Mission and objectivesAs the United Nations lead agency on international development, UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities, and to build resilience to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Our work is concentrated in three focus areas; sustainable development, democratic governance and peace building, and climate and disaster resilience. UNDPโs mandate is to end poverty, build democratic governance, rule of law, and inclusive institutions. We advocate for change, and connect countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP has been working in India since 1951 in almost all areas of human development. Together with the Government of India and development partners, we have worked towards eradicating poverty, reducing inequalities, strengthening local governance, enhancing community resilience, protecting the environment, supporting policy initiatives and institutional reforms, and accelerating sustainable development for all. With projects and programmes in every state and union territory in India, UNDP works with national and subnational government, and diverse development actors to deliver people- centric results, particularly for the most vulnerable and marginalized communities. As the integrator for collective action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the UN system, we are committed to supporting the Government of Indiaโs national development vision and priorities and accelerating the achievement of the SDGs for the people and the planet. Our new Country Programme (2023-2027), which comes into effect in 2023, builds on our prior work and aims to provide an integrated approach to development solutions in three strategic portfolios: โข Strong, accountable, and evidence-led institutions for accelerated achievement of the SDGs โข Enhanced economic opportunities and social protection to reduce inequality, with a focus on the marginalized โข Climate- smart solutions, sustainable ecosystems and resilient development for re-duced vulnerability. South-South cooperation, gender equality and social inclusion are promoted across the pillars. The programme is supported by a framework of renewed partnerships and blended finance solutions, strategic innovation and accelerator labs, and data and digital architecture. You are invited to join a team of future-smart development professionals to support India in achieving the national and globally agreed goals. As part of the UNDP team, your focus will be to work with diverse stakeholders to find country- specific solutions that lead to sustainable development and reach those. The impacts of climate change in India are expected to exacerbate with time thus increasing the need for climate adaptation efforts. The need for adaptation finance flows will be significantly higher in the future to implement physical adaptation and enabling activities. However, adaptation efforts are resource-intensive and demand substantial financial investment. According to the AdCom, the total expenditure required for climate adaptation under a Business as Usual (BAU) scenario, without any additional measures, is projected to be INR 56.68 trillion (around USD 678 billion) by 2030, using 2023-24 as the base year for analysis. Currently, most of the country's climate finance comes from government budgets, with resources for both mitigation and adaptation integrated into various national and sub-national sectoral programs and schemes. According to a report by a sub-committee of Indiaโs Ministry of Finance, the total cumulative expenditure for climate adaptation in India is expected to reach INR 85.6 trillion (USD 1 trillion) by 2030, based on 2011-12 prices.
ContextPublic sector funds will not be sufficient to meet the adaptation needs of the country & there is a need for an increase in private sector investment for climate adaptation. There remains a critical need to institutionalize mechanisms that enable continuous capacity building in climate science, modeling, financing and tracking of finance flows. Establishing formal structures for these activities ensures that adaptation planning is integrated into the decision-making processes of both national and sub-national governments, fostering long-term sustainability. As an outcome of the recently concluded National Workshop on Sustainable Finance organized by the Department of Economic Affairs & UNDP with support from NITI Aayog, there was alignment on the need for a formal framework or guidance for states on SDG aligned budgeting. As climate change impacts intensify annually, the connection between climate change & economic growth is gaining greater recognition. However, more detailed country & state-specific analysis is urgently needed to fully understand wide-ranging impacts of climate change on economic growth & the costs of creating supportive policy environments, implementing concrete measures, and building long-term institutional and human capacities. While much of the current climate adaptation finance is directed towards physical adaptation measures, the costs of implementing soft measures like capacity building & vulnerability studies are not covered by external funding or domestic public budgets. Some barriers to private sector investments in climate adaptation efforts include the perceived financial risks of adaptation projects, lack of technical knowledge on adaptation benefits, and the absence of adequate policy incentives to encourage private sector investments. Therefore, there is a need to address these barriers by advocating for a comprehensive adaptation financing framework in India that promotes the integration of public, private, and international finance. Another challenge in the successful implementation of adaptation strategies is the limited coherence between national and sub-national adaptation planning as these measures are often implemented in silos leading to fragmented efforts & results. There is thus a need to build institutional capacity at both levels, fostering better alignment between national policies & regional implementation for a more integrated approach to adaptation. This initiative on establishing and strengthening a Knowledge Centre on Climate Change Adaptation Modeling is aimed at addressing the critical gap between the need for adaptation and the availability of appropriate metrics and data/information to effectively plan & implement these strategies. By evaluating & prioritizing actions based on factors such as risk reduction potential, cost-effectiveness, feasibility & co-benefits, modeling helps plan for future climate conditions. Climate adaptation modeling can inform the development of financial mechanisms & investment needs, using cost-benefit analysis & financing models to ensure sustainable & effective implementation of adaptation measures. This supports adaptation planning (short, medium & long-term) by offering data-driven assessments of various strategies for an informed decision-making. Such an approach not only enables effective adaptation to current climate impacts but also prepares for future risks by creating a solid foundation for evidence-based adaptation measures.
Task DescriptionUNDP is looking to onboard a Project Associate to support the establishment and operationalization of the Climate Change Knowledge Centre at NITI Aayog. The Project Associate will provide technical and coordination to ensure effective implementation of project activities. The role will also contribute to capacity-building materials and the development of knowledge products for national and sub-national stakeholders. The Project Associate will provide technical and coordination support to ensure effec-tive implementation of project activities. โข Assist in Research and Analysis: Aanalyse trends and patterns related to climate im-pacts and adaptation needs. โข Contribute to background studies and reports that inform planning and policy deci-sions. โข Support organisation of project meetings, workshops, and consultations with gov-ernment departments, research institutions, NGOs, and other stakeholders. โข Coordinate with thematic experts, consultants, and partners for timely delivery of outputs. โข Liaise with state- and district-level counterparts for data collection and follow-up on agreed actions. โข Contribute to drafting sections of reports, briefs, and presentations with insights from data. โข Assist in translating data into clear, simple summaries for wider audiences. Generate insights and data summaries for gender-responsive policy briefs. โข Support development of white papers, best practice case studies, and visual knowledge products. โข Maintain project databases, document repositories, and stakeholder contact lists. โข Support the preparation of knowledge products, communication materials, and social media updates. โข Document good practices, lessons learned, and case studies emerging from the pro-ject. โข Assist in procurement processes, including preparation of ToRs, request for quota-tions, and vendor coordination. โข Support budget tracking and prepare financial updates for project activities.
Competencies and valuesโข Adaptability and Flexibility โข Commitment and Motivation โข Commitment to Continuous Learning โข Communication โข Creativity โข Ethics and Values โข Integrity โข Knowledge Sharing โข Planning and Organizing โข Professionalism โข Respect for Diversity โข Self-Management โข Vision โข Working in Teams
Living conditions and remarksThe assignment will be based in New Delhi. New Delhi is the capital city of India, experi-ences a diverse climate and has distinct living conditions influenced by its weather, infra-structure, and culture. A melting pot of cultures, languages, and cuisines, reflecting the diverse nature of India. Overall, living in Delhi offers a mix of modern urban life with deep-rooted traditions and challenges typical of a large, bustling metropolis. As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for ar-ranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. This position is based in New Delhi. National UN Volunteers are part of the malicious insurance plan. National UN Volunteers are expected to be culturally sensitive and adjust to the prevailing culture and traditions. The contract lasts for the period indicated above with possibility of extensions subject to availability of funding, operational necessity and satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectation of renewal of the assignment. The applicable Volunteer Living Allowance is provided monthly to cover housing, utilities and normal cost of living expenses. You can check full entitlements at https://app.unv.org/calculator This Entitlements specific to this volunteering assignment is below: โข Monthly Voluntary Living Allowance (VLA): INR 64,961.50 โข Entry lump sum (one-time payment): USD 400 (equivalent in INR) โข Relocation costs: $200 at beginning and end of assignment if duty station is outside of commuting distance (as determined by UNV) โข Exit allowance (paid on successful completion of the assignment): INR 5,413.46 for each month served โข Comprehensive coverage for health and life Leave entitlements: โข Annual leave: 2.5 days accrued per calendar month โข Certified sick leave: 30 days โข Uncertified sick leave: 7 days โข Learning leave: 10 working days per consecutive 12 months โข Maternity leave: 16 weeks โข Paternity leaves: 10 days For more information on entitlements please read the Conditions of Service (https://explore.unv.org/cos).