Programme Management Support Officer - Climate Finance

Based in Geneva, the Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECR) supports UNOPS offices throughout the region through: management, financial and programmatic oversight of global and country-specific portfolios, clusters and operations centres, including hosting services; fund and management advisory services; project implementation; procuring goods and services; and managing human resources.

ECR ensures that projects are executed to the highest standards, providing a shared knowledge base and ensuring that best practices and lessons learned are disseminated between business units and projects across the entire region.

 ECR strategy is to:

• Strengthen UNOPS role in operationalizing the Sustainable Development Goals with particular emphasis on health, environment and economic development.
• Position UNOPS in the Balkan sub-region, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
• Strengthen the implementation of ECR global and regional programmes, with revitalized partnerships in infrastructure, procurement and project management.

UNOPS ECR is host to several projects, including the Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD), a state-led initiative to follow up on the work started by the Nansen Initiative on cross-border disaster-displacement and to implement the recommendations of the Nansen Initiative Protection Agenda. The overall objective of PDD is:

To support States and other stakeholders to strengthen the protection of persons displaced across borders in the context of disasters and the adverse effects of climate change, and to prevent or reduce disaster displacement risks in countries of origin.

To work towards this objective, the Steering Group of the PDD has set the following four strategic priorities based on the recommendations of the Nansen Initiative Protection Agenda for the period 2019-2022:

1. Support integrated implementation of global policy frameworks on human mobility, climate change action and disaster risk reduction that are relevant for disaster displaced persons;

2. Promote policy and normative development to address gaps in the protection of persons at risk of displacement or displaced across borders;

3. Facilitate exchange of knowledge and strengthen capacity at the national and regional levels to implement effective practices and instruments that can prevent, reduce and address disaster displacement;

4. Strengthen evidence and data on disaster displacement and its impacts.

The Parties to the UNFCCC have acknowledged that loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change should be addressed as a global policy and operational priority. In the face of impacts that cannot be avoided through mitigation and adaptation efforts, countries and communities will require targeted actions and support to avert, minimize and address related loss and damage.

Displacement, migration and planned relocations are increasingly frequent consequences of climate- related slow- and sudden-onset events, one of the main ways through which loss and damage will manifest. Moving, especially when in unplanned or poorly managed manners, often multiplies and extends the risks people face and the economic and non-economic impacts they will suffer. As such, human mobility is the focus of a dedicated work stream under the UNFCCC mechanism focusing on loss and damage (i.e. the Warsaw International Mechanism), notably through the work of the Task Force on Displacement (TFD). Established by the Paris Agreement, in 2018 the TFD has developed a set of recommendations for integrated approaches to avert, minimize and address displacement related to the adverse impacts of climate change, highlighting needed actions by Member States and other stakeholders.

Building on these recommendations, the Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD), a State-led initiative working towards better protection for people displaced across borders in the context of disasters and climate change, has developed a global approach to promoting measures that help avert, minimize and address loss and damage intersecting with displacement and human mobility. This approach builds on the identification of 5 areas of work that can help translate global priorities into national implementation, namely: 1) the development of new knowledge on displacement and loss and damage; 2) the assessment of potential future displacement; 3) improved preparedness for disaster displacement; 4) the integration of displacement in all relevant planning and policymaking; and 5) improved access to finance. This approach is now being put into practice in a global project on “Action and Support to Avert, Minimize and Address Displacement Related to the Adverse Impacts of Climate Change” (i.e. PAMAD).

As part of PAMAD, PDD has selected 4 countries that are facing diverse human mobility implications due to climate change impacts, namely Bangladesh, Guatemala, Fiji and Kenya. In collaboration with governmental, international and non-governmental actors in each country, recognised global priorities have been translated into national approaches, through the development of country-specific implementation strategies and workplans. IOM is now partnering with PDD to lead the roll-out of these national plans and the piloting of a diverse set of measures that can test different operational, policy and financial models to work at the intersection of loss and damage and human mobility. In Fiji, this work focuses specifically on supporting the Government with actions to:

• Improve capacities and procedures around planned relocations; and

• Improve the government’s ability to access and manage relevant funding streams.

Reporting to and under the guidance of the PAMAD Programme Manager, in close coordination with the Climate Adaptation Specialist in the Climate Division, and in collaboration with the PDD’s Regional Advisor for the Pacific (based in Suva, Fiji), as part of the execution of this assignment, the Programme Management Support Officer - Climate Finance will be responsible for providing effective and efficient project support to Climate Change Division of the Government of Fiji on matters related to climate financing.

The incumbent will provide support in strengthening the capacity of the Climate Change Division of the Government of Fiji to access and manage funding related to climate change, loss and damage, and disaster risk management, including by:

1. Contributing to the finalization of the accreditation process for the Adaptation Fund.

2. Supporting the Programme Manager to maintain  donor relations and advocacy efforts to fundraise in accordance with the Climate Relocation of Communities Trust Fund Act 2019, as well as contributing to the management and disbursement of relevant resources in the context of ongoing planned relocation of at-risk communities.

3. Monitoring bilateral, multilateral, international and private sector donors and identifying opportunities for funding activities related to climate change adaptation and loss and damage in Fiji, related procedures and technical requirements. 

4. Preparing communication and coordination of fundraising and project development efforts around climate change, disaster risk management, and human mobility, across different relevant institutions of the Fijian Government, and in particular between the CCD and NDMO. 

5. Assisting to identify opportunities for projects and activities on loss and damage and mobility in Fiji, and drafting proposals coherently with the requirements by donors and partners.

6. Consolidating and disseminating information on funding opportunities with other members of the government, including providing support to organize (and participate in) awareness-raising and capacity building events and activities, or developing targeted products and materials (e.g. periodic internal communications).

7. Consolidating information on lessons learned, challenges encountered, effective approaches and communicating it regularly to PDD, including through direct participation in relevant virtual and physical events and meetings engaging national, regional and global audiences as needed. 

8. Contributing to analyzing the support provided through this position, and the benefits brought to the Government of Fiji. Compiling and sharing  relevant information with the PAMAD Programme manager, as well as with other PDD colleagues involved in relevant work in other project countries.

9. Performing any other duties as may be assigned by the supervisor, 

Regular communication with the project manager and the PDD regional advisor on all the listed activities will be a core responsibility of the incumbent. Promoting coordination across relevant governmental structures is also an essential component of this ToR.

At the end of the assignment, the incumbent is expected to have provided input and supported the delivery of:

• Advancements on the process for the accreditation of Fiji to the Adaptation Fund, in support of ongoing efforts by the Government’s Climate Change Division.

• A mapping of funding opportunities on loss and damage and displacement, through analysis of donors and funding streams, 

• A minimum of 2 project proposals for fundraising on issues related to climate change, loss and damage, adaptation, displacement and planned relocations, for use by the Government of Fiji

• A minimum of 1 internal capacity building activity, targeting colleagues in the Climate Change Division as well as other professionals working in Fiji on climate change and human mobility

• Documentation and visibility materials on relevant activities, to be shared with the PDD Secretariat and through the PAMAD website.

• Quarterly reports and a final report detailing activities carried out, lessons learned, and outstanding capacity gaps to be shared with the Government of Fiji and the PDD Secretariat.

• Master’s degree or other advanced degree preferably in Business Administration, Social Sciences, Political Science, Development, Environment, Economics, International Relations or a related field; or

• A Bachelor’s degree with two (2) years of experience may be considered in lieu of the Master’s degree. 

Essential

• Relevant professional experience, preferably in project management support or similar roles is required. A minimum of two years of experience is required with a Bachelor’s degree.   

• Demonstrated experience and knowledge of global, regional and national policies and funding mechanisms on climate change and loss and damage, planned relocations and disaster risk management.

• Proficient with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Teams, Excel.

Desirable

• Previous work experience with the Government of Fiji or international organizations on climate change, disaster risk reduction or planned relocation is a strong advantage.

• Experience engaging with bilateral, multilateral or private sector donors is an advantage.

• Experience with projects on planned relocations, displacement, climate change and disasters is an advantage.

Languages

• Fluency in written and oral English is required. 

• Fluency in written and oral Fijian is desired. 

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

• Fiji is a family duty station. Only Fijian nationals are eligible for this position.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.