The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) assists the host Government to implement a Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Full-Sized NIM Project: “Conservation and sustainable management of lakes, wetlands, and riparian corridors as pillars of a resilient and land degradation neutral Aral basin landscape supporting sustainable livelihoods”.

The objective of the GEF funded UNDP project “Conservation and sustainable management of lakes, wetlands, and riparian corridors as pillars of a resilient and land degradation neutral Aral basin landscape supporting sustainable livelihoods” is to enhance the resilience of the ecosystems and livelihoods in Lower Amudarya and Aral Sea Basin (LADAB) through land degradation neutrality (LDN) compatible integrated land-water management in the productive landscapes around PAs and KBAs/IBAs. The four components proposed by this project have been designed within available GEF and co-financing framework to address the corresponding drivers of land, water degradation and biodiversity decline, which are directly linked to the diminishment and loss of lake, wetland and riparian biodiversity in this arid landscape. The project will deliver Global Environmental Benefits using a participatory approach that ensures promotion of women, youth and vulnerable groups and equitable participation opportunities.

For this project the State Committee for Ecology and Environment Protection (SCEEP) is the Implementing Partner. The Project will be nationally implemented (NIM) in line with the Standard Basic Assistance Agreement between the Government of Uzbekistan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), signed by parties on June 10, 1993. The Implementing Partner is responsible for executing this project. Specific tasks include:

Project planning, coordination, management, monitoring, evaluation and reporting. This includes providing all required information and data necessary for timely, comprehensive and evidence-based project reporting, including results and financial data, as necessary. The Implementing Partner will strive to ensure project-level M&E is undertaken by national institutes and is aligned with national systems so that the data used and generated by the project supports national systems.

• Risk management as outlined in this Project Document
• Procurement of goods and services, including human resources
• Financial management, including overseeing financial expenditures against project budgets
• Approving and signing the multiyear workplan
• Approving and signing the combined delivery report at the end of the year; and
• Signing the financial report or the funding authorization and certificate of expenditures.

Also, a Responsible Party/s will be engaged for the implementation of the project’s certain components or activities.

UNDP is accountable to the GEF for the implementation of this project. UNDP is also responsible for the Project Assurance role of the Project Board/Steering Committee. In accordance with the GEF Guidelines on Project Cycle dated 20 July 2020 and as requested by the Implementing Partner (SCEEP) UNDP will provide specific support services and at the same time will ensure a firewall between personnel involved in service provision and personnel involved in oversight. The specific support services are estimated to be focused on: international procurement and payments; national procurement of services (such as capacity development); implementation of the Micro-Grant component; implementation of the Innovation Challenge. In addition, during the inception phase, UNDP will organize a series of internal training sessions to strengthen the capacity of the Implementing Partner and a Responsible Party/s in project management and capacitate the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) and Responsible Party/s to implement UNDP/GEF funded projects. The internal training sessions will focus on UNDP/GEF procedures, project technical, administrative and financial implementation aspects, aligned with the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS). To guide SCEEP during the project implementation, a Project Operations Manual will be prepared by UNDP and agreed upon by the SCEEP during the Inception Phase. As it is the first time when Goscomecology is launching full NIM project, and there’s no previous experience in operationalization of grant projects this support is required.

For these purposes, Environment and Climate Action Cluster of the UNDP in Uzbekistan intends to hire a long-term International Chief Technical Advisor, who will be responsible for providing overall strategic advice to the Project Manager and technical guidance to the Task Leaders, Field Coordinators and team of national and international experts, in support of the realization of the Project Outputs under each component and contributing to the project’s adaptative management strategy. The ICTA will support the provision of the required technical inputs, reviewing and preparing Terms of Reference and reviewing the outputs of consultants and other sub-contractors.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Contribution to Periodic Review of Project Implementation and Advice on Improvement:

• Email and/or Skype/telegram/phone exchanges with project management, Task Leaders and Field Coordinators in order to monitor progress, assist in planning, and identify key technical problems (if any) and means for solving them (Skype/telegram/phone exchanges to be conducted at least monthly unless project staff state the need for longer intervals between calls);
• Undertake field trips to the project sites during each mission to Uzbekistan, if and when required, in order to make systematic review of the progress and results of each Component of the project based on field evidence;
• Participate, when feasible, in Project Board Meetings and other relevant project meetings within above outputs;
• Assist in capturing the key lessons and developing a replication plan for other regions and communities in Uzbekistan. As part of the replication strategy, assist in developing replication materials for wider dissemination and application of project results and lessons learned;
• In cooperation with the project team and UNDP CO, develop a suitable project exit strategy, and present it for approval to the Project Board Meeting.

Assistance in Planning, Staff Recruitment, Monitoring and Evaluation:

• Provide technical support to the Task Leaders, Field Coordinators and Project Manager and other government counterparts in the areas of natural resources management (in the project domains); supports work planning including site activities, monitoring, and impact assessment;
• Support the Project Manager in preparing Terms of Reference for consultants and sub-contractors;
• Supports the peer-review of the technical reports provided by the team of national and international consultants; works with the lead consultants to ensure that the reports include practical recommendations for national counterparts;
• Support the Project Manager in coordinating the work of all consultants and sub-contractors, ensuring the timely delivery of expected outputs, and ensuring an effective synergy among the various sub-contracted activities;
• Assist the Task Leaders and Project Manager in the preparation of the Project Implementation Review/Annual Project Report (PIR/APR), technical reports, quarterly financial reports for submission to UNDP, the GEF, other donors and Government Departments, as required;
• Assist the Task Leaders and Project Manager in liaison work with project partners, donor organizations, NGOs and other groups to ensure effective coordination of project activities;
• Support the Project Manager in documenting lessons from project implementation and make recommendations to the Steering Committee for more effective implementation and coordination of project activities;
• Writes the Scaling Up and Replication Strategy of the Project (with the support of the other project’s specialists) to be presented to the Project Board and during the project’s final conferences
• Reports on missions and/or participation in Project Board Meetings or other meetings.  The ICTA shall compose annual (or more frequent) written reports summarizing his or her participation in any missions or meetings undertaken during this assignment.  At least one mission to Tashkent per year for a total of 10 working days each is envisaged.

Required Skills and Experience:

Education:

• University education (MSc or PhD) in environmental sciences with specific expertise in the area of Sustainable Land Management (SLM)

Experience:

• At least 15 years of professional experience in natural resource management and rural entrepreneurship/ rural livelihoods
• Demonstrable experience in implementing equivalent GEF or other multilateral donor-funded projects

Language Requirements:

• Excellent English skills are required for this assignment; working knowledge of Russian is an asset.

Source: https://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_job.cfm?cur_job_id=107681