Climate Policy Advisor
Term: 100% position
Location: Baku/Azerbaijan
Duration of employment: June 3, 2024 - December 31, 2027
Deadline for submitting applications: May 12, 2024
Background:
The upcoming Multi-Donor Action “EU4ClimateResilience” is jointly co-financed by the European Union and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV), and implemented by GIZ and OECD. EU4ClimateResilience is implemented as part of the BMUV-funded project ‘Promoting Green Deal Readiness in the Eastern Partnership Countries’ (PROGRESS). This complementarity and implementation of both the Action and PROGRESS by GIZ and OECD therefore reflects the Team Europe approach.
EU4ClimateResilience supports the Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine in improving climate change and adaptation policies to achieve the mitigation and adaptation goals and targets under the Paris Agreement (PA) and related to bilateral agreements with the EU. This is achieved inter alia by technical support for the NDC 2025 up-date, improving the regulatory framework as well as further improving the institutional capacities to update the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), elaborate and implement Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems and mainstream climate change into sectoral and regional policies. The Action also acts on a local level by supporting the implementation of local climate adaptation projects, increasing the preparedness and resilience of cities and municipalities against short- and long-term climate risks. To mobilise additional sustainable investments, the introduction of innovative financial instruments such as green bonds will be supported. In Ukraine, the Action will address the reconstruction needs. EU4ClimateResilience and PROGRESS are complementary since both projects support the EaP countries in the context of the EU Green Deal.
The Overall Objective of the Action is to support the green transition, enhance decarbonisation, boost energy security, and increase resilience to counter the effects of climate change in the EaP countries. The Action comprises 3 Specific Objectives (outcome). GIZ is responsible for implementing Specific Objectives 1 and 2 including all related Outputs. OECD is responsible for implementing activities under Specific Objective 3 (Outcome 3):
Specific Objective 1 (Outcome 1): Countries’ capacity to adequately measure and reduce national emissions, mobilize green financing, and adapt to the impact of climate change increased, and implementation of the climate policy framework advanced.
Specific Objective 2 (Outcome 2): Benefits of climate adaptation demonstrated through specific projects.
Specific Objective 3 (Outcome 3): Credible regulatory frameworks on green financing established in line with EU norms and bond issuance diversified and scaled up.
EU4ClimateResilience is looking for a Climate Policy Adviser to support the project in delivering climate advisory services to the partners, and to develop and implement context- specific tailored capacity development measures, seminars, and other events. This position is a cross-cutting position of relevance for various project outcomes and outputs within rural as well as urban areas. The position will be located in Baku/Azerbaijan, with occasional duty trips foreseen to other countries of the EaPs and/or Western Europe.
Responsibilities:
The advisor is responsible for
- Cooperation with the project with a main executive partner as well as local partners (e.g. Covenant of Mayors Azerbaijan, local municipalities, Grant Agreement recipients).
- Planning and implementing project activities in cooperation with local stakeholders (e.g. with municipalities on nature-based solutions for climate adaptation).
- Supervising local and international experts and/or service providers that provide consultancy services.
- Ensuring knowledge management and information exchange with the project team.
- Ensuring information exchange with the management team.
- Coordinating with the Team Leader to implement the service package at a technical, content, and organizational level in coordination with the line manager.
Tasks:
Planning and implementing climate policy activities
The Advisor
- Delivers climate advisory services (e.g. on the NDC and CSAP implementation, MRV, LT- LEDS) to the partners.
- Prepares and implements tailored capacity development measures, seminars, and other events.
- Provides inputs on project activities and results, especially to the team leader, Regional Outreach Expert, and M&E Expert
- Independent communication with other respective country teams and coordinated approach to knowledge management with other climate policy advisors.
- Preparation of ToRs and procurement of local and international experts, consultancies, grant agreements, etc.
- Cooperation and communication with relevant bilateral and regional projects and with international organizations working in the field of climate change.
- Provide input for managerial decisions based on clear presentation of relevant information.
- Provide input for developing and implementing Nature-based Solutions and Climate Mitigation Measures within the rural and urban context.
- Provide technical support and ad-hoc advice as requested by project stakeholders.
- Support the design, preparation and implementation of workshops, seminars and other events.
- Contribute to the development and review of project reports.
- Elaborate and monitor contracts of local and international consultants.
- Ensure cooperation, regular contact, and dialogue with relevant partners/individuals/organizations to ensure synergies, avoid duplications and maintain a good working relationship.
- Support the collection of information and data in-country necessary for planning and implementation of project activities.
- Provide technical support and manage appraisers and consulting firms.
Knowledge management
The advisor
- develops ready-to-use strategies and technical concepts on climate policy, including guidelines, manuals and other publications in close cooperation with partners.
- actively contributes to relevant technical working groups (e.g. on urban development).
- draws up reports and presentation documents.
- prepares appropriate input for various project reports including annual reports and contributes to other reports required by the team leader, GIZ Head Office and donors.
- assists with research activities and studies and ensures knowledge transfer towards project transformation.
- reports on participation at workshops, seminars, conferences, and information visits.
- provides data on the progress of the project measures for monitoring and evaluation purposes.
- deals with designing, preparing, and implementing workshops, seminars and other events on issues related to the project’s intervention area.
Advising the partner institution(s)
The advisor
- manages/coordinates relevant human capacity development activities/ measures.
- contributes to identifying needs for external support and advice, works on policy recommendations and develops strategical approaches in close cooperation with partners.
- contributes to preparing and implementing the coordination process with partners, joint programme activities and work at the project level.
- formulates terms of reference and selects and supervises third parties while carrying out project activities, including performance evaluation.
- monitors the development and implementation of project plans and activities in close consultation with partners, identifies bottlenecks and recommends alternative management options to the Project Manager.
- develops and organizes quality assurance measures and suggests necessary changes, improvements, and initiatives.
- uses GIZ’s management model Capacity WORKS.
Networking and cooperation
The advisor
- ensures cooperation, regular contact and dialogue with partners, local communities and municipalities, relevant organizations, non-governmental agencies and individuals in the project environment and with other projects to improve and maintain good working relationships.
- communicates local interests and efforts, forwards these and encourages sharing of ideas and information for the benefit of the project.
- contributes to joint project activities and work at the EaP level.
- contributes to joint public relations works in coordination with the Project’s Communications Expert.
Other duties
The advisor
- performing other duties and tasks at the request of the Project Manager.
Required qualifications, competencies, and experience:
Qualifications:
- MA or post-graduate degree in Environmental Studies or similar
Professional experience:
- At least 5 years of professional experience in the field of environment and development, including specialized experience in climate change adaptation and mitigation.
- Proven experience in delivering climate advisory services and tailoring capacity development formats and tools.
- working experience with international development cooperation.
- very good (academic) Azerbaijan skills in writing and speaking, fluent English skills in writing and speaking; knowledge of German is of advantage.
- Experience working within EU-financed projects is an advantage.
- Knowledge or working experience of the Covenant of Mayors would be an asset.
- Knowledge of MRV, NDC, LEDS, climate action planning, or similar is an advantage.
Other knowledge, additional competencies:
- Strong policy analytical skills that can be applied to the development and application of methods and tools for mainstreaming adaptation.
- Joy in collaboration with national and regional teams and other project units
- Strong service orientation, communication strength, and capability of delivering excellent performance timely.
- Ability to translate scientific climate information into policy and practical guidance for a non- technical audience.
- Understanding of political issues under international climate negotiations
- Skills and knowledge to build linkages between environment, energy, climate change and sustainable development.
- Ability to write and speak clearly and convincingly, including strong presentation skills.
- Willingness to upskill as required by the tasks to be performed – corresponding measures are agreed with management.
- Creativity and innovative out-of-the-box thinking.
- Excellent communication skills
- Passion for the environment, livelihoods, and social inclusion.
Qualified candidates are kindly asked to send their motivation letter and resumes/cvs applications by e-mail.
Please indicate the name of the position (“EU4Climate Resilience” Climate Policy Advisor)
you are applying for in the subject line of the email.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.