Social and Environmental Standards Analyst

UNDP’s Social and Environmental Standards (SES) underpin UNDP’s commitment to mainstream social and environmental sustainability in its interventions (portfolios, programs, and projects). The standards aim to:
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Strengthen the quality of programming by ensuring a principled approach;
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Maximize social and environmental opportunities and benefits;
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Avoid adverse impacts on people and the environment;
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Minimize, mitigate, and manage adverse impacts where avoidance is not possible;
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Strengthen UNDP and partner capacities for managing social and environmental risks; and
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Ensure full and effective stakeholder engagement, including through a mechanism to respond to complaints from project-affected people.
The SES are an integral component of UNDP’s quality assurance and risk management approach to programming. To this end, UNDP has a global SES team that is hosted by BPPS and involves global and regional SES technical advisors matrixed to relevant Regional Bureaux. The SES team provides advisory and oversight services to UNDP operations, aiming to fuel the integration of SES into project design and guiding the SES risk assessment and management in compliance with the UNDP SES Policy.
The UNDP SES team is seeking a junior SES expert that will provide desk research in support of urgent corporate priorities and produce communications materials to support the SES team’s implementation of the 2024 SES audit recommendation on knowledge management. The work will include support to UNDP’s GCF-funded portfolio.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Social and Environmental Standards Specialist will support response to corporate priorities and SES knowledge dissemination across UNDP, including for its GCF-funded portfolio. Specifically, support will be provided to:
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Refining and rolling out (communications and outreach) of oversight and monitoring templates and tools to strengthen SES and GRM oversight capacity and practices;
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Elaborating UNDP incident reporting procedure and guidance;
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Facilitating (inter-)regional learning through case studies and workshops/trainings based on learning from GCF portfolio;
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Documenting relevant insights to inform future APR reporting, SES guidance, tools, (institutional) oversight mechanisms or support materials.
In line with the SES Team’s Terms of Reference, the consultant is expected to support the team’s functions as needed. Functions likely requiring support include:

SES POLICY & ACCOUNTABILITY FRAMEWORK:
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SES Policy & Procedures: Ensure UNDP maintains a robust set of Social and Environmental Standards that is grounded in UN norms, standards and frameworks, to ensure UNDP remains a high integrity and accountable partner.
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Data Collection and Reporting: Collect data on SES implementation to be able to report on corporate SES performance indicators for use within UNDP’s internal decision-making (e.g. Risk Committee) and external communication with donors, partners, and other relevant stakeholders.
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Policy Feedback and Innovation: Regularly review and update UNDP SES risk management procedures based on lessons learned, evolving risks, and feedback from project teams and affected communities.
SES INTERNAL CAPACITIES & LEARNING:
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Research and Experimentation: Follow global trends in social and environmental standards and pilot-test new approaches and tools.
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SES Guidance and Tools: Continually adapt and build learning-based guidance materials to support effective and efficient implementation.
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Training Programs: Development of training programs for UNDP staff, partners, consultants, and local stakeholders to ensure they understand and can implement UNDP SES requirements.

Internal Advocacy and Capacity Development: Support SES awareness raising, capacity-building and institutionalization initiatives in UNDP country offices.
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Generate Knowledge and Facilitate Exchange: Document SES stories and cases and facilitate strengthened knowledge exchange on SES across UNDP and with partners.
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SES Roster: Maintain a vetted and trained pool of high caliber SES consultants, at global and regional levels and across a range of SES topics, for deployment to support SES implementation.

Competencies

Core
Achieve Results:
LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by
deadline
Think Innovatively:
LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is
pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
Learn Continuously:
LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for
feedback
Adapt with Agility:
LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively
handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
Act with Determination:
LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to
deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
Engage and Partner:
LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others,
forms positive relationships
Enable Diversity and Inclusion:
LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware
of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

 Advanced University Degree in the field of development studies, social or environmental/natural sciences, political science, integrated natural resource management, international environmental law or related subjects. or A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the
advanced university degree.

Experience:

Minimum of 2 years of international or national working experience working in fields relevant to social and environmental standards/safeguards such as gender equality, labour standards, stakeholder engagement, grievance redress, biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation and mitigation etc in the context of international development.

Required Skills, 
Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.)
Experience with graphic design software to create visual pieces and using design software such as Adobe Design Premium, In-Design, Illustrator, CorelDraw, Canva or similar.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section
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Demonstrated experience in communications for multilateral institutions or other international development agencies.
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Familiarity with UNDP policies, procedures and practices is desirable.

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. 

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. 

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  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.

Use of AI by candidates

Applicants are invited to read UNDP’s guidance for candidates on using AI responsibly in UNDP recruitment and selection [link removed]

Scam alert

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