Assessment Specialist

Contract

This is a UNV International Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Specialist contracts.

The Global Environment Outlook (GEO) is UN Environment Programme flagship environmental assessment, produced every 4 years. This assessment covers all major environmental issues in the domains of air, biodiversity, oceans, land, and freshwater. The findings of the assessment are used by policymakers worldwide, to adapt or create new environmental policy. After the adoption of the resolution on the Future of GEO by United Nations Environment Assembly, the preparation of the seventh edition of the GEO is now underway. The Volunteer will work with many different partners, including:

a) Academics and environmental experts from around the world who will be drafting material for the seventh Global Environment Outlook (GEO-7);

b) Experts and stakeholders from various groups, who will assess the relevance of the material produced by the author teams; c) Experts and scientists and communication specialists, who will oversee the scientific integrity of the derivative products.

The Volunteer will work within the Science Division as well as interact with regional offices and UNEP’s collaborating centers in the following way:

a) Day-to-day interactions with experts within the Division to ensure the factual accuracy of the material being drafted by the outside experts;

b) Participating in management meetings and decisions with Division staff to ensure the products are delivered on time and on budget.

c) Planning regional outreach activities to explain the findings of the assessment to decision-makers around the world.

The Science Division numbers about 80 staff mostly concentrated in Nairobi but also in the regional offices. Day-to-day interactions are usually in the offices or through conference calls, but also can be more social (over coffee, over lunch).

Under the direct supervision of the Head of the Global Assessment Unit, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

• Coordination of author teams and chapter outputs related to the seventh Global Environment Outlook and its Summary for policymakers, following the GEO integrated environmental assessments guidelines. • Support data analysis of socio-economic benefits and impacts of GEO-7 solutions pathways and its integration on the outlooks. • Help manage GEO collaboration platform’s content, to support the production of GEO-7. This involves, managing the content being drafted by the authors in the online collaboration platform, helping the users of GEO to register and query different issues on the platform (including uploading and general navigation). Assist authors on the use of the different functionalities of the collaborating platform for creating graphics and maps, conducting peer-reviews, and using GEO Glossary. • Support GEO & and Ad Hoc Global Assessment Dialogue (AGAD)-wide digital modeling and scenarios efforts to model the socio-economic benefits and impacts of GEO-7 solutions pathways • Administrative tasks such as creating templates (for reporting, educational materials, and other products), coordinating preparation for travel, venue, and logistics for authors’ meetings for the GEO-7, preparing programs, mission and meeting reports, organizing teleconferences, sending out invitation letters to potential reviewers of these products and other players in the review process, and managing responses. • Support the coordination of UNEP Science-Policy Interface Coordination programme to enhance internal capacity in the Science-Policy Interface.

Results/expected outputs:

As an active UNEP team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly, and high-quality support rendered to UNEP and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including: • Contribute to the successful completion of the GEO-7 process. • Ensure the online collaboration platform is well maintained and are used by the authors involved in the development of the GEO-7. • Contribute to the socio-economic data analysis of GEO-7 solution pathways. • Contribute to GEO and AGAD modelling and scenarios efforts. • Increase internal coordination of Science-Policy Interface • The development of capacity through coaching, mentoring, and formal on-the-job training when working with (including supervising) national staff or (non-) governmental counterparts, including Implementing Partners (IPs);

· Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to UNEP; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to UNEP procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented;

· Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and UNEP in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority;

· Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues;

· Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups;

· Accountability: mature and responsible; ability to operate in compliance with organizational rules and regulations. · Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance, and commitment towards UNEP mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

development or environment work, sustainable natural resources management, gender issues, socio-economic data analysis, and environmental policy as well as some experience in administration and management, or experience with analyzing and presenting results for different audiences.

Prior experience within the UN and experience and an understanding scientific assessment process as well as other inter-governmental and scientific processes, environmental modeling and scenarios, or with coordinating the preparation of scientific publications, is a distinct advantage

Proficiency in Windows, MS Office suite and skills in developing animated PowerPoint presentations, excel worksheets, and databases.

The Republic of Kenya is an equatorial nation on the coast of East Africa, neighboring Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and the Indian Ocean. Kenya has two levels of Government; National Government and 47 sub-national Governments called Counties. Counties are further divided into sub-counties. Kenya is a multi-party state with Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. Kenya’s population of more than 40 million is growing at an annual rate of 2.2%. The country’s GNP per capita estimated at purchasing power parity (PPP) is $975, and the GNP is growing at an average rate of 0.1% annually. More than 26% of Kenya’s people live below the international poverty line of $1 per day. Kenya’s main food crops are “maize, wheat, pulses, roots and tubers.” (FAO). Nairobi is a modern metropolitan city where most basic goods and services, health facilities, public transport, telecommunication and banking services and educational facilities are readily available. The city is widely connected through its main airport, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the smaller Wilson Airport. Air transport is also available to many up-country destinations. The city is home to some 3,000 UN personnel mainly attributed to the fact that it serves as the headquarters for both the UN HABITAT and UNEP. The socio-economic and cultural background of the immediate society the UNV would be living and working in is diverse and prevailing security conditions at the place of assignment is modest. The topographic and climatic features of the assignment location is highland cool and warm tropical climate. Link to the Entitlement Calculator: https://app.unv.org/calculator