Technical Specialist (Marine Ecosystem)

United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)

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Background Information – Job-specific
 

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world.  UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peace building, humanitarian and development projects.  Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations. 

The Water and Energy Cluster (WEC)
Based in Copenhagen, the Water and Energy Cluster (WEC), which is a part of the Vienna Multi-Country Office (VIEMCO) manages global and regional initiatives supporting the design and management of multi-stakeholder platforms through financial and grant management, procurement, human resources and project management services.

The thematic focus of the cluster is water resource management, climate change adaptation, mitigation and transparency, energy and environmental conservation under the Paris Agreement, requiring projects, operations and financial management services.

Main partners include UN agencies, bilateral donors (Nordics, Germany, and Italy), the Green Climate Fund and NGOs (such as The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation – CIFF and Climate Works Foundation – CWF).

The UNDP/GEF “CLME+ Project”
The Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystems (jointly further referred to as “the CLME+ region”) are shared by 26 Independent States and 18 Overseas Territories. These “LME’s” are major contributors to regional socio-economic development (incl. the SDGs under the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Agenda, and the development of a sustainable “blue economy”) and are key to many globally important ecological processes. Fisheries and tourism, two key economic drivers, are highly dependent on marine ecosystem health. Countries from the region are united through several political integration mechanisms: e.g. the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the Central American Integration System (SICA). The region’s geopolitical complexity makes governance & management of shared living marine resources particularly challenging.

Pollution, habitat degradation and unsustainable fisheries & fishing practices have increasingly impacted marine ecosystem health in this region, with climate change holding the potential to further exacerbate negative impacts. With the support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), an ambitious, region-wide 10-year Strategic Action Programme (“the CLME+ SAP”, 2015-2025) was developed. To date, this action programme, has been politically endorsed by 36 Ministers, representing 26 countries and 8 overseas territories.

The “CLME+ Project” (2015-2021) helps catalyzing the implementation of the 10-year CLME+ SAP. Major emphasis is recently being put on facilitating enhanced, integrated “interactive governance”, with “interactive governance” being: “the whole of interactions between governments, civil society, academia and private sector, to solve societal problems and exploit societal opportunities”.

Within the settings of the UNOPS-managed CLME+ Regional Project Coordination Unit (RCU), and while giving due attention and consideration to

  • the tasks and responsibilities of other CLME+ Coordination Unit staff;
  • the responsibilities delegated to CLME+ co-operating partners;

The Technical Specialist – Marine Ecosystem will work together with the CLME+ Senior Project Manager, the CLME+ Deputy Project Coordinator (DPC) and other CLME+ Project Unit staff, and, as instructed/requested by the Senior Project Manager,  the CLME+ Countries, Co-Executing Partners and Contractors, on the short, medium- and long-term planning for the CLME+ initiative and on the overall day-to-day coordination and execution of all aspects of the CLME+ Project and (as applicable) related initiatives.
The incumbent will thus be co-responsible for the smooth running of the CLME+ initiative, for ensuring adequate, multi-lingual communication with key CLME+ Project stakeholders, for the timely delivery of high quality technical outputs, and for ensuring that project targets are met (this includes financial delivery and full compliance with applicable donor/client/UNOPS rules & regulations).

Functional Responsibilities
 

Under the overall supervision and direction/guidance of the Senior Project Manager and/or DPC, the Technical Specialist will:

  • Liaise on matters of relevance to the CLME+ initiative with designated officials in the participating countries, other members of the CLME+ Project Steering Committee, the CLME+ Interim Coordination Mechanism,  the GEF Agency, the Executing Agency and prospective partners, donors and other stakeholders
  • Prepare and/or contribute to the preparation, translation and/or revision/quality control of CLME+ Project Outputs, technical and progress reports, documents, technical content for meetings, experience notes, dissemination/advocacy materials (including the development of content and user applications for the online “CLME+ Hub”)
  • Assist the PCU in ensuring overall coherence of activities, consultancies, contracts and associated initiatives
  • Coordinate and/or contribute to the development and institutionalization of the integrated “State of the Marine Environment & associated Economies” (SOMEE) reporting mechanism, and of the first prototype version of the SOMEE report.
  • Support the collaborative development and institutionalization of a CLME+ SAP monitoring & evaluation scheme.
  • Identify opportunities, and actively advocate for, and secure additional stakeholder buy-in and support (incl. financial) for the CLME+ Initiative (including the associated coordination mechanism(s), and the SOMEE reporting and SAP M&E mechanism)
  • Assist the CLME+ PCU in ensuring project compliance with mandatory GEF, UNDP and UNOPS requirements (including requirements under the UNOPS Project Management Manual)
  • Represent the Project at relevant meetings within the region and globally, and present the prepared technical materials at these events
Other related duties, as requested

The Technical Specialist role directly impacts on achievement of project results by reinforcing the visibility and image of CLME+UNOPS as an effective service provider in project services and management and strengthens its competitive position as a partner of choice in sustainable development and project services.
 
Education/Experience/Language requirements

 

Education:

  • Master’s Degree or equivalent in Environmental, Natural/Marine/Fisheries Resources or Marine Ecosystems Management/Governance or Economics, or a related field(s) relevant to the assignment is required.

OR

  • Bachelor’s degree in Environmental, Natural/Marine/Fisheries Resources or Marine Ecosystems Management/Governance or Economics, or a related field(s) relevant to the assignment.

Experience:

  • In case of a Master’s degree, a minimum of 5 years relevant and progressive professional experience, specifically in in environmental and/or fisheries/marine resources management, with demonstrated professional practical experience at both national and international levels is required.
  • A combination of Bachelor’s degree with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the education requirements outlined above.
  • Familiarity with the issues affecting the marine environment of the CLME+ region/Wider Caribbean region;
  • Familiarity with global and regional-level international conventions related to the marine environment;
  • Familiarity with mechanisms & processes for shared living marine resources governance in the CLME+ region, both at the national and (sub-)regional level, as well as of related, relevant international mechanisms;
  • Practical work experience within the CLME+ region, in a function(s) relevant to the announced position and/or working in/for/with one or more of the CLME+ participating countries and/or organizations will be considered an important asset;    
  • “Blue Economy” private sector professional work experience in the CLME+ region/Wider Caribbean region, and/or practical work experience working in/with multiple societal sectors (government, private sector, civil society, academia,…) will be  considered important assets;
  • Familiarity with the CLME Project, CLME+ SAP and CLME+ Project, will be considered an asset;
  • Demonstrated experience working on and/or coordinating the development of assessments of (the status of) fisheries/the marine environment will be considered an important asset.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English AND Spanish is required.

Travel requirements:

Frequent travel to office duty station (Cartagena, Colombia) for more than 1/3rd of the contractual duration is required

POSITION TYPE

Consultancy

ORGANIZATION TYPE

International Organization

EXPERIENCE-LEVEL

5-9 Years

DEGREE REQUIRED

Bachelor's (Or Equivalent)

LANGUAGE REQUIRED

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