Result of Service
The consultant will provide specialized technical assistance to support the structuring of a National Investment Portfolio of Priority Environmental Restoration Projects under the National Environmental Restoration Programme (PNRA) 2025–2026.
Work Location
Remote
Expected duration
3 months
Duties and Responsibilities
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. UNEP’s Ecosystems Division works with governments and partners to develop and promote ecosystem-based solutions that support sustainable development and biodiversity conservation. The NBSAP Accelerator Partnership (NBSAP-AP) is a country-led global initiative that supports the development and implementation of ambitious National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). Through technical assistance, facilitation, capacity development, and strategic coordination, the Partnership supports countries in accelerating implementation of national biodiversity commitments through whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches.
Mexico has established an ambitious policy framework for ecosystem restoration through ENBioMex 2.0, the National Environmental Restoration Programme (PNRA) 2025–2030, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), and its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0). The National Environmental Restoration Programme (PNRA) has identified 80 priority restoration sites throughout the country, including 53 priority sites identified during 2025 and an additional 27 sites to be incorporated during 2026. These sites represent strategic opportunities for restoring priority ecosystems while contributing to biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and adaptation, water security, disaster risk reduction, sustainable livelihoods and ecosystem services.
Although significant progress has been made in identifying restoration priorities, one of the principal barriers to implementation is the absence of standardized methodologies for structuring restoration projects that meet the technical, financial and institutional requirements expected by financing institutions. Existing project information is heterogeneous, prepared under different methodologies, and frequently lacks the technical, economic and financial elements necessary to attract investment or access national and international funding opportunities.
Strengthening the investment readiness of restoration projects has therefore become a strategic priority for the Directorate General for Environmental Restoration (DGRA) of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT). Developing a standardized portfolio of investment-ready restoration projects will facilitate access to public budgets, international cooperation, biodiversity and climate finance, environmental compensation schemes, blended finance mechanisms and private sector investment.
To address this challenge, the Directorate General for Environmental Restoration (DGRA of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) requires specialized technical assistance to consolidate information from the 80 priority restoration sites, develop a standardized project preparation methodology, structure a national restoration investment portfolio, apply practical project preparation tools, and identify information and financing needs that can support subsequent project development. This consultancy contributes directly to the implementation of National Biodiversity Targets (NBTs) 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 under ENBioMex 2.0, which collectively represent Mexico’s contribution to Global Target 2 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. These targets focus on restoring degraded terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems, increasing ecological functionality, strengthening restoration governance and planning mechanisms, and enhancing the long-term sustainability of restoration efforts.
The consultant will report to the Programme Management Officer of the Nature Frameworks Support Unit, in close collaboration with the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership Facilitator for Mexico and the Directorate General for Environmental Restoration (DGRA), SEMARNAT.
Duties and Responsibilities
The consultant will provide specialized technical assistance to support the structuring of a National Investment Portfolio of Priority Environmental Restoration Projects under the National Environmental Restoration Programme (PNRA) 2025–2026.
Product 1: Institutional Baseline Assessment and Standardization of the PNRA Priority Restoration Project Portfolio (To be completed within four weeks from contract start)
The consultant will:
- Compile and systematize the technical information available for the 80 priority restoration sites included in the National Environmental Restoration Programme (PNRA) 2025–2026 portfolio.
- Support DGRA technical teams in consolidating, organizing and completing the information corresponding to the priority restoration sites.
- Design a standardized institutional project template to compile technical, environmental, ecological, territorial, social, financial and implementation information for each restoration project, providing a common framework for information collection across DGRA Directorates.
- Review existing technical documentation, geographic information, restoration objectives, intervention types, implementation status, estimated costs, expected environmental and social benefits, as well as implementation requirements for each priority restoration site.
- Identify the information currently available and determine the technical, ecological, territorial, institutional and financial information gaps required to complete each restoration project.
- Organize project information into a consolidated institutional database, using the approved institutional project template.
- Support technical working sessions with the Directorates responsible for ecosystem restoration within DGRA to validate the institutional template, review information gaps, and agree on the information required to complete each project.
- Prepare a project-by-project information gap matrix identifying the missing information, the DGRA Directorate responsible for providing it, and the priority actions required to complete each project file.
- Prepare a diagnostic report summarizing the quality, completeness and consistency of the available information, together with recommendations and information requirements needed to consolidate a standardized institutional restoration project portfolio
Deliverables
- Consolidated database of the 80 PNRA priority restoration sites, organized using a standardized institutional format.
- Diagnostic assessment of technical, institutional and financial information, including an evaluation of its quality, completeness and consistency.
- Gap analysis identifying missing information required to strengthen investment readiness of each restoration project, including project-specific information requirements.
- Standardized technical fiches for all priority restoration sites, prepared using the approved institutional project template, including key indicators comparable between sites.
- Presentation of findings and recommendations to DGRA and UNEP, including key information gaps and priority actions required to complete the institutional project portfolio
Product 2: Development of a Standardized Institutional Methodology and Project Structuring Toolkit for Investment-Oriented Restoration Projects (To be completed within eight weeks from contract start)
The consultant shall:
- Review international best practices, methodologies, and standards for structuring investment-ready restoration and Nature-based Solutions (NbS) projects, including relevant experiences from multilateral development banks, international financial institutions, biodiversity finance initiatives, and environmental restoration programmes.
- Review existing methodologies currently used by DGRA and other national institutions for project formulation and identify opportunities for harmonization, institutionalization, and future application by subnational governments.
- Compile and adapt, in consultation with DGRA, technical criteria and minimum information requirements for project preparation, including implementation considerations, environmental safeguards and monitoring requirements.
- Compile practical financial information requirements for project preparation, including estimated implementation costs, operation and maintenance needs, financing requirements, implementation schedules and potential co-financing opportunities.
- Develop a standardized institutional restoration project template that can be used by federal, state and municipal governments to formulate, evaluate and structure restoration projects using a common institutional standard.
- Develop a project prioritization framework including objective criteria to classify projects according to strategic importance, implementation readiness, restoration impact, biodiversity contribution, climate co-benefits, feasibility, and financing potential ensuring comparability among projects regardless of the implementing institution.
- Develop a practical methodological guide describing the complete process for preparing investment-oriented restoration projects under the PNRA, including the application of the institutional project template by federal, state and municipal governments
- Conduct technical validation sessions with DGRA to review and refine the proposed methodology and institutional tools, and assess its applicability with potential subnational users.
Deliverables
The consultant shall submit:
- Institutional Methodological Guide for Structuring Investment-Oriented Restoration Projects.
- Standardized Restoration Project Template for use by federal, state and municipal governments.
- Institutional Project Prioritization Framework.
- Project preparation checklist.
- Recommendations for institutional adoption and implementation by federal, state and municipal governments.
Product 3: Consolidated Restoration Project Portfolio and Financing Opportunities (To be completed within twelve weeks from contract start)
The consultant shall:
- Consolidate validated project information into a national portfolio of PNRA priority restoration projects.
- Classify projects according to ecosystem type, restoration objectives, geographic region, implementation status, estimated investment requirements, and financing opportunities, based on available information.
- Prepare executive investment fiches ("Investment Pitch Sheets") for priority restoration projects, summarizing their technical, environmental, social, governance and financial characteristics, investment opportunities, expected outcomes, and funding needs in a format suitable for potential investors and financing partners.
- Compile a mapping of potentially relevant public funding, international cooperation and other financing sources for further consideration by DGRA and prospective project proponents. Present the results to DGRA, SEMARNAT and UNEP.
Deliverables
The consultant shall submit:
- Consolidated portfolio of PNRA priority restoration projects. Executive Investment Pitch Sheets for priority projects.
- Consolidated portfolio of PNRA priority restoration projects. Final consultancy report summarizing work undertaken, key findings, information gaps and recommendations for next steps.
Ultimate result of service
The consultancy will strengthen Mexico’s capacity to advance National Biodiversity Targets 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 by consolidating standardized information on PNRA priority restoration projects, applying practical project preparation tools, and identifying information and potential financing needs to support future project development. The consultancy will also provide DGRA with practical tools that can be replicated by federal, state and municipal governments, thereby improving the quality, consistency and investment readiness of restoration initiatives nationwide.
Qualifications/special skills
University degree in Environmental Economics, Finance, Ecology, Environmental Sciences, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Engineering, Public Policy, Business Administration, Economics or a related field. A postgraduate degree is desirable. A first level degree with additional two years of qualifying experience maybe accepted in lieu of advanced degree.
A minimum of two (2) years of relevant professional experience in one or more of the following areas:
- Ecosystem restoration
- Biodiversity conservation
- Environmental project design
- Biodiversity finance
- Climate finance
- Environmental economics
- Sustainable development finance
- Investment project development
- Resource mobilization
Experience working with restoration initiatives in Latin America is desirable
Experience supporting government institutions is desirable
Experience with biodiversity and climate finance mechanisms is desirable
Experience with GEF, GBFF, GCF, Adaptation Fund, multilateral development banks or similar financing mechanisms is desirable
Experience preparing investment portfolios, project pipelines, or financing strategies is desirable
Languages
Fluency in written and spoken Spanish is required, as all deliverables, coordination, and engagement with national stakeholders will be conducted primarily in Spanish.
Additional Information
Not available.
No Fee
THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.
