National Consultant - Project Coordination Consultant

Result of ServiceProject coordination and advisory support for implementation, stakeholder engagement, and technical processes across all project components. Work LocationBaghdad, Iraq Expected duration6 months Duties and ResponsibilitiesOrganizational Setting, Purpose, and Objective: 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. The Regional Office for West Asia (ROWA) delivers advisory services and capacity-building support to countries to achieve environmental and sustainable development objectives. This consultancy assignment supports the United Nations Environment Programme Regional Office for West Asia (UNEP ROWA) in the implementation of the GEF-funded project titled “Promotion of Integrated Biodiversity Conservation and Land Degradation Neutrality in Highly Degraded Landscapes of Iraq”. The project aims to strengthen institutional and community capacities to achieve biodiversity conservation and land degradation neutrality in the Middle Euphrates landscape through integrated landscape management approaches. Key focus areas include enhancing institutional capacity to mainstream conservation and land degradation neutrality into sectoral policies; establishing two new protected areas to safeguard species of global importance in close coordination with local stakeholders; developing and operationalizing protected area management plans; implementing sustainable land management techniques to restore agro-ecosystem services; and raising public awareness on the drivers, risks and solutions related to land degradation. The overall objective of this consultancy is to support the project manager in the operational and on the ground day to day coordination of the Promotion of Integrated Biodiversity Conservation and Land Degradation Neutrality in Highly Degraded Landscapes of Iraq project, ensuring structured implementation of activities, consistent delivery of outputs, and effective engagement with governmental and non-governmental partners and stakeholders, in a timely, structured and accountable manner. The outputs and deliverables of performance are specified under section 3 below. Duties and Responsibilities: Under the direct supervision of the designated Programme Management Officer at UNEP ROWA Mr Miraq Aljubouri, the selected consultant will carry-out, inter alia, the following duties and responsibilities: 1. Project Implementation and Coordination: • Monitor the project implementation across components and field sites according to the approved workplan, in coordination with the Project Manager. • Liaise regularly with focal points from key ministries (Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Agriculture), governorates, local authorities, civil society organizations, research institutions, and sub-national authorities to ensure technical follow-up, institutional coordination, and facilitation of field visits and community-level engagement, including permissions. • Enable effective coordination among stakeholders through regular technical meetings, focal point consultations, multi-sectoral working groups and Project Steering Committee (PSC) meetings, including supporting the preparation of agendas, compilation of background materials, documentation of discussions and tracking of action points. • Organize logistics for UNEP missions, technical visits, field surveys, baseline assessments, capacity-building workshops and awareness-raising events. • Maintain and regularly update a stakeholder contact registry, including government counterparts, civil society actors and technical partners. • Ensure timely preparation and dissemination of meeting materials and follow-up documentation to participants and stakeholders. Deliverables: • D1: Monthly Progress Reports (activities, achievements, challenges, meeting minutes, country missions’ outcomes, upcoming events, matter in need of attention, stakeholders’ discussion, project risk assessments and mitigation and project tracking metrics including quantifiable data on project milestones, activities completed, and progress toward project outputs). • D2: Monthly Monitoring and Reporting Sheet Updates: Update the designated section of the monitoring and reporting sheet with the necessary updates on monthly and quarterly basis. 2. Project Monitoring and Oversight • Monitor project implementation by maintaining an updated project workplan and activity tracking dashboard. • Maintain and update the project risk log, record mitigation measures and flag issues for escalation. • Track and summarize expenditures related to project events and activities, supporting the preparation of half year expenditure reports in coordination with the financial management officers. Deliverables: • D3: Coordination Meeting Summary Packages, including attendance records, action point logs with assigned responsibilities and timelines, and consolidated follow-up tracking for multi-sectoral working groups and PSC meetings. 3. Capacity Building Programme • Organize participatory workshops for protected areas management, sustainable land management, biodiversity conservation and nature-based solutions in collaboration with partners and stakeholders. • Coordinate the design, scheduling, and follow-up of capacity-building activities, including supporting the development of a Capacity Needs Assessment, compiling participant feedback, and tracking completion of planned trainings. Deliverables: • D4: Capacity building plan, including the findings of the capacity needs assessment, planned training activities, and a summary of capacity-building events delivered during the reporting period. 4. Project Reporting • Prepare inputs and support the drafting of the HY reports and inputs to the Project Interim Report (PIR), summarizing project achievements, challenges, risks, and lessons learned in line with GEF and UNEP requirements. • Prepare the half-year progress report, including activity tracking, updates on outputs, risk monitoring, and financial summaries in coordination with the financial focal point. Deliverables: • D5: Half-Year Report, including technical progress updates, financial tracking summaries, and implementation highlights. Qualifications/special skillsAdvanced degree (master’s or higher) in management, environmental science, biodiversity conservation, or another relevant field. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of relevant work experience will be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree. A minimum of 5 years of work experience related to project management, environmental science, biodiversity conservation, system coordination, or any other field is required. Thorough understanding of sustainable development, environmental management issues, monitoring and reporting, and other related sustainable development issues is required. Familiarity with Iraq governmental processes is required. Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills is required. Excellent ability to moderate workshops involving senior-level officers/stakeholders is desirable LanguagesFluency in written and spoken English and Arabic is required. Additional InformationNot available. 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.