| Description |
The Senior Technical Advisor (STA) will implement his/her main functions under the overall supervision of the Head of Sustainable Development Cluster. The STA will be based in the Project Office for the UN Joint Programme on REDD (Reduced Emission from Deforestation and Degradation - UN-REDD). Specific tasks will be agreed with the Head Sustainable Development Cluster UNDP-VN in consultation with designated personnel from FAO and UNEP, and the National Project Director (NPD) in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD). In line with UNDP staff rules, the STA’s annual performance will be measured by a full Results and Competency Assessment (RCA). The RCA by the Supervisor, with self-assessment of the STA, will be based on inputs from the NPD, and will be reviewed by UNDP’s Competency Review Group set up by the UNDP Resident Representative. As such, the STA is fully accountable to UNDP as the funding agency for the project. The STA builds capacities of MARD as well as their local affiliates, together with consultants recruited under the project and especially based on international experience and (national and international) research; plays an important role in formulation of policies/strategies and plans, research, partnerships and other activities under the project as well as monitoring and conclusion thereof; and is a key advisor to the project partner (MARD) as well as the UNDP on technical and policy aspects of REDD. In exercising his/her role, the incumbent supports the planning, management and monitoring of the project. He/she works in close collaboration with national counterparts as well as with the programme staff in the UNDP Country Office and relevant HQs units for ensuring knowledge sharing and the highest possible quality of project outputs. He/she ensures the alignment of the project outputs with intented outcomes, benefits and impacts of the UNDP’s Sustainable Development Programme (SDP) in Viet Nam. He/she also contributes to capacity building for Country Office staff in the area of REDD and Climate Change.
| Duties and Responsibilities | Summary of Key Functions - Provide advice on strengthening institutional capacities, and provide inputs for capacity building of MARD, and personnel of local (provincial) affiliate departments, and UNDP through the various stages of the project; and actively provide capacity building inputs on a range of climate change relevant aspects; support management (planning, quality assurance, monitoring and evaluation) of the project.
- Provide technical inputs and play active roles in advocacy and knowledge management: Support MARD and participating agencies in the areas of climate change and sustainable forest management. Share development experience / good practices that have been acquired elsewhere with relevant stakeholders, as per the planned project activities; advocate for relevant climate change, sustainable forest management and policies;
- Provide advice and support Viet Nam in contributing to global effort: Helps in reviewing national lessons learnt on REDD and support to the Vietnamese delegation to attend international CC negotiations and forums.
- Advice on and inputs into institutional capacity building and project quality assurance.
- Capacity assessment and training: Provide advice in assessing capacity and knowledge gaps that exist in MARD; suggest measures to MARD for addressing such gaps, including suggestions for policy development, policy-focused research and data surveys; mainstream lessons and best practices learned elsewhere into capacity building activities under the project; and give guidance in organizing such capacity building activities. Review TORs for study tours/fellowships and implementation plans / curricula of trainings; assist in identifying appropriate training partners/organisations; lead, deliver and provide on-the-job training on climate change relevant aspects, research methodology, and writing and publication of results.
- Project planning, management, monitoring and evaluation: Provide advice to the project NPD and PMU (Project Management Unit) on preparation of high quality quarterly and annual project work plans and budgets, and provide comments on the substantive aspects before approval of work plans by the NPD and UNDP. Provide guidance in developing a project M&E framework, including indicators and baseline as well as inputs in preparing (quarterly and annual progress) project reports focusing on results, learning lessons and documenting best practices in order to improve project performance. Provide comments on the substantive aspects of those reports before approval by the NPD and UNDP. Prepare an end-of-assignment report which focuses on key lessons learned and best practices drawn from project management and capacity building processes as well as major substantive issues that have merged and that would require further assistance from UNDP in the future.
- Project quality assurance: The STA is expected to assist the NPD and UNDP in: (i) ensuring the quality control of project technical works. To this end, the STA will be involved in (a) preparing TORs for requested works; (b) reviewing technical reports to be carried out by project individuals/agencies including sub-contracts and suggests to the PMU and UNDP areas for improvement of the outputs/products as specified in the respective specific TORs; and (c) attending and participating in preparation of key project events and all project activities involving foreign inputs; and (ii) facilitating the provision of specialized technical inputs and advisory services re climate change planning/coordinating at all levels.
- Linkage and impacts of UNDP SD Programme: Ensure synergies and coherence between the REDD programme and other projects and related activities in order to materialize benefits and impacts of the UNDP’s Sustainable Development Programme in Viet Nam. Provide technical inputs and play active role in development and implementation of the UNDP’s Sustainable Development Programme in Viet Nam.
2. Technical inputs, advocacy, and knowledge management - Policy advice to national partners: Provide substantive inputs to MARD whenever requested in order to prepare policy statements for important events (e.g. national conferences). Provide policy briefs on climate change relevant themes. Provide substantive technical inputs into legal, policy, and strategy documents and CC-relevant plans.
- Advocacy: Serve as an advocate for UNDP’s policy on sustainable development and human development concepts in the areas of climate change and sustainable development mainstreaming, with a focus on REDD. Actively contribute to the development and implementation of the UNDP’s Sustainable Development Programme in Viet Nam. Prepare policy statements for important events (e.g. Consultative Group Meetings, donor forums) and help formulate UNDP’s positions on particular climate change relevant issues. Feed into UNDP’s continuous programming in Viet Nam and UNDP-assisted interventions
- Knowledge sharing: Advise the UNDP and partners in strategically linking project activities with support on climate change by other donors in Viet Nam and internationally. Participate in UNDP’s global knowledge networks and other international networks, accumulate and share relevant international experience and knowledge with national partners and networks. Document and share lesson leans and best practices as well as knowledge generated from the implementation of the UN-REDD Programme in Viet Nam to share nationally and internationally.
- Policy options and strategy: for the design and implementation of Viet Nam's national REDD Programme to the GoV and other development actors.
3. Programme coordination and advice for contributions to the global efforts - Coordination: This is of particular important to the climate change issue in Viet Nam. The STA is expected to advise the UNDP and MARD in strategically linking project activities with other support on climate change by UNDP, other UN, donors and international NGOs.
- Liaise with other REDD initiatives, in particular the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility.
- Strategic advice ands inputs: to the reviewing trend and context and prepare substantive inputs and interventions for Viet Nam to participate in CC negotiations and international forums.
Impact of Results: Overall performance/impact of the STA will be assessed based on the following criteria: - Provided high quality advice on capacity building needs and plans
- Provided effective training, with excellent facilitation skills and appropriate delivery skills and styles
- High quality inputs into project progress reports and work plans, and review-comments of high quality and relevance
- Project management advice (planning, monitoring, evaluation) of high quality and relevance
- Appropriate international and national consultants recruited and research-partnerships established by the project, and effectively coordinated and used in project implementation
- Appropriate and high quality inputs to policy/programme development and implementation, and advocacy works at appropriate events/forums.
- Provided effective communication, with appropriate styles in different situations
- Policy and technical advice of high quality and relevance
- Effective and active (knowledge, coordination relevant) networking
| Competencies | - Demonstrated knowledge and experience in working on policy development and capacity building.
- Strong knowledge / experience in results based management and results oriented approach to project implementation.
- Strong inter-personal skills, communication, networking and team-building skills; competent in leading teams and creating team spirit, management of inter-group dynamics and conflicting interests of various actors, stimulating team members to produce quality outputs in a timely and transparent fashion.
- Excellent oral communication skills and excellent written communication skills, with analytic capacity and ability to synthesize project outputs and relevant findings for the preparation of quality papers and reports.
- Maturity and confidence in dealing with senior and high ranking members of national and international institutions, government and non-government; ability to deal with politically sensitive issues
- Results driven, ability to work under pressure and to meet strict deadlines; remains calm and in control under pressure.
- Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.
- Shares knowledge and experience actively, mentors project staff.
- Focuses on result for the client and responds positively to feedback.
- Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values.
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
Critical Success Factors
Whether the STA will be successful depends partly on external factors, such as the progress with overall implementation of the project/Programme by the national partners including recruitment of project personnel and procurement of equipment as per the project document. It is also important that the project and its potential results continue to be fully supported by the national leadership on climate change. Success factors that depend directly on the STA include whether the incumbent manages to fully use his/her skills and competencies as per the above, including appropriate self management and effective daily work planning as well as the effective use of practical tools including IT (see also Qualifications, below).
| Required Skills and Experience | Education: - Postgraduate degree (MSc. or Ph.D.) in environmental sciences, sustainable forest management, climate change or a related field.
- Understanding challenges in development works. Be able to adapt to local environment.
- Excellent project management skills and knowledge of donor policies and funding modalities.
Experience: - At least seven years working experience in the development field, especially in climate change-related subjects.
- Experience on gender mainstreaming in policies and programmes is an asset
- Knowledge of UNDP programming practices is an asset
- Previous work experience in Viet Nam or neighbouring countries is an asset.
IT Requirements: - Excellent skills in standard software (Word processing, spreadsheets) are expected
- Experience with GIS and / or the use of simulation models is an important asset
Language Requirements: - Proficiency in both spoken and written English is a must, including excellent writing skills
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