Social and Gender Expert

The objective of this assignment is to have significant social impact contributions across the Outcomes of the Project through gender mainstreaming, stakeholder engagement, and safeguarding risks. The position requires extensive knowledge on integrating gender and local community perspectives, including monitoring and evaluation, in environmental projects. The position will also facilitate gender-responsive actions across all outputs of the project.

Remote/Home-based

18 months

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. UNEP Ecosystem Division works with international and national partners, providing technical assistance and capacity development for the implementation of environmental policy, and strengthening the environmental management capacity of developing countries and countries with economies in transition. The Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) is a regional intergovernmental mechanism and one of 18 Regional Seas Programmes with nine participating countries – Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, and Viet Nam – aimed at the protection and sustainable development of the marine and coastal environment. COBSEA’s efforts are guided by the Strategic Directions 2023 – 2027 across three thematic areas: marine pollution prevention, reduction, and control; marine and coastal biodiversity, ecosystem conservation and management; and climate action. Within the marine pollution thematic area, COBSEA is mandated to reduce nutrients pollution as a regional and transboundary challenge in the East Asian Seas. Nutrient pollution in coastal waters and marine environments has rapidly accelerated in Thailand. Monitoring data shows that nutrient concentrations in rivers and coastal areas often exceed acceptable thresholds, in some instances by a factor of 100-5001. The agriculture, tourism, fishing port and seafood processing sectors are identified among the largest contributors. The release of excess nutrients by these sectors into Thailand’s coastal waters results in the excessive growth of harmful algal blooms, depleting oxygen levels in water, causing dead zones (hypoxia) that devastate marine life and biodiversity. This not only disrupts ecosystems but also threatens human health and the seafood and tourism industries, which are vital sources of income for many communities in Thailand. Thailand will address this issue as part of the GEF-8 Clean and Healthy Ocean Integrated Program (CHO-IP), where it will contribute to the IP’s delivery of transformational change, addressing marine hypoxic zones by curbing coastal pollution from agriculture, industrial and municipal sources through policy and regulatory measures and infrastructure investments combined with nature-based solutions. CHO-IP targets nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic matter released by agri-food (crops, livestock, poultry and aquaculture) and industrial and municipal systems, as nutrient pollutants generated by these sectors are the primary agents causing harmful algal blooms (HAB) and eutrophication that leads to hypoxia. The Thailand CHO-IP will work at national level and aim to address marine hypoxic zones by curbing coastal nutrient pollution from tourism, agriculture, and fishing ports and seafood processing in Thailand. The project will address root causes and barriers by (i) improving existing monitoring systems, increase data sharing between stakeholder groups, and raising nutrient awareness among government agencies, NGOs and CSOs, farmers, and coastal communities; (ii) supporting policy coherence through interministerial sub-committee meetings and developing and implementing 6 nutrient pollution reduction strategies and action plans; (iii) testing and evaluating 7 pilots that address nutrient pollution in the agricultural, tourism and fishing port sectors, delivering capacity building programs on sustainable nutrient management practices; establishing a financing mechanisms for nutrient pollution management, and delivering sustainable nutrient investment training programs to private sector, investors and women entrepreneurs;(iv) ensuring knowledge products generated inside the project will be shared through the programme’s Global Coordination Project (GCP), participating in knowledge sharing activities inside and outside the CHO-IP, and communicating on project and programme achievements. Under the direct supervision of the COBSEA Coordinator and the National Project Coordinator, the Expert will be home-based with part-time basis and he/she will perform the following: i) Gender Mainstreaming ii) Stakeholder Engagement iii) Capacity Building and Awareness iv) Monitoring and Reporting

A university degree in social sciences, gender and women’s studies, environmental science, natural resource management, public administration, business administration, or a related field is required. A master’s degree is highly desirable. • Minimum of 7 years professional experience in gender mainstreaming and stakeholder engagement, particularly in environmental and sustainable development projects is required; • Demonstrated experience in working with government agencies, women, local communities, and development partners, and civil service organizations is required; • Experience of supporting project coordination, implementation monitoring, and reporting for multi-partner projects, preferably in the East Asian Seas region is required. • Experience working with government institutions, local authorities, and/or community-level stakeholders is required. • Experience in facilitating, conducting meetings, interviews, and country support, working a wide range of stakeholders is required. • Experience in GEF, UNEP, or other donor-funded projects, with a strong understanding of their procedures and compliance requirements for gender and social safeguards is an asset working with NGOs and regional organizations is desirable. • Familiarity with Thailand’s gender and social safeguard policies, environmental policies, resource efficiency initiatives, and nutrient management issues is desirable. SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS: • Proficiency in developing and using gender-sensitive tools and frameworks is required. • Proficiency in gender mainstreaming in environmental project planning, monitoring, and evaluation tools is required. • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with fluency in spoken and written Thai and English is required.

Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Fluency in written and spoken Thai is required.

Not available.

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.