Consultants at United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

This position is to coordinate and implement the activities on development and launch of the environmental policy tracker and related components. The initial duration of this consultancy will be for an 11-month period. The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Programme Manager in the Environmental Governance and Conventions Branch, as well as other team members working on the Environment Policy Tracker (EPT).

Responsibilities

Specific tasks and responsibilities include:

• Lead activities in working with Science, Economy and Law Divisions of UNEP as well as other programs to secure needed data, information and assessments to develop the environmental policy tracker (EPT).
• Lead liaising with external partners in securing information and data as well as inputs related to user interface for designing the EPT.
• Provide substantial inputs to the design team developing the EPT on issues of science, policy and impacts.
• Develop an operational plan for establishing a governance and management plan for the EPT.
• Lead work in support of communications and outreach for the launch and update of EPT in collaboration with the communications focal point and work with the UNEP Communication team on specific inputs in support of the launch.
• Prepare presentations, briefs and related outreach material explaining EPT and the related.
• Lead orientation and training programmes related to EPT within UNEP and outside, including in international meetings and fora.
• Seek and provide comments on the user experience of the EPT for fine tuning the EPT and its’ scaling up.
• Lead inputs to the design team on revising, updating and scaling up actions related to EPT after launch.

Qualifications/special Skills

• Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent degree) in environmental sciences, social sciences or environmental law with two years of experience is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• A minimum of two years of progressively responsible experience in programme / project management is required.
• Experience in drafting review documents, meeting reports and assessment papers related to Environmental management/law is required.
• Experience in data collection and/or undertaking research will be an added advantage.

go to method of application »

The project will entail a TEEBAgriFood Framework application to identify differences between Business as Usual (BAU) and at least two Alternative Policy Scenarios, at every step along the value chain, based on modeled future projects. The study shall quantify or evaluate qualitatively changes in social, manufactured, natural, and human capital stocks and associated flows under each scenario. With reference to natural capital, changes in the flows of ecosystem services (or dis-services and residuals) between scenarios are to be used to identify how natural capital contributes to agri-food value chains and how in turn agri-food value chains may impact natural capital stocks.

UNEP requires the support of a consultant to support the implementation of the project in additional states in India, as well as to support mainstreaming of project outcomes for the TEEBAgriFood Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh States.

The consultant will report to the Head of the Economics of Nature Unit (TEN) in the Ecosystems Division.

Duties And Responsibilities

Duties and responsibilities of the consultant will include:

• Contribute to the organization of a project workshops and steering committee meetings for the project in India. Participation will include broad representation of change agents, such as government (national and regional, the latter determined by the geographical scope of the intervention), line ministries, key research partner, agri-business, farmers’ groups, and civil society groups. This will include:
• preparation of background documents, the agenda and a list of invitees;
• overseeing the arrangement of adequate logistical arrangements for the workshop;
• writing a review of workshop outcomes; and
• drafting summaries for the Steering Committee.
• Develop Terms of Reference for TEEBAgriFood applications in new State(s) and provide guidance to research consortia to be contracted ahead of their being contracted on the application of the TEEBAgriFood Framework.
• Provide detailed technical review, assistance and support to research consortia on modelling (e.g. InVEST, SWAT), data sources, and science-policy translation.
• Contribute to the application of the Theory of Change leading to policy adoption by facilitating the collaboration between partners and stakeholders in India to achieve this, including: the TEEBAgriFood political focal point in India; TEEBAgriFood research institutes; the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare; the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Climate Change, other members of the TEEB India Steering Committees; and other stakeholders as necessary.
• Work with the TEEB communications officer and the TEEB country focal point to develop and disseminate outreach materials.

Qualifications/special Skills

• A first level degree preferably with a specialization in environmental geoinformatics, environmental management, law, social anthropology, environment and development, sustainable development, economics, applied economics, agriculture, or related fields is required. An advanced degree in related fields would be an added advantage.
• A minimum of two (2) years teaching or training with governments, non-governmental organizations, or research institutions with a focus on environment and development is required.
• Experience in working on environmental issues in the Indian agriculture sector is desirable.