Stakeholder Engagement and Environmental and Social Management Analyst, NPSA-9, DS - Kyiv, National Position, (Position extended)

Today Ukraine is facing its most serious challenges since achieving independence in 1991. The ongoing war has already resulted in significant loss of life, unprecedented displacement, internally and towards neighboring countries, and devastating destruction of infrastructure. The UN Ukraine Flash Appeal shows that at least 15.7 million people are in immediate need of emergency assistance and protection. Early projections indicate that if the war should continue in the medium to long term, up to 90% of the Ukrainian population could face poverty and extreme economic vulnerability, and the country’s socio-economic progress could be set-back by almost 20 years. In the short-term, 62% of the population is at high risk of falling into poverty. Ukraine’s economy is set to shrink by 45% this year due to the war and even with a moderate recovery in the next few years, by 2025 the GDP would still only be two-thirds of the pre-war GDP in 2021.

In addition, the country faces losses of many people’s lives and devastative destruction of infrastructures and economic bases. Currently, more than 50% of the energy infrastructure damaged, causing the massive disruption of energy supply nationwide with millions of people experiencing power outages and challenges in heating. Extensive scale of destruction of infrastructure, rehabilitating or constructing infrastructures and installing equipment with necessary supply of the materials is urgently required to restore or maintain life-line and key basic services, followed by removal or mines and explosives as well as debris.

In 2020, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine signed a €300 million loan under Ukraine Public Building Energy Efficiency (UPBEE) Programme . The primary goal of the UPBEE Programme is to fund extensive energy efficient upgrades in public buildings across Ukrainian cities, with a focus on small and medium-sized municipalities, and local governments. Beyond energy improvements, the Programme also allocates funding to repair war damages and modify public buildings, including hospitals, schools, kindergartens, cultural centres among others, ensuring they cater better to the needs of Internally Displaced Persons and their host communities.

The UNDP provides technical assistance to support the UPBEE Programme implementation and compliance with the EIB standards. This support includes assistance to local municipalities within all the phases of the sub-project cycle, including planning, design, procurement, construction work, evaluation and monitoring. The UNDP technical assistance performs anti-corruption assessments and sanctions screening, enhance due diligence, improve compliance and financial management, as well as provide regular consultations to the final beneficiaries and local stakeholders.

More than 30 municipalities applied for UPBEE Programme within two rounds of Calls for Proposals in 2023. Currently, the selected municipalities are at different stages in the process of signing the loan transfer agreements. The UNDP technical assistance team will be performing regular site visits to the municipalities across Ukraine for capacity building and monitoring purposes. The UNDP technical assistance will work closely with municipalities to strengthen operation of the entire project cycle, including support in incorporating environment and social standards and monitoring their implementation.

In this regard, UNDP Ukraine invites applications from highly qualified and experienced Ukrainian professionals for the post of the Stakeholder Engagement and Environmental and Social Management Analyst. 

The overall objective of this assignment is to ensure the proper preparation and implementation of the Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMP) and Stakeholder Engagement Plans (SEP) for the UPBEE framework loans provided by the EIB. It is anticipated that the incumbent will contribute to expanding the EIB Programmes’ contribution to strengthening of environmental sustainability and social cohesion in target regions. The Analyst will work closely with municipalities under preparation and implementation of their projects to ensure community participation, stakeholder engagement and effective communication models, gender responsiveness, transparency and accountability, as well as mitigate any adverse environmental and social risks related to the implementation of the projects.

Duties and Responsibilities
Ensure implementation of capacity building activities

• Prepare methodological guides/instructions and training materials for final beneficiaries and local stakeholders to ensure that EIB Environmental and Social Standards and corresponding national legal requirements are incorporated in all phases of project cycle.
• Contribute to the establishment of partnerships between UPBEE Programme final benefi