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.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.
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's staff provides technical advice to Country Offices, advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government, and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. BPPS works closely with UNDP's Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response. BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP's development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working. BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts.
The Regional Bureau for Arab States (RBAS) consists of its presence across 16 Country Offices, the Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (PAPP), the Amman Regional Hub, and its Headquarters at RBAS, New York. RBAS New York is responsible for the overall strategic vision and direction, strategic, programmatic, and operational support to Country Offices, including with regard to partnerships and communications, and oversight of performance. The Operations, Planning & Oversight Team (OMPT) provides guidance and advice to RBAS leadership on overall operations, finance, audit, management, planning, and risk management for the Bureau. It ensures Country Office adherence to and compliance with UNDP corporate policy, including the POPP, and overall, Bureau oversight on country office performance
UNDP’s Social and Environmental Standards (SES) (www.undp.org/ses) underpin the sustainable development results that UNDP supports. While UNDP’s SES provides a robust safeguards framework for the organization, sustained investment in Country Office capacities for integrating SES into the project and programme design and implementation is critical. UNDP has put a global SES Implementation Plan supported by regional and country office plans managed by the Regional Bureau.
The SES are an integral component of UNDP’s quality assurance and risk management approach to programming. To this end, UNDP has a global SES Team that is hosted by the BPPS and involves global and regional SES technical advisors and specialists matrixed to the Regional Bureaux or relevant GPN Teams.
The Regional Specialist for Social and Environmental Standards will support UNDP Country Offices in the Arab Statesregion. This includes capacity building support to help Country Office teams better provide first line quality assurance and oversight of SES implementation across their portfolios, as well as second layer oversight for priority projects. The Regional SES TS will carry out tracking, quality assurance, and spot-checking the effective implementation of and compliance with the SES. The incumbent will provide trouble shooting and advise on assessments and measures to be taken to mitigate and manage SES risks. The incumbent will be matrixed to both the RBAS Risk Management and Oversight team and to BPPS SES Team.
Duties and ResponsibilitiesThe incumbent will work across the following areas with a focus on UNDP’s programming in the Arab States region:
SES Oversight and Advisory Support (70%)
- CO SES Implementation Plans: Support programmatic and strategic consideration of SES, including roles, responsibilities and capacities, at the Country Office level.
- Screening: Advisory support in the application of Social and Environmental Screening Procedures (SESP) in UNDP interventions, including quality assurance/clearance of SESPs for priority projects, and regular scan of SES data across country offices in the Arab region to identify emerging risks that may require additional oversight and support.
- Impact/Risk Assessments: Guide the preparation of Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA), Strategic Environmental and Social Assessments (SESA), and targeted assessments, providing additional quality assurance support for priority projects.
- SES Risk Management: Provide second-layer oversight of Environmental and Social Management Frameworks (ESMF), Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMP), and issue-specific plans and frameworks.
- Disclosure and Consultations: Provide advice on effective disclosure and consultation processes with potentially affected stakeholders.
- SECU Cases: Provide SES advisory support in cases being reviewed or investigated by the OAI Social and Environmental Compliance Unit.
- Grievance Redress: Guide the development of project-level Grievance Redress Mechanisms (GRM) that address complaints about the potential social and environmental impacts of UNDP interventions.
SES Capacities and Learning (20%)
- SES Guidance and Tools: Continually adapt and build learning-based guidance materials to support effective and efficient implementation.
- Training Programs: Develop and deliver training programs for the UNDP staff, partners, and local stakeholders to ensure they understand and can implement UNDP SES requirements.
- Internal Capacity Development: Support SES capacity-building and institutionalization initiatives in UNDP country offices. Identify capacity needs, learning gaps, and challenges across country offices and advise on developing strategies to address them.
- Research and Experimentation: Follow global trends in social and environmental standards and pilot-test new approaches and tools.
- Generate Knowledge and Facilitate Exchange: Document SES stories and cases and facilitate strengthened knowledge exchange on SES across UNDP and with partners.
- SES Roster: Maintain a vetted and trained pool of high caliber SES consultants, at global and regional levels and across a range of SES topics, for deployment to support SES implementation.
SES Coordination and Outreach (10%)
- Coordination with partners: Coordinate with other UN agencies, international financial institutions, and relevant development partners and support efforts to align the social and environmental standards used in development progress.
- Internal Advocacy: Promote the importance of social and environmental standards within the UNDP operations.
- SES Awareness Raising: Engage in advocacy efforts to raise awareness about the SES internally and among the UNDP partners and other relevant stakeholders.
Institutional Arrangement
- The incumbent will work remotely from his/her home base
- The incumbent will be reporting to the Risk Management Advisor, RBAS and matrixed to the Head, Social and Environmental Standards Team (BPPS). The incumbent will be given access to relevant information necessary for the execution of the tasks under this assignment;
- The incumbent will engage regularly with the supervisor by email and Teams on a weekly and/or as needed daily basis;
- The incumbent will be responsible for providing her/his own workstation (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to reliable internet connection;
- Given the global consultations to be undertaken during this assignment, the incumbent is expected to be reasonably be flexible with his/her availability for such consultations taking into consideration different time zones.
- The incumbent may be required to travel internationally in case physical presence is necessary to complete tasks. In such events, all travel costs will be covered by UNDP in accordance with UNDP’s travel policies.
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 2030 Agenda: Planet
Nature, Climate and Energy
Environment: Environmental and social impact assessments and safeguards 2030 Agenda: Planet
Nature, Climate and Energy
Environment: Environmental and social impact assessments, including data collection and analysis
Business Development Knowledge Generation Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need Business Management Risk management
Ability to identify and organize action around mitigating and proactively managing risks Business Management Evaluation
Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmark. Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.
Business Management Communication
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.
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
Required Skills and Experience Min. Education requirements Advanced University Degree (Master’s Degree or equivalent) in Environmental Sciences, Environmental Management, Environmental Policy, Anthropology, Sociology, Engineering, International or Human Rights Law or other field relevant to the position; or
A first level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in the above mentioned field of study in combination with an additional two (02) years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Min. years of relevant work experience Minimum seven (07) years (with Master’s degree) or nine (09) years (with Bachelor’s degree) of practical experience in the area of environmental and social safeguards. Required skills - Direct experience in social and environmental risk management, due diligence, and/or quality assurance
Desired skills - At least 5 years of experience in applying social and environmental safeguards, assessments, and management.
- Direct experience in design and/or implementation of sustainable development projects in the Arab States region
- Relevant safeguards oversight experience in an international development organization
- Knowledge of and experience applying the UNDP SES or similar frameworks
- Experience with applying safegards to climate and environment vertical funds (e.g. GCF and GEF) projects or other relevant environment programming highly desired
Required Language(s) Fluency in written and spoken English
Fluency in Arabic is desired.
Other requirements N.A
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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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