Consultant: Science, Technology and Innovation

Result of Service

The purpose of this consultancy is to provide integrated and coordinated technical, procedural, administrative and drafting support to the Science, Technology and Innovation unit in preparing for, servicing and following up on COP17, while advancing selected institutional workstreams that strengthen UNCCD science-policy and operational functions.

Work Location

Hybrid (Office and Home-based)

Expected duration

06 months between July and December 2026

Duties and Responsibilities

Background note: Desertification, along with climate change and the loss of biodiversity were identified as the greatest challenges to sustainable development during the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Established in 1994, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. The Convention seeks to support countries to address Desertification, Land Degradation, and Drought (DLDD). (www.unccd.int) The Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) unit serves the two subsidiary bodies of the Conference of the Parties (COP), namely the Committee on Science and Technology (CST) and the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC). The STI unit supports the realization of core functions of the Convention through the provision of scientific and technical advice on DLDD, support to national reporting by Parties, and facilitation of capacity-building for effective implementation of the Convention. The seventeenth session of the COP (COP17), including CST17 and CRIC24, will take place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from 17 to 28 August 2026. In the lead-up to COP17, during the session itself, and in the immediate follow-up period, the STI unit requires additional support to help ensure the effective preparation, coordination and delivery of substantive, administrative and procedural work related to CST17 and CRIC24. This includes support for planning and organizing session content and formats, coordinating information flows and documentation, assisting with daily meeting operations and internal coordination, and helping consolidate records and reporting after the session. The STI unit also requires support for a number of institutional follow-up tasks that are essential to strengthening the secretariat’s science-policy and operational functions beyond COP17, including the development of requirements for a secure online nomination portal, the preparation of a quality assurance standard operating procedure for science-based outputs and communications, and support to any post-COP17 process related to the development of a post-2030 strategic framework. These tasks require a consultant able to work across substantive, procedural and operational dimensions, translating institutional needs and Party mandates into practical deliverables, while coordinating effectively with secretariat units, the Global Mechanism and relevant external partners. The work therefore combines conference support, process design, drafting, consultation, quality assurance and institutional follow-up in a proactive time-sensitive intergovernmental context. With the aim of aiding the Science, Technology and Innovation unit, the consultant will provide integrated technical, procedural, administrative and drafting support for the preparation, delivery and follow-up of UNCCD COP17, while developing key institutional tools and guidance related to nominations, quality assurance of science-based outputs, and follow-up arrangements for work on a post-2030 strategic framework. Duties & Responsibilities: Under the overall supervision of the Chief of the Science, Technology and Innovation Unit of the UNCCD and the direct supervision of the Chief Scientist, working collaboratively with all staff and relevant partners, the incumbent will perform the following main tasks: 1. Develop an inception report. Develop a comprehensive inception report (5-10 pages) detailing: (a) the approach proposed to be taken to deliver all outputs; (b) consultation strategy and stakeholder engagement plan; (c) detailed work plan with timeline and key milestones; and (d) risk identification and mitigation measures. The inception report should detail specific methods and tools for consultation, analysis and validation, for review and approval by the UNCCD secretariat. Timeline: From early-July to mid-August 2026) (10%) 2. Provide administrative and logistical support to COP17 (CST17 and CRIC24). Integrated administrative and logistical support to the STI Unit, including the CST and CRIC Secretaries and the Chief Scientist, in the run-up to, during and immediately after COP17, with a focus on CST17 and CRIC24. This will include: (a) supporting the drafting of COP17 content and formats (plenaries, contact groups, side events, panels, round tables, media sessions); (b) pre‑event planning and coordination (liaison within and beyond the secretariat for technical setup and schedules, preparation and distribution of information materials, and support to internal preparatory and planning meetings); (c) during‑event operations (daily scheduling updates and room allocations, logistical support to side events and stakeholder activities, support to VIPs, coordination of distribution and availability of documents and information materials, and organization of daily coordination meetings such as Bureau and regional group meetings, including note‑taking and follow‑up on action points); and (d) post‑event activities (support to disassembly and inventories as relevant, compiling statistics on participation and side events, contribution to internal and external post‑event reports, including annexes and inventories, and archiving of key administrative records). Timeline: From 1 July 2026 through 30 September 2026, covering pre‑COP preparation, the COP17 session itself and immediate post‑COP follow‑up (25%). 3. Lay the groundwork for a secure online nomination portal for UNCCD official representatives and experts Kick-start a corporate co-design process with the aim of producing a concise requirements package and draft terms of reference for the development of a secure online portal through which Parties can submit new nominations and updates for UNCCD National Focal Points, Science and Technology Correspondents and members of the UNCCD Roster of Experts, including: (a) definition of standardized data fields, validation rules and mandatory supporting documentation; (b) specification of user roles and workflows that place responsibility for entering and confirming nominee information with authorized Party representatives while enabling secretariat review, approval and change tracking; and (c) identification of core security, authentication, audit trail, data protection and reporting requirements to ensure that UNCCD-wide databases and public-facing records are accurate, consistent and up to date. Timeline: From 1 September 2026 through 31 October 2026 (20%). 4. Support the secretariat in developing a corporate quality assurance SOP for science-based outputs and communications. Develop, in consultation with all relevant units of the secretariat and the Global Mechanism, a quality assurance standard operating procedure (SOP) for UNCCD science-based outputs and communications, including scientific reports, policy briefs, science-based communications, media submissions and social media content. The SOP should build on procedures that have been developed for Science-Policy Interface products, integrating scientific-rigour quality assurance, including standards for evidence, methods, expert input and peer review, with reputational-risk and messaging quality assurance, including factual verification, consistency with agreed UNCCD mandates and positions, clearance pathways, and review of legal, political and communications sensitivities. It should establish common principles, minimum process steps, roles and responsibilities, proportionate review pathways for different product types, and practical tools such as templates, checklists and workflows. The consultant will prepare both: (a) an internal operational manual for day-to-day use by the secretariat and Global Mechanism; and (b) a companion public-facing governance document, similar in function to published procedures of intergovernmental scientific bodies, so that Parties and external stakeholders are aware of the principles and procedures that will guide the future preparation, review, clearance and publication of UNCCD science-policy outputs. Drawing upon related procedures embraced in other UN entities, the deliverables should be developed through consultation, tested against a representative sample of product types, and finalized for internal use and possible future public release. Timeline: From 1 September 2026 through 30 October 2026 (20%). 5. Provide technical and procedural support for the establishment of follow up arrangements for the development of a post 2030 strategic framework. Subject to the decisions to be taken by Parties at COP17, provide technical and procedural support to the establishment and effective functioning of any intergovernmental or expert process mandated to advance the development of a post 2030 strategic framework of the Convention, building on the work and outputs of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Future Strategic Framework (IWG FSF). This will include, as requested by the secretariat: (a) assisting in the preparation of draft terms of reference, working modalities and indicative workplans for such a process, taking into account (i) related COP17 decisions and (ii) the mandate and experience of the IWG FSF and lessons learned from its implementation; (b) supporting the design of consultation, outreach and stakeholder engagement approaches to ensure inclusive, regionally balanced and transparent inputs from Parties and relevant stakeholders, in line with established UNCCD practice; (c) contributing to the preparation of background notes, scoping documents, draft annotated agendas and other working materials required to initiate and structure the work of any such process; and (d) providing, as appropriate, technical drafting support to the consolidation of Party inputs and the articulation of key elements, proposed goals and targets and related indicator considerations for a post 2030 strategic framework, in close coordination with secretariat units. Timeline: From 1 September 2026 through 31 December 2026 (25%).

Qualifications/special skills

- Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in environmental science, natural resource management, sustainable development, information management, or another closely related field is required. - At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in supporting the implementation of multilateral environmental agreements or closely related intergovernmental environmental processes is required, including demonstrated experience in both technical and operational support functions. - Proven ability to support MEA negotiations and conference processes is required, including preparation and finalization of official documentation, preparation of briefing materials, coordination of meeting inputs, note-taking, and follow-up on agreed action points in fast-moving and politically sensitive settings. - Proven experience in drafting, editing and quality-controlling United Nations or comparable science-policy official documents and correspondence is required, with demonstrated ability to produce clear, accurate and well-structured written outputs in accordance with institutional standards and tight deadlines is required. - Demonstrated experience in the administrative and logistical support of large intergovernmental meetings (e.g. COP or comparable high level events) is highly desirable, including planning support, coordination across units, scheduling, preparation and dissemination of documentation and information materials, support to side events and stakeholder activities, and post-session reporting and archiving. - Proven experience in developing workplans, inception reports, procedural guidance, terms of reference, standard operating procedures, or other institutional process documents is highly desirable, including the ability to consult broadly, synthesize inputs and convert mandates into practical workflows and implementation arrangements. - Experience in developing or supporting expert selection, nomination, roster-management, or related application processes is desirable, including work involving data management, review workflows, and communication with official representatives or focal points. - Experience in defining business requirements, workflows, user roles, validation rules, or governance parameters for online systems, databases, portals or other institutional digital tools is desirable, especially in relation to secure submission, review and update processes for official records. - Direct, hands-on experience supporting the science agenda of the UNCCD, including servicing the CST, CRIC, SPI, or related science-policy and intergovernmental processes, is desirable and will be considered a strong asset.

Languages

- Fluency in spoken and written English is required. Knowledge of an additional official UN language is an advantage.

Additional Information

Only individuals who can act as independent, individual economical operators are qualified to apply. Individuals who can provide their services only on account of an institution or enterprise are not eligible under this procedure. Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations Secretariat 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. Consultant and individual contractor is responsible for determining tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

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.