MALI Great Green Wall National Support Consultant

Result of ServiceProgress in the implementation of the National Great Green Wall objectives in Mali. Work LocationHome-based Expected duration12 months, starting January 2026 Duties and ResponsibilitiesBackground: The objective of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is to combat desertification and land degradation, and to mitigate the effects of drought (DLDD) in affected countries around the world, particularly in Africa, through effective action at all levels. Established in 1994, the UNCCD is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. The Global Mechanism (GM) is an institution of the UNCCD, mandated to assist countries in the mobilization of financial resources from the public and private sector for activities that prevent, control or reverse desertification, land degradation and drought. The Global Mechanism is currently steering several activities related to the Green Great Wall Initiative, notably one project entitled “Strengthening Coordination and Implementation of the Great Green Wall Initiative – Phase 2: Enhancing Sustainability and Expansion of the Great Green Wall Initiative’’ (ESEGGWI), funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA). The Great Green Wall (GGW) initiative was launched in 2007 under the leadership of the African Union and Pan-African Agency of the GGW. It aims to restore Africa’s degraded landscapes and transform millions of lives in one of the world’s most vulnerable regions, the Sahel. In recent years, the GGW vision has evolved into an integrated ecosystem management approach, striving for a mosaic of different land use and production systems. Hence the GGW should be understood as a strategic comprehensive national and regional development plan focusing not only on environmental protection but also combining economic and social dimensions and ensuring synergies among the various existing policies and programs that contribute to its strategy and goals. The Panafrican Agency for the Great Green Wall (PAGGW) was established in 2010 by eleven (11) member states (Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sudan) and is mandated with coordination, monitoring of achievements, and, in collaboration with member states and the African Union, resource mobilization. UNCCD is seeking to hire one (1) GGW National Support Consultant for each of the following nine (09) GGW national bodies: Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, and Senegal. This Consultancy announcement is regarding the National GGW Support Consultant for Mali. Duties and Responsibilities: Under the overall supervision of the Great Green Wall Accelerator’s Programme Management Officer, and the technical coordination of the Director General of the National Great Green Wall Agency in Mali, the GGW national support consultant, assigned and functionally attached to the GGW directorate, will carry out the tasks and produce the deliverables required. GGW Advocacy & Communications The consultant will support the National Agency of the Great Green Wall in the design, implementation, and monitoring of communication strategies aimed at enhancing visibility, strengthening stakeholder engagement, and supporting advocacy efforts. This includes building the Agency’s capacity to effectively communicate results, mobilize political and public support, and disseminate knowledge, innovations, and success stories related to land restoration, climate resilience, and sustainable livelihoods. A key deliverable under this assignment will be the implementation of a comprehensive national communication strategy, in cases where the communication strategy already exists. In any case the consultant will focus on applying existing regional strategies to the national context through its implementation and ensuring alignment with GGW regional communication objectives. Particular emphasis will be placed on leveraging both traditional and digital media platforms to highlight progress, clarify strategic goals, and communicate results in a clear, engaging, and accessible manner. The consultant will promote data-driven storytelling by integrating scientific evidence with human-cantered narratives to inspire action, promote transparency, and reinforce accountability. This approach will not only enhance national ownership of the GGW Initiative but also contribute to building a compelling case for continued support from partners, policymakers, and the general public. GGW Monitoring & Reporting As part of the assignment, the consultant will support the monitoring and reporting (M&E) component of the national strategy by assisting the National Agency in reporting against the harmonized Results Management Framework of the Great Green Wall (GGW) Initiative. This includes contributing to the systematic tracking of progress, evaluation of outcomes, and measurement of the effectiveness of GGW interventions. The consultant will ensure that results are accurately documented and effectively communicated to national and international stakeholders, thereby promoting transparency, accountability, and evidence-based decision-making and enhancing data reliability. In addition, the consultant will provide technical expertise in Monitoring methodologies and tools, with a particular emphasis on strengthening the national GGW agency’s capacity to report through the GGW Observatory. The platform offers innovative solutions for sharing data on projects, and scalable knowledge generated by communities, governments, and partners across the 11 GGW countries. As a centralized system for data consolidation and progress monitoring, it supports alignment between national implementation and continental objectives. By enhancing the quality and consistency of national reporting, the consultant will contribute to the integration of local achievements into the broader GGW monitoring ecosystem. Qualifications/special skills- Advanced degree (Master's or PhD) in a relevant field such as international management, political science, management, environmental science, or sustainable development; monitoring and evaluation, knowledge management, or a related field is required. - At least 7 years of professional experience is required. - Demonstrated expertise in monitoring, evaluation and reporting; knowledge management, digital monitoring solutions, and national programme support for large-scale rural and sustainable development projects is required. - Data management and analysis with ability to build/update tracking tools, consolidate databases, and generate trend analyses and performance briefs is required; - Strong media and public-affairs experience (press relations, media engagement plans, event documentation) with proven ability to produce digital content and advocacy materials for Government donors and community audiences (social media, infographics, videos, web copy, success stories) is required. - Capacity-building facilitator experienced training government teams on M&E methods, reporting protocols, and SOP/user guide development is desired. - Advanced Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages is desired. - Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Website design and Data Collection background is an added value. Languages- For this consultancy, fluency in verbal and written French is required. Fluency in verbal and written English is an advantage. Knowledge of other UN languages spoken in the region is an advantage. Additional InformationThis is a locally recruited position, open to Mali nationals as well as individuals who hold a valid residence status permitting employment in Mali. Only individuals who can act as independent, individual economical operators are qualified to apply. Individuals who can provide their services only on account of an institution or enterprise are not eligible under this procedure. Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations Secretariat and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultant and individual contractor is responsible for determining tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. For remote consultancies, the selected candidate will be required to have a laptop or desktop PC (with Windows 11 or newer) or Mac (with the latest MacOS update), as well as a reliable, high-speed internet connection. An Office 365 license will be provided by the UNCCD to enable the candidate to access official emails, SharePoint, OneDrive and other office applications, such as Word and Excel. Further computer requirements: An antivirus application which receives regular updates; Browsers must be a newer version with regular updates enabled; Regular Windows 11 updates should be enabled with Windows laptop or PC. In addition, a mobile phone will be required to enable Multifactor Authentication (MFA) through SMS or the Authenticator App. No FeeTHE 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.