UNEP Biodiversity-land Degradation Consultant, GEF Projects Jobs in Kenya

UNEP Biodiversity-land Degradation Consultant, GEF Projects Jobs in Kenya

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.

UNEP's Ecosystems Division works with international and national partners, providing technical guidance and capacity development for the implementation of environmental policy, and strengthening the environmental management capacity of developing countries and countries with economies in transition.

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Biodiversity and Land Degradation Unit plays a key role in the implementation of GEF projects. Through this unit, the organization provides support to countries and partners in the development and implementation of projects in the biodiversity and land degradation portfolios.

The unit has staff based in various regions with its work coordinated from headquarters in Nairobi, in close collaboration with the various regional and sub-regional offices. The unit would like to recruit a consultant to coordinate the development and implementation of UNEP's overall agenda through coordination of GEF-supported projects within the Latin America region. The consultants will perform the following the specific tasks:

Project Identification and Development:

Take note of GEF and UNEP requirements in relevant Requests for Proposals in GEF programmes;

Identify relevant and eligible project projects and develop the corresponding Expressions of Interest (EOI) or concepts in consultation with internal and external partners;

Coordinate the development of the EOI or project concepts with project proponents and discuss and clear such concepts with the Head/OiC of Unit;

Work with UNEP's Divisions and regional offices as necessary, in particular with the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean;

Advise project proponents on how to revise concepts to respond to issues raised by the peer reviewer and other reviews;

Address Global Environment Facility Secretariat and Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel reviews and ensures that Project Review Committee recommendations are considered in further project development;

Coordinate with the Programme Assistant and Fund Management Officer to internalize the Project Preparation Grants;

Expedite Project Preparation Grant execution and reporting, as per UNEP and GEF policies and procedures, monitoring project milestones to avoid delays and potential project cancellation, ensuring critical deadlines are met;

Verify that the project proposals meet Global Environment Facility quality-at- entry standards before submission to the Head of Unit and the Project Review Committee;

Guide the executing partners in mobilizing co-financing for the project;

Coordinate with the Fund Management Officer to internalize the project document upon approval by the GEF Chief Executive Officer.

Project Implementation:

For co-implemented projects, coordinate and ensure fluid and regular communications with the Task Managers of other UNEP Divisions /Units;

Plan and undertake missions to project countries, in response to needs expressed by project partners or to potential project risks;

Coordinate the implementation of projects including organizing inception meetings and reviewing technical outputs, among others;

Provide oversight to project execution and, in doing so, ensure that all UNEP and GEF criteria, rules and regulations are adhered to by project partners;

Participate in Project Steering Committees, ensuring that it fulfills its function;

Regularly monitor project progress and performance, and rate progress towards meeting project objectives, progress in implementation, quality of monitoring and

evaluation, and risk. Monitoring of project progress and reporting will also be rated against UNEP's Programme of Work, Mid-Term Strategy and linkages with UN Country Teams (UNCT) planning processes will be sought, as relevant;

Monitor reporting by project executing partners and provide prompt feedback on the contents of the report;

Promptly inform management of any significant risks or problems, take appropriate timely action and follow up on decisions made;

Prepare reports per GEF and UNEP requirements;

Review and maintain adequate project-related documentation;

Guide the Head of Unit in applying adaptive management principles to the supervision of the project;

Prepare the project revisions, ensuring that project revision documentation is complete and per UNEP requirements;

Review project outputs, provide technical input and ensure that quality standards are met;

Coordinate mandatory project(s) mid-term review and collaborate with the Head of Unit in preparing a management response with a plan for implementation of recommendations;

Guide the project terminal evaluation;

Cooperate with the Head of Unit in ensuring that projects are financially closed promptly after completion of project activities.

Ecosystems Division knowledge Management and Data Management:

Identify and codify lessons emerging from project implementation;

Coordinate with the Head of Unit and the Programme Management Assistant in ensuring completeness of project data for the project information system for all projects;

Contribute to project data reconciliation exercises within the Division and with the GEF Secretariat.

UNEP and Global Environment Facility Corporate tasks:

Participate in the UNEP Project Review Committees if requested;

Provide input to Global Environment Facility corporate evaluations, country portfolio evaluations, thematic evaluations and impact evaluations and to the preparation of the Management Action Record.

Reporting Lines:

The consultant will work with the Latin America Region Task Manager based in Panama City and under the overall supervision of the Portfolio Manager of the GEF Biodiversity and Land Degradation Unit based in Nairobi. The consultancy will be home-based.

Qualifications/special skills

Advanced university degree in biodiversity sciences, environmental sciences, natural resource management, natural resource policy, environmental policy, environmental economics, or a closely related field is required.

Recognized qualification or certification in the negotiation of environmental issues in line with sustainable development is desired.

Work Experience:

minimum of 7 years of technical experience working on biodiversity and related issues in developing countries/countries in transition is required.

Experience with conceptualizing and developing projects and programmes in the ecosystems and biodiversity field is required.

Working experience in an international organization is desired.

Experience working with the Global Environment Facility is desired.

Experience in the Latin America Region is highly desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the consultancy post, fluency in oral and written English and Spanish is required. Working knowledge of the French and Portuguese Languages is desirable.

How to Apply

For more information and job application details, see; UNEP Biodiversity-land Degradation Consultant, GEF Projects Jobs in Kenya

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