Landscape Project Officer

As the United Nations lead agency on international development, UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities, and to build resilience to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Our work is concentrated in three focus areas; sustainable development, democratic governance and peace building, and climate and disaster resilience. UNDP’s mandate is to end poverty, build democratic governance, rule of law, and inclusive institutions. We advocate for change, and connect countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life.

The Action for Climate and Environment (ACE) Unit at UNDP is organized around the thematic areas of climate change adaptation and mitigation, natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem & land restoration, disaster management and resilience, and access to clean and efficient energy.

The Natural Resource Management and Biodiversity pillar of ACE is supporting the Government of India in meeting national development objectives along with commitments under important multilateral environment agreements especially the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The programme/projects under the pillar have been supporting the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC), National and State level planning for land restoration and biodiversity conservation, habitat restoration, carbon sequestration through enhanced restoration, promotion of nature-based livelihoods and One Health approach.

UNDP is supporting the Ministry in the implementation of a GEF -7 project “Sustainable management and restoration of degraded landscapes for achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) in India”. The project aims to achieve land degradation neutrality by creating additional carbon sinks through an ecosystem-based approach for restoring degraded agricultural, forest, pastoral lands, and surface water bodies. It involves enabling institutional frameworks and policies for integrated sustainable land management practices and up-scaling landscape-wide practices in 3 states Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh contributing to the national target of restoring 26 Mha of degraded lands by 2030.

The project being implemented over a period of five years will lead to the following outcomes: (1) Enhanced national, state and district-level enabling frameworks incentivizing SLM practices and supporting participatory multi-sector platforms to avoid, reduce and reverse land degradation, biodiversity loss and climate mitigation; (2) Integrated participatory landscape design and financing models established in support of avoidance, reduction and reversal of land degradation, desertification, biodiversity loss and negative impacts of climate change to generates multiple sustained environmental and economic benefits; (3) Improved capacity for LDN monitoring, assessment and reporting to UNCCD in support of LDN target setting and evaluation of capacities of partners; allowing government institutions and other agencies to better document, analyse and disseminate effective intervention strategies for restoring productive landscapes and replication of best practices at national and state level, and at international level through improved South-South cooperation, knowledge and adaptive management.

UNDP seeks to engage the services of a Landscape Project Officer to support the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Landscape Project Management Unit in implementation of the project. S/he will work under the supervision of Divisional Forest Officer (DFO).

Under the direct supervision of Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) and State Project Officer. The Landscape Project Officer will perform the following tasks:

1. Assist the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), State Project Director (SPD)/Nodal Officer in planning, coordination, implementation of the project activities in accordance with the project document and results framework.
2. Assume full responsibility at the landscape level for implementation of the project activities.
3. Ensure regular communication and coordination with all the stakeholders including the National Project Management Unit, State Project Management Unit, Landscape level Committees with respect to project activities in the state.
4. Coordination with relevant line departments and technical institutions working on land and forest management and sustainable livelihood issues in the project landscapes.
5. Develop landscape specific annual work plans and ensure accurate and timely reporting to State Project Management Unit, and UNDP for activities of the project in the state.
6. Facilitate and participate in the periodic review meetings including Landscape Level Committee, State Project Steering Committee meetings on monthly basis and prepare meeting minutes, workshop proceedings etc.
7. Support SPMU in developing the Terms of Reference for hiring the consultants/ institutions/consultancy firms to be hired to undertake project activities and help the state government/UNDP in contracting processes.
8. Identify capacity development needs of implementing partners, district level line departments, community members, and stakeholders. Arrange for necessary trainings for the same.
9. Collate and provide inputs for timely submission of Monthly, Quarterly Progress Reports, Annual Progress Reports, Project Implementation Report, FACE Form, Utilization Certificates and mid-term progress reports to MoEFCC and UNDP, as per General Financial Rules 2017, bank reconciliation certificate and other financial reports as and when required.
10. Provide inputs for the progress against the approved workplan, and project result framework.
11. Preparations of financial audits and processes like annual, half yearly and quarterly financial Reports.
12. Liaison with district level departments and other state departments for convergence with on-going schemes/programmes of the central and state schemes for leveraging co-financing and resource mobilisation.
13. Collection, Presentation and Sharing of best practices and dissemination of the knowledge products with key stakeholders and community members.
14. Support in developing new proposals for resource mobilization to augment support to the programme/project.
15. Track and manage project expenditure at the landscape level.
16. Manage and track contracts with project partners and flag any potential risks and suggest its mitigation measures. Ensure timely contract management and payments.
17. Assist the DFO/SPD/UNDP in the independent Mid-term and Terminal Evaluation of the project.
18. Any other tasks and responsibilities related to the project assigned by the DFO/SPD/UNDP.