GEF Consultant

New Delhi, India

Expected duration

12 months

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority, working with its 193 Member States and partners to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. UNEP provides scientific assessments, policy guidance, technical support and capacity-building to strengthen environmental governance and sustainable development. UNEP is a founding member and implementing agency of the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

The GEF supports developing countries and economies in transition in meeting the agreed incremental costs of measures that generate global environmental benefits in the focal areas of biodiversity, climate change, international waters, ozone layer depletion, land degradation, and chemicals and waste. Capacity-building is an important component of most UNEP-GEF projects. The Chemicals and Health Branch supports countries in developing and implementing chemicals-related GEF projects.

UNEP’s comparative advantage within the GEF includes scientific assessment, monitoring and early warning; linking science to policy; capacity-building and enabling activities; innovation and technology transfer; regional and global cooperation; and awareness-raising, advocacy and knowledge management. The GEF Chemicals and Green Chemistry Unit (C&GCU) develops new GEF projects, supervises ongoing projects, initiates terminal reviews and evaluations, supports countries in closing completed projects, and provides advice to UNEP colleagues in the Chemicals and Health Branch and other divisions.

A consultant based in the UNEP India Country Office is required to support GEF projects in India under the Chemicals and Waste, Climate Change Mitigation and Transparency, and International Waters focal areas. UNEP’s GEF teams in these focal areas supervise ongoing projects, develop new projects for submission to the GEF, and support countries in evaluating and closing completed projects. The consultant will support coordination with national stakeholders and responsible UNEP task managers, and assist the UNEP India Country Office on GEF-related matters, including coherence and coordination across UNEP’s wider GEF portfolio in India.

The consultant will also support UNEP’s Climate Action, Chemical and Pollution Action, and Nature Action thematic sub-programmes in India. Any external engagement on behalf of UNEP will be coordinated through the UNEP India Country Office. The consultant will work under the supervision of the Programme Management Officer in the GEF Chemicals and Green Chemistry Unit. The Deputy Head of the UNEP India Country Office will act as the Additional Reporting Officer. Based in the Delhi office and working with the Country Team on a day-to-day basis, the consultant will maintain close coordination with the Country Office and the responsible task managers for Climate Change Mitigation and Transparency and International Waters projects in India.

The tasks and responsibilities of the consultant will be as follows: 1. Support the UNEP India Country Office and relevant GEF teams in coordinating Chemicals and Waste, Climate Change Mitigation and Transparency, and International Waters projects in India; support engagement with national stakeholders and responses to project updates and related requests from national focal points, with external engagement on behalf of UNEP coordinated through the UNEP India Country Office; 2. Serve as the focal point in India for the internal coordination of the relevant UNEP-GEF projects; 3. Support the implementation of existing GEF projects under the three focal areas; 4.

Contribute to the development of the GEF-9 strategy in India under the three focal areas and to the subsequent development of related projects; 5. Collect data and information, including undertaking stakeholder mapping, for GEF projects in India; 6. Contribute to scenario analyses for developing sectoral strategies and projects on chemicals and pollution management in key sectors prioritized by UNEP’s Programme of Work and the Global Framework on Chemicals, with a focus on persistent organic pollutants, the Stockholm Convention and the Minamata Convention on Mercury; 7.

Mine and analyse existing country data to support baseline situation analyses and inform project design and proposed mitigation and development strategies under the three focal areas; 8. Identify linkages between proposed projects or interventions and relevant Sustainable Development Goal target indicators, UNEP Programme of Work indicators and GEF results framework indicators under the three focal areas; 9. Support the UNEP India Country Office in incorporating country-specific information from GEF projects under the three focal areas and, as needed, support coherence and coordination across UNEP’s wider GEF portfolio in India; and 10.

Assist in monitoring and analysing specific aspects of programme and project development and implementation, including receiving and reviewing quarterly progress and financial reports, updating UNEP reporting systems, and communicating with project stakeholders, particularly Project Steering Committee members, under the three focal areas.

Qualifications/special skills

Advanced university degree in a field related to environment, natural resource management, law, social sciences, energy, economics, engineering, management, policy and the related, or equivalent experience is required. A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) combined with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree. At least 3 years of professional work experience at the national and/or international level in environmental, natural resource management, law, policy, management or other relevant programmes is required.

A good understanding of environmental issues in India is required, with experience working with stakeholders on chemicals and waste, international waters, plastics, climate change issues or water resources management in India. Experience working in the UN or other international development organizations will be an asset. Experience of GEF or similarly funded projects is desirable. Demonstrated experience in managing projects is desirable.

Languages

Fluency in English, including good drafting/writing skills is required. Working knowledge of other UN languages is an asset.

Additional Information

Not available.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.