Local recruitment: Senior Policy Advisor – Blue Economy Supporting Sustainable Inclusive Blue Economy Transformation in African SIDS

Senior Policy Advisor – Blue Economy

Supporting Sustainable Inclusive Blue Economy Transformation in African SIDS

Financing Agency: Global Environment Facility (GEF)

GEF Implementing Agency: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

UNDP Executing Agency: Global Water Partnership Southern Africa (GWPSA)

Duty Station: Ethiopia

Tenure: 24 months

1. Background

The mandate of the AUC Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (DARBE) is to: (a) Initiate, develop and promote continental policies, frameworks, and programs to contribute to agricultural transformation, rural development, blue economy, and sustainable environment in line with Agenda 2063; (ii) Coordinate implementation of continental policy frameworks and programmes; (iii) Mobilise resources and facilitate capacity building needed for implementation of various initiatives and policies; and (iv) Monitor and report on the implementation by Member States and Regional Economic Communities of policy frameworks, programmes and decisions.

The Department has two Directorates: (i) Agriculture and Rural Development Directorate with two Divisions namely: Agriculture and Food Security Division and Rural Development Division; (ii) Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy Directorate also with two Divisions: (Sustainable Environment Division which includes Water and Sanitation, as well as Climate Change; and Blue Economy Division.

To enhance policy coherence at the continental level on Blue Economy, water security and climate change and to strengthen the role of blue economy, water in climate resilience and disaster risk reduction, the African Union Commission is in the process of strengthening its coordination function on blue economy, water, sanitation, and climate change. Increased policy coordination capacity is essential for the AUC to effectively support Member States’ efforts on Blue Economy, water and climate change and implement is High level Pan African commitments, to achieve the AU Agenda 2063.  and goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, SDG Agenda 2030.

2. Support to AUC Sustainable Inclusive Blue Economy Transformation in African SIDS

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/Global Environment Facility (GEF) and Global Water Partnership Southern Africa-Africa Coordination is supporting AUC to enhance the Sustainable Inclusive Blue Economy Transformation in African Small Island States. GWPSA support is provided within the framework of the joint AUC-GWPSA-Africa Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for enhancing coordination function of the AUC and implementing the Continental Africa Water Investment Program.

3. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/Global Environment Facility (GEF)

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/Global Environment Facility (GEF) Project “Supporting Sustainable Inclusive Blue Economy Transformation in African SIDS” (the “African SIDS Project”) aims to support 6 Africa SIDS located in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean (AIO), namely Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tomé and Príncipe, Comoros, Mauritius and Seychelles, in their aspirations to move towards sustainable, inclusive and climate-resilient blue socio-economic development. The project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as the GEF Implementing Agency in partnership with the Global Water Partnership Southern Africa (GWPSA) as the Executing Agency, while the African Union Commission is the focal custodian of the project implementation.

The Project aims to contribute to realizing a sustainable blue economy in the 6 African SIDS – the will be done through 3 key components 1) improved governance 2) demonstrating Blue Economy and sustainable water and land management actions 3) enhancing knowledge systems for decision making. The African SIDS Project Component 1 will support the development and strengthening, across all participating countries, of the enabling environment for a regional and national transformation towards a sustainable and inclusive Blue Economy. Component 2 will focus on piloting and demonstrating innovation and best practices for a sustainable Blue Economy including addressing issues of sustainable land and water management. Component 3 will support the development and strengthening of information and knowledge management environment that will facilitate access to data and exchange of good practices, both among African SIDS as well as with the wider global ocean/SIDS community.

2. Purpose and Scope of Assignment

GWPSA seeks to hire a Senior Policy Advisor – Blue Economy for the aforementioned project. The Senior Policy Advisor role, based in the African Union Commission (AUC) in Ethiopia, will support and coordinate strengthening of the enabling environment for a regional and national transformation towards a sustainable and inclusive Blue Economy – including supporting linkages with the Member States. The position will support the Africa Union Commission within the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (ABRE) in implementation of the Africa Blue Economy strategy in the Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy Directorate. They will also work with the Project Management Unit who are responsible for driving the day-to-day implementation of the project.

The incumbent will be responsible for providing technical leadership during the project implementation and ensure this project is in line with other African Union Initiatives on Blue Economy in the region.  Given the wide-ranging geographic and thematic scope of the project, and the need for strong political, thematic, and geographic integration and coordination, this function is expected to bring in strong leadership experience, and advocacy skills, as well as solid and wide-ranging technical knowledge, supported by strong language management and relations management skills. The function will combine a high-level representative and advocacy element with leadership in terms of strategy and technical advice and support, and a strong coordination role across multiple geographic scales -from local to (sub-) regional to global- and across thematic/sectoral boundaries, to ensure coherence and synergies among all project components, outcomes, outputs and activities, due collaboration and complementarity, and with a keen eye for fair benefit distribution among project stakeholders with a view of securing and maintaining critically needed region-wide and national-level buy-in.

Duties and responsibilities:

Provide Technical Assistance and coordination working with AUC

• Lead in creating the enabling conditions (governance frameworks and related capacity building) for the progressive development of the national blue economies, based on the principles of sustainability and care for the biosphere.
• Provide technical support in the development/updating of the national Blue Economy Plans and/or BE supporting instruments including facilitate implementation of the AU AIP High Level Panel recommendations on sustainable innovative finance sources, blended finance and other innovative mechanisms in the development of integrated Blue Economy Plans, ocean policies, legal and institutional reforms.
• Support the AUC agenda on the regional integration of African SIDS. This includes strengthening the linkage of the project with the Africa Islands Commission working closely with the Chair – currently Seychelles; serving as the secretariat of the Blue Economy Reference Group; support the organization of the Africa Blue Economy week and mobilize resources for the continental-wide programme on blue economy recently developed with UNDP support.
• Ensure the project is aligned with the AUC Blue Economy Division annual work plans and facilitate internal and external reporting on a regular basis.
• Lead in preparing reports on the African SIDS Blue Economy activities to the AU department responsible for the Blue Economy.
• Build working relationships with other relevant officers in AUC to ensure an integrated approach at the continental level on the Blue Economy in Africa SIDS
• Continuously monitor the implementation of the Africa Blue Economy Strategy in the African SIDS
• Facilitate science-policy interactions that will showcase the outcomes for the project – supporting the Blue Economy growth in Africa including taking forward the project outputs being implemented for upscaling and as proof of concept.
• Support capacity development efforts aimed at enhanced capacities of the countries to implement sustainable Blue Economy activities.
• Work with the team in the Project Management Unit (PMU) to provide guidance in the strengthening of inter-sectoral multi-stakeholder platforms for enhanced ocean governance aimed at supporting the development of the national Blue Economy based on the lessons learned and international experiences.
• Support AUC engagement with the African SIDs in order to enhance implementation and interaction with the PMU.
• Work closely with the water unit of the AUC to ensure alignment and integration on various water related activities.
• Active advocacy within the AUC for the replication and upscaling of global best practices developed, trialed and implemented through the African SIDS Project, within and beyond the global UNDP-GEF International Waters/Large Marine Ecosystems, and global ocean communities, and strategically support such knowledge exchange and best practices beyond the regional level, with a view of maximizing the global benefits from the UNDP-GEF support provided through the African SIDS Project.
• Facilitate correspondence from the AUC as the project Executive to the PMU and support coordination of any high-level political engagements between the AUC, UNDP, PMU and Government representatives.

3. Qualifications and  Experience

• Advanced degree in environmental management or blue economy related discipline: i.e. natural resources economics; water management, marine biology, oceanography, biodiversity or related field.
• Work Experience, Qualities and Skills

• Minimum 7 years record of formulation of relevant policies, strategies and frameworks for AU Member States, regional and continental institutions to support sustainable blue economy or fisheries;
• Evidence of familiarization and in-depth knowledge of Africa blue economy/water sector;
• Evidence of promoting development of water resources/blue economy strategies at national, regional and continental levels in Africa;
• Familiarization of issues of climate change, environment and the nexus with blue economy in the context of African economy development;
• Applicants must be citizens of any AU Member State;
• Applicants must be willing and able to travel for work as needed.
• Language

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of another AU working language is an advantage.

4.Applications

• Candidates should submit their application in English through the online application system and not via email, including a cover letter, and a minimum of three references.
• Only short-listed candidates will be contacted within 4 weeks after the application deadline.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Questions can be directed to gwpsaprocurement@gwp.org
• Deadline: 24 January 2025 17:00 CAT
• Apply via link: https://gwpsanpc.bamboohr.com/hiring/jobs/112