The objective of the consultancy is to support the Life Cycle Initiative Secretariat in mapping and carrying out a strategy development process for its new five-year strategy (2022 – 2027). The work will be shaped by UNEP’s Medium-Term Strategy (MTS) and Programme of Work (POW) 2022-2023. The output will be a five-year strategy including a fundraising strategy (with a list of potential new donors and recommendations to approach them).
This position is remotely based. Consultant needs to be able to work European hours.
Activities to be undertaken in the evaluation:
The consultant will work closely with the Secretariat and its Steering Committee Members and Funding partners to analyse the functioning of the Initiative currently, identify strategic entry points for the Initiative, evaluate and select best options; develop a strategic plan and set objectives; develop a fundraising strategy.
There has already been a series of meetings with Steering Committee Members and Funders. The current vision still holds but there is agreement that there is a need to:
• rethink in which activities the Initiative should engage
• ensure better and more targeted prioritization of activities/projects
• align focus on bridging between the science of life cycle and its application (policy development)
• maintain the characteristic of being a neutral trusted body with convening power, and optimize the Initiative’s role in terms of driving consensus / recommendations for application
The consultant is expected to carry out the following activities:
• define the scope and boundary of the work with the Secretariat
• co-develop a list of key internal and external interviewees with Secretariat and Steering Committee
• conduct virtual interviews with identified interviewees
• analyse the results from both the desktop study and interviews
• draft a five-year strategy plan including a fundraising plan and an analysis of governance options (e.g. link with UNEP is an added value; does the secretariat need to be hosted in UNEP?)
• Identify new potential funding sources for the stable continuity of the Life Cycle Initiative
• Analyze (sort of geopolitical assessment but at quality level) how the LCT and LCA approach could fit into the present and future trends on sustainability: i.e. in a globalize trade and resource extraction context, under the umbrella of the SDG and the UN Environment Assembly requests and resolutions, and private-public initiatives such as the Circular Economy, Sustainable Finance (which will mark the future funds for projects), and activities and position on sustainability of other international players such as OECD, APEC, EEA, WE Forum.
home based
The duration of the assignment will be for a maximum of 6 months, starting as soon as possible. A summary of preliminary findings is expected by early September 2021 with the final strategy plan delivered by 31st October 2021
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) is the United Nations system’s designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional level. 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. UNEP’s Economy Division works with international governments and non-governmental organizations, national and local governments, business and industry to develop and implement policies, strategies and practices that are cleaner and safer, incorporate environmental costs, use natural resources efficiently, reduce pollution and risks for humans and the environment, and enable the implementation of conventions and international agreements.
The consultancy position is placed within the Life Cycle Initiative, hosted by the UNEP’s Economy Division.
The Life Cycle Initiative, hosted by UNEP, (herein referred to as the Initiative) is a global public-private partnership that works to put life cycle thinking into effective practice. Since its inception, the Initiative has helped to generate global consensus on methodology, tools, and guidance on applying Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). It has also worked on applying life cycle thinking and approaches in various industrial sectors and policy. The main funding sources of the Initiative are annual contributions from funding partners (approx. 40%) and funding from UNEP agreements (approx. 60%). See current list of funding partners in https://www.lifecycleinitiative.org/about/partners-and-sponsors/.
The Initiative’s governance structure (https://www.lifecycleinitiative.org/about/governance-structure/) and approach were completely redesigned in 2017 and a five-year strategy (2017 – 2022) was developed (https://www.lifecycleinitiative.org/about/about-lci/). The process for developing a new five-year strategy has begun. The aim is to have the new strategy finalised and approved by the first quarter 2022.
The Life Cycle Initiative:
• brings life cycle knowledge to policy-relevant debates, demonstrating the value of life cycle assessment (LCA) studies for policymakers, e.g. on single-use plastic products (UNEP/EA.5/INF/7).
• is a science-based platform that builds global consensus and recommendations on life cycle impact assessment indicators for environmental and social impacts, levelling the playing field for a coherent application of LCA globally.
• provides resources, builds capacity and supports countries to develop their own life cycle knowledge and data, especially in developing countries and emerging economies.
• improves access to LCA data worldwide through its Global LCA Data Access network (GLAD). The result: the global application of LCA and other life cycle approaches towards sustainable production and consumption.
• helps governments identify areas where urgent policy action is needed to support sustainable economic recovery plans and the 2030 Agenda. It does this with its Hotspots Analysis tool (SCP HAT) among others.
• guides the application of LCA and related approaches into emerging fields such as the circular economy.
• supports implementation of UNEP’s Mid-Term Strategy by identifying key hotspots in the areas of CLIMATE, NATURE and POLLUTION.
Academic Qualifications: Master degree in sustainable development, environmental management or a related field.
Experience: • at least eight years’ experience on leading strategy development of international organizations, including the ability to facilitate brainstorming sessions;
• fundraising experience and understanding of IGOs contexts and possibilities for fundraising
• in-depth knowledge and practical experience in a broad range of sustainability topics. Good knowledge of life cycle thinking and life cycle assessment;
• familiar with sustainable consumption and production, resource efficiency and their linkage with the UN SDGs (sustainable development goals);
• outstanding ability to communicate with stakeholders in both private and public sectors;
• strong analytical skills based on desktop study and multi-stakeholder interview;
Language: Fluency in English (oral and written) is required. Mastering of another UN official language is an advantage.
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.