Job Title : Field Associate – LoCAL Pakistan (KP)
Location : Peshawar
Company : United Nations Pakistan
Salary :
Open Date : 2023-05-16
Close Date : 2023-09-16

Mission and Objectives :

The UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s 46 least developed countries (LDCs). UNCDF offers “last mile” finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development. UNCDF’s financing models work through three channels: (1) inclusive digital economies, which connects individuals, households, and small businesses with financial eco-systems that catalyze participation in the local economy, and provide tools to climb out of poverty and manage financial lives; (2) local transformative finance, which capacitates localities through fiscal decentralization, innovative municipal finance, and structured project finance to drive local economic expansion and sustainable development; and (3) investment finance, which provides catalytic financial structuring, de-risking, and capital deployment to drive SDG impact and domestic resource mobilization.

Assignment context : Brief context of the project

The Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility (LoCAL) is a mechanism to integrate climate change into local authorities’ planning and budgeting through the regular intergovernmental fiscal transfer system using performance-based grants in a participatory and gender sensitive manner, increase awareness and capacities to respond to climate change at the local level including through ecosystem-based solutions, and increase the quality and number of local investments that address climate change. LoCAL combines performance-based climate resilience grants (PBCRGs), which ensure programming and verification of change expenditures at the local level, with technical and capacity-building support. It uses the grants and demonstration effect to trigger further flows for local climate action including global climate finance and national fiscal transfers. LoCAL also aims to support private finance for small and medium businesses and municipal finance and public-private partnerships. LoCAL is currently active in 17 countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, with another 13 countries preparing to join (at the design stage).

In Pakistan, UNCDF has partnered with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) to support the scoping and design of a LoCAL mechanism for the Province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A scoping note was prepared and identified significant challenges for the deployment of a performance-based climate resilience grant (PBCRG) system in the province, considering the current situation in the local government sector, which is in a state of transition, which results, among other thing, in an absence of approved budgets or formal fiscal transfers to the Tehsil councils to date.

Based on the scoping findings, a detailed design of the PBCRG for Pakistan (KP) was developed, while recognizing gaps that will need to be addressed before a LoCAL-compliant (ISO 14093) can be de facto deployed in the province. This process included the following steps:

• Identification of minimum access conditions and performance measures focusing on the roles that elected representatives can play in climate change adaptation at the local level

• Create ownership amongst partners in provincial government

• Selection of Tehsil councils for the pilot

Task description:

Support programme management and results-based monitoring of the LoCAL’s field activities (40%)
o Support project implementation, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, in close collaboration with in-country partners: GIZ and the Government of the KP Province, as well as with UNCDF/LoCAL Facility staff. Regular monitoring of the progress of target LGs in implementation of the LoCAL and its PBCRGs, in line with applicable government regulations and procedures. Identify problems and issues to be addressed and propose corrective actions, and identify and track follow-up actions. o Contribute to project implementation daily activities (e.g., writing terms of reference, memoranda of understanding, letter of agreement, recruitment, and management of consultants), including organization of field missions. o Assist in the strengthening of the quality of monitoring and evaluation systems of the activities, in particular (i) support the preparation and participate and contribute to the annual performance assessment of pilot local governments and (ii) Support LGs in collecting and assessing gender-disaggregated data throughout the PBCRG cycle. Support Partnership and Networking building (10%) o Support partnership building efforts for effective positioning UNCDF/LoCAL in the UN System and with development partners networks.

• Liaise with relevant parties and maintain close working relationships with key stakeholders at various levels by building linkages and networks.

• o Support the identification of opportunities for collaboration with key actors and support the development of partnerships.

Operational support (40%)
o Assist target LGs to understand the LoCAL’s objectives and effectively support them in the management, implementation and monitoring of performance-based climate resilience grants and activities/interventions/investments and propose improvements through reviewed work plans; o Contribute to the organization of field trips and capacity-building events, including identifying, analyzing, documenting, harmonizing, and disseminating both national and local issues as well as conditions and best practices and lessons learned among partners. Support effective mainstreaming of gender equality and community participation in all activities. Specific tasks will include proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations, etc. o Support the strengthening of the quality of operational services and activities delivered by UNCDF/LoCAL. In particular, support LGs to collect and compile expenditure reports and other related financial documents, as required; arrange meetings and draft routine correspondence, minutes including preparing background materials for discussions and briefing sessions.

Knowledge management and communication (10%)

o Support the preparation of various written outputs and knowledge products, that are relevant for the target groups, etc.;

o Contribute to the implementation of the Communication and Visibility Plan of the Programme, in collaboration with the Facility, partners and technical consultants.

Required skills and experience:

• Minimum of 3 years of work experience supporting local governments and/or communities in the area of climate change adaptation planning and mainstreaming.

• Proven/demonstrable knowledge and experience in monitoring and evaluation; Practical knowledge and experience with planning and budgeting processes, preferably with local government authorities and/or communities.

• Practical experience with training and capacity building activities.

• Collaborative work approach and strong teamwork skills;

• Good negotiation and facilitation skills and proven ability to engage with stakeholders, in particular government partners;

• Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills;

• Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing.

• Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development.

• Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel.

• Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint etc.) and email/internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment.

• Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines.

• Sound security awareness

Required experience: 3 years with Bachelor’s degree of experience in climate change and/or environment related issues
Area(s) of expertise

• Administration

• Community Development

• Development Programmes

• Energy and Environment

Languages: Fluency in English and Urdu are required. Working knowledge of Pashto is desirable.

Competencies and values:

• Professionalism: Deep knowledge and understanding of key concepts related to climate change and environment sustainability; Understanding of key concepts related to local government finance including decentralization and local economic development; Experience with addressing gender equality as project objective and/or cross-cutting issue; Experience working with local communities, youth, and women.

• Innovation and commitment to continuous learning: Builds confidence, creating an environment of creativity and innovation; Takes on new approaches and fosters innovative thinking; Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities and resolve problems; Excellent analytical skills.

• Client-orientation: Strong client orientation, recognizing the importance of providing appropriate, user-friendly and affordable services; Proactively identifies, develops and discusses solutions for internal and external clients, and communicates with management to develop new projects or services; Comfortable advocating and advancing an agenda

• Integrity: Conducts fair and transparent decision making; Demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and UNCDF in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority.

• Teamwork and respect for diversity: Experience being part of teams, working with other stakeholders to achieve common goals; Experience managing consultants, including recruiting, hiring and managing and evaluating international and national expertise; Proven cross-cultural communication, able to function effectively in an international, multicultural environment; Builds and promotes teams and partnerships; Displays cultural and gender sensitivity and adaptability; Treats all persons fairly without favouritism;

• Planning and organizing: Remains calm, in control and good humoured even under pressure; Effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; Ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities.

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