Mission and objectivesSince its inception in 1972, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has been the global authority that sets the 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. UNEP’s mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, UNEP works through its divisions as well as regional, liaison and out-posted offices and a growing network of collaborating centres of excellence.
ContextThe 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. This position will be based within the GEF Chemicals and Waste Team, Industry and Economy Division, UNEP office based in Gigiri, Nairobi. This position will be supervised under the Programme Management Officer within the GEF team. The GEF helps developing countries and those with economies in transition to meet the agreed incremental costs of measures designed to achieve global environmental benefits in six focal areas: biological diversity, climate change, international waters, ozone layer depletion, land degradation, and chemicals and waste. As part of its duties, the GEF Chemicals and Waste Unit is in charge of supervising a portfolio of ongoing projects, developing new projects to be submitted to the GEF, and assist countries to close finished projects.
Task DescriptionUnder the direct supervision of the Programme Management Officer, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: · Contribution to analysis of scenario to develop sectoral strategies and projects on chemical and pollution management in the key sectors prioritized by the Global Framework on Chemicals and UNEP’s Programme of Work, namely Persistent Organic Pollutants Chemicals (POPs Chemicals). · Assist in development of chemicals and waste management strategies, relevant information on source of waste generation, chemical use, and management including occupational health and safety, scale and adoption of alternative chemicals and product development, management systems. · Identify and prioritize strategies to achieve the existing regional and global goals by involving clusters of stakeholders who would provide solutions, business models, and best available technologies and techniques to achieve goals. · Contribute in drafting of new project concepts in close collaboration with all UNEP divisions and regional offices and develop project documents/ proposals to include logical framework, theory of change, and output-based work plans. · Data mining of existing country data to assist in the development of baseline situation analysis to inform project design and proposed mitigation / development strategies. · Draw the linkages between the proposed project/intervention with the SGD target indicators, UNEP Programme of Work indicators, and GEF results framework indicators. · Review and provide input on draft project proposals prepared by offices that contribute to the programme with a view to ensuring consistency with the programme manual and Project Review Committee checklist, and to improve project design quality prior to project submission for approval. · Editing project document drafts before they are submitted to Project Review Committee (PRC) and for approval from the GEF Secretariat. · Assist in monitoring and analysis of specific aspects of programme/project development and implementation, including receiving and reviewing quarterly progress and financial reports from ongoing projects, updating UNEP’s reporting systems, and communicating with project stakeholders particularly the Project Steering Committee members. · Identifies problems and issues to be addressed and recommends corrective actions, liaising with relevant parties and tracking follow-up actions, and develop strategy that outlines specific steps to be taken to implement the identified corrective actions including timelines, responsibilities, and metrics for tracking progress. · Carry out any other related duties and responsibilities as required.
Competencies and values· Competencies and values: · Accountability · Adaptability and flexibility · Commitment to continuous learning · Integrity · Judgement and decision-making · Planning and organising · Professionalism · Self-management · Respect for diversity.
Living conditions and remarksThe Republic of Kenya is an equatorial nation on the coast of East Africa, neighbouring Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and the Indian Ocean. Kenya has two levels of Government; National Government and 47 sub-national Governments called Counties. Counties are further divided into sub-counties. Kenya is a multi-party state with Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. Kenya’s population of more than 40 million is growing at an annual rate of 2.2%. The country’s GNP per capita estimated at purchasing power parity (PPP) is $975, and the GNP is growing at an average rate of 0.1% annually. More than 26% of Kenya’s people live below the international poverty line of $1 per day. Kenya’s main food crops are “maize, wheat, pulses, roots and tubers.” (FAO). Nairobi is a modern metropolitan city where most basic goods and services, health facilities, public transport, telecommunication and banking services and educational facilities are readily available. The city is widely connected through its main airport, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the smaller Wilson Airport. Air transport is also available to many up-country destinations. The city is home to some 3,000 UN personnel mainly attributed to the fact that it serves as the headquarters for both the UN HABITAT and UNEP. The socio-economic and cultural background of the immediate society the UNV would be living and working in is diverse and prevailing security conditions at the place of assignment is modest. The topographic and climatic features of the assignment location is highland cool and warm tropical climate. You can check full entitlements at the duty station at https://app.unv.org/calculator. The complete UN Volunteer Conditions of Service is available at https://explore.unv.org/cos.”