National consultant – Monitoring Systems

Consultant Environment Finance & Economy

Contract

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Result of Service

Under the overall supervision of the National Project Coordinator for Montenegro’s Early Action Support project, the National consultant – Monitoring Systems will assist in evaluation of the existing data and knowledge systems regarding biodiversity in Montenegro, assessing the effectiveness of current institutional monitoring systems and frameworks for tracking the status and trends of biodiversity, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in the current systems and frameworks, providing recommendations for improving data collection, analysis, reporting, and institutional coordination and development of the plan for strengthening national monitoring systems. The National Consultant – Monitoring Systems will assess the institutional monitoring systems and develop a plan for strengthening the national monitoring systems, with responsibility for the following: • Conducting a thorough review of existing literature, reports, and databases related to biodiversity monitoring in Montenegro; • Assessing the methodologies, indicators, and tools used for data collection, analysis, and reporting; • Evaluating the institutional arrangements, including roles, responsibilities, and coordination mechanisms among relevant agencies and stakeholders involved in biodiversity monitoring; • Identifying gaps in data collection, analysis, and reporting, including geographical, taxonomic, and temporal coverage; • Analysing the adequacy of existing monitoring frameworks for capturing changes in biodiversity and related ecosystems; • Assessing the capacity and resources available for biodiversity monitoring, including technical expertise and financial support; • Conducting consultations with key stakeholders, including government agencies, research institutions, NGOs, and local communities, to gather their perspectives and insights; • Presenting the assessment report to the relevant stakeholders and provide clarification and guidance on the recommendations, objectives, and expected outcomes of the national monitoring system strengthening efforts; • Developing a detailed plan for strengthening the national monitoring systems, including specific actions, timelines, responsible parties, and resource requirements; • Providing guidance on the integration of innovative technologies, methodologies, and approaches for improved data collection, analysis, and reporting; • Recommending mechanisms for enhancing institutional coordination and collaboration among stakeholders involved in biodiversity monitoring; • Ensuring alignment of the monitoring plan with national and international frameworks, policies, and conventions related to biodiversity monitoring and conservation; Presenting the plan to the project team, national institutions, experts, and other stakeholders, incorporating their feedback and suggestions; Drafting related chapters of the updated NBSAP; • Providing inputs to the updated NBSAP summary 1) for policy makers and 2) for public dissemination. The National Consultant will work in collaboration with the other consultants engaged under Montenegro’s Early Action Support project.

Work Location

Montenegro

Expected duration

6 Months

Duties and Responsibilities

The United Nations Environment Programme 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. Under its Western Balkan portfolio, it facilitates the implementation and execution of numerous projects pertaining to climate change, biodiversity protection, land degradation and other environment-related aspects. The consultant will be engaged for the purposes of providing expertise to a project implemented in Montenegro focused on the preparation of an updated National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), to align with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), executed with support from UNEP’s Early Action Support programme team in Nairobi, Kenya. UNEP’s Early Action Support programme team is currently supporting the execution of the GEF funded project implemented in Montenegro focused on the preparation of the update of Montenegro’s NBSAP. The NBSAP and biodiversity frameworks in Montenegro are not fully aligned with the KMGBF. Furthermore, lessons learned from the last round of updating NBSAPs indicate that challenges persist in terms of non-alignment of national targets with global targets, lack of a financing plan for NBSAP implementation, inadequate implementation due to delays in updating NBSAPs, as well as inadequate monitoring. Alignment will help catalyze implementation of the KMGBF and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and its protocols. There are now only six years remaining for Parties and the global community to achieve the agreed KMGBF targets. Within this context UNEP and the Government of Montenegro are implementing this project, with the specific objective to fast-track readiness and early actions to implement the KMGBF. The project provides financial and technical support to GEF-eligible Parties to the CBD in their work to review and align their national targets, NBSAPs, policy frameworks, monitoring frameworks and finance with the KMGBF. Under the overall supervision of the National Project Coordinator for Montenegro’s Early Action Support project, the National consultant – Monitoring Systems will assist in evaluation of the existing data and knowledge systems regarding biodiversity in Montenegro, assessing the effectiveness of current institutional monitoring systems and frameworks for tracking the status and trends of biodiversity, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in the current systems and frameworks, providing recommendations for improving data collection, analysis, reporting, and institutional coordination and development of the plan for strengthening national monitoring systems. The National Consultant – Monitoring Systems will assess the institutional monitoring systems and develop a plan for strengthening the national monitoring systems, with responsibility for the following: • Conducting a thorough review of existing literature, reports, and databases related to biodiversity monitoring in Montenegro; • Assessing the methodologies, indicators, and tools used for data collection, analysis, and reporting; • Evaluating the institutional arrangements, including roles, responsibilities, and coordination mechanisms among relevant agencies and stakeholders involved in biodiversity monitoring; • Identifying gaps in data collection, analysis, and reporting, including geographical, taxonomic, and temporal coverage; • Analysing the adequacy of existing monitoring frameworks for capturing changes in biodiversity and related ecosystems; • Assessing the capacity and resources available for biodiversity monitoring, including technical expertise and financial support; • Conducting consultations with key stakeholders, including government agencies, research institutions, NGOs, and local communities, to gather their perspectives and insights; • Presenting the assessment report to the relevant stakeholders and provide clarification and guidance on the recommendations, objectives, and expected outcomes of the national monitoring system strengthening efforts; • Developing a detailed plan for strengthening the national monitoring systems, including specific actions, timelines, responsible parties, and resource requirements; • Providing guidance on the integration of innovative technologies, methodologies, and approaches for improved data collection, analysis, and reporting; • Recommending mechanisms for enhancing institutional coordination and collaboration among stakeholders involved in biodiversity monitoring; • Ensuring alignment of the monitoring plan with national and international frameworks, policies, and conventions related to biodiversity monitoring and conservation; • Presenting the plan to the project team, national institutions, experts, and other stakeholders, incorporating their feedback and suggestions; Drafting related chapters of the updated NBSAP; • Providing inputs to the updated NBSAP summary 1) for policy makers and 2) for public dissemination. The National Consultant will work in collaboration with the other consultants engaged under Montenegro’s Early Action Support project.

Qualifications/special skills

• Minimum qualification of completion of High school diploma or equivalent is required. An advanced academic degree (Master’s degree) in biodiversity conservation, environmental sciences, ecology, or a similar field, is highly desirable. • A minimum of 7 years' relevant professional experience in biodiversity monitoring, data analysis, and assessment is required. • Strong knowledge of national and international frameworks, policies, and conventions related to biodiversity monitoring and conservation is required. • Proven expertise in conducting assessments and evaluations of monitoring systems and frameworks is required. • Familiarity with the local context and specific challenges of biodiversity monitoring in Montenegro is required. • Excellent analytical, research, and report writing skills is desirable.

Languages

For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English and Montenegrin is required.

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.

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Added 15 hours ago - Updated 6 hours ago - Source: careers.un.org