The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the United Nations system’s designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional level. 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. In Sudan, UNEP maintains a programme office managed out of the Disasters and Conflicts Branch, which implements a range of environmental governance and natural resource management projects in partnership with government and non-governmental actors.

For more than a decade, UNEP has been working with Sudanese national, state and local leaders, civil society and the international community to encourage the sustainable development of the country’s natural resources – with the ultimate aim of assisting the people of Sudan to achieve peace, recovery and development on an environmentally sustainable basis. More specifically, it is engaged in safeguarding the environment, combating negative impacts of climate change, helping to improve natural resources management and integrated water resources management through participatory community involvement. These engagements contribute to enhanced environmental management and governance in Sudan through rural livelihoods improvements, via state-level innovations to federal-level policies and contributing through strengthening the local and national economy guided by the Sustainable Development Goals.

A combination of climate change impacts, land degradation and weak agricultural productivity around the Dinder National Park, and their resulting food insecurity leading communities to extensively utilize the Dinder National Park, a biosphere reserve in eastern Sudan, and its natural resources for their livelihoods. Extensive and unsustainable exploitation of the natural resources in Dinder National Park is also leading to loss of biodiversity and ecosystems services, which is leading further eroding of community resilience against shocks. The above impacts and overreliance on the Dinder National Park are also creating conflicts among communities, farmers and pastoralists, communities, and park management official, and also between communities and the wildlife. This situation is further exacerbated by poor natural resources management and weak governance structure, which ultimately result in high prevalence of food insecurity.   

Since April 2023, armed clashes erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The National Park and the Dinder Region have not been spared from the impact of the current conflict, further exerting stress on the surrounding environment. Already in 2022, The UN-led organization that issues famine warnings (the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, known as the IPC) indicated that Sudan’s conflict and economic decline have driven about 20.3 million people (over 42 per cent of its population) into high levels of acute food insecurity. It further indicated that 14 million of those people are living in IPC Phase 3 (two steps from famine) and 6.3 million people (13 per cent of the population) are experiencing worse conditions in IPC Phase 4, which is considered an emergency and one level below famine. After the spur of the SAF/RSF conflict, food prices have soared even more, food production has been dramatically reduced, humanitarian aid access is limited and it is forecast that rainfall will be below average this year, which will further impact crops, livestock and the availability of water and consequently result in more food insecurity and fierce competition over the already limited resources leading to more conflicts.  

A recent report released by the Sudan Crisis Coordination Unit (SCCU) in October 2023, has indicated that there is an ever-increasing number of IDPs fleeing the raging conflicts in Khartoum, Darfur Region and parts of Kordofan Region. The IOM DTM reports of September 2023 indicate that Sennar State is housing 7.9% of the total IDPs fleeing from the current conflict, most of them in villages adjacent to the Park). A Survey conducted by the Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) of the Sennar State indicated that more than 500,000 IDPs have settled in the state of which 44.1% are women; 34.6% are men and 21.3% are children (HAC, October 2023).  

In the absence of alternative livelihood options to meet growing food and income demands, unplanned mechanized, large-scale rain fed cultivation has substantially expanded at the expense of both traditional cultivation and grazing lands and encroaching into the Park. This has contributed to the deterioration of the soil and caused a great deal of harm to the migratory wildlife species. The wet season habitat of these wildlife species has been cleared to give way for the production of crops. When animals come to their wet season habitat they are considered as vermin and shot at sight. This led to a drastic reduction in some wildlife species. 

Illegal hunting and poaching are becoming very common in the Park Communities continuously infringe into the Park’s resources for illicit wildlife poaching and fishing, unsustainable collection of wood for fodder, energy, and construction, and clearing of land and forests for crops cultivation. Left unchecked and in the absence of effective protection and conservation approaches, the Park’s wildlife habitat and biodiversity are in danger, undermining the Park’s important ecosystems. Some trees species are becoming rare due to the logging for firewood, construction and selling in the market for income.  The unsustainable community practices, mainly cutting and firing for honey collection, led to the degradation and depletion of some of the ecosystem’s services, like water points and mayas, by accelerating erosion and sedimentation. Some of the Mayas feeders have been blocked, resulting in them not receiving water from the Dinder river. This has undermined the ability of the communities to effectively respond and recover from climate change and impact of disasters like droughts and irregular rainfall patterns, creating a vicious cycle of vulnerability and destruction of communities’ own resource base. With the increasing number of IDPs around the DNP and with the increasing inaccessibility of some range lands, especially in the Blue Nile state, there is an increasing pressure on the natural resources both within and outside the DNP. The IDPs depend mainly on the biomass for their domestic energy as they cannot afford butane gas cylinders whose prices have doubled and tripled following the onset of the current armed conflict.  

The increased number of internally displaced people (IDPs) around Dinder National Park after the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) conflict may exacerbate the abovementioned risks, with increased competition on natural resources and challenges of social cohesion and peaceful existence. The conflict has also resulted in critical damage and destruction to infrastructure, including healthcare facilities, schools, power and water sources and telecommunications. Wide looting of markets, banks, industries and public buildings led to an increased shortage of essential services, food and non-food items across the country, further aggravating the fragile food insecurity and malnutrition for communities such as those in Dinder. The price of food and essential commodities has soared, limiting access to the market for the population. According to reports from numerous states, including those unaffected by the ongoing fighting, the conflict between SAF and RSF in Sudan is endangering the production of staple crops in 2023.

Under this context, In September 2024 UNEP signed an agreement with the European Union for the implementation of the Project “Enhancing Food Security and Climate Resilience of Rural Communities in and around Dinder National Park” (Dinder Project)

This project aims at improving the sustainable and resilient livelihoods and food security in the rural communities most affected by food insecurity, climate change and conflicts in and around Dinder National Park. The approach of the project recognizes that diversified, productive and sustainable livelihoods would not only increase food security for the region, but it would also generate more income for the communities thereby reducing their vulnerability to climatic and other shocks and consequently reduce pressure on Dinder National Park. The project also recognizes that critical role communities have in co-managing shared resources such as Dinder National Park. In this regard, the project will also focus on shared natural resource governance and promote mechanisms that promote conflict resolution over shared resources. The approach above is expected to be achieved through three pathways as follows:  

• improved sustainability and productivity of livelihoods through climate smart agro-ecological practices which will improve livelihoods in general and food security in specific 
• Improved resilience to climate change through strengthened climate information and anticipatory actions for food security. 
• Increased equal and sustainable access to natural resources in order to contribute to food security and mitigate conflicts

Through this project UNEP aims at supporting small scale farmers and pastoralists with trainings, inputs, resources, and extension packages to develop sustainable climate-resilient agro-ecological value chain processes and practices for livelihoods. In this context, UNEP Sudan seeks to engage a value chain expert to conduct value chain analysis in and around Dinder National Park. The analysis will cover communities and village clusters in the three states bordering the Park: Gedaref, Sennar and Blue Nile.

Ultimate result of services:

The purpose of this consultancy is to develop and lead the implementation of the M&E activities during the Inception and implementation Phase of the Dinder National Park project.  The M&E consultant will be expected to work closely with other members of the team and provide technical advice and input to ensure comprehensive baseline data is thoroughly developed and integrated into the four-year programme. 

Objectives: 

• To provide an updated baseline date, project’s log frame and M&E framework during the inception phase of the project, including development of data collection tools, surveys and questionnaires. 
• To continuously monitor and report on the project’s progress towards achievements of outputs, outcomes, objectives and impacts during the implementation phase. 
• To collect data and information required for progress, annual and final reporting.

The deliverables of this consultancy include:

• Updated M&E framework and project log frame, with updated baseline data, indicators, targets and means of verification.
• M&E plan with clear data collection tools, timelines and budget. 
• M&E data provided in a timely and appropriate manner to enable project reporting to the donor as well as wider communication on project progress. 
• An updated file on each of the project’s indicators, containing accurate and systematic data and records. 
• Partner capacity assessments and capacity building plans prepared and delivered. 
• Spot checks on partner M&E approaches and files. 
• Lessons learned and knowledge products documented
• Development of stakeholders’ engagement plan, ensuring leaving no one behind. 

Specific tasks and responsibilities

• Lead and oversee the implementation of the M&E framework and work plan for the project, including: 
• Working with project management, partners and theme leads to ensure consistency across the project. 
• Maintaining a file on each of the indicators and seeing to the proper keeping of monitoring records.
• Ensuring accuracy and systematic record keeping. 
• Report on the progress of the project as per the M&E framework and work plan. This includes: 
• Working with project management to prepare project progress reports using information emerging from M&E implementation.  
• Ensuring that reporting is provided in an appropriate and timely manner, and that necessary data is available in advance to ensure timely reporting.
• Support partners to ensure they are able to produce the necessary data and materials for M&E. This includes: 
• Working with partners to familiarize with the M&E work plan. 
• Assessing levels of partner capacity and understanding.
• Working to fill gaps in capacity and understanding in a proactive and supportive manner to ensure that project partners are capable and consistent in their approach to M&E.
• Ensuring quality control and maintaining quality oversight over all partner M&E approaches and results.
• Carrying out spot checks on partner M&E approaches and files. 
• Analyzing monitoring and reporting data and communicating with the project team in a timely manner so that analysis results inform programme decision making. 

Education: 

• Post-graduate university degree in natural resources management, agriculture, forestry, livestock, fisheries or any other related subjects. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience

• A minimum of 5 years’ working experience as a researcher in the field of resources management, forestry, livestock, fisheries or any other related subjects
• Extensive experience in designing questionnaires, Focused Groups Discussions, Key Informant’s Interviews and other data collection tools.
• Previous fieldwork experiences is a must. 
• Experience of carrying out similar assignments for INGOs and/or UN agencies. 
• Extensive experience of working in multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience with GIS and satellite imagery an advantage.
• Experience working in a conflict affected environment an asset.

Language: 

Arabic and excellent command of English language.

Competencies:

• Strong analytical skills. 
• Strong skills in report writing 
• Excellent writing and editing skills in English and Arabic.
• Familiarity with the context of Sudan, and its security and socio-political norms 
• Good command of excel and data analysis tools. 
• Ability to lead and work in teams.
• Puts emphasis on systematic and accurate record keeping.