Jobs at United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Duties and Responsibilities

1. 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.
2. The Nairobi Convention is executing the GEF funded project on the "Western Indian Ocean Large Marine Ecosystems Strategic Action Programme Policy Harmonisation and Institutional Reforms (SAPPHIRE) in coordination with the participating countries and partners both at national and regional level. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) - Regional Service Centre for Africa is the implementing agency of the SAPPHIRE project providing oversight in the execution of the project. The main objective of the SAPPHIRE project is to achieve effective long-term ecosystem management in the WIO Large Marine Ecosystems in line with the Strategic Action Programme for sustainable management of the WIO Large Marine Ecosystems as endorsed by the participating countries. The Convention has provided the legal framework for regional cooperation and coordination among WIO countries to address common challenges such as marine pollution, oil spills and the conservation of marine biodiversity.
3. Mauritius is prone to oil spills at sea by the fact that it lies along the international shipping lanes which are among the busiest in the world. The demand for oil is expected to remain robust, with an increase in maritime traffic and trade of oil products in the region, thus increasing the risk of oil spill further. In 1990, the first National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (NOSCP) was prepared with the collaboration of UNEP and International Maritime Organization (IMO). The NOSCP has been reviewed severally and tested regularly through drills and desktop exercises. The NOSCP covers the roles, duties and responsibilities of relevant national authorities before, during and after an oil spill. In view of the recent increase in risk of oil spill in the territorial waters of the Republic of Mauritius, the Government has reviewed the current National Oil Spill Contingency Plan which includes the Port Louis Harbour Oil Spill Response Plan, the draft Rodrigues Oil Spill Contingency Plan and the draft Dispersant Policy.

Objective

The Nairobi Convention would like to hire a senior consultant in Oil Spills to work with the Convention, the Government of Mauritius, and other key stakeholders to Conduct Public Consultations and Finalise the Updated National Oil Spill Contingency Plan of the Republic of Mauritius. The consultant will facilitate stakeholder consultations workshops to sensitise the population on the updated NOSCP and update the NOSCP based on comments and inputs from the workshops. In executing the consultancy, the consultant will work closely with the Convention team, designated officials of the Government of Mauritius, UNDP Country Offices in Mauritius, National Focal Point of the SAPPHIRE project, and others as deemed appropriate and necessary.

Specific Tasks and Responsibilities

1. Under overall supervision of the Head of the Nairobi Convention Secretariat and direct supervision of the SAPPHIRE Project Coordinator, and in close collaboration with the Government of Mauritius, the consultant will coordinate the overall process of stakeholder consultations to sensitise and receive inputs from the population of Mauritius on the updated National Oil Spill Contingency Plan. The consultant will undertake the following specific tasks: 1. Facilitate consultation meetings (10), on the revised NOSCP, with key stakeholders (ministries, parastatal bodies, private sector including tourism, fisheries amongst others).
2. Develop a report documenting the comments, inputs, and perspectives from the participating stakeholders.
3. Revise and submit the updated NOSCP by incorporating the comments and inputs from the consultation workshops including recommendation on gaps to be addressed to make the NOSCP fully operational.

Performance Indicators

1. Workshop report(s) capturing the key concerns, inputs, perspectives, and relevant recommendations from the consultation meetings.
2. Revised NOSCP for Mauritius incorporating the comments and inputs from the consultation meetings as well as recommendation on gaps to be addressed to make the NOSCP fully operational.

Qualifications/special skills

Academic Qualifications: 

1. First degree is required in Marine Biology/ Sciences (Marine biology and coastal management/Maritime Safety and Environmental Protection/ Maritime Affairs - Maritime Safety & Environmental Administration/ Oceanography and Marine Environmental Management), Marine Engineering, Environmental Sciences or other closely related fields.
2. A diploma in the above fields with an additional five years of experience may be accepted in lieu of first degree.

Experience: 

1. Minimum of 10 years of relevant work experience is required in the environmental or marine sciences sector, in international setting including in the Western Indian Ocean region.
2. Experience with oil spill contingency at sea (plans, methods and technologies) and related national laws, policies, strategies is desired.
3. Excellent analytical, advocacy, presentation, writing and communications skills are required;
4. Experience in conducting training and capacity building especially working in SIDS is an added advantage.

Language:

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. Working knowledge of French is an added advantage.

DEADLINE: 24th March 2022

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Duties and Responsibilities

1. 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.
2. The Secretariat for the Nairobi Convention is implementing the project entitled; 'Implementation of the Strategic Action Programme for the protection of the Western Indian Ocean from land-based sources and activities' (WIOSAP) with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The WIOSAP project is implementing interventions 'to reduce impacts from land-based sources and activities and sustainably manage critical coastal and marine ecosystems through the implementation of the agreed WIO-SAP priorities with the support of partnerships at national and regional level. The project has presented an opportunity to the governments in the region and their conservation partners to jointly implement strategies of protecting coastal and marine ecosystems from land-based sources and activities to provide essential goods and services on a sustainable basis.
3. The First Vice President's Office, Zanzibar in the United Republic of Tanzania in collaboration with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) under the WIOSAP project is implementing a project entitled "Upscaling and amplification of the Msingini wastewater Treatment facility model in Chake Chake town, Pemba". The overall objective of the project is to reduce land-based sources of pollution to the Pemba Channel Conservation Area (PECCA) and associated coastal and marine ecosystems from Chake Chake municipality using Constructed Wetland Systems. The project seeks to utilize an existing under-performing Constructed Wetland System (CWS) on Pemba Island and significantly improve its long-term management, efficiency and its benefit to the surrounding community of more than 5,500 people, both in terms of capacity and productivity. Due to its location in a low-lying coastal area, its adaptive capacity to withstand effects of sea level rise and extreme climatic events is a central part of the redesign.
4. Increasing local capacity to operate and maintain the system is emphasized to ensure long-term sustainability and the introduction of a Payment for Ecosystems Services system will help to cover these costs. Improved utilization of the wetland plants after harvesting will increase the community's appreciation of the system and result in cost savings and/or income generation. One of the project activities involves a House Hold Survey to collect information about the existing situation and identify the number of households (HH) currently connected to the system and those which could potentially be added to the system given the projected enhanced capacity, but also to identify challenges and the needs for improvement.

Scope of the consultancy

The consultant as provided for in the project document, will support the Department of Environment to carry out the topographic survey, conduct operation and maintenance training, (re)design the constructed wetland system and oversee it's rehabilitation and augmentation for Msingini Waste Water Treatment Plant System which serves four (4) Shehias together. To ensure capacity building and sustainability, the consultant will design the rehabilitation system in collaboration with the national wetlands expert to be recruited and the staff of the Department of Environment from FVPO, ZEMA, CCTC and ZAWA.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. 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: 1. Produce topographic map of CWS and environs
2. Transpose MHWS and tidal regime onto map
3. Determine local sea level rise and add to map
4. Survey pipeline levels
5. Measure flow of wastewater (existing weir or in-water instruments) in m3/day
6. Produce Status Report
7. Utilizing data from (Status Report), produce an updated CWS design with increased adaptive capacity
8. Collaborate with the National expert in modifying the outlets/hydraulics of system modifications made on the outlets/hydraulics of system in the Constructed Wetland System (CWS) on Pemba Island
9. Together with the National wetlands expert, supervise the construction of a holding/buffer storage (in line storage)

Qualifications/special skills

Academic Qualifications:

1. Advanced university degree is required in civil engineering, chemical engineering, hydrology, marine sciences, biological sciences or related sciences.
2. A first level degree with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.

Experience: 

1. A minimum of 10 years of professional experience is required in developing a constructed wetland system. Experience in measuring flow of wastewater, system specific training for constructed wastewater system including background, application, design and construction, operation and maintenance (including sludge management) is desired. Experience in construction of holding / buffer storage (in line storage) and surveying of pipeline levels is desired. Demonstrated knowledge of the use of GIS in production of topographic maps of a constructed wetland system and environs is an added advantage.

Language:

1. 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.
2. Working knowledge of Swahili is an advantage.

DEADLINE: 25th March 2022

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Duties and Responsibilities

Organizational Setting:

The UN 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's Policy and Programme Division (PPD) is responsible for facilitating the development and implementation of the organization's overall strategy and programme of work, including project design, development, performance review and monitoring. This consultancy will report to the Head of Programme Coherence and Assurance Unit under the overall direction of the Director of the Policy and Programme Division of UN Environment Programme.
The project quality assurance and review mechanism are serviced by the secretariat of the Project Review Committee (PRC). The formal UNEP secretariat is located within the Programme Coherence and Assurance Unit in PPD. The PRC was established in 2010 to ensure that projects being developed would deliver results defined in the UNEP Programme of Work (PoW), which is approved by the UN Environment Assembly on a biennial basis. PRC acts with high level of independence in relation to the design of project proposals which are produced at Regional and Divisional level. In the accountability framework, the PRC has also been given authority in the UNEP accountability framework to clear project proposals, an essential prerequisite before approval.
Notwithstanding, the GEF Coordination Office and the GCF Coordination Office are situated within the UNEP Corporate Services Division. These Coordination Offices manage all project cycle related issues for GEF and GCF projects, including the formal relationship with both funding entities, to which UNEP is an accredited entity. The PRC function in PPD provides independent technical reviews to all projects developed under GEF or GCF, yet it does not manage the entire project review process, nor is it asked to provide final clearance for the GEF and GCF projects before submission to donors, primarily due to the large volume of project documents, and their technical complexity related to the GEF and the GCF portfolios. Therefore, these reviews are currently done by the GEF and GCF Coordination Office itself. Likewise, the Adaptation Fund projects are not processing through the PRC Secretariat/PCAU in PPD, neither are other projects such as the Regional Seas, nor the OzonAction projects. These will all be explored through this exercise.

The main issue that the above situation brings is that whilst the current practice ensures a strong alignment with specific donor funding priorities (i.e., GEF, GCF, AF…) there is concern that many projects may not fully and optimally align with UNEP’s strategic priorities and operating mandate from Member States through its strategic plans. Furthermore, opportunities for meaningful synergies and a ‘critical mass’ of aligned effort with many non-GEF/GCF UNEP projects are being missed out and is currently lacking. Likewise, the implementation of results-based management approach across all portfolios may be also lagging.

The consultant will undertake a review of the various Project Review processes currently used in UNEPs core projects and projects funded through global funds ; and make recommendations for a consolidated and harmonized Project Review Committee (PRC) to increase efficiencies and effectiveness with the ultimate objective to provide greater strategic coherence to UNEP’s programme as it is delivered through projects. In developing a single coherent process, we will need to ensure full consideration of the requirements of our bilateral donors and global fund processes.

Methodology and scope:

1. The review/assessment is expected to use quantitative and qualitative research methods, including, but not limited to following:
2. Interviews with individuals to obtain the different positions existing in regard to the processes, standards and potential shortfalls, options for harmonization.
3. Focus group discussions with PPD and other UNEP relevant actors to identify the perceived threats and consequences of the lack of harmonization and possible solutions.
4. Research and desk study of relevant documentation, audit reports, evaluations and internal project data, which will cover also identification of types of projects and review processes/quality assurance mechanisms in place. Namely for Non/GEF/GCF, GEF, GCF, AF, Ozone and Regional Seas.
5. Proposing solutions to the relevant gaps and shortfall of processes, templates and mechanism found.
6. After reading and review of relevant documentation, interviews and focus groups, produce and deliver a report (draft and a final one with recommendations This includes to present the report and get feedback and redesign accordingly.

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. The consultant will review analyze; current procedures, processes and requirements of the known PRC processes mentioned (UNEP, GEF, GCF, others), including the specificities of the entire project workflow in each case.
2. The consultant will review similar processes in other organizations (e.g., UNDP, WB) to obtain ideas on best practices and approaches.
3. The consultant will design a means to harmonize PRC processes to attain coherence among projects and the alignment of approved projects to organizational strategic priorities.
4. The consultant will identify gaps and ‘pain points’/’bottlenecks’ in the current distinct cycles and will identify the means to address them.
5. The consultant will make recommendations on necessary changes to current PRC structures for improvement and streamlining of the PRC process based on findings. Recommendations for a single PRC process will be explicitly articulated, including ToRs for the PRC process.
6. The consultant will consider whether the necessary 'firewalls' are in place i.e. whether the PRCs are conducted with sufficient independence from the proposing Units.
7. Similarly, it is important to review the first approval role of the PRC in IPMR (UMOJAs Integrated Planning, Management and Reporting) and how this role is exercised for all specific funds, and whether and how harmonization would be needed.
8. This consultant will identify opportunities and actions to enhance alignment the decentralized way in which fundraising operates in UNEP. i.e. GEF/GCF environment operates with considerable autonomy and a strong focus on resource mobilization, but which may not necessarily result in full alignment with UNEPs priorities. This is also the case for other donor funded project mentioned, Adaptation Fund, Ozone, regional Seas.
9. The consultant will also review the main project document templates in use by the project types mentioned (non/GEF/GCF, GEF, GCF, AF and Regional Seas), providing recommendations on how these templates could be simplified and or harmonized to further support synergies across the organization.

Qualifications/special skills

1. Academic Qualifications: Advanced University degree (Masters or equivalent) in development, environment, public policy or a similar discipline is required. 
2. A first level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience: 

1. A minimum of seven years in a relevant field of work, preferably with a focus on development, strategy, project management, results-based management and knowledge management, organizational issues, evaluation is required.
2. Practical operational experience with development or multilateral agencies quality assurance, and analytical work that informs strategy implementation, programme and project cycle management is required.

Language: 

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in written and oral English is required.

DEADLINE: 24th March 2022