Coastal Adaptation Workshop Facilitator

An inclusive, well-structured and effectively facilitated bilingual regional workshop, supported by a validated knowledge-capture package containing practical lessons, good practices, scaling recommendations and follow-up actions suitable as structured inputs to the Abidjan Convention knowledge platform, the first Output 3.1 lessons-learned report, related publications and project reporting.

Abidjan

Two months (part-time)

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the world's leading environmental authority. It 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 Abidjan Convention, established in 1981, covers the Atlantic Ocean from Mauritania to South Africa and has a coastline of just over 14,000 km. In accordance with Article 16 of the Convention, the United Nations Environment Programme, through its Abidjan-based Secretariat, is responsible for administrative and coordination of the Convention. The Abidjan Convention provides a regional cooperation framework for the protection, management and development of the marine and coastal environment of the south-eastern Atlantic region. This region hosts ecologically significant ecosystems—mangroves, lagoons, estuaries, coral and seagrass habitats—that sustain vital fisheries, biodiversity, and the livelihoods of millions of coastal residents. However, these ecosystems are under increasing threat from rising sea levels, accelerated coastal erosion, land salinisation, habitat degradation, and climate-induced biodiversity loss. Human activities such as maritime transport and oil and gas exploration and exploitation further increase the risk of land-based pollution and oil spills. Strengthening coastal resilience and regional capacity to respond to these pressures is therefore a priority for the Contracting Parties. The consultant will report to the Coordinator of the Abidjan Convention Secretariat, or designated officer, in close consultation with UN-Habitat and the project partners, and will carry out the following tasks: • Review the approved project document, the signed UN Agency-to-UN Agency Contribution Agreement, the workshop Terms of Reference, annotated agenda, indicative participant profile, available progress information and relevant technical inputs. • Participate in an inception meeting and focused consultations with the organizing team and designated session leads to confirm the expected workshop results, roles, evidence base, institutional sensitivities, language arrangements, venue configuration and operational dependencies. • Prepare a concise assignment workplan and refine the facilitation methodology and detailed run of show, including session objectives, guiding questions, timing, transitions, speaker and moderator briefs, participant allocation, plenary validation methods, bilingual thematic working-group arrangements and a sequential plenary contingency where adequate bilingual facilitation and rapporteur support for parallel working groups cannot be secured. • Develop practical, user-friendly and translation-ready facilitation and knowledge-capture tools covering, as relevant, the intervention or practice, context, evidence, implementation challenge, enabling condition, inclusion dimension, sustainability, replication or scaling potential, source or contributor, evidence status, follow-up action and responsible institution. • Prepare concise guidance for presenters, moderators, working group leads and rapporteurs, together with a terminology and concepts note for plenary interpreters and session leads. Procurement and administrative management of interpretation services will remain the responsibility of the Secretariat. • Facilitate the two-day workshop in person, including moderated dialogue, plenary discussions, thematic working-group sessions, synthesis, validation and action planning, while maintaining neutrality, time discipline and meaningful participation across institutions, countries, languages and stakeholder groups. • Work collaboratively with plenary interpreters, working-group leads, rapporteurs and the organizing team; support daily organizer debriefs; and ensure that evidence, qualifications, divergent views, decisions and follow-up actions are captured accurately. • Lead the cross-session synthesis and participant validation of priority lessons, good practices, recommendations, knowledge products and the indicative action matrix before the workshop closes. • Prepare a concise draft workshop report and supporting knowledge products; analyse participant feedback; incorporate one consolidated set of comments; and submit the final workshop documentation and handover package in editable formats. The workshop report and validated knowledge-capture matrix will constitute structured inputs to the first Output 3.1 lessons-learned report and related publications. The consultant is responsible for ensuring: i. The facilitation process and products are evidence-based, concise and aligned with the workshop Terms of Reference, annotated agenda and the expected results of Output 3.1. ii. The methodology supports effective participation in English and French and provides appropriate space for national, local, community, women and youth perspectives. iii. Knowledge products distinguish documented evidence from participant opinion, identify sources and limitations, and preserve attribution, confidentiality and validation requirements as appropriate. iv. The consultant exercises neutrality, diplomacy and sound judgement and does not assume representational, approving, certifying, procurement or supervisory authority on behalf of the United Nations. v. All final products are professionally written, clearly structured and delivered electronically in editable Microsoft Office formats, with PDF versions where requested. vi. The consultant’s reporting responsibilities cover the workshop report and structured content inputs arising from the workshop. Institutional responsibility for consolidating, technically validating and finalizing the first Output 3.1 report containing at least 40 lessons learned and good practices remains with the Abidjan Convention, in coordination with UN-Habitat, ITC and HFHI.

An advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in knowledge management, organizational learning, environmental management, climate change, development studies, public policy, communications, social sciences or a closely related field is required. 2 years of demonstrated experience designing and facilitating complex multi-stakeholder workshops involving government institutions, technical experts, development partners and community or civil-society representatives is required. Excellent analytical, synthesis, report-writing, moderation and interpersonal skills, including the ability to manage divergent views and institutionally sensitive discussions, are required. Experience in West Africa and familiarity with government, regional and community-level stakeholders are desirable. Experience with the United Nations, the Adaptation Fund, regional seas conventions or comparable intergovernmental processes, and formal training or certification in professional facilitation, organizational learning or knowledge management, are desirable.

Fluency in oral and written English and French is required. Knowledge of another United Nations official language is desirable.

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.