The Project Coordinator´s consultant main duties and responsibilities will include:
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Project Implementation
- Effectively implement project initiatives with project counterparts and UNEP by complementing existing capacities and providing oversite and support where needed;
- Facilitate decision making on activity execution, particularly related to planning, budget, and implementation issues;
- Provide Technical expertise in order to prepare annual work plans and budgets and manage activities, and monitoring spending using guidance from the Technical Advisory Panel and the Steering Committee. The work plans will provide guidance on the day-to-day implementation of the project noting the need for overall coordination with other projects implemented by UNEP in Panama.
- Provide inputs to strategic planning, achievement of targets and objectives;
- Facilitate technical training and deliver presentations during events and other engagements;
- Conduct field visits to project sites for the provision of hands-on support and quality assurance;
- Ensure technical, administrative, and logistical support is given to the projects;
- Participate with UNEP at meetings, technical sessions, project events, ceremonies, and functions.
Technical Knowledge
- Provide technical guidance to Project partners for the preparation of the project outputs;
- Initiate and collaborate with the design, organization, and facilitation of consultation meetings, training, workshops, and other activities;
- Provide specific technical input on the implementation and documentation of project activities directly within her/his technical area including editing and/or drafting and/or proof reading of technical reports and studies;
- Participate with the Development of Terms of References for consultants and sub-contractors.
Coordination and Networking
- Network and foster functional relationships with project counterparts and other key stakeholders;
- Facilitate or participate in workshops, webinars, and meetings as necessary.
- Liaise with and ensure strategic partnerships with the responsible Institutions of the beneficiaries at the national and sub-national levels and coordinate with them for the implementation of the Project and the achievement of the expected results.
- Participate and promote dialogue in the community of practices and/or webinars that will be implemented within the project.
- Work in close collaboration with project counterparts and UNEP for the timely submission of periodic, accurate, and professional (narrative and financial) progress reports to management and other stakeholders as required;
- Ensure adequate tools are in place to track all progress, achievements, challenges, and lesson learned;
- Promote learning and knowledge sharing amongst all related stakeholders;
- Contribute to knowledge sharing, producing documentation for case studies and lessons learned;
- Collaborate with the preparation of assessments and studies as required.
Ultimate result of service
- Project activities are carried out as outlined in the Project Document and project results are achieved within the timeline and budget requirements.
Outputs/Work Assignment
- Provide inputs for Development of annual and monthly work plans
- Provide Support with Budget planning and reporting
- Drafting technical reports
- Coordination between different experts involved in the project and local stakeholders
- Participate in the drafting of communication materials
- Organization of meetings and workshops
Climate Change Directorate, Ministry of Environment in Panama, Panama.
Expected duration12 Months
Duties and ResponsibilitiesThe United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the United Nations system's designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional level. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action.
The UNEP Latin America and the Caribbean Office (LACO), located in Panama City, Panama works closely with the 33 countries of the region - including 16 small island developing States - with a population of about 588 million people. The office works to serve the needs of the region and its activities are integrated into the work programs approved by the United Nations Environment Assembly of UNEP (UNEA).
UNEP seeks to support countries in Latin America to implement the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the new Paris Agreement and the priority actions defined in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of Latin American countries.
To participate with the adaptation planning in the water sector in Panama, it is pivotal to have access to quality climate and hydrological data, technical capacities to analyze and use such data to inform planning processes and demonstrate cost-effective adaptation solutions as Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) Measures. As a result, UNEP is working with the government of Panama to execute a two-years project “Fostering climate change adaptation in Panama through ecosystem approach for water security at the water basin level” funded by EUROCLIMA+.
EUROCLIMA is the EU flagship cooperation programme on environmental sustainability and climate change in Latin America and the Caribbean (LACO). It aims at contributing to the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region’s Green Transition, through climate mitigation and adaptation efforts and through the protection and conservation of biological diversity. This objective will be achieved through two main outputs, which are: 1) strengthened enabling environment for a green transition (integrated policies, legal frameworks, sectoral plans and financial instruments) and; 2) transformative approaches in key areas for the green transition are developed, demonstrated and scaled up through the mobilization and leveraging of public and private finance. EUROCLIMA is funded by the European Commission (EC), along with the German, French and Spanish governments, and is implemented by agencies of the European Union (EU) Member States and the UN Agencies.
The aim of the project is to transform the planning processes for adaptation to climate change in the water sector in Panama through enhancing climate information for 10 watersheds, strengthening institutional capacities and demonstrating Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) solutions in three watershed. The project is organized in four main areas of work: (1) Improve and tailor climate data and information for effective adaptation planning and action in the water sector; (2) Enhance institutional capacity for climate-informed adaptation planning in the water sector; (3) Pilot Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) interventions to build resilience of communities and ecosystems in selected watershed; (4) Enhance knowledge management and learning to inform policy making and upscaling of best practices.
The Project Coordinator consultant will be responsible for overall coordination of the execution of the EUROCLIMA+ funded project “Fostering climate change adaptation in Panama through ecosystem approach for water security at the water basin level” in Panama. The coordinator will be supervised by the Programme Management Officer of the Adaptation to Climate Change Unit and will work in close collaboration with the Ministry of Environment in Panama. The coordinator consultant will work in close collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Department of Climate Change, Climate Risks team. He/She will be based in the office of the Ministry of Environment in Panama City, Panama, and will be expected to comply with 40 hours per week, from Monday to Friday on a full-time schedule. The incumbent will also be required to travel on a regular basis to the project’s targeted area, as required by the project’s implementation and with costs covered by UNEP.
- Bachelor’s degree in geography, environment, natural resources management, or a closely related field. (required)
- Master’s Degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Management, Climate Change, Disaster Risk Management, Water Resources Management, Development Studies, or a related field. (required)
- Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in project management in any of the fields including climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, water resource management or closely related field is required.
- Experience in the generation and analysis of climate change scenarios and climate risk maps is desirable.
- Experience in coordinating multidisciplinary teams is desirable.
- 5 years of experience working on climate change adaptation or disaster risk reduction projects is desirable.
- Experience in project coordination, management, monitoring and reporting is required.
- Working experience in Panama for national or local institutions and/or government is desirable.
- Demonstrated experience and knowledge of climate change adaptation, resilience, disaster risk reduction and/or ecosystem-based adaptation is desirable.
- Relevant experience leading, organizing, and supervising work teams is desirable.
- Experience in the public consultation processes associated with environment and sustainable development is desirable.
- Knowledge about Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and policy framework on climate change in Panamá is desirable.
- Experience in meetings organization, higher education, capacity building and/or planning trainings is desired.
LANGUAGE:
- Fluent in Spanish is required
- Basic level of English is required
SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:
- Sound knowledge of climate change adaptation strategies and ecosystem-based adaptation is desirable.
- Knowledge on integrated water resource management practices is desired.
- Ability to communicated effectively orally and in writing, in order to communicate complex, technical information to both technical and general audiences, including strong policy advice skills is desired.
- Proven track record of drafting relevant materials in the biodiversity/sustainable land management/ecosystem-based adaptation areas (publications, project proposals, reports and related documentation), with verifiable experience in project development and proposals is desirable.
- Proven ability to collect, verify and analyse information, and to finish and present work with a high degree of accuracy and technical quality, in relatively short time is desirable.
- Ability to work independently and as a team.
- Motivated and dynamic to jump-start activities
- Skills using GIS is desirable.
THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.
