Organizational Setting:

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. UNEP’s Ecosystems Division works with international and national partners, providing technical assistance and capacity development for the implementation of environmental policy, and strengthening the environmental management capacity of developing countries and countries with economies in transition. UNEP’s Ecosystems Division engages with governments and other partners to develop and promote ecosystem-based solutions for sustainable development. This position is in the Biodiversity, People and Landscapes Unit of the Ecosystems Division and will contribute to the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, Multi-Country Mountain Flagship Project, reporting to the Programme Management Officer in liaison with the UN Decade Multi-Country Mountain Flagship Focal Point for the Virunga Region. The Multi-country Mountain Flagship (UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration) showcases initiatives in three diverse regions across 5 countries (Kyrgyzstan, Rwanda, Serbia and Uganda) that are making mountain ecosystems more resilient so they can support both people and unique upland wildlife. Uganda and Rwanda have protected the mountain habitats of endangered mountain gorillas, working closely with local communities. That work has helped gorilla numbers double in the last 30 years, and supported a vibrant tourism industry, which has created economic opportunities for local communities. Alongside the protection of prime gorilla habitat, restoration work in the region has included the rehabilitation of more than 1,000 ha in Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Exotic trees have been removed so that native species can return, and there are plans to restore more habitat in the mountain gorilla range. UNEP’s engagement in the Greater Virunga Landscape (GVL) is expanding within the context of the Vanishing Treasures project or the Multi-Country Flagship under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Within the context of the Multi-Country Mountain Flagship, support under the UN Decade has been received to help to overcome the current lack of funding needed to support upscaling of the restoration interventions through increased capacity in resource mobilization. This creates the need for a dedicated resource person to lead the development of a Restoration Investment Prospectus for the GVL under the guidance of the Programme Management Officer and focal point for the GVL.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Under the guidance of the Programme Management Officer, responsible for the project: “Multi-Country Mountain Flagship” under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, the consultant shall carry out the following activities:

• Conduct an inception phase including a review of project background documents (WWF corridor study, GVTC Transboundary Strategic Plan, UN Decade programme materials, national restoration strategies etc.), and submit an Inception Report outlining the proposed methodology, work plan, and stakeholder engagement strategy.
• Synthesize key inputs and assessments to align restoration needs across the GVL with broader policy frameworks and existing data. Deliver a summary mapping of priority themes, gaps, and opportunities.
• Hold consultations with key stakeholders, including UNEP, WWF, GVTC, RDB, UWA, and relevant community representatives, to validate proposed priority restoration sites and thematic areas.
• Identify and prioritize investment opportunities for restoration interventions across the Greater Virunga Landscape, including degraded corridors, buffer zones, and community-managed lands.
• Estimate financial costs and co-benefits of proposed interventions, including ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation value, and social/climate benefits.
• Conduct a donor and financing landscape review to identify aligned funding windows, donors, and investment mechanisms. Deliver a matrix of opportunities and recommendations for engagement.
• Package the identified interventions into coherent investment bundles, including large-scale and small-scale restoration packages tailored for different funders. Develop associated theories of change, outcomes, and implementation risks.
• Draft the full Restoration Investment Prospectus, including:
  • Executive summary
  • Justification and background
  • Investment opportunities and intervention profiles
  • Financial needs and co-benefits
  • Donor alignment and funding pathways
• Present the draft prospectus to stakeholders through a validation process (workshop or virtual meetings), and document feedback and validation results.
• Revise and finalize the prospectus incorporating feedback, ensuring clarity, structure, and donor-readiness.
• Prepare outreach and communication materials, including a 2-page summary brief, a donor-facing presentation (pitch deck), and optionally, simple infographics or visual elements.
• Deliver a final technical note and handover presentation summarizing the process, key messages and recommendations, including next steps for resource mobilization.

• Conduct an inception phase including a review of project background documents (WWF corridor study, GVTC Transboundary Strategic Plan, UN Decade programme materials, national restoration strategies etc.), and submit an Inception Report outlining the proposed methodology, work plan, and stakeholder engagement strategy.
• Synthesize key inputs and assessments to align restoration needs across the GVL with broader policy frameworks and existing data. Deliver a summary mapping of priority themes, gaps, and opportunities.
• Hold consultations with key stakeholders, including UNEP, WWF, GVTC, RDB, UWA, and relevant community representatives, to validate proposed priority restoration sites and thematic areas.
• Identify and prioritize investment opportunities for restoration interventions across the Greater Virunga Landscape, including degraded corridors, buffer zones, and community-managed lands.
• Estimate financial costs and co-benefits of proposed interventions, including ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation value, and social/climate benefits.
• Conduct a donor and financing landscape review to identify aligned funding windows, donors, and investment mechanisms. Deliver a matrix of opportunities and recommendations for engagement.
• Package the identified interventions into coherent investment bundles, including large-scale and small-scale restoration packages tailored for different funders. Develop associated theories of change, outcomes, and implementation risks.
• Draft the full Restoration Investment Prospectus, including: Executive summary, Justification and background, Investment opportunities and intervention profiles, Financial needs and co-benefits, Donor alignment and funding pathways.
• Present the draft prospectus to stakeholders through a validation process (workshop or virtual meetings), and document feedback and validation results.
• Revise and finalize the prospectus incorporating feedback, ensuring clarity, structure, and donor-readiness.
• Prepare outreach and communication materials, including a 2-page summary brief, a donor-facing presentation (pitch deck), and optionally, simple infographics or visual elements.
• Deliver a final technical note and handover presentation summarizing the process, key messages and recommendations, including next steps for resource mobilization.