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 policies and guidelines responsible for UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS staff provide technical advice to Country Offices, advocate for UNDP corporate messages, represent UNDP at multi-stakeholder dialogues including public-private, government and civil society dialogues, and engage in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas.
UNDP's 2022-2025 Strategic Plan highlights 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 Hub and Climate Hub 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 work with governments, civil society, and private sector partners to integrate nature, climate, energy and waste related concerns into national and sector planning and inclusive growth policies, support country obligations under Multilateral Environmental Agreements, and oversee the implementation of the UN’s largest portfolio of in-country programming nature, climate change, energy, and waste and chemicals. 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;
- 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, capacity development, human rights, gender equality, health, technology, and South-South learning and digital transformation.
UNDP launched its first Digital Strategy in mid-2019 to harness digital transformation within the organization. Building on a long history of project-level digital support for partners, the strategy represented a systematic and corporate-driven transformation process to reimagine the way UNDP serves its partners and operates its systems and processes. UNDP continues to accelerate these efforts in response to growing demand from partner governments and to support our development partners to ensure that the arc of future digital transformation protects human rights and leaves no one behind.
In line with the Digital Strategy 2019-2021, Digital Strategy 2022-2025 maintains and accelerates the momentum that has already been generated across UNDP and among its partners. Many of the components are already in place such as the Accelerator Labs, the Digital Advocates Network, a comprehensive IT transformation, and the Chief Digital Office (CDO).
Being a part of the BPPS the Nature Hub and Climate Hub embarked on a road to accelerate digital transformation in collaboration with the CDO in the Executive Office, bringing digital technologies and data into different levels of decision-making processes and programming within the portfolio. The Nature Hub is working with multiple partners and stakeholders to advance the digital transformation for green transition. A new global project ‘Green and Digital Transformation Support Programme’ which aims to provide global support to enable scaled digital support to countries’ green transition, through Digital Public Goods / Infrastructure for transparency and green finance; data capacity building; and Digital Readiness assessment and demonstrations.
Within this programme, funded by Rockefeller Foundation the initiative “Digital Public Infrastructure for Planet – Research & Advocacy” aims to bring together a consortium of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) experts and climate change, biodiversity and circular economy related experts, organizations, and advocates to identify the potential of DPI in response to the urgent challenge of climate change and nature degradation (referred to as “the Planet”). These include exploring the role of DPI through two outputs:
- Identification of sectoral (or new) DPIs focused on the planetary challenges, rooted in recurring country demand and commitments in global processes. This may be around carbon trading and other green financing schemes; risk-informed planning; monitoring and reporting of national commitments; and other high-potential areas which UNDP plays a catalytic role through its wide country outreach
- Catalysing communities to build and implement relevant DPIs across planetary challenges to mobilize a global movement towards accelerated actions.
The DPI for Planet Initiative aims to create an influential public space for dialogue, supported by research and advocacy that leads to a common and shared understanding on the potential of DPI to tackle the pressing global challenges of nature, climate, energy and environment, i.e. referred to as planetary challenges. Through creating a collaborative space for dialogue, this Initiative aims to create strategic long-term thinking about DPI for Planet.
Duties and Responsibilities
The DPI Engagement Specialist will be responsible for coordinating and implementing the overall project, stakeholder engagement, quality assurance to the final product (report) as well as partnership development and resource mobilization for scale up of identified DPIs throughout the project period, acting as the project lead.
The Incumbent will perform the following functions:
1.Ensure effective project management and quality assurance to knowledge product.
- Manage the Planet DPI Initiative with the potential to grow this into a multi-year programme that unlocks partnerships for implementation in countries.
- Manage tasks including procurement and payments, ensure budget is expended as planned, and operational procedures are met and support processes in Quantum.
- Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders to design and facilitate the research process, convening and interview processes, side events and the publication process.
- Facilitate workshops or ideation meetings.
- Provide substantive inputs and quality assurance to the landscape report, review, draft or edit as needed.
- Work with other digital experts and engineers in the team to find optimal technological and business solutions.
- Draft concept notes, proposals and communication pieces, coordinating with other researchers, partners and internal stakeholders.
- Monitor and report on progress in implementing project activities and achieving the targets set.
2.Ensure stakeholder engagement, partnerships and resource mobilization.
- Draft fundable concept notes for use cases, early engagement with potential donor organizations
- Contribute to convening event design, organization and facilitation in collaboration with convening partners.
- Represent UNDP in coordination meetings with core partners and other UN agencies, such as the Coalition for Digital Environmental Sustainability (CODES) and convening partners, opening up opportunities for UNDP’s presence and advocacy.
- Spearhead resource mobilization and donor engagement, partnership development to accelerate the work identified in report.
3. Facilitate knowledge management and communication.
- Advise on cutting edge digital technologies and innovation processes, contribute to shaping and managing innovation projects and knowledge products.
- Provide inputs to briefing notes and policy papers as requested.
- Draft blogs, articles and op-eds to communicate project progress and results, working with communication experts.
4. The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary Support for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Institutional Arrangement
- The incumbent will work from home.
- The incumbent will report to the Lead, Digital Innovation for Nature Climate, Energy and Waste based in New York, USA. The incumbent will have a secondary reporting line to the Head of Digital Programme, Chief Digital Office, based in New York, USA.
- The incumbent will supervise the consultants and interns engaged in the project.
- The incumbent will work in close collaboration with other team members and technical experts across the Climate and Nature Hubs as required.
- S/he will liaise closely with the respective CDO focal point / team on opportunities for engagements and share learning.
- The incumbent will be given access to relevant information, systems GitHub necessary for the 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 support to be provided during this assignment, the incumbent is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability for such support 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
- 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
- Digital & Innovation - Co-creation:
- Ability to design and facilitate a process that enables a diverse group of stakeholders to solve a common problem, develop a practice, or create knowledge together.
- Ability to embrace diversity, work with a diverse group of stakeholders, understand their interests, perspectives and views and tap into to them as a source for creativity.
- Ability to facilitate processes and create conditions that are open for diverse inputs, stimulate collaboration and sharing.
- Digital & Innovation - Digital public goods:
- Knowledge of how DPG works, understanding of the opportunities, replicability and challenges for governments and society.
- 2030 Agenda: Planet - Nature, Climate and Energy:
- Climate Change Policies: Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)
- Business Management - Project Management:
- Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
- 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
Education:
- An advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in Environmental Studies, Public Policy, Business Management, International Development, Data Science, Computer Science, Science Technology and Innovation or a related field, or
- A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the said fields with 2 additional years of qualifying experience will be considered in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience:
- Minimum of 7 years (with master’s degree) or 9 years (with bachelor’s degree) of experience on the topic of digital and/or innovation policies for development is required.
Required skills:
- Demonstrated experience in leading high-profile research and publication.
- Track record of securing new partnerships and creating resource mobilization opportunities.
- Experience in project management and stakeholder engagement.
- Demonstrated experience working in multiple developing country contexts.
Desired skills:
- Experience working on one or more of the following issue areas: climate change, transparency, geospatial analysis, deforestation, biodiversity is an asset.
- Hands-on experience working on a digital innovation project related to the Sustainable Development Goals is an asset.
- Experience working in the UN is an asset.
Required Language(s):
- Fluency in English language is required.
- Knowledge of other UN language is an advantage.
Travel:
- International mission travel may be required (destinations to be identified). Expected mission travel would be discussed upon commencement of assignment and updated quarterly;
- Any necessary mission travel must be approved in writing and in advance by the supervisor.
- The BSAFE course must be successfully completed prior to commencement of travel;
- The incumbent is responsible for obtaining any visas needed in connection with travel with the necessary support from UNDP and for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director;
- S/he is required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under https://dss.un.org/dssweb;
Disclaimer
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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This position is no longer open.
