Sea-level rise for Guinea-Bissau (in comparison of 1995 level) is projected to reach 0.13m, 0.35m, 0.72m and 1.22m for the years 2025, 2050, 2075 and 2100, respectively. With a large and growing population in the coastal zone, coupled with a low adaptive capacity due to the national economy’s low-income condition, Guinea-Bissau appears to be highly vulnerable to sea-level rise. Without adaptation, the physical, human and financial impacts will be significant. With a sea-level rise of 0.13m expected by 2025, some 77,800 people can be affected annually by flooding. By 2050, the sea-level would reach 0.35m, affecting as many as 179,800 persons per year. The total cost of sea-level rises for Guinea-Bissau, combining costs of forced migration, land loss, salinization, sea floods and river floods, will be around $8.0 million per year in 2025. These costs will increase to 29.9 million per year for 2050 and they are estimated at $361.8 million per year in 2100. Based on vetted climate change scenarios for the West Africa sub-region, the 2006 NAPA assessed the specific effects of climate changes on the coastal zone. They include: (i) sea level rise, as the most prominent effect; (ii) irregular rainfall patterns and shorter rainy season, which is likely to affect the agricultural sector; (iii) shorter cool season, which could negatively impact coastal and marine ecology; and (iv) more frequent occurrence of extreme weather, including longer drought spells, heat waves and not least also storms and storm surges, all of which are disaster events likely to increase the severity and frequency.
As a result, climate change will cause tangible impacts and increased hazard risks in terms of: (i) coastal erosion; (ii) coastal flooding; (iii) inland flooding; (iv) salt water intrusion, affecting both surface and groundwater, and by extension the low-lying paddy rice fields. A few hundred thousand households within the coastal area depend on the productivity of paddies for a living. Also, under conditions of unusually high temperatures and low humidity, (v) wildfires / forest fires may become more frequent, even though they are a rare phenomenon in the coastal zone. Yet, coastal forests, cashew orchards and possibly also dwellings may be affected with sizable economic and possibly human loss. In addition, climate change is also predicted to have (iv) a gradual, but adverse effect on fisheries in Guinea-Bissau. Rising sea temperatures and changes in the oceans’ other dynamics, such as acidification and loss of nursery areas, are predicted to reduce fish populations. In places with such rich fisheries such as Guinea-Bissau, coral bleaching and mangroves degradation are known to destroy fish spawning grounds, decreasing thereby the availability of mature fish for capture. This will limit the livelihood options of artisanal fisher-men and -women. All of these climate-driven phenomena undermine food security for coastal populations, for whom seafood and local rice are the main sources of protein and grain, respectively. In addition, fisheries and cashew exports play a vital role for Guinea-Bissau’s government, with fees for fishing licenses, currently providing respectively 35% and 20% of government revenue.
This Project will:
Functions/ Main expected results
Under the due UNDP authority (or the UNDP Resident Representative), the Project National Coordinator will assume the tasks and responsibilities as follows:
Project Management (60%)
Ensure the integral management of the project;
Prepare the quarterly and annual work plan, as well as the annual procurement plan;
Guarantee the timely and effective execution of all project components;
Work in close collaboration with the interested parties and guarantee the delivery of the project as detailed in the project document and the work plan;
Ensure technical coordination of the project and work related to legal and institutional aspects;
Mobilize all project inputs, according to UNDP procedures and the principles of the Global Environment Facility (GEF);
Elaborate the TOR for the consultants and subcontractors and coordinate the recruitment, procurement and contracting with the UNDP Procurement Department; supervise and coordinate the work of all project personnel, consultants and subcontractors;
Ensure the correct management of funds according to UNDP requirements, and budget planning and control;
Prepare and guarantee the timely submission of project launch reports, monthly reports, quarterly consolidated financial reports, quarterly consolidated progress reports, annual, midterm and final reports, and other reports required by UNDP and GEF; submit progress reports and key reports to the Project Steering Committee and the Project Board,
Disseminate project reports and answer questions from interested parties;
Provide regular information to the UNDP corporate system, ATLAS, on project progress, financial status and other records, for financial and program management;
Make preparations for the audit of all project accounts for each fiscal year;
Conduct field visits to guarantee the quality of work, and carry out activities assigned to it by UNDP, the Project Steering Committee and the Project Board;
Work in close collaboration with the UNDP Regional Technical Adviser and the Environment Officer of the UNDP Guinea Bissau’ Office to ensure the exchange and sharing of experiences and lessons learned from relevant clmate change adaptation and communities resilience strengthening projects, both nationally and internationally. ;
Support community groups, individuals, NGOs, government employees, research institutions, students and others in the development of key competencies, through training workshops and practices, in order to improve their institutional capacities.
Coordinate and assist scientific institutions with the initiation and execution of all field studies and monitoring of project components.
Help and advise the teams responsible for documentaries, radio programming, television spots and awareness campaigns, field studies, etc .;
Support the formulation of annual reports for the GEF (Project Information Report-PIR) and UNDP (Result Oriented Annual Report-ROAR)
Advice (30%):
Collect and identify sources of information (documents, projects and programs, studies, etc.) in the areas or topics included in the project, with emphasis on country-specific information;
Prepare at the request of technical notes on the topics included in the project under their responsibility, which allows better decision making by UNDP management;
Contribute to the dialogue on policies and measures that can improve the integrated management of Guinea-Bissau’s coastal areas, reinforce the resilience and adaptive capacity of the coastal communities to climate change and protect the environment in general;
Identify good practices and lessons learned that could contribute to improving the management of UNDP projects and programs.
Strategic partnership, promotion and awareness (10%):
Contribute to the creation of strategic alliances with other partners involved in the fields of climate change, biodiversity conservation, poverty reduction and complementary fields;;
Promote the creation of synergies and the complementarity of the interventions of the different partners in the areas covered by the project;
Support the promotion and awareness in the field and the project issues of its burden.
Expected Results:
The Project Coordinator must guarantee the achievement of the expected results, particularly the expected effects and products as defined in the Project Document, ensuring, among others, the following achievements:
Effective application of management tools for results, setting objectives for management and monitoring the achievement of results;
Planning, budgeting, execution and supervision of the insured activities
Annual Work Plan (AWP), quarterly and annual reports and all other project reports available on time;
Midterm and final project evaluation missions carried out, respective shared reports and recommendations followed; Elaborated the Response Plan of the Management to the recommendations of the mid-term and final evaluations
Audit recommendations, as well as joint missions of evaluations of partners that co-finance the project executed;
Preparation and organization of secure information on the execution of the project, contributions for the monitoring and evaluation of CPD and UNDAF;
Consultation and collaboration with partners in the area of Climate change Adaptation, including Disaster Risks Management and Coastal Planning and Management promoted;
Thematic notes on the topics addressed by the project under their responsibility, produced and shared;
Best practices and lessons learned, disseminated and promoted
Final review of the budget and financial closure of the project 12 months after the project's operational term;
Producing the final report as required by the donors and / or GEF-UNDP.
Professionalism: Ability to apply sustainable development theories, concepts and approaches. Ability to conduct independent research and analysis on sustainable development topics, determine suitability, validity and accuracy of data provided by different sources. Shows skill in developing sources for data collection. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
Planning and Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.
Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.
Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
Accountability: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.
Creativity: Actively seeks to improve programmes or services; offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs; promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas; takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas; thinks “outside the box”; takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things; is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches.
Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.
Commitment to Continuous Learning: Keeps abreast of new developments in own occupation/profession; actively seeks to develop oneself professionally and personally; contributes to the learning of colleagues and subordinates; shows willingness to learn from others; seeks feedback to learn and improve.
Technological Awareness: Keeps abreast of available technology; understands applicability and limitation of technology to the work of the office; actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; shows willingness to learn new technology.
Interpersonal and negotiation skills - Successful interactions with all levels of the project's stakeholders, which include senior government officials, private sector entrepreneurs, technical groups and communities.
Coordination - Ability to effectively coordinate a complex multi-stakeholder project and to direct, manage and motivate teams of international and local consultants to achieve good results.
Strategic and Planning - Capacity for strategic thinking, planning and management will be essential.
Education: Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent degree) in Agrarian Sciences/Agronomy, Climate change, Environmental Engineering, Natural Resource Management, Forestry Engineering, Civil Engineering, Business/Enterprise Management, Economics / Environmental studies, or related area. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience: A minimum of six years of progressively responsible experience in providing strategic support to research and data analysis, knowledge management or project/programme management in the context of development cooperation or related area is required. Experience working in the field of development assistance, including rural development, poverty reduction, climate change adaptation, environment protectionand natural resource management; which involve 5 years project/program management exeprience.
Knowledge and experience in UNDP project implementation procedures, including procurement, disbursements and reporting and monitoring, is an asset;
Working experience/relationship with national partners (government) or related research institutions is an asset but not a requirement;
Language: Fluency in one of the working languages of the UN English or French is required and fluency in the duty station language (Portuguese).
Contract Duration: 1 year renewable
This vacancy is archived.