United Nations Environment Programme is looking for a Lead Expert – Mid-term review of Bank Secondments

Organization: United Nations Environment Programme

Location: GENEVA

Level: CON - CON

Job Family: ENV

Application Deadline: 28 August 2026 at 03:59 UTC

Job Opening Number: 26-United Nations Environment Programme-282949-Consultant

Apply via: UN Inspira Portal

Result of Service

Through this assignment UNEP FI will obtain an independent, evidence-based operational review of the in-bank secondments delivered under the SECO ENCORE Phase II workplan. The review will support the effective completion of the remaining secondments and capture the operational, governance, technical and relational lessons of the programme. It will also provide the evidence base and emerging findings needed to inform the complementary strategic assessment under Role B, on whether and how UNEP FI should use secondment or alternative capacity-building models in future. The review is a constructive, forward-looking institutional learning exercise. It is strategic and systemic in focus; it is not a performance evaluation of any individual, nor is it intended to attribute blame.

Work Location

Home-Based / Working Remotely

Expected duration

3 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. The overall objective of the UNEP’s Industry and Economy Division is to encourage decision makers in government, local authorities and industry to develop and adopt policies, strategies and practices and technologies that promote sustainable patterns of consumption and production, make efficient use of natural resources, ensure safe management of chemicals and contribute to making trade and environment policies mutually supportive. It promotes the development, use and transfer of policies, technologies, economic instruments, managerial practices and other tools that assist in environmentally sound decision making and the building of corresponding activities.

The United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) is the strategic partnership between the United Nations and over 500 banks, insurers and investors. For over 32 years UNEP FI has been shaping and driving the international sustainable finance agenda, setting global standards and growing a global network of leading financial institutions. Through its work-streams and regional activities, peer learning, methodology development, training and research, UNEP FI promotes sustainable finance and helps the financial industry align with and contribute to the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals.

UNEP FI requires an external consultant for an internal review of completed and ongoing in-bank secondments. The Operational Reviewer will assess the operational, governance, delivery and relational dimensions of the secondments, identify practical actions to optimize completion of those still in progress, and synthesize lessons to strengthen future capacity-building work. This review forms one of two complementary components: Role A (this assignment) is the external operational review; Role B is a separate, internal strategic review led by the Head of Training & Capacity Building, UNEP FI, providing the forward-looking assessment of whether and how UNEP FI should use a secondment model again and what alternative learning and capacity-building models could achieve the same objectives. Role B is delivered as a short strategic note (indicatively 3–5 pages), sequenced after Role A and drawing on its findings, with a structured exchange between the two reviewers and a joint internal finding meeting. To safeguard independence, Role A is undertaken by an external reviewer with no current employment relationship with UNEP FI.

The Consultant will coordinate with the Nature Team’s programme management on documentation and scheduling and will interface with the Strategic Reviewer through a structured exchange and a joint internal finding meeting. All interviews are confidential, and findings are reported thematically; no individual will be identified by name without their explicit consent, and the precise levels of circulation for the report will be agreed at the inception stage.

Objectives:

Under the overall supervision of the Head of UNEP FI and reporting to the UNEP FI Head of Nature, the Consultant will deliver an independent operational review of the in-bank secondments covering their operational, governance, delivery and relational dimensions. The objectives are to:

• (i) identify practical, time-bound actions to troubleshoot and optimize delivery of the remaining secondments;
• (ii) synthesize the operational, governance, technical and relational lessons of the programme for institutional learning;
• (iii) document the lessons identified and acted upon during implementation as evidence of adaptive management; and
• (iv) provide emerging findings to inform the strategic assessment.

All outputs are to be delivered electronically.

Specific Tasks and Responsibilities:

The Consultant will undertake the following tasks for UNEP FI;

• Carry out a proportionate review of relevant programme documentation — workplans, Terms of Reference, progress updates, budget records as available, and correspondence — to build an evidence base on the design and delivery of the secondments.
• Conduct approximately 10 confidential one-to-one interviews with individuals involved in the design and delivery of the programme, for example programme leads, secondment coordinators, relevant operational and technical staff, and current or former consultants, as appropriate.
• Identify what ‘good enough’ delivery looks like for each placement given the constraints, and recommend the minimum viable outcomes and appropriate technical backstopping for the remaining secondments.
• Assess the operational and governance dimensions of the programme — roles and accountabilities, workplan design, recruitment, handovers, communication, budget management, procurement and decision-making — and identify what a stronger framework would look like.
• Assess the technical-resourcing dimension: the specification, recruitment and support of consultants, the appropriate technical profile for this type of role, and the role and limits of technical backstopping.
• Capture lessons on managing relationships with the host institutions.
• Document the lessons identified and acted upon during implementation and the adjustments made to later secondments, as evidence of adaptive management, and provide an early set of priority troubleshooting recommendations ahead of the full report.
• Coordinate with the Strategic Reviewer through a structured exchange once interviews are complete, and present and discuss findings at an internal meeting with key stakeholders.

Outputs and Deliverables:

• Priority recommendations (interim output), shared as soon as the relevant interviews and document review are complete, ahead of the full report.
• A concise written report of approximately 8–10 pages, structured around the operational, governance, technical and relational themes, with practical recommendations; an internal working document for institutional learning.
• Participation in a structured exchange with the Strategic Reviewer on emerging findings.
• Participation in an internal meeting to present and discuss findings with key stakeholders.

The consultant will report to:

Overall supervisor: The Head of UNEP FI.

Direct Supervisor: The Head of Nature, UNEP FI.

Qualifications/special skills

Education:

A master’s degree in the following areas: evaluation, organizational development, sustainable finance, environmental management, international development, or a related field is required. A bachelor’s degree could be taken in lieu of master’s degree provided the selected candidate has 9 years of relevant experience.

Professional Experience:

At least seven (7) years professional experience in programme or organizational review and evaluation, including confidential interviewing and thematic analysis is required. Familiarity with sustainable finance, nature or biodiversity finance, or financial-sector capacity building is required. Experience with in-institution capacity-building, secondment or embedded-advisory models is an asset, as is prior knowledge of the UNEP FI context. The reviewer must be independent of, and have no current employment relationship with, UNEP FI.

Languages

Languages: English is the working language of UNEP FI. Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Knowledge of Spanish and other United Nations languages is an asset.

Additional Information

Skills & Knowledge: Strong analytical and synthesis skills; the ability to handle sensitive material confidentially and constructively; tact, diplomacy and sound judgement; and the ability to produce concise, evidence-based written outputs to deadline. Familiarity with sustainable finance, nature or biodiversity finance, or financial-sector capacity building is expected; an interest in in-institution capacity building and in secondment or embedded-advisory models is desirable.

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