Project Officer

Result of Service Develop, implement, monitor programme implementation through provision of substantive support to the policy and networking components.

Work Location NAIROBI

Expected duration 6 months

Duties and Responsibilities Background

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 United Nations Environment Programme, (UNEP) is currently implementing a regional project called Switch-Africa Green which is financed by the European Commission (EC) and in collaboration with EU Delegations in participating countries and other regional and national partners. The overall objective of SWITCH Africa Green programme is to support 7 countries in Africa (Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, South Africa and Uganda) to achieve sustainable development by engaging in transition towards an inclusive green economy, based on sustainable consumption and production patterns, while generating growth, creating decent jobs and reducing poverty.

The specific objective is to support the development of green businesses and eco- entrepreneurship and use of Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) practices by having in place (i) Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and business service providers that are better equipped to seize opportunities for green business development, ii) better informed public and private consumers, and (iii) enabling conditions in form of clear policies, sound regulatory frameworks, incentives structures, tax, other fiscal and market-based instruments influencing key sector(s) in the 7 African countries. The SWITCH Africa Green Programme has three main components: i) Policy support for each pilot country which builds on and scale up activities to strengthen institutions and appropriate tools and instruments; ii) Green Business development to enable Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to start and develop resource efficient and green business based on sustainable production practices; and iii) Networking Facility to enable dissemination of lessons learned from the project. The main objective of the consultancy is to provide support to the Networking facility, which complements the other two components of the project. The networking facility fosters networking and communication among the projects and countries, distilling knowledge from pilot project implementation for wider replication, and facilitation of policy uptake. Expected results from the networking facility include knowledge, lessons learned and good practices from the projects distilled and disseminated nationally and through regional and Africa- wide networks and programmes creating broader awareness, and increased understanding, buy-in and uptake of Green Economy and SCP practices among key stakeholders in private sector, governments and consumers of participating countries and other countries in Africa.

Scope: The assignment will involve coordination of the programme implementation in the Seven African countries in the policy and networking components to achieve sustainable development and poverty eradication through the transition to an inclusive green economy and a shift to sustainable consumption and production patterns and practices.

Objectives - Implementation of the SWITCH Africa Green Programme. - Management of the Project including reporting on project results and outcomes. - Coordination with the Project Steering Committee and other stakeholders. - Provision of top-quality policy advice services to the Government and facilitation of knowledge building and management.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Coordinate the development, contribute to implementation and evaluation of assigned programmes/projects, etc.; monitors and analyzes programme/project development and implementation.
• Prepare technical, financial and implementation reports of the programme for the donor (European Commission) and internal UNEP reporting requirements.
• Contribute to preparation of specific policy instruments in collaboration with national governments and other strategic partners.
• Organizing technical workshops and meetings between national policymakers, and officials from UN agencies, the EC, other bilateral/multilateral development partners and regional and sub-regional organisations in Africa.
• Apply and adapt policy tools and capacity building activities developed under SWITCH Africa Green in other UNEP projects on resource efficiency and SCP, including in other regions.
• Facilitate policy development, including the review and analysis of issues and trends, preparation of evaluations or other research activities and studies.
• Prepare various written outputs, e.g. draft background papers, analysis, sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications, etc.
• Organize consultative and other meetings, conferences, and propose agenda topics, identify participants, preparation of documents and presentations, etc.
• Undertake networking activities; disseminate results and transfer the SWITCH Africa Green experience, best practices and tools, conduct training workshops, seminars, etc.; makes presentations on assigned topics/activities.
• Organize and prepare background papers and concepts for launches, validation workshops, technical workshops and other meetings.

Reporting Lines: The IC will work under the direct supervision of the Regional Coordinator, Resource Efficiency and Sustainable Consumption and Production, in the UNEP Resource Efficiency and Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) sub-programme in the Africa Office.

Qualifications/special skills Advanced University Degree in development economics, environmental law, sustainable development, natural sciences, engineering or related discipline is required.

A first university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in environmental projects or programme management or related area.

Experience with projects funded by European Commission is an added asset.

Excellent written and oral communications skills on technical and policy aspects of green businesses and eco-entrepreneurship and use of Sustainable Consumption and Production practices is desirable.

Ability to deliver outputs against tight timelines is highly desirable.

Languages English and French are the working languages of the UN Secretariat. For this post fluency in English (both oral and written) 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.