Background

Climate change impacts pose significant threats to national development policies and practices and the achievement of Millennium Development Goals. The analysis of the future agro-climatic development indicates that, under the anticipated conditions of increasing aridity resulting from decreasing rainfall (-10 to -20%) and under increasing temperature (up to 3.5º), the amount of food Cabo Verde will be able to produce as a percentage of its requirements will drop dramatically, thereby exposing a large portion of the population to food deficits and food insecurity by 2020.

(Cabo Verde NAPA report). In order to respond to these challenge, Cabo Verde’s NAPA delineated three main objectives:

  • 1) Promoting integrated water resources management in order to guarantee water for the people, for the production of food, for the ecosystems and for the tourism industry;
  • 2) Developing the adaptability of the agro-silvo-pastoral production systems in order to ensure and improve national food production;
  • 3) Protecting and preventing degradation of the coastal zones, caused by climatic aggressions and by tourism.

Cabo Verde is a country with high food-import dependence, in particular for cereals, and very vulnerable to the international context, a situation which is aggravated by the country’s insular and archipelago condition. These contribute to the country’s extreme vulnerability in terms of food, agro-climatic change, as well as global market fluctuations. Two levels of food insecurity can be identified in Cabo Verde. The first one concerns de structural deficit in domestic food production, chiefly cereals (the basis of the diet) and the strong dependency on the international market in order to fulfill food needs. The second, related to access, due to the socio-economic situation of a significant proportion of the population, holding a low income level (27% of population is poor).

Food security has thus been, for the above mentioned reasons, one of the priorities contemplated by successive governments within the broad political orientations for the country’s development. In 2014, the country approved its second National Food Security and Nutrition Strategy for 2014-2017 (ENSAN) in view of alleviating food insecurity and establishing conditions for sustainable food security. The National Food Security Strategy takes into account the Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper and establishes links with other important programs, whose actions impact on food security. The strategy took into account the Rural Development Strategic Plan (PEDA 2004-2015) and the National Agricultural Investment Plan (PNIA 2011-2015). In this context, agriculture policies have to address simultaneously three intertwined challenges: ensuring food security through increased productivity and income, adapting to climate change and contributing to climate change mitigation.

Notwithstanding the progresses achieved, several challenges persist in guarantying food and nutritional security for the country and its population. Cabo Verde’s climatic vulnerability, resulting from its insular condition and geographic location, impacts on the country’s food security, mainly in respect to agricultural, livestock and fisheries production. Scenarios established for the agro-climatic future of the country warn that a significant percentage of the population may possibly be exposed to food insecurity until 2020 due to the effects of climate change. Adaptation and resilience measures are being implemented to respond to these challenges. In 2009, the Government of Cabo Verde, in partnership with the Global Environment Facility (GEF)- and UNDP, initiated the project “Building adaptive capacity and resilience to climate change in the water sector in Cape Verde”, funded through the GEF least developed countries (GEF-LDCF), based on the priorities identified by the NAPA (National Climate Change Adaptation Plan). In 2013, a second phase of this project was funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), through its mechanism for funding adaptation initiatives, the “Fast Start Climate Change Funds”, with food security at the heart of intervention.

In this context, the present consultancy aims at contributing to further develop capacities for mainstreaming climate change risks in development policies. Analysis of the entry points for adaptation measures and risks identified in the first revision will be further developed in view of developing concrete tools that will allow for the translation of these risk assessments and identified adaptation alternatives into budgeting process and investment planning. Climate-proofing of policy and strategic documents will be scaled up to target Rural Development sector planning, especially Agriculture investment planning and the Food Security Strategy. Currently the National Food Security Strategy acknowledges the existence of climate vulnerabilities of the agriculture sector but hardly identifies adaptation strategies and explores further risk analysis.

For detailed information, please refer to the Terms of Reference available in the following websites:

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Project Coordination (Ministry of Rural Development), and liaising closely with the Head of Environmental, Energy & Natural Disaster Prevention Unit, in Cabo Verde, the International Consultant will be responsible for undertaking the climate risks and opportunities analysis and mainstreaming into national country programming on Food Security and agriculture plans (ESAN and PNIA).

Summary of Key Functions:

  • Conduct climate change risk screening of on national food security and agriculture plans, strategy or programme, and propose entry points to manage/mitigate climate change risks and identify and realize opportunities;
  • Develop climate screening concrete and ready-to-use tools for sector planning and implementation (to the level of programs, plans and budgets);
  • Provide training, reference manuals and guidelines targeted  to planners representatives of national institutions; and
  • Elaborate a final report where lessons learned are capitalized and best practices captured

The following principles will apply to the assignment:

  • The analysis should be done using UNDP Quality Standards for the Integration of Adaptation to Climate Change into Development Programming and others best international methodologies and tools;
  • The analysis should assess ‘likely’ climate change impacts in the country, using the latest National Communication to UNFCCC,  most recent available climate change projections and scenarios, IPCC guidelines and any other relevant scientific data within and beyond the timeframe of the plan, strategy or programme;
  • The analysis should be done in a way that encourages stakeholder involvement, i.e. indicating where particular input is needed to fully apply to the national context. The training session can be an excellent opportunity to collect these information;
  • The report should be explicit in its analysis so that decision-makers and government technical staff may be able to understand and use the document when revising their plans, strategies, programmes and budgets.

Functions and Key Responsibilities

The International Consultant will have the following functions and responsibilities:

Conduct climate change risk detailed screening and propose adjustments/entry points and adaptation measures

Undertake a risk and sector/policy/program sensitivity and vulnerability assessment of two (2) plans/strategy, which is to include the following:

  • Identify how and where risks and opportunities are already considered and addressed into the strategic document, and propose improvements if necessary;
  • Identify risks of mal-adaptation and propose alternatives for redesigning programs or policies to reduce mal-adaptation risk.
  • Identify additional climate risks and adaptation mainstreaming opportunities;
  • Propose adaptation measures and/or entry points to better manage climate change risks and realize the opportunities, and propose a set of priority actions to be implemented by the national entity;
  • Conduct a costing exercise ( cost-benefit analysis) on the adaptation measures proposed;
  • Propose and apply tools for prioritizing and selecting adaptation measures;
  • Obtain comments from participants on the above draft findings during the capacity development workshop;
  • Identify challenges experienced by sector planners, decision-makers and technical staff in conducting climate change mainstreaming exercises and realizing a practical integration at the time of program implementation and budgeting;
  • Refine the findings based on these comments and propose actions to address the challenges identified and overcome capacity gaps for mainstreaming climate change risk at the implementation phase.

Provide training to a selection of government decision-makers and technical staff:

  • Lead and facilitate sessions on the science of climate change, basic concepts (including vulnerability, adaptation, risks, and mal-adaptation), inter linkages between climate change adaptation, food security, agriculture and development, climate change mainstreaming, and the UNDP methodology;
  • Collect and summarize best international practices on climate change risk integration and develop specific case studies relevant to the national context to test participants understanding and contents appropriation;
  • Present, explain and critically review with the participants the screening and assessment tools to ensure full appropriation and understanding;
  • Share methodologies for cost-benefit analysis on adaptation measures and train stakeholders on its use;
  • Explain methodologies and tools for prioritizing adaptation measures;
  • Facilitate a session to collect comments from the participants on the draft report;
  • Facilitate a session to discuss and prioritise the proposed adaptation measures and identify funding mechanism for implementation.

Contribute to lessons learned and develop climate screening concrete tools:

  • Prepare an analytical document on the lessons learned from the above experience and benchmark with other international or national best practices on climate change risk mainstreaming into development planning;
  • Identify policy implications for agriculture and rural development sector strategic planning and other national key sectors planning process;
  • Develop an annotated bibliography on main references and guidance materials and commented list on reference institutions and programs for climate change risk mainstreaming and adaptation;
  • Develop climate screening concrete tools for agriculture and food security planning and implementation of interventions. These tools must to be very practical ,flexible and helpful for the daily planning and implementation of interventions.

Expected Outputs

The main products expected from this consultancy are:

  • A high-quality risk and opportunities screening report relevant to the context of Cape Verde;
  • Revised training materials;
  • A complete and user-friendly tool-kit of climate screening tools ( in Portuguese) for planning, budgeting and program implementation ( monitoring and evaluation);
  • Developed capacity of a group of government stakeholders;
  • A validated final risk screening report relevant to the context of Cabo Verde; and
  • A partial report tracking technical contributions, comments and lessons learned by the International Consultant.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

  • Demonstrated skills drafting reports and the ability to work efficiently under pressure;
  • A strong client focus and the ability to respond positively to feedback;
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills;
  • Strong cultural sensitivity and ability to work in multi-cultural environments.

Corporate competencies:

  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
  • Highest standards of integrity, discretion and loyalty.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Advanced university degree (Master’s or PhD level) in development planning, environment or climate change adaptation or a closely related field.

Experience:

  • A minimum of 7 years of relevant work experience in the field of environmental governance;
  • Experience conducting research/analytical studies combined with capacity development efforts;
  • Experience in climate risk management and mainstreaming climate change in development assistance;
  • Experience in the development and application of climate risk screening and integration tools for planning and implementation
  • Experience and knowledge in Food Security and Agriculture planning;

Language:

  • Fluency in both Portuguese and English (written and spoken).

Applicaiton Procedure

Important note: Interested consultants is strongly advised to read the Individual Consultant (IC) Procurement Notice, wich can be viewed at http://procurement-notices.undp.org/index.cfm for more detail about the terms of references, instructions to offeror, and documents to be included when submitting offer.

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

  • The Curriculum of the consultant, containing well detailed qualifications, experience and skills and UN P11 form;
  • Introduction of the consultant, with a brief note explaining why they are most suitable for the work;
  • Proposed methodology and work plan;
  • A financial proposal, which should include all expenses (fees, travel, mission costs);
  • Sample of executive summary of a report leaded by the applicant;
  • Offeror’s letter to UNDP confirming interest and availability for the Individual Contractor (IC) assignment and Final all-inclusive price proposal with breakdown of costs as per UNDP template, which can be downloaded at http://www.un.cv/anuncios.php

Note for Interested Candidates above the age of 62: UNDP regulations require, at their own cost, to undergo a full medical examination including x-rays. Medical evaluation documentation does not need to be submitted with the other requested documents listed above, but will be requested should the candidate be chosen.

Proposals must include all six documents. Proposals not meeting this requirement will be rejected.

Evalation Process:

The contract will be awarded to the candidate who received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria: Technical Criteria weight: 70% + Financial Criteria weight: 30%. Individual consultants will be evaluated based on Cumulative analysis.

When using this weighted scoring method, 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.

Technical Criteria weight: 70%.

Financial Criteria weight: 30%.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% (49 points) of the total obtainable technical points would be considered for the Financial Evaluation. The Technical proposal submitted and the pre-determined questions to be asked during the interview would be in line with the below Criteria.

The selection will be made based on the educational background (10 points), experience on similar assignments (15 points) and the quality of the technical proposal - Adequacy with the Terms of reference, methodological approach, including the work plan (45 points).

Financial Proposal:

The financial score for the financial proposal will be calculated in the following manner:

Sf = 100 x Fm/F, in which Sf is the financial score, Fm is the lowest price and F the price of the proposal under consideration.

(Total Financial Maximum points = 30 points).

Total Score

The technical score attained at by each proposal will be used in determining the Total score as follows:

  • The weights given to the technical and financial proposals are: T= 0.7, F=0.3;
  • The Total score will be calculated by formula:TS = St x 0.7 + Sf x 0.3;
  • TS - Is the total score of the proposal under consideration?
  • St - is technical score of the proposal under consideration.

Sf - is financial score of the proposal under consideration.

Interested candidates are strongly advised to read the Procurement Notice for Individual Consultants and its related documents, which are available in the following websites:

N.B.
Applications through UNDP jobs will not be accepted, only to the procurement.cv@cv.jo.un.org email address.