NIGER Great Green Wall National Support Consultant

Result of ServiceProgress in the implementation of the National Great Green Wall objectives in Niger. 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 Niger. Duties and Responsibilities: Under the overall supervision of the Great Green Wall Accelerator’s Programme Management Officer, and the technical coordination of Niger’s Great Green Wall National Coordinator, the GGW national support consultant, assigned and functionally attached to the GGW directorate, will carry out the tasks and produce the deliverables required. GGW Strategy alignment & operationalization. As part of the assignment, the consultant will be responsible for designing a clear, coherent, and comprehensive national strategy to guide the implementation of the Great Green Wall (GGW) Initiative at the national level. This strategy will align with existing national frameworks as well as regional and continental commitments. The consultant will articulate a national vision and define strategic goals related to land restoration, climate resilience, and the improvement of livelihoods in areas affected by desertification and land degradation. Deliverables will include a full draft of the strategy, comprising an executive summary, contextual analysis, strategic priorities, an action plan, a financing and resource mobilization strategy, and a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework. Each country operates within a unique context, and a thorough assessment of its current status in relation to the Great Green Wall (GGW) goals is a critical starting point. This analysis will help identify key gaps, set priorities, and define targeted actions in areas such as reforestation, sustainable agriculture, water resource management, and socio-economic development. The consultant will also assess and propose governance frameworks that can support the long-term, sustainable implementation of GGW activities. Where possible, opportunities for resource mobilization and partnerships, both at the national and international levels, should be identified and pursued. GGW National Coordination & Stakeholder liaising. The consultant will support the National Agency of the Great Green Wall in enhancing national-level coordination to ensure the effective, coherent, and results-driven implementation of the GGW Initiative. In this role, the consultant will support the establishment, structuring, and operationalization of GGW National Coalitions, which serve as the core coordination mechanisms for national-level implementation of the Great Green Wall Initiative. The national coalition brings together representatives from government institutions, civil society, the private sector, media, academia, scientific communities, and technical and financial partners. The consultant will assist the National Agency in developing inclusive and functional coalitions that enable continuous, autonomous, and coordinated contributions to GGW objectives. In collaboration with national, regional and local stakeholders in the GGW, the consultant will support the participatory identification of priority geographic zones, thematic areas of intervention (e.g., land management, sustainable agriculture, community resilience), and available resources to foster synergy, maximize impact, and improve territorial coverage. This includes promoting access to reliable, up-to-date data, implementation plans, and information on funding flows to support evidence-based decision-making and strategic planning. 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. - 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. - 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. - Solid experience designing or strengthening national strategies and action plans with proven policy, institutional and governance analysis experience (actors, funding flows, interventions) is required. - Experience generating regular coordination progress reports and designing recommendations to improve systems 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 Niger nationals as well as individuals who hold a valid residence status permitting employment in Niger. 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.