LGU and Stakeholder Engagement Specialist

Background

Funded by a €60 million (P3.67 billion) grant from the European Union (EU), the EU Green Economy Partnership with the Philippines (GEPP) will run from 2023-2028 in collaboration with the national government, local government units (LGUs), and the private sector. The Programme links European and Filipino partners to foster a circular economy and the reduction of plastic waste. It also aims to improve energy efficiency, promote renewable energy use and climate change mitigation and adaptation. Using a whole-of-nation approach, the programme is focused on sustainable and inclusive growth through investments, technology transfer, and job creation. GEPP is implemented by UNDP Philippines, Germany’s development agency GIZ, Expertise France with Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank Group. EU-GEPP is spearheaded by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The EU-PH Partnership for Green Economy: Green LGUs Project is EU-GEPP’s second of four strategic objectives (SO2) and aims to enhance circular economy practices by the local government units (LGUs) in collaboration with the private sector and civil society organizations (CSOs), with focus on youth and gender equality. Co-led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Green LGUs project delivers a portfolio of interventions, among others focusing on enabling policies; facilitating financing; advocacy and behavioral change; and enhancing knowledge and capacity among LGUs and local stakeholders. Central to the approach is innovation, promoting gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI), and just transition towards the shift to a circular economy.

The EU-GEPP SO2: Green LGUs Project is being implemented in partnership with LGUs and its local stakeholders, including the private sector, CSOs, communities, youth, GEDSI and other informal sector groups. A total of 20 Tier 1 LGUs will be supported directly, while 40 LGUs will be supported with targeted assistance on a demand-driven basis through an inter-local cooperation approach. The first batch of ten Tier 1 LGUs under EU-GEPP consists of Baguio City, Pasig City, Caloocan City, Quezon City, Puerto Princesa City, Iloilo City, Ormoc City, Davao City, Island Garden City of Samal (Davao Del Norte), and Del Carmen (Siargao Islands, Surigao del Norte). Meanwhile, the second batch of ten Tier 1 LGUs include the City of San Carlos (Pangasinan), City of Ilagan (Isabela), City of San Jose Del Monte (Bulacan), City of Bacoor (Cavite), City of Sorsogon, Maasin City (Southern Leyte), Isabela City (Basilan), Cagayan De Oro City, Koronadal City (South Cotabato), and Cotabato City (an independent component city in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao).

Partnership with LGUs and local stakeholders, including GEDSI groups, will drive multi-stakeholder action by developing an integrated portfolio of solutions that combines policies, regulations, finance, infrastructure, business models, and GEDSI-sensitive initiatives with enhanced knowledge and skills. Tier 1 LGUs are currently being supported through a series of multi-stakeholder participatory workshops to collectively analyze entry points to advance local circular economy, map out a priority portfolio of interventions and prioritized sectoral CE portfolios focusing on circularity for plastics, organics and tourism. Based on these priority CE portfolios, the Green LGUs Project is currently providing support in CE-relevant baselining for material flow, value chains and behavioral change; formulation of local CE policies such as CE ordinance, sustainable public procurement and sectoral CE statutes; and in the co-design and procurement of CE equipment, facilities and systems. EU-GEPP SO2: Green LGUs Project is also launching community and behavioral change grants programs through CSOs and academe, as well as an innovation challenge to support innovators and local 
UNDP Philippines takes overall responsibility and accountability for the delivery of the project outputs.  It will be accountable for managing the project, including the monitoring and evaluation of project interventions, achieving project results, and for the effective use of resources, in compliance with UNDP rules and regulations, policies and procedures. These include relevant requirements on fiduciary, procurement, environmental and social safeguards, and other performance standards.   
  
The day-to-day implementation of the project will be led by a Project Manager within a Project Management Unit (PMU) responsible for ensuring that the project achieves the expected targets to the required quality standards and within the specified time and budget allocations. The Project Manager will be supported by a Deputy Project Manager, Project Assistants, technical staff and a pool of contractors and consultants to carry out the deliverables of the project.  
  
UNDP is seeking LGU and Stakeholder Engagement Specialist to lead the overall LGU and stakeholders’ coordination activities of SO2: enhanced practices of the circular waste economy by the LGUs in collaboration with the private sector and the civil society sector, with focus on youth and gender equality.  Specifically, the LGU and Stakeholder Engagement Specialist will directly support two Tier 1 LGU partners namely. City of San Jose Del Monte (Bulacan) and City of Bacoor (Cavite). In addition, the LGU and Stakeholder Engagement Specialist will work with a team of UNDP specifically assigned to work on this programme, including the Project Manager, Deputy Project Manager, project team, Accelerator Lab, consultants, LGU Hub Coordinators, CO Communication team, and other partners such as the EU, GIZ, IFC, Expertise France, LGUs, and relevant CSO and private sector organizations.
 

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance of the Project Manager, the LGU and Stakeholder Engagement Specialist will directly report to the Deputy Project Manager (National Project Management Specialist) and will closely collaborate with the EU-GEPP PMU, consultants and UNDP Team. The primary function of the LGU and Stakeholder Engagement Specialist is to lead, organize and oversee the day-to-day activities of the Project and ensure effective and timely delivery of project activities as per the plan. The Specialist works with respective project team members and develop and maintain viable working relationships with key partners and stakeholders including project beneficiaries, TA service providers and government authorities.

Provision of technical support and capacity building

• Undertake scoping activities to establish existing LGU initiatives on circular economy activities, mapping of stakeholders and their activities along with political economy analyses and develop a strategic stakeholder engagement plan at the LGU level in consultation with the Project Manager and the Deputy Project Manager
• Co-design and identify opportunities for circularity and green economy-related interventions given the scope of Project activities, and develop a portfolio of circular economy solutions and strategies for LGU engagement and support under the Project;
• Ensure provision of technical support to the Project Manager and PMU in the identification and prioritization of applicable technical and financial support schemes to LGUs and local stakeholders;
• Ensure appropriate regular technical guidance for the operation of the local level activities of the project update and capture new development in the LGUs as well as emerging project priorities;
• Advise PMU in the sequencing and complementarity of activities by the Project by developing and regularly updating LGU-specific work plans in line with the overall project work plan;
• Spreadhead thematic contribution in the design and establishment of the innovative instruments initiated by the project ;
• Conduct project related baseline and progress assessment/studies/mapping, gender analysis, political economy analysis, market surveys, support to environment and social safeguards and policy impact assessments, GEDSI and project evaluations, etc. in collaboration with UNDP technical focal persons;
• Undertake technical review of project documents produced by the project and ensure high level technical standards are met.

Ensure LGU and Stakeholder Engagement and Coordination

• Lead in the identification and mapping of key stakeholders including GEDSI groups with particular attention to the informal waste sector, Indigenous Peoples, women, youth, senior citizens and LGBTQIA+; 
• Liaise with the designated officials of the LGUs and ensure that the project activities are implemented according to the agreed workplan, UNDP’s rules and regulations (POPP) and reported promptly;
• Ensure that the project plans, activities, and target outputs are well communicated to, and consulted with the LGUs, their Technical Working Groups and other project partners and beneficiaries;
• Cultivate and maintain strong relations with key stakeholders including national and local government, Civil Society Organizations (CSO)s, GEDSI groups, academia, private sector and outsourced service providers;
• Coordinate and supervise the implementation of project outputs to the required standard of quality and within the specified constraints of time and cost as outlined in the project document;
• Provide up-to-date information and advice to project team on emerging issues in relation to changes in LGU and stakeholder relationships/structure;
• Actively participate at relevant LGUs and partner at specific meetings, conferences, and events as advised by the Project Manager;
• Ensure smooth coordination between the project team and LGUs/stakeholders for effective implementation of the project activities, especially at the local level.

Lead the management and operations of the LGU and Stakeholder activities

• Ensure that work plans and budgets conform with project objectives;
• Advise and support the project team in the implementation of impactful green circular economy projects across the different components with additionality, scale and sustainability in mind;
• Coordinate the end-to-end process of the project operations, including the procurement, contracting and management of service provisions across the project portfolios;
• In consultation with the team, develop an LGU-specific work plan and provide inputs to the integrated annual work plan for the project to deliver outputs and objectives against agreed targets;
• In consultation with the team and respective partner LGUs, support the empowerment of local stakeholder groups through organizational formation, accreditation, and skills development;
• Ensure that the financial management arrangements are in line with the UNDP regulations and that all payment vouchers and payment orders are correctly authorized thereby ensuring that all expenditures are justified, within budget frames, and in line with project objectives;
• Coordinate with the project team and undertake all required administrative operations of the project (finance, donor relations, communications and visibility, special projects, reporting)
• Ensure compliance with UNDP’s objectives, strategies, policies and procedures;
• Identify opportunities for synergy with other projects within UNDP and beyond, to advance the objective of the project and grow its focus.

Ensure effective monitoring of project activities , supervision and reporting

• Oversee the implementation of project activities at the LGU level in line with the Project Implementation Plan;
• Assist in establishment of baseline data on important indicators at the LGU level, and in gathering updates on these to feed into overall Project reporting;
• Lead the monitoring and reporting of project activities at the LGU level against the established indicators detailed in the project’s Results Framework and monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and learning (MERL) system;
• Conduct field visits as required to verify project activities relative to stated targets;
• Prepare quarterly and annual monitoring reports (technical and financial) on LGU progress and provide inputs to the project report for submission to the donor;
• Regularly provide data with supporting documentation as contribution to the project’s MERL system on key performance indicators, including through activity reports;
• Promptly raise with the Project Manager, important issues affecting Project implementation and engagement with stakeholders at the LGU level and participate in resolving these issues
• Oversee the preparation of quarterly/annual financial reports, quarterly project status reports, and monitoring and evaluation reports;
• Monitor and manage any strategic LGU-level risks/issues facing the project; submit new risks/issues to the PMU for consideration and decision on possible actions if required; update the status of these risks/issues by maintaining the Project Risks/Issues Log;
• Submission of ad hoc reports and information requests from relevant entities

Facilitate knowledge and capacity building, knowledge sharing, and advocacy relevant to the assigned thematic areas. 

• Identify capacity building needs and opportunities. Ensure appropriate training, project workshops and other relevant activities are organized and implemented in a consultative manner, involving technical experts and stakeholders that may include the government, private sector, NGOs, donors, and/or academia.
• Ensure project reports capture results, lessons learned and good practices for possible wider application. 
• Participate in and ensure sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice on development and project related issues. Support establishment of knowledge platforms for the project, facilitate innovative mechanisms for dissemination of knowledge from the project, and develop knowledge resources and products to share with project partners and to support UNDP’s engagement in this area. 
• Promote advocacy for UNDP’s work and opportunities for collaboration in addressing development trends in coordination with the project partners, stakeholders, and UNDP communications staff

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact 
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems 
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands 
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Business Direction and Strategy    

• Strategic Thinking: Develop effective strategies and prioritised plans in line with UNDP’s mission and objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, opportunities and potential risks; link the general vision to reality on the ground to create tangible targeted solutions; learn from a variety of sources to anticipate and effectively respond to both current and future   trends; demonstrate foresight
• System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system

Business Development    

• Collective Intelligence Design: Ability to bring together diverse groups of people, data, information, ideas, and technology to solve problems and design solutions or services. Knowledge and understanding of Collective Intelligence Design principles, methodology and practices

Business Management    

• Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
• Partnerships Management: Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies

2030 Agenda: Planet    

• Inclusive Growth: Green Economy 
   

2030 Agenda: People    

• Gender: Gender Equality and Institutional Transformation
   

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Public Administration, Environmental or Development Management, Local Planning or Governance, Engineering or related fields is required., or

A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with additional 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of master’s degree.

Experience:

Minimum 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of professional experience working with Local Government Units (LGUs) and stakeholders in the areas of environmental management or sustainable urban/settlement design; local development planning and budgeting; and local policy/ordinance development. 

Required skills:

• At least 5 years’ experience with and understanding of project management principles in the context of local government settings in the Philippines. 
• At least 5 years’ experience in multi-stakeholder coordination and engagement, planning, prioritizing, sequencing, managing, problem-solving, and reporting on the implementation of projects.
• At least 5 years’ experience in producing quality reports in English including writing project success stories, lessons learned, and best practices.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section:

• At least 5 years cumulative experience working in any, or combination of, the following fields/areas: environmental management and planning, cleaner production, circular economy, sustainable consumption and production, green buildings, sustainable/green urban settlements and design, and plastics/organic waste reduction and management. 
• At least 5 years’ experience in handling of web-based management systems and usage of computers and office software and database packages
• At least 3 years’ experience with an international organization and NGOs.

Required Languages:

English and Filipino.

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.

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