UN Consultancy: Technical Officer, Research and Value Chain Development – Paramaribo
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Location:
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Salary:negotiable / YEAR
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Job type:CONTRACTOR
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Posted:2 months ago
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Category:Economic Development, Programme and Project Management, Research and Data, Sales and Business Development
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Deadline:10/03/2025
JOB DESCRIPTION
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
Mangroves are critical for coastal protection as they prevent coastal erosion and help to stabilize coastal land. Mangroves are critical nature-based solution to mitigate the impact of rising sea levels and storms and adapt to climate change. Coastal mangroves can adapt to sea level rise and storms surges by moving inland over time. Suriname is home to 2 percent of the world’s total mangroves. In Suriname, mangrove forests cover 90 percent of the total coastline of 386 kms. The low-lying coastal region is also where majority of the population lives (i.e nearly 90 percent of the country’s population). In short, mangroves play a critical role in physical/geographical and socio-economic aspects of the country.
UNDP has been a key development partner of the Surinamese Government and its people since 1994. UNDP continues to support Suriname through its three broad programmatic areas: Democratic Governance, Social Development, Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resource Management. The three programmatic areas are interlinked, integrating nature-based solutions, justice and social services with the engagement of stakeholders that are relevant to all three programmatic areas.
UNDP in partnership with the European Union has been supporting Suriname in preservation and conservation of mangrove forests, especially through the two phases of the Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA+) programmes – phase one: from March 2016 to August 2019 and phase 2: 2020- 2023. In 2024, UNDP and EU launched a new initiative Protection, Restoration, and Sustainable Use of Mangrove Forest (PRSUMF) project (2024 to 2027).
The PRSUMF project builds on the results achieved in strengthening mangrove protection and conservation by the GCCA+ programme. The PRSUMF project aims to support Suriname in building the resilience of target coastal communities through inclusive, gender-responsive coastal zone management, mangroves conservation, and sustainable use. The project aims to achieve this objective:
- By strengthening coordination, legal and strategic frameworks, for integrated coastal zone management, water management, coastal defense, and governance.
- By enhancing the meaningful participation of local communities in the co-management of mangroves and Multiple Use Management Areas (MUMAs) and
- Lastly, by increasing sustainable income generation with a focus on women and youth, from mangrove-based value chains such as honey, fisheries, and nature-tourism.
Through the above approach, the project aims to mitigate some of the impact of rising sea levels, and frequent flooding, and support the country’s population to adapt to climate change by playing a central role in sustainable mangrove protection and use and adopting sustainable economic activities.
The project will be implemented by a project management unit headed by a project manager and technically supported by two technical officers – one on Community Co-Management, and one on Research and Value-Chain Development.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Technical Officer on Research and Value-Chain Development, under the overall guidance of the Project Manager, is responsible for providing support and assistance on research and monitoring of the National Forest Monitoring of Mangroves and sustainable use of mangrove forests through the development of value chain.
Key functions and responsibilities
Key functions and responsibilities of the Technical Officer on Research and Value Chain Development will include:
Promote sustainable value chain development of mangroves:
- Facilitate local dialogues as well as district and community decision-making processes on sustainable use of mangroves (in close collaboration with the technical officer on community co-management)
- Develop guidelines on value chains (including low-impact ecotourism, honey, fisheries etc.,) and sustainable economic extraction of mangrove forests and MUMAs,
- Identify and provide skills development training to MSMEs
- Develop criteria for providing grants to MSMEs, in collaboration with the project team
- Work with responsible parties to issue and manage grants.
- Mainstream gender and support equitable engagement of men and women in sustainable use of mangrove forests and MUMAs,
- Provide technical support to expand national mangrove monitoring system and strengthen governance of mangrove ecosystem and coastal management.
Contribute to knowledge generation and management on sustainable economic use of mangroves
- Prepare research reports on value chain development, best practices and lessons learnt from project implementation
- In collaboration with the project team, support regular monitoring of activities related to value chain development.
- In collaboration with the project manager, and communication officer, support awareness and communication activities including visibility of the projects.
- Support collaboration and knowledge exchange between universities/academia, entrepreneurs/MSMEs, and local communities.
Strengthen partnerships:
- Develops and maintains relationships with main counterparts within the country (e.g. with government departments, NGOs, organizations, community leaders) to ensure buy-in and successful implementation.
- Develop and maintain relationships at the local level with research institutions, private sector, local communities and local government and MUMA management organizations.
- Supports project manager in management of institutional or stakeholder relations, including analysis, networking and engagement within the national institutions and policy making environment.
Support project management and monitoring:
- Support Project Manager in the implementation of the project – including develop annual work plans, project progress reports, annual and final reports, preparation of the documentation for the Project Steering Board meetings, review meetings and evaluation missions etc.,
- Identify and support the hiring process of relevant experts and consultants to achieve project outputs, in close collaboration with the project team
- Provide substantive support to consultative and other meetings and conferences to include proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations, etc.
- In close consultation with the Project Manager, and UNDP country office ensure implementation and that project outputs as identified in the project document are achieved as advised and instructed by the Project Steering Board.
- Support the project manager in timely preparation and submission of financial and technical progress reports.
- Coordinate project activities, particularly community level with the technical officer community co-management to maximize efficiency, synergies, and complementary of project activities.
- Performs other duties related to the work of the project as required.
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 Technical Officer for Research and Value Chain Development will work under the direct supervision of the Project Manager and the general supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative/Head of Office and collaborates closely with the Team Leaders and Project Managers and all other CO units.
Competencies
| Achieve results | LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline |
| Think innovatively | LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements |
| Learn continuously | LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback |
| Adapt with agility | LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible |
| Act with determination | LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident |
| Engage and partner | LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships |
| Enable diversity and inclusion | LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination |
Cross-functional & Technical competencies
| Thematic area | Competencies | definition |
| Business Direction and Strategy | Entrepreneurial Thinking | Identify and seize opportunities to service and add value to clients, create clarity around UNDP value proposition to beneficiaries and partners, develop clear service offers responding to client needs in line with UNDP’s organizational priorities and mandate. |
| Business Direction and Strategy | Systems 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 Management | Partnership management | Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies |
| Business Management | Project management | Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals |
| Business Development | Knowledge facilitation | Ability to animate individuals and groups, internally and externally, and to design and facilitate activities, to share and exchange knowledge, information and ideas. Knowledge of tools and approaches to stimulate active participation, contribution, and exchange. |
| Partnership Management | Emerging partnerships | Ability to engage with emerging partners, develop and manage a strategy and develop approaches to developing and managing these new strategic partnerships |
| Digital and innovation | Innovation ecosystem curation | Ability to identify key players in an ecosystem, engage with them and mobilise them to build a community and over time a movement around a common mission that can bring about changes at the system level.
Ability to give sense of purpose and build trust, develop programmes of activities and platforms to build and strengthen relationships. |
Minimum qualification of successful NPSA
| Minimum Education requirements |
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| Minimum years of relevant work experience |
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| Required Language(s) |
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Disclaimer
Important applicant information
All posts in the NPSA categories are subject to local recruitment.
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.
Workforce diversity
UNDP is committed to achieving diversity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.
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Level of Education: Bachelor Degree
Work Hours: 8
Experience in Months: No requirements
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