Project Integration Specialist

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading environmental authority in the United Nations system. UNEP uses its expertise to strengthen environmental standards and practices while helping implement environmental obligations at the country, regional and global levels. UNEP’s mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

The Project Integration Specialist will ensure the seamless coordination and integration of all project components, stakeholders, and activities to achieve the project's strategic objectives within scope, time, and budget. The volunteer will deliver a comprehensive integration framework that enhances collaboration, minimizes risks, and ensures alignment across workstreams. By the end of the assignment, the project will have a clearly defined roadmap, improved stakeholder engagement mechanisms, and strengthened governance structures, contributing to the successful delivery and sustainability of project outcomes. The main objective of the position of Project Integration Specialist is to contribute with the Ministry of the Environment and UNEP in the coordination and implementation of the Green Climate Fund funded project as set in the funding proposal document.

The Project Integration Specialist supports the effective implementation of the project by strengthening adaptation planning, governance, and institutional coordination in Panama. The role focuses on building institutional capacity, improving coordination across ministries, and supporting systems that guide, monitor, and evaluate the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process. This includes contributions to: - Capacity-building efforts for policy and decision-makers from relevant ministries and departments to support leadership, coordination, and participation in the NAP process. - Advancing national research and development efforts to better understand cross thematic climate risks and identify innovative technologies and approaches. - Supporting national mechanisms that track adaptation progress, document advances, and inform future revisions of adaptation priorities under the NDC. The specialist works closely with the National Project Coordinator to support project planning and delivery. This includes contributing to the development and refinement of work plans, monitoring and optimizing budget allocation, supporting procurement planning, and preparing progress analyses to ensure milestones are met efficiently. Further responsibilities include monitoring project implementation to identify operational constraints and proposing corrective measures, as well as contributing to the preparation, monitoring, and compliance of procurement plans, operational plans, and project budgets. The role also provides technical inputs and review for communication materials related to the NAP portfolio, including the preparation and dissemination of policy and climate change adaptation documents. The specialist supports financial management processes related to cooperation agreements and conducts analytical reviews—using a gender sensitive approach—to assess the institutional, technical, and coordination capacities of members of the NAP coordination platform and working group. This assessment helps identify capacity gaps and opportunities for strengthening cross thematic adaptation planning. In fulfilling these responsibilities, the specialist: - Provides technical expertise to support evidence-based project implementation aligned with national adaptation priorities and international frameworks. - Works with government leadership and key stakeholders to integrate climate risk assessments, vulnerability analyses, and gender responsive approaches into project workflows and reporting. - Contributes to technical documents, adaptation plans, reports, and policy recommendations to strengthen institutional capacities. - Supports documentation management, monitoring and evaluation processes, and coordination efforts to ensure timely delivery of project milestones, with a strong focus on climate resilience. - Monitors the project execution plan and budget, identifies barriers and challenges to implementation, and communicates findings in a timely manner to enable informed decision-making and the adoption of appropriate corrective measures. The Project Integration Specialist also supports the development of a strong evidence base to inform adaptation solutions across priority sectors, including water resources, health, infrastructure, and agriculture and food security. This work involves: - Contributing to the review and analysis of available climate data, existing adaptation efforts, and vulnerability assessment approaches, integrating gender-responsive considerations and drawing on national sources and stakeholder inputs. - Providing technical guidance during recruitment and procurement processes in line with UNEP procedures. - Supporting the organization and technical delivery of steering committee meetings, workshops, trainings, consultations, and communication efforts. - Contributing technical expertise to field missions aimed at disseminating information on climate change adaptation. In close collaboration with UNEP regional leadership and national project coordinators, the specialist ensures that scientific evidence, sectoral insights, and stakeholder inputs are effectively integrated into project planning, reporting, and decision-making processes. The role further contributes to strengthening adaptation finance and the integration of adaptation priorities into public planning and budgeting processes. Key areas of support include: - Reviewing public and institutional expenditure related to climate change adaptation, including national estimates and spending patterns. - Assessing institutional coordination mechanisms for climate finance, budgeting, and planning. - Evaluating the capacity of local governments to mobilize and allocate resources for adaptation measures. - Coordinating project related meetings through agenda setting, documentation of discussions, and follow up on action points. - Working with the Project Management Unit to address operational needs and support effective resource management. Through the synthesis and technical analysis of quantitative and qualitative data across project components, the Project Integration Specialist helps ensure that findings are well documented, aligned with project objectives, and translated into actionable adaptation strategies, financial analyses, and policy recommendations.