Closing date: Saturday, 11 March 2023
Job Identification : 8765
Locations : Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Posting Date : 02/24/2023, 09:34 AM
Apply Before : 03/11/2023, 04:59 AM
Degree Level : Advanced/Postgraduate Degree
Job Schedule : Full time
Agency : UNDP
Grade : NB4
Vacancy Type : National Personnel Service Agreement
Practice Area : Nature, Climate and Energy
Bureau : Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS
Contract Duration : 6 months
Education & Work Experience : Master’s Degree
Other Criteria : Bachelor’s degree with 2 years of qualifying experience will be considered in lieu of Master’s degree
Required Languages : English and Uzbek
Desired Languages : Russian
Vacancy Timeline
2 Weeks
Mobility required/no mobility
no mobility required
Job Category : Management
Job Description
Background
UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
UNDP supports the Government of Uzbekistan in revisiting and increasing the ambition of its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement in the light of the targets set by the government by 2025.
An important step towards including climate change considerations across national policy areas was the adoption of the Strategy for the transition of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the “green” economy, 2019-2030. Climate change has been addressed, to some extent, in the Uzbekistan Agri-food Development Strategy 2020-2030.
The Government of Uzbekistan is currently implementing Uzbek Agriculture Knowledge and Innovation System (UAKIS) Strategy and Roadmap which aims to provide effective solutions to overcome challenges faced by farmers and agri-food businesses. A range of financial and technical assistance support is being mobilized to facilitate the process, focused primarily upon knowledge development and accelerating learning in the first stages of development. To complement this approach, more direct support for the development and promotion of innovation is needed.
The intention of the EU-funded UNDP UAKIS project is to establish a range of Agri-food Innovation Support and Brokering Services that will play a crucial role in galvanizing local knowledge and capacities and getting many worthwhile practical projects off the ground, accelerating the process by which ideas can be turned into innovations and used by farmers and agri-businesses to respond to the growing threats caused by climate change, boost rural livelihoods and promote sustainable resource use and protection.
The strong focus on inclusion will be followed in developing innovative public-private collaboration models to support small producers. The project will support a systemic change, which will facilitate larger “green” investments in the agri-food sector, and which will ensure inclusive access to related support services and financing.
UNDP is looking for a dedicated person as a Task Manager to manage capacity building program within the UAKIS Project.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Addressing the existing challenges and the development of a modern, integrated, and flexible support system for the development of agriculture research, education, training, information, and advisory services
- Contrubute for establishing evidence-based monitoring and evaluation system to feed into decision-making and investment planning process in agriculture sector
- Support PM in promoting the integration of Agri-food Innovation Support and Brokerage services to the new AKIS support infrastructure as its core component
- Actively participate in the process of establishing extension service centers in pilot regions, training and equipping extension services and facilities (public and private) to provide useful and usable advice and support on climate risk management, including drought management planning and adaptation technologies
- Actively participate in ensuring the on a day to day basis the sound and timely implementation of all technical tasks related to operationalization of the UAKIS
- Support and facilitation of improvements in the policy and regulatory framework
- Assist PM in building institutional capacity and partnerships among stakeholders
- Delivery of training, capacity building and technical advice to the members and partners of the agri-food innovation operational groups, and targeted financial support and investments for innovative projects with climate change mitigation and adaptation benefits
Institutional Arrangement
The Task Manager will work under the direct supervision of the National Project Coordinator. The incumbent will also receive a substantive guidance from the Technical Lead Advisor in terms of involving appropriate European experience and methodology related to capacity building within AKIS.
The Task Manager will be responsible for the overall management of the project activities related to capacity building of national counterparts, involving in the AKIS development activities. He/or She is accountable for ensuring that proper program, workplan and budget is in place for the capacity building activities and implemented within set timelines, with an effective national team and strong partnerships. Under the Coordinator’s supervision and in consultation with Technical Lead Advisor, Task Manager leads the realization of project capacity building program through activities, ensures contributes to the promotion of gender equality in the agricultural sector. The Task Manager’s scope of work includes monitoring of efficiency of capacity building measures and preparing of detailed reports on outcomes of training.
Competencies
Core Competencies:
- 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
Cross-Functional & Tecnical Competencies:
- Business direction & strategy – Business Acumen:
- Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome
- Knowledge and understanding of the operational frameworks in the organization and ability to make good judgments and quick decisions within such frameworks
- Business Development – Knowledge Generation:
- Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for content, or responsive to a stated need
- Business Management – Monitoring:
- Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results
- Business Management – Evaluation:
- Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks
- Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Master’s degree in education, natural resources management, engineering, agriculture, climate change, green development or a closely related field.
- Bachelor’s degree in combination with 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of Master’s degree.
Experience:
- Minimum 2 years (with Bachelor’s degree) in the implementation of capacity building program within the natural resource management/ agriculture/climate change/green development projects.
- Experience working with international organizations, ministries, national or provincial institutions that are concerned with water/land resources, agriculture, climate change is desriable.
- Experience in gender mainstreaming in the context of climate change, natural resources management and other relevant areas.
- Experience in report writing.
Languages:
- Fluency in English and Uzbek.
- Good command of Russian is desirable.
Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section:
- Ability to interact and network with technical/scientific agencies, academia and other stakeholders
- Fundamental knowledge of processes, methods and procedures;
- Understanding the main processes and methods of work regarding to the position;
- Possessing basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks;
- Demonstrating good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments;
- Presenting information on best practices in organizational change;
- Demonstrating the ability to identify problems and propose solutions.
- Creating synergies through self-control.
Travel:
Official travel expected in pilot regions of Uzbekistan with performing the functions of Task Manager
The following documents shall be required from the applicants:
- P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.
- A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.
Disclaimer
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: 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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