Programme Analyst – SES

 Background and Organizational Context

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has operated in Ethiopia since 1981 focusing on providing Ethiopia with strategic support to build capacity and enhance the country’s development results in the areas of poverty reduction and economic growth, democratic governance as well as climate-resilient development. With over 110 staff serving the country, UNDP provides support to Ethiopia to overcome its structural challenges as it strives to become a democratic, peaceful and prosperous middle-income country.

The new UNDP Ethiopia CPD (2020–2025) seeks to ensure that greater synergies are realized across all projects to deliver on the higher-level objectives of the programme. The CPD which is developed in line with the UNDP Strategic Plan (2022-2025), UNSDCF and the country’s development priorities has three strategic outcomes, namely:

• Accelerate structural transformations for inclusive and sustainable development;
• Advance poverty eradication in all its forms and dimensions;
• Strengthen resilience to shocks and crises.

The implementation of UNDP’s Social and Environmental Standards (SES) provide a key tool to ensure integrated approaches across all programming, including helping to integrate environment and climate change aspects across the entire country programme. In this regard, inadequate capacities to implement the SES have been identified as a priority for the country programme, with a focus on high-risk projects. This also aims to support integrated risk management approaches, strengthened stakeholder engagement and implementation of grievance mechanisms. The new UNSCDF also presents opportunities to strengthen UNCT alignment and integrated support to address social and environmental risks.

In support of the Sida-UNDP Programme on Environment and Climate Change in Ethiopia, an SES Capacity Assessment has been conducted for the UNDP Ethiopia country office to identify SES implementation capacity gaps and identify the level of SES implementation in the current CO’s projects. Based on the identified gaps, a 3-year Social and Environmental Standards Action Plan (2022-2024)for the country office has been developed to improve SES capacities and implementation.

The CO SES Action Plan is aligned with UNDP’s commitment to mainstream social and environmental sustainability in programming, including by implementing the SES, to support sustainable development.

The objectives of the SES are to:

• Strengthen the social and environmental outcomes of Programmes and Projects
• Avoid adverse impacts to people and the environment
• Minimize, mitigate, and manage adverse impacts where avoidance is not possible
• Strengthen UNDP and partner capacities for managing social and environmental risks
• Ensure full and effective stakeholder engagement, including through a mechanism to respond to complaints from project-affected people

The starting point to ensure these standards are applied through UNDP’s project-level Social and

Environmental Screening Procedure (SESP), which is a requirement for projects. The objectives of the SESP are to: (a) integrate the SES Overarching Principles (human rights, gender equality and environmental sustainability); (b) identify potential social and environmental risks and their significance; (c) determine the Project’s SES risk category; and (d) determine the level of assessment and management required to address potential social and environmental risks and impacts. All guidance on UNDPs Social and Environmental Standards can be found in the SES Toolkit.

Position Purpose

The Programme Specialist will be responsible for first layer oversight (of the aforementioned portfolio), capacity building and knowledge management to strengthen SES implementation across the Country Office portfolio, from programme and project design through implementation. The Programme Specialist will also be responsible for leading implementation of the 3-Year Social and Environmental Standards Action Plan for the country office building on the existing practices and experiences supported by the Sida-UNDP programme. The Programme Specialist will not be responsible for the preparation and execution of SES instruments during NIM project implementation (as this is a project execution function under the Implementing Partner) but will rather quality assure project-level safeguards instruments prepared by the project teams, and monitor, advise and oversee the project teams in executing the relevant safeguard management measures.

Summary of Key Functions:

• SES Action Plan Implementation and Monitoring
• SES Oversight and Quality Assurance
• SES Capacity Building
• SES Knowledge Management

 SES Action Plan Implementation and Monitoring

• Lead and coordinate implementation of the CO’s 3-Year SES Action Plan (2022-2024) based on the targets, actions and measures set over time.
• Monitor and review the implementation of the action plan and provide response and mitigation measures.
• Capture and document lessons learned during the action plan implementation.
• Prepare updates and reports for Country Office senior management to inform decision making on SES priorities, needs and issues.
• Prepare inputs, as needed, for Regional and Global reporting and learning exchange on SES action plan implementation.
• Update the SES Action Plan as needed and based on lessons learned.

SES Oversight and Quality Assurance

• Conduct a quality review of early drafts of SESPs (or “pre-SESPs”) to ensure proper identification and categorization of risk.
• Advise project design team and/or PMU on needed social and environmental assessments/management plans and safeguards expertise, including review of related ToRs. (e.g. ESIA, ESMP, ESMF, IPP, RAP, SEP, relevant ToRs, etc)Confirm validity of any SESP exemptions.
• Quality assure final SESPs prior to submission to PAC or Project Board (for Nature, Climate and Energy Vertical Fund projects, clearance will be prior to submission for Headquarters “Safeguards Clearance”).
• Support recruitment, onboarding and oversight of safeguards consultants to the project management units hired to support SES execution in projects.
• Quality assure draft and final SES documentation for projects (e.g. ESIA, ESMP, ESMF, IPP, RAP, SEP, relevant ToRs, etc) to ensure they meet technical standards and requirements (for Nature,
• Climate and Energy Vertical Fund projects, clearance will be prior to submission for Headquarters “Safeguards Clearance”).
• Support project teams in responding to HQ/RBx SES oversight reviews and relevant audit/investigation/evaluation findings.
• Identify risks for which additional technical support may be needed through the Global Policy
• Network, Regional Bureau, or external consultants (e.g. through ExpRess roster) and opportunities for projects to cost-share needed expertise.
• Undertake safeguards oversight missions, as needed and per projects’ M&E plans etc.
• Quality assure safeguards sections of progress reports and evaluations (e.g. donor reports, annual progress reports, GEF PIR/GCF APR, mid-term and final evaluations) and contribute substantively where in line with the oversight function (e.g. in support of relevant Team Lead)
• Track progress of high/substantial risk and other priority projects’ implementation of required SES elements (ESIA, GRM, stakeholder engagement, disclosure, FPIC, etc.).
• Regularly scan available data on SES implementation across the portfolio to identify emerging risks or High/Substantial Risk projects that may require additional oversight and support.
• Escalate issues to second layer oversight (RBx and BPPS Nature, Climate, Energy team, where relevant) and advise CO senior management on safeguard risks where needed.

 SES Capacity Building

• Conduct a CO capacity assessment to identify baseline quality of SES documentation, capacity needs, priority risks, and opportunities.
• Develop and coordinate implementation of an action plan to strengthen SES implementation across the aforementioned portfolio, clarifying the oversight and quality assurance process, roles and responsibilities, and a learning plan.
• Ensure CO SES action plan is aligned with and contributes to global/regional SES implementation plans.
• Support regular SES capacity development, awareness raising, trainings and other learning opportunities for the CO team and implementing partners.
• Ensure the Stakeholder Response Mechanism is established and operational at the CO level.
• Ensure project-level grievance mechanisms are established within the project governance structure and that relevant safeguard risks are monitored by Project Boards.
• Establish roster of national social and environmental safeguards consultants.
• Support and advise senior management in their engagement with partners and stakeholders (including affected people, implementing partners, donors) on issues related to the SES.
• Advise and support senior management on any SECU/SRM cases.
• Prepare communication materials and products that can be used to communicate the SES and UNDP’s
• Accountability Mechanism with partners and project affected people.
• Present on the SES and Accountability Mechanism at inception workshops and support on-boarding of project-level safeguards experts.
• Conduct an assessment of national capacities/safeguards to identify key gaps between the SES with guidance on how these gaps should be approached across the portfolio, as well as entry points for capacity building and use of national systems.
• Review national grievance redress mechanism (GRM) capacities/entry points related to the CO portfolio.

SES Knowledge Management

• Engage and coordinate with SES experts in Headquarters (including second layer oversight provided by RBx and BPPS Nature, Climate, Energy team and SES policy owner, BPPS Effectiveness Group) and other regions to ensure consistency in policy interpretation and oversight.
• Document lessons learned, including from cases where things went wrong as well as good models of SES implementation.
• Track and share precedents that have implications for the entire portfolio to ensure an aligned and consistent approach (e.g. identification of indigenous peoples).
• Share lessons learned across the portfolio and also with regional, global teams to facilitate learning.
• Maintain a library of project safeguards documents and examples that can be used as reference points.
• Engage with CO Gender Specialist and/or Gender Focal Team to document and share lessons learned and good practice related to gender-related risks, including analysis of national gender and social inclusion issues and how these can be addressed across the portfolio.
• Coordinate exchange between project-level safeguards experts to facilitate shared learning, consistency across the portfolio, and identification of opportunities to cost-share or combine efforts on risks faced by multiple projects.
• Engage in safeguards networks and partnerships, including with UNCT, to ensure learning and exchange on safeguards with partners and UNDP’s leadership role in this area.
• Prepare an annual report on SES implementation in the office, capturing key lessons learned and recommendations for how to strengthen SES implementation moving forward.

Core

• Achieve Results:-LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
• Think Innovatively: -LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking
• Learn Continuously :-LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning
• Adapt with Agility:-LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process
• Act with Determination:-LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
• Engage and Partner:-LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain
• coalitions/partnerships
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion:- LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Strong development and operational effectiveness

• Demonstrate focus on achieving quality results and impact
• Consistently strive to meet or exceed excellence standards
• Hold self and others accountable for results
• Efficiently establish appropriate plans and resources for self and others to accomplish goals

Strong Partnership Building

• Act in a way that demonstrates empathy and emotional intelligence, showing consideration for the needs and feelings of others
• Demonstrate and encourage teamwork and co-creation internally and externally to achieve joint
• objectives and results
• Establish and develop networks that deliver powerful collaborations
• Encourage and respect the views of others; accept views and ideas other than one’s own

Strong Innovation / New Initiatives

• Look beyond conventional approaches and established methods
• Propose new ideas, approaches and solutions to problems
• Seek patterns and clarity outside boxes and categories while resisting false certainty and simplistic binary choice

 Show managerial courage

• Face up to organizational and people problems
• Not be afraid to take decision and action when and as needed
• Not hold back anything that needs to be said, respectfully and diplomatically
• Address conflict in a timely manner, not allow conflicts in teams linger
• Help others through emotional or tense situations, tactfully bringing disagreements into the open and finding solutions all can endorse

Motivate and Direct

• Create and communicate a compelling vision and purpose
• Align people and resources with organizational vision, strategy, objectives
• Understand and proactively builds the team/organization culture

Build Capability

• Identify and develop talent in individuals, providing positive support to enable them to achieve their potential
• Foster learning or development of others by giving feedback, guidance, and support; support career development of others
• Have willingness and ability to delegate to help people learn, including from failure

Manage Performance and Ensure Accountability

• Ensure Accountability
• Ensure regular conversations with people about work
• Provide positive and constructive feedback
• Discuss poor performance in a timely manner
• Provide praise and recognition, as well as ensure accountability

 Impact of Results

The results to be delivered by the Programme Specialist will provide key risk management and SES compliance capacity for the Country Office, helping ensure UNDP delivers on its commitment to protect people and the environment across all programming and avoid inadvertent harm.

Results will facilitate a new phase in SES implementation across the country programme, transitioning from a siloed and projectized approach to SES implementation to a programmatic approach that ensures oversight, alignment, and shared learning.

UNDP’s stakeholders and partners are increasingly requiring that we demonstrate implementation of safeguards, including as a condition for funding. Additionally, this capacity provides an opportunity to strengthen UNDP’s offer to partners on the application of environmental and social safeguards for risk-informed development. Therefore, the results delivered by the Programme Specialist also aim to ensure continued funding and strengthened reputation of UNDP as a leader in sustainable development programming.

Required Skills and Experience

• Master’s degree in international development, Environmental or Social Studies, or other related and relevant fields

• Minimum 7 years’ experience in social and environmental safeguards.
• Demonstrated expertise in the development and quality assurance of safeguards instruments (e.g., ESIAs, ESMPs, ESMFs, IPPs, GRMs, RAPs);
• Training and capacity building skills related to environmental and social safeguards.
• Excellent skills related to stakeholder engagement.
• Experience implementing social and environmental safeguards at the project level and providing technical support to implementing partners.
• Able to communicate effectively in writing to a varied and broad audience in a simple and concise manner.