National Consultancy-Air Quality Monitoring and Environmental Policy Coordinator, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

The objectives of this consultancy is to coordinate, provide guidance and facilitate project activities implemented by partners in relation to ambient air quality monitoring at provincial level and indoor air quality monitoring in selected kindergartens and health facilities.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, develop.

Exposure to air pollution during early life can cause long lasting damage to brain function, diminish the ability to concentrate, and disrupt behavior thus reducing educational attainment, mental development and lifetime earnings. UNICEF, in collaboration with the Government of Mongolia and with the financial support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is implementing the 4-year programme “Impact of Air Pollution on Maternal and Child Health” to reduce the risks of air pollution to maternal and child health through enhanced evidence, policy, institutional capacity and action on the ground to reduce exposure of and strengthening health services for vulnerable children and pregnant women.

One of the interventions focuses on strengthening ambient air quality monitoring at provincial level, assess the effectiveness of actions by the government and improve indoor air quality (IAQ) in kindergartens and health facilities in Bayankhongor province and Bayanzurkh district of Ulaanbaatar. For this purpose, ambient air quality monitoring network, specifically designed and tested for the unique situation in Mongolia, has been installed and operationalized in Bayankhongor, while IAQ devices have been installed and operationalized in over 30 kindergartens in Bayanzurkh district of Ulaanbaatar and in Bayankhongor.

The AQ monitoring project requires a research approach to develop and operationalize these air quality monitoring networks and IAQ systems, therefore UNICEF  Mongolia is partnering  with the Washington University in St.  Louis (WUSTL) and Mongolian University of Science and Technology (MUST).  Starting 2021, National agency for meteorology and environmental monitoring (NAMEM) has been collaborating with UNICEF to use low cost AQ devices in provincial centers. NAMEM has started testing Purple Air devices in UB to determine the comparability between the Purple Air devices before sending them to the provinces using the guideline provided by WUSTL, retrieve the data from the SD cards and review the data, sending it to WUSTL for a parallel review and ensure that devices are successfully connected to Wi-Fi and registered, and real-time data can be viewed through the PurpleAir web site. 

Furthermore, to further enable and sustain project outputs it is necessary to link and integrate air pollution, air quality management and rights of children to healthy and sustainable environment into policies. At current, UNICEF Mongolia is working with the Ministry of Construction and Urban Development (MCUD) on building design codes for kindergartens, schools and health facilities inclusive of IAQ as well as ventilation systems.  However, more work needs to be done to advance children’s environmental rights because children are the most vulnerable to air pollution together with other types of pollution, environmental harm and climate change and they are often not in position to exercise their rights, including rights to information, participation and access to effective remedies.

How can you make a difference?

1. Scope of Work:

1. Ambient air quality monitoring at provincial center level

• Oversee and support to National agency for meteorology and environmental monitoring (NAMEM) for strengthening ambient AQ monitoring stations in provinces (workplan to collaborate with UNICEF Mongolia)
  • Network expansion (calibration of Bayankhongor (BKH)) data; support maintenance of BAM in BKH; software development to convert and sync AQ measures to display AQ data on website tsag-agaar.mn.
  • Use of low cost AQ devices for ambient air quality monitoring in provinces, database and experiment on correction of data;
  • Trainings to national/provincial staff; and
  • Develop and print SOP for AQ devices.
• Oversee the implementation of project activities on ambient air quality monitoring within the framework of the Project cooperation agreements (PCAs) with WUSTL and MUST.

2. Indoor air quality monitoring in selected kindergartens and health facilities

• Oversee the implementation of project activities on indoor air quality monitoring within the framework of the Project cooperation agreements (PCAs) with WUSTL and MUST;
  • Ensure smooth operations of IAQ monitoring systems in kindergartens and health facilities in Bayanzurkh district of Ulaanbaatar and Bayankhongor province and operationalization of online platform; and
• Jointly with partners, organise trainings to staff of selected kindergartens and health facilities on IAQ and its impacts on children’s health and wellbeing.

3. Policy planning, development and advocacy

• Oversee the implementation of the workplan with Ministry of Construction and Urban Development (MCUD)
  • Enforcement, use and application of new codes on building design (IAQ and ventilation) of kindergartens, schools and health facilities;
  • Capacity building on the usage and application of new buildings codes among companies in private and public organisations; and
  • TVOC concentration in building materials commonly used in repair and maintenance of schools and kindergartens, IAQ and health of children etc.
• Support NCREP in reviewing and prioritizing key actions in the 2^nd phase of the National programme for reducing air and environmental pollution by organizing consultative meetings with ministries, agencies and local governments and seek approval by a relevant authority; 
• Organise consultative meetings with the government including the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to link and integrate environmental rights of children into key environmental, climate change and other sectoral policies of Mongolia;
• Produce recommendations for integrating environmental rights of children into policies and if needed, draft necessary parts of the policy document; and
• Support for organisation of high-level policy dialogue at Parliament, Cabinet and Ministry level on environmental rights of children and integrating into policies.

Contract duration: The consultant will work for 11.5 months period. 

Type of engagement: The consultant will work full time at UNICEF office for the entire duration of the contract. During COVID-19 pandemic, specific internal procedures including COVID-19 care pathway will apply in addition to the Mongolian Government policies and measures.

For more details of the Terms of Reference please click here  Air Quality Monitoring and EP ToR_vacancy.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• • An advanced university degree (Master, PhD) in the fields of environmental science;
  • At least 10 years of relevant professional work experience at the national government level;
  • Experience in designing and analysing policy documents, high quality reports and recommendations in environmental sector; 
  • Experience working for/with multi-lateral organizations and the United Nations;
  • Excellent planning and coordination skills; and
  • Excellent writing and speaking skills in English language.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.