Project Management and Coordination Consultant

Result of Service Project management and advisory to the design, capacity building, and implementation of the Qatar national biodiversity database.

Work Location Doha – Qatar (Ministry of Environment and Climate Change)

Expected duration 9 months

Duties and Responsibilities 1. Organizational Setting, Purpose, and Objective: 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 Regional Office for West Asia delivers advisory services and capacity building support to countries to achieve environment and sustainable development objectives. This consultancy is within the framework of the project entitled “Qatar Biodiversity Database and Environment Information System for Decision Making” to be implemented jointly by UNEP and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) of Qatar. The overall objective of this project is to ensure that the database becomes a system that can contribute to the conservation and sustainable utilization of biodiversity data and information at the national level and is used for the preparation of biodiversity-related reports, monitoring and decision making. The project would enable MoECC to meet its strategic objectives, targets, and international obligations towards MEAs where the collection, organization, and dissemination of biodiversity information would be driven by user needs and demands. Moreover, the project will establish a knowledge management platform to give decision makers in the State of Qatar access to and use of biodiversity information and embedding biodiversity information within national development decision making processes. The UNEP Regional Office for West Asia would like to recruit a well-qualified international consultant to support the implementation of the Project, including facilitating efficient communication and consultation with all stakeholders, organizing capacity building events, and providing progress reports. This consultant will report to the Regional Coordinator for SciencePolicy (project manager). 2. Duties and Responsibilities: Under the direct supervision of the Regional Coordinator for Science-Policy, at UNEP, the selected consultant will carry-out, inter alia, the following duties and responsibilities: 1. Project Implementation - Work with the regional coordinator in overseeing day-to-day implementation of the project according to the workplan and in liaison with focal ministries and all relevant stakeholders, including the international biodiversity expert consultant, international implementing partner, and the PMU in the MOECC. - Compile and review metrics for project monitoring and tracking of activities. - Update the project workplan according to the implementation progress and/or in agreement with the PMU. - Prepare monthly progress reports to UNEP-ROWA detailing activities undertaken, achievements, minutes of meetings, upcoming events, matters in need of attention, and discussions held with stakeholders. - Continually assess, mitigate, and report on project risks. - Ensure effective coordination and communication among all stakeholders, which includes preparing for a weekly and monthly coordination meeting. These meetings will be focused on discussing ongoing progress, updates and upcoming steps involving PMU at UNEP and the MOECC. - Coordinate the country missions of UNEP staff and consultants, including, but not limited to, logistics, field surveys, capacity-building workshops, awareness workshops, seminars, and conferences. - Manage the implementation of the technical assistance activities of the project. - Prepare the final terminal evaluation report for the project, providing a detailed account of the project's final status, the results and outcomes of its activities, and the outputs. - Lead knowledge sharing events, meetings, and activities on a regular basis. - Develop knowledge sharing materials such as flyers, factsheets, and articles. - Contribute to the project’s global stocktaking on best practice and lessons learned. Deliverable: - D1: Monthly Progress Reports (activities, achievements, challenges, minutes of meetings, country missions’ outcomes, upcoming events, matter in need of attention, stakeholders’ discussions, project risks assessment and mitigation, and project tracking metrics including quantifiable data on project milestones, activities completed, and progress toward project outputs). - D2: Final Terminal Evaluation Report and the Project Evidence Sheet. - D3: Quarterly Communication Material and Reports 2. Database Design and Implementation. - Cooperate with the international and national partners (such as WCMC and Qatar University among others) in the designing and implementation of the biodiversity database including data feeding and validation in coordination with international biodiversity expert and PM. - Ensure effective coordination with the MoECC technical team, international partners, and the PMU at UNEP ROWA throughout various stages of the database implementation, with particular emphasis on the initial phase of User Research. - Provide technical advice to the international partner on the business requirements of the database. - Contribute to the collection and validation of environmental data, information, and develop models and mechanism for collecting and monitoring data ensuring that regular updates are provided to the international partner responsible for the development of the database and incorporating the results of the field survey conducted by the biodiversity expert. - Coordinate with the international partner and the national stakeholders the testing of the system, including the development of the testing scenarios and user acceptance testing. Deliverables: - D4: Written technical advice document related to the business requirements and data collection, validation, and monitoring mechanisms. - D5: National system testing report detailing the written feedback and results of the national testing conducted to evaluate the database system. This report should run parallel to the conducted user acceptance tests performed by the international partner (WCMC). 3. Capacity Building Programme Assessment - Conduct a capacity assessment of the stakeholders on biodiversity issues and database management. - Cooperate with the international partner in developing the training and capacity building plan. This plan aims to ensure consistent capacity enhancement on a regular basis by sharing capacity and knowledge with UNEP through seminars, conferences, and workshops in coordination with the international partner and the international biodiversity expert. Deliverables: - D6: Capacity building plan detailing the findings of the capacity assessment conducted to assess the capacity of stakeholders on biodiversity issues and database management. 4. Coordinate national-level multi-stakeholder consultations. - Develop materials and logistic preparation for the project steering and technical committee meetings. - Coordinate and organize training workshop, stakeholders’ consultations and awareness raising events. This will include preparing technical material and end of event reports. Deliverable: - D7: Quarterly steering and technical committee meeting reports

Qualifications/special skills Advanced degree (master’s or higher) in management, environmental sciences, natural resource management, business analyses, or another relevant field is required. A minimum of 5 years of work experience related to project management, environmental sciences, biodiversity conservation, system coordination, business requirements or any other relevant field is required. Understanding of sustainable development, environmental management issues, monitoring and reporting, and other related sustainable development issues is required. Familiarity with Qatar governmental processes and data availability is desirable. Experience in information systems and biodiversity databases is desirable. Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills is required.

Languages Fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic is required.

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.