Background
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.   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.
  Project Description     On 23rd of June 2022, the European Council granted the Republic of Moldova the status of EU candidate country which is a substantial achievement, but which comes with great responsibilities and obligations. One of such obligation is the “Green Agenda and Sustainable Connectivity” which includes Chapters of the environment and climate change acquis. In this sense, meaningful reform are expected in view of European Green Deal targets.

The proposed Green Transition Project takes due account of this endeavour. Hence, it will put in place the enabling conditions for a green transformation in Moldova through a combination of cross-sectorial decision-making in joint stakeholder platforms, capacity building measures, general education and awareness raising, dissemination of best policy practices, information sharing and networking, as well as pilot-testing green-transition related solutions and other activities, to ensure that the green transition concept is well understood and implemented.

The established enabling conditions and the investments into green-transition solutions will respond to the key development challenges that the country is currently dealing with such as the climate change, environmental pollution and the energy crisis. 

It is well acknowledged that Moldova is highly vulnerable to climate change, given the limited resources and institutional capacities to address the climate change impacts. It is also due to the heavy reliance on the agricultural sector, water scarcity and other geographical factors. Currently the country is advancing with the national adaptation planning, including in the agricultural sector, aimed at putting in place proper intuitional, technical and budgeting capacities in the context of climate change, however significant gaps remain in embarking of the sectors into achievement of the long-term adaptation targets.   

Environmental degradation is also posing a major threat to Moldova’s development agenda as its economy relies greatly on natural resources which leads to their overexploitation and pollution. Inadequate waste management practices and outdated practices and technologies in the key sectors of the economy also contribute to the environmental degradation and pollution. Mainstreaming of the green agenda into the country’s economic activities is taking place slowly. 

Moldova is in line with the global trend of continuously growing urbanization, with the proportion of the population living in urban areas expected to rise from 47% in 2010 to 60% in 2030 (UN Habitat). Cities are increasingly and significantly contributing to the main drivers of global environmental degradation. The municipalities have the greatest impact on air quality and are responsible for more than 50% of total air pollution in Moldova. 

From energy security perspective – Moldova is highly dependent on imported energy sources and rely mostly on the use of fossil fuels. In addition, inefficient energy supply and consumption across all sectors exacerbates the situation. Until recently being 100% dependent on Russian gas import, the country is actively seeking diversification of energy supplies after the war of aggression in Ukraine. Improvements both in energy efficiency and in the development of domestic resources – including renewable energy resources – for strengthened sustainability, competitiveness, and energy security rank high on the political agenda. Energy sector si also the main source of GHG emissions in the country. 

Against this background, the Green Transition Project aims to support the Government of Moldova to engage sustainably in a transformative green agenda by enhancing awareness, building capacities and encouraging investments into low-emission and resource efficient economy. 

The target areas of the project are resource efficiency, green and circular economy, cleaner and sustainable energy, and mobility. 

The Project will be implemented under the following three specific components:

1. Socio-economic framework for a gender-responsive and inclusive green transition enabled. 

2. Capacity and awareness on the inclusive green transition increased among key stakeholders.

3. Additional funding attracted by promoting and piloting investments in green and innovative technologies, while evidence-based decision-making for green transition is improved by deploying a reliable air quality monitoring system.

The implementation period of the project is 48 months, and the total budget is 10 mln EUR. 


  Duties and Responsibilities

Support the project team to ensure effective project planning and implementation:

Compile and summarize information and data for the formulation of project work plans, draft annual/quarterly budgets, proposals on implementation arrangements, and on other specific project related topics or issues.  Provide comprehensive support in all aspects of project implementation in accordance with the project documents, annual work plans and other agreements between UNDP and responsible partners. Ensure quality of delivery by consultants, beneficiaries, and contracted companies; and communicate findings to the supervisor.  Ensure compliance of project business processes with UNDP Project Operational Policies and Procedures (POPP) and UNDP Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). When necessary, provide guidance to project staff on business processes, administrative and other requirements and procedures.  Support mainstreaming gender equality in the project implementation, including in data collection and compilation. Prepare gender equality background materials for use in discussions, briefings, and correspondence. Provide administrative and logistical support to ensure successful project delivery that includes organizing/coordinating project events and selecting appropriate venues, coordinating project procurement procedures, maintaining project records and files, recruiting project team members, and supporting contracting activities.

Support partnerships and resource mobilization:

Establish and maintain contacts and cooperation with the relevant UN Agencies, government institutions, NGOs, tertiary institutions, partners, and other relevant stakeholders. Provide support in updating the database of the relevant public and development partners, and other stakeholders who are counterparts for the project. Ensure regular communication and coordination with partners, project counterparts, stakeholders, and beneficiaries; and develop and maintain effective mechanisms for integrating and responding to their feedback and insight. Support creation of high quality information and visibility of the project activities among the stakeholders; and ensure careful selection of communication tools and tailoring the messages to take into account the overall socio-political and development context in host countries. Undertake horizon scanning and explore opportunities for resource mobilization in consultation with direct supervisor. 

Provide support to the effective monitoring, evaluation, and reporting on progress of project implementation:

Support implementation of the project monitoring system in alignment with its Monitoring and Evaluation framework to ensure effective information sharing, provision of feedback, and elaboration of high-quality progress reports.  Collect, analyze and present information for monitoring and evaluation of project implementation against project targets as well as for audit purposes. Identify gaps in implementation and provide support in bridging those gaps in consultation with supervisor and partners. Assist in the organization of field and study visits, missions, workshops, roundtables, and conferences within the project. Assist in implementation of effective risk management for the project with a well-documented risk mitigation plan in place. Support monitoring of previously identified and emerging risks. Regularly monitor expenditures and commitments against the project budget and relevant plans, and provide finance-related information to support project implementation. When necessary, recommend corrective actions and draft various correspondence concerning finance, operations, and budgetary issues. Prepare and consolidate required project reports on a timely basis and in line with monitoring and reporting guidelines and donor requirements. Support knowledge building, knowledge sharing and capacity building relevant to the assigned project: Participate in training and organize briefings on internal procedures for the project staff. Provide support to other capacity building activities, including to the design and delivery of tools, materials for workshops, or platforms that tap into the collective intelligence of communities and mobilize action. Provide support in the dissemination and sharing of relevant data and lessons learned within the CO and regionally. Keep pulse on emerging best practices nationally, regionally, and internationally that relate to the work of the assigned project. Make sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice. Support compiling and systematizing project knowledge, products and tools as well as their wide distribution to partners.
  The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.    Institutional Arrangement The Project Associate works under the general supervision of the Green Transition Project Manager and collaborates closely with the Green Transition Project Team.     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 Competencies

Business management / Working with Evidence and Data:  Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making. Business Management / Digital Awareness and Literacy:  Ability and inclination to rapidly adopt new technologies, either through skillfully grasping their usage or through understanding their impact and empowering others to use them as needed. Business Management / Customer Satisfaction/Client Management:   Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs. Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. Look for ways to add value beyond clients’ immediate requests. Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns. Business Management / Communication:   Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media, and other appropriate channels. 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. Technical - Finance / Budget management:    Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets. Technical – Procurement / Procurement management:    The ability to acquire goods, services or works from an outside external source.

  Required Skills and Experience
  Education:
Secondary education is required, or   University Degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, or equivalent field will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement. Experience: A minimum of 6 years (with high school diploma) or 3 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible administrative or project experience is required. Required skills: Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and web-based management systems, and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages. Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section: Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation tools  Knowledge of project management processes  Knowledge of procurement procedures of national / international organizations 
  Required Language(s):
Fluency in oral and written Romanian and English is required.  Working knowledge of one or more additional languages relevant for Moldova, including Russian, Bulgarian, Gagauzian, Romani, Ukrainian or sign language would be an asset. Professional Certificates: Additional training and/or certification in procurement management would be an advantage.   The following documents shall be required from the applicants: Personal CV or 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. Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials. Disclaimer
Important information for US Permanent Residents ('Green Card' holders) 
Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment. 
UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.   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.
Non-discrimination
UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.     UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.    Scam warning   The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

This vacancy is archived.

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