Waste Programme Development Expert

Result of Service A fully developed programme document on waste management

Work Location Remote (home-based)

Expected duration 5 human-months over a 6-month period (part time), starting as early as possible (preferably starting on 1 April 2023 and ending on 30 September 2023)

Duties and Responsibilities A. 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 overall objective of the UNEP’s Industry and Economy Division is to encourage decision makers in government, local authorities and industry to develop and adopt policies, strategies and practices and technologies that promote sustainable patterns of consumption and production, make efficient use of natural resources, ensure safe management of chemicals and contribute to making trade and environment policies mutually supportive. It promotes the development, use and transfer of policies, technologies, economic instruments, managerial practices and other tools that assist in environmentally sound decision making and the building of corresponding activities.

As part of the Industry and Economy Division, UNEP International Environmental Technology Centre (IETC) works with developing countries to implement sustainable solutions to environmental challenges, with focus on holistic waste management. UNEP-IETC provide technical and advisory support to national and local governments to enhance their use of environmentally sound strategies and approaches. UNEP-IETC also implement in-country demonstration projects using innovative waste prevention and management methods and technologies to improve human well-being, reduce the impact of climate change, increase resilience and create jobs. Working with a wide range of partners and in line with relevant multilateral environmental agreements, UNEP-IETC mission is to serve as a global centre of excellence on environmentally sound technologies with focus on holistic waste management.

Under the MTS 2022-2025, UNEP developed a programme on solid waste and wastewater management. Based on the current MTS (2022-2025) and looking to a larger and longer-term impacts of UNEP’s waste activities for the next decade, UNEP decides to develop a programme on solid waste and wastewater management with a higher ambition for larger and longer-term impacts of UNEP’s waste related activities. The programme will include but not limited to, defining UNEP’s niche, clear identification of necessary partnerships, calculating necessary funding needs and identifying opportunities for resource mobilization.

The basis for action is hinged on the following legislative authorities:

• The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly Goals 11 and 12;
• Relevant MEAs, such as the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Bamako Convention, Minamata Convention;
• The SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway;
• UNEP Assembly Resolutions: UNEP/EA.4/Res.7 Environmentally Sound Management of waste; UNEP/EA.5/Res.4 End Plastic Pollution: Towards an international legally binding instrument; UNEP/EA.4 Res.21 Implementation plan “Towards a Pollution-Free Planet;” UNEA/EA.5/Res. Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste; UNEP/EA5/Res. Enhancing Circular Economy as a contribution to achieving sustainable consumption and production; UNEP/EA.5/Res. Science-Policy Panel to contribute further to the sound management of chemicals and waste and to prevent pollution; and
• UNEP Medium-Term Strategy (MTS) 2022-2025 and Programme of Work for 2022-2023.

UNEP-IETC functions as the Global Centre of Excellence on Environmentally Sustainable Waste Management. The Centre promotes and advocates sustainability of waste management and disposal, based on the circularity principles and through the life-cycle approach. Sound management of waste contributes to all three pillars of sustainable development.

As part of the UNEP effort to pursue sustainable waste management, UNEP links waste management with triple planetary crisis. By linking waste management with triple planetary crisis, waste management can be mainstreamed into stakeholders’ effort to contribute to addressing the crisis. A consultant to be recruited will develop a UNEP integrated programme to address waste crisis from environmental perspective as well as circular economy perspective. The programme will define a high-level impact levels of future UNEP interventions, identify areas where UNEP has not been fully engaged at the same time a key to address waste issues, necessary partnerships to implement the programme, and identify funding opportunities and clear resource mobilization strategies. The consultant will work closely with the consultant - Wastewater Programme Development expert to be recruited by the Source-to-Sea Pollution Unit of the UNEP Ecosystem Division. Conducting of the required tasks in this consultancy will be done in a synergetic manner with the work of the consultant – Wastewater Programme Development Expert.

B. Duties

Objectives: As part of the UNEP’s effort to address global waste crisis a consultant will develop a UNEP’s longer-term programme to have higher impacts on solid waste situation in the world.

Output expectations: A final draft of a programme document on UNEP’s solid waste management

Perfermance indicators The production of the scoping paper, first draft and final draft programme document of the quality satisfactory to UNEP.

C. Specific Tasks and Responsibilities

The consultancy will work directly with and will be supervised by the Head, International Environmental Technology Centre, Economy Division of UNEP in close coordination with Programme Management Officer responsible for wastewater management in UNEP’s Ecosystems Division.

The tasks of the consultant are: 1. Carry out collection of information on UNEP’s current activities on solid waste, other UN organisations’ mandates and activities, waste information on a global scale and the current existing waste problems and waste management; 2. Analyse the UNEP’s current solid waste related activities and programmes and evaluate their impacts on waste management policies and actual on-the-ground waste situation; 3. Develop a scoping paper for the development of a UNEP programme on solid waste management, including discussing the direction of UNEP’s solid waste work, scoping areas of UNEP’s work on solid waste management, UNEP’s approaches to address waste problems; 4. Participate in UNEP’s internal consultation meetings and prepare reports of these meetings; 5. Carry out interviews with UNEP staff members engaged in solid waste assessment and management; 6. Develop a draft programme document, highlighting UNEP’s comparative advantage on solid waste management, goal of the programme, areas (including new areas) of UNEP’s future intervention on solid waste management, programme implementation strategy, capacity building and technology transfer, necessary financial resources, necessary partnerships as well fund-raising strategies. The initial work plan (for the first year) of the programme development and implementation would be identified; 7. Address comments provided by UNEP and other reviewers; 8. Keep, as far as possible, close collaboration and communication with the “Wastewater programme development expert to be hired by the Source-to-Sea Pollution Unit of the Ecosystems Division; and 9. Prepare and submit a final programme document to UNEP.

Please note that a final draft will be only be used for UNEP’s internal purposes.

Qualifications/special skills- Master’s degree or equivalent in the field of environmental management, environmental engineering, environmental policies and strategies, and other related areas.

- At least 7 years of professional experiences in programme development, environmental management of waste, waste regulations and policies, waste technologies and other waste related fields.

Languages Demonstrated capacity to write UN documents in English.

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.