Terms of Reference
Position Title: Climate Change Mitigation Officer
Position Type: Professional and Technical
Location: National Climate Change Office, Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management, Hummingbird Highway, Belmopan, Cayo District
Background Information
Belize is considered as being one of the most vulnerable countries to the impacts of climate change. As such, the Government of Belize has taken steps to address the causes and impacts of climate change in order to promote resilience to the impacts. These efforts began with the signing and ratification of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992 and 1994 respectively. Later in 2003, Belize acceded to the Kyoto Protocol which came into force on the 16th of February 2005. Recently, Belize signed the Paris Agreement on 22nd of April 2016 and submitted its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in this regard. Most recently, on 24th of August 2021, The Cabinet approved an updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) that has been submitted to the UNFCCC.
The EnGenDER Project, which seeks to integrate gender equality and human rights based on approaches into DDR, climate change (CC) adaptation and environmental management frameworks and interventions and identify and address some of the gaps to ensure equal access to DRR and climate change environment solutions for women, men, boys and girls in nine Caribbean countries, aims to further achieve its mandate under the NCCO by hiring a Climate Change Mitigation Officer to support the implementation of adaptation activities and initiatives.
One of the objectives under the EnGenDER project is to advance the gender-responsive implementation of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) at the sector-level according to national priorities, focusing on sectors that have the greatest beneficial impact for women and girls. Prioritised sector-level adaptation approaches will be undertaken, which may include climate-smart agriculture, value addition of Sargassum seaweed, integrated agriculture of fisheries management and nature/ecosystem -based solutions. NAMAs will focus on renewable energy, responding to stakeholder requests for the climate-proofing of essential services infrastructure. The Climate Change Mitigation will report to the EnGenDER Project Manager, and work under the overall supervision of the Chief Climate Change Officer.
Basic Purpose of the Position:
The basic purpose of the position is to develop the coordination and monitoring activities related to climate change mitigation at the national level, specifically as it related to the development and management of a National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Management System. The position responsibilities are to incorporated National Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) frameworks on climate change mitigation issues for both policy and projects and including programme development, knowledge management and capacity building and monitoring and reporting, inter alia.
Key Responsibility Areas:
Management/Administrative Responsibilities:
- Participates in meetings, seminars, international and local meetings, conferences and workshops as required
- Presents climate change mitigation related information at public interest, governmental, international or other meetings
- Assist in the development of the Strategic/Operational Plans and Budgets for the National Climate Change Office (NCCO)
- Assist in the development of Individual Work Plan based on strategic alignment with Operational Plan and Strategic direction of the NCCO as it relates to mitigation activities
Technical/ Professional Responsibilities:
- Develop administration and management of Belize’s GHG Inventory Management system to include gender considerations. This will include the provision of technical assistance to all members of the national GHG inventory team, briefing management, and establishing the overall National Inventory Schedule.
Additional tasks include:
- Assessing gaps, constraints and capacity requirements of institutions that are to be involved in the continuous preparation of National Communications (NC) and biennial update reports.
- Overseeing national inventory sector leads.
- Ensure the effective completion of cross-cutting activities, including those relating to data collection, Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC), archiving, key category analysis (KCA), uncertainty analysis, and compilation of the inventory and mitigation sections of the National Communications (NC) and/or Biennial Update Report (BUR).
- Develop and institutionalize the national data collection protocols for GHGI
- Coordinate and implement the National Climate Change Policy, Strategy and Master Plan, the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the Greenhouse gas inventory process, Biennial update reporting process, NAMAs, and other non-market-based approaches focusing of practical aspects such as the sustainable livelihoods for vulnerable parties.
- Prioritizing the focus of NAMAs on renewable energy, responding to stakeholder requests for the climate-proofing of essential services infrastructure such as health centres, emergency shelters, and the provision of reliable and supplemental electricity through renewable energy sources.
- Coordinate among all relevant institutions and stakeholders involved in climate change mitigation at sector level according to national priorities, focusing on sectors that have the greatest beneficial impact for women and girls.
- Implement the mainstreaming of mitigation issues, through use of the climate change policy framework and NDCs, into key sectoral policies and strategies.
- Review and appraise all Climate Change mitigation related policies prior to approval.
- Provide technical and secretarial support to the Belize National Climate Change Committee and Technical Sub-committee.
- Oversee the collection of climate change mitigation information and data, create and maintenance of a database for on-going and pipeline projects on climate change mitigation by state and non-state actors and facilitates access to and use of information.
- Plan and execute capacity building workshops relating to climate change mitigation initiatives, multilateral agreements and conventions, and Belize’s NDCs to support the development of budgeted gender-responsive and inclusive NAMA sector action plan that will catalyse the implementation of climate actions.
- Represent the Government of Belize at national, regional and international events.
- Support the National Climate Change Office in the execution of additional tasks as mandated by management.
Required Competencies:
Core:
• Excellent analytical skills to analyse problems and provide solutions
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in the English language
• Results oriented
• Ability to work as part of a team, with importance on cross-team working and sharing information
Technical:
• Sound knowledge of climate change issues with respect to causes, impacts and options for mitigation and adaptation.
• Excellent knowledge of Climate Change mitigation issues, and agreements at the national, regional and international level.
• Strong competency in mathematics.
• Knowledge of the methodologies for preparing GHG inventories and familiarity with the 2006 IPCC Inventory Guidelines.
• Knowledge of applying UNFCCC GHG inventory reporting guidelines.
• Familiarity with the content of National Communications and UNFCCC processes.
• Experience working on a diverse team of individuals with different technical backgrounds and specialties.
• Ability to interpret data, present rational conclusions and defend recommended actions.
• Sound research skills and the ability to produce technical papers.
• Proven ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders
• Experience in standard software applications and in handling web-based management systems
Minimum Required Education and Experience:
• Master’s degree preferably in Agriculture, Natural Resources Management, Environmental Science, Engineering or a related discipline.
• 1 to 2 years’ experience, including relevant internships, in the climate change field, and understanding the role of local and regional governments in tackling climate change.
• Minimum of at least one peer review publication.
Application
Interested consultant should submit by email one (1) Updated Resume and two (2) Letters of Recommendation indicating their interest in and capability to implement the above work.
The subject of the email should read: “PROPOSAL FOR CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION OFFICER”.
All documents should be addressed to:
Lennox Gladden (PhD)
Chief Climate Change Officer
National Climate Change Office
Tel: 501-828-5960
The above email should be submitted NO LATER THAN February 25th, 2022, at 4:30PM Belize Time to:
E-mail for EnGenDER Project Manager: pm.engender@environment.gov.bz
Applications must state the period during which the bid will be valid. No facsimile tender documents will be considered.