Job Opportunities at United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Duties and Responsibilities
Org. Setting

• The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the United Nations systems designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional level. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. This consultancy is located at Headquarters in the Evaluation Office which reports directly to the Executive Director. The consultant reports to the Evaluation Officer managing the project and the Director of the Evaluation Office (EO).
• The Terminal Evaluation is undertaken at operational completion of the project to assess project performance (in terms of relevance, effectiveness and efficiency), and determine outcomes and impacts (actual and potential) stemming from the Project, including their sustainability. The Evaluation has two primary purposes: (i) to provide evidence of results to meet accountability requirements, and (ii) to promote operational improvement, learning and knowledge sharing through results and lessons learned among UNEP, the European Union (EU), Adelphi, among other project partners and Practical Action (Nepal and Sudan). Therefore, the Evaluation will identify lessons of operational relevance for future Project formulation and implementation, especially where a second phase of the Project is being considered. Recommendations relevant to the whole house may also be identified during the evaluation process.

In close consultation with the Evaluation Manager, the evaluation consultant will be responsible for the overall management of the evaluation and timely provision of its outputs, data collection and analysis and report-writing. More specifically:

• Inception phase of the evaluation, including:
•  preliminary desk review and introductory interviews with project staff;
•  draft the reconstructed Theory of Change of the project;
•  prepare the evaluation framework;
•  develop the desk review and interview protocols;
•  draft the survey protocols (if relevant);
•  develop and present criteria for country and/or site selection for the evaluation mission;
•  plan the evaluation schedule;
•  prepare the Inception Report, incorporating comments until approved by the Evaluation Manager

Data collection and analysis phase of the evaluation, including:

•  conduct further desk review and in-depth interviews with project implementing and executing agencies, project partners and project stakeholders;
•  (where appropriate and agreed) conduct an evaluation mission in the project country, visit the project locations, interview project partners and stakeholders, including a good representation of local communities. Ensure independence of the evaluation and confidentiality of evaluation interviews.
•  regularly report back to the Evaluation Manager on progress and inform of any possible problems or issues encountered and;
•  keep the Project/Task Manager informed of the evaluation progress.

Reporting phase, including:

•  draft the Main Evaluation Report, ensuring that the evaluation report is complete, coherent and consistent with the Evaluation Manager guidelines both in substance and style;
•  liaise with the Evaluation Manager on comments received and finalize the Main Evaluation Report, ensuring that comments are taken into account until approved by the Evaluation Manager
•  prepare a Response to Comments annex for the main report, listing those comments not accepted by the evaluation consultant and indicating the reason for the rejection; and
•  (where agreed with the Evaluation Manager) prepare an Evaluation Brief (2-page summary of the evaluand and the key evaluation findings and lessons)

Managing relations, including:

•  maintain a positive relationship with evaluation stakeholders, ensuring that the evaluation process is as participatory as possible but at the same time maintains its independence;
•  communicate in a timely manner with the Evaluation Manager on any issues requiring its attention and intervention.

Qualifications/special skills

• An advanced university degree in environmental or social studies or international development is required. A first level degree with an additional (2) years qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.
• At least 7 years’ professional experience is required
• Working experience in the areas of environmental resource management, climate change, and natural resource conflict is an added advantage; previous working experience in undertaking evaluation of projects, preferably using a Theory of Change approach, is required.
• Experience in managing partnerships, knowledge management and communication is desirable for all evaluation consultants.

Languages

• Knowledge of English language along with excellent writing skills in English is required.

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Duties and Responsibilities

• The UN Environment Programme is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. UNEP’s Communication Division communicates UNEP’s core messages to all stakeholders and partners, raising environmental awareness and enhancing the profile of UNEP worldwide.
• UNEP has an exciting portfolio of campaigns and communication projects that we want to take out to a younger audience. These include overseeing and driving the youth and education outreach for World
• Environment Day, Young Champions of the Earth, and flagship campaigns, such as the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (#GenerationRestoration), Clean Seas, and work under the Climate, Nature and Pollution pillars.
• The successful candidate will be a dynamic, entrepreneurial individual that can work well across a range of teams and advise our outreach work so that we are inspiring change and communicating effectively to this critical group comprising about 20 per cent of the world’s population.
• The objective of this Nairobi-based position is to lend expertise to youth communication and engagement strategies for UNEP’s campaigns and activities, with a particular focus on Young Champions of the Earth, and its next theme on ecosystem restoration.
• Under the direct supervision of the Communication Manager for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and overall guidance from UNEP’s Chief of Public Advocacy, the consultant will:
  •  Advise and guide on UNEP’s overall youth engagement;
  •  Guide the development of youth-related programmes;
  •  Guide the development and implementation of a renewed cycle of the Young Champions of the Earth.

Qualifications/special skills

• A minimum of two years of experience in environment, education, communication, or related field is required.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Communication, Environmental Studies, Education, Political Sciences, or related field is required

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in written and spoken English is required; knowledge of another official UN language is desirable.

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Duties and Responsibilities

• The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. UNEP administers the Nairobi Convention for the Protection, Management and Development of Coastal and Marine Environment of the Western Indian Ocean (WIO), under the Ecosystems Division. The Division works with international and national partners, providing technical assistance and advisory services for the implementation of environmental policy, and strengthening the environmental management capacity of developing countries and countries with economies in transition.
• UNEP/The Nairobi Convention, under the project on the ‘Implementation of the Strategic Action Programme for the protection of the Western Indian Ocean from land-based sources and activities’ (WIOSAP), requires a Marine And Coastal Environmental Management Consultant to undertake various activities focusing on sustainability of various interventions supported by the WIOSAP project. The position is located in the Nairobi Convention Secretariat, within the Nairobi duty station.

Objective:

• Undertake various activities focusing on the sustainability of various interventions supported by the WIOSAP project through mapping of marine and coastal work done by partners to the Nairobi Convention and how to initiate and also strengthen specific linkages to the relevant outputs of the WIOSAP project including production of a compendium for the project capturing project achievements, lessons learnt, best practices, challenges and opportunities for replication/upscaling.

Specific Tasks and Responsibilities

• Under the general supervision of the Head, Secretariat of the Nairobi Convention, and direct supervision of the WIOSAP Project Manager, the consultant is expected to undertake the following roles:
•  Coordinate compilation of a digital and hard copy compendium of WIOSAP investments in the WIO region capturing partnerships, successes, lessons learnt, challenges and opportunities
•  Coordinate production and eventual uploading of a dashboard of WIOSAP demo projects in a format suitable for wider public outreach for effective dissemination
•  Work with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to develop national water quality monitoring frameworks for 4 WIO countries including associated capacity building for their operationalization.
•  Coordinate the rolling out of the toolkit for green port development in 2 countries (2 ports) in the WIO region;
•  Coordinate the development of one proposal to enhance WIOSAP pipeline funding;
•  Working with colleagues in the Convention, lead in the production of meeting concept and agenda and meeting report for the Science to Policy Platform including proposed areas of decision for consideration by the COP of the Convention;
•  Coordinate development of an interactive dashboard of the WIO CCVA toolkit;
•  Develop meeting documents for a proposed WIO blue carbon workshop and the associated meeting report thereof;
•  Work with communication team to produce public stories for dissemination of project achievements

Qualifications/special skills

• Advanced university (a Masters Degree or equivalent) is required in Marine Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Natural Resources Management or similar disciplines. A first level degree with an additional two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.
• A minimum 2 years of relevant professional experience is required in: Marine and coastal management, geospatial analysis, implementation of projects and project reporting.
• Experience working with different stakeholders at both strategic and technical levels and demonstrated quality and timely delivery is desired.
• Working knowledge of the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region and experience of working with the Governments of the WIO region would be an advantage.
• Familiarity with/appreciable understanding of the works of the UNEP-Nairobi Convention is an asset.
• Demonstrated competency in high level and excellent proposal/technical writing and ability to work within very short timelines and with minimum supervision is an added advantage.

Languages

• English and French are the official working languages of the United Nations. For this consultancy, fluency in oral and written knowledge of English is required.