UNDP Jobs - 51071- International Team Leader

International Team Leader – Stakeholder Survey in Laamu Atoll on Low Emission and Climate Resilient Development including and Disaster Risk Management and Preparation of a Stakeholder Engagement Strategy and Communications Plan

Location :

MALDIVES

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

18-Nov-2014

Application Deadline :

12-Nov-14 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

30 days within10 weeks

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

30 days within10 weeks

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 Republic of Maldives is highly vulnerable to climate change due to its low-lying geography that makes it susceptible to flooding and inundation, and its dependence on economic activities that are sensitive to climate change, such as fishing and tourism. It is also highly dependent on imported fossil fuels for its energy supply and this represents a major source of greenhouse gas emissions for the country. Consequently, the Maldives has made significant commitments to the pursuit of a low emission climate resilient development agenda. However, ongoing decentralization reforms, fiscal crisis and low capacity at the sub-national level, mean that local planning is not reflective of national level commitments.

The 3-year, US$9.2 million United Nations (UN) Joint Programme, "Low Emission and Climate Resilient Development" (LECReD) funded by the Government of Denmark, responds to the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) Outcome 9: “Enhanced capacities at national and local levels to support low carbon life-styles, climate change adaptation, and disaster risk reduction” and builds on the comparative strengths of United Nations Organizations including UNDP, UNICEF, UNOPS, UNFPA, UN WOMEN, WHO and FAO. The programme is innovative and represents a pioneering initiative of bringing together the wealth of diverse development-oriented expertise from these United Nations Organizations (UNOs) with equally diverse national and local partners to address this multi-faceted development challenge.

The programme will assist the Laamu Atoll and its islands to realize low emission and climate resilient development (LECReD). The programme seeks to mainstream LECReD issues into local level development planning and service delivery for greater community-level ownership and sustainability of programme benefits. Towards this objective, the programme will support local councils, civil society, private sector and other local stakeholders to establish platforms for stronger partnerships, improved coordination, and enhanced participation in local planning for LECReD; it will strengthen data and knowledge systems for LECReD; improve local level LECReD development planning and management of service delivery; and through a learning-by-doing approach establish early lessons and build demand for LECReD planning and management for replication and scaling-up.

The aim is that the local development plans (at atoll and individual island levels) will evolve from stand-alone action plans into more strategic and evidence-based instruments, which are climate smart and able to mobilize public and private investment. This programme will be closely linked to the existing national development planning cycle and will build capacity of local and national partners engaged in these local processes. The rationale being that lessons learned will be used to inform replication throughout the country and directly support the national agenda.

In pursuit of the core objective, the programme will achieve the following outputs:

Output 1: Partnership, coordination and participation platform for local LECReD planning and action is strengthened;
Output 2: Data and knowledge systems established or identified to support evidence-based planning and policy development for LECReD at the local level;
Output 3: Improved Local Level Planning and Management for LECReD;
Output 4: Practical local experience in LECReDs interventions leads to learning and promotes replication.

As part of Output 1, Activity 1.2.1 and 1.2.2 will undertake a stakeholder survey in Laamu atoll on public information needs, information channels and access and perceptions of low emission and climate resilient development including disaster risk management and based hereon prepare a Stakeholder Engagement Strategy and Communications Plan for the LECReD programme. The International Team Leader will work together with a National Consulting Firm.

Objectives

The purpose of this consultancy, as the International Team Leader, is to provide substantial technical guidance in all aspects of the design and implementation of the stakeholder engagement survey. The Team Leader is responsible for the design for the Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Strategy.

The main objective of this assignment is to provide expert knowledge in all aspects and, technical support and feedback to the National Consulting Firm in:

Conducting the stakeholder survey in Laamu Atoll on public information needs, information channels and access and current perceptions on Low Emission Carbon Resilient Development including Disaster Risk Management;
Developing the Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Strategy (CSES) for the LECReD programme.

Duties and Responsibilities

The scope of work for the consultancy will include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following key activities:following key activities:

As the International Team Leader:

Provide technical inputs and feedback after reviewing the preliminary inception note prepared by the National Team that will include:

Preliminary identification of key stakeholders; and
Proposed scope and methodology for the survey;
Detailed work plan and a description of the research methods, data collection instruments and the sampling strategy to be used.

Provide substantive guidance in conducting the Public Information Needs Survey in Laamu Atoll for the LECReD Programme, taking into account the existing public information needs, information channels and current perceptions towards low emission carbon resilient development.

Provide technical support to the National Consulting Firm and all relevant stakeholders in identifying the methodology and scope of the assessment and surveys.

Travel to Laamu Atoll with the National Consulting Firm as required.

Provide substantive guidance and support in preparing Laamu atoll stakeholder survey on public information needs, information channels and access and current perceptions of low emission and climate resilient development including disaster risk management including:

Helping to identify the scope of the survey in close consultation with the national firm, key stakeholders and other Participating UN Organizations (PUNOs);
Provide extensive support in identifying specific objectives;
Supporting and consulting the national firm in developing the sampling methodology;
Supporting and consulting the national firm in developing the questionnaires for the survey;
Technical support and inputs in analyzing quantitative and qualitative information and data including disaggregate findings;
Provide technical support in holding the consultative workshop with key stakeholders to validate the findings of the survey;
Help the national firm in preparing the survey report.

Based on the findings from the stakeholder survey, prepare and present the Stakeholder Engagement and Communications Strategy for the LECReD Programme, with the assistance of the National Consulting Firm.

Ensure smooth communication among all team members and in a participatory approach in all phases of the assignment.

Deliverables

At the end of the assignment, the International Team Leader in close collaboration with the national firm will deliver the following:

Inception Note;
Consultative workshop to validate the findings of the survey;
Laamu Atoll stakeholder survey report;
LECReD Stakeholder Engagement Strategy and Communications Plan document.

Institutional Arrangement

The Contractor will report to the Programme Analyst (Climate Change), UNDP Maldives and will seek technical guidance from the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MEE), and other technical bodies identified by UNDP.
The Team Leader shall give, at a minimum, weekly updates on the progress of all the deliverables to the Programme Analyst (Climate Change), UNDP Maldives and should raise any issues faced by the Contractor that might affect the delivery of the consultancy. The method of feedback will be agreed upon at the beginning of the assignment.

Duration of Work

It is expected that the assignment including final version of all deliverables will be completed within ten (10) weeks from contract signature. The consultant is expected to be committed to 30 working days with missions to Maldives as required.

Scope of the financial proposal and schedule of payment

The consultancy fee will be in a lump sum inclusive of travel and accommodation to be paid in installments corresponding to deliverables. You are required to submit a breakdown of the fees, DSA and Air ticket.

Required documents

The application must include a letter of interest to undertake this task, P-11, and a proposal for fees. To download P11, kindly please visit the link http://www.mv.undp.org/content/maldives/en/home/operations/jobs/.

Please combine all the documents into one and upload.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Inter-personal skills;
Exceptional analytical skills, solution oriented program design skills;
Research and evaluation skills including ability to synthesize information;
Excellent oral, and effective presentation and report-writing skills;
Ability to work under with minimum supervision, while meeting deadlines;
Demonstrated ability of timely completion of assignments;
Excellent social and communication skills;
Strong facilitation skills;
Ability to work in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural settings;
Excellent computers skills required.

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

Advanced University Degree (minimum Masters Degree or equivalent) in a Communications related field.

Experience

Substantial, relevant and practical working experience with stakeholder analysis including preparation, design and implementation of surveys;
Substantial, relevant and practical working experience with stakeholder analysis including preparation, design and implementation of stakeholder engagement and communication plans;
The team leader must have international expertise (preferably SIDs), with at least minimum of ten years of professional experience (both National and International), in conducting similar projects.

Language Requirements

Should demonstrate fluency in spoken and written English.