Technical Analyst on Sustainable Commodity Policy [Open to internal and external applicants]
- Organisation: UNDP
- Location: Jakarta Pusat, Indonesia
- Deadline: 20 November 2026
Duties and Responsibilities
Tiered Approach
In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:
• Tier 0 : UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
• Tier 1 : Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
• Tier 2 : UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
• Tier 3 or no tier indicated : All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates
Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.
Background
UNDP is the United Nations’ lead agency on international development, working in 170 countries and territories to help people build better lives while protecting the planet. For 60 years, UNDP has supported countries to make progress on the issues that matter most, with human development at the core of its mandate. Our work is built on trust and long-term partnerships with governments, communities and organizations at every level.
UNDP Indonesia works with Indonesian partners to deliver an ambitious programme, fully aligned to the national priorities of Indonesia. The strategic priorities of UNDP Indonesia through its Country Programme 2026 -2030 are encapsulated under three outcome areas:
• Human Development
• Nature, Decarbonization and Resilience
• Economic and Digital Transformation
Operating in a Middle-Income Country brings its own set of complexities and opportunities. With 70% of the Indonesian economy directly or indirectly reliant on its natural resources, the link between nature, climate, jobs, and economic empowerment become critical. UNDP’s past experiences and support include innovative sustainable financing, digital health, energy transition and climate policies, improved service delivery that leaves no one behind. Enablers and multipliers such as digitalization and Artificial Intelligence are at the core of its efforts. Building on its vast and long experiences, and the knowledge of its entire team of professionals, UNDP Indonesia demonstrate its thought leadership and translate knowledge into policy advice, investment opportunities and scalable solutions for Indonesia’s critical development priorities
Indonesia is one of the world's largest producers of agricultural commodities such as palm oil and cocoa, which are vital to both the national economy and the livelihoods of millions of smallholders. However, unsustainable production practices present challenges related to deforestation, biodiversity loss, and climate change. In response, the Government of Indonesia (GoI) is implementing systemic reforms to transition toward a green economy, promoting agricultural sustainability, landscape restoration, and enhanced smallholder welfare. To support these goals, UNDP Indonesia’s Nature and Low Carbon Development (NLCD) unit manages a growing, interconnected portfolio of sustainable landscape and commodity initiatives, including:
• The Forest Agriculture and Sustainable Trade (FAST) Project: The project aims to strengthen sustainable agricultural commodity governance, with a particular focus on palm oil and cocoa, by supporting policy and regulatory improvements, institutional capacity development, sustainability standards and certification systems, and market and trade-related cooperation. Key interventions include strengthening the implementation of Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO), supporting the National Action Plan for Sustainable Palm Oil (NAP-SPO), advancing sustainable cocoa policy frameworks, and facilitating policy dialogue and collaboration among government, industry and other stakeholders.
• The Food Systems, Land Use and Restoration (FOLUR) Impact Program: The project promotes sustainable commodity production, responsible land use, landscape restoration and biodiversity conservation through an integrated landscape approach. Focusing on key commodities, including palm oil, cocoa, coffee and rice, the project aims to strengthen sustainable value chains, reduce deforestation, enhance multi-stakeholder collaboration and improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and local communities. Policy support under FOLUR focuses on strengthening enabling conditions, institutional coordination and policy coherence for sustainable food systems and landscape management.
• The Sustainable Landscape Programme Indonesia (SLPI): The project aims to advance sustainable landscape management, responsible commodity production, forest conservation and inclusive rural development by strengthening landscape governance, promoting sustainable land-use practices and fostering collaboration among government institutions, private sector actors and local communities. Its policy-related interventions support the alignment of national and subnational policies, institutional frameworks and development planning processes to advance sustainable landscape and commodity governance.
The three projects share complementary objectives in strengthening sustainable commodity governance, improving policy and regulatory frameworks, enhancing institutional coordination and promoting sustainable and inclusive agricultural value chains. Their combined interventions provide opportunities to improve policy coherence, facilitate knowledge exchange and strengthen linkages between national policy development and implementation at subnational and landscape levels.
To support these complementary initiatives, and the overall strategic priority of UNDP on nature-based development, UNDP seeks to recruit a Sustainable Commodity Policy Analyst (Sustainable Commodity Policy), NPSA-9, who will provide substantive technical leadership and analytical support across FOLUR, SLPI Phase II and FAST, and be a thematic resource for the Country Office as a whole. The Sustainable Commodity Policy Analyst will contribute to policy analysis and formulation, review regulatory and institutional frameworks, preparation of evidence-based policy recommendations, facilitation of policy dialogue, and coordination with relevant government institutions and stakeholders. Working closely with the respective UNDP teams, government counterparts, the Sustainable Commodity Policy Analyst will support the alignment of sustainable commodity policies and their implementation across national and subnational levels, while contributing to knowledge sharing, capacity development and the achievement of project-specific results.
The Sustainable Commodity Policy Technical Analyst will deliver high-quality technical advisory, strengthen government partnerships, and drive policy coherence across UNDP's sustainable commodities portfolio. The scope of work covers the following key functional areas:
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Head of the Nature and Low Carbon Development (NLCD) Unit / Program Manager, the Technical Analyst on Sustainable Commodity Policy will operate on a day-to-day basis in close coordination with the National Project Managers and Project Management Units (PMUs) of the FAST, FOLUR, and SLPI projects.
In executing these functions, the incumbent will maintain continuous technical liaison and build robust strategic partnerships with key government counterparts—including the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Coordinating Ministry of Food, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, and relevant subnational authorities—while engaging closely with smallholder networks, private sector coalitions and international donors.
Sustainable Commodity Policy Analysis and Advisory
• Provide high-level policy analysis, technical advisory, and strategic recommendations to strengthen national sustainable commodity governance, certification schemes (e.g., I SPO, RSPO, cocoa standards), and land-use regulatory frameworks;
• Lead the drafting of policy briefs, diagnostic reports, and technical guidance to align agricultural policies with national commitments (e.g., RAN-KSB 2025–2029, Green Growth priorities);
• Analyze emerging global and regional commodity trade requirements and supply chain regulations, advising UNDP and partners on strategic responses.
Government Engagement and Policy Interface
• Act as a key technical liaison and build robust relationships with primary government counterparts, including the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, the Coordinating Ministry of Food, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, and relevant sub-national authorities;
• Participate in high-level policy dialogues, technical working groups, public-private partnerships, and multi-stakeholder forums (e.g., FoKSBI , Cocoa Sustainability Partnership);
• Facilitate consensus-building among diverse stakeholders, including ministries, private sector leaders, CSOs, and smallholder cooperatives—to advance regulatory and institutional reforms.
Policy Coherence Across the Sustainable Commodities Portfolio
• Proactively identify synergies, eliminate overlaps, and align policy-related activities across FAST, FOLUR, and SLPI, ensuring a unified approach to sustainable commodity value chains to strengthen UNDP Indonesia’s position on the issue;
• Ensure that subnational interventions (such as jurisdictional land-use plans under SLPI) are structured to support and feed back into national policy targets (such as FAST's output 1 deliverables);
• Collaborate on inter-agency regulatory efforts, data interoperability, and digital information systems (e.g., SIPERIBUN integration to secure unified progress on commodity traceability.
Technical Quality Assurance and Knowledge Integration