Internship Climate Change Transparency Monitoring and Evaluation

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Description

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The Initiative for Climate Action Transparency (ICAT) was established in 2015 at the COP that adopted the Paris Agreement to support implementation of the Agreement’s Enhanced Transparency Framework. The Initiative works with over 50 developing countries ranging from large countries, like Nigeria, to small islands, such as Antigua & Barbuda.

ICAT provides countries with tailored support and practical tools and methodologies to build robust transparency frameworks needed for effective climate action in sync with national development priorities. The projects ICAT supports relate to: building or enhancing transparency frameworks for mitigation; building a monitoring and evaluation approach for adaptation; building or enhancing frameworks to track progress in implementing nationally determined contributions; assessing the impacts of climate policies;  estimating or enhancing projections of greenhouse gases; integrating and/or aggregating climate actions at the subnational level and by non-State actors; building a tracking system for just transition processes; establishing or enhancing a climate data system; and putting in place a framework to track climate finance.

To support these areas, ICAT offers a suite of practical, open-source tools and methodologies to provide effective support to the transparency efforts of countries around the world.

ICAT is an unincorporated multi-stakeholder partnership steered by the Donor Steering Committee (DSC), conformed by its donors, Austria; Canada; Germany; Italy; the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF); and ClimateWorks Foundation (CWF), and includes the UNFCCC Secretariat as the dedicated UN body with a climate change policy mandate, and UNOPS as an ex-officio member. The Initiative is managed by UNOPS on behalf of the DSC. Within UNOPS, the ICAT Secretariat manages ICAT day-to-day activities, coordinating and guiding the work of the implementing partners.

Under the direct supervision of the Project management support, Senior Officer, the incumbent will be responsible for collecting, analyzing and visualizing data as a part of ICAT’s Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Uptake (MELU) framework. The framework aims to capture the impact of ICAT’s work in countries.

The incumbent may also be asked to conduct background research related to different aspects of ICAT’s work and activities, in particular in relation to the work progress in developing climate action transparency frameworks implemented together with the ICAT beneficiary countries. The research findings will be used by the Secretariat as input for ICAT’s impact assessment and other planning activities, and for material to be used for outreach purposes. 

Functional Responsibilities:

MELU Reporting:

• Liaise with ICATs implementing partners to support the collection and collation, review and analysis of data for the MELU framework;
• Ensure timely provision of surveys related to the MELU KPIs and follow up where required. This includes keeping track of new BUR, National Communication, NDC submissions and End of Project Surveys;
• Assist in interpretation of trends and drawing insights from project and survey data;
• Support the further development of the MELU framework based on experience in data collection and analysis; and
• Assist with developing strategic information, including data visuals and reports, that communicates key evidence with diverse stakeholders.

Grants Management Support: 

• Assist the tracking and review of deliverables under ICAT Grant Support Agreements;
• Assist maintenance of dashboards used for Grants management; and
• Assist the review of Grant Agreements and Grant Agreement Amendments.

Research support:

• Assist with background research on aspects related to the work of ICAT, in particular analyzing the role ICAT plays globally in supporting countries to build their institutional transparency infrastructure. Assistance will also be required for research on specific topics related to the countries covered by ICAT, with a focus on their GHG emissions and climate policies and actions in a global, regional and national perspective, in particular, the importance of their NDCs, the sectors covered by ICAT work, and other parameters;
• Assist analysis and assessment of the different ICAT transparency initiatives and their contribution and impact on ICAT countries’ climate policies and actions aimed at contributing to the implementation of transparency frameworks and further enhancing of their NDCs;
• Assist on compiling metrics used by countries as part of the climate action MRV, besides emissions data;
• Assist the preparation of statistical charts, tables and reports, extracting data from various sources to contribute to the preparation of background papers and outreach material;
• Assist the preparation of background research for the preparation of meeting notes and draft work plans for ICAT projects; and
• Perform other duties as required based on ICAT Secretariat’s needs.
• Training components and learning elements
• The incumbent will have full access, for his/her thesis research, to ICAT’s project files, in particular to files and products developed in the context of the implemented activities at the country level. 

• The incumbent will have the opportunity to join the ICAT Secretariat meetings, including any relevant high-level meetings, and get exposure to key stakeholders involved with climate action and transparency, such as other UN agencies (UNFCCC, UNEP, UNDP, UNU), several country and multi-partner donors, international non-governmental organizations and representatives from country beneficiaries. 
• The incumbent will also have full access to UNOPS intranet, the Project ERP system and the Communities of Practice (COPs) in Project Management, Gender Mainstreaming, Innovation and Research, Sustainable Infrastructure, etc.   
• The incumbent will have access to the UNOPS Learning Zone and apply for training in Programme Management, Gender Mainstreaming, Coaching, Competency Based Interviews and mandatory training as per UNOPS policy.   

Education/Experience/Language requirements:

Education:

• A Secondary school diploma is required.
• A Bachelor degree preferably in Climate change, development studies, and/or environmental management or similar is desirable.
• The incumbent should be enrolled in a university programme such as Bachelor or Masters OR have graduated from such studies within three (3) years prior to the applications date of the internship and be in possession of a residence permit or nationality permitting them to stay and conduct the internship in Germany during the full time of the internship.

Experience: 

• Applicants are not required to have professional work experience but experience working or volunteering in any of the following areas is highly desirable:
• Climate change
• Monitoring and evaluation of programmes in the development field
• Statistical analysis
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office/Google Suite is essential, including knowledge of the advanced functions of Excel.
• Experience with data visualization tools (e.g. Google Data Studio) is also essential to this role.
• Additional requirements:
• Strong data analysis skills; 
• Ability to synthesize large amounts of information and communicate it clearly;
• Efficient time management skills, including the ability to manage multiple ongoing projects alongside tasks requiring a quick turnaround;
• The incumbent is responsible for abiding by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS; 
• The incumbent is responsible for arranging their own travel and securing any necessary visas;
• The incumbent should provide confirmation that they are fit specifically for the duty station conditions, as certified by a medical practitioner. Interns are responsible for receiving clearance from a medical doctor.

Languages:

• Proven fluency of English – oral and written required.
• Any other UN language would be a distinct advantage.

Source: https://jobs.unops.org/Pages/ViewVacancy/VADetails.aspx?id=29026#2

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