Switzerland: Private Sector and Technical Specialist - Central African Forest Initiative

Aug 23, 2021 | UNDP
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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, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the 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 the Strategic Plan. 

UNDP’s 2018-2021 Strategic Plan emphasizes the critical links between environmental sustainability, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and broader efforts to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda and Paris Agreement. As part of the Global Policy Network in the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP’s Nature, Climate Change, and Energy (NCE) Team promotes and scales 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. 

The NCE Team 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 commodity systems; Water and Ocean Governance including SIDS; Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation; Renewable and Modern 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.

In addition to UNDP’s bilateral partnerships on nature climate and energy, UNDP is an accredited multilateral implementing agency of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Multilateral Fund (MLF), and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) which includes the Global Environment Facility Trust Fund (GEF Trust Fund); the Nagoya Protocol Implementation Fund (NPIF); the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF); and the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF). As part of UNDP’s partnership with these vertical funds, UNDP provides countries specialized integrated technical services for eligibility assessment, programme formulation, capacity development, policy advice, technical assistance, training and technology transfer, mobilization of co-financing, implementation oversight, results management and evaluation, performance-based payments and knowledge management services.  The Nature, Climate and Energy Team focuses on managing the oversight of climate and environmental financial resources from global trust funds to catalyze and unlock other types of public and private financing for sustainable development. This includes oversight of the design as well as implementation phase of projects (together with Country Offices and Regional Bureaus), as well as portfolio level oversight and management.

Central Africa is home to the second largest tropical rainforest in the world. Forest loss is accelerating despite ongoing efforts, as government action alone has not been sufficient to establish an effective balance between the interests of the forest and of economic development. On this basis, a coalition of willing donors – the European Union, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Kingdom of Norway, the Republic of France and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland – together with Central African partner countries – Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, and the Republic of Gabon – have decided to enter into a collaborative partnership to establish the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) www.cafi.org . The objective of this initiative is to recognize and preserve the value of the forests in the region to mitigate climate change, reduce poverty, and contribute to sustainable development. This objective will be attained through the implementation of country-led, national scale REDD+ and Low Emissions Development (LED) investment frameworks that include policy reforms and measures to address the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation and promote sustainable development. 

The CAFI Trust Fund is the principal means to implement the Central African Forest Initiative. It is administered by the MPTF-O (http://mptf.undp.org/factsheet/fund/AFI00). As per its Terms of Reference, UNDP provides the secretariat services.

The Trust Fund has more than US$230 million in approved programs and another US$200+ million in the pipeline. Under the supervision of the Head of Secretariat, the Private Sector Technical Special, together with other Technical Advisors/Specialists on programming, will support the CAFI Secretariat in its strategic advice to the CAFI Executive Board, and its policy and technical advice to partner countries, more specifically to develop partnerships with the private sector, results-based and performance-based payment mechanism. 

The Private Sector Technical Special is primarily responsible for the development and implementation of partnerships with the private sector. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Support the development of private sector partnerships for the CAFI Trust Fund. This will include:

  • Identify and develop partnerships with the finance sector, real economy, or their alliances, to co-finance investments in Central Africa that contribute to reduced emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and increased removals;
  • Work with the MPTF to develop, adjust, and implement the due diligence process of partners when relevant;
  • Design, expand, support the implementation of, and monitor CAFI funded programs to incentivize sustainable investments by local economic actors (pipeline development, technical assistance, incubations, junior tranches, microfinance etc.).

Support CAFI partner countries to reduce barriers to, and scale up, sustainable/forest friendly private sector investments

  • Based on the national investment frameworks, identify barriers and propose measures to address barriers to good business climate, support their inclusion in letters of intent, in the CAFI programming cycles and the monitoring of their implementation; 
  • Develop partnerships with relevant actors (World Bank, IMF, bilateral development banks, EITI, etc.) to coordinate the development and monitoring of relevant milestones, commitments, and triggers;
  • Support the design, implementation, and monitoring of CAFI funded programs that contribute to reducing of political, legal, institutional, etc. risks of private sector investments and barriers.

Support the development of results- and performance-based programs

  • Design, develop, and implement CAFI strategy for partnering with, and mobilizing, public and private sources of results-based finance (expressed in tCO2e) for Central Africa;
  • Develop and manage performance-based programs such as payments for ecosystem services and output-based aid (identification of sectors, payments, funding flows, local and international partners and intermediaries, monitoring and verification, inclusion of new ICTs, etc.). 

Knowledge generation and sharing

  • Analyse and synthesize lessons and stimulate the uptake of best practices and knowledge, including the development of resource kits and other knowledge materials;
  • Peer review, commenting on, and seek to improve the technical quality of programmes/projects, policies, practices, guidelines, advisory notes, publications and the like;
  • Respond to queries on project progress, impacts and lessons;
  • Contribute to global knowledge products on relevant technical matters; 
  • Contribute to the Global Policy Network as required, including as an effective member of the ‘Planet’ group and participating in country or thematic task teams;
  • Participate in relevant Communities of Practice and contribute to UNDP corporate requirements.

Competencies

Core

Innovation

  • Ability to make new and useful ideas work.

Leadership

  • Ability to persuade others to follow.

People Management

  • Ability to improve performance and satisfaction.

Communication

  • Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.

Delivery

  • Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement.

Technical/Functional

Sustainable Development

  • Knowledge of sustainable development concepts, principles and issues and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations, covering the economic, social and environmental dimensions.

Biodiversity and Eco-systems Management

  • Knowledge of conservation, sustainable use and access and benefit sharing of biodiversity, land, forests and oceans and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

Forests and Development

  • Knowledge of forestry and development and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

Green Economy / Green Commodities / Green Growth

  • Knowledge of Green Economy concept and green growth issues, including green commodities, supply chains and poverty-environment nexus, and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

Collaboration and Partnership

  • Ability to develop, maintain, and strengthen partnerships with others inside (programmes/projects) or outside the organization who can provide information, assistance, and support.  

Climate Change (General)

  • Knowledge of climate change including climate change international regime and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

Climate Finance

  • Knowledge of climate finance concepts and instruments and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

Brief & Speech Writing

  • Ability to prepare quality briefs and/or speeches.

Knowledge Management

  • Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge.

Project Management

  • Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.

Capacity Development

  • Ability to support partner countries' capacity to manage ODA resources effectively and harmonize with national policy and financing frameworks.  

Innovative Finance

  • Knowledge of financing for sustainable development and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

  • Master’s degree in natural resource management, agriculture, forestry, rural development, economics, business administration, finance, or other relevant field.

Experience

  • Minimum of 7 years’ experience working with developing countries on natural resource management, land use planning, agriculture, forestry, rural development including climate change, forest carbon and/or REDD+;
  • Demonstrated extensive experience with project development, implementation and management;
  • Demonstrated experience with the private sector (financial institutions or private companies);
  • Demonstrated experience with carbon accounting and payment for ecosystems services;
  • Experience in monitoring and evaluation for REDD+ implementation is an asset;
  • Experience in Central Africa (Gabon, Republic of Congo, DRC, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic);
  • Familiarity with program cycle of multilateral and bilateral cooperation agencies is an asset;
  • Familiarity with Trust Funds and their programming processes is an asset.

Language Requirements

  • Fluency in written and oral English and French, with exceptional writing and communication skills;
  • Knowledge of other official UN working language is an asset.

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

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