Data and Secondary Research Support for UNEP

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.
The UNEP India Country Office works with national and local authorities, civil society, other United Nations organizations, research institutions and the private sector to support action on environmental priorities, including pollution prevention, waste management and marine litter.

Reliable data and evidence are important for understanding trends, identifying knowledge gaps, supporting programme development and informing UNEP’s engagement with stakeholders.
UNEP India Country Office is looking to engage an online UNV with an environmental academic background and strong research skills to support secondary research and compilation of information relating to:

• marine plastic litter;
• solid waste management;
• plastic waste management; and
• closely related waste-management and circularity issues.

The assignment will primarily involve desk-based and secondary research, data compilation, literature review, source documentation and preparation of research summaries.

The volunteer will not be expected to conduct independent primary field research or formulate official UNEP policy recommendations.

Under the guidance of the Assistant Programme Officer, UNEP India Country Office, the Online Volunteer will:

• Support desk-based research on marine plastic litter, solid waste management and plastic waste management.
• Assist in identifying relevant reports, datasets, academic literature, government publications, international assessments and other credible technical sources.
• Support compilation of quantitative and qualitative information relevant to UNEP’s programme activities.
• Assist in collecting and organizing available data relating, as relevant, to waste generation, collection, segregation, processing, recycling, disposal, plastic flows, plastic leakage and marine litter.
• Assist in organizing data in structured spreadsheets or tables, clearly documenting the source, year, geography, unit, definition and other relevant information.
• Support cross-checking of important data against original or authoritative sources wherever available.
• Support identification and documentation of important data gaps and limitations.
• Assist in compiling national, state-level, city-level or international information based on specific research questions provided by UNEP.
• Support preparation of simple tables, charts and data summaries based on information compiled during the assignment.
• Maintain an organized bibliography and reference repository of the sources reviewed.
• Support updating and revision of research outputs based on guidance and comments received from UNEP.

The Online Volunteer will provide research, evidence-gathering and data-compilation support. Analysis requiring official UNEP interpretation, policy recommendations or institutional positions will remain the responsibility of UNEP.

The assignment will primarily involve desk-based and secondary research, data compilation, literature review, source documentation and preparation of research summaries. The Online Volunteer will not be expected to conduct independent primary field research or formulate official UNEP policy recommendations. All work will be planned across the 2 weeks in consultation with the Online Volunteer.