Project Mid-Term Review Expert – Asia National Biosafety Frameworks Project

Result of ServiceMid-Term Review Report of the Project; “Promoting the safe application of biotechnology through Multi country Cooperation in the implementation of National Biosafety Frameworks in Asia.” The results are expected to guide the execution of the project in its remaining term. Work LocationHomebased Expected duration4 Months Part Time Duties and ResponsibilitiesThe United Nations Environment Programme 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. This consultancy post is in UNEP / Ecosystems Division / GEF Biodiversity unit and reports to the respective GEF Task Manager. UNEP is implementing a GEF-funded projects: “Promoting the safe application of biotechnology through Multi country Cooperation in the implementation of National Biosafety Frameworks in Asia, (GEFID 10463)” executed by The Korea Institute for Promoting Asia Biosafety Cooperation (KIPABiC) The project is a UNEP/GEF-funded regional initiative in Asia that aims to strengthen the safe use, transfer, handling, and regulation of living modified organisms (LMOs) and biotechnology products by improving National Biosafety Frameworks (NBFs) in Bangladesh, India, Mongolia, and the Philippines. The project supports countries in meeting their obligations under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (CPB) by building institutional, regulatory, technical, and human capacity; enhancing risk assessment, monitoring, and enforcement systems; promoting regional cooperation and knowledge sharing; and improving public awareness and access to biosafety information. Through collaboration among participating countries and partners such as the Korea Institute for Promoting Asia Biosafety Cooperation (KIPABiC), the project seeks to establish effective biosafety governance, strengthen decision-making tools and laboratory capacities, and create sustainable mechanisms for information exchange and cooperation across Asia, ultimately ensuring that modern biotechnology can contribute to development and food security without compromising biodiversity and environmental safety. The Unit would like to recruit a consultant to conduct a Mid-Term Review of this project. The Mid-Term Review will use a participatory approach whereby key stakeholders are kept informed and consulted throughout the review process. Both quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods will be used as appropriate to determine project achievements against the expected outputs, outcomes and impacts. It is highly recommended that the consultant maintains close communication with the project team and promotes information exchange throughout the review implementation phase to increase their (and other stakeholder) ownership of the review findings. Specifically, the review consultant will be required to complete the following tasks: Inception phase: