NDC Support and Youth Engagement Officer - Tonga (Project Management Support Officer) Homebased Retainer

WEC Background: 

The Water, Environment and Climate (WEC) portfolio, based in Vienna, and with offices based globally is part of the UNOPS Global Portfolio Office. The Portfolio has built strong partnerships and is effectively managing a portfolio of over 500 million USD over the last 15 years to support key initiatives with fund management, project implementation and administrative support. 

WEC effectively operationalizes partners' agendas with global approaches, as well as regional and country specific activities focused on climate action, protection and conservation of the environment. Partners profit from WEC’s ability to operationalize and/or scale up their important substantive agendas, including in support of key multilateral environmental and climate agreements, such as the Paris Agreement, the Cartagena Convention as well as the Sustainable Development Goals. 

The NDC Partnership: 

The NDC Partnership is a global coalition of countries and institutions collaborating to drive transformational climate action through sustainable development. In 2015, the world endorsed the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Nations signal their commitments to the Paris Agreement through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) - each country’s strategy to cut its own greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience against the negative effects of a changing climate. The Partnership advances the goals of the Paris Agreement by bringing together nearly 200 countries and institutions in new ways to accelerate NDC implementation and enhance ambition over time. The Partnership’s work through 120 partners supporting almost 80 countries produces many examples of impact, lessons learned and ideas for the future. The Partnership is governed by a Steering Committee, co-chaired by two country representatives. The Partnership’s work is facilitated by a Support Unit based at World Resources Institute in Washington DC and the UNFCCC Secretariat in Bonn, Germany. UNOPS supports the NDC Partnership and its Support Unit through the Water, Environment and Climate (WEC).  In the Pacific, the NDC Partnership works in close coordination and collaboration with the Regional Pacific NDC Hub. 

Country Context

Tonga is a member of the NDC Partnership and submitted its Second NDC to the UNFCCC in December 2020. Tonga also launched its NDC Implementation Roadmap and Investment Plan in 2022, which serves as the guiding document for implementation and resource mobilization. Tonga has submitted several requests for support through the NDC Partnership, receiving support from members of the NDC Partnership as well as through the Partnership Action Fund. In Dec 2023, Tonga requested support for embedded coordination – through the recruitment of an embedded NDC Support and Youth Engagement Officer.

The incumbent will closely support the Tonga Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications (MEIDECC). He/she plays a key role in ensuring the smooth implementation of NDC processes and enhancing youth engagement. 

He/she will be responsible for implementing MEIDECC's Youth Awareness Strategy to increase youth participation in climate initiatives, coordinating events for meaningful discussions among stakeholders, providing administrative support to senior officials, conducting research and assisting in the development of training materials and resources to youth and staff capacity in relevant sectors. He/she will assist the country’s NDC Officer and National NDC Coordinator with their daily tasks related to NDC implementation and provide additional support for various aspects of the NDC implementation process. 

The NDC Support and Youth Engagement Officer will work closely with the Director of the Department of Climate Change, as well as MEIDECC’s NDC Officer and National NDC Coordinator in Tonga (aligning with a work plan approved by both the NDC Partnership and the Department of Climate Change, MEIDECC) and will work in close collaboration with the different ministerial offices and in-country stakeholders. The candidate will serve as an embedded support facilitator, working on a daily basis alongside government officials within government facilities. While the role is an embedded position, the role will report to the NDC Partnership Country Engagement Specialist based in Suva. 

* This is a Home-based position, meaning the incumbent will be expected to work from government offices in Tonga and not work from a UNOPS office or from home. Additionally, the incumbent will need to take their own laptop, equipped with all the relevant software, to government facilities. 

**This is a retainer national vacancy / position for twelve 12 months, maximum of 220 working days.

*** As this is a Local Position, in order to be eligible, the incumbent should be a national of Tonga or have a valid residence permit in the Country. 

The following responsibilities are part of the embedded incumbent role:

Stakeholder Engagement

1. Conduct regular stakeholder mapping, and manage a stakeholder contacts database. 

2. Lead engagement with youth stakeholders, including being the main contact person and relationship manager.

3. Lead on the organization of youth-centred meetings and workshops where required. 

4. Represent MEIDECC at youth engagements where appropriate. 

5. Provide timely technical advice and recommendations to the broader MEIDECC team regarding youth engagement.

6. Identify opportunities for youth outreach activities, and lead on the planning and delivery of activities such as school visits or youth forums to raise awareness about climate change and NDCs.

7. Conduct regular reviews of broader MEIDECC stakeholder engagement approaches and provide recommendations for youth inclusion (for example, reviewing agendas/programmes including for format and content). 

8. Participate in regional and global Youth Engagement Forums (virtual) delivered by the NDC Partnership and its members, providing a Pacific youth voice in to regional and global fora. 

Coordination and Communication Support

1. Participate in relevant stakeholder meetings, document key discussion and outcomes, and facilitate communication between the Department of Climate Change MEIDECC and stakeholders.

2. Assist in organising and facilitating and documenting workshops, trainings and events and supporting the Department of Climate Change, MEIDECC at national events.

3. Draft, circulate and archive meeting agendas, invitations and other relevant documents for NDC-related engagements.

4. Lead in the drafting of knowledge resources, such as briefing papers, fact sheets, toolkits, social media content, newsletters and other outreach tools to support NDC awareness and education.

5. Maintain and document a repository of relevant NDC resources, tools and knowledge products for easy access by team members and stakeholders.

6. Lead on NDC information sharing to youth stakeholders, including reviewing technical content and format and adapting it for a youth audience. 

Awareness and Capacity Building

1. Lead on the implementation of  the Youth Awareness Strategy including overseeing the implementation plan.

2. Ensure that youth voices are documented and included in the development and implementation of the Department of Climate Change, MEIDECC activities.

3. Develop educational materials and resources tailored for youth that address climate change, sustainability and the importance of their participation in decision making.

4. Identify additional youth capacity building needs and develop project proposals as required. 

5. Facilitate youth capacity building initiatives and events under the Youth Awareness Strategy as required.

6. Contribute to the ongoing review and implementation of the NDC Partnership’s Youth Engagement Plan, engaging with the NDC Partnership’s Washington Head Office on an ad hoc basis. 

7. Contribute to peer-exchange dialogue and initiatives to support improved youth engagement in NDCs across the Pacific Region. 

Monitoring the progress of country engagement

1. Lead on the monitoring and reporting of the Youth Awareness Strategy. 

2. Assist in monitoring, documenting and evaluating the progress of youth engagement initiatives and their impact on climate change awareness and action in Tonga.

3. Prepare and document periodic reports summarizing key insights, challenges and recommendations for enhancing youth engagement in the climate agenda.

• A Master degree preferably in environmental science/management, natural resource management, engineering, social sciences, administration or other relevant field of study. 

• A Bachelor degree  in combination with additional 2 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of a university degree.

Required

• With a Master’s degree, no professional experience is required (however it is considered an asset)

• With a Bachelor degree, at least 2 years of experience in climate change or environmental issues in a Tongan context is required. 

Asset 

• Experience in working with youth groups, understanding their needs, and facilitating their participation in projects is an asset.

• 2 years’ experience with a focus on climate change, policy, project management, stakeholder or donor engagement. 

• Experience in multilateral, national or grassroot governance and processes related to climate change, policy or Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs);

• Demonstrated experience in fostering networks with key state and non-state stakeholders.

• 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.

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. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. 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.