Technical Consultant –Strategic Integration and Circular Economy

Result of ServiceThe consultancy will be focused on delivering the following tasks: 1) Define and Pilot a Programme-Level Indicator on Systemic Transformation The consultant will lead the development of a robust indicator to track systemic transformation across the programme, anchored in the GEF theory of change. Tasks include:  Undertake a scoping review of transformation metrics applied in other GEF programmes, multilateral funds, and academic literature to identify relevant methodologies, evidence, and best practices.  Map and analyse existing results frameworks across the global project and national child projects to identify gaps and opportunities for alignment.  Develop a combined, programme-level results framework and propose an indicator that captures systemic shifts (e.g. policy regimes, market behaviors, financial flows).  Test the indicator through case examples and stakeholder consultations.  Draft a concise guiding note summarizing the methodology, assumptions, limitations, and integration pathways.  Collaborate with developers to conceptualize a simple digital reporting interface.  Design and deliver two bilingual (EN/FR) training sessions, focusing on the methodology, pilot use cases, and implications for national-level replication. 2) Support to Technical Working Groups with Emphasis on Policy Knowledge Integration The consultant will contribute expert technical input to the programme’s working groups, with a primary focus on policy, while ensuring coherence and cross-pollination across technical streams. Tasks include:  Act as UNEP’s focal point for the Policy Working Group (led by a global executing partner), contributing to the review and framing of technical guidance in line with country needs and programme direction.  Attend other technical working groups (e.g. EPR, reuse/refill, alternative materials) to ensure knowledge integration, thematic coherence, and consistent framing across deliverables.  Develop and co-host open, high-quality knowledge seminars featuring speakers from government, industry, academia, and civil society. This includes session planning, speaker engagement, moderation, and post-event synthesis.  Draft technical products such as briefing notes, curated slide decks, and digests that extract actionable policy insights—emphasizing replicable models, enabling conditions, and lessons from country practice.  Track implementation insights and best practices across national projects, and liaise with knowledge leads (WWF and country teams) to ensure their integration into programme-wide learning. 3) Plastic Reboot Side Events and Annual Report The consultant will oversee the development of high-quality visibility and synthesis products that communicate the programme’s technical contributions and learning to global audiences. Tasks include:  Identify, design, and support side events at key global forums, preparing curated engagement materials, talking points, and synthesis briefs tailored to strategic technical audiences.  Identify and prepare side events for key global policy and technical forums, including curation of content, preparation of engagement materials, talking points, and synthesis briefs.  Working with WWF, initiate the planning of the Plastic Reboot annual report, benchmarking other GEF flagship programmes, proposing a narrative structure, and coordinating early-stage content development.  Liaise with national and global partners to gather content across the 15 countries and ensure thematic and geographic balance in the report.  Review progress reports and implementation documents to extract insights, case studies, and technical highlights.  Coordinate with design teams to ensure visual consistency with UNEP and Plastic Reboot branding. 4) Strategic Input and Concept Preparation (Pipeline and Programming) The consultant will support the early conceptualization and framing of pipeline development. Tasks include:  Conduct targeted research on potential country engagement opportunities, drawing from country positions, past participation, enabling policy signals, and institutional readiness.  Contribute to the design of technical concepts, including theory of change elements, strategic entry points, baseline analysis, and alignment with emerging funding trends.  Draft internal strategy notes and synthesis documents (e.g. slide decks, thematic summaries, bibliographies) for UNEP and partner engagement. 5) Complementary Support to Work on Programme Risk and Plastic Footprint While technical delivery of these tools rests with a global executing partner, the consultant will help ensure that methodologies are aligned with the broader programme logic and usable by project teams. Tasks include:  Participate in consultations and working sessions focused on the development of risk, plastic footprint, and global environmental benefits (GEB) methodologies.  Review the tools developed by the global executing partner to ensure consistency with the systemic transformation indicator and overall theory of change.  Contribute to the development of simplified, user-friendly knowledge products (e.g. FAQs, guidance notes) to support application of risk and footprint tools by countries.  Provide structured feedback on technical assumptions, scalability, and cross-country relevance. 6) Development of a Circularity Expert Roster for Country Support The consultant will design and initiate a platform-based expert roster to support technical delivery across the programme and future country needs. Tasks include:  Develop a Terms of Reference and conceptual structure for a global circularity expert roster to be hosted on the programme’s knowledge platform.  Define registration, profiling, and deployment mechanisms that ensure relevance, accessibility, and transparency.  Coordinate with technical teams and national stakeholders to identify areas of technical need and gaps in available expertise.  Propose modalities for evolving the roster into an active community of practice—facilitating knowledge exchange, on-demand technical support, and peer learning. Work LocationParis, France Expected duration12 months Duties and ResponsibilitiesThe UN Environment Programme (UNEP) is the United Nations system’s designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional levels. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. UNEP’s Industry and Economy Division works with international governments and non-governmental organizations, national and local governments, business and industry to develop and implement policies, strategies, and practices that are cleaner and safer, incorporate environmental costs, use natural resources efficiently, reduce pollution and risks for humans and the environment, and enable the implementation of conventions and international agreements. The UNEP Plastics Initiative is UNEP’s programme to activate and scale up global, regional, and national actions to tackle plastic pollution. The Initiative consolidates all UNEP's plastic-related projects, activities, actions, and results into a unified programme that leads and implements a system-wide transformation towards a safe circular economy of plastics. Through collaboration with diverse stakeholders, ongoing projects, and a multifaceted approach, the Initiative seeks to accelerate market transformation towards a circular economy of plastics. Plastic Reboot is the GEF-8 Integrated Programme on Circular Solutions to Plastic Pollution. Co-led by UNEP and WWF-US, the programme brings together 15 national child projects and a global platform to advance upstream and midstream solutions across the plastics value chain. It focuses on enabling policy shifts, driving business model innovation, and promoting systems integration to help countries transition toward a circular economy. To support implementation of the Global Project under Plastic Reboot, UNEP is seeking to engage a Technical Consultant – Strategic Integration and Circular Economy. The consultancy is based in the Resource and Market Branch of the Industry and Economy Division, located in UNEP’s Paris duty station. The consultant will work under the overall supervision of the Programme Management Officer (Plastic Reboot Programme Manager). Qualifications/special skillsAdvanced level degree (MSc. Or PhD) in environmental or urban science, circular economy, or a related field is required. A minimum of 3 years of relevant professional experience is required. Demonstrated understanding of systems change theory, indicators development, and sustainability transitions is required. Strong knowledge of policy frameworks, circular economy principles, and investment/financing processes is a asset. Excellent analytical and synthesis skills; ability to write clearly for technical and policy audiences is required. Experience with working groups, stakeholder engagement, and cross-institutional coordination is an asset. Experience of working with an international and intergovernmental organization is required. LanguagesFluency in English (oral and written). Fluency in French is strongly desired. 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.