About the position

Background

Over the past two decades Cambodia has realized exceptional rates of economic growth averaging over 7% prior to the pandemic, with persistent declines in poverty and rapid improvements in human development. Yet Cambodia faces several development challenges. Pressures stemming from Cambodia’s rapid progression as a Middle-Income Country (MIC) have tended to be resource and carbon intensive, resulting in environmental challenges and natural resource depletion. For example, forest coverage has been declining for decades, and from 2010 to 2018 shrank from 57 percent to less than 47 percent of national territory.

To sustain Cambodia’s vital ecosystems and environment, the Government has implemented environmental governance reforms. These include new policies and legal frameworks, jurisdictional reforms resulting in the creation of protected landscapes that cover 7.4 million ha of land (41% of the country), a new draft Environment and Natural Resources Code, decentralization of natural resource management functions and a moratorium on new economic land concessions. The government has also embraced the REDD+ agenda.

REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries; and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries) is a global policy initiative under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to tackle climate change threats by addressing emissions from the forest and land use sector. The goal of REDD+ is to prevent forest degradation and deforestation, and promote forest conservation, sustainable management and forest enhancement through policy approaches and positive incentives to developing countries.

Cambodian national development policies, strategies and programmes have incorporated REDD+ as part of their strategic agendas. Guided by the Warsaw Framework for REDD+, Cambodia has established four interconnected elements as part of its national REDD+ architecture: 1) a National Strategy or Action Plan (NRS), 2) a National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS), 3) a Safeguards Information System (SIS), and 4) a Forest Reference Emissions Level/ Forest Reference Level (FREL)

UNDP has been a key partner of the Government during the REDD+ readiness phase (e.g., through the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility’s – FCPF) and will continue to provide support during the implementation and result-based payments phases. More broadly, UNDP will support Cambodia in the design and implementation of national policies and measures to reduce deforestation and manage forests sustainably, hence contributing to the mitigation of climate change and advancing sustainable development.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Climate and Forests Officer will be supervised by the Project Specialist – MRV, and will work closely with project team members, consultants, partners, Programme Analyst, and other colleagues within the Country Office. The Climate and Forests Officer may undertake field missions to various provinces of Cambodia for meetings, stakeholder engagements and monitoring purposes.

The position may also be required to take on other programmes/ projects/initiatives within the scope of TOR depending on workload at the time.

The Climate and Forests Officer will perform the following key functions:

• Coordinate project support for the government and stakeholders for the ongoing works related to climate and forests
• Coordinate project support for the REDD+ Secretariat.
• Contribute to UNDP in the process of programming and pipeline formulation related to climate and forests.
• Partnerships building and knowledge management.

Coordinate project support for the government and stakeholders for the ongoing works related to climate and forests.

• Design roadmaps and annual work plans of activities related to climate and forests.
• Design and coordinate key activities related to climate and forests in partnership and consultation with relevant stakeholders.
• Develop ToRs of and supervise relevant consultants and provide quality assurance.
• Provide technical and management support to the day-to-day operation of the portfolio through circulation of documents, taking of minutes, drafting concept notes, coordinating internal and stakeholder meetings, and feedback of information.
• Prepare quarterly and annual project progress reports according to their respective reporting guidelines/ requirements.
• Monitor and keep track of project implementation progress and project risks.
• For projects assigned, ensure fund are made available and proper use of project resources in line with UNDP’s Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures
• Conduct and coordinate regular field visits with counterparts to monitor field activities and assist with the organization of visits, the preparation of back to office reports and supervision missions from cooperating institutions.

Coordinate project support for the REDD+ Secretariat.

• Coordinate the REDD+ Taskforce Secretariat in management and monitoring the project work progress and ensure timely delivery of project outputs.
• Provide effective communication, coordination and cooperation between the REDD+ Taskforce Secretariat and technical team in planning, monitoring and implementation process.
• Coordinate the REDD+ Taskforce Secretariat in preparation of quarterly and annually technical work plans for project activities, and budgets.
• Coordinate the REDD+ Taskforce Secretariat in preparation of quarterly and annual technical progress reports to respective government agencies, UNDP and UN-REDD according to their respective reporting guidelines.
• Prepare Programme Executive Board (PEB) meetings and take lead in ensuring that recommendations made by the PEB are implemented.
• Coordinate the REDD+ Taskforce Secretariat in organising and conducting effective stakeholder meetings in line with the work plan.
• Take minutes for key meetings including those of the REDD+ Taskforce and translate these into both English and Khmer for access by stakeholders.
• Work closely with UNDP Country Office in providing overall quality assurance for the project based on UNDP rules and procedures.
• Coordinate with other REDD+ initiatives.

Contribute to the government and UNDP in the process of programming and pipeline formulation related to climate and forests.

• Assist UNDP’s team to formulate project concept notes and full project documents including information materials in consultation with relevant stakeholders among others.
• Contribute to the resource mobilization with donors, private sector, government and other global and regional resources.
• Facilitate consultations required for the including Internal Project Appraisal Committee meeting, Local Project Appraisal Committee Meeting.

Support partnerships building and knowledge management

• Assist the Country Office to coordinate and organize stakeholder meetings/events/workshops to discuss priority issues within climate and forests with key stakeholders.
• Assist the Country Office to explore the potential for private sector partnerships on climate and forests.
• Contribute to the development of knowledge products and communications in the areas of climate and forests.
• Contribute to the consolidation of knowledge and lessons learned and disseminate good practices.

Impact of Results

The key results have an impact on the overall effectiveness and efficiency of UN climate and forests activities in the country, including short, medium and long-term planning, improved business results and client services.  They also impact on increasing Governments’, partners’, and civil society and communities’ awareness and knowledge of the linkage between climate/forests and development. Accurate analysis, presentation and knowledge sharing promote timely positioning and readjustment of UNDP programme management

Competencies

Core competencies:

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

Business Direction & Strategy    

• System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

Business Management  

• Results-based Management: Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results.
• Project Management: Ability to plan, organise, prioritise and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.
• Partnerships Management: Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.
• Monitoring: Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results

2030 Agenda

Peace

• Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive Institutions: Land Use, Land-use Change and Forestry 

Planet

• Nature, Climate and Energy: Climate Change Policies: Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s or Bachelor Degree in Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Economics, or other closely related fields

Experience:

• Master’s degree with at least 2 years or Bachelor with at least 4 years of relevant professional work experience on issues related to climate change, REDD+, conservation, natural resources management, forest economic policy and community development livelihoods.
• Project management experience.
• Proven experience and knowledge of the country’s institutional framework and policies related to forests and natural resource management.
• Experience in working with multi stakeholders including the government, NGOs, private sector, and CSOs.
• Experience of implementing programmes across the UN agencies and across the Royal Government of Cambodia are definite advantages.
• Forest and development: Knowledge of forestry and development and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.
• Climate change: Knowledge of climate change Including climate change international regime) and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.
• Climate finance: Knowledge of climate finance concepts and instruments and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations
• Resource mobilization: Ability to identify and organize programmes and projects to implement solutions and generate resources

Language Requirements:

• Spoken and written Khmer and English.

How to apply

Note: This position is open for Cambodian nationals only.

You need to apply online.

For more detail Click here