Consultant Senior Specialist in Research and Development

Result of Service

The ultimate result of the consultant is to develop a National Climate Change Adaptation Research and Development (R&D) Programme for Panama, including a comprehensive assessment of research needs and capacities, and a strategic framework to guide the generation, coordination, and application of knowledge, innovation, and technologies in support of climate change adaptation.

The Consultant Senior Specialist in Climate Adaptation Research and Development, will contribute to the effective implementation of the project by conducting the following deliverables:

Output 3.1.4. National adaptation Research & Development Programme Deliverable 1: Document with a report: Including detailed methodology, stakeholder engagement approach, and data collection strategy and data information needs for the development of the R&D Programme.

Output 3.1.4. National adaptation Research & Development Programme Deliverable 2: Diagnostic Report on research & development and a proposal of Research and development programme (Activity 3.1.4.1 and 3.1.4.2):

The deliverable will include: - Comprehensive assessment of national research capacities, institutional mapping, identification of priority sectors, and analysis of challenges and opportunities for climate adaptation research and innovation - Review of the implementation progress of the National Strategic Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation (PENCYT 2025–2029), assessing the extent to which it has supported adaptation-related research, and identifying key needs, gaps, barriers and opportunities.

- Needs and opportunities for development technologies for adaptation to climate change research under public and private sector - Proposal of R&D programme with the cross-thematic adaptation research priorities, lines of new adaptation technologies and innovative practices, involving academic institutions and research centers, and generating evidence of different adaptation approaches including the ecosystem-based adaptation to catalyze, adaptation action.

- Formulate an implementation-oriented R&D framework, including recommendations, institutional arrangements, and a prioritized research agenda developed in collaboration with academia, research centers and relevant stakeholders involved in the NAP process. - Partnerships and resource mobilization strategy - Monitoring and evaluation framework Output 3.1.4. National adaptation Research & Development Programme Deliverable 3: R&D Programme Validation and Workshop Report (Activity 3.1.4.4): Coordination and delivery of validation workshop, including stakeholder feedback, revised programme document, and recommendations for strengthening coordination and implementation mechanisms. The deliverable shall include: - Mapping of key stakeholders invited to the validation workshop, categorized by NAP priority sector. - Methodological framework of the validation workshop, including the agenda, engagement activities, registration surveys, and supporting materials. - Systematization report of the workshop proceedings, incorporating stakeholder interventions, key discussion points, feedback final survey and the list of participants disaggregated by gender. - Consolidated report of final recommendations and feedback to be integrated into the revised Research and Development Programme document.

Output 3.1.4. National adaptation Research & Development Programme Deliverable 4: R&D Programme and Public Forum Report (Activities 3.1.4.5). A document of the R&D Programme consolidating all stakeholder inputs and validation results, accompanied by a policy brief for decision-makers. The report should include: - consolidated R&D Programme document integrating stakeholder inputs and validation results from previous tasks and the forum. - policy brief targeted at decision-makers, summarizing key findings, research priorities, and policy recommendations;

- Public Forum Report documenting discussions, outcomes, identified financing opportunities, and potential partnerships with national and international stakeholders and recommendations for resource mobilization and long-term sustainability of the Programme.

The main objective of the position of the Consultant Senior Specialist in Climate Adaptation Research and Development is to contribute with the Ministry of the Environment and UNEP in the coordination and implementation of the Green Climate Fund funded project, specifically supporting the development, validation, and finalization of the National Climate Adaptation Research and Development Programme, as set in the funding proposal document.

Specific Tasks and Responsibilities Task 1: Diagnosis of research needs, gaps, barriers and opportunities (Sub-output 3.1.4.1)

• Conduct a comprehensive desk review of existing national and sectoral policies, plans, and strategies related to climate change adaptation, research, innovation, and development;
• Collection, organization, and preliminary analysis of information and data required for the assessment of climate change adaptation research and innovation needs, gaps, barriers, and opportunities in Panama.
• Review existing national and international studies, databases, and academic publications relevant to climate adaptation, including evidence produced under previous national communications, NDCs, and sectoral initiatives;
• Map and analyze the current landscape of research institutions, academic actors, innovation hubs, and relevant stakeholders engaged in climate adaptation research in Panama;
• Identify existing research capacities, institutional strengths, and gaps in scientific production related to adaptation themes, including water, agriculture, health, infrastructure and cross-cutting areas;
• Coordinate and facilitate stakeholder engagement and coordination processes, including consultations, meetings, interviews, and communications with government institutions, academia, research centers, private sector actors, and civil society organizations.
• Prepare detailed minutes, summaries, and records of discussions of the stakeholders consultations and interviews.
• Analyze barriers limiting the production and application of knowledge, including institutional, financial, technical, and regulatory constraints;
• Identify opportunities for innovation, including development of technologies, tools, and ecosystem-based adaptation approaches;
• Ensure that the diagnostic incorporates gender and inclusivity considerations, identifying differentiated needs and opportunities where relevant;
• Prepare a comprehensive diagnostic report summarizing findings, including recommendations to guide the development of the R&D Programme. Task 2: Development of the National Climate Adaptation R&D Programme (Sub-output 3.1.4.2)
• Design the overall structure and framework of the National Research and Development Programme, ensuring alignment with national climate policies, NDC priorities, and the NAP process;
• Preparation of technical inputs, background materials, and documentation supporting the development of the National Adaptation Research and Development (R&D) Programme.
• Define cross-sectoral and thematic research priorities based on the findings of the diagnostic phase;
• Identify and structure research lines, thematic areas, and priority topics for adaptation, including both sector-specific and cross-cutting issues; and implementation components such as governance arrangements, partnerships, and capacity-building needs, include case studies, best practices, and examples of innovative adaptation solutions from national and international contexts;
• Develop implementation mechanisms, including governance arrangements, institutional roles, and coordination mechanisms among stakeholders;
• Propose methodologies and approaches for research development, knowledge generation, and dissemination;
• Generate evidence of different adaptation approaches including ecosystem-based adaptation to catalyze adaptation actions.
• Identify opportunities for technological innovation and development of new tools to support climate resilience;
• Integrate Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) and nature-based solutions into the research priorities;
• Propose mechanisms and initiatives for collaboration between government, academia, private sector, and civil society;
• Develop an implementation roadmap, including timelines, expected outputs, indicators and indicative resource needs;
• Ensure integration of gender considerations and inclusive participation throughout the programme design;
• Prepare a draft R&D Programme document for review and validation. Task 3: Organization and facilitation of validation workshop (Sub-output 3.1.4.4)
• Coordinate and facilitate the organization of the validation workshops, public forum and stakeholders roundtables meetings including the coordination of participants invitations and communications.
• Design the methodology, agenda, and materials for the validation workshop of the R&D programme ensuring a participatory and inclusive approach;
• Identify and coordinate participation of key stakeholders, including government institutions, academia, research centers, private sector, and civil society;
• Present the diagnostic findings and the proposal of R&D Programme for adaptation to climate change.
• Facilitate discussions, collect feedback, and encourage active participation from all stakeholders;
• Ensure that gender balance and inclusion of diverse perspectives are reflected in workshop participation and discussions;
• Document all discussions, inputs, and recommendations provided during the validation process;
• Incorporate stakeholder feedback into the revision and finalization of the R&D Programme and associated outputs;
• Prepare a comprehensive workshop report, including methodology, key findings, recommendations, and participant lists disaggregated by gender. Task 4: Organization of public forum and engagement with financing partners (Sub-output 3.1.4.5)
• Provide technical and logistical coordination for a high-level national forum (approximately 100 participants) aimed at presenting the R&D Programme and promoting strategic engagement with national and international partners to foster alignment, partnerships, and potential financial support for its implementation. The forum shall convene representatives from key national and international financing partners, including relevant line Ministries, local authorities, ambassadors, bilateral development agencies, international climate funds (GEF, GCF, Adaptation Fund), multilateral development banks (World Bank, IDB, CAF), United Nations agencies (UNEP, UNDP, WHO), and representatives of the National Council of Private Enterprise of Panama (CONEP), to discuss cooperation opportunities and financial commitments in support of the implementation of the Research and Development (R&D) Programme.
• Identify and coordinate participation of financing institutions, development partners, and relevant stakeholders, including multilateral organizations, bilateral agencies, private sector actors, and financial institutions;
• Present key elements of the R&D Programme, including research priorities, innovation opportunities, and implementation needs;
• Facilitate discussions on potential funding mechanisms, partnerships, and investment opportunities for adaptation research and innovation;
• Identify and document potential commitments, partnerships, and financing opportunities;
• Develop recommendations for mobilizing financial resources and sustaining implementation of the R&D Programme;
• Prepare a forum report summarizing discussions, recommendations, list of participants, gender participation assessment and policy makers summarize and next steps to be considered in the R&D programme. Task 5: Final consolidation deliverable and communication pieces of the output
• Integrate all components developed under Tasks 1–5 into a coherent and consolidated final R&D Programme document;
• Ensure consistency, quality, and technical rigor across all deliverables;
• Prepare a policy brief summarizing key findings, priorities, and recommendations for decision-makers;
• Incorporate all stakeholder feedback and validation results into final outputs;
• Submit final deliverables in accordance with UNEP standards and requirements.
• Track progress of tasks and identifying bottlenecks and solutions or secondary activities for the development of the output activities.

Work Location

Home-Based

Expected duration

5 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. 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.

The UNEP Latin America and the Caribbean Office (LACO), located in Panama City, works closely with the 33 countries of the region and its activities are integrated into the Medium-Term Strategy and the Programme of Work approved by the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA).

The office works towards the implementation of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the new Paris Agreement and the priority actions defined in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and National Adaptation Plans (NAP) of the region.

In terms of supporting countries in the region attain the global commitments signed within the framework of the Paris Agreement, the Latin America and the Caribbean UNEP Sub-programme on Climate Change aims at strengthening the ability of countries to move towards climate-resilient and low emission strategies for sustainable development and human well-being. In this framework, the UNEP Sub-programme on Climate Change, through its Climate Change Unit, leads and supports several initiatives oriented at designing, promoting and implementing innovative mitigation and adaptation solutions at the national and subnational level, and strengthening the transparency framework of the countries.

The expected accomplishment regarding climate change adaptation is that adaptation approaches, including the Nature based Solutions with an ecosystem-based approach, are implemented and integrated into key sectoral and national development strategies to reduce vulnerability and strengthen resilience to climate change impacts. Furthermore, the UNEP’s Sub-programme on Climate Change is also committed to ensure that cross-cutting issues such as gender equity and women empowerment are effectively integrated in the development of its tasks to guarantee an equitable development in line with its adaptation objectives.

In Panama, climate change poses significant risks to ecosystems, infrastructure, public health, water resources, and agricultural systems. Addressing these risks requires stronger national capacities for research, innovation, and evidence-based decision-making in climate change adaptation. The Panama National Adaptation Plan (NAP) project, titled “Building capacities for the development of the National Adaptation Plan in the context of the NDC adaptation themes in Panama”, was approved by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) on 5 November 2022 and became effective on 22 November 2022. The project aims to strengthen national capacities to advance adaptation planning in alignment with Panama’s NDC priorities. The inception workshop, held on 25 May 2023, marked a key milestone in launching the NAP process, bringing together a broad range of stakeholders from government, private sector, academia, civil society and international cooperation. The workshop fostered high-level dialogue and institutional engagement, contributing to the definition of priority sectors and reinforcing ownership and coordination mechanisms for adaptation planning.

The NAP project is structured around four main outcomes: (i) strengthened adaptation planning governance and institutional coordination; (ii) enhanced evidence base to design adaptation solutions; (iii) increased private sector engagement in adaptation; and (iv) strengthened adaptation finance. This consultancy is developed under Outcome 3.1 related to Adaptation planning governance and institutional coordination strengthened, specifically Output 3.1.4. A national adaptation Research and Development programme to better understand cross thematic risks and identify innovations, new technologies and approaches to address them.

This NAP output will consider the institutional arrangements and the thematic priorities of the PENCYT to propose a Research and Development (R&D) programme on adaptation to climate change (Output 3.1.4) that aims to identify cross-thematic adaptation research priorities, promote research and development lines of new adaptation technologies, and generate evidence of adaptation approaches including the Ecosystem-based Adaptation to catalyze adaptation action.

In this sense, this effort is aligned with key national strategic frameworks. In particular, the Government of Panama’s Nature Pledge provides an overarching vision linking climate change, biodiversity and land degradation commitments, highlighting the importance of science, innovation and knowledge generation to achieve national targets. Additionally, the National Strategic Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation (PENCYT) 2025–2029, led by SENACYT, aims to strengthen national research capacities, promote knowledge generation and technology transfer, and enhance collaboration between academia, the productive sector and society. Despite these efforts, investment in research and development in Panama remains limited, underscoring the need to strengthen the role of R&D in supporting evidence-based adaptation planning and implementation. Despite progress in national adaptation planning, there remains a need to better coordinate research efforts, identify knowledge gaps, and promote innovative adaptation technologies and practices. In particular, fostering collaboration between government institutions, academic institutions, and research centers is critical to strengthening the country’s capacity to develop and implement effective adaptation solutions.

UNEP intends to contract a qualified senior consultant to develop a National Climate Change Adaptation Research and Development Programme, aimed at identifying research needs and priorities, promoting innovative approaches and technologies, and generating evidence to support adaptation actions in Panama.

The assignment contributes to Output 3.1.4: National adaptation Research & Development Programme, specifically the following activities:

• Activity 3.1.4.1: Conduct a comprehensive diagnosis of research needs, gaps, barriers, and opportunities related to climate change adaptation, including mapping of stakeholders and institutional capacities.
• Activity 3.1.4.2: Develop a National Adaptation R&D Programme, including definition of research priorities, thematic areas, and implementation mechanisms, as well as identification of innovative technologies and approaches.
• Activity 3.1.4.4a: Organize and facilitate a validation workshop with key stakeholders to review and refine the R&D Programme.
• Activity 3.1.4.5: Organize a high-level public forum to promote the R&D Programme and engage national and international partners, including potential financing and research partners. The Consultant Specialist in Climate Adaptation Research and Development will operate home-based, under the overall supervision of the Deputy Regional Director UNEP Latin America and the Caribbean Office. Additionally, he/she will work in close collaboration with UNEP’s Adaptation team, the Directorate of Climate Change of the Ministry of Environment in Panama, the Project Management Unit, other national consultants, and relevant stakeholders from academia, research institutions, and the public and private sectors. Travel might be needed for consultation processes.

Qualifications/special skills

ACADEMIC

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences, engineering, natural resources, climate change, law, internation studies, development studies, social or political sciences or another closely related field is required.
• Master’s degree in climate change, adaptation planning, sustainable development, environmental management, economy, technology and innovation, public policy from a recognized university or a closely related field is required. PROFESSIONAL
• Seven (7) years of relevant professional experience in climate change adaptation planning, research programme development, environmental management, natural and social sciences, adaptation policies or initiatives frameworks including demonstrated experience in the design and implementation of research or innovation frameworks is required.
• Relevant experience in institutional analysis, facilitating technology and knowledge transfer processes between academia and the productive (public and private) sector) is desirable.
• Relevant knowledge of the national science, technology, and innovation ecosystem in Panama, including familiarity with SENACYT, national universities, and research centers is desirable.
• Good understanding of climate change adaptation planning processes, particularly with regard to cross-cutting thematic areas such as gender, environment, sustainable development and climate vulnerability assessment methodologies and the design of evidence- based adaptation is desirable.
• Working experience with government institutions, academic or research organizations would be an added advantage.
• Demonstrated experience in multilevel coordination (at national, subnational and/or sectoral levels) in research, planning, or environmental policy processes is desirable.
• Demonstrated experience in the elaboration of technical reports and official documents for high-level meetings and decision-making processes is desirable.
• Experience in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region is highly desirable; previous work with the UN system or international organizations is a strong asset. LANGUAGE:
• Fluency in Spanish is required.
• Confident in English is desirable. SKILLS:
• Ability to identify gaps in climate change adaptation knowledge, research systems, and data availability, and propose alternative methodologies, approaches, and solutions to achieve the objectives and scope of the assignment.
• Demonstrated ability to build partnerships, facilitate dialogues, resolve conflicts, and work effectively in multisectoral and multidisciplinary settings.
• Ability to assess and design research frameworks, methodologies, and innovation approaches to support climate change adaptation planning and implementation.
• Ability to build and maintain effective professional relationships across diverse sectors, including government institutions, academia, research organizations, and development partners.
• Strong knowledge of gender integration approaches within climate change adaptation, research, or development projects.
• Excellent analytical, reporting, and communication skills, with proven capacity to synthesize complex technical information into clear, accessible, and policy-relevant outputs.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple tasks simultaneously, and deliver high-quality outputs within established deadlines.
• High degree of professionalism, discretion, initiative, and responsibility COMPETENCIES:
• Professionalism: Ability to apply knowledge of various United Nations administrative, financial and human resources rules and regulations in work situations. He/she shows pride in work and in achievements; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions.
• Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors’ language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.
• Teamwork: Is able to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team to achieve organizational goals and to take leadership when appropriate; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
• Planning and Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses efficiently.

Languages

Not available.

Additional Information

Not available.

No Fee

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.