Development Finance and Green Economic Development Officer

The Kyrgyz Republic is highly committed to achieving the 2030 Agenda and integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into the country’s national development efforts. The SDGs have been reflected in the national development framework through gap analysis and priority-setting undertaken in the 2040 National Development Strategy of the Kyrgyz Republic (NDS), the mid-term National Development Programme of the Kyrgyz Republic (2021–2026) (NDP), and through various programmes and strategies on healthcare, education, gender, youth, green economy, digitalization, regional development, and other sectors. The combined impact of COVID-19 pandemic, international economic decline, domestic instability, and regional conflict have taken a toll on people’s resilience in recent years in Kyrgyzstan pushing back the progress towards achieving SDGs and realization of 2030 Agenda and posing increasingly complex development challenges to economic and political stability, governance, environmental stability, social inclusion, gender equality, and beyond. 

The financing for sustainable development as one of the key means of implementation presents multi-fold challenges for the Kyrgyz Republic and requires comprehensive efforts from the government and key partners. Understanding the scale and types of investment needed to achieve the SDGs is a key foundation on which governments can build effective SDG financing strategies and ensure their successful implementation through multi-party collaboration. The government of the Kyrgyz Republic supported by international organizations has undertaken substantial efforts towards enhancing financing opportunities and alignment with national sustainable development goals. To improve the efficiency, effectiveness and transparency of the use of public funds and governance of private finance in order to support the implementation of Kyrgyzstan’s National Development Strategy and the SDGs, the government launched the Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF). The INFF will ensure the development of a holistic, comprehensive and integrated financing strategy and establishment of respective governance and coordination mechanisms.

Further, to green the development of Kyrgyzstan, the government’s ambition targets the establishment of a national Green Finance Vehicle (GFV). The GFV aims to streamline investments in green projects through strengthening a dialogue on green development between various stakeholders and leveraging multiple sources of finance to materialize green growth potential. These efforts are aligned with both NDS and the Green Economy Development Programme of the Kyrgyz Republic and notably supported by the UNDP in Kyrgyzstan through such initiatives as Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) and capacity building for sustainable development financing in the CIS Region.

UNDP will continue its support in the areas of development and green finance and green development to help the government of the Kyrgyz Republic and other relevant stakeholders to advance inclusive, fundamentally sound development solutions and reforms in complex settings. In this light, UNDP in the Kyrgyz Republic aims to hire a Development Finance and Green Economic Development Officer to provide substantive and coordination support to the diverse efforts of national partners building on achieved results and prioritized UNDP’s interventions for development finance and green development.

Summary of key functions:

• Project Management and Coordination (50%): Act as UNDP Project Manager and Coordinator for implementation of activities and collaboration with other programs and stakeholders.
• Technical Advisory (30%): Provide technical inputs, oversight and advisory services in the design of activities and initiatives and to ensure efficient outcome and service delivery.
• Strategic Partnership (10%): Lead and facilitate strategic partnership with relevant stakeholders for implementation of activities.
• Other duties (10%): Perform other duties that may be required by the Team Leader of the Sustainable Economic Development (SED) Programme at the UNDP in the Kyrgyz Republic.

Project Management and Coordination:

• Manage and coordinate the design and implementation of projects activities related to the operationalization of INFF and GFV and support to the development of the next phase green economy development programme under PAGE to ensure the maintenance of quality and timeliness, and delivery of outputs;
• Report regularly to the Team Leader of the Sustainable Economic Development (SED) Programme and other relevant stakeholders on the projects progress;
• Coordinate the management and implementation of activities of the projects as set out in the AWPs (Annual Work Plan) in consultation with Team Leader of the SED Programme and other relevant stakeholders;
• Maintain close cooperation with designated focal point from key stakeholders, indicating any estimated changes to the work plan, and proposing a budget revision when appropriate;
• Monitor the projects budgets, funds and resources according to UNDP guidelines;
• Prepare progress and financial reports of the projects when required;
• Engage and lead on the preparation of relevant knowledge products, including publications and reports, knowledge sharing and exchange practices, developing expert pool/community for leveraging development ang green economy expertise, and relevant data storage and dissemination;
• Liaise and coordinate with the relevant stakeholders’ focal points in regard to projects implementation;
• Support continuous awareness-raising and results-oriented communication for development and green economy thematic areas;
• Represent UNDP in joint meetings and stakeholder consultations related to the select thematic areas.

Technical Advisory:

• Lead the development and implementation of stakeholder engagement for INFF (with particular focus on the Financing Strategy and Governance) and GFV operationalization;
• Substantively contribute to policy support to ensure national partners’ ownership for INFF process and GFV operationalization;
• Provide technical support and intelligence to development of the SDG investor map and other private sector engagement solutions under INFF facilitation services;
• Ensure expert advice on the design of a Project Preparation Facility for building project pipeline under the GFV;
• Provide technical assistance for the design phase and implementation planning for a Public Finance Management project;
• Provide substantive advice to the design and implementation of development finance related technical assistance interventions, including SDG tagging and costing, Voluntary National/Local Reviews, review the adjustment of fiscal policies, e.g. through gender lenses;
• Assist the Team Leader of the SED Programme in deploying technical expertise for the design and implementation planning of the low-carbon development mobility-focused project.

Strategic Partnership:

• Support partnership and resource mobilization mapping, design and update of donor fund-raising strategy, management of relations and thematic communication with donor community and investors;
• Develop concept notes and support drafting of project proposals in line with the national priorities, UNDP CPD, and development partners’ priorities;
• Promote partnership and cooperation for the thematic areas through continuous interaction with the national stakeholders and development partners;
• Support development finance and green economy related advocacy action on the national and global levels by continuously shaping and validating agenda with national stakeholders and relevant development partners.

Perform other duties that may be required by the Team Leader of the Sustainable Economic Development (SED) Programme at the UNDP in the Kyrgyz Republic.

Institutional Arrangement

The Development Finance and Green Economic Development Officer will work under the direct supervision of the Team Leader of the Sustainable Economic Development (SED) Programme and in close engagement with the Programme Associate of the SED Programme, RBEC/IRH economic advisers, UN Agencies and in close collaboration with key national partners – President’s Administration, Ministry of Economy and Commerce, Ministry of Finance, National Statistical Committee and other key governmental bodies and development partners.

• 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.

•  Business Direction & Strategy- Strategic Thinking            
  • Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks, and opportunities, linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions.
  • Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP.
• Business Development- Knowledge Generation 
  • Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.
• Business Development- Integration within the UN           
  • Ability to identify, and integrate capacity and assets of the UN system, and engage in joint work; knowledge of the UN System and ability to apply this knowledge to strategic and/or practical situations.
• Business Management- Results-based Management      
  • Ability to manage programs and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results.
• Business Management- Project Management     
  • Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals.
• Partnership Management-Relationship Management     
  • Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust, and mutual understanding.
• Business Management- Operations Management            
  • Ability to effectively plan, organize, and oversee the Organization’s business processes to convert its assets into the best results in the most efficient manner.
  • Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms.

• Fluency in English and Russian is required.
• Kyrgyz language proficiency is desirable.

Required skills and competencies:

• Proven experience of working with/in international organizations’ programme and projects;
• Proven experience in providing management advisory services, hands-on experience in design, monitoring & evaluation of development projects in governmental structures or international organizations including relevant experience in the respective programme sphere;
• Proven experience in sustainable finance / business development / banking / finance / fund and/or corporation management and other related areas.

Desired skills and competencies:

• Experience of private sector engagement for sustainable development and mobilization of private finance is an asset;
• Strong demonstrated interest towards both global and national green development agenda;
• Demonstrated knowledge of quantitative approaches to researching development challenges related to sustainable finance frameworks, policy briefs or other development finance knowledge products is desirable.

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.