Overview

The Programme Management Officer will support the coordination, implementation, and monitoring of the ProCongo and UN-REDD Programme activities and outputs, working closely with regional and national partners.

Tasks Summary

• Support the day-to-day implementation of programme activities across both portfolios (ProCongo and UN-REDD).
• Coordinate with national executing agencies, implementing partners, and UNEP divisions to ensure timely delivery of activities.
• Assist in the development and review of work plans, budgets, and procurement plans of both programmes.
• Support the development and implementation of both programmes strategies, work plans, and budgets.
• Coordinate with UNEP HQ, regional offices, and implementing partners to ensure coherent and timely delivery of the programme activities across both portfolios.
• Collaborate across the four ProCongo countries with UNCDF, UNEP, government agencies, private sector partners and relevant entities-to ensure alignment with programmes and projects results frameworks.
• Conduct periodic (bi-annual) reporting to the donor (CAFI) of the ProCongo project as well as internal reporting requirements by UNEP.
• Ensure proper follow-up of UN-REDD implementation based on legal agreement and agreed workplan, UN-REDD Results Framework 2026-2030.
• Provide technical guidance and support to countries in terms of day-to-day REDD+ implementation as necessary.
• Provide technical support and capacity development to countries on topics such as REDD+ nesting, carbon market and other REDD+ related issues.
• Facilitate UN-REDD-related coordination with FAO and UNDP teams where relevant to Congo Basin countries.
• Provides policy advisory support to African priority countries in scaling up sustainable financing for REDD+ activities.
• Seek cross-linkages of other relevant UNEP programmes.
• Monitor implementation timelines, flag delays and suggest corrective actions of UNEP’s deliverables in the ProCongo initiative across the four countries, as well as UN-REDD deliverables.
• Support the preparation of project documents, donor updates, internal briefings and Steering Committee/PMU reading materials.
• Track compliance with UNEP and donor requirements, including financial and administrative procedures.
• Support operational follow-up on UNEP’s grants to SMEs and service contracts to implementing partners (IPs).
• Contribute to the development of new project proposals and funding opportunities.
• Monitor integration of REDD+ safeguards (Cancun safeguards and ART TREES requirements), risk management, and social inclusion standards into programme operations and partner deliverables.
• Provide technical backstopping on REDD+ relevant topics (carbon markets, nesting, benefit-sharing, MRV alignment).
• Assist in identifying and mobilizing technical expertise for REDD+ related tasks.
• Monitor implementation progress, milestones and indicators for both programmes.
• Compile inputs for and contribute to the preparation of progress reports, donor reports.
• Support data collection and analysis, including by liaising with implementing partners, for monitoring and evaluation purposes.
• Liaise with national governments, regional bodies, civil society, and indigenous organizations to support inclusive programme implementation.
• Represent UNEP in coordination meetings, technical working groups, and regional forums.
• Support organization of missions, workshops, and regional knowledge events.
• Support consultations and stakeholder engagement processes aligned with REDD⁺ principles of transparency, participation, FPIC, and IPLC inclusion.
• Maintain close working relationships with government REDD⁺ focal points, national REDD⁺ secretariats, civil society networks, and private sector actors engaged in forest/climate finance.
• Facilitate partnerships with REDD⁺ initiatives to ensure alignment with nationally owned REDD⁺ processes.
• Serve as UNEP’s day-to-day liaison to the ProCongo Joint PMU.
• Support preparations for Steering Committees, Advisory Boards, and governance bodies.
• Track follow-up on governance decisions and ensure timely UNEP inputs.
• Prepare technical inputs to governance bodies on REDD⁺ progress, risks, safeguards compliance, and opportunities for improved forest governance.
• Track decisions related to REDD⁺ finance, safeguards, and technical assistance and ensure timely follow-up.
• Contribute to the collection and analysis of programme data and results of both programmes (ProCongo and UN-REDD).
• Support the integration of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) findings into planning.
• Collaborate with the Knowledge and M&E team to ensure lessons learned are captured and shared.
• Contribute to knowledge and learning events under both programmes.
• Draft visibility materials and briefings for UNEP senior management.
• Capture and package REDD⁺ lessons learned, good practices, and innovations from different initiatives for regional dissemination through UN-REDD platforms.
• Support the development of briefings, policy notes, and knowledge outputs on REDD⁺ finance, carbon markets, nesting approaches, and safeguards.
• Coordinate procurement, travel, and logistical arrangements for project activities.
• Ensure compliance with UNEP and donor operational and financial procedures.
• Maintain project documentation and records in accordance with UNEP standards.
• Collects and analyzes data to identify trends or patterns and provide insights through graphs, charts, tables and reports using data visualization methods to enable data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting.
• Ensures that requirements, background information used for data analysis are documented.

Experience Requirements

• A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in programme or project management in international development or environmental programmes is required.
• Knowledge of REDD⁺ safeguards, SIS, FREL/FRL processes, carbon markets, or forest governance is required.
• Experience with REDD⁺ processes (readiness, implementation, results-based finance) is required.
• Familiarity with private sector engagement and enterprise support (ProCongo) is desirable.
• Experience in the Congo Basin or Central Africa region is desirable.
• Experience working with UN agencies, multilateral donors, or regional African institutions is desirable.
• Two (2) years or more of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.

Qualification Requirements

Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Environmental Management, Social Sciences, International Development, public administration, or a related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree. Successful completion of both degree and non-degree programs in data analytics, business analytics or data science programs is desirable.

Other Details

Languages Required: English and French are required.

Languages Preferred: Lingala or Swahili or Kikongo or Tshiluba is desirable.

Contract Duration: initial period of one (1) year and may be subject to extension

Work Modality:

Remuneration: