Digital-Ecosystems Interface Specialist | UNEP Young Talent Pipeline

Mission and objectives

Since its inception in 1972, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has been the global authority that sets the 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’s mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, UNEP works through its divisions as well as regional, liaison and out-posted offices and a growing network of collaborating centres of excellence.

Context

In 2019, the UN General Assembly decided to dedicate the years 2021 through 2030 as “UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration”. This overlaps with the timeline climate and biodiversity scientists have identified as the final opportunity to avoid catastrophic climate change and mass biodiversity loss.

In the year since the UN Decade’s inception, momentum for the idea of restoration has been on the rise: More than 150 organizations have pledged their support to the UN Decade, Google searches for “ecosystem restoration” have soared and Twitter’s own market analysis identified “The Great Restoration” as one of three trends to watch. Ecosystem restoration has left the scientific niche and entered mainstream thinking.

The increased interest in ecosystem restoration is reflected in the uptake of the UN Decade’s own communication products and channels: The website is visited 100,000s of times in some months, campaign and explainer videos are viewed by millions of people, and social media users regularly inquire “how can I get involved?”. However, the internet is not where restoration takes place.

Ecosystem restoration is a long-term and complex process, led by thousands of organizations within their local ecosystems – often underfunded and undervalued. The continued challenge faced by the UN Decade thus remains: How can we translate online enthusiasm into real-world action?

Task description

The incumbent will support the overall core team of the UN Decade on Ecosystems Restoration Secretariat while based within UNEP’s Communication Division, as well as the different arms of the UN Decade such as the Task Forces, partnership network, governance bodies, as well as with the Multi-Partner Trust Fund.

Specifically, the International UNV will undertake the following tasks:

• Improving the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration’s digital presence (see www.decadeonrestoration.org), measured by such Key Performance Indicators like monthly page views, bounce rate, user journeys, etc.
• Working closely with the UNEP Communication Web team on identifying user needs and developing new user stories, programming new functionalities based on these needs.
• Supporting the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration’s vast network of partners by onboarding new partners and restoration initiatives to the digital interface.
• Connecting online-users to the resources, knowledge, and tools they need to support restoration on the ground.
• Connecting on the ground restoration efforts to the UN Decade’s digital interface.
• Tracking the impact of combined UN Decade efforts on the ground – measured through such Key Performance Indicators (KPI) like number and type of organizations involved, number of volunteers involved, hectares and types of ecosystems covered, regions represented, volunteers and employees engaged, etc.
• Selecting content for and running the UN Decade’s monthly newsletter, closely monitoring KPIs such as absolute and relative opening rates, user journeys, links clicked, etc.
• Supporting UN Decade Partners by coordinating monthly UN Decade Learning Sessions, aiming at such KPIs as number of people registered, regional, gender, and eco-system diversity, number of people attending, number of materials accessed, etc.
• Any other tasks related to (digital) communication and outreach under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

Results/Expected Outputs

• Functional digital ecosystem to connect the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration to activities on the ground. 
• Functional digital ecosystem channelling support to ecosystem restoration on the ground.
• Improved website, newsletter, and Learning Session performance, as measured by Key Performance Indicators.