Programme Analyst : Social and Environmental Standards – UNDP

Job Description

Background

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

The UNDP Malawi’s Country Programme Document 2019-2023 is closely aligned to the Malawi Vision 2063 and the first 10-Year Implementation Plan of the vision to support Malawi achieve Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.  UNDP ‘s programme is designed to address the interlinked issues of poverty, inequality and vulnerability to shocks and is managed within two portfolios:

• Responsive Institutions and Citizen Engagement which works towards strengthening effective, accountable, and inclusive governance that promotes civic engagement, respect for human rights, rule of law, peace, and democracy. It also works towards strengthening data generation and analysis.
• Resilience and Sustainable Growth which focuses on enhancing economic innovation, inclusive business, job creation, and renewable energy access. It also works towards helping Malawi adapt to climate change and build resilience to disasters.

Under the overall guidance of the Resident Representative and Deputy Resident Representative and direct supervision of the Programme Specialist- Monitoring and Evaluation, the Programme Analyst will contribute to strengthening so the social and environmental standards in the country.

UNDP’s Social and Environmental Standards (SES) underpin our support for sustainable development. The objectives of the standards are to:

• Strengthen the social and environmental outcomes of Programmes and Projects
• Avoid adverse impacts to people and the environment
• Minimize, mitigate, and manage adverse impacts where avoidance is not possible
• Strengthen UNDP and partner capacities for managing social and environmental risks
• Ensure full and effective stakeholder engagement, including through a mechanism to respond to complaints from project-affected people

The starting point to ensure these standards are applied is through UNDP’s project-level Social and Environmental Screening Procedure (SESP), which is a requirement for projects. The objectives of the SESP are to: (a) integrate the SES Overarching Principles (human rights, gender equality and environmental sustainability); (b) identify potential social and environmental risks and their significance; (c) determine the Project’s SES risk category; and (d) determine the level of assessment and management required to address potential social and environmental risks and impacts. All guidance on UNDPs Social and Environmental Standards can be found in the SES Toolkit.

The Programme Analyst will be responsible for first layer oversight (of the aforementioned portfolio), capacity building and knowledge management to strengthen SES implementation across the Country Office portfolio, from programme and project design through implementation. The Programme Specialist will not be responsible for the preparation and execution of SES instruments during NIM project implementation (as this is a project execution function under the Implementing Partner) but will rather quality assure project-level safeguards instruments prepared by the project teams, and monitor, advise and oversee the project teams in executing the relevant safeguard management. measures.

Position Purpose

The results to be delivered by the Programme Analyst will provide key risk management and SES compliance capacity for the Country Office, helping ensure UNDP delivers on its commitment to protect people and the environment across all programming and avoid inadvertent harm.

Results will facilitate a new phase in SES implementation across the country programme, transitioning from a siloed and projectized approach to SES implementation to a programmatic approach that ensures oversight, alignment, and shared learning.

UNDP’s stakeholders and partners are increasingly requiring that we demonstrate implementation of safeguards, including as a condition for funding. Additionally, this capacity provides an opportunity to strengthen UNDP’s offer to partners on the application of environmental and social safeguards for risk-informed development. Therefore, the results delivered by the Programme Analyst also aim to ensure continued funding and strengthened reputation of UNDP as a leader in sustainable development programming.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Duties and Responsibilities

1) SES Oversight and Quality Assurance

• Conduct a quality review of early drafts of SESPs (or “pre-SESPs”) to ensure proper identification and categorization of risk;
• Advise project design team and/or PMU on needed social and environmental assessments/management plans and safeguards expertise, including review of related ToRs. (e.g., ESIA, ESMP, ESMF, IPP, RAP, SEP, relevant ToRs, etc.);
• Confirm validity of any SESP exemptions;
• Quality assure final SESPs prior to submission to PAC or Project Board (for Nature, Climate and Energy Vertical Fund projects, clearance will be prior to submission for Headquarters “Safeguards Clearance”);
• Support recruitment, onboarding and oversight of safeguards consultants to the project management units hired to support SES execution in projects;
• Quality assure draft and final SES documentation for projects (e.g. ESIA, ESMP, ESMF, IPP, RAP, SEP, relevant ToRs, etc) to ensure they meet technical standards and requirements (for Nature, Climate and Energy Vertical Fund projects, clearance will be prior to submission for Headquarters “Safeguards Clearance”);
• Support project teams in responding to HQ/RBx SES oversight reviews and relevant audit/investigation/evaluation findings;
• Identify risks for which additional technical support may be needed through the Global Policy Network, Regional Bureau, or external consultants (e.g. through ExpRess roster) and opportunities for projects to cost-share needed expertise;
• Undertake safeguards oversight missions, as needed and per projects’ M&E plans etc.;
• Quality assures safeguards sections of progress reports and evaluations (e.g. donor reports, annual progress reports, GEF PIR/GCF APR, mid-term and final evaluations) and contribute substantively where in line with the oversight function (e.g. in support of relevant Team Lead);
• Track progress of high/substantial risk and other priority projects’ implementation of required SES elements (ESIA, GRM, stakeholder engagement, disclosure, FPIC, etc.);
• Regularly scan available data on SES implementation across the portfolio to identify emerging risks or High/Substantial Risk projects that may require additional oversight and support;
• Escalate issues to second layer oversight (RBx and BPPS Nature, Climate, Energy team, where relevant) and advise CO senior management on safeguarding risks where needed.

2) SES Capacity Building

• Conduct a CO capacity assessment to identify baseline quality of SES documentation, capacity needs, priority risks, and opportunities;
• Develop and coordinate the implementation of an action plan to strengthen SES implementation across the aforementioned portfolio, clarifying the oversight and quality assurance process, roles and responsibilities, and a learning plan;
• Ensure CO SES action plan is aligned with and contributes to global/regional SES implementation plans;
• Support regular SES capacity development, awareness-raising, training and other learning opportunities for the CO team and implementing partners;
• Ensure the Stakeholder Response Mechanism is established and operational at the CO level;
• Ensure project-level grievance mechanisms are established within the project governance structure and that relevant safeguard risks are monitored by Project Boards.
• Establish a roster of national social and environmental safeguards consultants;
• Support and advise senior management in their engagement with partners and stakeholders (including affected people, implementing partners, donors) on issues related to the SES;
• Advise and support senior management on any SECU/SRM cases;
• Prepare communication materials and products that can be used to communicate the SES and UNDP’s Accountability Mechanism with partners and project-affected people;
• Present on the SES and Accountability Mechanism at inception workshops and support on-boarding of project-level safeguards experts;
• Conduct an assessment of national capacities/safeguards to identify key gaps between the SES with guidance on how these gaps should be approached across the portfolio, as well as entry points for capacity building and the use of national systems;
• Review national grievance redress mechanism (GRM) capacities/entry points related to the CO portfolio.

3) SES Knowledge Management 

• Engage and coordinate with SES experts in Headquarters (including second layer oversight provided by RBx and BPPS Nature, Climate, Energy team and SES policy owner, BPPS Effectiveness Group) and other regions to ensure consistency in policy interpretation and oversight;
• Document lessons learned, including from cases where things went wrong as well as good models of SES implementation;
• Track and share precedents that have implications for the entire portfolio to ensure an aligned and consistent approach (e.g. identification of indigenous peoples);
• Share lessons learned across the portfolio and also with regional, and global teams to facilitate learning;
• Maintain a library of project safeguards documents and examples that can be used as reference points;
• Engage with CO Gender Specialist and/or Gender Focal Team to document and share lessons learned and good practices related to gender-related risks, including analysis of national gender and social inclusion issues and how these can be addressed across the portfolio;
• Coordinate exchange between project-level safeguards experts to facilitate shared learning, consistency across the portfolio, and identification of opportunities to cost-share or combine efforts on risks faced by multiple projects;
• Engage in safeguards networks and partnerships, including with UNCT, to ensure learning and exchange on safeguards with partners and UNDP’s leadership role in this area;
• Prepare an annual report on SES implementation in the office, capturing key lessons learned and recommendations for how to strengthen SES implementation moving forward.

Competencies 

Core Competencies

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work.
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking.
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning.
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process.
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously.
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build and/or /maintain coalitions/partnership.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making.

Functional/Technical competencies

Business Management  

• Results-based Management: Ability to manage the implementation of strategies, programmes, and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results. Knowledge and understanding of relevant theories, concepts, methodologies, instruments, and tools .

Business Management

• Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.

Business Management

• Portfolio Management: Ability to select, prioritise and control the organization’s programmes and projects in line with its strategic objectives and capacity Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives with regular activities for optimal return on investment. Knowledge and understanding of key principles of project, programme, and portfolio management.

Business Management: Monitoring & Evaluation 

• Ability to systematically monitor results of strategies, programmes, and activities with a view to make sure that they are being implemented effectively;
• Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback and reporting on the consistency or discrepancy between planned activities and programme management and results.
• Ability to make independent judgment of the management and results of strategies, programmes and activities based on set criteria and benchmark, keeping in mind the needs and concerns of client, current and upcoming.
• Knowledge and understanding of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, concepts, methodologies, systems, processes, and tools.
• Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks.
• Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.

Business Management

• Working with Evidence and Data: Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making.

Business Direction & Strategy

• Systems Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

2030 Agenda: Engagement & Effectiveness

• Effectiveness: Project Quality Assurance

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent )  in International Development, Environmental or Social Studies, or other relevant areas is required.
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) In the areas stated above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Minimum 2 years’ (with master’s degree) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of  relevant experience,  in social and environmental safeguards is required;
• Experience implementing social and environmental safeguards at the project level and providing technical support to implementing partners is desirable;
• Demonstrated expertise in the development and quality assurance of safeguards instruments (e.g. ESIAs, ESMPs, ESMFs, IPPs, GRMs, RAPs) is desirable;
• Training and capacity building skills related to environmental and social safeguards are desirable;
• Experience in stakeholder engagement are desirable;
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing to a varied and broad audience in a simple and concise manner desirable.

Language:

• Fluency in English and Chichewa required.

Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

Disclaimer

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: 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.

Non-discrimination

UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

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Required Skills#

Development Programme

Portfolio and Project Management

Quality Assurance and Risk Management