United Nations Development Programme announces vacancy for Local Climate Action Project Associate

Description of assignment title: Local Climate Action Project Associate

Assignment country: Nepal
Expected start date: 01/06/2023
Sustainable Development Goal: 13. Climate action
Volunteer category: National UN Youth Volunteer
DoA reserved for persons with disabilities: No
Host entity: UNDP
Type: Onsite
Duration: 10 months
Number of assignments: 2
Duty stations: Barekot, Nalgad

Details

Mission and objectives

UNDP in Nepal
VISION STATEMENT

UNDP Nepal works with the people and Government of Nepal, and other development partners to pursue equitable and sustainable human development goals through eradication of poverty, increase in livelihood opportunities, improvement in community resilience against conflict, disasters and impact of climate change, while laying down strong foundations for a society based on rule of law with an inclusive and participatory democracy.

Context

UNDP has been present in Nepal since 1963, working towards greater development impact for the people living in the most remote, poor, and vulnerable areas. Reduction of vulnerability to disaster and climate risks is one of the core programmatic approaches in promoting sustainable and resilient development. UNDP’s programme priorities for 2023-2027 are: Sustainable and inclusive economic transformation; Governance, federalism, participation and inclusion; and Environmental sustainability, climate and disaster resilience.

UNDP is Government of Nepal’s trusted partner on disaster and climate risk management through strong policy and institutional support and enhancing capacities for resilience building at all levels including support for community-level risk reduction, climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, preparedness and recovery. It has built partnerships with all three tiers of government, international agencies, NGOs and academic institutions and expanded the institutional and knowledge base of risk management in Nepal. UNDP’s interventions through different programs and projects on adaptation and mitigation, urban risk management through building code, risk sensitive land use plan, safer construction practices and retrofitting, climate and disaster risk informed development, information management, community-based resilience, and emergency preparedness and aim to build resilience to climate and disaster risk in Nepal.

In order to build resilience for strengthening human security at local and community levels, UNDP is implementing a Government of Japan funded project ‘Enhancing human security through local climate actions’ in Nalgad Municipality and Barekot Rural Municipality of Jajarkot district, Karnali Province. The project aims to improve human security through local climate actions in targeted municipalities, which include building capacity of communities and its immediate governance authority i.e. municipalities, nature-based solutions and community infrastructure for climate risk mitigation, adaptive agriculture practices, energy efficient solutions, early warning at community level, awareness generation in school and communities, and human security and climate risk informed local development planning and implementation.

This UNV assignment is a part of this project on resilience building which includes human security through local climate actions. It includes providing support on field-level implementation of project activities, monitoring and reporting, and coordination with UNDP’s project team, field teams and project municipalities.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of Project Manager, the National UN Youth Volunteer will:

• Coordinate with the local governments, communities and other stakeholders in implementing the project activities within the project municipalities and Bheri River Basin.
• Coordinate with the focal person of the respective municipality office to organize meetings, share progress updates and receive feedbacks including documentation of project events. Update the project team based in Kathmandu and field team accordingly.
• Assist the project team and field team by providing data and information of the project municipality related to climate, human security, development planning, etc. for implementation.
• Undertake regular field visits to track progress of implementation at the field level and share monthly reports to the project team.
• Facilitate project team, field team and project partners and project related consultants’ missions to municipality by arranging meetings with municipality and development partners, community consultations, site visits, data collection, etc.
• Under the guidance of Project Manager, supervise and assist the works done by local communities, service providers (line agency, NGOs, private party, etc.) to ensure the quality of the work and meeting the deadlines.
• Document meeting minutes, case studies and success stories during the implementation of the project activities.
• Support the municipality office in integrating the recommended local climate actions in municipal annual plan and budgeting and other development activities.
• Perform any other tasks assigned by the supervisor.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities:

• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day);
• Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;
• Provide annual and end of assignment self- reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities.
• Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers;
• Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.
• Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment
• A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed

Eligibility criteria

Age
18 – 26

Nationality
Candidate must be a national or legal resident of the country of assignment.

Requirements
Required experience

2 years of experience in project implementation in government or non-government organizations; Proficiency in various MS Office applications (i.e. Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc); Knowledge of and experience in project and programme management, monitoring and evaluation and report writing; Motivated to contribute towards peace and development and to serve others; Good interpersonal, networking and communication skills; Willingness to contribute and work as part of a team; Flexible and open to learning and new experiences; Respect for diversity and adaptability to other cultures, environments and living conditions; Previous experience as a volunteer and/or experience of another culture, (i.e. studies, volunteer work, internship) would be highly regarded;

Area(s) of expertise

Agriculture, Engineering and construction , Development programmes

Driving license
–

Languages
English, Level: Fluent, Required

Required education level

Bachelor degree or equivalent in environmental studies, climate change, agriculture, social sciences (Sociology, Rural Development, Economics and Development Studies), engineering or other relevant fields;

Competencies and values

Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to UNDP; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to UNDP procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented;

Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and UNDP in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority;

Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues;

Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment.

Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities;

Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups;

Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of operations as necessary;

Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards UNDP’s mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

Other information

Living conditions and remarks

before, during and after his or her assignment in the field. Ideally, offering diverse opportunities for learning and development aim to strengthen the volunteer’s skills and competences, improve the quality of the assignment and keep the volunteer’s motivation high.

Learning elements for the UN Youth Volunteer include the development of:

• Professional skills: including specific competencies and reflection on assignment-related abilities; and on-the-job skills such as time management, problem solving, team building; and career preparedness such as interview skills, CV preparation, job searching.
• Inter-personal skills: including communication and listening skills; multi-cultural aware-ness and cultural competency; and conflict and stress management.
• Volunteering-related skills: including leadership; civic responsibility; and engagement and active participation.

Beyond the learning opportunities provided by UNV, UNDP will support knowledge and capacity development on resilience building and capacity building that are relevant to the UN Youth Volunteer’s assignment. UNDP will provide, at its expense, UN Youth Volunteers with equal opportunity to participate in training courses and workshops offered to its personnel.

Inclusivity statement

United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements

Selected candidates for certain occupational groups may be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) in line with the applicable host entity policy

Advertisement end date: 26/05/2023

To apply for this job please visit app.unv.org.