Location:

Panama
Salary:

negotiable / YEAR
Job type:

CONTRACTOR
Posted:

2 months ago
Category:

Programme and Project Management
Deadline:

01/08/2024

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB SUMMARY:

Background

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Job Purpose and Organizational Context

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels offers a spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in its Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in UNDP’s Strategic Plan.

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages; represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora, including public-private, government and civil society dialogues; and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas.

UNDP’s 2022-2025 Strategic Plan highlighting our continued commitment to eradicating poverty, accompanying countries in their pathways towards the SDGs and working towards the Paris Agreement. As part of the Global Policy Network in the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP’s Nature, Climate Change, Energy, and Waste (NCE&W) Hubs promote and scale up integrated whole-of-governance approaches and nature-based solutions that reduce poverty and inequalities, strengthen livelihoods and inclusive growth, mitigate conflict, forced migration and displacement, and promote more resilient governance systems that advance linked peace and security agendas.

BPPS’ Hubs on Nature, Climate, Energy and Waste works with governments, civil society, and private sector partners to integrate natural capital, environment and climate concerns into national and sector planning and inclusive growth policies; support country obligations under Multilateral Environmental Agreements; and implement the UN’s largest portfolio of in-country programming on environment, climate change, and energy. This multi-billion-dollar portfolio encompasses:

Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services including forests;
Sustainable Land Management and Desertification including Food and Agricultural Commodity Systems (FACS);
Water and Ocean Governance including SIDS;
Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation;
Sustainable Energy;
Extractive Industries;
Chemicals and Waste Management;
Environmental Governance and Green/Circular Economy and SCP approaches.

This work advances crosscutting themes on innovative finance, digital transformation, capacity development, human rights, gender equality, health, technology, and South-South learning.

UNDP has developed its new Strategy for Food and Agricultural Commodity Systems (FACS) to focus its vision and enhance its support to transform FACS.

FACS are fundamental to the sustainable development of the 170 countries UNDP supports. FACS are often the largest contributor to their economies; food and nutrition is fundamental for citizen health; and FACS have a key role to play in achieving the SDGs. Yet, FACS are in crisis and need to be radically transformed to become sustainable. UNDP, building on its experience, has for the first time consolidated its FACS support and vision into this Strategy. The challenges and need for change related to FACS have been highlighted by a suite of reports by many research and international organizations and think tanks. The production practices and consumption patterns of food and agricultural commodities are taking these systems on an unsustainable trajectory with multiple impacts on human development, the environment, and economies; from ecosystem degradation, conflicts over land and natural resources, reduced capacity and resilience to climate and other shocks, persistent poverty, food insecurity and related people displacement and migration, to malnutrition including overweight and obesity. There is a clear need to work in a systemic and integrated manner to transform the FACS towards sustainability.

UNDP´s Vision for FACS 2030 is, through partnerships, to transform food and agricultural commodity systems into resilient; equitable; healthy, inclusive; environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable systems. Working on FACS will contribute to not only recovery from the COVID19 crisis, by creating sustainable and resilient livelihoods for many along the FACS supply chains, but also to preventing further zoonoses from emerging in the future. This will require a change in the current paradigm of agricultural production focusing on maximizing productivity to a new paradigm based on diversified agroecological systems which work simultaneously on achieving economic, environmental, social, and health outcomes, with smallholders as a key part of the solution in their role as the engine of economic development. A FACS practice has been established within UNDP’s Nature Hub, which is tasked to support UNDP Country Offices with FACS related challenges in a way that is aligned with UNDP’s FACS strategy.

In partnership with the Global Coffee Platform, the Food and Agriculture Commodities (FACS) team has supported the International Coffee Organization’s (ICO) Coffee Public-Private Task Force (CPPTF) process as facilitators of the Technical Workstream (TWS) 3 Forum: “Sector Transformation in Coffee Exporting Countries”. Together with the other CPPTF TWS, the TWS 3 Forum contributes to the CPPTF Roadmap and supports systemic change in the coffee sector by fostering dialogue and collaboration through new or strengthened multi-stakeholder platform structures.

During 2024, UNDP and the Global Coffee Platform will continue to deepen stakeholder engagement in select exporting countries (particularly Rwanda and Mexico) and facilitate the co-design of new or strengthened existing collaborative action platforms or structures. In coordination with the CPPTF Secretariat, UNDP and the Global Coffee Platform will present proposals for donor funding which will support the implementation of the corresponding activities.

The dialogue with national stakeholders and international partners should lead to a firm commitment to systemic change and willingness to take joint action, by forming coalitions between country representatives and the responsible public institutions in producer countries, global coffee companies, civil society organizations, donor agencies, financing institutions and other key stakeholders interested in improving the livelihood of millions of farmer families while conserving the fragile ecosystems in coffee production landscapes.

The FACS team lead the implementation of the Green Commodity Programme Phase III project funded by State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). Phases I and II were successful in strengthening the Indonesia Sustainable Palm Oil Platform and facilitating the development and initial implementation of the National Action Plan on Sustainable Palm Oil, as well as supporting the formulation and launch of the Coffee National Action Plan in Peru, guided by the multi-stakeholder Peruvian National Coffee Platform. During these phases the UNDP Green Commodities Programme (GCP) also engaged with regional and global sustainable production initiatives, advocating for improved synergies between global level buyers/traders and producer companies, further refined methodologies and tools for effective multi-stakeholder collaborative action and facilitated portfolio wide learning and knowledge-sharing.

The Third phase of the Green Commodities Program that started in June 2023 builds on the work and successes for the prior two phases and will continue work in Indonesia (palm Oil) and Peru (coffee), while also starting new interventions in Ghana (cocoa), Brazil (soy and beef), and Malaysia (palm oil).

Duties and Responsibilities

The Project Specialist will support with the following tasks:

International Coffee Organization’s (ICO) Coffee Public-Private Task Force (CCPTF)

Manage the national stakeholder engagement and relationship building processes in key coffee exporting countries and coordinate with key stakeholders (including, UNDP country offices and regional advisers and team leaders, Global Coffee Platform national teams, key counterpart institutions and stakeholders, European Union (EU) missions and other potential donors and partners).
Coordinate relationships with ICO and CPPTF Secretariat, as well as other Technical Workstream leads, and ensure participation in joint processes.
Co-design and support processes to develop or strengthen national multistakeholder platforms in several exporting countries, using the Effective Collaborative Action (ECA) methodology and in close collaboration with the Global Coffee Platform. The processes will involve supporting national stakeholders, potential global partners, such as donors, companies, or expert NGOs, as well as ICO CPPTF coordinators and facilitators.
Contribute to formulation of proposals for donor and company funding, based on the co-designing process, that will allow implementation of national collaborative process to transform national coffee sectors, as well as other CPPTF Roadmap priorities.

State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) – Economic Cooperation and Development- UNDP Green Commodities Program, Phase III

Project Coordination for Ghana

Act as Focal point for all FACS work in Ghana.
Ensure daily liaison and provide the technical support to national project team to ensure optimal project implementation and results.
Contribute to the elaboration of work plans and budgets and facilitate reporting processes.
Oversee project implementation and track delivery of key results and milestones.
Facilitate delivery of FACS advisory support to national team and stakeholders.
Promote national project teams’ and stakeholders’ participation in project and FACS communities.
Support knowledge exchange and the elaboration of knowledge products.

Technical Advisory support to the Project Community

Facilitate and foster participation and interaction within the project community to strengthen team capacity and learning.
Identify the learning needs of national project teams and local stakeholders.
Collaborate with the different FACS team functions (ECA, Private Sector, Communications) to develop and follow-up on activities, deliverables, and work packages (delivered through the FACS Community) based on the needs of the country coordinators and the national project teams.
Identify and facilitate learning and South-South knowledge exchanges between the national project teams and their key stakeholders using the dedicated project space created in the global FACS Community.
In coordination with Lead Adviser, provide programmatic advisory to Country Coordinators and national project teams.
Follow up with Country Coordinators and Project Teams on themes and questions related to technical guidance provided by the Lead Adviser.

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

Institutional Arrangement

The incumbent will work remotely from his/her home-base; (Part-time 80%)
The incumbent will be supervised by the FACS Senior Commodities Advisor.
The incumbent will take part in the FACS Community meeting and liaise with the UNDP FACS team members, other UNDP staff both at global and country office level, partners agencies focal points and donors.
The incumbent will be given access to relevant information necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment.
The incumbent will be responsible for providing her/his own workstation (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to a reliable internet connection.
Given the global consultations to be undertaken during this assignment, the incumbent is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability for such consultations taking into consideration different time zones.

Competencies

Core
Achieve Results:	LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
Think Innovatively:	LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
Learn Continuously	LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
Adapt with Agility	LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
Act with Determination	LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
Engage and Partner	LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
Enable Diversity and Inclusion:	LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Thematic Area	Name	Definition
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	Relationship management	Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust, and mutual understanding.
Business Management	Project Management	Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals.
Business Management	Communications	Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media, and other appropriate channels.
2030 Agenda: Planet	Nature, Climate and Energy	Ecosystems and Biodiversity: Green Commodities.
Business Direction and 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

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Economics, Agriculture, Business, Environment, International Development, Management, Social Sciences or other related areas is required, or
A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the said fields in combination with additional two years of qualifying work experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

Minimum 5 years (with Master´s Degree) or 7 years (with Bachelor´s Degree) of experience working with public sector collaboration, initiative development and implementation, or public-private partnerships within a producing country context.

Required skills:

At least 3 years’ relevant experience in agricultural commodities, including the companies, coffee-focused organizations, development agencies or -development projects is required.
Experience working on the global agricultural sector, including global coffee value-chains and its actors is required.
Experience with project formulation and management is required.

Desired skills:

Experience with UNDP or other UN agencies is an advantage.
Experience in conducting research, data collection, analysis and interpretation is an asset.
Experience with multi-stakeholder dialogue and collaboration processes is an asset.
Experience coordinating and facilitating learning exchanges and knowledge management is an asset.

Required Language(s)

Fluency in English and Spanish is required.
Knowledge of other UN languages is an advantage.

Disclaimer

Important information for US Permanent Residents (‘Green Card’ holders)

Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.

UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Non-discrimination

UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

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ABSTRACT:

United Nations Development Programme Project Specialist – Home based (Part time) Panama UNDP Jobs 2024

United Nations Development Programme looking for “Project Specialist – Home based (Part time)”. Applicants with an Advanced degree may apply on or before 01-Aug-24.

The United Nations Development Programme has published a job vacancy announcement on 18/07/2024 for qualified applicants to fill in the vacant post of Project Specialist – Home based (Part time) to be based in , Panama. For more jobs, please visit https://unjoblink.org

Company Name: United Nations Development Programme

Job Title: Project Specialist – Home based (Part time)

Duty Station: , Panama

Country: Panama

Application Deadline: 01-Aug-24

This job has expired.