Global Technical Programme Specialist (Home-Based)

The position is Home-Based

Background

Office/Unit/Project Description 

The Blue & Green Islands Integrated Programme (BGI IP) is a transformative and comprehensive initiative designed to address pressing environmental challenges faced by Small Island Developing States (SIDS). These Countries, due to their small size, remote locations, and reliance on limited resources, are highly vulnerable to climate change impacts and other shocks. The programme will leverage significant innovation emerging from SIDS to turn their most pressing challenges into opportunities for prosperity, enabling them to build forward better, greener and bluer. 

The overall objective of the BGI IP’s Global Coordination Project (GCP) is to enhance collaboration, capacity and partnerships among 15 BGI IP child projects in valuing nature, scaling up of nature-based solutions in the food, tourism, and urban sectors, and securing public and private finance to facilitate nature-positive development and reduce ecosystem degradation in SIDS. This will be achieved by demonstrating the transformational potential of incorporating the value of nature into decision-making and using innovative nature-based solutions to achieve development and MEA goals and address SIDS challenges related to food security, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and reduction of hazardous chemical pollution. 

A Global Programme Coordination Unit (GPCU) will be established by the GCP for the overall BGI IP. The GPCU will be responsible for the overarching management and coherence of the BGI-IP through workstreams including day-to-day programmatic coordination of the Policy and Practice Facility, Knowledge Management and Learning Cluster, and Nature Based Solutions Accelerator, capacity development, monitoring, evaluation and reporting, adaptive management, technical coherence and advice, compliance, knowledge management, cross-project collaboration and networking, and facilitation of joint learning, solutions sharing, and upscaling efforts. The GPCU will optimize strategic engagement with key multi-stakeholder bodies and platforms for policy coherence and change at global, regional, and national levels. This will be done through collective action and a clear agenda established in collaboration with the IP’s country and institutional partners, to assure a seat at the table on policy and related discussions relevant to SIDS and the IP context. 

The GPCU will be responsible for programme level support to the Child Projects and for receiving and collating information on the state of the Programme for the PSC, and for organizing the annual meeting of the GCP and all the 15 country Child Projects, as well as quarterly meetings of the BGI IP PSC, and for collating and disseminating all programme M&E results. Effective participation from key BGI IP countries will be ensured through Regional Nodes and Thematic Working Groups, where country project managers come together to exchange best practices and learning around themes such as: evidence-based nature-based solutions, public and private sector engagement and finance, monitoring and evaluation, safeguards, gender, etc.

Scope of Work

The Global Programme Technical Specialist (GPTS) is responsible for supporting the Global Programme Technical Lead (GPTL) in delivery across all work streams, and is expected to play a critical role in key components such as the Policy & Practice Facility, Nature Based Solutions Accelerator, and Knowledge Management and Learning Cluster, while also establishing and overseeing collaborative partnerships with various stakeholders. A significant focus of this position involves leading the development and execution of robust M&E systems that meet UNDP and GEF standards, tracking project indicators, and ensuring timely and insightful reporting and evaluations. The successful candidate will adeptly manage project risks, oversee workplans and deliverables, and facilitate knowledge sharing through documentation of lessons learned and best practices. More specifically, the GPTS is expected to undertake the following tasks.

Lead, manage, coordinate, and develop effective programme planning and implementation.

• Support the GPTL in managing overall implementation of the project.
• Support the GPTL in providing guidance to the GCP’s Policy & Practice Facility, Nature Based Solutions Accelerator and Knowledge Management and Learning Cluster.
• Support the GPTL in establishing and overseeing collaborative arrangements with partners (including Responsible Parties).
• Support the GPTL in administrative / monitoring issues as needed, including monitoring progress against the approved workplan; overseeing the work / deliverables of Responsible Parties and contractors.
• Support the GPTL in preparing p