Background

The Government of Moldova has requested support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to prepare the medium-sized project “Mainstreaming Biodiversity Conservation into Moldova’s Territorial Planning Policies and Land-Use Practices” intended to remove, in an incremental manner, the existing barriers for mainstreaming biodiversity priorities into district territorial planning policies and land use practices. More specifically, at the national level the project aims to establishing an enabling environment for mainstreaming biodiversity into land use planning, compliance monitoring and enforcement and test at the local level models of biodiversity compatible spatial planning and land-use. Capacity building for successful mainstreaming of biodiversity conservation envisaged by the project shall also ensure proper participatory spatial planning (including conflict resolution). 

 The Preparation Grant for the Project “Mainstreaming Biodiversity Conservation into Moldova’s Territorial Planning Policies and Land-Use Practices” shall establish the baseline, collate and analyze the primary and secondary information and outline the GEF increment for the project through a number of relevant studies and stakeholders consultation with a view to further develop the approved project concept into a fully formulated project document. 

The final output of the project preparation phase will be an UNDP-GEF project document and GEF CEO Endorsement request and relevant baseline GEF Tracking tool ready for submission to UNDP and GEF. 

Duties and Responsibilities

The responsibility of the international lead consultant is to develop the relevant project’s documentation and the Project Document that will be acceptable to the GEF and submit these to GEF review not later than end-August 2014. In doing this, the international consultant will work and guide a team of consultants to be hired to deal with such areas as biodiversity monitoring, land use and pasture management, and forest management. It is envisaged that the international consultant will need to make two missions to Moldova, one at the beginning of 2014 and another one in the second quarter of 2014. 

The key products to be delivered are as follows:

  • A detailed project workplan aligned with the expected project’s outputs and the timeframes (at the start of the assignment);
  • Identification of required experts to complete the assignment and provision of inputs to their Terms of Reference (expected tasks, deliverables and timeframes);
  • Preparation of draft GEF Request for CEO Endorsement and draft Project Document;
  • A finalized GEF Request for CEO endorsement, UNDP project document, GEF tracking tool which incorporates the comments of all key stakeholders and the GEF Secretariat following their first review of the project (following mission 2).

 For detailed information, please refer to the Terms of Reference.

Competencies

Corporate competencies:
  • Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values;
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
  • Highest standards of integrity, discretion and loyalty.

Functional competencies:

  • Strong interpersonal skills, communication and diplomatic skills, ability to work in a team;
  • Ability to plan and organize his/her work, efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results;
  • Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback;
  • Ability to work under pressure and stressful situations;
  • Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualification:

  • Advanced university degree in natural resources management, biodiversity conservation, environmental planning, environmental economics and other related areas.  
Experience:
  • At least 3 years of experience in developing projects related to biodiversity conservation and planning;
  • Recent experience (in last 3 years) of successfully developing a new GEF biodiversity conservation related project document and GEF request for CEO endorsement which was approved by GEF Secretariat;
  • Extended coordination and team leading experience;
  • Experience working with UNDP and/or other international organizations on biodiversity conservation projects;
  • Experience working in the Eastern Europe and CIS region.
Language requirements:
  • Fluent in written and oral communication in English;
  • Knowledge of Romanian or/and Russian will be a strong asset.

Evaluation:

Initially, individual consultants will be short-listed based on the following minimum qualification criteria:

  • Advanced university degree (MSc) in natural resources management, biodiversity, conservation, environmental planning, environmental economics and other related areas;
  • At least 3 years of experience in developing projects related to biodiversity conservation and planning.

The short-listed individual consultants will be further evaluated based on the following methodology:

Cumulative analysis

The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

  • Responsive/compliant/acceptable, and
  • Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.
Provided that the evaluation panel decides to conduct the technical evaluation without interview the following evaluation scheme 1 shall apply:

Evaluation scheme 1 (not involving interview):

Technical Criteria weight – 60% (300 pts);
Financial Criteria weight – 40% (200 pts).

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 210 points would be considered for the Financial Evaluation:

  • Advanced university degree (MSc) in natural resources management, biodiversity conservation, environmental planning, environmental economics and other related areas (max 30 points);
  • Fluent in written and oral communication in English. Knowledge of Romanian or/and Russian will be a strong asset (max 30 points);
  • At least 3 years of experience in developing projects related to biodiversity conservation and planning (max 50 points);
  • Recent experience (in last 3 years) of successfully developing a new GEF biodiversity conservation related project document and GEF request for CEO endorsement which was approved by GEF Secretariat (max 50 points);
  • Extended coordination and team leading experience (max 30 points);
  • Experience working with UNDP and/or other international organizations on biodiversity conservation projects (max 30 points);
  • Working experience in the Eastern Europe and CIS region (max 25 points);
  • Strong interpersonal skills, communication and diplomatic skills, ability to work in a team (max 25 points);
  • Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities (max 30 points).
Evaluation of submitted financial offers will be done based on the following formula:

S = Fmin / F 200
S – score received on financial evaluation;
Fmin – the lowest financial offer out of all the submitted offers qualified over the technical evaluation round;
F – financial offer under consideration.

Winning candidate
The winning candidate will be the candidate, who has accumulated the highest aggregated score (technical scoring + financial scoring).

Provided that the evaluation panel decides to conduct the technical evaluation with interview the following evaluation scheme 2 shall apply:

Evaluation scheme 2 (involving interview):

Technical Criteria weight – 60% (350 pts);
Financial Criteria weight – 40% (233 pts).

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 245 points would be considered for the Financial Evaluation:

  • Advanced university degree (MSc) in natural resources management, biodiversity conservation, environmental planning, environmental economics and other related areas (max 30 points);
  • Interview (1) Demonstrated technical knowledge and experience; 2) Communication/interpersonal skills; 3) Leadership and self-management; 4) Creativity/resourcefulness (max 50 points);
  • At least 3 years of experience in developing projects related to biodiversity conservation and planning (max 50 points);
  • Recent experience (in last 3 years) of successfully developing a new GEF biodiversity conservation related project document and GEF request for CEO endorsement which was approved by GEF Secretariat (max 50 points);
  • Extended coordination and team leading experience (max 30 points);
  • Experience working with UNDP and/or other international organizations on biodiversity conservation projects (max 30 points);
  • Working experience in the Eastern Europe and CIS region (max 25 points);
  • Strong interpersonal skills, communication and diplomatic skills, ability to work in a team (max 25 points);
  • Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities (max 30 points);
  • Fluent in written and oral communication in English. Knowledge of Romanian or/and Russian will be a strong asset (max 30 points);

Evaluation of submitted financial offers will be done based on the following formula:

S = Fmin / F * 233
S – score received on financial evaluation;
Fmin – the lowest financial offer out of all the submitted offers qualified over the technical evaluation round;
F – financial offer under consideration.

Winning candidate
The winning candidate will be the candidate, who has accumulated the highest aggregated score (technical scoring + financial scoring).

Important notice

The applicant who has the statute of Government Official / Public Servant, prior to appointment will be asked to submit the following documentation:

  • A no-objection letter in respect of the applicant received from the government; and
  • The applicant is certified in writing by the government to be on official leave without pay for the duration of the Individual Contract.

A retired government official is not considered in this case a government official, and as such, may be contracted.

This Vacancy Announcement is also placed on http://www.undp.md/jobs/current_jobs.