Background

Office/Unit/Project Description 

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 policies 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.

BPPS’s Hubs on Nature, Climate, Energy and Waste, with the support of the Vertical Fund Programme Support, Oversight and Compliance Unit, works 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.

The newly established UNDP Climate Hub is the arrowhead of UNDP’s commitment to the “Climate Promise” that aims to support programming countries designing and implementing pledges under the Paris Agreement, including ambitious National Determined Contributions, with climate change mitigation and adaptation interventions fully embedded in the national development planning and budgetary processes. The Climate Hub will build on UNDP’s existing over USD 4 billion country-level climate portfolio on Climate Change Policies and Strategies, Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Change Mitigation, Climate and Forests, covering over 142 countries, as well as on UNDP’s Nature portfolio, UNDP’s Sustainable Finance Hub, UNDP’s Digital offer and other relevant portfolios on youth, gender, health, climate security among others.

The UNDP Climate Hub is responsible for:

• Thought leadership on Climate and to be the custodian of UNDP policy positions on Climate;
• Strategy and vision formulation;
• Pipeline development in coordination with the other hubs and the Vertical Fund Programme Support, Oversight and Compliance Unit;
• Provision of integrated policy and programme support to Country Offices;
• Global engagement, advocacy in collaboration with BERA;
• Integration across thematic areas;
• Strategic Partnerships development and resource mobilization;
• Lead and support global flagship initiatives and partnerships on Climate;
• Serve as focal point with relevant UN coordination mechanisms and Conventions (UN Framework Convention on Climate Change);
• Cross-organization knowledge and learning; and
• Innovation.

UNDP is recruiting two Land Use and Forests Greenhouse Gas Technical Experts, to enhance the technical support offered to countries by UNDP Climate and Forests, with a focus on the LULUCF sector. The experts will provide:

• technical assistance and guidance through assessments of key UNFCCC submissions, including, in particular, NDCs and, BTRs, and REDD+ reference levels;
• assessments against voluntary carbon markets standards requirements;
• updating and validating of country-specific information and data for the “Paris Agreement LULUCF Assessment & NDC Tool” – PLANT;
• contributions to capacity building & knowledge generation and exchange.

Scope of Work

1. Provision of Technical Assistance

The experts will be requested to respond to various ad-hoc requests to provide technical assistancerelated to GHG estimation and reporting for the LULUCF sector. Likely focus areas for technicalassistance include the following: 

• Assess the potential impact of Article 6 transactions on a given country’s NDC trajectory.
• Assess country readiness to report on Article 6 transactions in alignment with the Enhanced Transparency Framework and relevant UNFCCC Article 6 decisions. 
• Support the development of simulations for countries’ NDC trajectories within PLANT. 
• Assess countries’ NDC progress – with a primary focus on the LULUCF sector - through their most recent submissions, including:
  • GHG targets and non-GHG Targets
  • Policies and measures
  • Level of implementation of measures outlined in the NDC
  • Estimation of emission reductions, if feasible
  • Estimation of adaptation gains, if feasible
  • Level of integration of gender and social inclusion in implemented measures
  • Level of achievement of policy targets
  • Technological and financing achievement and gaps
  • Existence and effectiveness of transparency system
  • Extent of alignment with 1.5 degrees goal
  • Level of political and societal commitment to climate action
  • Existence and effectiveness of institutional framework and coordination mechanism
  • Extent of engagement of women, youth, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in implementation 
  • Consistency of NDC with other national submissions or instruments, – e.g., LT-LEDS, NAP, NBSAPs
• Provide technical support for development of funding proposals, in particular  for the Green Climate Fund REDD+ RBPs, by conducting assessments to examine alignment with requirements, to inform gap-filling, including revised submissions to the UNFCCC, as needed, enhance their access to potential financing opportunities.

2. Review and validate countries’ data and information in PLANT

• Review, assess, and update existing information and assessment in PLANT, incorporating new countries and subnational jurisdictions as needed, including:
  • REDD+ submissions to the UNFCCC.
  • NDC content, trajectory, and assessment. 
  • Data and information contained in the greenhouse gas inventories (GHGI) reported to the UNFCCC, National Communication, Biennial Update Reports (BUR), and Biennial Transparancy Reports (BTR).
  • Assessment related to the enhanced transparency framework (ETF) as contained in the Modalities, Procedures and Guidelines for the ETF (UNFCCC decision 10/CMA.1).
  • Information submitted to Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), Lowering Emissions by Accelerating Forest Finance (LEAF), ART/TREES, REDD Early Movers (REM) Programme. 

3. Voluntary carbon markets standards assessment 

• Review, validate and adjust PLANT voluntary carbon markets standards assessment of compliance and estimated potential of generating emission reductions and removals.
• Cross check and validate the equations from standards included in PLANT (i.e. TREES/ ART and JNR/ Verra).
• Validate countries’ estimated potential for emission reductions (ERs) and removals (where applicable) calculated by PLANT and revise, as relevant, these estimates accordingly – this entails recalculation of this estimated potential for generating credits.
• Cross check all the technical requirements from standards included in PLANT.
• Review and validate the standards compliance assessment regarding national and subnational eligibility, for all the requirements listed in PLANT.
• Assess REDD+ voluntary carbon markets projects platforms and methodologies for countries in PLANT.

4. Contribute to Global Capacity Building & Knowledge Generation and Exchange 

• Support capacity-building efforts by participating in workshops and engaging effectively in multilateral meetings with Country Offices and national counterparts.
• Facilitate capacity building, innovation and peer-to-peer learning, on topics of strategic importance to UNDP’s engagement with LULUCF and land-based solutions to climate change.
• Contribute to the development of methodological reference documents, technical briefs, countries reports, and outreach materials, integration of new data and assessments, data analysis, gap-filling in information, creation of learning materials, product reviews, and other related activities.

The incumbents perform other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization. 

Institutional Arrangement

The Land Use and Forests Greenhouse Gas Technical Experts report to the Head of Climate Data and Analysis, UNDP Climate Hub. S/he will be part of the larger Climate Hub, contributing to the Climate Promise (with a focus on the LULUCF sector), Climate, Forests and Land, and the Carbon Markets Pillars.

Expected Demonstration of Competencies

Core Competencies

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

Required Education, Experience, Skills and Competencies

Minimum Education requirements

Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in economics, engineering, geography, environmental management/sciences, international development/ relations, sustainable development, forestry and/or other closely related field is required. or

A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree. 

Minimum years of relevant work experience

Minimum of seven (7) years (with a master's degree) or nine (9) years (with a bachelor’s degree) of relevant professional experience in preparing national GHG inventories and preparing FREL/FRL and/or Technical Annexes with REDD+ results, or related topics.

Required skills 

• Demonstrated expert-level knowledge and experience applying the IPCC guidance and best practice for the LULUCF sector. 
• Demonstrated expert-level knowledge of the United Nations Framework for Climate Change (UNFCCC), Paris Agreement, NDC requirements relevant to the LULUCF sector, and Enhanced Transparency Framework. 
• Proven track records of sound understanding of sustainable development, NDCs/relevant climate policy instruments and UNFCCC processes.
• Knowledge of REDD+ processes and requirements under UNFCCC (MRV systems, FREL/ FRL, safeguards, GHGI, NC and BUR) and emerging forest carbon standards (e.g., ART/TREES, Verra JNR).

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section

• Familiarity with data analysis of forest inventory data and in carbon accounting methodologies for the LULUCF sector is desirable.
• Previous experience working with UNDP or other international organizations/ institutions.

Required Language (s): 

• Fluency in English and Spanish is required.
• Knowledge of Portuguese and/or French language is an asset.

Equal opportunity

• As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 
• UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

• UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Right to select multiple candidates

• 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.

Equal opportunity

• As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 
• UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

• UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Right to select multiple candidates

• 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.

Scam alert

• UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.