The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s 46 least developed countries. With its capital mandate and instruments, UNCDF offers “last mile” finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development.

The Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility (LoCAL) is a mechanism to integrate climate change into local authorities’ planning and budgeting through the regular intergovernmental fiscal transfer system using performance-based grants in a participatory and gender sensitive manner, increase awareness and capacities to respond to climate change at the local level including through ecosystem-based solutions, and increase the quality and number of local investments that address climate change. LoCAL combines performance-based climate resilience grants (PBCRGs), which ensure programming and verification of change expenditures at the local level, with technical and capacity-building support. It uses the grants and demonstration effect to trigger further flows for local climate action including global climate finance and national fiscal transfers. LoCAL also aims to support private finance for small and medium businesses and municipal finance and public-private partnerships. LoCAL is currently being deployed in 17 countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, with another 13 countries preparing to join (at the design stage).

UNCDF has supported the Government of Senegal in designing and implementing LoCAL since 2019. The Pilot phase has been officially launched on 1st July 2022 with the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between UNCDF and the Local development Agency (ADL). ADL, under tutelage of the Ministry of local governements, planning and development of territories (MCTADT) will work on implementing the mechanism in partnership with the Directorate of Environment and Classified Establishments (DEEC) of the Ministry of Environment, Sustainable Development and Ecological Transition (MEDDTE). The overall objective of LoCAL Senegal is to promote communes, communities, and local economies resilient to climate change (Impact) by supporting the implementation of climate change adaptation investments in vulnerable agroecological and urban areas (outcome 1) and developing and deploying a mechanism based on Performance Based Climate Resilience Grants – PBCRGs – to finance climate adaptation (outcome 2). In doing so, LoCAL Senegal seeks to strengthen awareness and response capacities of local authorities and decentralized services and promote local adaptation response (output 1); integrate climate change adaptation into local governments’ planning (PDC) and ensure investments are made (output 2) and roll out the PBCRG mechanism while making sure it incorporates improvements to sustain funding for climate change adaptation at the local government level (output 3).

Operationalization of the first phase – targeting two (2) local governments – has been slightly delayed, but administrative and institutional arrangements are in the process of being implemented at the national level to initiate the first activities. An LoA was signed with ADL in October 2022, but work plan will need to be revised as activities start in 2023 – once institutional procedures are completed. In the meantime, UNCDF is and will continue supporting the Government of Senegal in mobilizing resources that will allow LoCAL to be consolidated and gradually scaled up across the country. Within this context, UNCDF is seeking to employ a National Specialist – NPSA – to contribute to the effective delivery of LoCAL activities in Senegal.

In coordination with the LoCAL Global Management Team, with the general supervision of the Global Climate Facility Manager and in close collaboration with the UNCDF regional office and the national counterparts, the National Specialist will contribute to the daily implementation of LoCAL in Senegal, including overall gender-sensitive planning, oversight and monitoring of project implementation and substantive and financial reporting. He will provide policy, regulatory and technical advice to the national counterparts, decentralized technical services and local governments in relation to LoCAL activities and with a focus on the integration of climate change and environmental sustainability into public planning and budgeting systems at sub-national level.

The National Specialist will also be responsible for providing technical, policy, and programming implementation support and oversight, and knowledge and capacity development services for the effective deployment of LoCAL programmatic activities, for providing operational support to the LoCAL Facility, and is also expected to contribute to LoCAL’s resource mobilization activities on an ongoing basis.

Summary of key functions:

1. Programme management and implementation (30%)
2. Policy outreach, partnership building and resource mobilization (25%)
3. Policy, regulatory and technical advice to government counterparts and key stakeholders (25%)
4. Coordination with government counterparts, UN system and development partners (10%)
5. Knowledge management and communication (10%)

1. Project management and implementation (30%)

• Oversee the day-to-day implementation of selected LoCAL activities, with a focus on climate change and environmental sustainability;
• Lead delivery and achievement of objectives by working with and supporting implementing partners’ project related activities;
• Ensure the integrity of LoCAL Annual Work Plan, budget, financial resources, review of budget requirements, delivery and the consistent application or rules and regulations;
• Provide effective programme and project design, supervision, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, reporting and completion of assigned LoCAL activities, in close collaboration with the LoCAL Facility Manager and the LoCAL Facility (global), and in coordination with the UNS and national counterparts;
• Contribute to the management of the risk log of the project;
• Support identification and sourcing of technical expertise and support, including assisting with the preparation of TORs, identification and evaluation of experts and reviewing reports;
• Contribute to the preparation and timely submission of comprehensive technical and financial reports in line with contractual agreements including semi-annual reporting;
• Ensuring the timely and effective management of the activities as scheduled.

1. Outreach, partnership building and resource mobilization (25%)

• Develop strategies to mobilize additional resources based on LoCAL requirements and new opportunities.
• Maintain close working relationships with key national and subnational institutions and other key stakeholders at various levels in order to support the quality of the execution of the PBCRGS and its key results areas;
• Support negotiations on co-operation with the UN system, Government, bilateral development agencies, and other technical partners to identify and develop synergies with relevant in-country projects and technical partnerships for LoCAL with a focus on policy and capacity development for climate change mainstreaming and climate finance;
• Build effective and efficient partnerships at the operational level with national counterparts and financial and technical partners;
• Organize consultative meetings, seminars and workshops to drive analytical and policy work of the mechanism.

1. Policy, regulatory and technical advice to government counterparts and key stakeholders (25%) 

• Ensure adequate provision of technical, policy and regulatory assistance and advice to national and subnational governments in the field of public financial management, good governance, decentralization, adaptation planning/programming, climate finance, climate change issues and environmental sustainability, climate change mainstreaming into planning, budgeting, investment plans, implementation, and monitoring of adaptation measures (performance assessments);
• Substantially contribute to the implementation of LoCAL Senegal in its various stages of deployment (analysis and planning; financing and budgeting; implementation of adaptation measures; performance evaluations and reporting) and provide support as needed on specialized technical assistance assignments on topics of relevance for LoCAL (e.g. Climate Risk Assessment, Local Information Systems for Adaptation, etc.);
• Support the strengthening of capacities, institutions and systems with a focus on local level adaptation mainstreaming and the strengthening of public financial management systems for climate change (e.g. by facilitating and undertaking capacity needs assessments; the development of capacity building programmes; the organization of training workshops; and on-the-job learning);
• Strengthen the quality of the monitoring and evaluation and reporting of LoCAL in line with the ‘Assessing Climate Change Adaptation Framework’ (e.g. preparation and monitoring of the annual work plan, organization and participation in M&E field missions, proposing corrective measures, contribution to the preparation of annual reports);
• Provide technical advice and capacity building support (“learning by doing”) for the integration of environment and climate change issues in the local government development and investment plans and budgets that foster job creation, gender equality and green and climate resilient local economies;
• Provide technical advice and capacity building support for the adequate integration and costing of environment and climate considerations (e.g. specifications, cost estimations, etc) in the investments delivered in the context of LoCAL Senegal;
• Lead the technical dialogue and provision of policy and technical advisory services to national and local government counterparts in relation to climate change information and assessments, climate mainstreaming, climate finance and (direct) access to international climate finance (e.g. through accreditation to the Green Climate Fund).

1. Coordination with government counterparts, UN system and development partners (10%)

• Serve as the UNCDF / LoCAL focal point in working groups and steering committees on the issue of environment and climate change and related sectors and provide inputs for conducive policy and regulatory environment;
• Manage UNCDF’s commitments within the UNSDCF Results Matrix, ensures effective application of results -based management tools, monitors initiative work plans, programme effectiveness and achievement of results.
• Coordinate and provide substantive contributions from UNCDF on LoCAL mechanism in the CCA and UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), promotes thematic and sectoral synergies and coordination of programme activities and execution with development partners in Senegal;
• Coordinate closely with development partners and UNRCO on LoCAL development and delivery, identify approaches and modalities to achieve development targets by ensuring synergies and coordination between UNCDF LoCAL global programme and development partners in Senegal, as well as provide technical, policy and programmatic advice to the UNRCO on relevant themes.

1. Knowledge management and communication (10%)

• Identify key knowledge constraints and organize learning, knowledge exchange, training, workshops, etc. to build the awareness and capacities on relevant themes (i.e. climate change, local climate risk assessments, environmental sustainability, mainstreaming, in support of women and youth employment, etc.);
• Contribute to the implementation of the Communication and Visibility Plan of the Programme, in collaboration with Programme team, partners and technical consultants;
• Identify, collect and disseminate best practices and lesson learned from the Programme in areas of specialty;
• Manage the process of convening national and regional stakeholders to share lessons learned on selected themes.

4.      Institutional Arrangement

The National Specialist reports to the Programme Specialist, P-4, in charge of the West African Region, under the overall supervision of the LoCAL Global Programme Manager, P-5, and works in close collaboration with other LTF and LoCAL colleagues in the regional office/HQ based and country and across the region. This position will be based in Dakar, Senegal within UNCDF regional office.

Additional information on LoCAL can be found here https://www.uncdf.org/local/homepage

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies (insert up to 7 competencies)

Thematic Area   Name   Definition
External Relations & Advocacy
Communication    Advocacy strategy   Ability to create and implement advocacy strategies which lead to impactful change
Partnership management   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
Partnership management   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 objective
Business Direction & Strategy   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
Programme and Policy
2030 Agenda: Planet   Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery   Climate Risk Management Disaster and Climate Risk Governance
2030 Agenda: Planet   Nature, Climate and Energy   Climate Change Policies: Climate Finance

2030 Agenda: Planet   Nature, Climate and Energy   Climate Change Policies: Governance / integrated planning for climate change investments in the context of urbanization
2030 Agenda: Planet   Nature, Climate and Energy   Climate Change Adaptation: strategies

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