Knowledge Management Specialist - Retainer

UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peace building, humanitarian and development projects.  Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations.

New York Portfolio Office (NYPO) supports the United Nations Secretariat, as well as other New York-based United Nations organizations, bilateral and multilateral partners in the delivery of UNOPS mandate in project management, infrastructure management, and procurement management. The Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC) supports diverse partners with their peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations. It was formed by combining the following portfolios: Grants Management Services (GMS), UN Technology Support Services (UNTSS), Development and Special Initiatives Portfolio (DSIP) It provides Services to partners' programmes that are designed, structured, and managed with a global perspective and primarily serving partners that are headquartered in New York.  The SDC has a footprint of approximately 125 countries.

UNOPS has signed agreements with multiple UNDP country offices to implement the project activities for the Upgraded Country Programme of the Small Grants Programme.

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 OP-5 in 2011, with each of these country programmes becoming a separate Full Sized Project. Another six SGP Country Programmes (Egypt, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Peru, Sri Lanka, and Thailand) were upgraded at the beginning of OP-6 in 2016, and an additional one in OP-7 (Malaysia). 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 OP6 and OP7. 

For over three decades, UNDP has supported community level, grassroots organizations to address sustainable development. This support has been provided via a variety of initiatives targeting communities through small grant mechanisms, e.g., hundreds of UNDP implemented projects that address enabling communities to plan for and achieve sustainable livelihoods in the face of the loss of biodiversity and a changing climate - including the poor and most vulnerable. The GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP) which delivers global environmental benefits in the areas of biodiversity conservation, climate change, protection of international waters, prevention of land degradation, and chemical and waste management through community-based approaches; the Adaptation Fund-UNDP Innovation Small Grant Aggregator Platform (ISGAP) which aims to support the development and diffusion of innovative adaptation practices, tools, and technologies; and others.

The Knowledge Management Specialist will be primarily responsible for supporting UCP Country Teams in the development and revision of Knowledge Management and Communications strategies; and for supporting the Regional Technical Advisor(s) in compiling and editing high-quality Project Implementation Reports.

The incumbent of this position will be personnel of UNOPS under its full responsibility.

The Consultant will work in close collaboration with the Regional Technical Advisors, and the KM specialist of the SGP Central Programme Management Team (CPMT). Communication with SGP National Coordinators will be coordinated with the UNDP Regional Technical Advisors. 

The Consultant’s specific tasks will include:

• Contribute to global SGP and Local Action Communication and KM outreach activities, queries, and requests through tailored support to with regard to the Upgraded Country Programmes (UCPs) and assist with UCP social media outreach such as:

  • visual storytelling analytics;

  • monitoring and information dissemination-related activities (for example, engagement with followers, user-generated content and support the development of the communication and knowledge management strategies etc.).

• Support UNDP Regional Technical Advisors and UCPs in developing high-quality Project Implementation Reports (PIRs) from 2024-25 (Brazil, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Kenya and Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Sri Lanka), including but not limited to:

  • peer review;

  • proofreading; 

  • editing; 

  • crafting summaries that encapsulate key findings. 

• Perform other duties as may be reasonably required and in line with the incumbent’s scope of services above. 

• The Knowledge Management Specialist will work from home;

• 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.

Monitoring and Progress Controls

• Support the UNDP Regional Technical Advisors and Country Teams in developing high-quality Project Implementation Reports (PIRs) 2024-25 (Brazil, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Kenya and Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Sri Lanka); 

• Provide inputs for communication and knowledge management strategies. 

Deliverables will be reviewed by the SGP Upgraded Country Programmes Regional Technical Advisors.

• Support the UNDP Regional Technical Advisors and Country Teams in developing high-quality 2024-25 Project Implementation Reports (PIRs).

• Provide inputs for communication and knowledge management strategies.

Payment will be made upon satisfactory completion and acceptance of the deliverables by the Regional Technical Advisors as per the above schedule.

Contract type: Individual Contractor Agreement (ICA) - Retainer - A retainer contract is issued for a period of time during which the services of the individual contractor are required intermittently. The individual contractor agreement on retainer basis will specify a “unit price” per day worked. For budgetary purposes, a monetary cap will be determined when the contract is awarded and issued. Please note that the retainer contract will not provide for a minimum, and payment will be made only after completion of work

Contract level: Local Individual Contractor Agreement (L-ICA 10)

Contract duration: 12 months (with possibility for extension subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and/or satisfactory performance). 

• 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.