National Project Expert - HCFC Phase-out Management Plan National Project Expert - HCFC Phase-out Management Plan Mexico City, Mexico ISA-NOB, Mexico

Title: National Project Expert - HCFC Phase-out Management Plan

​Requisition ID: 7822
Grade: ISA-NOB
Country: Mexico
Duty Station: Mexico City
Category: National Consultant
Type of Job Posting: Internal and External
Employment Type: NonStaff-Regular
Contract Duration: 12 months
Application deadline: , 11:59 PM (Vienna, Austria time)

Vacancy Announcement
TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT OF PROJECT PERSONNEL
Only nationals or permanent residents of the country of the duty station are considered eligible.
Female candidates are encouraged to apply.
UNIDO welcomes applications from qualified persons with disabilities. Reasonable accommodation will be provided to applicants and employees with disabilities to support full participation in the recruitment process and in the performance of their duties.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability. The mission UNIDO, as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013 as well as the Abu Dhabi Declaration adopted at the eighteenth session of UNIDO General Conference in 2019, is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) in Member States. The relevance of ISID as an integrated approach to all three pillars of sustainable development is recognized by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will frame United Nations and country efforts towards sustainable development. UNIDO’s mandate is fully recognized in SDG-9 , which calls to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”. The relevance of ISID, however, applies to a greater or lesser extent to all SDGs.

The medium-term programme framework (MTPF) is UNIDO’s core strategic document. As the Organization moves from the 2022–2025 cycle to the 2026–2029 MTPF, it sets a renewed vision to support Member States shape their industries for development. The new priorities include renewable and clean energy, sustainable access and climate action, ending hunger through innovation and local value addition, and fair and sustainable global and regional supply chains. Cross-cutting priorities focus on industrial and economic policy advice, skills development, fostering digitalization and artificial intelligence, gender equality and the empowerment of women, supporting youth, promoting cleaner production and circular economy, and leveraging private sector investment and development finance.

Each of these programmatic fields of activity contains a number of individual programmes, which are implemented in a holistic manner to achieve effective outcomes and impacts through UNIDO’s four enabling functions: (i) technical cooperation; (ii) analytical and research functions and policy advisory services; (iii) normative functions and standards and quality-related activities; and (iv) convening and partnerships for knowledge transfer, networking and industrial cooperation. Such core functions are carried out in Divisions/Offices in its Headquarters, Sub-regional Offices and Country Offices.

Under the overall direction of the Director General, and in close collaboration with all relevant organizational entities within UNIDO, the Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development (TCS), headed by a Managing Director, ensures the Organization's application of strategies and interventions for sustainable industrial development related to environment, energy, Micro, Small and Medium-Enterprises (MSMEs), and digitalization. The Directorate also oversees the Organization's normative contribution to achieving Sustainable Development Goals through industrial policy advice and capacity development. Through coordination in-house and with Member States and industry stakeholders, it ensures that the services provided in these areas contribute to effective and appropriate technical, business and policy solutions and are focused on results, scaling up and positioning UNIDO as a leading platform for industrial development in developing countries and global fora.

The Directorate is responsible for the Division of Industrial Policy Advice and Capacity Development (TCS/IPC), and technical Divisions of Circular Economy and Green Industry (TCS/CEG), Energy and Climate Action (TCS/ECA), Climate Innovation and Montreal Protocol (TCS/CMP); MSME Competitiveness, Quality and Job Creation (TCS/SME); and Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence (TCS/DAI). Leveraging the diverse skill sets of UNIDO personnel and the services provided by the two TC directorates, TCS collaborates closely with IET to develop and implement programmes and projects, aiming at enhancing synergy and complementarity and maximizing UNIDO corporate performance and impacts on the ground. The Directorate also ensures close coordination and collaboration among the Divisions as well as with relevant entities in all Directorates across the Organization.

The position is located under the Climate Innovation and Montreal Protocol Division (TCS/CMP). Under the supervision of the Managing Director of the Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development (TCS), and in close coordination with other organizational entities within UNIDO, the Division of Climate Innovation and Montreal Protocol (TCS/CMP) assists Member States in the emergence, deployment, and large-scale up-take of solutions for low carbon and climate resilient industrialization. The division promotes a system innovation approach to achieve transformational change in climate change by innovating across key levers of change including technology, finance, policy, and regulation.

The Division is responsible for the dual mandate of accelerating innovation and building climate innovation ecosystems to promote low-carbon and climate-resilient industrialization; and planning, developing and implementing interventions to facilitate compliance with the Montreal Protocol and, in particular, its Kigali Amendment and to support countries in achieving their NDCs. In addition, the Division is responsible, in close collaboration with other relevant entities of the Organization, for facilitating the transfer of innovative low-carbon and climate adaptation solutions and building markets to ensure their widespread use by industry and local communities, thereby contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience in recipient countries.

The Montreal Protocol Unit (TCS/CMP/MPU) is responsible for the planning, development and implementation of activities in Member States to facilitate compliance with the Montreal Protocol and, in particular, its Kigali Amendment and to support countries to achieve their NDCs. In addition, the Unit is responsible, in close collaboration with other relevant entities in the Organization, to facilitate the transfer of and establish markets for low-carbon technologies, ensuring their widespread use by industry and local communities, thereby contributing to climate mitigation and adaptation in recipient countries. Through capacity building and policy support, the Unit's services promote manufacturing transformation in refrigeration, air conditioning and insulation technologies, resulting in the reduction and substitution of fluids and chemicals, and ultimately reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions and promote climate-resilient economies.

PROJECT CONTEXT

The Government of Mexico is implementing Stage III of its Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP) under the Montreal Protocol, with the objective of achieving the complete phase-out of remaining HCFC consumption by 2030. Building on the achievements of the previous stages, which successfully eliminated HCFC consumption in several manufacturing sectors and reduced national consumption, Stage III focuses on the remaining use of HCFC-22, primarily in the refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) servicing sector. The project targets the widespread population of end users and informal servicing technicians who continue to rely on HCFC-based equipment.

Stage III adopts an integrated approach that combines regulatory strengthening, institutional capacity building, technical assistance, and stakeholder engagement to accelerate the transition away from HCFCs. The project supports the enhancement of the national licensing and quota system, strengthening of customs enforcement, expansion of technician training and certification, promotion of good servicing practices, and reinforcement of refrigerant recovery, recycling and reclamation (RRR) systems. It also provides technical assistance to facilitate the replacement of obsolete HCFC-based refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment with low-global warming potential (low-GWP) alternatives, while supporting end users, strengthening monitoring systems, and promoting public awareness of ozone- and climate-friendly technologies.

The project is implemented by UNIDO as the lead implementing agency, in cooperation with the Government of Germany, under the coordination of Mexico's Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT). In addition to the technical interventions, Stage III incorporates cross-cutting activities to strengthen project monitoring, mainstream gender considerations across implementation, and promote greater participation of women in the RAC sector. Together, these activities are designed to ensure the sustainable phase-out of HCFCs, strengthen national institutional capacities, improve servicing practices, and support Mexico's long-term compliance with its obligations under the Montreal Protocol.

The National Project Expert will support coordination, planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of the activities and projects under the HPMP III in Mexico.

FUNCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the direct supervision of the National Ozone Office Coordinator and UNIDO’s Project Manager, and close cooperation with UNIDO project team in the HQ and field location, the consultant will be responsible for the performance of the following main duties:

MAIN DUTIES

Concrete/measurable outputs to be achieved

Contribute to the overall coordination/implementation of the HPMP project in a timely and consistent manner

In close cooperation with the Government of Mexico and UNIDO, support the coordination and implementation of all components under the HPMP stage III, with a view to comply with the MLF Agreement, Executive Committee decisions and reductions of the HCFC baseline consumption. Some of the activities are:

Project monitoring and evaluation are done as scheduled. Progress executed, proposal for improvement, where necessary, made.