The Asia Pacific Regional Office, based in Bangkok, Thailand, provides strategic leadership and oversight for UNOPS operations across 17 countries, ensuring high performance, operational excellence, and alignment with organizational goals. Operations currently span Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Pacific Islands. Across these countries, we work closely with key stakeholders to strengthen partnerships and maximize impact through five main operating units: Afghanistan (AFCO), Myanmar (MMCO), South Asia Multi-Country Office (SAMCO), East Asia and Pacific Multi-Country Office (EAPMCO), and the Asia Regional Health Cluster (ARHC). Through these entities, we provide agile, client-focused service delivery across diverse sectors - including infrastructure, health, procurement, and project management - supporting the implementation of sustainable development solutions across the region.

The East Asia and Pacific Multi-Country Office (EAPMCO), headquartered in Bangkok, supports UNOPS operations across 24 countries in Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, and the Pacific. Established in January 2023, EAPMCO provides strategic direction, operational support, and quality assurance to ensure the efficient and effective delivery of projects across its portfolio. EAPMCO implements initiatives in priority areas such as energy transition, climate change, and sustainable development, drawing on UNOPS' core expertise in human resources, procurement, infrastructure, fund management, and programme management.

UNOPS established its presence in Indonesia in 2005 following the Indian Ocean tsunami and has since invested over $200 million in projects across the country. Its work spans infrastructure development, fund management, procurement, and capacity building, addressing priority areas such as climate resilience, environmental protection, energy transition, health, education, and post-disaster recovery. UNOPS plays a key role in supporting post-COVID-19 economic recovery, including through the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), and provides advisory and technical assistance to other UN agencies. Projects in Indonesia contribute directly to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in areas such as climate action, life on land and below water, responsible consumption, clean energy, infrastructure and innovation, health and well-being, and partnerships for sustainable development.

The Southeast Asia Regional Program on Combating Marine Plastics (SEA-MaP Regional Project) is a five-year program financed by the World Bank. The project commenced on 14 July 2022 and will conclude on 31 March 2027 Its objective is to support the Member States (AMS) of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in combating marine plastic pollution and mitigating its negative impacts by contributing to the implementation of the ASEAN Regional Action Plan (RAP) for Combating Marine Debris. The project is implemented by ASEAN (represented by structure comprising a Project Steering Committee) through the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC), with the support of a Project Management Unit (PMU), and a Regional Implementation Support Unit (RISU) located within the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). 

The SEA-MaP Regional Project aims to support ASEAN in implementing the RAP, specifically 10 out of 14 of the actions. The project will support ASEAN’s ongoing efforts in addressing marine plastic debris and promoting a transition to a circular economy. It adopts a long-term, programmatic approach and is divided into two components: (1) Strengthening regional policies and institutions for plastics circularity, and (2) Establishing regional platforms to promote innovations, knowledge, and partnerships for plastics circularity. 

i. Strengthening Regional Policies and Institutions for Plastics Circularity: Through the development of regional guidelines, enhancement of plastics metrics and monitoring, and support for policy harmonization, the project contributes to implementing the ASEAN RAP. The project's goals are designed to surpass its lifespan, aiming to strengthen regional actions and integrate them within the existing ASEAN structure, alongside fostering capacity building for decision-makers, private-sector champions, and other relevant stakeholders.

ii. Establishing Regional Platforms to Promote Innovations, Knowledge, and Partnerships for Plastics Circularity: The SEA-MaP Regional Project is committed to support the development of two Platforms for 1) innovation and investments and 2) knowledge sharing and partnerships across ASEAN to address plastic pollution. These Platforms will foster regional collaboration in particular promoting activities with private sector (e.g. start-ups, investors, and other value-chain actors) to advance plastic circularity and preventing marine litter and support existing data and research networks. They are designed to promote circular economy solutions and encourage plastic reduction partnerships. Further, they seek to catalyze private sector investment and support. The Platforms will provide technical assistance to plastics innovators, especially focusing on women-owned innovations, social enterprises, and NGOs, to help turn innovative ideas into proofs of concept, pilots, and bankable business solutions. 

The SEA-MaP Regional Project includes the development and delivery of knowledge products as outlined in Table 1, and the implementation and operationalisation of the Regional Platform for Innovation and Investments, and Regional Platform for Knowledge and Partnerships.

More information on the project can be found in the Project Appraisal Document (PAD).

The purpose of this consultancy is to design a comprehensive Sustainability Strategy and Roadmap for ASEAN that guides the long-term uptake, integration, and lasting impact of SEA-MaP deliverables in a streamlined and coordinated manner, beyond the project’s completion. The retainer will be reporting directly to the Senior Project Manager, SEA-MaP, UNOPS. However, s/he needs to work closely in consultation with the Project Management UNIt, ASEC and the relevant technical team of the World Bank. Draft outputs and final products will be validated and approved by other divisions of the ASEAN Secretariat and the Project Steering Committee of SEA-Map regional project.   

The assignment is structured around two specific objectives. The outcomes listed under each objective are not standalone outputs but critical analytical and consultative inputs. They represent successive steps in the development process and will directly inform and be fully integrated into the final Sustainability Strategy and Roadmap. 

Specific objectives and outcomes: 

Specific Objective 1: Landscape analysis and risk assessment

To carry out an in-depth diagnostic assessment of the sustainability landscape surrounding the uptake of project deliverables including to identify enablers and barriers to long-term adoption and outline key sustainability risks and mitigation measures. Currently, each SEA-MaP deliverable has considered sustainability and long-term uptake in isolation and to various extents. The landscape analysis will consolidate existing strategies into a unified approach that builds from synergies and avoids duplicative actions.

Expected contributions to the Strategy include:

• A consolidated landscape analysis of key legal frameworks and policy initiatives at the ASEAN and AMS-level mapped to the objectives of each SEA-MaP deliverable, based on existing landscape analyses developed under each workstream. 

• A gaps and needs analysis including institutional capacities of ASEAN and AMS

• A risk assessment and mitigation plan based upon identified internal and external influencing factors.

• A synthesis of key findings and significant implications.

Specific Objective 2: Strategy consolidation and implementation planning

To integrate all analytical findings and stakeholder feedback into a comprehensive, actionable Sustainability Strategy, supported by a phased Roadmap aligned with the agreed timeframe.

Expected components of the final Strategy include:

• A mapping of all SEA-MaP project deliverables, consolidating key findings and recommendations into a coherent and streamlined framework.

• A consolidated and validated Sustainability Strategy on the post-project management of SEA-MaP products and deliverables reflecting ASEAN and AMS priorities and institutional and financial capacities.

• A consolidated communication and engagement plan providing consolidated, harmonized and streamlined messaging across all SEA-MaP deliverables and key beneficiaries.

• An itemized budget and a financial sustainability plan for the implementation of key recommendations at the ASEAN and AMS level.

• A Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) framework with indicators and reporting mechanisms.

• A phased five-year Roadmap outlining implementation pathways for various AMS contexts, proposed responsible entities, and milestones, highlighting specific next steps for the first year post-project closure and required roles, responsibilities and contributions for key project partners.

• A dissemination-ready synthesis report and presentation documents for stakeholders.

SCOPE OF THE SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED:

The following tasks are structured to generate the essential evidence, analysis, and stakeholder inputs that will form the core content of the final Sustainability Strategy and Roadmap.

Task 1: Inception

The Inception Report will outline the assignment’s approach, scope, methodology, detailed work plan timeline, and implementation arrangements. Key objectives of the Inception Report include a careful review and analysis of all SEA-MaP deliverables and presentation of a logical framework for the selection of high impact workstreams to be prioritized in subsequent tasks.

The Inception Report will serve as the basis for a kick-off workshop, to be facilitated by the client, to finalize the proposed methodology and implementation plan.  The kick-off workshop will also provide an opportunity for the contractor to engage with the implementing entities (i.e. individual contractors) for key SEA-MaP deliverables, establishing working modalities necessary for completion of subsequent tasks.

Task 2: Landscape analysis and risk assessment

This task assesses opportunities and challenges for the adoption of key recommendations across all SEA-MaP deliverables, providing an analytical foundation for the development of subsequent tasks. The analysis should highlight enablers, risks, potential leverage points, and concrete actions that can be undertaken before SEA-MaP closure to inform the design of the Sustainability Strategy.  The assessment will:

• Develop a consolidated policy and legal landscape analysis, documenting and reviewing key legal frameworks and policy initiatives carried out at the ASEAN and AMS-level (e.g., ASEAN RAP and post-RAP agenda, national plastics action plans, circular economy strategies, and related sectoral policies). Relevant information will be collected from the Landscape Analyses of other workstream outputs, consolidated and harmonized. 

• Perform a gaps and needs analysis including institutional capacities of ASEAN and AMS considering key findings of other SEA-MaP workstreams.

• Prepare a risk assessment and mitigation plan, identifying deliverable-level risks or barriers that may possibly prevent AMS' effective uptake (including low awareness, limited capacity, technological gaps, lack of translation into local policy instruments, etc.). Lessons learned from the implementation of other relevant regional projects should be reflected.

• Summarize key findings in a structured format, identifying critical enablers, barriers, and opportunities. Provide clear recommendations on how these factors should inform the development of the Sustainability Strategy, including risk mitigation measures where necessary.

• Identify high impact workstreams for prioritization in subsequent tasks (i.e. the Roadmap) for the consideration of the PSC. 

Task 3. Sustainability strategy and roadmap

This task aims to outline concrete actions, responsibilities, and mechanisms to guide post-project continuity and long-term impact including the institutional anchoring, operational sustainability and AMS access and continued use of SEA-MaP’s deliverables after the project ends.  The Strategy must be practical and tailored to the ASEAN context, offering pathways for AMS and regional institutions to assume ownership of key SEA-MaP deliverables considering varying national contexts and priorities.  The Sustainability Strategy will include:

• Coherence mapping of all SEA-MaP project deliverables, consolidating key findings and recommendations into a coherent and streamlined framework. Map relevant national institutions within each AMS that are potential end-users or custodians of key recommendations of each SEA-MaP deliverable identifying overlaps and synergies to streamline end-user engagement.  

• A set of strategic and actionable recommendations for post-project management of SEA-MaP’s products and deliverables reflecting ASEAN and AMS priorities and institutional and financial capacities. The strategy aims to ensure that SEA-MaP deliverables remain functional, accessible, and aligned with regional and national policy agendas beyond the project period.  Prioritize actions based on urgency, institutional readiness, and strategic value.

• Communication and engagement strategy to consolidate, harmonize and streamline messaging across all SEA-MaP deliverables and key beneficiaries so that there is clear and unified communication about the priorities and way forward for ASEAN and AMS. This will build from and streamline the stakeholder engagement strategies developed through the various SEA-MaP workstreams, critically review, consolidate, and compile a comprehensive stakeholder mapping at both ASEAN and AMS levels from a post-project perspective

• A monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework including sustainability indicators, data sources, and monitoring mechanisms. This framework should allow ASEAN and AMS to assess progress and adjust strategies as needed. Provide an uptake assessment framework that can be monitored over time to evaluate the extent to which AMS has accessed, adopted, integrated, or piloted each of the deliverables into national and sub-national frameworks, and indicate, when appropriate, where and how implementation may happen sub-nationally.

• An itemized budget and financial sustainability plan for implementing the set of strategic recommendations at the ASEAN and AMS levels to provide an indicative understanding of the financing required to achieve the Sustainability Strategy. Budgetary limitations and priorities will build from findings of the SEA-MaP Resource Mobilization Strategy.  Unallocated budget from SEA-MaP will be mapped to high priority activities feasible within the project timeline to fully leverage available resources and to catalyse sustainability efforts.

• A phased five-year Roadmap outlining a sequenced plan of priority activities, institutional responsibilities, and capacity requirements. Specific next steps for the first year post-project closure should be highlighted, examining required roles, responsibilities and contributions of key project partners including but not limited to ASEN, ASEC, AMS, World Bank, UNOPS and contractors. The Roadmap should include implementation pathways responsive to ASEAN and various AMS contexts and priorities. The below are two suggested scenarios, which the consultant will review in terms of applicability, feasibility and relevance to ASEAN, following Task 2: Landscape analysis and risk assessment. Other scenarios should also be proposed for PSC’s consideration.  

  • Suggested scenario 1: A low-budget scenario that focuses on ensuring the technical assistance provided by SEA-MaP is absorbed and meets its intended outcomes and benefits. Core to this scenario is understanding the Bank project is closed so the budget would be very limited. Proposed activities would have to be ones that the ASEAN could implement.

  • Suggested scenario 2: A high-budget scenario reflecting more ambition in the proposed activities that would be contingent on additional funding being mobilized.

Task 4: Stakeholder Consultation

It is foreseen that at least three consultations will be needed (in addition to the kick-off meeting to be organized by the client). 

• The first consultation will engage the PSC and PSC-nominated experts with the aim to validate the Landscape Analysis and Risk Assessment findings and key recommendations for further developments of the next phases of the assignment, including which workstreams to be prioritized in subsequent tasks.  Guidance will be sought from the PSC on the adoption process for the Sustainability Strategy, ownership, and potential resource allocations that may be anticipated under a ‘low resource’ and ‘high resource’ scenarios.

• A second stakeholder consultation is to share the draft Sustainability Strategy and Roadmap with the PSC and PSC-nominated experts and seek their feedback to ensure it meets the objectives and needs of ASEAN. The feedback received from the meeting will be considered so that the strategy can be updated accordingly. 

• A third consultation will be organized to present the final draft Sustainability Strategy and Roadmap to the PSC and PSC-nominated experts to prepare the document for adoption by the PSC. Detailed guidance on the requirements for the adoption process should be covered in the first consultation.

The consultant will be responsible for preparing and executing the consultations in coordination with RISU and the PMU, which will include, but not be limited to, the following tasks: 

• Preparing concept notes and agenda/program in close coordination with the key stakeholders of the SEA-MaP Regional Project. 

• Providing consultation meeting materials, including relevant presentations. 

• Identifying and inviting resource persons. 

• Preparing the invitation and managing registration and providing the record of attendee information. 

• Facilitate the discussions, present findings, and produce meeting/event summaries. 

• Liaising and communicating among the participants and organizers before, during, and after the events 

• Conducting pre- and post-event surveys to collect participant feedback and summarize it. 

• Ensuring a gender-balanced representation among participants and resource persons 

• Taking notes and compiling the final report with the event summary and the satisfaction survey, with recommendations for future events. The report should include an analysis of the gender dynamics of the individual workstreams of SEA-MaP (e.g., participation rates, issues related to gender equality, and recommendations for improving gender integration in future programs). 

Task 5: Alignment with Resource Mobilization Strategy Consultancy Outcomes

This task aims to ensure close coordination and alignment with SEA-MaP’s Resource Mobilization Strategy, including but not limited to:

• Reviewing relevant outputs to identify linkages with the Sustainability Strategy;

• Aligning budgetary and financial recommendations for coherence between the two frameworks;

• Integrating feasible financing mechanisms into the draft Sustainability Strategy Framework and Roadmap;

• Conducting joint discussions and incorporating agreed feedback to ensure both strategies are complementary and mutually reinforcing.

6. ADDITIONAL DETAILS 

Contribution to the Project Development Objectives (PDO), and Intermediate Results (IR) indicators: 

The SEA-MaP Regional Project is working toward the Project Development Objectives (PDO) - To strengthen plastics polices and regulatory frameworks and promote innovative solutions to help reduce plastic pollution in Southeast Asia. It aims to do so by strengthening regional policies and institutions to reduce plastic products and plastic pollution and establishing Regional Platforms to Promote Innovations for Plastics Circularity. 

The Sustainability Strategy, through its implementation, will guide achievement of the PDOs while ensuring it contributes to the longer-term Program Development Objective - To reduce plastics consumption, increase recycling, and minimize leakages to prevent land and sea-based marine plastic pollution in Southeast Asia.

The development of the Sustainability Strategy, as part of this assignment, will contribute to the following Intermediate Result (IR) indicators:

* At least one focal point from each AMS, and two from ASEC per consultation

Additional considerations:

• The consultant must leverage the other SEA-MaP deliverables outlined in Table 1 to ensure synergy and compatibility. 

• The consultant must attend weekly meetings and submit progress updates (highlight and quarterly reports). The consultant should also be ready to present the findings and work progress to the Project partners, ASEC, and PSC as requested by the RISU. 

The consultant is expected to conduct the work remotely from her/his home/office and arrange online consultations and meetings with the RISU to provide regular progress updates and other relevant matters. Timelines may be changed due to consultations and coordination with AMS at no additional fees.

Target audience:

The Sustainability Strategy and Roadmap are being developed for consideration of the Project Steering Committee of SEA-MaP, comprising members of the ASEAN Working Group on Coastal and Marine Environment (AWGCME) and the ASEAN Secretariat. The recommendation of the Sustainability Strategy must be clear on the roles and responsibilities for each stakeholder group – at the regional and national levels – based on their mandates, capacities and priorities.     

DELIVERABLES AND TIMELINE:

The assignment is estimated to take a Level of Effort (LoE) of approximately 80 working days between January and July 2026. 

The main deliverables should be produced according to the following timeline:

Table 2: Timeline for deliverables

All deliverables will be reviewed and approved before they can be accepted. The Consultant should factor at least 8 weeks into their schedules to review each deliverable.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT:

The World Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) came into effect in 2018; it requires all World Bank-funded Projects to comply with relevant Environmental and Social Standards (ESS). For the SEA-MaP Regional Project, an Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF)has been prepared to ensure that the SEA-MaP Regional Project addresses environmental and social risks and impacts - associated with technical assistance supported under the Program - in accordance with the ASEAN legal requirements and the World Bank’s ESF.

The deliverables of this assignment should be consistent with the Project’s ESMF, which may require coordination with the Environmental and Social Specialists of the Project and the World Bank. For example, where recommendations are given through this Strategy, they should include coverage of the potential downstream environmental and social risks. Where environmental and social risk management systems have been developed as part of the Project deliverables, the sustainability strategy should ensure that the systems are carried on as part of the continuation of some of the Project activities. 

In addition, the selected consultant must comply with the labor-management conditions laid out in the ESMF.

GENDER EQUALITY:

The consultant should explicitly incorporate gender equality concerns and women’s empowerment strategies in the Strategy to ensure its gender inclusiveness. Such considerations should be explicitly mainstreamed throughout other aspects, such as stakeholder engagement.

The deliverables should address gender inequalities, foster inclusivity, and create economic opportunities for women and men. To this end, this assignment should include the participation of women during consultations and provide analysis, and recommendations, where possible.

WORKPLACE AND TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

The project is expected to be conducted as desk/home-based work and through online meetings with possible travels to Southeast Asia.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in environmental policy, development studies, public administration, or a related field with 12 years of relevant experience OR

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in environmental policy, development studies, public administration, or a related field with 10 years of relevant experience is required.

Required

• Relevant experience is defined as professional experience in sustainability planning, institutional analysis, program design, or environmental or development sector public policy.

• Demonstrated experience in designing and implementing monitoring and evaluation systems.

• Demonstrated solid track record in preparing sustainability strategies, institutional strengthening, and multi-stakeholder engagement, particularly within the ASEAN region, is required.

Desired

• Applications from individual consultants with a combination of regional policy and technical sustainability expertise are accepted.

Technical and Regional Expertise

• Demonstrated understanding of marine plastic pollution, circular economy, and regional environmental governance.

• Proven knowledge of ASEAN institutional frameworks and relevant regional policy processes.

• Experience working with or advising public institutions, international organizations, and/or regional platforms.

Financial and Strategic Planning

• Prior experience designing or evaluating financial sustainability strategies, including cost-sharing models, multi-stakeholder investment mechanisms, or resource mobilization plans.

• Familiarity with development partner coordination and regional funding models is an asset.

Stakeholder Engagement and Communication

• Strong facilitation and consultation skills, proven ability to coordinate complex engagement processes across sectors and countries.

• Experience integrating gender and social inclusion into sustainability planning is desirable.

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• Please note that UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 
• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities. 
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda. 
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.