance and performance, the effective realization and quality of outputs within the specified constraints of time and cost as outlined in the project document, and adherence to applicable UNDP policy and programme management procedures and Government standards, rules, and regulations. Act as a senior advisor on issues related to project activities.
• Provide direction, guidance, and direct supervision to UNDP project personnel. Undertake technical review of project documents produced by the project team and partners and ensure high technical standards are met. 
• Ensure all project interventions integrate a gender equality perspective/gender equality mainstreaming to the extent local context allows.
• Ensure proper execution of all administrative activities associated with project implementation, including mobilizing goods and services, preparing Terms of Reference, completing contracting processes, recruiting/selecting consultants, and experts, and managing financial arrangements/transactions and their correct authorization.
• Identify opportunities for synergies with other projects within UNDP and beyond, to advance the key objectives and grow its focus. 
• Provide technical guidance, input, and support to the project team. 
• Coordinate with UNDP and all project stakeholders to ensure that the project's financial and operational procedures comply with UNDP rules and regulations.

Provide strategic technical direction and leadership in expanding UNDP’s Water Resource Management (WRM) portfolio.

• Provide strong leadership, strategic vision, and high-level policy advice on issues related to UNDP’s work in the thematic area of Water, focusing on strengthening national capacities and positioning UNDP in the thematic area.  Propose strategic approaches and priorities for policy engagement, advocacy, and project implementation. Prepare policy briefs, papers, and advocacy messages; and contribute to regional and national high-level fora and events.
• Deliver cutting-edge technical advice and thought leadership to national counterparts and lead analytical work to identify key policy issues/gaps and improve policies in the WRM thematic area.
• Conduct a thorough analysis of the political, social, and economic situation in the project context and provide strategic advice to the UNDP CO management on issues related to the thematic area. 
• Identify linkages between country and regional programmes in the project's thematic area, opportunities for synergies and/or joint programming with UN agencies and other development partners and integrate best practices into the project activities.

Build strategic partnerships and support resource mobilization. 

• Provide strategic guidance on partnership building and regularly liaise and engage in policy dialogue with UN entities, government institutions, civil society, businesses, technical experts, think tanks, donors, and other national and international stakeholders in the project's thematic area to strengthen collaboration and maximize the project's impact. 
• Develop and convene networks of collaborators, both conventional and novel, who are willing to participate in the dialogue, are attracted to the project's thematic issues, and can advance UNDP's work and profile. Encourage a dialogue of divergent viewpoints and ensure UNDP hears the voices of all. 
• Support resource mobilization, which includes identifying funding opportunities and supporting the preparation of funding proposals and donor briefings. Work with CO to define roles and incentives for private sector participation and develop relevant mechanisms for private sector engagement.

Monitor and report on progress in implementing project activities and achieving the targets set

• Provide leadership and technical advice to the project in developing baselines and indicators for project monitoring and evaluation and coordinate the finalization of a detailed results framework. Develop clear strategies and an effective system for data collection, means of verification, and information sharing and reporting. 
• Lead the implementation of project monitoring, evaluation, and results framework to identify plan deviations and other problems and make needed course corrections within agreed-upon tolerances to achieve results. Conduct field visits as required to verify project activities relative to stated targets and provide regular field updates to UNDP management. 
• Lead the development and conduct of mid-term and annual reviews and end-line assessments and coordinate the conduct of independent evaluations. Organize project review and evaluation meetings. Follow up on the implementation of decisions, recommendations, and course corrections.
• Manage and monitor project risks, including social and environmental risks, and initially identify and submit new risks to appropriate project governing bodies for consideration and decision on possible actions. 
• Coordinate the preparation of corporate, donor, and government reports in accordance with the reporting schedule and UNDP and donor requirements. Ensure the provision of ad hoc reports and information requested by relevant entities. 
• Ensure proper operational and financial closure of the project.

Lead knowledge and capacity building, knowledge sharing, and advocacy relative to the assigned thematic area(s) and UNDP. 

• Provide substantive advice and technical support to the development and implementation of a capacity development/ learning plan for the country office on the project's thematic area and participate in global/regional learning initiatives.
• Lead the process of knowledge capture of national and international know-how in relevant thematic areas and document project lessons, experiences, and best practices that may be useful in the design and implementation of similar projects for organizational and external sharing and learning. Produce materials with lessons learned, best practices, and other knowledge-based tools.
• Stay abreast of developments in the project's thematic area and provide guidance on how to incorporate them into UNDP’s current and future programming in the relevant sector. Provide technical guidance and quality assurance for content development for knowledge products.
• Lead advocacy for and strengthening of national capacity for planning and coordination of development programmes in the sector.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization

• System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

Business Development

• Collective Intelligence Design: Ability to bring together diverse groups of people, data, information, ideas, and technology to solve problems and design solutions or services. Knowledge and understanding of Collective Intelligence Design principles, methodology and practices.
• Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals. 
• Risk Management: Ability to identify and organize action around mitigating and proactively managing risks.

Partnership Management

• Resource Mobilization: Ability to identify funding sources, match funding needs (programmes/projects/initiatives) with funding opportunities, and establish a plan to meet funding requirements.
• Multi-stakeholder engagement and funding: Knowledge and ability to forge multi-stakeholder partnerships and remove any obstacles to resource mobilization and multi-stakeholder funding platforms.
• Strategic Engagement: Ability to capture and sustain attention, interest and agreement of high-level, influential policy and decision makers and secure their buy-in of high-level vision and objectives.