UNDP Jobs - 51401- Re-advertisement - Expert on Dvelopment of Technol

Re-advertisement - Expert on Dvelopment of Technological Approach of Flooded Grass-Legume Pastures and Sedge Marshes Creation

Location :

Home-based with mission to Ukraine

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

01-Apr-2015

Application Deadline :

05-Mar-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

Russian

Expected Duration of Assignment :

Untill 15 June 2015

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

Candidates who previously applied need not re-apply.

The Clima East Ukraine’s pilot project “Conservation and Sustainable Use of Peatlands” is a part of the larger EU-funded project package assisting the Eastern Neighborhood Partnership Countries and Russia in approaches to climate change mitigation and adaptation. The main aim of the package is to show through pilot projects the feasibility of ecosystem-based approaches to climate change, meaning that intact ecosystems can have a strong and cost-efficient positive effect both on climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The objective of the pilot project in Ukraine is to demonstrate how within one landscape certain areas of abandoned degraded agricultural peatlands that emit carbon can be restored, while adjacent areas can be protected at the same time to increase carbon sequestration.

Project rationale

Drained peatlands release CO2 and N2O up to many hundreds of years after initial drainage. Emissions do not end with the termination of land use, but continue until all peat is gone or the drainage system collapses. The substantial greenhouse gas emissions from peatland drainage can largely be avoided through peatland rewetting and restoration. Moreover, emissions/ emission reductions from peatlands should be correctly quantified and transparently reported.

Specific objectives of the pilot project in Ukraine are to contribute to the climate change mitigation capacity building by the following means:

building capacity of the National GHG inventory system of Ukraine in the Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry (LULUCF) sector, namely in organic (peat) soils carbon stock changes accounting;
developing and testing at pilot region practical ecosystem-based approach for degraded private arable peatlands conversion to semi-natural conditions with high value for local people and biodiversity conservation.

The project targets Nizhyn Rayon in Chernigov Region, which is one of ten regions of Ukraine, where 95% of drained peatlands are located.

The roject consists of 3 major components (Activities), which will be addressed within the four-year (2013-2016) implementation period:

Activity 1 is to develop a country-specific methodology for accounting GHG emissions and removals from organic (peat) soils (LULUCF sector) and relevant dataset for all types of organic soils in Ukraine, since no such inventory has been undertaken so far; and will also create the basis for the inclusion of peatlands in the Green Investment Scheme on the national level;
Activity 2 is dealing with the restoration of natural hydrological regime at approximately 3,000 ha of degraded agricultural peatlands to prevent emissions of carbon and restore habitat adjacent to neighboring natural peatlands which have high value for biodiversity and which will be further designated as protected area under Activity 3;
Activity 3 is aimed at strengthening the protection of existing peatlands areas in Chernigov region and increasing the protected area coverage by 16,000 ha. This activity will demonstrate the importance of the ecological connectivity between degraded peatlands and the remaining natural peatlands. While it is important to restore degraded peatlands, it is equally important to retain high conservation status of those peatlands which are remaining in their natural state. This will enable to retain the carbon sequestration function of the peatlands and their biodiversity support and other ecosystem functions.

Duties and Responsibilities

Main objectives of the assignment

Main objective of the assignment is to develop the technological approach of creation:

Flooded grass-legume pastures in the area of ruderal vegetation and reed growing (on the landscape elevations);
Sedge marshes (on the landscape lowering) in the area of reed mace bushes and shrubs growing.

Description of responsibilities / scope of work

The selected Consultant (International expert on development of technological approach of flooded grass-legume pastures and sedge marshes creation) under this assignment shall perform the following tasks and activities:

Data/literature review on the grass-legume meadows formation and restoration on drained organic soils in floodplains, including recommended hydrological regime at the stages of vegetation, maintenance, succession (up to 15 working days);
Data/literature review on sedge marshes formation and restoration on drained organic soils, including recommended hydrological regime at the stage of vegetation, maintenance, succession (up to 15 working days);
The description of technological approach of grass-legume meadows on drained organic soils creation or restoration (up to 7 working days);
The description of technological approach on creation or restoration of sedge marshes on drained organic soils in the area of reed mace and shrubs growing (up to 7 working days).

Deliverables

Deliverable 1: Analytical report in Russian language (minimum 25 pages, in electronic (Word format) form), with the review of the relevant literature/data on sedge marshes formation and restoration on drained organic soils, including recommended hydrological regime at the stage of vegetation, maintenance, succession, due by April 21, 2015.

Deliverable 2: Analytical report in Russian language (minimum 25 pages, in electronic (Word format) form), with the review of the relevant literature/data on sedge marshes formation and restoration on drained organic soils, including recommended hydrological regime at the stage of vegetation, maintenance, succession, due by May 20, 2015.

Deliverable 3: Technical report in Russian language (minimum 20 pages, in electronic (Word format) form), with description of technological approach of grass-legume meadows on drained organic soils creation or restoration and, due by May 31, 2015.

DeliverableE 4: Technical report in Russian language (minimum 20 pages, in electronic (Word format) form), with description of technological approach on creation or restoration of sedge marshes on drained organic soils in the area of reed mace and shrubs growing and review of the relevant literature, due by June 15, 2015.

All deliverables under the assignment shall be submitted in Russian language in electronic (Word format) form.

Schedule of the assignment

The assignment will be carried out from April till June 2015.

The principal responsibility for managing this assignment lies with UNDP Country Office in Ukraine. UNDP Ukraine will contract the Individual Consultant - International expert on development of technological approach of flooded grass-legume pastures and sedge marshes creation.

The contract will be based on a total lump sum.

Payment will be made in two installments as follows:

25% of Total Contract Amount upon submission of Deliverable 1;
25% of Total Contract Amount upon submission of Deliverable 2;
25% of Total Contract Amount upon submission of Deliverable 3;
25% of Total Contract Amount upon submission of Deliverable 4.

Competencies

Functional:

Excellent communication and presentation skills;

Corporate:

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:

University degree in Environment-related field; preferably in biology, land/soil management, hydrology, vegetation, forestry, peat management

Professional experience:

Minimum 5 years of proven professional experience related to the creation of flooded grass-legume pastures and sedge marshes;
Knowledge of the project context, understanding of the project goals and outcomes will be an asset;
Experience of working or cooperating with international organizations will be an asset.

Languages:

At least Russian is required;
Fluent English will be an asset.

Application procedure:

Applicants shall submit the following documents in English language:

Personal CV, including information about past experience in similar projects / assignments and contact details for referees.
Financial proposal - Lump sum contract

The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around specific and measurable deliverables as provided in the Section 4 of this Terms of Reference. 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 cost and anticipated working days).

Evaluation criteria

Educational background (Environment-related field, preferably in biology, land/soil management, hydrology, vegetation, forestry, peat management) – 15 points max (15 pts – PhD degree; 10 pts – Master’s degree);
Relevant professional experience related to the land/soil management, hydrology, vegetation, forestry, peat management – 45 points max. (45 pts – 10 years and more; 40 pts – 7-9 years; 35 pts – 5-7 years);
Language skills – 10 points max (10 pts – English and Russian; 6 pts – only Russian).

Maximum available technical score - 70 points.

Evaluation method: Cumulative analysis

Contract award shall be made to the incumbent whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

Responsive/compliant/acceptable, and
Having received the cumulative 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 70% from the maximum available technical score would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

The maximum number of points assigned to the financial proposal is allocated to the lowest price proposal and will equal to 30. All other price proposals will be evaluated and assigned points, as per below formula:

30 points [max points available for financial part] x [lowest of all evaluated offered prices among responsive offers] / [evaluated price].

The proposal obtaining the overall cumulatively highest score after adding the score of the technical proposal and the financial proposal will be considered as the most compliant offer and will be awarded a contract.

Payments will be made only upon confirmation of UNDP on delivering on the contract obligations in a satisfactory manner.
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://jobs.undp.org.

Qualified women and members of minorities are encouraged to apply.

Due to a large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials. Please group all your documents into one (1) single PDF document as the system only allows to upload maximum one document.

Applications should be filled in only in English.