Background
National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) are the principal instruments for implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) at the national level.ย Turkmenistan joined the CBD in 1996, thereby committing itself to the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources. Since then, the country has taken significant steps in this direction, with the active support of the UNDP and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The first NBSAP was developed in 2002, and an updated version was developed in 2015, covering the period up to 2023. These documents define priority areas, including:ย
Strengthening environmental law enforcement;ย Rational use of ecosystem services in key industries;ย Enhancing the capacity of industrial sectors to minimize impacts on biodiversity; Increasing awareness of the importance of biodiversity at all levels of society.ยIn 2019, Turkmenistan prepared the Sixth National Report on CBD, which provides an assessment of the state of biodiversity, an analysis of environmental legislation and a description of measures to implement CBD. The report highlights the country's active position in addressing global biodiversity conservation issues.ย
The GEF-8 โUmbrella Programme to support NBSAP Update and Seventh National Reportsโ is a Party-led effort funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to continue the process of updating NBSAPs and undertaking reporting on implementation of the GBF. This programme provides financial and technical support to 139 developing countries, small island developing states, and economies in transition in their work to update NBSAPs in alignment with the GBF and prepare and submit Seventh National Reports to the CBD. Turkmenistan is one of the countries receiving these funds and is supported by UNDP to implement the programme.ย
Additionally, financial packages from two other GEF enabling activities will help build the programme - the โGEF Early Action Support projectโ and the โGEF 8 Umbrella Programme on support development of Biodiversity Finance Plans (BDFP).โ The support provided through this programme also aims to assist countries in fostering cooperation and coordination among different sectors and stakeholders, including, and not limited to, civil society organizations, private sector, academia, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities, to ensure their effective participation in and contribution to nationally led NBSAP revision and reporting process.ย
Pursuant toย CBD Decision 15/6, countries committed to submit their updated NBSAPs in line with the GBF. Under Component 1 of the GEF-8 Umbrella Programme, Turkmenistan is undertaking the following national activities to make progress towards finalizing the NBSAP:ย
Implementing comprehensive NBSAP stakeholder engagement to promote whole-of-government and whole-of-society approachesย Identifying and prioritizing gaps and inconsistencies between the NBSAP and achieving the GBF Strengthening readiness for NBSAP implementation, including potential environmental and social impacts and risks Developing, as needed, action plans to support the NBSAPย Undertaking, as needed, planning processes for capacity development, resource mobilization, and monitoring and evaluationIn this regard, UNDP CO is looking for a Project Coordinator/Biodiversity Specialist,ย who will be responsible for coordinating all aspects of the project, from developing project work and procurement plans and budget revisions to overseeing project activities at the national level and ensuringย that they are delivered on time and within budgetย to support the preparation of the countryโs NBSAP. Supported by a technical team, Project Coordinator/Biodiversity Specialist is supposed to work closely with a range of national stakeholders, including governments and other partners, to ensure that the project is aligned with national priorities and contributes to the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework at the national level.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Project Coordinator/Biodiversity Specialist will be responsible for the overall supervision and management of in-country activities, ensuring a proper workplan and budget is in place and implemented within set timelines, with an effective national team and strong partnerships. The Project Coordinator/Biodiversity Specialist will also be responsible for the dedicated technical guidance to, and oversight over, the revision/update of the countryโs NBSAP and preparation of the 7 National Report to the CBD. ย The incumbent will work under the direct supervision of theย UNDP Programme Analyst on Resilience, Environment and Energy, and in close coordination by the UNDP Global Project Management and Technical Support Unit (GPMTSU) to ensure implementation mechanisms and technical working groups are established and meet regularly, team of national experts secures and that all planned workshops, technical studies and other activities are organised in a timely manner, and that they meet expected quality standards.ย
He/she is expected to have senior experience and to provide substantial technical expertise in assuring horizontal integration and consistency of workstreams/studies, as well as advisory services and quality assurance of national products and processes throughout the duration of the national project component, in close coordination with the National Steering Committee for this programme.
The Projectย Coordinator/ย Biodiversity Specialistย will be in charge of the following:
Overall project management:
Oversee the identification, selection and supervision of national consultants and experts, in close collaboration with the UNDP Country Office, Finance Expert and the Global Project Management and Technical Support Unit (GPMTSU).ย Write/revise terms of references for national BIOFIN team members. In consultation with the UNDP Country Office and GPMTSU elaborate/revise the work plan and budget and submit draft workplans/budgets timely. Supervise the work of national experts and institutions to ensure outputs are delivered on time, within the set budget, and to high quality standards; facilitate, guide and monitor the work of the national team; Oversee the work of the Project Support Associate to ensure administrative requirements and budgets are managed and executed in a timely and appropriate manner and within UNDP and donor rules and regulations. Organise all relevant project workshops in a consultative manner, involving a wide variety of biodiversity finance stakeholders, including the government, private sector, NGOs, donors and academia.ย Discuss with the Ministries of Finance and Economy, Environmental Protection and other key stakeholders the establishment of a national Steering Committee and follow up on the formal establishment and regular convening of the Committee and develop meeting reports to be shared with Steering Committee, the UNDP CO and GPMTSU.ย Maintain regular communication with Ministries of Environmental Protection and Finance and Economy for the development and completion of all reports and products. Liase the project processes and products with relevant national planning biodiversity and finance relevant processes, such as NBSAP updates and Global Biodiversity Framework implementation.ย Ensure a timely identification of risks in implementation at the national level and communication to the GPMTSU. Organise regular meetings of the national team and monthly calls with the Technical Advisor from the GPMTSU. Ensure participation of national team members in regional technical calls.ย Participate in regional and global meeting organized by the GPMTSU.Technical Tasks and Responsibilitiesย
Act as principal technical contact for the project implementation with GPMTSU with regards to all questions and issues that arise during national implementation.ย Provide key technical leadership on all issues and assure horizontal integration and consistency of workstreams/studies. Provide overall guidance and quality control for the four main deliverables of the project. technical support to the national project team to complete all the deliverables of the BIOFIN methodology, in a consistent and high-quality manner.ย Ensure drafts of all work are sent to the global Technical Advisor and GPMTSU regularly to provide backstopping and assure feedback is adequately integrated into national reports. Lead the process of conducing analysis of the policy and institutional landscape, identify the most relevant stakeholders, map subsidies positive and harmful to biodiversity, identify barriers in the national budgeting process, and produce an inventory of existing finance solutions. Lead the process of a full inventory of all existing financing mechanisms/solutions in the country, highlighting opportunities for improvementsย Provide technical support for the data collection, analysis, and conclusions of the BER. Support the data collection, modelling, quality checking, and validation of the FNA. Lead the process of Development of a Biodiversity Finance Plan (BFP) according to the guidance provided by the GPMTSU global BIOFIN team and written guidance documents (especially the BIOFIN Workbook)Reporting/Communication/M&E
Signal any delays in national deliverables compared to the workplan to the UNDP Country Office in Turkmenistan and the GPMTSU.ย Lead project monitoring, reporting and evaluation at national level, draft monthly and quarterly reports for review by the lead expert and submission to the global BIOFIN team.ย Coordinate the development of workshop reports for the inception workshop and all technical workshops.ย Review all technical reports as required.ย Ensure alignment of national work with global methodologies such as the BIOFIN workbook and others.ย Liaise with relevant initiatives and programs in UNDP and other organizations in support of the execution of the project, including BIOFIN, the NBSAP support programme, the GEF 7 Early Action Support Programme, the Nature Hub, and other organizations and initiatives.ย Review the final reports of the national Policy and Institutional Review, Biodiversity expenditure Review, Financial Needs Assessment and Biodiversity Finance plan Develop with the collaboration of the rest of the team members, of at least one brief overview publication per year, press releases, and web and media products.The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Institutional Arrangement:
At the global level, this global umbrella programme will be supported by a Global Project Management and Technical Support Unit (GPMTSU).ย
The Project Coordinator/Biodiversity Specialist will be based in Ashgabat. Within his/her role the incumbent will facilitate and coordinate the achievement of expected project results by providing technical expertise and guidance to the project consultants and national teams for the implementation of relevant activities. Along with that, he/she will ensure that the project interventions are closely coordinated with and complement the other UNDP-implemented NBSAP revision initiatives, including the GEF-7 EAS GBF and the GEF-8 BIOFIN programmes.ย The Project Coordinator/Biodiversity Specialist will work under the guidance of and be accountable and report to the UNDP Programme Analyst on Resilience, Environment and Energy.ย
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Competencies
Core Competencies:
Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking Learn Continuously:ย LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process Act with Determination: ย LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision makingCross- Functional Competencies:
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. Financial Planning and budgeting: Ability to create and manage processes to achieve UNDPโs long and short-term financial goals, including through planning, budgeting, forecasting, analyzing and reporting. Project Management:ย Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals. Relationship Management: Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/ or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding. Data governance: Knowledge of data science, skills to develop data management tools, organize and maintain databases and operate data visualization technologies. Digital business Analysis: Ability to support digital business processes across a range of digital projects, programmes and activities. E-governance: Knowledge of how it works, understanding of the opportunities and challenges for governments and society.Required Skills and Experience
Education:
Master's degree or equivalent in Environmental/natural resource management, Biodiversity, Management, Political Studies, Geographic/ Social Sciences or other related fields,ย or; Bachelorโs degree in the areas mentioned above in combination with an additional 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.Experience:
Minimumย 2 years (with masterโs degree) or 4 years (with bachelorโs degree) of relevant experience in the implementation of environment/biodiversity, ecosystems conservation, protected areas, nature protection or other related. Experience in assessment, review and formulation of recommendations related to environmental policies, programmes and strategies related to nature/biodiversity/ecosystem conservation.ยRequired Skills:
Experience in managing work teams and supervising technical assessments, reports and technical documents. Experience in coordination, direction and management of projects for the governmental sector or international cooperation. Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and web-based management systems, and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages.Desired Skills:
Experience in partnership building and management with multi-stakeholders, including government agencies, and other development partners will be advantage. Experience working in UN system and/or other international developmental organizations will be asset. Professional certification inย environment, biodiversity and/or nature conservation will be advantage. Knowledge of environmental or biodiversity related policies. Experience in analysis, research in the field of ecology, environment protection, sustainable resource management.Required Languages:
Fluency in English, Russian is required. Knowledge of Turkmen would be considered as strong advantage.Equal opportunity
As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.ย
UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.
Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority
UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.ย
Right to select multiple candidates
UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.ย We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
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