Programme Coordinator – EUROCLIMA Caribbean Programme (M/W) at Expertise France

Description of the project

EUROCLIMA is the European Commission’s flagship programme to support environmental sustainability and climate change mitigation and adaptation measures in Latin America.

Its objective is to support Latin American countries in the implementation of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) through the implementation of innovative actions identified during national and regional policy dialogues. Indeed, the main characteristic of EUROCLIMA is the demand-driven approach, through the “Country Dialogue” methodology. This key step of the programme allows to identify actions that can be endorsed by the programme in the field of climate change, according to the strategy, policies and priorities of the concerned countries and the programme’s capacity to address them.

In 2023, EUROCLIMA will be extended to the Caribbean, with the objective of reducing the impact of climate change by helping countries in the region to progress in their transition towards (i) a circular economy, (ii) renewable energies, biodiversity protection and climate adaptation.

The programme is funded by the European Union and coordinated by the Delegation of the European Union (DUE) in Barbados. Implementation is carried out by several agencies: Expertise France (EF), the German Agency for International Development Cooperation (GIZ) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

In this context, Expertise France is looking for a Coordinator to ensure the development of strategic offers in Caribbean countries, in co-construction with technical and political partners in the framework of the Country Dialogues organized by the Program.

The Expertise France team of the EUROCLIMA Caribbean Programme is composed of:

• At the headquarters in Paris: a Project Officer and a Project Assistant, in charge of the contractual and financial follow-up of the programme and the institutional relationship with the Barbados EUD and the other implementing agencies;
• In the field (location to be defined) :
  • An operational team composed of a Regional Coordinator (the position in question), who supervises one or two Project Officers (depending on the evolution of the program). The team will be in charge of the operational management of the actions implemented by EF in the framework of the Euroclima Caribbean Program;
  • A transversal support unit composed of an Administrative and Financial Officer and a Procurement/Grant Management Officer, and two specialized experts (communication and monitoring-evaluation);
  • A technical team: experts on the themes of Biodiversity, Energy, Climate, Circular Economy and Gender, who will support the Coordinator and the Project Officers in the Country Dialogue phase and in the definition, planning and implementation of actions.
• In Brussels: a Coordination Officer in the EUROCLIMA Latin America Programme Support Unit (PSU), who will support the EUROCLIMA Caribbean programme if needed.

Description of the mission

The position combines a strategic component with a strong operational focus, as the Coordinator will be responsible for both the strategic steering of the programme and its implementation, in collaboration with the Project Officers.

The Coordinator will intervene upstream of the implementation of the actions prioritized by the programme in the framework of the Country Dialogues, and during the management and monitoring of the implementation of these actions.

During the Country Dialogue phase, the Coordinator :

1. Preparation of Country Dialogues
   • Participate in the launch of Country Dialogue activities in coordination with the Barbados EUD and other facilitating agencies;
   • Develops and cultivates relationships with the programme’s political and technical partners (National and Sector Focal Points and their delegates) in the area, as well as with potential implementing partners in the area and other key actors (NGOs, consultancies, etc.);
   • Contributes to the analysis of the NDC situation for the countries for which EF facilitates the Country Dialogue;
   • Oversees the preparation and dissemination of an AFD Group strategic offer for each Country Dialogue, taking into account the Group’s interests, know-how and experience in the prioritized sectors, in coherence with national policies, the country’s support needs, and programme orientations;
2. Organization of Country-Dialogues
   • Oversees the logistical organization of Country Dialogues for which EF is a facilitator;
   • Participates in the Country Dialogues, as facilitator for the countries concerned, and as observer if relevant, and ensures that the relevant know-how and experiences of the AFD Group are properly disseminated and taken into account;
   • Informs the headquarters team of the technical progress of the Country Dialogues in which he/she participates and of the exchanges held with the partners in the field, notably when important decisions are to be taken;
3. Development of Country Action Plans
   • Participates in the multi-criteria analysis of country requests identified after stakeholder consultation;
   • Participates in the elaboration of the Country Action Plan by ensuring the integration of the elements of AFD Group’s strategic offer when they have been validated by the country;
   • Coordinates the validation of these actions with the NFPs and Management Committee;
   • Identifies and analyzes actions that could be implemented by EF.

During the implementation phase of the actions, the Coordinator:

1. Preparation of EF technical bids
   • Coordinate the identification and mobilization of the expertise and service providers needed to implement the actions for which EF has been selected (preparation of terms of reference, selection, and contracting);
   • Provide strategic and operational support to project managers in the definition and planning phase of implementation;
2. Project contracting
   • Oversees the monitoring of various agreements and contracts (contracting, implementation, closing) in compliance with procurement procedures;
3. Project implementation
   • Represents the project to all partners (institutional, technical and financial);
   • Supervises the logistics associated with the realization of activities (events, training, conferences, study tours, etc.);
   • Participate in the various governance bodies of the Programs (MCM, Annual Meetings, etc.);
   • Oversee the progress of projects and the quality of deliverables, intermediate and final technical and financial reports, and annual financial audits;
   • Supervise activities related to communication and visibility and monitoring and evaluation.

Finally, the role of the Coordinator includes a managerial component:

• Recruits the local team, defines the operational objectives, the organization of the workload, and the follow-up and support;
• Ensures compliance with the security policy defined by the Expertise France security department.

This job description is not exhaustive – the Programme Coordinator is the guarantor of the achievement of the contractual objectives of the project and will have to carry out any activity necessary for the good execution of the project.

Desired profile

Technical qualifications and skills:

• Master or equivalent in political science, international relations, sustainable development and/or environmental science, or other relevant field;
• Good knowledge of issues related to the project’s themes (biodiversity, renewable energy, circular economy and climate adaptation);
• Knowledge of the mechanisms and actors of international cooperation (including European institutions);
• Understanding of public procurement procedures;
• Excellent command of English and Spanish (oral and written).

Professional experience:

• At least 10 years of professional experience in project or programme management, including at least 5 years in a multi-stakeholder program(s);
• At least 2 years of field experience required;
• Experience in institutional dialogue, particularly with European institutions and/or local authorities;
• In-depth practical experience in the management of international technical cooperation projects with European funding;
• Experience or knowledge of the geographical area (Caribbean) would be an asset;
• Experience in the area of access to climate finance would be an asset.

Skills:

• Excellent interpersonal and diplomatic skills;
• Strategic and results-oriented vision;
• Decision-making ability, initiative and autonomy;
• Ability to represent in a multicultural context;
• Perfect command of office software.

Additional information

Documents to be provided in support of the application:

• A CV;
• A letter of motivation.

Provisional implementation schedule:

• Start of the project in Q1 2023;
• Position to be filled as soon as possible.

The location of the position is still to be defined, but will be either Martinique, Barbados, Dominican Republic or Suriname. Travels within the region will be required.

If you do not hear from us within 05 weeks, please consider your application unsuccessful. Candidates interested in this opportunity are invited to submit their application as soon as possible, Expertise France reserves the right to proceed with the pre-selection before this date.