Resilience Financing Specialist

Background

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) through the support of the Government of Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in the Philippines, is implementing the Strengthening Institutions and Empowering Localities Against Disasters and Climate Change (SHIELD) Programme.

SHIELD aims to make all people in target communities safer and more resilient to the impacts of disasters caused by natural hazards, and climate change. This will be realized by achieving three interdependent outcomes:   
 
Outcome 1: Government, private sector, and civil society stakeholders in targeted local government units (LGUs) are collaborating to unlock funding and implementing informed and inclusive resilience actions.  
Outcome 2: Relevant national government agencies (NGAs) are prioritizing action on local climate and disaster resilience.   
Outcome 3: Philippine scientific agencies are producing tailored and accessible information for local resilience action.  

The Programme is implemented in partnership with the Government of the Philippines through the Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Science and Technology, and Office of Civil Defense, and through a Consortium Partnership composed of the United Nations Human Settlement Program (UN-HABITAT), Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), National Resilience Council (NRC), and the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS). The Programme covers 10 provinces, Metro Manila, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).  

The SHIELD Programme strategy envisions that all people in the target communities will be safer and more resilient to the impacts of climate and disaster risk if stakeholders at national and subnational levels are collaborating and jointly planning for collective outcomes, investing, and acting for building resilience, and measuring the impact of resilience-building actions.

The UNDP as administrator of the Programme and lead of the Consortium, is responsible for engaging with the LGUs in SHIELD programme areas on unlocking funds for resilience financing of locally-led resilience projects and investments.  The identification of programs, projects, and activities is anchored on the risk-informed and inclusive local resilience planning and multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs).

To operationalize the delivery of Outcome 1, the UNDP strategically supports the local government in developing high-quality bankable project proposals that prioritize inclusive climate and disaster resilience. This ensures that financing is directed towards addressing the vulnerability needs of communities, particularly within the SHIELD operational programme areas.

The local resilience effort is closely integrated with the delivery of Outcome 2, wherein UNDP collaborates with national government agencies in enabling policy environment and strengthening resilience financing platforms. It will contribute to improving the access of sub-national entities to diverse range of funding sources, including domestic and international public financing facilities, private sector financing instruments, and other innovative financing solutions. Together, these initiatives aim to create a cohesive framework for mobilizing and channelling resources to strengthen resilience at local levels.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Specialist shall be directly supervised by the UNDP Project Manager, with whom all outputs shall be submitted and through whom all communications shall be coursed or copied.

The Specialist is expected to collaborate with staff and project teams of UNDP, the SHIELD Program Manager, SHIELD Support Unit (SSU), SHIELD Consortium, government partners, and if necessary, with UNDP Regional Office in Bangkok. 

The position is based in Manila. Travel in the Philippines outside of the duty station is expected.

The Specialist will be provided with desk space and access to office facilities and equipment. They will also be support by UNDP SHIELD SSU staff for administrative and logistic requirements, as necessary.

The Resilience Financing Specialist will serve as the main technical lead in developing bankable proposals for community resilience projects with the LGUs and MSPs in SHIELD program areas. The role is expected to facilitate identifying and developing local resilience projects, determining the appropriate funding window, facilitating strategic linkages and partnerships for resilience financing, and contributing to capacity development and knowledge base for sustainability of efforts. This role involves providing day-to-day technical guidance to identify and design project proposals with LGUs and MSPs, leverage innovative financing mechanisms, and equip local community stakeholders with the tools and knowledge to strengthen resilience financing at the local level.

The Resilience Financing Specialist shall have the following key functions:

• Local Resilience Project Identification and Development
  • Identify appropriate funding window for each proposal of LGU and MSP and stocktake funding opportunities and requirements.
  • Facilitate successful LGU and MSP resilience proposals and mobilization of financial resources and guide them in the entire project development process.
  • Work directly with LGU and MSP members in setting up and organizing a dedicated Project Development Group (PDG) within SHIELD provincial and regional programme areas that will provide strategic and technical direction necessary to ensure that the local resilience proposals are well-structured and responsive to the critical local vulnerabilities and resilience needs.
  • Conduct suitability analysis of existing proposals and related materials such as concept notes, resilience datasets, and local government plans/projects, and ensure integration of local indigenous knowledge and community insights into the project design. 
  • Review the technical and financial feasibility of LGU and MSP proposals to demonstrate the impact, responsiveness, practicality, and sustainability of the proposed resilience actions.
  • Guide LGUs in co-financing mechanisms and utilizing templates on concept notes and project proposals and contribute to cross-LGU approaches to project development.
  • Provide quality checks and final packaging of local resilience proposals for funding.
• Resilience Financing Linkages and Partnerships
  • Provide technical advice in aligning locally led proposals with donors’ investment priorities and portfolios, including eligibility criteria, thematic areas, and nature of interventions covered in the current and upcoming funding streams.
  • Engage with national government agencies to enable resilience financing platforms that will prioritize local resilience actions and ensure that local resilience proposals are aligned and responsive to current and emerging funding workstreams. 
  • Contribute to establishing partnerships, networking, and advocacy in resilience financing.
• Capacity development and knowledge base
  • Lead the technical review of resilience financing capacity development programs and products.
  • Undertake series of hands-on mentoring and coaching activities for LGUs and MSPs in deepening local understanding of the resilience proposal development process, tailored to their local knowledge gaps and challenges.
  • Support the inter-LGU and MSP capacity building and learning exchanges on bankable proposal development and resilience financing, including project management and implementation.
• Other tasks
  • Contribute to program monitoring and reporting, and program evaluations by providing inputs on financing outcomes and impacts.
  • Provide technical support in other areas as may be deemed necessary by the UNDP Project Manager and SHIELD Programme Manager. 

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 

People Management:

UNDP People: Management Competencies can be found on the dedicated site.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

Business Direction and Strategy

• 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.
• Effective Decision Making: Take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one's authority, area of expertise and resources and take into consideration potential wider implications. 
• Negotiation and Influence: Reach a common understanding/agreement, persuade others, resolve points of difference through a dialogue, negotiate mutually acceptable solutions and create ‘win-win’ situations 

Business Development

• Knowledge Generation: Ability to research information and to turn it into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need. Ability to apply existing concepts to new situations, and to develop new concepts to generate workable solutions and new approaches. Knowledge of relevant concepts, conceptual models, and theories that can be useful in addressing new situations.
• Knowledge Facilitation: Ability to animate individuals and groups, internally and externally, and to design and facilitate activities, to share and exchange knowledge, information and ideas. Knowledge of tools and approaches to stimulate active participation, contribution, and exchange.

Partnership management

• Multi-stakeholder engagement and funding: Knowledge and ability to forge multi-stakeholder partnerships, and remove any obstacles to resource mobilization and multi-stakeholder funding platforms
• Resource mobilization: Ability to identify funding sources, match funding needs (programmes/projects/initiatives) with funding opportunities, and establish a plan to meet funding requirements.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in a relevant field of expertise such as Climate Change, Environmental Science and Natural Resources Management, Economics, Finance, Environmental Planning, Urban and Regional Planning, Public Administration, Engineering or related field is required,
  OR
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with additional two (2) years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of advanced university degree. 

Experience:

• Minimum seven (7) years (with master’s degree) or nine (9) years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in leading or advising on climate change and disaster risk reduction initiatives or projects of similar scale and complexity. 
• Strong political acumen and critical thinking skills demonstrated through experience providing strategic advice to senior leaders and preparing a variety of complex briefing materials for various stakeholders.
• Working experience with UNDP and/or international development organizations at local or international level is desirable.
• Experience with bilateral and multilateral institutions on resilience financing and public-private partnerships is preferred is desirable.
• Familiarity with global resilience frameworks such as SDGS, Sendai Framework, and Paris Agreement is desirable. 

Required language(s):

• Fluency in English and Filipino languages is required.

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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