UN Jobs Kenya: Senior Programme Officer – International Waters, P5

Closing date: 05 Aug 2009

Location: Kenya - Nairobi

The 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 position is located in the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), Division of Global Environment Facility (DGEF) at the Nairobi duty station. UNEP is one of three implementing agencies of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), alongside the World Bank and the UN Development Programme (UNDP). The GEF helps developing countries and those with economies in transition to meet the agreed incremental costs of measures designed to achieve global environmental benefits in six focal areas: biological diversity, climate change, international waters, ozone layer depletion, land degradation and persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

Responsibilities:
Under the supervision of the Deputy Director, DGEF, the incumbent will lead and oversee a team of professional staff to develop and implement a multi-million dollar portfolio of projects in Internal Waters. This includes strategy and policy work as well as project cycle management.

Specifically, the incumbent will perform the following duties:

1. Take the lead in International Waters corporate strategy development and programme coordination:Analyze UNEP and GEF approaches, strategies and priorities; Draft DGEF focal area strategy and business plan, obtain final approval and coordinate their implementation; Periodically assess the strategy relevance and effectiveness and revise it as necessary; Provide input to DGEF business plan development and budgeting; Periodically convene DGEF International Waters team meetings and maintain a record of its deliberations and conclusions; Represent DGEF in the GEF Focal Area Task Force meetings; Manage the focal area pipeline including coordinating the soft pipeline; Provide inputs to and liaise with Scientific Technical and Advisory Panel (STAP); Lead DGEF’s joint programming with other UNEP Divisions.

2. Contribute to DGEF corporate knowledge management, data management, communications andoutreach: Identify and code lessons emerging from portfolio and project implementation; Oversee portfolio data entry into the project information system and monitor team compliance with data entry and quality of entry; Contribute to project data reconciliation exercises within DGEF and with the GEF Secretariat; Identify media and other outreach opportunities, contribute to the portfolio and project information and written materials.

3. Supervise portfolio development and implementation: Provide technical guidance to focal area Task Managers concerning project design and implementation; Coordinate project concept peer reviews; Be accountable for project quality-at-entry by clearing projects; Defend projects during Project Approval Group deliberations; Coordinate responses to GEF Secretariat project review sheets and STAP comments; Monitor quality of project supervision by individual Task Managers in the focal area, clear focal area project revisions to monitor implementation progress and oversee quality of project mid-term management reviews; Review the quality of the yearly Project Implementation Reviews including consistency of application of ratings; Prepare focal area reports summarizing portfolio performance and lessons; Identify projects-at-risk and monitor implementation of remedial actions; Identify and leverage institutional/corporate partnerships for focal area, including co-funders and service providers.

4. Develops projects and supervises project implementation of selected projects: Review technical and financial reports, assess quality of outputs; Provide relevant technical advice to project partners; Assess progress towards outcomes and prepare reports and documentation for project revisions; Coordinate mid-term management project reviews and related management responses; Provide input to project terminal evaluations and other tasks associated with project implementation supervision in accordance with DGEF’s Operations Manual.

5. Manage the Focal Area team, supervise and mentor staff: Brief new staff on UNEP and GEF policies, strategies and procedures; Harmonize workloads within the team and assign project portfolios; Provide on-going feedback on performance and guidance on workplan implementation; Conduct the e-PAS mid-term review; Mentor the Focal Area team staff for career development and capacity development.

6. Perform other corporate tasks: Council document review and preparation of comments and briefings for management; Participate in the UNEP Project Review Committee; Provide input to UNEP and GEF policy and information documents; Act as DGEF focal point on UNEP’s Medium Term Strategy, Programme of Work and other UNEP corporate activities; Provide input to GEF corporate evaluations, including country portfolio evaluations, thematic evaluations and impact evaluations and contribute to the preparation of the Management Action Record.

Qualifications
Education: Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in marine or fresh water biology, ecology, hydrology or chemistry, coastal zone and river basin management, environmental engineering, economics, law or a related field. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience: A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in design, monitoring or execution of management of international water bodies, or similar transboundary natural resources. Experience with the UN or other international organization and of UN financial rules and regulations an advantage.
Competencies:
Professionalism – Proven experience in budget and financial management; Ability to formulate and implement policies; Extensive knowledge and publication record of global issues in the focal area of International Waters; Proven ability to plan and organize work, ensuring timely and effective delivery of results; Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; Identifies priority activities and assignments, adjusting them as required.

Communication: Effective communication skills (spoken, written and presentational); Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. Client Orientation: Demonstrates client orientation in meeting the combined needs of the various organizations and fitting it into the focal area programme of work; Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients. Leadership: Be proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives in the focal area; Establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs; Anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable goals; Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

Languages: English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the advertised post, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of any other official UN languages would be an asset.

Other Desirable Skills: Excellent computer skills (Microsoft Office, email, Internet) are required. How to applywww.unep.org/vacancies(See Project positions)