Job Description

Tiered Approach

In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:

• Tier 0 UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
• Tier 1 Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
• Tier 2 UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
• Tier 3 or no tier indicated All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.

Background

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels offer a spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in its Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in UNDP’s Strategic Plan.

UNDP's 2022-2025 Strategic Plan highlights our continued commitment to eradicating poverty, accompanying countries in their pathways towards the SDGs and working towards the Paris Agreement. As part of the Global Policy Network in the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP's Nature, Climate Change, Energy, and Waste (NCE&W) Hubs promote and scale up integrated whole-of-governance approaches and nature-based solutions that reduce poverty and inequalities, strengthen livelihoods and inclusive growth, mitigate conflict, forced migration and displacement, and promote more resilient governance systems that advance linked peace and security agendas.

In recent decades, biodiversity finance tools and solutions have demonstrated their importance for achieving biodiversity goals and broader sustainable development objectives. Improved choice, design and implementation of effective, well-tailored finance solutions will strengthen countries’ chances of achieving national and global biodiversity targets. Biodiversity Finance Plans have become increasingly recognized as a relevant tool to help countries to identify and fill the biodiversity finance gap, including through the work of the Biodiversity Finance Initiative www.biofin.org. In December 2022, parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity adopted the Montreal-Kunming Global Biodiversity Framework. This included numerous targets with relevance for financing. Target 19 on resource mobilization includes reference for countries to design and implement national biodiversity finance plans.

The GEF created a global programme to support countries to design a national Biodiversity Finance Plan. A Biodiversity Finance Plan includes a systems analysis of a country's economy including to map existing financing mechanisms, subsidies with potential harmful impacts on nature, drivers of biodiversity loss and gain, public and private expenditures committed towards biodiversity objectives and a country's national financial needs for biodiversity. The biodiversity finance plan itself consists of a series of actions with the aim to significantly scale up available funding, green or phase out harmful finance flows and improve the effectiveness of available expenditures. The programme allows for active sharing of experiences across countries and includes a knowledge sharing platform and the provision of continuous technical support to country teams.

The implementation of the project in Ghana falls under the GEF8 Umbrella programme for the development of the first National Biodiversity Finance Plan. The overall implementation of the project will be led by the Project Lead/Senior Finance Expert with the support of a technical team and in coordination to a government project director and the National Steering Committee.

For the implementation of the GEF8-BFP Umbrella program at the national level, UNDP is recruiting a national team composed of a Senior Finance Expert (Project Lead), a Project Support Associate, a Policy Expert and a Biodiversity Finance Specialist.

The Biodiversity Finance Specialist will lead the production of the Biodiversity Expenditure Review, the Financial Needs Assessment and support the development of the Biodiversity Finance Plan.

Scope of Work

Under the over-all guidance of the Senior Finance Specialist (Project Lead), the Biodiversity Finance Specialist (‘the specialist’) is expected to lead the production of the Biodiversity Expenditure Review (BER), the Financial Needs Assessment (FNA) and support the development of the Biodiversity Finance Plan (BFP) following the guidance provided by the latest version of the BIOFIN Workbook and with detailed data.

The Biodiversity Finance Manager will also, as much as possible, provide input to all other national outputs, including the Policy and Institutional Review. The Biodiversity Finance Manager could also contribute to the assessment and development of detailed feasibility studies for priority finance mechanisms in the BFP and the production of summary for Policy Makers. The specialist should provide input to the feedback on the BIOFIN methodological framework.

The specialist will collect, explore and work on national and subnational level budgeting data and biodiversity expenditures of different organizations, agencies, ministries, NGOs and private sector actors for the production of the BER. For the Finance Needs Assessment (FNA) the consultant will produce a detailed realistic costing of key biodiversity policies and plans – generally focused on the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP).

The Biodiversity Finance Manager will produce drafts and analyses that will be reviewed and ultimately validated by the Senior Finance Specialist (Project Lead) and the BIOFIN Global Team.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. For the Policy and Institutional Review (PIR):

• Support and advise the Policy Manager in developing an inventory of existing Biodiversity Financing Mechanisms in the country;
• Support the Policy Manager in reviewing existing economic valuation studies relevant to the BIOFIN process.

2. For Biodiversity Expenditure Review (BER):

• Carry out a desk review to map existing studies/information/databases on biodiversity expenditures, including an overview of earlier environmental expenditure reviews;
• Develop a proposed national definition for “biodiversity expenditures”, based on the BIOFIN methodology or other methodologies;
• Develop a workplan for the Biodiversity Expenditure Review for discussion with the national BFP programme team and GPMTSU;
• Determine a target list of organizations to include in the analysis based on the PIR work;
• Collect data for the desk review to map existing studies/information/ databases on biodiversity expenditures, including an overview of earlier environmental expenditure reviews;
• Establish, with the support of the Senior Finance Specialist (Project Lead), a system to tag biodiversity expenses into categories (GBF targets, BIOFIN categories, NBSAP themes, etc.) and a system of coefficients/attribution to estimate the contribution of mixed actions towards biodiversity;
• Gather data from the targeted organizations to conduct the expenditure review on budgets and expenditures. Follow existing methodologies for guidance (includes mapping of sources of funding, subsidies, and biodiversity-based revenues, etc.);
• Develop tools or Excel tool to analyze the total biodiversity-related expenditures filtered by major strategy groups using existing methodology (or national categories such as in the NBSAP);
• Coordinate the compilation of relevant data and liaise with relevant Ministries and partners as required and complete all BIOFIN data entry sheets for the BER;
• Support the Organization of bilateral consultation meetings/interviews/ discussions with national level stakeholders to define and then validate the attribution of biodiversity significance in all relevant expenditures;
• Applying budget projections and other assumptions, estimate future funding baseline under a “Business-As-Usual Scenario”: an analysis of projected estimated funding in the future;
• Based on international best practices and the BIOFIN methodology or other methodologies, work closely with the Senior Finance Specialist (Project Lead) to develop and implement a specific strategy for data collection of the private sector and organize dedicated consultation meetings with private sector stakeholders (e.g. chamber of commerce, multinationals) on tracking biodiversity expenditures;
• Based on results from research, analysis and the national consultation workshop, develop, with the support of the Senior Finance Expert (Project Lead), the draft BIOFIN Biodiversity Expenditure Review for review by the GPMTSU (Global Project Management and Technical Support Unit);
• Develop the final Biodiversity Expenditure Review, with the support of the Senior Finance Specialist (Project Lead), for review by the GPMTSU and present at the validation workshop.

3. For the Biodiversity Finance Needs Assessment (FNA):

• Review the available methodologies, examples from other countries, the latest NBSAP and the National Biodiversity Reports to develop an initial workplan and outline for the FNA;
• Consult with the NBSAP team and government entities responsible for NBSAP implementation to obtain background information about NBSAP activities and government budgeting processes;
• Work with the Senior Finance Specialist (Project Lead) to review the scope of the NBSAP, its alignment with other national policies, and identify policy areas and activities that are not covered by the existing NBSAP;
• Review the activities listed in the NBSAP and other key strategic documents to assess if they are detailed and quantified enough for their budgets to be estimated in detail. If not, work with the NBSAP national focal points and other relevant stakeholders to define clearly the NBSAP actions so that they can be budgeted;
• Coordinate the compilation of relevant data and liaise with relevant Ministries and partners as required and organize a national consultation workshop to define the financial needs of all major biodiversity programmes;
• Develop detailed calculations and complete all datasheets related to the national biodiversity finance needs;
• Organize a workshop to validate the cost assumptions and models and refine the analysis through additional meetings as needed;
• Support the comparison of the results of the BER future projections with the FNA in as great detail as the categories allow and produce an estimate of the financing gap;
• Lead the development (with support from the team) of a draft report for the Biodiversity Finance Needs Assessment for discussion at the validation workshop and review by the project national team and GPMTSU;
• Support the Production of the final report of the Biodiversity Finance Needs Assessment.

4. For Biodiversity Finance Plan (BFP):

• Support the Senior Finance Specialist (Project Lead) in the conception and preparation of the BFP;
• Support detailed feasibility analysis on a range of financing mechanisms depending on knowledge and experience.

5. For Project Outreach and Communication:

• Preparation of workshops, meetings, networking and presentations as required, to complete the Biodiversity Expenditure Review, the Financial Needs Assessment and engage stakeholders;
• Provide substantive comments and feedback on how to improve the existing methodologies.

6. For Knowledge Management and Reporting:

• Document decisions and assumptions made while completing the Biodiversity Expenditure Review and the Biodiversity Finance Needs Assessment;
• Document lessons learned from conducting the BFP project ranging from institutional considerations to technical issues;
• Prepare reports and case studies, as required, for submission to global meetings (e.g. CBD COP).

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities:

The Specialist will be under the direct supervision of the Senior Finance Specialist (Project Lead).

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 Biodiversity Finance Manager will be under the direct supervision of the Senior Finance Specialist (Project Lead).

UNDP shall be entitled to intellectual property and other proprietary rights over all materials that have a direct relation to the project.

Competencies

Core

• 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 & Technical competencies

Nature, Climate and Energy:

• Ecosystems and biodiversity: Biodiversity Finance.

Knowledge Generation:

• Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for content, or responsive to a stated need.

Collective Intelligence Design:

• Ability to bring together diverse groups of people, data, information or ideas, and technology to design services or solutions.

Data storytelling and communications:

• Skilled in building a narrative around a set of data and its accompanying visualizations to help convey the meaning of that data in a powerful and compelling fashion.

Data Governance:

• Knowledge of data science, skills to develop data management tools, organize and maintain databases and operate data visualization technologies.

Data Collection:

• Being skilled in Data Sorting, Data Cleaning, Survey Administration, Presentation and reporting including collection of Real-Time Data (e.g. mobile data, satellite data, sensor data).

Data analysis:

• Ability to extract, analyses and visualize data (including Real-Time Data) to form meaningful insights and aid effective decision making.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Finance, Economics, Business Management or a closely related field, preferably with an environment / biodiversity focus.
• OR
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in above-mentioned fields in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Min. years of relevant work experience:

• At least 2 years’ experience (master’s degree) or 4 years’ experience (with bachelor’s degree} of experience in environmental finance, accounting, economics, management or related field.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience in collaborating with international and national experts and institutions;
• Proven Knowledge of key software packages (MS Office);
• Proven previous experience in drafting reports on environment related policies writing and communication skills;
• Proven ability to prepare publications, reports and presentations;
• Proven ability to work with a multidisciplinary and multicultural team.

Desired skills:

• Exposure to environmental issues or biodiversity is desirable;
• Previous experience with expenditure reviews would be an asset;
• Familiarity with the government is strongly desired;
• Previous experience with expenditure reviews would be an asset.

Required Language(s):

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of one or more local language is a strong asset.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

Right to select multiple candidates

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.

Use of AI by candidates

Applicants are invited to read UNDP’s guidance for candidates on using AI responsibly in UNDP recruitment and selection

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