Result of Service
Outputs / Work Assignments
1. To prepare a set of terms of reference to analyze the costs of adaptation and estimate the funding necessary to implement prioritize adaptation solutions in the country, design and implement a financing strategy through the identification of new sources of funding and financial mechanisms and design and formulate project proposals that address adaptation issues at the subnational and municipal level.
2. To oversee, guide and contribute in the stock take and analysis of climate change adaptation costs information and the identification of existing information gaps.
3. To oversee, guide and contribute in the identification of funding options that consider financing through innovative financial mechanisms that include public budgets and private-public partnerships as well as international cooperation opportunities.
4. To oversee, guide and contribute in the definition of a climate change adaptation financing strategy that enables the leverage of extra funding for the implementation of the National Adaptation Plan.
5. To oversee, guide and contribute in the definition of institutional arrangements that facilitate the administrative coordination of current and future adaptation to climate change funding.
6. To deliver a project concept note aimed at increasing the resilience of the Bajabonico watershed to extreme weather events.
Work Location
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Expected duration
12 MONTHS
Duties and Responsibilities
1. General Background of Assignment
The United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global Environment.
UN Environment, through its Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (ROLAC) located in Panama City, works closely with the 33 countries of the region – including 16 small island developing States -with a population of about 588 million people- to implement the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the new Paris Agreement and the priority actions defined in the NDCs of the region. The office works to serve the needs of the region and its activities are integrated activities are integrated into the Medium-Term Strategy and the Programme of Work approved by the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA)
In terms of supporting countries in the region attain the global commitments signed within the framework of the Paris Agreement, the Latin America and the Caribbean UN Environment Sub-programme on Climate Change aims at strengthening the ability of countries to move towards climate-resilient and low emission strategies for sustainable development and human well-being. In this framework, the UN Environment Sub-programme on Climate Change, through its Climate Change Unit leads and supports several initiatives oriented at designing, promoting and implementing innovative mitigation and adaptation solutions at the national and subnational level, and strengthening the transparency framework of the countries.
The expected accomplishment regarding climate change adaptation is that adaptation approaches, including the ecosystem-based approach, are implemented and integrated into key sectoral and national development strategies to reduce vulnerability and strengthen resilience to climate change impacts. Furthermore, the UN Environment’s Sub-programme on Climate Change is also committed to ensure that cross-cutting issues such as gender equity and women empowerment are effectively integrated in the development of its tasks to guarantee an equitable development in line with its adaptation objectives.
In this context, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of the Dominican Republic and UN Environment, have agreed on the implementation of the project Building capacity to advance in the National Adaptation Plan Process in the Dominican Republic, framed within the Readiness program of the Green Climate Fund.
The project is aimed to sustainably build country capacity in identifying, prioritizing, planning and implementing measures that address medium and long-term adaptation needs considering decisions 1/CP.16 and 5/CP.17 and all elements of the NAP Technical Guidelines. The ultimate objective of the project is to reduce the vulnerability of the Dominican Republic to the impacts of climate variability and change, by building adaptive capacity and resilience through the integration of climate change adaptation into planning and implementation within all relevant sectors and at different levels, as appropriate. Specifically, the project has the objective to strengthen the country’s capacity to integrate adaptation into national and local planning, including the participation of different line ministries, local governments, the private sector and civil society organizations.
The project seeks to achieve its components and objective through:
• Strengthening the institutional, legal, policy and planning framework;
• Engaging key stakeholders in climate change adaptation planning and implementation;
• Producing high-quality and pertinent knowledge; and
• Building capacity at different levels.
To fulfill the objectives of the project, the UN Environment Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean is recruiting a Climate Change Adaptation Technical Advisor on project formulation and financing to support the National Project Coordinator and the Project Management Unit in the delivery of several activities related to adaptation financing, including drafting of a national resolution to support the approval a Climate Change law that reinforces the country legal framework to mainstream climate change adaptation into the country national, subnational and sectoral budgeting and planning scheme. Additionally, the Climate Change Adaptation Technical Advisor on project formulation and financing will provide support in the design and formulation of a project concept note to increase the resilience of the Bajabonico watershed to extreme weather events and in the drafting of a set of terms of reference for the execution of the financing component of the approved project proposal and provide technical inputs for the development of a financing strategy for the National Adaptation Plan.
The Climate Change Adaptation Technical Advisor on project formulation and financing will operate under the overall supervision of the UN Environment National Project Coordinator and the corresponding Project Manager at the UN Environment Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean. Additionally, he/she will work in close collaboration with the Directorate for Climate Change of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of the Dominican Republic and other national consultants and government and non-governmental counterparts.
The Climate Change Adaptation Technical Advisor on project formulation and financing is expected to work over a 12-month period, 40 hours per week, from 9:00am to 5:00pm (Monday to Friday) and to be located in the Project Management Unit in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
2. Objective and scope of the consultancy:
The main objective of the position of Climate Change Adaptation Technical Advisor on project formulation and financing is to provide technical support to the National Project Coordinator and the Project Management Unit in the coordination of several activities related to adaptation financing within the framework of the project Building capacity to advance National Adaptation Plan Process in the Dominican Republic, including the revision, update and formulation of a climate change law that enables the integration of the climate change adaptation into the national, subnational and sectoral planning processes. This includes the revision of the current advances in the formulation of the climate change law and the organization of consultative meetings with different stakeholders to align priorities and foster its approval at the highest level. Similarly, the Climate Change Adaptation Technical Advisor on project formulation and financing will support the design and formulation of a concept note to increase the resilience of the Bajabonico watershed to extreme weather events, support in the elaboration of a set terms of reference for the execution financing component of the approved project proposal, provide technical inputs for the development of a financing strategy for the National Adaptation Plan, and assist the National Project Coordinator and the Project Management Unit in the development and implementation of other project related activities, including attending national, regional and local meetings, as required.
The Climate Change Adaptation Technical Advisor on Capacity Building and Institutional Arrangements will contribute to the effective implementation of the project by performing the following tasks:
1. To draft a set of terms of reference to develop the products included in the financing component of the approved project proposal to: i) analyze the costs of adaptation and estimate the funding necessary to implement prioritize adaptation solutions in the country, ii) design and implement a financing strategy through the identification of new sources of funding and financial mechanisms and iii) design and formulate project proposals that address adaptation issues at the subnational and municipal level.
2. To oversee, guide and contribute in the stock take and analysis of climate change adaptation costs information and the identification of existing information gaps in the country.
3. To oversee, guide and contribute in the identification of funding options that consider financing through innovative financial mechanisms that include public budgets and private-public partnerships as well as international cooperation opportunities.
4. To oversee, guide and contribute in the definition of a climate change adaptation financing strategy that enables the leverage of extra funding for the implementation of the National Adaptation Plan.
5. To oversee, guide and contribute in the definition of institutional arrangements that facilitate the administrative coordination of current and future adaptation to climate change funding.
6. To design and elaborate a concept note for a project proposal aimed at increasing the resilience of the Bajabonico watershed to extreme weather events. This includes:
• Identifying the main climate induced problem that the project will seek to address.
• Developing the project baseline.
• Summarizing the key current and projected climate change impacts to be addressed based on the current studies.
• Identifying specific sites for project interventions within the Bajabonico River basin, which can be targeted by the project.
• Proposing innovative adaptation activities and deliverables that emphasize an Ecosystem based Approach and ensure that issues such as gender equality, disaster risk reduction and synergies with mitigation measures are undertaken, vi) describing the proposed activities/ interventions needed to address the problem.
• Describing the estimated cost associated with meeting the additional adaptation needs imposed on the country by the effects of climate change.
• Describing the paradigm shift that the project is going to introduce and implement; cost – effectiveness and exist strategy.
• Describing the potential of the Project to achieve the GCF’s six investment criteria and paradigm shift potential.
• Describing the feasibility for the involvement of the private sector in the project including the enabling environment for such involvement as appropriate.
• Describing the project implementation arrangements and other operational details
• Analyzing the initial logical framework and theory of change to summarize the project design and logic of intervention
• Identifying and undertaking if necessary, pre-feasibility studies needed for the concept stage.
• Putting all the information together in a concept note template ready to be submitted.
7. To prepare materials relevant for project activities as may be required.
8. To carry out any other relevant tasks within his/her technical competence, as requested by the National Project Coordinator.
Qualifications/special skills
Academic Qualifications:
¿ A master’s degree or higher or an equivalent academic degree in natural resource management, development studies, environmental economics, environmental studies, social sciences, project administration or any related is required.
Experience:
¿ A minimum of 15 years of working experience in development and/or project development is required.
¿ A minimum of 5 years of relevant working experience on natural resource management and/or climate change adaptation is required.
¿ Demonstrated experience in the development of financial mechanisms aimed at leverage funding from the public and private sector to fund environmental actions is required,
¿ Demonstrated experience in design and formulation of climate change adaptation projects aimed at increasing the resilience of rural and/or urban areas is required. Experience in the formulation of medium to large scale adaptation to climate projects in an asset.
¿ Demonstrated experience in the elaboration, preparation and design of reports and official documents from technical and high-level meetings as well as from the revision of primary and secondary data is required.
¿ Demonstrated experience engaging with government institutions and other relevant stakeholders involved in environmental planning and/or natural resource management and/or climate change adaptation at the national and local levels is required.
¿ Demonstrated successful experience in formulation of adaptation projects funded by GCF GEF, LDCF, SCCF, AF or other funds for adaptation is highly desirable.
¿ Demonstrated experience in the integration of environmental and/or adaptation to climate change actions into national planning and sectoral budget schemes is highly desirable.
¿ Demonstrated experience in the estimation of costs of environmental actions and/or programmes to include in programmes of work or project development is an asset.
¿ Demonstrated knowledge of climate change adaptation approaches including Ecosystem-based Adaptation is an asset.
¿ Previous work experience and knowledge about the Dominican Republic is an asset.
¿ Experience with international organizations will be an advantage, as will be knowledge of UN Environment policies, procedures and practices is an asset
¿ Relevant expertise in integrating gender considerations into project formulation, planning and implementation, this includes the design of gender sensitive methodologies to collect and assess baseline data, evaluate outputs, and monitor project outcomes where applicable is desirable.
¿ Relevant experience in project implementation and management is desirable.
¿ Analytic capacity and ability to synthesize project outputs and relevant findings is desirable.
¿ Ability to pick up new terminology and concepts easily and to turn information from various sources into a coherent project document is desirable.
Language:
¿ Written and spoken fluency in Spanish and English is required.
Skills:
¿ Excellent political, advisory and facilitation skills. Ability to facilitate technical discussions and participatory processes with multiple stakeholders in multicultural environments.
¿ Demonstrated understanding of development planning and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.
¿ Excellent technical leadership and understanding of climate change adaptation concepts, principles and policies. Ability to provide guidance on climate change adaptation, especially as it relates to development planning.
Competency:
¿ Professionalism: Ability to apply knowledge of various United Nations administrative, financial and human resources rules and regulations in work situations. He/she shows pride in work and in achievements; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions.
¿ Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors’ language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.
¿ Teamwork: Is able to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team to achieve organizational goals and to take leadership when appropriate; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
¿ Planning and Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.
