Afghanistan: UNEP Environment Project Assistant
Mar 17, 2015
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United Nations Environment Programme
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The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Post-Conflict and Disaster Management Branch is seeking to hire a project assistant to help develop and implement a Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) response plan for Afghanistan, conduct stakeholder consultations and conduct capacity building exercises, develop a series of advocacy papers, select local experts to participate in working groups, and provide progress reporting and project follow up to the UNEP Afghanistan Estonia project under Building Environmental Resilience in Afghanistan prodoc.
Background
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Post-Conflict and Disaster Management Branch, established in 1999 and based in Geneva, provides environmental assistance to post-conflict countries by, among other things, providing capacity building and technical assistance for post-conflict environmental administrations. UNEP has been requested by the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to provide on-going capacity building support over the coming 4 years.
UNEP, together with the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA), the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN), Department for International Development (DFID), and the government of Estonia, has developed new activities in Afghanistan to develop a response plan with the Request Expert Team (RET) for CTCN. Once this response plan is final and approved by both CTCN and the NDE/Applicant (Afghanistan), the implementation of the plan will start, including specific technical assistance to the country.
UNEP assistance to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan will be delivered in two steps. The first phase will be supported by the CTCN, in the form of a “quick response” assistance, and the second phase will be focusing on the implementation of a full Technological Needs Assessment (TNA) under GEF 6. These ToR describe the assistance that should be delivered in the first stage, with the assistance of the CTCN.
Job Description
Objectives, output expectations and performance indicators
Activity 1 will aim at developing a CTCN response plan to define the goals, objectives and activities, the resources/expertise required and the roles of stakeholders to be engaged, in order to mainstream climate friendly technologies for energy, agriculture and water into the national development plan (ANDS) currently being revised by the government. The timeline/milestones of the assistance will be aligned with the roadmap for the revision of the National Development Plan so that the activities/outputs directly feed into the NDP revision process.
Activity 2 will aim at providing evidence to make the case (illustrate the scope of climate change in present and future energy, agriculture and water policies and programmes, showing the technical/technology needs for the Energy, Water and Agriculture sectors and matching with technical/technology options including information on barriers and enabling framework requirements as well as technical performance and cost of different technology options, a series of recommendations for each sector) - technologies here include of course hard, soft and orgware. This will include to conduct stakeholder consultations, as well as conduct capacity building exercise on adequate tools, as identified by the expert team in the first two weeks of the consultancy, and described in the Inception Plan, provide by November 10th. 2014.
Activity 3 will aim at developing a series of advocacy papers with specific recommendations from each sector (building on evidence produced under Activity 1) and generate some preliminary project concepts that could be presented at the London conference end of December. The advocacy papers will be targeted at the decision makers and the different working groups established for the NDP revision. We could also envisage to provide them with a few tools for the mainstreaming (e.g. checklists and a toolkit.)
Activity 4 will be to select local experts participating in the working groups to do the advocacy and ensure the mainstreaming (offering some tools to help doing the mainstreaming) - i.e.Providing experts/advisors to support the sectoral working groups established for the NDP revision process.
Activity 5 will provide progress reporting and project follow up to the UNEP Afghanistan Estonia project under Building Environmental Resilience in Afghanistan prodoc.
Job Requirements
1. Specific tasks, outputs and responsibilities
Under guidance and supervision from the UNEP coordinator in Afghanistan, in collaboration with the CTCN expert team and the Climate Technology Manager:
Activities:
2. Support the design of the response plan with a view to clearly define the goals, objectives and activities, the resources/expertise required and the roles of stakeholders to be engaged
3. Coordinate with local actors in NEPA and Energy, Water, Agriculture sectors, GiZ and potential other actors seen relevant
4. Provide a snapshot of the different stakeholders involved in climate change at the national level
5. Identify local institutions for data and expert support
6. Assist the Government in seeking political endorsement and integration of Energy, water and climate technology into the national development plans
7. Actively support for the ANDS revision process by acting as technical advisor for mainstreaming recommendations on climate technologies for Energy, Water and Agriculture (technical input and on standby for support, or response to queries)
8. Establish baseline situation for the current technology development and transfer in the Energy, Water and Agriculture sectors
9. Produce a summary of the available national climate information for Energy, Water and Agriculture and related technology trends/options for an audience that includes the country’s non-experts in climate issues (most relevant information/issues - no more than 4 pages) - this will be used for the mainstreaming in ANDS.
10. Conduct technical and economic appraisal and develop proposals for a few selected climate technology projects for the Energy, Water and Agriculture sectors
11. Carry out regular workplanning and activity matrix follow-up to all aspects of the UNEP BERA Estonia subproject.
12. Support and coordinate activities of the UNEP Afghanistan Knowledge Management Unit.
13. Any other tasks or activities as agreed with the UNEP Afghanistan country programme manager.
14. Provide regular office reporting support to the UNEP Afghanistan country programme office.
15. Qualifications / special skills or knowledge
a. Education: A relevant undergraduate or postgraduate degree in environment, engineering, political science, international relations, economics, anthropology.
b. Work Experience:At least three to five years of professional experience supporting governments in mainstreaming climate change issues and climate technologies into national plans and policies.
c. Competencies:
Languages:
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Excellent English writing skills are required. Knowledge of Dari and/or Pashto (Afghanistan’s national languages) is desirable. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.
Contact Information
1. Submission Guidelines
International experts meeting the essential requirements of the position are invited to apply for this position by submitting the following two documents only:
· letter of interest with clearly indicated VA number (e.g. UNEP-2015-xxx); and
· updated and signed UN Personal History Form P.11 (available at http://www.unops.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/HR%20docs/P11%20form.doc)
Electronic applications with the subject “VA#UNEP-2015-xxx” to be submitted to: administration.kabul@unep.org
Additional Considerations:
· Failure to comply with the above requirements (e.g. no indication of the VA number) will disqualify the application.
· Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
· Only short-listed candidates will be notified or contacted.
· Qualified and experienced female candidates are particularly encouraged to apply.
United Nations Considerations
The United Nations shall place no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. (Charter of the United Nations - Chapter 3, article 8). The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.
No Fee
THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS - See more at: http://www.acbar.org/display-job/60336/UNEP-Environment-Project-Assistant.html?searchId&page#sthash.D24IZfgu.dpuf