Integrated environmental analysis expert

This opening expired 1 year ago. Do not try to apply for this job.

UNEP - United Nations Environment Programme

Open positions at UNEP
Logo of UNEP

Application deadline 1 year ago: Thursday 14 Jul 2022 at 23:59 UTC

Open application form

Result of Service The objective of the consultancy is to provide United Nations Country Teams (UNCTs) in Latin America and the Caribbean region, with methodological guidelines for the coherent integration of the environmental dimension across the development of the UN Common Country Analysis (CCA) and the UN Sustainable Development Country Frameworks (UNSDCF).

Background information and methodological aspects:

To address the adequate integration of the environment in the CCAs and in the CFs, due consideration must be given of the interlinked issues that humanity currently faces of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss as depicted by the Secretary General and relevant UN agencies. The guidelines and tools resulting from this consultancy must allow to tackle these interlinkages.

The Driver- Pressure-State-Impact- Response (DPSIR) framework should be fully considered for the development of all above-mentioned guidelines, as an important vehicle to analyze the interlinkages mentioned.

Besides addressing UNCTs and RCOs needs, the guidelines will serve as an internal tool for UNEP to streamline and optimize the information and data capacity existent at Regional Offices and to provide UNCTs and RCOs with timely and relevant information and analysis related to key environmental processes and dynamics.

The consultancy should draw on existing experiences on the CCAs and CFs development, including but not limited by - Current CCAs and UNSDCFs - 211009 LAC UNSCDF Analysis UNEP - 211109 Base de datos UNSDG PNUMA - Methodology and research questions for review of CCAs and CFs; climate biodiversity and pollution - Desk review of final CCA/Cooperation Frameworks, UNDCO - 09272021 Emerging Good Practices & Innovations 2020 CCAs – CF, UNDCO - Final desk review of final CCA & CF – 15 October 2021, UNDCO - Interviews with key informants – to be defined

The consultancy will: produce the following outputs: A) Identification of analytical tools and integrated approaches that UNCTs and Resident Coordinator Offices (RCOs) could adopt to fully capture the existing relationships between the state and trends of the environment and the social and economic development in the development of CCAs and UNSDCFs. B) Guidelines for the development of the environmental dimension chapter of the CCAs, including a proposed outline for the chapter(s), contents, and suggested data sources. Guiding on how to use existing data and information from development plans, NDCs, Biodiversity Plans, Decarbonization Plans, NAPs, and others such as multilateral environmental agreement reports. C) Guidelines on how to formulate relevant components of UNSDCF regarding the environmental dimension as analyzed in the CCAs. This methodological guidance, in line with the above-mentioned analytical tool and approaches, should explain how different types of analysis can lead to formulation of UNSDCFs strategic areas of intervention focusing on the environment dimension and coherently throughout the 3 main components of the CFs (results, means of implementation and indicators.

Product No. 1: A report containing: a. Analysis of the existing documentation and existing CCAs and CFs in LAC with focus on confirming the identified gaps, including existing tools and methods and best practices. b. Methodology to be used by the consultant, including potential focus groups or key informants identified for completion of products 2 and 3, including any other document that would need to be added to the analysis. c. Identification of integrated approaches to be recommended for mainstreaming environment through integrated analysis use in the CCA UNSDCF process.

Product No. 2: A document containing the Guidelines for the development of the environmental dimension chapter of the CCAs, including a proposed outline for the chapter(s), contents, and suggested data sources. Guiding on how to use existing data and information from development plans, NDCs, Biodiversity Plans, Decarbonization Plans, NAPs, and others such as multilateral environmental agreement reports.

Product No. 3: A document containing the Guidelines for elaboration of UNSDCF with a focus on the environmental dimension as analyzed in the CCAs. This methodological guidance, in line with the above-mentioned analytical tool and approaches, should explain how different types of analysis can lead to formulation of UNSDCFs strategic areas of intervention focusing on the environment dimension and coherently throughout the 3 main components of the CFs (results, means of implementation and indicators.

The latter will include suggestions for systematic stakeholder involvement in all the stages of the process. This document should suggest a set of indicators to evaluate/measure how robust is the environmental approach within the UNSDCF.

Work Location Home-based

Expected duration 4 months

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.

The UNEP Latin America and the Caribbean Office (LACO), located in Panama City, works closely with the 33 countries of the region and its activities are integrated into the Medium Term Strategy and the Programme of Work approved by the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA).

The UN Common Country Analysis (CCA) is the UN system’s independent, impartial, and collective assessment (i.e., a description of a country situation) and analysis (i.e., a description of causes and implications) of a country’s situation for its internal use in developing the UN Sustainable Development Country Frameworks -to be referred to as Cooperation Framework (CFs). It examines progress, gaps, opportunities, and bottlenecks vis-à-vis a country’s commitment to achieving the 2030 Agenda, UN norms and standards and the principles of the UN Charter, as reflected in the Cooperation Framework Guiding Principles.

The CCA seeks to engender integrated, cross-pillar thinking, summarizing the interlinkages and integrated nature of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the linkages with the human rights framework; multidimensional factors spanning the development, humanitarian, environment, peacebuilding and human rights spectrum; relevant regional, sub-regional and cross-border dynamics; the country’s legal, institutional, policy and financial landscape as it pertains to the 2030 Agenda and; the root causes of crises – potential or actual – in order to prioritize our support in preventing these. In other words, the CCA should both reflect and support the ambitious and transformational change called for in the 2030 Agenda and offer guidance on how the UN could further that Agenda in the prevailing conditions of a given country.

Gaps have been found in the coherent integration of the environment in the CCAs. The CCA should provide an analysis of current trends of the environment, trends of biodiversity status and loss, and levels of degradation (water, forests, land, etc.). The analysis should not only quantify the current situation through data and evidence but should also provide a comprehensive integrated analysis on how the trends affect the economy, life and wellbeing in the country being analyzed. Complementarily the analysis should include prospects to sustainably manage natural resources minimize pollution, waste and other residuals that enter the natural environment; protect ecosystems and biodiversity; reduce the likelihood of conflicts over management of natural resources; and reduce the exposure, risk vulnerability of people to disasters, and the impacts of climate change, pollution and environmental degradation. Attention should be given to the diversity in people’s vulnerabilities to environmental and climate risk. The prospects should also link improvements of the environment, biodiversity and ecosystem services to long term economic improvements. Furthermore, the CCAs in addressing the state of the environment or the environmental challenges in an integrated manner, should take stock of compliance with multilateral environmental agreements the country is signatory off and which they report to, including the Sustainable Development Goals.

On the other hand, Cooperation Frameworks are the instruments that depict the efforts that the UN Country teams will put into motion, together with governments to tackle the development challenges highlighted in the CCA’s. Gaps have also been identified in the lack of substantive and consistent correlation between the CCAs and the CFs in regard to the environment dimension. Some CFs have a larger number of environmental thematic issues it wants to tackle, yet these have not been identified in the CCA, or vice versa.

The consultancy should provide guidance on how the CCA, the environment and cross cutting chapters can be used to influence the CFs better and coherently. The incumbent will be supervised by the Development Coordinator of UNEP Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Office and will work from home.

Qualifications/special skills ACADEMIC:

Advanced university degree (Masters or equivalent) in Environmental Science, Social Science, Business /Public Administration, international development, or a related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of the required experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

PROFESSIONAL:

A minimum of ten (10) years of professional working experience in environmental analysis for sustainable development, public policy making at regional and or international levels, evaluation of environmental policy implementation. Experience in drafting guidance & training material at institutional level.

LANGUAGE:

Fluency in English and Spanish are required for this consultancy.

SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

- Multilateral and development institutions - UN system general frameworks, Agenda 20230/SDGs, Implementation of UN Reform - Verifiable analytical skills - Knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to indicator frameworks to monitor the implementation of the 2030 Agenda (the Sustainable Development Goals), the Triple Planetary crisis and the DPSIR framework. Knowledge of Multilateral Environmental Agreements and other relevant international treaties and conventions (desirable).

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.

Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: careers.un.org