Environmental Data Consultant (International)

Result of Service

The DA14 global webinars on climate change and disaster related statistics organized and summary reports published on WESR. Data on food waste collected, validated and prepared for global reporting; Reporting tools revised. Data on national integrated coastal zone management and other supportive indicators collected, validated and prepared for global reporting; Reporting tools revised and published on WESR.

Work Location

home-based

Expected duration

6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

Background and Organizational Settings

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 is also the custodian for 25 indicators on oceans, fresh water, biodiversity, sustainable consumption and production, waste, and environmental policy to monitor the 2023 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
UNEP’s Early Warning and Assessment Division is the lead division for the Environment Under Review Sub-programme (SP-7) that aims at empowering stakeholders in their decision making with quality data and assessments made available on open platforms. Through this, the Early Warning and Assessment Division works to provide timely, scientifically credible, policy-relevant environmental assessments, data and information for decision-making and action planning for sustainable development. It also spearheads UN-wide monitoring and reporting on the environmental dimension of the 2030 Agenda and SDGs.
This post is located in the SDG and Environment Statistics Unit, of the Capacity Development and Innovation Branch in the Early Warning and Assessment Division. The SDG and Environment Statistics Unit key functions are (1) to improve, provide and promote SDG indicator methodologies, environment statistics, accounts and analysis; (2) to fulfil UNEP’s international obligations as a Custodian Agency for 25 SDG indicators and as lead environmental agency in the UN System; (3) to provide coordinated and innovative support to countries on environment statistics, accounting and analysis; (4) to develop, and promote the use of, innovative tools and methodologies for statistical analyses to improve understanding of systems and to support the achievement of the UNEP MTS and Agenda 2030.

1. Purpose (justification for request)

The objective of this consultancy is to improve data collection tools for selected climate change indicators that are used by beneficiary countries under the Statistics and Data Project “Resilient and agile National Statistical Systems to meet post-COVID-19 data needs to recover better” under the 14th tranche of the United Nations Development Account (DA 14 project), as well as other UN Member States.
The consultancy will include the collection of data on two indicators of the Global Set of Climate Statistics and Indicators “131 National integrated coastal zone management” and “157 Proportion of municipal waste treated” (with focus on food waste) from UN Member States. These indicators are relevant to the SDG indicators “14.2.1 Number of countries using ecosystem-based approaches to managing marine areas” and “12.3.1b Food waste index”, and the work provided will contribute to the global data reporting on the relevant SDG indicators.
The data collection exercises will be carried out using available statistical tools. The results should be presented in tabular format with validated data, progress reports including recommendations for further improvements of methods and tools, and success stories based on country feedback.
The consultant will contribute to ongoing UNEP’s activities under the DA14 by preparing summary reports of the global webinars for beneficiary countries and sharing lessons learned from the data collection exercises.

Specific tasks and responsibilities:

Under the direct guidance of the Head of the SDG and Environment Statistics Unit, of the Capacity Development and Innovation Branch of the Early Warning and Assessment Division of UNEP, the consultant will;

• Monitor the progress of activities under the DA14 project on Statistics and Data and update the SDGs page on the WESR website.
• Consolidate materials and undertake logistics for the development of progress reports under the DA14 project on Statistics and Data.
• Prepares digital outputs as required, e.g. draft background papers, analyses, sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications, etc.

Qualifications/special skills

Master's degree in environmental science is required. Data science, information science or a related field is required. A first-level university degree with two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
At least 2 years of experience in data analysis including experience with environmental SDG indicators data is required.

Languages

English and French are the two working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this consultancy, fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of French is desirable.

No Fee

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.