Background
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. The Fiji multi-country office covers ten countries including Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu as well as provides support to regional initiatives.
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UNDP in the Pacific has developed its multi-country programme document (MCPD, 2023-2027) to guide its interventions in the next five years in full alignment and directly to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF, 2023โ27). The Office covers 10 countries in the Pacific with an extensive portfolio which has grown over time. The UNSDCF and UNDP MCPD are designed in full alignment with the 2030 agenda, Samoa Pathway, and 2050 Blue Content Strategy, which is endorsed by the Pacific Island Countries (PICs) among others. The UNDP Pacific Office next five-year plan strategic priorities are encapsulated under three outcome areas: (i) Planet, (ii) Prosperity, and (iii) Peace.
Resilience is one of UNDPโs six signature solutions โ alongside poverty and inequality, environment, energy, governance, and gender equality - to support countries towards three directions of change: structural transformation, leaving no one behind and resilience. As per UNDPโs new Strategic Plan 2022- 2025, and the new MCPD (2023-2027), UNDP Pacific office aims to supporting countries and communities in building resilience to diverse shocks and crises, including conflict, climate change, disasters and epidemics.
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Climate change is expected to bring Tonga serious impacts that include more heavy rainfall events, severe tropical cyclones and extreme sea level events, which will require adaptation for people, infrastructure, and coastal ecosystems. Tonga faces a potential long-term threat from permanent inundation and wave-driven flooding, with studies suggesting significant community displacement (World Bank, 2021a). The largest island, Tongatapu, which holds around 74% of the population (74,320), faces significant frequent flooding risks and potential permanent losses from sea level rise (SLR) without future adaptation measures. This population is expected to grow as Tongans relocate from outlying islands to Tongatapu. With most of Tongatapuโs populated areas only 1m above sea level, SLR could inundate many settlements without adequate adaptation strategies. Geographic isolation and economic vulnerabilities, including dependence on remittance and foreign aid, exacerbate the challenges faced by communities and decision-makers, compounding the risks associated with climate change.
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The project therefore seeks to address coastal inundation in critical areas through immediate coastal protection measures in the northeastern parts of Tongatapu, while fostering long term adaptation measures through the provision of critical climate risk information and planning tools supported through key training, knowledge sharing and capacity. The project also proposes a transformative adaptation approach through the establishment and support for multi-stakeholder decision making on critical adaptation needs and land use planning. Ongoing climate change threats, risk, and impacts to date have challenged Tonga and brought the issue of transformative adaptation to the forefront. Therefore, the overall objective for the project is to support the transformative adaptation agenda setting through a participatory process; supporting development and spatial planning (community development plans, district plans and island strategic plans) to consider climate risks and promote appropriate and transformative adaptation options. Specifically, these are to be achieved through three key outputs:
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Duties and Responsibilities
The successful candidate will work under the overall guidance of Project Manager and direct supervision of the RCC Team Leader.
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The candidate will work with PMU staff and stakeholders at local and national levels
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The Project MEL, Gender, and Safeguards Specialist combines responsibilities for Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL), gender and social development, and environmental and social safeguards to ensure that the project is evidence-driven, inclusive, and sustainable. The Specialist will lead efforts to integrate robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks with gender-sensitive and socially inclusive approaches while ensuring compliance with environmental and social safeguard policies. This role will require collaboration across project teams, stakeholders, and communities to achieve project outputs aligned with UNDP and donor priorities.
Key Responsibilities
Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL)
Design, implement, and refine comprehensive MEL frameworks, systems, and tools in line with UNDP Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures (POPP), corporate standards, and donor requirements. Lead development of the project Theory of Change and Results-Based Management (RBM) frameworks to monitor outcomes, outputs, and impacts. Ensure timely collection, analysis, and dissemination of data, including gender-disaggregated data, for evidence-based decision-making and reporting. Oversee preparation of donor reports, project progress reports, and impact assessments, ensuring adherence to established timelines and quality standards. Conduct regular monitoring and evaluation of project activities, outputs, and outcomes, ensuring the integration of gender equality, disability inclusion, and Leave No One Behind (LNOB) principles. Provide technical guidance on the design and implementation of mid-term reviews, impact evaluations, and third-party monitoring, ensuring robust methodologies and adherence to UNDP evaluation standards. Ensure integration of evaluation findings into project improvement strategies and decision-making processes.Gender and Social Development
Update and refine the project Gender Strategy and Action Plan, incorporating lessons learned, national laws and policies, and UNDPโs Gender Equality Strategy. Analyze gender and social inequality issues within project activities and propose strategies to address barriers to the participation of women, girls, and other vulnerable groups. Facilitate gender-sensitive and socially inclusive stakeholder consultations, ensuring active participation from womenโs groups, NGOs, government agencies, and local communities. Implement and monitor gender-related initiatives, including awareness-raising campaigns, capacity-building sessions, and gender equality advocacy, ensuring alignment with project goals and timelines. Provide technical support to project teams and contractors in mainstreaming gender considerations, including developing gender-sensitive indicators and action plans. Lead the development of training materials and organize training sessions on gender mainstreaming, disability inclusion, and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse for stakeholders, contractors, and community members.Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS)
Oversee implementation of the projectโs Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP), including monitoring of proposed social safeguards. Identify and address additional environmental and social safeguard risks emerging during project implementation, ensuring compliance with UNDP standards and donor requirements. Ensure safe and inclusive working environments, especially for women, and strengthen grievance redress mechanisms (GRM) to address community and stakeholder concerns effectively. Support contractors and implementing partners to adhere to safeguards policies and embed gender-sensitive principles into planning and implementation processes.Capacity Building and Knowledge Management
ย Assess capacity gaps among project staff, partners, and stakeholders, and design tailored capacity-building initiatives on MEL, gender mainstreaming, and social safeguards. Develop and share knowledge products, including policy briefs, thematic reviews, lessons learned, and best practices, to inform project improvement and future programming. Organize and lead workshops, training, and awareness sessions on MEL systems, gender equality, and safeguards for diverse stakeholders. Actively participate in and contribute to local and global networks, communities of practice, and knowledge-sharing platforms to promote innovative and effective practices in MEL, gender, and safeguards.Advocacy and Communication
Lead gender and social inclusion advocacy efforts, including organizing campaigns, leveraging media platforms, and supporting events such as International Womenโs Day. Develop and disseminate communication materials, visuals, and digital media content to highlight gender equality and social inclusion achievements. Collaborate with communication teams to showcase project outcomes related to gender, social development, and environmental safeguards.Stakeholder Engagement and Coordination
Foster partnerships and maintain a strong network with UNDP colleagues, government officials, donors, civil society organizations, contractors, and communities. Coordinate with other UN agencies to ensure alignment and complementarity of monitoring, reporting, and evaluation efforts, especially in the context of the UNSDCF. Facilitate participatory planning and decision-making processes, ensuring that stakeholder inputs are integrated into project design and implementation.The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
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Competencies
Core competencies:
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:
Business Direction & Strategyย ย ย ย
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 systemBusiness Managementย ย ย ย
Portfolio Management. Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization's programmes and projects in line with its strategic objectives and capacity Ability to balance the implementation of change initiativeswith regular activities for optimal return on investment. Knowledge and understanding of key
principles of project, programme, and portfolio management Monitoring & Evaluation. Ability to systematically monitor results of
strategies, programmes, and activities with a view to make sure that they are being implemented effectively; Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback and reporting on the consistency or discrepancy between planned activities and programme management and results. Ability to make independent judgment of the management and results of strategies, programmes and activities based on set criteria and benchmark, keeping in mind the needs and concerns of client, current and upcoming. Knowledge and understanding of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, concepts, methodologies, systems, processes, and tools. Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and
benchmarks. Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns. Operations Management. Ability to effectively plan, organize and oversee different parts of corporate operations, simultaneously and in an integrated way, in order to convert the organization's assets into the best results in the most efficient way. Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms.
Business Developmentย ย ย ย
Knowledge Generation. Ability to research information and to turn it into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need. Ability to apply existing concepts to new situations, and to develop new concepts to generate workable solutions and new approaches. Knowledge of relevant concepts, conceptual models, and theories that can be useful in addressing new situations.Partnership Managementย ย ย ย
Relationship Management. Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understandingEthicsย ย ย
Legal Analysis and Report Writing. Ability to apply legal analysis to a diverse range of complex issues, and express themselves clearly; ability to communicate well, to all levels of staff and contractors/consultants, governments et.al.ย
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Development Studies, Gender Studies, Social Sciences, or related field is required; orย A first-level university degree (bachelorโs degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.Experience:
Minimum 5 years (with masterโs degree) or 7 years (with bachelorโs degree) of relevant experience in MEL, gender mainstreaming, and safeguards implementation in development projects and working with quality assurance instruments, result-based management models, and multiple stakeholders. Skilled in using office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.), web-based management systems, and advanced data management tools or database packages. Experience in designing, implementing, and managing assessments or applied research projects, with the ability to synthesize findings into actionable recommendations. Experience in drafting standard operating procedures (SOPs), legal/strategic frameworks, and policy-level analysis related to gender and safeguards. Proven ability/ Experience to organize and lead knowledge-sharing initiatives and advocacy campaigns on gender equality, GBV, and social safeguards. Familiarity with working on projects funded by the UN and Government agencies is an added advantage.Required languages:
Fluency in English and Tongan is required.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.
Scam alert
UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.
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