Title:  Institutional Governance Consultant

 ​​Requisition ID: 7548 
Grade: ISA-P3 
Country: Congo 
Duty Station: Brazzaville 
Category: International Consultant 
Type of Job Posting: Internal and External
Employment Type: NonStaff-When Act. Employed
Contract Duration: 14 working days over a period of 3 months
Application Deadline: 10-Jun-2026, 11:59 PM (Vienna, Austria time)

Vacancy Announcement
TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT OF PROJECT PERSONNEL

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 and hunger reduction, inclusive and fair 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, the Abu Dhabi Declaration adopted at the eighteenth session of UNIDO General Conference in 2019 as well as the Riyadh Declaration adopted at the twenty-first session of UNIDO General Conference in 2025, is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development in Member States. The relevance of this mission 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 inclusive and sustainable industrial development, however, applies to all SDGs.

The medium-term programme framework (MTPF) 2026 - 2029 is UNIDO’s core strategic document and it is in line with UNIDO’s Vision 2050. It sets a renewed vision to support Member States and shape their industries for development. The priorities include fair and sustainable global and regional supply chains, ending hunger through innovation and local value addition, renewable and clean energy, sustainable energy access and climate action. 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-related activities; and (iv) convening and fostering partnerships for knowledge and technology transfer, investment mobilization, 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 the 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 Division of Energy and Climate Action (TCS/ECA) assists Member States in the transition to low-carbon and climate resilient economies through the promotion of renewable energy, energy efficiency solutions and breakthrough technologies in industry and other

key sectors, diversifying supply chains for renewable energy manufacturing and stimulating innovation to address critical climate and energy related challenges.

The Division assists governments in fulfilling national commitments under the Paris Agreement and progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, thereby facilitating a just transition towards sustainable industrialization. In transitioning to a low-carbon and climate resilient economies, the challenges of addressing energy poverty and climate change are an integral part of the Division's activities, as is the dissemination of policies, knowledge and technologies and pathways to plan, manage and finance the energy transitions and climate action for industrial

transformation. It collaborates closely on converging issues with IET/CTP and TCS/CMP.

The position is located under the Sustainable and Just Energy Transitions Unit (TCS/ECA/JET) focuses on promoting energy for development and leveraging technology innovation and social inclusion to lead a just energy transition. It promotes the modernization of energy infrastructure to drive decoupling growth from emissions and deploys de-risking approaches to channel public and private investments to accelerate energy access and industrial development. It supports Members States in building and diversifying renewable energy supply chains and fostering manufacturing capabilities to achieve a just energy 47 transition for all. The unit also supports the integration of energy system design into the wider development objectives and helps countries navigate the trade-offs for energy development while ensure compliance with social and environmental norms. Finally, the Unit coordinates the Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres and related partnerships and uses regional policies and approaches to achieve economies of scale.

PROJECT CONTEXT

Under the Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres (GN-SEC) program, UNIDO supports the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) in the establishment and operationalization of the Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency for Central Africa (CEREEAC). CEREEAC aims to accelerate the energy and climate transition by providing support “from the region for the region”. The geographic scope of the centre includes Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and São Tomé and Príncipe.

UNIDO provides technical backstopping and assistance regarding institution, technical program and partnership building throughout the first operational phase of the centre. In addition, UNIDO promotes joint learning, exchange of lessons learned and south-south triangular projects with the other regional centres under the GN-SEC platform and project. Together with the other regional centres, namely ECREEE (ECOWAS), SACREEE (SADC), EACREEE (EAC) and RCREEE (Arab region), the CEREEAC will contribute to the African Union (AU) efforts to establish a harmonized low-carbon continental electricity system and a market for sustainable energy products and services. In this context, there are opportunities to create links to EU supported programs, including the Africa-EU Energy Partnership and the AU energy program.

The CEREEAC strives to address demand and supply-side barriers for integrated and inclusive ECCAS sustainable energy product and service markets by promoting economies of scale, equal progress, joint learning and spillover effects between countries. Through cross-border cooperation approaches and methodologies, the centre will complement and accelerate national efforts in the areas of policy, regulation, quality infrastructure, qualification, knowledge and facilitation of investment and entrepreneurship. It will serve as a central hub for knowledge sharing, capacity building and for fostering international and local partnerships.

The CEREEAC will cooperate with technical thematic hubs, one of them being the Oyo Centre of Excellence for Renewable Energy RE and Energy Efficiency EE (hereafter referred to as Oyo Centre or CEO) in the Republic of the Congo. The Oyo Centre is currently being operationalized with the technical support of UNIDO. The Oyo Centre is envisaged to become a national centre with a regional outlook, with the ultimate objective to support the development of an integrated and inclusive sustainable energy market in the Republic of the Congo and the wider region. In line with the institutional structure of CEREEAC, the Oyo Centre will serve as one of the thematic hubs of the CEREEAC, with a focus on supporting research and development (R&D) and capacity building in renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE).

The European Union (EU) has established an action titled “Support Programme for ECCAS specialized organizations for the operationalization of the regional market and development of renewable energies”[1]. This action aims to support the establishment of a regional electricity market in Central Africa by developing the regional market and increasing the share of renewable energies in the energy mix, to contribute to greenhouse gas emissions reduction[2].

Within this framework, and in line with the core objectives and activities of the CEREEAC, the cooperation between the CEREEAC and the Oyo Centre will promote access to modern, affordable and reliable energy services, as well as energy security by promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency investments, markets and industries in Central Africa. As a thematic hub, the Oyo Centre will support the CEREEAC by promoting applied research and capacity building in the domain of renewable energy and energy efficiency, in collaboration with regional stakeholders.

Within the framework of project ID 200138, the European Union is supporting regional activities through the Action Plan (entitled in French): Programme d’appui aux organisations spécialisées de la CEEAC pour l’opérationnalisation du marché régional et le développement des énergies renouvelables. Support spans across several domains and includes research and development (R&D) – leveraging the Oyo Centre’s role as thematic hub for R&D.

During the first half of 2025, in collaboration with the Oyo Centre and the CEREEAC, UNIDO guided the development of a baseline study aimed at assessing the status of the R&D and innovation landscape within the ECCAS region, to identify existing gaps and weaknesses, as well as priority actions to overcome these. During – and after – the study, R&D institutions within the Central African region have been engaged to enhance regional cooperation. UNIDO is now seeking to formalize such cooperation by officially creating a network of research institutions operating in the space of RE and EE, in line with the EU Action Plan.

It is within this context that UNIDO is seeking an expert to conduct a comprehensive legal review of the internal regulations and annexes developed for the Network of Research Institutions for the Energy Transition of Central Africa (ReTEAC). The purpose of this assignment is to ensure that the internal regulations comprehensively cover all necessary institutional, operational, and governance aspects, and are fully aligned with international best practices and standards for the governance of research networks and multi-stakeholder platforms. In this regard, the service provider will be expected not only to review and strengthen the existing draft regulations and annexes, but also to identify and address any gaps by proposing additional provisions where needed.

The assignment will include the following key activities:

• Conduct a detailed legal and structural review of the draft internal regulations and annexes.
• Assess the alignment of the documents with international standards and best practices for research network governance, including transparency, accountability, decision-making processes, and membership frameworks.
• Identify gaps, inconsistencies, or ambiguities in the current drafts.
• Revise, improve, and further develop the internal regulations and annexes to ensure clarity, coherence, and legal soundness.
• Propose and draft any additional provisions, annexes, or supporting documents required to ensure completeness of the regulatory framework.
• Ensure consistency between the regulations and the objectives, structure, and operational modalities of ReTEAC.
• Provide clear and user-friendly versions of the internal regulations and annexes for internal review and validation by network members.
• Support the consultation process by incorporating feedback received from stakeholders and network members.
• Deliver a final, consolidated version of the internal regulations and annexes, ready for formal validation and adoption.
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FUNCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager (i.e., a UNIDO staff member responsible for the overall implementation of the project) and in close cooperation with the project team in the HQ and field location, Institutional Governance Consultant will be responsible for the following main duties:

MINIMUM ORGANIZATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Education: Advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in law, public administration, business administration or other relevant discipline is required. Alternatively, a first level university degree may be acceptable provided it is combined with additional 5 years of professional hand-on experience that is directly relevant to the expertise required by the specific assignment.

Technical and Functional Experience:

• At least five (5) years of professional experience in legal, institutional governance or related fields is required.
• Experience drafting and reviewing legal or internal regulatory documents is required.
• Experience conducting organizational governance assessments and formulating internal regulations for research networks, NGOs, or international partnerships is desirable.
• Familiarity with best practices in governance and regulatory frameworks including decision-making, membership, transparency and accountability is desirable.
• Ability to translate legal concepts into clear, operational documents is desirable.

Languages: Fluency in written and spoken French is required. Working knowledge of any other ECCAS language is desirable.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

Core values:
WE LIVE AND ACT WITH INTEGRITY: work honestly, openly and impartially.

WE SHOW PROFESSIONALISM: work hard and competently in a committed and responsible manner.

WE RESPECT DIVERSITY: work together effectively, respectfully and inclusively, regardless of our differences in culture and perspective.

Key competencies:
WE FOCUS ON PEOPLE: cooperate to fully reach our potential –and this is true for our colleagues as well as our clients. Emotional intelligence and receptiveness are vital parts of our UNIDO identity.

WE FOCUS ON RESULTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: focus on planning, organizing and managing our work effectively and efficiently. We are responsible and accountable for achieving our results and meeting our performance standards. This accountability does not end with our colleagues and supervisors, but we also owe it to those we serve and who have trusted us to contribute to a better, safer and healthier world.

WE COMMUNICATE AND EARN TRUST: communicate effectively with one another and build an environment of trust where we can all excel in our work.

WE THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND INNOVATE: To stay relevant, we continuously improve, support innovation, share our knowledge and skills, and learn from one another.

This appointment is limited to the specified project(s) only and does not carry any expectation of renewal.
Employees of UNIDO are expected at all times to uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and respect for diversity, both at work and outside. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for jobs at UNIDO.

All applications must be submitted online through the Online Recruitment System. Correspondence will be undertaken only with candidates who are being considered at an advanced phase of the selection process. Selected candidate(s) may be required to disclose to the Director General the nature and scope of financial and other personal interests and assets in respect of themselves, their spouses and dependents, under the procedures established by the Director General.

Visit the UNIDO website for details on how to apply: www.unido.org

NOTE: The Director General retains the discretion to make an appointment to this post at a lower level. 

Notice to applicants:
UNIDO does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. If you have received a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Vacant positions within UNIDO are advertised on the official UNIDO website. Should you have any questions concerning persons or companies claiming to be recruiting on behalf of UNIDO and requesting payment of a fee, please contact: recruitment@unido.org