There are a range of critical climate fragility risks emerging in the Pacific Region that will require greater examination, monitoring and coordinated action by many stakeholders at the national, regional and international level to prevent potential irreversible economic, social, cultural and environmental damage with a range of potential security implications and a direct impact on social cohesion. Most critical issues amongst these include:
Displacement and forced migration due to irreversible degradation of livelihoods, food sources and coastal erosion;
Increased social tensions linked access to land and fisheries resources;
A decrease in national revenues that could affect the ability of these states to mitigate the social impacts of climate change;
Challenges to the Blue Economy, particularly losses in fisheries and tourism revenue at the same as costs of disasters and climate change to national budgets is increasing;
Decline in health and productivity of Pacific People as local food source degradation exacerbates dependency on unhealthy cheap imports coupled with an existing and growing NCD crisis.
Reduced coping capacity and vulnerability of at risk populations with successive and strengthened natural disasters
Impacts of sea-level rise on the jurisdictions of Pacific SIDS with uncertainty on maritime zones and boundaries
To avoid reaching critical thresholds for social conflict and exhausting coping capacities, effective responses must be tailored to the unique political, economic, cultural, environmental and development circumstances of the region, and must work with and through national systems.
The project responds to these issues by providing capacity to Pacific Countries, with a focus on low lying Atoll nations, to assess, understand and address their critical climate security challenges. This will be achieved through: the application of tailored climate security assessment approaches; inclusive youth and gender-sensitive dialogues; partnerships with the range of stakeholders operating across the aspects of climate security and supporting the uptake of key findings in relevant national, regional and international policy and resourcing strategies. These activities will add value through key regional frameworks and initiatives such as the Boe Declaration and Action Plan. The project is designed as a catalytic intervention to both strengthen capacity for global advocacy as well as capacity to plan and respond to challenges at the community, national and regional level in Pacific SIDS.
The project will be implemented by the UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji under the UNDP Direct Implementation Modality (DIM) and will be part of the Resilient and Sustainable Development (RSD) team. Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Team Leader – RSD, the Project Manager directly supports the effective implementation and management of the “Climate Security” project.
Duties and Responsibilities
Undertake Efficient and effective day-to-day planning, management implementation and monitoring of project activities and associated results:
Prepare a detailed work plan, schedule and budget, for approval by the Project Board, and update it on a quarterly basis (or more frequentable if needed);
Undertake pro-active day-to-day management, including coordination, and implementation of the project activities, following result-based management;
Coordinate technical inputs in support to planned project activities in consultation with the UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji RSD Management, project team as well as the relevant Government entities;
Prepare terms of reference (TOR) for services to be provided , prepare technical specifications for the goods to be acquired, and, prepare Statement of Works (SOW) for civil works to be undertaken by individual consultants and/or commercial enterprises to be contracted by the project, for further review by the UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji RSD Management and the Technical Advisor housed in PIFS;
Coordinate activities and manage technical, logistical and administrative processes to ensure the achievement of project outputs;
Support tender committees for the procurement of services/goods /civil works, ensuring the compliance of documentation with the TOR/technical specifications/SOW and project objectives;
Supervise project finance, logistical, and administrative arrangements, and project related procurement and HR procedures;
Provide technical advice to relevant project stakeholders to perform tasks related to project activities efficiently and effectively;
Provide advice and direction on strategic and policy issues to strengthen gender and social inclusion (GESI) initiatives in the project, including work plans and project implementation strategy, and, facilitate the creation of an environment to address GESI issues through the project’s activities;
Manage communications and ensure relevant stakeholders are aware of project activities and progress;
Prepare a proposal for the transfer of goods/civil works acquired/undertaken with the project resources (including issues of sustainability and post project requirements such as maintenance and replacement);
Undertake project activities in line with existing UNDP rules and regulations, including related to financial, procurement and administrative aspects, and, at the same time, observing the project timelines; and,
Undertake other duties as assigned by the UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji –RSD Management.