Nature for Health Partnership Project Manager

Result of Service

This assignment is expected to contribute to the scoping phase of the Nature for Health Fund to establish a sustainable, globally relevant mechanism. The process facilitated by the consultant will establish a common understanding, vision and commitment to collaborate among the various stakeholders in Zambia, to improve understanding of the links between health of the environment and human and animal health.

Work Location

Zambia

Expected duration

six 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. UNEPâs Ecosystems Division engages with governments and other partners to develop and promote ecosystem-based solutions for sustainable development. This position is in Biodiversity and Land Branch.
This assignment is intended to conduct the scoping phase of the Nature for Health Multi Partner Trust Fund (the Fund) in Zambia. N4H is a global initiative, working nationally to reduce health risks through environmental determinants. Initial work will focus on strengthening the environmental and preventive aspects of One Health. N4H aims to contribute to an improved understanding of the links between the health of people, animals and ecosystems, to mainstream them into public health approaches and to support decision makers and relevant actors to make use of relevant evidence to help prevent future pandemics and enhance planetary health.
In its first eight years, N4H will work in three overlapping phases in 18 low- and middle-income countries or regions. For its first phase of work, N4H employed an open call to government agencies for Expressions of Interest. Selection criteria centered on the risk of zoonotic disease spillover, political commitment to collaboration and One Health, and potential as an N4H partner. In Phase I, N4H will work in Ecuador, Ghana, Mongolia, Rwanda, Vietnam and Zambia, and operational work will start in .
The operational work in each country will be structured in two stages.
⢠The scoping stage is designed as a systemic inquiry and will conclude when a co-developed Implementation Project Document is produced that details the activity plan and budget. The scoping stage is a limited exercise estimated to last approximately 3 to 6 months and to be completed in .
⢠The implementation stage is expected to last 2 to 3 years and be based on country interests and
2
priorities, as agreed in the scoping stage, which support the N4H overall outcome areas:
¿ Assess: enhancing evidence on links between biodiversity, climate change, and health for better decision-making
¿ Build: supporting governments to develop effective policies, structures and frameworks for preventative One Health
¿ Enable: building capacity, knowledge management, and advocacy to implement such policies and frameworks
¿ Sustain: establishing sustainable partnerships and governance
This assignment is intended to support UNEPâs Biodiversity and Land Branch in their role as Partners of the Nature for Health initiative during its scoping phase.
Objective of the Consultancy:
¿
Conduct and facilitate N4H scoping phase in Zambia
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the overall supervision of the Head of the Biodiversity People and Landscapes Unit, with direct oversight by the Programme manager within the Unit, the consultant will:
1. Stakeholders workshops
⢠Plan, organise and conduct 4 stakeholdersâ workshops on One Health to assess the situation in Zambia, describe the interrelationship between stakeholders and define boundaries
- Plan and manage the logistical arrangements
- Provide communication requirements prior to the workshops to the core team and stakeholders i.e. agendas OH documentation, etc.
- Keep discussions on track, ensuring they are productive, efficient and focused on sustainable outcomes; contribute to agenda development, presentations and activities to ensure maximum participation
- Co-elaborate the minutes and summaries of key take-aways after each workshop
⢠Liaise with the System thinking Facilitator and UNEP to plan and conduct the workshops
2. N4H Partnership
⢠Maintain communication and engagement with stakeholders throughout the process on progress and needs on a ad-hoc basis
⢠Maintain relationship between N4H core team and project
⢠Co-facilitate and guide the process of collaboratively building the N4H partnership in Zambia and its programmatic structure for the implementation phase
⢠Co-facilitate Partnerâs meetings to consensually establish partnership roles and develop implementation activities.
3. Design the Implementation Phase (in conjunction with UNEP and Systems Thinker consultant)
⢠Lead on the elaboration of the Implementation Project Document with support of the systems thinking facilitator and submit it to the core team and manage the review process
⢠Contribute to the development of relevant Terms of Reference and key components for the Implementation phase as required.
4. Project management
⢠Take responsibility for project planning and timely delivery of: framework, workplan, safeguards, reporting and budget management
⢠Co-contribute to various written reports and record keeping, as required by UNEP to carry out the duties of N4H in Zambia
⢠Ensure the Implementation Project Document is signed off on time by N4H Steering Committee

Qualifications/special skills

An advanced university degree (MSc level or higher) in the social, behavioural or management sciences is required. A first level degree with additional two years of qualifying experience maybe accepted in lieu of advanced degree.

A minimum of 7 years of postgraduate work experience in project management and organizational learning to facilitate partnership building in diverse multi-stakeholder environments is required. Experience facilitating high level working groups of diverse stakeholders is required. Experience in partnership building processes and change/process management is required; Experience in sustainable development work is required.
Partnership building processes; change/process management; sustainable development

Languages

Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Working knowledge of another UN language is an advantage.