Duties and Responsibilities
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the international 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 NDC Act & Invest Initiative is a global programme led by UNEP and currently funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and the NDC Partnership’s Partnership Action Fund (PAF) multi-donor trust fund. It is designed to help countries raise their climate ambition and translate their new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted in 2025 into actionable, investable plans. Building on lessons learned from the NDC Action project implementation and previous NDC cycles, the initiative addresses critical gaps in policy alignment, financing, and implementation. It brings together governments, development partners, and the private sector to develop coherent, science-based, and finance-ready NDC frameworks. Structured around three interconnected workstreams —fostering G20+ ambition and action, piloting policy and planning alignment, and providing deep-dive support to enhance NDC investability, the initiative aims to bridge the gap between climate commitments and tangible implementation. By aligning national strategies, strengthening enabling environments, and working collaboratively with key partners, including the NDC Partnership, GIZ, UNDP’s Climate Promise, UNFCCC, multilateral development banks (MDBs), development finance institutions (DFIs), and private sector actors, NDC Act & Invest seeks to make the next generation of NDCs both more ambitious and more achievable, accelerating progress toward the 1.5°C goal and enhancing global resilience. The NDC Act & Invest team, based within the Mitigation Branch in Paris, is responsible for the global management and overall coordination of the initiative across partner countries, in line with UNEP’s delivery model. The team also acts as the main liaison between UNEP and the NDC Partnership, coordinating UNEP’s responses to country support requests shared through the Partnership, identifying and applying for additional funding where appropriate, and consolidating implementation and progress reporting. In addition, the team maintains close coordination with related projects under the IKI Programme to ensure coherence and synergies across initiatives. Funded by the NDC Partnership’s Partnership Action Fund (PAF) and implemented by UNEP, this project is intended to support the Government of Namibia in finalising a technically robust, nationally aligned, and implementation-ready LT-LEDS, by consolidating existing analytical work, addressing remaining policy and evidence gaps, and translating long-term climate ambition into a clear framework for implementation, investment and coordination. Namibia is advancing its Long-Term Low-Emission Development Strategy’s (LT-LEDS) finalisation through 08-month technical assistance building on existing climate planning work. The LT-LEDS will be developed to be fully aligned with national plans, including Vision 2030, the Harambee Prosperity Plan II, the Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6) and Namibia’s updated NDC 2.0 (2023), with the aim to translate long-term mitigation and adaptation objectives into concrete sectoral pathways. This project aims to consolidate Namibia’s LT-LEDS into a comprehensive, actionable framework to 2050, supported by a cost-benefit analysis, a gender and social inclusion assessment, and a practical implementation work plan addressing governance, capacity and financing needs. The project’s process will include extensive stakeholder consultations and national validation to ensure ownership, followed by targeted dissemination to strengthen political buy-in and mobilise development partner support. UNEP aims to mobilise a Gender and Inclusion Specialist to ensure that the LT-LEDS integrates gender equality, equity and social inclusion across its analysis, consultations and implementation framework. The specialist will lead the Gender, Environment and Social Inclusion (GESI) assessment, ensure women participation, youth and marginalised groups, and embed equity considerations into recommendations, validation and monitoring. The aim is to ensure the LT-LEDS is socially just, credible and aligned with Namibia’s national commitments, the SDGs and human rights principles. The Gender and Social Inclusion Specialist will work under UNEP’s oversight, in close coordination with the Team Lead, national counterparts and relevant social sector institutions. The role will engage government entities, local NGOs and community groups to ensure alignment with national gender policies and inclusive participation, while collaborating with the Climate Policy and Fiscal Expert to integrate social, technical and financial dimensions. The expected results outlined below correspond to the main milestones of the work plan and are accompanied by performance indicators to assess their achievement. Result 1: A detailed Gender and Social Inclusion Report is produced examining how LT-LEDS pathways affect different genders and social groups, with clear recommendations. Activity 1.1: Conduct a gender-differentiated impact assessment. o Review proposed LT-LEDS actions across sectors to identify differentiated impacts on women and men, youth, rural and urban communities, and other groups. o Use quantitative data and qualitative inputs (interviews, focus groups) to assess social and gender impacts. o Identify opportunities and risks of exacerbating inequalities and document findings. Activity 1.2: Identify gaps and formulate recommendations o Review existing policies to assess how climate action gender equality are integrated. o Identify institutional and capacity gaps affecting gender equality and inclusion in climate planning. o Propose practical measures to address gaps, to be reflected in the Gender and Social Inclusion Report. Expected deliverables: o 1.a Cost-Benefit Analysis with Gender Input incorporated, including gender-disaggregated data and social analysis for the CBA. o 1.b Gender and Social Inclusion Report, detailing gender-differentiated impacts of LT-LEDS options, capacity gaps, and recommendations for inclusive implementation. Result 2 Gender and inclusion priorities integrated into the LT-LEDS strategy. Activity 2.1: Mainstream gender/inclusion in strategy drafting o Work closely with the Team Lead and drafting team to integrate gender-responsive language/outcomes and content throughout the LT-LEDS. o Ensure the LT-LEDS vision and sectoral chapters reflect an inclusive, just transition and address differentiated impacts across social groups. o Embed cross-cutting gender actions and verify alignment with relevant SDGs on inequality and decent work. Activity 2.2: Develop gender-responsive indicators and M&E o Contribute to the design of the LT-LEDS monitoring framework by proposing indicators to track social and gender outcomes. o Ensure these indicators are integrated into the results framework or implementation plan. o Enable future monitoring of inclusive benefits alongside emissions reductions. Expected deliverables : o 2.a Revised draft LT-LEDS text with gender/inclusion content integrated. Result 3: The LT-LEDS Implementation Work Plan incorporates social inclusion measures. Activity 3.1: Integrate capacity building for inclusion in Work Plan o Identify training and capacity-building needs for institutions to address gender and social dimensions of LT-LEDS implementation. o Propose gender and inclusion focused measures. o Integrate these actions into the Work Plan with clear responsibilities and timelines. Activity 3.2: Advise on institutional arrangements for inclusion o Recommend relevant institutional mechanisms needed for sustained focus on inclusion o Work with MEFT and possibly the Ministry of Gender Equality and Social Welfare to formalise these roles in the implementation framework. Expected deliverables: o 3.a Gender and social inclusion input into the LT-LEDS Implementation Work. Result 4: Women, youth, and marginalised groups actively participate in consultations, and their inputs are reflected in project outputs. Activity 4.1: Design and facilitate inclusive consultations o Ensure stakeholder consultation formats enable diverse participation. o Apply gender-responsive facilitation techniques, including actively soliciting inputs from women and other underrepresented groups. o Ensure that feedback is systematically captured and documented. Activity 4.2: Champion voices of vulnerable groups in validation. o Advocate for the inclusion of representatives from women’s associations, youth networks, and civil society in the national validation workshop. o Support these representatives in preparing for the workshop and ensure their perspectives are reflected during discussions. o Verify that the Validation Workshop Report documents contributions from these groups and any commitments made to address their concerns. Expected deliverables: 4.a Contribution to Stakeholder Consultation Report, highlighting inclusion outcomes and how feedback from vulnerable groups was addressed. 4.5 Inputs to Workshop Report, including gender/youth perspectives in discussions and relevant resolutions on inclusion. Result 5: Awareness and support for an inclusive LT-LEDS is achieved among stakeholders and partners. Activity 5.1: Develop inclusive messaging for dissemination o Work on communication materials to highlight human, social, and economic impact stories. o Include testimonies from participants in the process to personalise the strategy. o Ensure messaging demonstrates the relevance and societal value of the LT-LEDS Activity 5.2: Engage with donors and partners on inclusion elements. o During donor engagement, emphasise gender and social inclusion components as fundable aspects of the LT-LEDS. o Advocate for the inclusion of these elements in funding proposals or follow-up projects. o Contribute to the commitments tracker by noting down expressions of interest or offers to support inclusion-related initiatives. Expected deliverables: 5.a Content for communication materials (briefs, slides) highlighting social benefits and just transition elements of the LT-LEDS. 5.b Section in final project summary and inputs to the Commitments Tracker detailing gender/inclusion commitments and recommendations for next steps.
Qualifications/special skills
o Advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in gender studies, sociology, development studies, social policy, or a related discipline, with specialisation in climate change or environmental policy preferred. o At least 10 years of experience in gender equality, social inclusion or human rights, including integration into climate change or sustainable development policies. o Proven experience advising governments or international organisations on gender mainstreaming in climate or environmental programmes. o Demonstrated expertise in social impact assessments and gender analyses of public policies, particularly in climate or energy contexts. o Strong experience in participatory engagement with communities, women’s groups, youth and indigenous peoples in Africa. o Familiarity with developing gender-sensitive indicators and inclusive monitoring and evaluation frameworks. o Experience in leading capacity-building or training initiatives on gender and social inclusion. o Experience in Namibia or Southern Africa is a strong asset. o Strong skills in qualitative and quantitative analysis of social impacts of policies or projects. o Excellent facilitation and communication skills, with the ability to engage diverse participants and ensure their participation. o Familiarity with international safeguards and standards on gender and social inclusion and the ability to apply these in Namibia’s context. o Strong organisational skills to manage multiple consultation activities, surveys or focus groups as well as ability to produce clear, actionable reports and training materials on gender and inclusion. o Empathy, cultural sensitivity, and the ability to work with confidential or sensitive information in communities. o Proficiency in Microsoft Office and data analysis tools.
