ESS Consultant

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

H (no hardship)

Family

CONS International

2024-09-01

July 18, 2024

Terms of Reference
(Individual Consultant)

Title of project: Feasibility study for a UNHCR approach to Environmental and Social Standards

Purpose of project: International organizations, including UN agencies, and UN donors are placing increasing importance on environmental and social sustainability considerations across their funded activities and operations. UNHCR is in the process of assessing the feasibility and options for developing and implementing Environmental and Social Standards (ESS) or equivalent. On behalf of the organization, DSPR is engaging a consultant to make recommendations on a model UNHCR could adopt to developing and implementing ESS, tailored to the agency’s mandate and variety of operational contexts.

Duration and dates of the assignment:
From: 1 September 2024 to: 31 May 2025
4. Location: Home-based, with travel to Geneva, Switzerland
5. Assignment and/or Mission travel applicable: Yes/TBD (to be covered separately based on mission length/frequency)
6. Proficiency level: Senior proficient
7. General Background of Project or Assignment
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is in the process of assessing options for developing Environmental and Social Standards (ESS) for the organization. The standards need to be tailored to a humanitarian agency operational in more than 100 countries, in contexts ranging from Geneva-based headquarters to some of the most remote and operationally challenging locations in the world, and from sudden-onset displacement emergencies prioritizing life-saving assistance to protracted displacement situations spanning over decades.

On behalf of the organization, the Division of Strategic Planning and Results is hiring a consultant to benchmark and analyse ESS approaches taken by comparable UN agencies and donors and to make recommendations to UNHCR for an ESS model that is feasible for the refugee agency, both in content and governance structure.

Section 9 details the overall purpose and scope of the assignment.

9. Overall Purpose and Scope of Assignment

The consultancy consists of two parts: 1) analysis of other operational UN agencies’ and current and potential donors’ practices, and initial recommendations for UNHCR’s standards, and 2) recommendations for UNHCR with options for structures and resources UNHCR should have in place to develop, implement, monitor and report on the standards.

The consultancy does not cover the detailed development of the standards themselves. UNHCR may engage a consultant for a subsequent assignment, depending on UNHCR senior leadership’s decision based on the recommendations mentioned above.

Measurable deliverables

Part 1:
1. A report benchmarking other operational UN agencies’ approaches to ESS or similar (number and content of selected standards; governance/organizational structures used to design and implement standards; resources taken to set up and maintain the work on the standards; examples of platforms/software used for reporting purposes, including the extent to which ESS reporting is integrated into broader organizational systems; reasons for not developing ESS if applicable), and any UN system-wide initiatives in relation to ESS
2. Analysis of the expectations of UNHCR’s current and potential donors regarding ESS, including the World Bank and the Green Climate Fund (with baseline standards expected by most donors and additional expectations by some)
3. Initial high-level proposal of possible standards for UNHCR, outlining the themes and total number of ESS recommended.
Following the presentation of the above to UNHCR and incorporation of feedback received, the consultant will commence the second part of the assignment:
Part 2:
4. Cost-benefit or SWOT analysis of the spectrum of ESS implementation options for UNHCR (e.g. mandatory for all operation types and contexts vs. contextualized approach)
5. Mapping of existing UNHCR mechanisms that could be leveraged for the implementation of ESS with a view to developing a feasible ESS model in content and structure for UNHCR (e.g. AAP/complaint mechanisms), taking into account both HQ and field capacity
6. Analysis of UNHCR’s current systems (e.g., COMPASS, Cloud ERP, PROMS, PRIMES etc) and recommended options for how ESS would be monitored and reported upon in UNHCR, taking those systems into account.
7. A paper recommending structures and resources (human, material, financial) at all levels that UNHCR should have in place to design and implement ESS.
Qualification and experience required:
Essential:
• Advanced university degree in international relations, public policy, environmental sciences, social sciences, sustainability studies, economics, or a related field
• More than 10 years of experience working with/for operational UN agencies or other large humanitarian and development organizations in areas of climate/energy, WASH or shelter, procurement, risk management, sustainable business practices, governance or similar, including proven experience in the development of environmental/social standards or safeguards.
• Familiarity with environmental and social standards adopted by international organizations, in particular international financial institutions.
• Experience writing concise technical reports, standards/indicators and recommendations which can be easily understood by senior technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience in conducting cost-benefit analyses for governance standards.
• Excellent written and spoken English; knowledge of another UN language will be an asset.

 

Standard Job Description

Required Languages

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Desired Languages

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Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

Certifications

Other information

Request for Individual Consultant to perform a feasibility study for UNHCR approach to Environmental and Social Standards. Period: 01/09/2024-31/05/2025 Position to be advertised, cost to charge: CC 91514 AO.This position doesn’t require a functional clearance

Home-Based

Yes