The United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the world's 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 environment.
Role Overview
This specialist role involves project management support for UNEP projects under execution within the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) portfolio, primarily related to the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The consultant is expected to handle reporting, documentation, financial oversight, and portfolio management to ensure effective project implementation and risk mitigation.
Specific Tasks and Responsibilities
Project Management of Projects under Execution
- Prepare reports for the Task Managers on the progress and risk situation of projects in the ECA portfolio.
- Submit strategy documents to Task Managers to effectively mitigate identified project risks.
- Prepare and send half-yearly report templates to Executing Agencies (EAs) for projects in the ECA Region portfolio.
- Hold meetings with EAs and send guidance emails to ensure correct and timely completion of half-yearly reports, and review such reports.
- Prepare and send project implementation review report templates to EAs, hold meetings, send guidance emails, and review reports to ensure timely completion.
- Provide inputs for facilitating the technical and financial closure of projects.
Project Documentation
- Develop draft legal agreements for new projects and project extensions.
- Prepare documents for UNEP project internalization and revision processes, and provide inputs to ensure completed UNEP clearance and approval processes.
- Prepare project supervision plans and risk logs for projects and periodically update them.
- Request Executing Agencies to update their procurement plans and review such plans, providing inputs to finalize them.
- Prepare project revision documents for technical and financial revisions for projects, ensuring that documentation is complete for UNEP approval.
- Review expenditure reports together with the finance team to ensure:
- correct amounts have been charged;
- expenditures are aligned with project deliverables and thus acceptable;
- expenditure is not exceeding the budget line allocations and overall budget.
- Send feedback emails to Executing Agencies for the agency to complete the expenditure document correctly.
- Review cash advance requests in collaboration with the finance team and provide guidance to Executing Agencies for them to complete the document correctly.
Portfolio Management
- Prepare databases for the uploading of information to the Integrated Planning, Management and Reporting (IPMR) solution system and upload information to the system.
Performance indicators for this role require that all deliverables are completed in a timely manner and approved by the Task Manager for Europe and Central Asia.
Qualifications and Experience
Required Qualifications:
- Advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: management, engineering, law, business administration, environmental management, policy, economics, development, climate or development finance, or a related discipline.
- A first level degree (BA/BSc/HND) with additional two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree (MBA/MSc/MA).
- Minimum five years of experience in managing projects related to climate change, environment or development is required.
- Two years experience in working with national governments of the Europe and Central Asia is required.
Desirable Skills and Experience:
- Experience working with GEF, GCF or UNEP projects is desirable.
- Knowledge on climate transparency is desirable.
- Good communication skills to manage/interact with people inside and outside of the project team is desirable.
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