Result of Service

This consultancy will result in enhanced capacity of key officials from Parties to the CBD and its Protocol (including national focal points, policy makers and practitioners), personnel of the Sub-regional Technical and Scientific Cooperation Support Centres (TSCCs), indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) and other relevant stakeholders. This will include enhancing their understanding and application of key capacity development concepts, principles, approaches and methods and their ability to conduct capacity needs self-assessments and elaborate capacity development action plans; and to effectively design, implement, monitor and evaluate national biodiversity capacity development projects and programmes as part of the NBSAPs and other biodiversity-related capacity development interventions in general.

Work Location

Remote – Home-based

Expected duration

12 months

Duties and Responsibilities

ORGANIZATIONAL SETTING 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. At the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, world leaders agreed on a comprehensive strategy for sustainable development. The Convention on Biological Diversity was opened for signature in Rio in 1992. The Convention has 196 Parties and has three main objectives: the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the use of genetic resources. The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD) is located in Montreal and is administered by UNEP. Its main tasks include, inter alia, the organization and service of meetings of the Conference of the Parties (COP) and its Subsidiary Bodies, liaison and coordination with other international bodies and processes and the provision of technical support, in close collaboration with partners, for the effective implementation of the Convention and its Protocols. At its fifteenth meeting, the CBD COP adopted a long-term strategic framework for capacity-building and development (LTSF), contained in Annex I of decision 15/8, to support nationally-determined priorities for the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). Specifically, the LTSF sets high-level capacity results and provides a menu of core guiding principles, strategies and mechanisms for improving capacity development action to facilitate effective implementation of the GBF. Pursuant to decision 15/8, the Secretariat seeks to hire a suitably qualified consultant to develop a practical guide and a course that will enable relevant officials from Parties to the CBD and its Protocol (including national focal points, policy makers and practitioners), IPLCs and other relevant stakeholders directly engaged in the implementation of NBSAPs to better understand and effectively use the LTSF to improve the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of capacity development initiatives and programmes in support of the GBF. The consultant will work closely with the capacity development team under the direct supervision of the Head of the Capacity-Building and Knowledge Management (CBKM) Unit. Duties and Responsibilities Under the direct supervision of the Head of the CBKM Unit, the consultant will be required to develop and deliver a practical guide and a course on capacity building and development for biodiversity based on the concepts and guidance presented in the LTSF. The consultant will be required to: 1. Develop a practical guide on capacity building and development for biodiversity for use by officials from Parties and relevant stakeholders, including how to: (i) apply key capacity development concepts, principles, approaches and methods in the biodiversity context; (ii) map, engage and support relevant stakeholders; (iii) conduct capacity needs self-assessments and elaborate capacity development action plans; (iv) elaborate a capacity development monitoring and evaluation framework; and (v) how to design and implement capacity development activities in a coordinated and integrated manner. 2. Design and develop a course on capacity building and development for biodiversity, including: (i) defining the goals, learning objectives, and expected outcomes of the course based on the content of the practical guide; and (ii) developing the course curriculum, structure, process, content and materials, together with monitoring and evaluation methods and materials to assess participants’ learning and course effectiveness. 3. Support the piloting of the course through a hybrid delivery model, including online sessions (webinars) and, subject to availability of resources, face-to-face (in-person) workshops. 4. Develop a facilitators’ guide on the delivery of the course, including explanatory notes on the exercises and assignments; step-by-step guides on how to facilitate the different sessions and exercises; and guidance on how to adapt processes and materials to local context and needs. All outputs are to be delivered electronically, in English only.

Qualifications/special skills

Academic qualifications: Advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in education, sustainable development studies, organizational development or a related field is required. Experience: A minimum of 10 years of experience in developing and delivering capacity development solutions is required. Experience in instructional design and delivery of instructor-led courses and their transformation into self-paced e-learning content is desirable. At least 5 years of teaching experience is desirable. Experience in areas related to capacity development, strategic planning, results-based management, and familiarity with theory of change, is desirable. Experience in monitoring and evaluation of capacity development activities is desirable. Skills: • Ability to design and deliver engaging, interactive live online training sessions is required. • Ability to work with minimal supervision and to deliver results within agreed deadlines is required. • Excellent presentation, facilitation and communication skills are required. • Experience in biodiversity, environmental management, or sustainable development is desirable. • Familiarity with learning management systems, preferably Moodle, is desirable. • Knowledge of e-learning best practices is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of French and/or Spanish is desirable. NOTE: “Fluency equals a rating of “fluent” in all four areas (read, write, speak, understand) and “Knowledge of” equals a rating of “confident” in two of the four areas.

Additional Information

Travel may be required during this contract period. The consultant will potentially travel to the locations where the in-person delivery of the pilot course will take place. Any approved official travel related to this assignment will be paid for and facilitated by the Secretariat.

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.