UNDP Jobs - 102404- Long-Term Agreement - Procurement for the services

Long-Term Agreement - Procurement for the services of a National Legal Expert.

Location :

Beirut, LEBANON

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

26-Oct-21 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

National Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Up to 100 working days spread out over a period of 24 months.

Languages Required :

Arabic English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

Up to 100 working days spread out over a period of 24 months.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

The project seeks land degradation neutrality (LDN) in mountain lands by rehabilitating degraded land
and preventing further degradation. It will do this initially at the pilot scale to gain the necessary skills
and know-how as well as confidence before it can be up scaled and replicated post-project
comprehensively. The pilot areas will be the mountain ranges in the Cazas of Jbeil and Akkar. The project
duration is five years.
Rehabilitation practices will be tested for technical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and benefits in the
agriculture, the mountain pastures and forestry sectors, the quarrying sector, and the eco-tourism and
outdoor recreation sectors. Prevention will be achieved through comprehensive land use planning and
the monitoring for compliance with set conditions and their enforcement.
There will be clarification of roles and enhancement of capacities particularly at local government level.
The institutional and regulatory context will be reviewed, updated, and strengthened so as to prevent
new degradation of forests, rangelands and agricultural lands.
Ultimately, the key to achieving LDN is in making the most effective land use planning decisions and in
implementing and upscaling these together with appropriate restoration measures – which is reflected in
the three Outcomes of the project which are:
1. Outcome 1: Degraded mountain land in selected mountain districts of northern Lebanon
identified, rehabilitated, and restored.
2. Outcome 2: Mountain lands managed sustainably to prevent degradation.
3. Outcome 3: Project monitoring and evaluation, communication, knowledge management and
financial mechanisms for the dissemination and replication of the results of the project with the aim of
achieving land degradation neutrality.
It is in this context that the LDN project is seeking the services of a legal expert to support the project in
the analysis of the existing land use planning and natural resources management legislation, institutional
structures and procedures, and in supporting the improvement of land use planning and to ensure the
integration of environmental considerations and sustainable land management principles into the
national process.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Consultant shall perform all the services/work as necessary to fulfill the objectives of the consultancy
contract.
In particular, the Consultant is expected to carry out, but not limited to, the below tasks:
1. Review, analyze and update if needed, the identified gaps which may be hindering the effective
implementation of the land use planning process so as to avoid insensitive infrastructure
development, conversion of productive lands, poor range and farmland management practices, and
encroachment on natural ecosystems especially forests (Gaps identified under the UNDP/SLMQ
project, and will be shared with the consultant)
2. Review, analyze and update when necessary the needed clarifications of current planning, permitting
and licensing procedures and provide recommendations on removing any regulatory barriers
(clarifications prepared under the UNDP/SLMQ project, and will be shared with the consultant).
3. Assess appropriate policy and monetary incentives and disincentives, and recommendations on
improving the management of the bond/guarantee system in the case of quarries, and considering
levies and royalties, fines and penalties as a control mechanism.
4. Identify the respective roles and responsibilities for compliance monitoring, enforcement and
prosecution as necessary.
5. Provide a training concept for the various levels of the legal/judicial system tackling urban planning
legislation, tourism, quarrying and natural resources management, in particular based on identified
gaps and bottlenecks encountered in legal and administrative practices (rulings, administrative
procedures, etc).
6. Draft training materials in line with the approved concept (training sessions and lesson plans, seminar
presentations, roundtable, etc. depending on audience) and deliver them as needed (minimum of 6
sessions).
7. Support the Project Team as needed in the drafting of updates of legal texts mostly in the form of
decisions and decrees related to natural resources management, quarrying, urban planning and
tourism.
8. Provide legal advice and analysis on land use planning process, conversion of productive lands, poor
range and farmland management practices, and encroachment on natural ecosystems especially
forests, environmental protection and related matters based on the needs of the project.
For additional information, please refer to ANNEX I – Terms of Reference

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Advocates and promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UN;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
Knowledge of the UN preferable.

Functional Competencies:

Proficiency in English and Arabic languages. French is an asset;
Demonstrable analytical skills and report writing skills;
Excellent proven organizational and communication skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications:
• Bachelor Law degree.
• Master’s degree in public law, public administration, political science, or related field.
Years of experience:
• Minimum 15 years of relevant professional experience.
Technical experience:
• Proven experience in the field of environmental law and urban planning law in Lebanon;
• Proven knowledge of the related policies, legal and regulatory frameworks;
• Proven experience working with the public sector;
• Proven experience in legal drafting (drafting of regulations, legislations, etc);
• Proven experience in assessing legal regulatory frameworks and procedures;
• Experience working with multilateral organizations and the UN system preferred;
• Knowledge of regional and international best practices is an asset.

How to apply:
The consultancy is open for all national consultants who meet the selection criteria and propose a
competitive fee. Interested consultants are requested to apply only through this UNDP jobs portal.
Submissions through any other media will not be considered.
The application must include all of the following documents:
1. P11,
2. Annex 3 (Offerors Letter) and
3. Financial proposal
All files shall be submitted in one single document and uploaded as word or PDF file to the UNDP job
site.
It has been observed that bidders don’t submit all requested documents and thus reducing their chance
to be selected for a contract with UNDP. before you submit your offer please revise that the application
is complete and comprises all documents.
Incomplete applications will not be considered.
ANNEXES
ANNEX I - TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR)
ANNEX II - INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT CONTRACT AND GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
ANNEX III - OFFEROR’S LETTER TO UNDP CONFIRMING INTEREST AND AVAILABILITY FOR THE
INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTOR (IC) ASSIGNMENT