Independent National Expert - CAIP Site Selection Technical Assessment

?Requisition ID:8135Grade:ISA-NODCountry:KenyaDuty Station:NairobiCategory:National ConsultantType of Job Posting:Internal and ExternalEmployment Type:NonStaff-When Act. EmployedContract Duration:17 daysApplication deadline:16-Oct-2026, 11:59 PM (Vienna, Austria time)Vacancy AnnouncementTEMPORARY APPOINTMENT OF PROJECT PERSONNELOnly 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 applicantsandemployeeswithdisabilities to support full participation in the recruitment process and in the performance of their duties.ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXTThe 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 theLima Declarationadopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013 as well as theAbu Dhabi Declarationadopted at the eighteenth session of UNIDO General Conference in 2019, is to promote and accelerateinclusive 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.DIRECTORATE OF SDG INNOVATION AND ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION (IET)Under the overall direction of the Director General, and in close collaboration with relevant organizational entities, the Directorate of SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation (IET), headed by a Managing Director, is responsible for the development of innovative UNIDO services in the areas of agro-industry and agribusiness, sustainability standards and fair production, and climate relevant or climate-improving technologies. It is also, in collaboration with ODG, responsible for developing innovative cooperation concepts, identifying new sources and means of innovative finance and entering into new partnerships with a broad range of relevant stakeholders. The Directorate is responsible for the Divisions of Agribusiness and Infrastructure Development (IET/AGR), Fair Production, Sustainability Standards and Trade (IET/PST), Climate and Technology Partnerships (IET/CTP), Innovative Finance and International Financial Institutions (IET/IFI), and Public-Private Partnerships (IET/PPP). Leveraging the diverse skill sets of UNIDO personnel and the services provided by the two TC directorates, IET collaborates closely with TCS 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.Division of Agribusiness and Infrastructure Development (IET/AGR)Under the overall guidance of the Director General, the direct supervision of the Managing Director, Directorate of SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation (IET), and in close coordination with other organizational entities within UNIDO, the Division of Agribusiness and Infrastructure Development (IET/AGR) supports Member States in their efforts to pave the way to sustainable rural development and a structurally transformed and modernized agribusiness sector. Capitalizing on the experience gained by UNIDO in this field over decades and on tried-and-tested and to-be-developed service modules, the Division will explore innovative approaches to maximise the potential that exists in agribusiness development, addressing emerging global trends, in particular food security, poverty alleviation and climate change. It will explore new ways to contribute to global efforts to reduce hunger, accelerate food systems transition, and generate income and employment, especially among women and youth.The Division provides technical cooperation services to assist the modernization of agriculture and agro-industry, especially in less-developed countries, ensuring that enterprises add value to primary agricultural production, substitute the imports of food and other value-added agricultural products, and participate effectively in local, regional and global value chains. Where needed, it will develop infrastructure and agro-industrial parks and capacities for agro-industrialization, value addition, quality assurance and food safety. It will also bring innovative approaches to Member States to fully benefit from carbon-neutral and biodiversity-enhancing agricultural and agro-industrial production and development opportunities in the green and blue bioeconomy.PROJECT CONTEXTThe Government of Kenya, through the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry (MITI) and county governments, is establishing County Aggregation and Industrial Parks (CAIPs) across all 47 counties as part of its national industrialization strategy. This UNIDO-implemented project, “Supporting the Development of Agro-Industrial Parks in Kenya,” is funded through the CIDCA Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) as the technical partner. The project supports the selection and operationalization of one pilot CAIP through concentrated capacity building, business plan development, infrastructure improvement, and investment and trade promotion. The pilot will serve as a demonstration model for CAIP development across Kenya and the wider region.To inform pilot site selection ahead of the project's inception mission, a joint national team, comprising the National Project Coordinator (NPC), a MITI technical officer, and an independent national expert,  will conduct pre-mission site visits to candidate CAIPs. Applying an agreed 10-criteria site selection framework, the team will collect and verify documentary evidence, interview key respondents, and produce a ranked technical report recommending the pilot site, together with supporting documentation on the runner-up site. The HQ mission team will