Knowledge Management Specialist

Grant Management Services (GMS): GMS – previously named the Small Grants Programme (SGP) – is a one-stop shop for managing environmental programmes and projects through grants. Currently, the GMS operations is spread in around 120 countries. The GMS chief niche is to serve global programmes with its main partner UNDP-GEF, and other bilateral member states and donors. GMS has proven experience in grant management and considered as the gold standard for managing grants in UNOPS. It has pushed the boundaries of grantmaking through innovation and upscaling.

The Small Grants Programme (SGP) is a corporate programme of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) since 1992. SGP grant-making in over 125 countries promotes community-based innovation, capacity development, and empowerment through sustainable development projects of local civil society organizations with special consideration for indigenous peoples, women, and youth. SGP has supported over 20,000 community-based projects in biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and adaptation, prevention of land degradation, protection of international waters, and reduction of the impact of chemicals, while generating sustainable livelihoods.

Since 2008, following an SGP Upgrading Policy, nine SGP Country Programmes  (Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, India, Kenya, Mexico, Pakistan, and Philippines) were upgraded at the beginning of Operational Phase (OP) 5 in 2011, with each of these country programmes becoming a separate Full Sized Project after cumulative grants disbursement of USD 6 million over 15 years. Another six SGP Country Programmes (Eqypt, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Peru, Sri Lanka, and Thailand) were upgraded at the beginning of OP-6 in 2016. These 15 Upgraded Country Programmes (UCPs) follow the same programmatic approach as other SGP country programmes to achieve global benefits through local community and civil society action, but are placing an emphasis on integrated solutions at the landscape level that can address the combination of income, food security, environmental and social issues that confront rural communities. With each successive Operational Phase, SGP has refined its approach and streamlined its focus. This evolution has been marked by a gradual change from funding stand-alone projects during the original pilot phase, to building progressively greater levels of coherence, consolidation, and strategic focus within a County Programme’s project portfolio. This has culminated in the adoption of the current community-based landscape and seascape approach, which forms a central feature of OP-6.

The Knowledge Management Specialist will be primarily responsible for the development of a number of knowledge products aimed at sharing knowledge, lessons and best practices from and among these country-led initiatives, supporting the SGP UCP Global Coordinator with providing guidance on the landscape approach tested through COMDEKS to the UCP Country Teams and assisting them with the development of knowledge products, as well as providing additional assistance, when needed, on overall management and implementation of the SGP UCPs

The Knowledge Management Specialist will work under the overall supervision of the Manager Small Grants Cluster, and technical supervision of UNDP-GEF Global Coordinator of the SGP Upgraded Country Programmes for programme oversight and technical and substantive guidance, and in close collaboration with the SGP KM specialist of the Central Programme Management Team (CPMT). Communication with SGP UCP National Coordinators will be closely coordinated with the UNDP-GEF GC for SGP Upgraded Country Programmes.

The Knowledge Management Specialist’s specific tasks will include:

• Provide guidance and technical support to the 15 SGP Upgraded Country Programme teams in terms of branding and quality assurance of knowledge products;
• Support SGP Upgraded Country Programmes with the development and finalization of OP6 KM and Communications strategies;
• Support the UCP Global Coordinator with collation of inputs from UCP Country Programmes for the Third SGP Joint Evaluation;
• Update the KM specialist of the SGP Central Programme Management Team (CPMT) on the UCPs’ KM efforts such as knowledge fairs, peer-to-peer exchanges, trainings, as well as other good practices that could be replicated in other SGP countries;
• Contribute to global SGP KM outreach activities, queries and requests with regard to the Upgraded Country Programmes and assist with social media outreach and information dissemination-related activities;
• Support the UCP Global Coordinator and the UCP country teams with collection of results and lessons learned, particularly for the development of the Progress Implementation Reports (PIRs) 2019-20 and UCP-related KM information for the SGP Annual Monitoring Report;
• Support the SGP UCP Global Coordinator and SGP CPMT with ensuring the development and finalization of select UCP case studies to be included in a publication on replication and upscaling of community-based initiatives supported by SGP UCPs;
• Perform other duties as may be reasonably required and in line with the contractor’s scope of services above

a.     Information on Working Arrangements:

• Estimated level of effort including travel days: Up to 70 days;
• The Knowledge Management Specialist will work from home with possibility of limited mission travel;
• The Knowledge Management Specialist will be given access to relevant information necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment;
• The Knowledge Management Specialist will be responsible for providing her/his own working station (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to a reliable internet connection;
• Payments will be made upon submission of a certification of payment form and acceptance and confirmation by the Project Manager on days worked and outputs delivered.

1. Travel:

• Travel may be required to New York, USA to UNDP-GEF Offices during the period;
• Any necessary missions must be approved in advance and in writing by the UNDP-GEF Global Coordinator of the SGP Upgraded Country Programmes.

3. Monitoring and Progress Controls

• Support the UCP Global Coordinator with collation of inputs from UCP Country Programmes for the Third SGP Joint Evaluation by 30 April 2020;
• Support SGP Upgraded Country Programmes with the development and finalization of OP6 KM and Communications strategies by 31 May 2020; 
• Support the UCP country teams and the UCP Global Coordinator with the collection of results and lessons, particularly for the development of PIRs 2019-20 by 31 August 2020;
• Ensure the finalization of select case studies from UCPs to be used for a publication on replication and upscaling of community-based initiatives supported by SGP UCPs by 30 October 2020;
• Produce 2 articles from SGP UCPs for the SGP Global website by 31 December 2020.

Deliverables will be reviewed by the UNDP-GEF Global Coordinator of the SGP Upgraded Country Programmes.

Payment will be made upon satisfactory completion and acceptance of the deliverables by the UNDP-GEF Global Coordinator of the SGP Upgraded Country Programmes as per below schedule:

• Support the UCP Global Coordinator with collation of inputs from UCP Country Programmes for the Third SGP Joint Evaluation by 30 April 2020;
• Support SGP Upgraded Country Programmes with the development and finalization of OP6 KM and Communications strategies by 31 May 2020;
• Support the UCP country teams and the UCP Global Coordinator with the collection of results and lessons, particularly for the development of PIRs 2019-20 by 31 August 2020;
• Ensure the finalization of select case studies from UCPs to be used for a publication on replication and upscaling of community-based initiatives supported by SGP UCPs by 30 October 2020;
• Produce 2 articles from SGP UCPs for the SGP Global website by 31 December 2020.

• Advanced university degree (master or equivalent). A Bachelor’s degree in combination with additional two years of experience is acceptable. 

• A minimum of five years of professional experience with the UN system or an international organization, preferably providing program support in the design, administration and implementation of programmes that serve local communities is required;
• Knowledge of and/or experience working in the areas of biodiversity, land degradation, climate change and development is required;
• Demonstrated international event planning and management skills is desired;
• Familiarity with UNDP’s community-based initiatives (including COMDEKS) is an advantage;
• Familiarity with the GEF Small Grants Programme, and other UNDP implemented initiatives at the local level is an advantage;
• Excellent conceptual, writing, and presentation skills for diverse audiences (demonstrated through publication record). Please provide 3 examples and/or links in your application demonstrating publications.

Contract type: International Individual Contractor Agreement - IICA
Contract level: I-ICA 2
Contract duration: 70 days initially, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and funding availability

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns.
Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.