1. Position Information

Organization: UNDP Saudi Arabia, through Stars Orbit Consultants and Management Development (SOC).

VA No. VA24-102

Position Title: Chief Technical Advisor
Consultancy Type: International Expert

Duty Station: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Level of Effort/Duration: 12 months (renewable)

Vacancy Date of Issue: 25 June 2024

Vacancy Closure Date: 2 July 2024

Expected Starting Date: As soon as possible

This vacancy is announced by UNDP Saudi Arabia through Stars Orbit Consultants and Management Development (SOC). SOC is a sub-contractor for UNDP Saudi Arabia, assisting the programme in implementing their activities through HR and contract management of consultants working in their support.

2. Background Information

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a G20 member with very high human development index ranking 37th out of 189 countries in 2021. Heavy dependence on natural resources, especially oil and gas, presents a major challenge for future development with significant needs for rapid economic diversification. The Kingdom has made significant progress towards the achievement of its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); however, it still faces major environmental challenges including accelerated land degradation and desertification, rapid ecosystem degradation, loss of biodiversity and land cover with high exposure to climate risks.

Saudi Arabia has a diversified topography and terrains spanning from desert to mountain series and coastal areas. Although known for its dominant desert and dryland climate, Saudi Arabia has about 2% of its total area covered by forests, including Juniper woodlands representing approximately 2.7 million hectares. The total number of plant species is estimated at 2,247, with 246 endemic species and 334 medicinal plants distributed across different ecosystems including 171 million hectares of rangelands and grasslands. The Sabkha are important ecosystems in the Red Sea and the Gulf areas that present – along with other marine ecosystems – an essential foundation for local livelihoods in coastal areas.

In response to growing climate and environmental risks, the Kingdom launched the ambitious Saudi Green Initiative (SGI), under Saudi Vision 2030, with the objectives of: 1) Reducing carbon emissions by 278 mtpa by 2030; 2) Greening the country by planting 10 billion trees in coming decades, equal to rehabilitating 40 million hectares of land; and 3) Protecting terrestrial and marine ecosystems by raising the surface of protected areas to more than 30% of total land area.

The National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC) was established in 2019 under the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture to support national efforts to protect the Kingdom’s environment. NCVC is tasked with combating desertification, developing and rehabilitating forest vegetation cover, protecting local endangered plant species and developing and managing national parks. The Center is engaged in the implementation of projects and initiatives to expand the green cover through afforestation/reforestation, combating desertification, and rehabilitating and restoring degraded lands and ecosystems. The Center has four technical departments: 1) Department of Rangelands;

2) Department of National Parks; 3) Department of Forestry; and 4) Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Combating Desertification.

3. Project Description

UNDP, in collaboration with NCVC, is supporting the implementation of the project “Strengthening Institutional and Technical Capacities of National Center for Vegetation Cover and Combating Desertification”. The goal of the project is to strengthen the institutional, technical, and technological capacities of the Centre in order to conduct its mandate effectively. This will be achieved by strengthening international cooperation, building technical capacities in natural resource management, facilitating digital transformation, supporting the implementation of the National Greening Programme under the Saudi Green Initiative, and mainstreaming the Sustainable Development Goals into national ecosystem restoration efforts. A gender sensitive approach will be adopted to ensure that both, men and women, contribute to and benefit from project implementation.

To achieve this goal, the project will contribute to the achievement of the following outputs: Output 1: Strengthening international cooperation and network

Output 2: Mainstreaming SDGs into national ecosystem restoration efforts

Output 3: Supporting and accelerating implementation of National Greening Programme Output 4: Transforming information technology, digital infrastructure, and data excellence Output 5: Strengthening institutional and technical capacities

4. Scope of Work

The Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) will provide technical guidance and oversight for the effective implementation of the project. S/he will provide substantive oversight, guidance and support to the Technical Advisors responsible for the respective project outputs.

of work will include the following:

a. Technical supervision, advice and quality assurance

• Provide strategic guidance on issues relating to the project including sustainable land management and restoration, drylands development, climate resilience, sustainable development goals and multilateral environmental agreements, with a view to ensuring the achievement of the intended results of the project;
• Provide technical supervision, guidance and support to the project technical team (including the technical advisors and consultants) in order to carry out effectively the implementation of activities under the respective outputs of the project;
• Provide the necessary technical support to the Project Manager and Project Team for the development of technical briefs and terms of reference for technical experts and consultants engaged for work envisaged under the respective outputs;
• Lead in designing and putting in place as required, quality control/peer review mechanisms for technical reviews/contributions from consultants, government experts and the private sector to ensure the highest quality of outputs/products, publications, discussion papers and briefs.
• Contribute to the delivery of any other relevant task pertaining to the project and the activities of the Centre both at the national and international levels.

b. Support to the Project Manager with planning, monitoring, evaluation and reporting

• Provide leadership for any necessary update and revision of indicators, baselines, targets, and means of verification for the project outputs, and their activities (in the Results Framework) as required for effective implementation and monitoring and evaluation;
• Provide advice and inputs to the preparation of project progress reports, including reports to national partners as required, focusing on capturing results, lessons, and follow up actions.

c. Strategic advice, capacity building and knowledge sharing

• Provide strategic advice for the development and implementation of policies, legislation, and regulatory frameworks related to sustainable land management and restoration, drylands development, climate resilience, sustainable development goals and multilateral environmental agreements;
• Lead in the development and provision of oversight in capacity building, including mentoring of national counterparts, and identify appropriate training opportunities;
• Transfer and apply technical knowledge and experience from his/her academic background and professional experience to enhance technical knowledge on sustainable land management and restoration, multilateral environmental agreements, SDGs, etc. to relevant project staff.
• Contribute to the production of knowledge products, policy briefs, and research papers to enhance NCVC’s visibility and thought leadership in the national and international arena.

d. Partnerships, advocacy and outreach

• Develop and maintain strategic networks and partnerships with relevant development partners or organizations working on activities of interest to the project with a view to mobilize knowledge and expertise to ensure the achievement of the goal and intended results of the project;
• Search and analyze information and activities relating to sustainable land management and restoration, drylands development, climate resilience, multilateral environmental agreements, etc., and identify possible aspects/themes of cooperation.
• Advise on strategically linking the project with other national, regional and global initiatives by other development partners, the private sector, and communities;
• Identify opportunities for advocacy, policy dialogues, and technical discussions with the Government, development partners and relevant stakeholders.

5. Institutional Arrangement

The Chief Technical Advisor will work under the supervision of the Project Manager, and through him/her the Project Board. S/he will have a second reporting line to the Project Executive Deputyship (UNDP) to ensure that the project is implemented according to UNDP’s strategic objectives in Saudi Arabia.

He/she will work in close collaboration with the National Project Coordinator and professionals supporting project implementation at NCVC.

He/she will be based at NCVC in Riyadh and will be called upon to conduct in-country and international missions to support project implementation as needed.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

Advanced degree (master’s or higher) in Natural Sciences or Environmental Sciences, or multidisciplinary qualifications in Natural Resources Management, Climate Change, Sustainable Forest Management, Sustainable Land Management, Agriculture or a related field.

Min. years of relevant Work experience

• At least 10 years of experience in natural resource management including sustainable land management and restoration, biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, sustainable forest management, water resources management, and/or climate resilience.
• A minimum of 7 years of experience with multi-lateral environmental agreements, particularly the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, drylands development and the Sustainable Development Goals.
• A minimum of 7 years of experience in supporting, leading and/or coordinating technical experts including project staff and consultants.
• Demonstrated experience in Results Based Management for development project implementation
• Familiarity with the UN/DP programming is an advantage.

Required skills

• Substantive Knowledge: Has a very good understanding of environment and sustainable development issues specifically sustainable land management, ecosystem restoration, biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, climate change and related Sustainable Development Goals.
• Leadership Abilities: Exhibits the ability to lead and coordinate the work of a technical team, fostering an environment of cooperation and motivation.
• Project Implementation Expertise: Demonstrates proficiency in the principles and practices of effective project implementation. Shows capability to effectively support the delivery of project activities.
• Communication Skills: Shows the ability to communicate effectively and articulately in a range of forums, both written and verbal. Has the ability to negotiate and build consensus among different stakeholders.
• Professional Ethics: Demonstrates integrity and fairness by modeling UN values and ethical standards. Shows professional competence and is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines, and achieving results.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section

Experience in dryland countries and/or Saudi Arabia is highly desirable.

Required Language(s)

Fluent (oral and written) in English. Working level knowledge of Arabic is an added value