UNDP Project Technical Intern Officer (Duty Station: Vava’u, Tonga)

Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager of the R2R Tonga Project and Team leader of the Resilience and Climate Change unit in Suva, Fiji, and working closely with the MCO oversight and Performance unit, the Project Technical Intern Officer will provide technical oversight of Tonga component of the regional project in close collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change, Department of Energy in Tonga.

Duties and Responsibilities 

Develop guidelines and update management plans in the area of biodiversity and Conservation.

• Manage the overall coordination and guidance of the technical aspects of the project, in particular, oversee and guide the preparation/update of management plans, SMA planning, management and monitoring.
• Oversee and coordination of the technical inputs from the Vava’u Ma’alahi Taskforce Committee and national consultants.
• Collaborate with relevant stakeholders, including local communities, indigenous groups, and government agencies, to integrate traditional knowledge and sustainable practices into biodiversity conservation guidelines and management plans.
• Engage in participatory processes to gather input from diverse stakeholders and experts and to incorporate their perspectives into developing and updating biodiversity conservation guidelines and management plans.

Establish partnerships, coordination and open communication channels, and build the government’s capacity.

• Oversee and support capacity-building and training programs for all relevant local agencies, special interest groups and local communities.
• Monitor events as determined in the project monitoring plan and facilitate update the plan as required.
• Design and deliver training workshops, seminars, and awareness campaigns aimed at building the technical and operational capacities of relevant stakeholders in biodiversity monitoring, conservation planning, and sustainable resource management.
• Facilitate knowledge-sharing sessions and peer-to-peer learning opportunities to promote best practices in biodiversity conservation and foster collaboration among stakeholders.
• Collaborate with external partners and experts to identify capacity development needs and opportunities and to leverage resources for training and skill-building initiatives.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of capacity development interventions and provide recommendations for continuous improvement and adaptation based on feedback and lessons learned.

Provide inputs to the project monthly, quarterly, annual, and final reports and evaluations. 

• Perform regular progress reporting to the project board as agreed with the board, including measures to address challenges and opportunities.
• Oversee progress related to project risks – including social and environmental risks.
• Capture lessons learned during project implementation.
• Facilitate preparation of revisions to the multi-year work plan, as needed, as well as annual and quarterly plans if required.
• Monitor and track progress against the GEF Core indicators.
• Support the Mid Term Review (MTR) and Terminal Evaluation process.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

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Required Skills and Experience of Project Technical Intern Officer