Research Associate

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 Research Associate to support the MoEFCC (National Project Management Unit) in implementation of the project. S/he will work under the supervision of IGF, MoEFCC (National Project Director – NPD) and shall be part of NPMU.

Under the overall guidance of the National Project Director and under the direct supervision of the National Project Manager, NPMU-LDN Project, the Research Associate will perform the following tasks:

• Assist with technical tasks such as data collection, analysis, and reporting and technical support to manage the project smoothly;
• Conduct research and prepare outputs such as technical documents / reports, presentations, and publications based on project findings;
• Support in the implementation and tracking of project activities;
• Ensure regular communication and coordination with the National Project Management Unit, State Project Steering Committee, UNDP and MoEFCC with respect to project activities;
• Prepare National / State-specific Annual Work Plans, including monthly targets and deliverables as well as annual spending targets in accordance with the Project Document;
• Coordinate and participate in project meetings, including scheduling, prepare meeting agenda’s, minutes of the meeting;
• Responsible for coordination and follow-up of project activities with technical agencies, governmental and non-governmental organizations involved in the projects to ensure timely provision of inputs and achievement of outputs and deliverables;
• Provide logistical support for workshops and other meetings;
• Support the timely preparation and submission of annual progress reports, donor reports, project reviews, financial reports, audit reports and any other required project reports;
• Support in development and implementation of communication strategy and action plan for all projects under the portfolio;
• Provide technical input to the project activities, where appropriate;
• Handle routine correspondence and communication;
• Provides administrative and operation support during implementation of project;
• Analyse the situation in project(s) implementation, identify operational and financial problems, develop Solutions;
• Stay updated on recent research developments relevant to the project;
• Perform other technical and research related tasks as assigned by the National Project Director.