Background

Challenges for water and flood management arising from the climate change in BiH are recognized at the national level and emphasized in several strategic documents, including the Second National Communication (SNC) and the Climate Change Adaptation and Low-Emission Development Strategy for BiH. The SNC predicts changes in precipitation volumes and distribution, which combined with rises in temperature and evaporation, are likely to cause more extreme events such as floods and droughts. This is particularly relevant for the Vrbas River Basin (VRB) with its nine major cities and numerous rural settlements directly affected by flooding. In the past decade floods in the VRB have occurred on a scale not previously recorded - the values of 100-year floods in the VRB are higher by approximately 35% in relation to believed historical values. In the period between 2003 and 2010 damage from several major floods amounted to more than USD 30 million. Moreover, economic consequences of recent floods are much higher and more widespread.  Floods in 2010 affected all municipalities in the VRB and so heavily that in some municipalities damages exceeded municipal budget by a factor of 100.   
 

Duties and Responsibilities

In collaboration with the UNDP/GEF Regional Technical Advisor and UNDP Country Office (CO) in BiH, the consultant will formulate project proposal, based on the existing PIF.
More specifically, the consultant will be entrusted with the following tasks:
  • Guide and coordinate the national and international consultants throughout the PPG phase.
  • Review PIF and other relevant background documents.
  • Conduct on-line consultations with the RTA and CO and guide the CO and national experts in collecting additional relevant materials for the project proposal formulation, including types of inputs and level of detail necessary.
  • Provide technical advice to the national consultants in completing the required GEF SO-2 Tracking Tools and Capacity Needs Assessment Tracking Tool and others as required.
  • Ensure identification of required baselines as per the Project Identification Form.
  • Participate in the inception and validation workshops.
  • Prepare the GEF CEO Endorsement request and Project Document in accordance with UNDP and GEF requirements (incl. Project Logical Framework, Project budget incl. budget notes and work-plan), Environmental and social screening checklist (ESSP), GEF SO-2  Tracking Tool, Capacity Needs Assessment Tracking Tool and others as needed.
  • Capture and detail the co-financing arrangements needed for the project.
  • Incorporate comments in Project Document after UNDP/GEF Regional and Principal Technical Advisors, GEF Secretary revision.
  • Ensure that the whole package is structured to meet the expectations/requirements of GEF.
The consultant will be responsible for the following tasks in the process of development of the GEF CEO Endorsement request and Project Document:
 
  1. Determine the scope of the studies by national and international consultants, guide and coordinate their assessments throughout the PPG phase; provide the quality control and technical guidance function;
  2. Based on the studies conducted by the international and national consultants determine the project scope and analyze the feasibility of alternative approaches to be proposed by the project; including risks to the alternative and mitigation strategies. Describe the ‘business-as-usual’ scenario and alternative scenario after GEF intervention;
  3. Based on the findings and inputs by the national experts identify key vulnerabilities to climate change risks and analyze the root causes of vulnerabilities; establish climate change induced threats to local communities of the target region, with particular focus on water shortages and flood intensity;
  4. Conduct detailed barrier analysis for climate sensitive flood management options and define barrier removal approach as a key strategy for project implementation;
  5. Guide the selection of the sites for on-the-ground adaptation options, based on the preliminary criteria i) documented current vulnerability and climate change impacts that translate in increasing flood intensities; ii) proximity to the weather stations and relatively good observation coverage (current or planned); iii) evidence of interest and support by the local authorities and communities to undertake adaptation measures; iv) local implementation capacity; v) potential of partnerships with other donors; etc (criteria should be refined by the consultant during the PPG);
  6. Based on analysis and on the results of the other assessments, articulate the objective, a set of viable outcomes, outputs and activities that constitute the most cost effective response to the identified threats and barriers, with particular focus on threats from climate variability and long term change;
  7. Determine socio-economic and financial sustainability of the project results; propose clear sustainability and financial plan for the project;
  8. Develop a Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: a set of impact indicators to track the project’s progress and effectiveness, baseline and target values of indicators.

Task / Deliverable Deadline
  • Draft project document  June 27
  • Revised document, based UNDP CO, RTA and PTA comments  August 1
  • Response to GEF comments 2015
 

Competencies

Functional competencies:
  • Strong interpersonal skills, communication and diplomatic skills, ability to work in a team;
  • Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback;
  • Ability to work under pressure and stressful situations;
  • Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities;
  • Excellent public speaking and presentation skills.
 
Technical competencies:
 
  • Project design competencies, demonstrated by previous experience;
  • Technical expertise in climate change, especially in relation to water management;
  • Technical expertise in designing integrated community driven initiatives in natural resource management, with particular focus on addressing climate change risks;
  • Good knowledge and familiarity with the climate change issues and development challenges in ECIS;
  • Ability to communicate effectively in order to articulate complex, technical information;
  • Good knowledge of results based management;
  • Ability to design realistic budgets.

Required Skills and Experience

  • Master’s degree in hydrology or other related to assignment field
  • Extensive knowledge of climate change issues in relation to extreme events, in particular flooding and overall livelihood development limitations and associated adaptation solutions;
  • Experience in the design of flood risk management and adaptation projects;
  • Knowledge of the region, demonstrated by previous experience and involvement in this part of the world.
  • Excellent writing and oral communication skills in English
Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:
  1. Proposal:
    (i) Explaining why they are the most suitable for the work
  2. Financial proposal
  3. Personal CV including past experience in similar projects and at least 3 references

FINANCIAL PROPOSAL
• Lump sum contracts
The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables (i.e. whether payments fall in installments or upon completion of the entire contract). Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR.  In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (including travel, per diems, and number of anticipated working days).
Travel;
All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. This includes all travel to join duty station/repatriation travel.  In general, UNDP should not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources.
In the case of unforeseeable travel, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed
EVALUATION
Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodologies:
1. Lowest price and technically compliant offer
When using this method, the award of a contract should be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as both:
a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and
b) offering the lowest price/cost
“responsive/compliant/acceptable” can be defined as fully meeting the TOR provided.

Payments will be made only upon confirmation of UNDP on delivering on the contract obligations in a satisfactory manner. Milestones for payment will be discussed and agreed with the selected candidate.
Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director. Consultants are also required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under dss.un.org
General Terms and conditions as well as other related documents can be found under: http://europeandcis.undp.org/home/jobs

Note:
For an assignment requiring travel, consultants of 62 years or more require full medical examination and statement of fitness to work to engage in the consultancy.
Due to large number of potential applicants, only competitively selected candidates will be contacted for remaining steps of the service procurement process.