Mission and objectivesSao Tome and Principe (in short, STP) is an African Small Island Developing State (SIDS) and recently graduated from Least Developed Country (LDC). A former Portuguese colony that achieved independence in 1975, STP is Africa’s second-smallest country, after the Seychelles and has the smallest economy of Africa’s sovereign states. Thanks to its rich biodiversity, both on land and in the sea, it qualifies as one of the few net-sink countries in the world, as reported in the Country’s reports to UNFCCC. The inaccessibility of much of the primary forest that covers more than one fourth of the landmass makes it one of the richest and most diverse forest ecosystems in Africa and a haven for endemic and threat-ened species ecosystems in Africa and a haven for endemic and threatened species. The geographical location of the two main islands Sao Tome and Principe, surrounded by an Ex-clusive Economic Zone that is 160 times the land surface, explains the country’s geostrategic importance. Today, the country’s population stands at about 210,000 (preliminary data from 2024 census) and the Human Development Index (HDI) of STP rose from 0.56 to 0.62 between 2010 and 2019, placing the country close to the average for countries in the medium human development group (0.63). The economic model of the country has been largely based upon tourism, particularly related to nature and beaches, and its related services sector in restauration and wholesale/retail, as well as agriculture which mostly consists of subsistence farming but accounts for 70% of rural employment. STP faces development challenges that are typical of small and insular states, imprinted in its structural multi-dimensional vulnerabilities. Its remoteness increases production costs and its size and ability to reach production scales curbs the diversification of its economy, making it more vulnerable to external shocks, including those resulting from climate change and envi-ronmental degradation. In this context, UNDP - in partnership with the government and civil society organisations - is implementing a growing portfolio of Nature, Climate and Energy (NCE) projects aimed at en-hancing biodiversity conservation, reducing climate-related vulnerabilities and accelerating the implementation of the Nationally Determined Contribution. During 2025, the update of the ex-isting NDC will be part of the CO tasks within the climate portfolio.
ContextSTP faces development challenges that are typical of small and insular states, imprinted in its structural multi-dimensional vulnerabilities. Its remoteness increases production costs and its size and ability to reach production scales curbs the diversification of its economy, making it more vulnerable to external shocks, including those resulting from climate change and environmental degradation. In this context, UNDP - in partnership with the government and civil society organizations - is implementing a growing portfolio of Nature, Climate and Energy (NCE) projects aimed at en-hancing biodiversity conservation, reducing climate-related vulnerabilities and accelerating the implementation of the Nationally Determined Contribution. During 2025, the update of the existing NDC will be part of the CO tasks within the climate portfolio. 10. Description
Task DescriptionUnder the direct supervision of the Nature and Climate Specialist (NCS), the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: 1. Delivery results, monitoring and reporting on the portfolio Nature and climate projects Support the NCS and national authorities in the implementation of the projects. Review and revise workplans and budgets and provide inputs to the preparation of results-based work plans. Coordinate day-to-day implementation of nature, climate and energy strategic efforts led by UNDP in the country. Support the preparation of project progress reports and related presentations, briefings, knowledge products and relevant documents as required. Support the quality assurance of the portfolio through the substantive and financial monitoring of projects, including through field visits, to identify operational bottlenecks and develop recommendations for effective solutions. Support the recruitment of consultants and service providers and the administration of contracts through drafting TORs, finalizing advertisements, screening, long and short listing, interviews. Provide strategic support to all aspects of the climate and environment portfolio through anticipatory action, proactive monitoring, data mining, production of studies and processes supporting the alignment of the portfolio targets with the UNDP CO Country Programme Document (CPD) and Business Plan. Assess the programmatic impact and oversee the appropriateness and the accuracy of methods use to verify progress and the results. 2. Ensure guidance and capacity building and facilitation of knowledge building and sharing Identify capacity building needs on climate change and nature issues to the different national stakeholders, including the national Government and the regional Government in Principe, and develop training programmes and support their implementation. Contribute to knowledge building and sharing related to the current and emerging trends in the fields of sustainable development, climate change, biodiversity, blue economy, energy, circular economy; special focus will be given to sharing trends and successful actions from other SIDS in those fields. Contribute to the compilation and dissemination of best practices and lessons learned through relevant knowledge platforms including the UNDP Global Community of Practices related to Climate and Environment. Identify and synthesize best practices and lessons learnt. Keep well-informed of new developments and innovative approaches/solutions in the areas of climate change and environmental management and actively contribute to the office learning process and corporate knowledge tools. 3. Ensure creation of strategic partnerships and support the implementation of resource mobilization Support the coordination and management of communications with donors, implementing partners, and other cooperation agencies. Liaise and build relationships with government counterparts, other United Nations (UN) agencies, international non-governmental organizations (I/NGOS), academia, private sector, civil society, and other relevant stakeholders. Support the establishment of strategic partnerships and management of external relations. Draft documents and proposals to contribute to the CO resource mobilisation efforts. Conduct analysis and research of information on partners and donors for the preparation of substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of cooperation opportunities. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to: Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day); Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities; Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publica-tions/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.; Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible. Results/Expected Outputs: Timely, quality, and full delivery of supported activities as per approved targets, budgets and implementation plans. Timely and adequate implementation of capacity-building activities to recipient institutions. A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for development during the as-signment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed. The development of capacity through coaching, mentoring and formal on-the-job training, when working with (including supervising) national staff or (non-) governmental counter-parts, including Implementing Partners (IPs); Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities partic-ipated in and capacities developed
Competencies and valuesIntegrity and professionalism: demonstrated expertise in area of specialty and ability to apply good judgment; high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take own-ership; willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures in a politically sensitive environment, while exercising discretion, impartiality and neutrality; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented. Accountability: mature and responsible; ability to operate in compliance with organizational rules and regulations. Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment. Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities. Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diver-sity and gender; Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse back-grounds; ability to maintain composure and remain helpful towards the staff, but objective, without showing personal interest; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups; Flexibility, adaptability, and ability and willingness to operate independently in austere, remote and potentially hazardous environments for protracted periods, involving physical hardship and little comfort, and including possible extensive travel within the area of operations; willingness to transfer to other duty stations within area of operations as may be necessary; Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards the UN core values.
Living conditions and remarksOfficially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two archipelagos around the two main islands: São Tomé and Príncipe, located about 140 kilometres (87 miles) apart and about 250 and 225 kilometres (155 and 140 miles), respectively, off the north-western coast of Gabon. At sea level, the climate is tropical—hot and humid with average yearly temperatures of about 27 °C (80.6 °F) and little daily variation. The temperature rarely rises beyond 32 °C (89.6 °F). At the interior's higher elevations, the average yearly temperature is 20 °C (68 °F), and nights are generally cool. Annual rainfall varies from 5,000 mm (196.9 in) on the southwestern slopes to 1,000 mm (39.4 in) in the northern lowlands. The rainy season is from October to May. 14. Conditions of Service for international UN Volunteers: The duration of your assignment is 12 months, with the possibility of extension. A UN Volunteer receives a Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) which is composed of the Monthly Living Allowance (MLA) and a Family Allowance (FA) for those with dependents (maximum three). The Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) is paid at the end of each month to cover housing, utilities, transportation, communications and other basic needs. The VLA can be computed by applying the Post-Adjustment Multiplier (PAM) to the VLA base rate of US$ 1,587. The VLA base rate is a global rate across the world, while the PAM is duty station/country-specific and fluctuates on a monthly basis according to the cost of living. This method ensures that international UN Volunteers have comparable purchasing power at all duty stations irrespective of varying costs of living. The PAM is established by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) and is published at the beginning of every month on the ICSC website (http://icsc.un.org). In non-family duty stations that belong to hardship categories D or E, as classified by the ICSC, international UN Volunteers receive a Well-Being Differential (WBD) on a monthly basis. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are provided a settling-in-grant (SIG) at the start of the assignment (if the volunteer did not reside in the duty station for at least 6 months prior to taking up the assignment) and in the event of a permanent reassignment to another duty station. UNV provides life, health, permanent disability insurances as well as assignment travel, annual leave, full integration in the UN security framework (including residential security reimbursements). UN Volunteers are paid Daily Subsistence Allowance at the UN rate for official travels, flight tickets for periodic home visit and for the final repatriation travel (if applicable). Resettlement allowance is paid for satisfactory service at the end of the assignment. UNV will provide, together with the offer of assignment, a copy of the Conditions of Service, including Code of conduct, to the successful candidate.