Result of Service

The consultant will develop and implement tools, techniques and methodologies to facilitate participatory processes and dialogues aimed at gathering and organizing feedback and contributions towards the objectives of UNEP’s Finance Component within the Central American Dry Corridor Flagship Restoration Project (Flagship Project). This will focus on designing a Finance Strategy for Restoration, with effective incentives, to cover the Central America region, specifically focusing on pilot countries El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. This will involve facilitating and systematizing experiences from dialogues and engagements with multiple sectors, including the public sector, financial institutions, donors, smallholder farmers, Indigenous Peoples, local communities and others. Additionally, the consultant will contribute with networking mechanisms with relevant institutions and stakeholders to ensure ongoing engagement and collaboration, according to the needs of the UNEP’s Finance Component within the Project. For this consultancy the incumbent is expected to carry out the following activities: ● Design and develop the methodology and activities to be performed during this consultancy in support of the Project Work Plan. ● Develop and implement techniques and methodologies to address and facilitate processes of inclusive participation, of consultation and socialization of product-based consultancies and inputs of the project, complying with environmental and social safeguards. ● Provide strategic guidance to the UNEP Team and the Project Team in generating initial stakeholder mappings for the effective implementation of the Flagship Project. ● Develop dialogues and bilateral meetings to present the results of analyses, diagnostics, and project progress to relevant stakeholders and sectors. ● Promote networking mechanisms with financial institutions and potential investors for financing the restoration of productive landscapes. ● Provide technical expertise to the UNEP Team in reviewing the analysis of existing and new incentives for restoration, providing information, contacts, and strategic insights to achieve the deliverables. ● Provide information on lessons learned regarding incentives and approaches with public and private banks, insurers, financial institutions, and designers of existing incentives related to landscape restoration in the three countries. ● Offer strategic guidance to the UNEP Team and partners in the implementation of social and environmental safeguards when required. ● Promote engagement with regional, national, and local organizations of Indigenous Peoples and local communities ● Organize project events and systematization of meetings, workshops and focus groups of interlocutions with multiple actors. ● Contribute with the follow-up of inter-institutional coordination mechanisms and management of multidisciplinary teams during project activities. ● Collaborate in the organization of meetings, forums, working groups, etc. with high level officials and technicians. ● The cost of travel involved with the above tasks and activities is included as an integral part of payments to the consultant. 1. Methodological Plan for consultation. . Activities ● Contribute with the mapping of key stakeholders, as well as financial institutions, products and incentives with potential impact on the restoration of productive landscapes in the Central America region, with emphasis on the three pilot countries (El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras). ● Develop a consultation plan with engagement methodologies appropriate for the different stakeholders, including timelines and milestones. ● Organize and participate in regular meetings with the Project team and stakeholders to ensure alignment and facilitate collaboration. Product 1: A document with stakeholder and incentive mapping, with initial feedback to inform the UNEP project team in developing the Finance Component. Product 2: A document outlining the consultation plan, with work plan and methodology, detailing the participatory processes and stakeholder engagement, aligned with UNEP’s focus, goals and objectives in the project. 2. Multi-Sectoral Dialogues for Regional Restoration coordinated. Activities ● Facilitate multi-sectoral dialogues in the three pilot countries (El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras), at least two per country, to explore opportunities, barriers to catalyze investment, and incentives in productive landscape restoration initiatives. These dialogues can be online or in person. ● Convene bilateral meetings and other processes to engage key stakeholders from various sectors (public, private, civil society) to address challenges and develop solutions for funding restoration efforts. ● Identify existing platforms related to the restoration of productive landscapes, and develop a proposal for a regional finance platform. This will be part of/build on existing platforms as much as possible and will be focused on encouraging investment in restoration projects, ensuring that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect both ecosystems and vulnerable populations, in coordination with UNEP’s knowledge management (KM) and communications expert. Product 3: Consolidated Report on Multi-Sectoral Dialogues and Processes for Regional Restoration, documenting the topics discussed, activities carried out, key findings, and recommendations to catalyze investments in productive landscape restoration in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, including identified opportunities, barriers, and incentives Product 4: Document with a proposed design for a regional platform related to financing the restoration of productive landscapes. 3. Inputs and proposals for the Regional Investment Plan for the Restoration of Productive Landscapes and economic mechanisms and incentives associated presented . Activities ● Identify key inputs, best practices, success stories, and proposed measures to encourage investment and mitigate risks related to the restoration of productive landscapes in the Project region. This should consider the guiding principles of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (UNDER) and applicable safeguards. This should include a focus on ensuring access for vulnerable and/or disadvantaged sectors. ● Provide feedback (reviewing and refining) on the draft Investment Plan for the Restoration of Productive Landscapes and its financing mechanism, incorporating revisions through a tracked changes process. Product 5: Report with written inputs on best practices for restoration, including key inputs, best practices, success stories, and proposed measures to encourage investment and mitigate risks, according to the framework of the Flagship Project. Product 6: Document with Inputs for the Investment Plan for the Restoration of Productive Landscapes, which will include proposed incentive and investment models and actionable recommendations, incorporating feedback gathered from the multi-stakeholder dialogues (Output 2). 4. Final report with inputs and proposals for the Investment Plan for Regional Restoration developed Activities ● Coordinate and lead the socialization and feedback process for the Investment Plan for the Restoration of Productive Landscapes at appropriate forums for dissemination, in coordination with UNEP’s KM and communications expert. ● Systematize the inputs, lessons learned, and recommendations received on the Investment Plan for the Restoration of Productive Landscapes and include these inputs in the document. Product 7: A comprehensive document summarizing the socialization and feedback process, systematizing lessons learned, stakeholder inputs, and recommendations, and providing refined proposals to enhance the Investment Plan for the Restoration of Productive Landscapes.

Work Location

Home Based

Expected duration

12 months

Duties and Responsibilities

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. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. The UNEP Latin America and the Caribbean Office (LACO), located in Panama City, Panama, works closely with the 33 countries of the region and its activities are integrated into the Medium-Term Strategy and the Programme of Work approved by the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA). UNEP is the institution responsible for implementing Outputs 2.4 and 2.7 of the Flagship Project under Outcome 2 [Increased capacity and capability in private, public sector, and civil society for policy reform, to catalyze investments and to access resources are resulting in restoration actions on the ground and implementation within Flagship Initiatives] in articulation with their cooperation and in-country implementing partners. The workstream implemented by UNEP is focused on collating, adapting, and developing financial incentives, instruments, and mechanisms to support the implementation of restoration actions and sustainable productive activities in three of the Central America Dry Corridor (CADC) countries, namely El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. The Central American Dry Corridor was one of the Flagship Initiatives selected to contribute to the implementation of the UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration per both regional and national commitments. Aiming to scale up restoration at the landscape level by improving the design and dissemination of restoration models to accelerate implementation and by building the needed legal frameworks and financial incentives, this initiative will also generate evidence of the restoration benefits by contributing to the quality of life of rural families and regional efforts for a green recovery. The project will be led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), the delivery of the different outcomes will involve not only FAO, but also the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the Central American Integration System (SICA), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as well as other relevant partners (e.g. Center for International Forestry Research – CIFOR). UNEP’s Latin America and the Caribbean office requires additional capacity, in the form of a Dialogue Expert consultant to promote the integration and engagement of different sectors and key actors, in order to achieve the project’s activities and results, through the implementation of processes and mechanisms of coordination, dialogue, and participation. This will include promoting dialogues with financial institutions and potential investors for the financing of productive landscape restoration (Product 2.4/2.7, Activity 2). The consultant will report to the UNEP Programme Management Officer UN-REDD+ for Latin America and the Caribbean Office and will work from home.

Qualifications/special skills

ACADEMIC ● Bachelor’s degree in environmental management, education science, economics, administration, social sciences, or related fields is required. ● Master’s degree in environmental management, economics, administration, social sciences, strategic studies or related fields is desirable. PROFESSIONAL ● Five (5) years of experience in one or more of the following areas project and programme management in environmental, natural resources, climate change, or development topics or any other related field is required. ● Proven experience in facilitating and building dialogue processes, relationship building, policy development, and establishing partnerships for environmental management is desirable. ● Experience in environmental projects and/or climate change initiatives, and/or ecosystem conservation and/or restoration in Central America is desirable.

Languages

● Fluency in Spanish is required ● Basic knowledge of English is desirable.

Additional Information

Not available.

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.