UNDP Jobs - 55764- National Consultant - National Protected Area and

National Consultant - National Protected Area and Forest Ecosystem Specialist

Location :

Vientiane Capital, LAO PDR

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

29-May-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

National Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Full-time 10 months (Mid of May 2015 to end of February 2016) (maximum of 30 working weeks)

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

Full-time 10 months (Mid of May 2015 to end of February 2016) (maximum of 30 working 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

UNDP recognizes that the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services and growing risks and impacts of climate change landscape management for national socio-economic development is requires to urgently invest in a new sustainability development paradigm. In order to response to the challenges and critical treat to Lao Biodiversity and Forestry, UNDP Lao PDR is partnership with the government counterpart, the Department of Forest and Resource Management (DFRM) of the Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment (MONRE) to formulate the new project entitled “Sustainable Forest and Land Management in the Dry Dipterocarp Forest Ecosystems of Southern Lao PDR”. The long term goal of this project is to demonstrate sustainable land and forest management in the forested landscape of Savannakhet Province in order to secure the critical wildlife habitats, conserve biodiversity and maintain a continuous flow of multiple ecosystem services including quality water provision, flood prevention, carbon storage and sequestration.

It will be structured around three areas:

Component 1: Enabling policy environment and increased compliance and enforcement capacities for sustainable land and forest management;
Component 2: Sustainable landscape management demonstrated in priority districts within Savannakhet Province;
Component 3: Developing and promoting incentives and sustainable financing for biodiversity conservation and forest protection.

UNDP is implementing this project at the preparation phase (PPG) from early May 2015 to end of February 2016, to further study and design the full-size project document for the Sustainable Forest and Land Management in the Dry Dipterocarp Forest Ecosystems of Southern Lao PDR.

To ensure the design of the project properly address complexity of protected area, ecosystem service, and sustainable financing issues of conservation of dry dipterocarp forest, UNDP wish to hire a qualified National Protected Area and Forest Ecosystem Specialist to serve as a PPG team member. He/she will support a GEF Project Design Specialist in designing, developing and finalizing the comprehensive project document to be submitted to GEF Secretary Office by the end of this year.

Duties and Responsibilities

To hire a National Protected Area and Forest Ecosystem Specialist to support GEF Project Design Specialist in assisting the UNDP CO and the government of Lao PDR, to develop comprehensive project document. He/she will also act as a local project development team leader and responsible for planning and coordination of the work of national experts and co-funding partners of the project. He/she will also responsible on the evaluation and analysis of the current conditions and threats to protected areas, biodiversity and dry dipterocarp forest ecosystem. Specifically, he/she will closely work with the International Protected Area and Finance Specialist to lead the identification and testing any innovation sustainable financing mechanism and approach that should be incorporated in the full size project document.

This is a full-time 10 month consultancy service, with 30 working weeks, starting from early May 2015 to end of February 2016. The consultant will be based at the Department of Forest Resource Management (DFRM) of Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment (MONRE).

Under supervision of the UNDP Environment Unit Chief and the GEF Project Design Specialist, the consultant will need to undertake the following duties:

Support international GEF Project Design Specialist to clearly articulate in the Project Document and in the CEO Endorsement Request a response to the following Council comments: “Verify the numbers provided in the PIF document on land areas (forest area 52% of total provincial area is conflicting with 68% agricultural land of total provincial area) and clarify whether these relate to land use or land cover (Part II, A1)” [Germany] “Specify definitions of forest area and consider village forest areas that are not covered under the three forest types production, protection and conservation forests” [Germany];
Assess the present state of natural forests (the area, the types of forest (NPAs), biodiversity), the sufficiency of the PA system to conserve forests in the Savannakhet Province;
Assess and describe the current process of fragmentation between forest patches and protected areas and the continual loss of high conservation value forests in Savannakhet Province;
Together with the International PA and Forest Ecosystem Finance Expert, identify and confirm the threats and causes of threats to forests ecosystems and develops proposals to address them in Savannakhet Province;
Assess and describe existing policies and regulations that incorporate the definition of high value of biodiversity and ecosystem services, and clearly articulate the need to identify High Conservation Value Forests (HCVFs) and describe the procedures and standards for identification and designation of High Conservation Value Forests, and recommend prioritization criteria to consider during the land use planning process for avoiding damage to HCVF ecosystem integrity when planning any economic activities at the time of land use planning;
Undertake a detailed study on the ecosystem and biodiversity services in the five targeted districts in Savannakhet Province and identify areas of at least 100,000 ha of high conservation value forests to be potentially gazetted as non-consumptive use during project implementation;
Assess and describe existing incentives and landholder capacities for internalising biodiversity conservation and sustainable land and forest management in land management activities;
Together with the International PA/Forest Ecosystem Finance Specialist, describe the necessary policies and regulations on sustainable land and forest management that need to be adopted in order to pave the way for a transformational change in land use practices and financing in Savannakhet Province;
Assess and describe in detail baseline natural resource management activities in Savannakhet Province in terms of regulation, planning and enforcement and management and estimate the existing budget for these activities;
Assess and describe in detail the work undertaken by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment at the national level regarding the development of national environmental standards, specifications and guidelines regarding environmental practices and management, and estimate the budget for such work over the project period;
Assess and describe the baseline projects in detail as listed in the PIF and cost the investment that will be made by these over the project period;
Describe the project activities necessary to elevate the conservation status of at least 50,000 ha of forest, and outline activities and processes to follow to ensure ecological connectivity between and within existing forest PAs;
Describe the project activities necessary to set-aside areas for non-exhaustive forest use (tourism, sustainable NTFPs harvesting) of at least 100,000 ha in new and existing Protection Forests. The activities and processes to follow should be undertaken and described in the project document in terms of ensuring ecological connectivity between and within existing forest PAs;
Describe the project activities necessary for the restoration of 10,000 ha degraded forests in Protection Forests to counteract ongoing and past land degradation, and outline activities and process to follow to ensure ecological connectivity between and within existing forest PAs;
Describe the project activities necessary to undertake in order to improve the management effectiveness of 370,000 ha of existing forest? and 50,000 ha of newly protected forest?, and the measures to be used (such as use of the Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool) to establish baselines and monitor progress in achieving the goals of the PA component;
Establish baseline and project target figures for populations of Eld’s deer, Green peafowl, and Siamese crocodile in the targeted districts;
Establish baseline and project target figures of the Biodiversity Intactness Index of Dry Forests in the target areas of Savannakhet Province;
Complete the Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT) (GEF format) for the areas covering at least 420,000 ha;

Undertake the following activities in line with PIF ESSP:List all potential environmental and social impacts that the restoration of 10,000 ha forests could potentially have:

Clearly articulate the positive impacts that will result from the restoration of 10,000 ha forests in the Project Document;
Rate the likelihood of the listed negative impacts materializing during the restoration of 10,000 ha forests using high, medium and low likelihood ratings;
Rate the level of impact of the listed negative social and environmental impacts of the restoration of 10,000 ha forests using low, moderate and high level ratings;
Develop brief draft mitigation strategies for the listed negative social and environmental impacts that were rated as high likelihood of occurring and a high level of impact;
Develop step-by-step guidance for restoration of 10,000 ha forests in which environmental and social impacts are considered in line with the draft mitigation strategies;
List all potential environmental and social impacts that the establishment of an additional 50,000 ha of protected areas, the increase in effective PA management in the 430,000 of existing and new PAs and the identification and consequent management of 100,000 ha of HCVFs, could potentially have;
Clearly articulate the positive impacts that will result from the establishment of an additional 50,000 ha of protected areas, the increase in effective PA management in the 430,000 of existing and new PAs and the identification and consequent management of 100,000 ha of HCVFs, in the Project Document;
Rate the likelihood of the listed negative impacts materializing during the establishment of additional 50,000 ha of protected areas, the increase in effective PA management in the 430,000 of existing and new PAs and the identification and consequent management of 100,000 ha of HCVFs, using high, medium and low likelihood ratings;
Rate the level of impact of the listed negative social and environmental impacts of the establishment of an additional 50,000 ha of protected areas, the increase in effective PA management in the 430,000 of existing and new PAs and the identification and consequent management of 100,000 ha of HCVFs using low, moderate and high level ratings;
Develop brief draft mitigation strategies for the listed negative environmental and social impacts that were rated as high likelihood of occurring and a high level of impact;
Should resettlement of people at all feature as a possible impact, recommend the basic structure that the Resettlement Plan needs to take and integrate the need for Resettlement Plans to be formulated in the step-by-step guidance. Specifics should be provided of the sites where (i) the conservation status of 50,000 ha will be elevated; (ii) the 100,000 ha in new and existing Protection Forests will be set-aside (HCVFs declared) for non-exhaustive use, (iii) the restoration of 100,000 ha of degraded forest in Protection Forests, (iv) the increase in management effectiveness of at least 4 protected areas covering 420,000 ha; (v) the four wildlife-based ecotourism products will be developed, (vi) the testing of innovative financing options will be conducted; and (vii) the villages where the performance based incentive scheme will be implemented;
Contribute to the preparation of budget note for the project to be implemented.

Expected Results and Deliverables

The key deliverables of the National Protected Area and Forest Ecosystem Specialist are:

Provide inputs to clarify comments from GEF Council to the PIF (based on task 1);
Situation analysis report of current natural forests, PA system for conservation forests; the process of fragmentation between forest patches and protected areas and the continual loss of high conservation value forests; and threats and causes of threats to forests ecosystems and develop proposals to address them (based on tasks 2-4);
Situation analysis report that address policies and regulations, implementation process, procedures and criteria that support the identification, implementation and linkage for the HCVFs in the land use planning and development planning process of the target districts in Savanakhet province (based on task 5);
Agreed detail areas of at least 100,000 ha of high conservation value forests set for gazettement as non-consumptive use during project implementation (based on task 6);
Situation analysis report addressing the current and additional incentive needs for effective biodiversity conservation and sustainable land and forest management in the target districts in Savannakhet Province (based on task 7);
Report on policy and regulatory changes required to transform sustainable land and forest use practices and financing (based on task 8);
Baseline of natural resource management activities in Savannakhet Province in terms of regulation, planning and enforcement and management and cost. (based on task 9);
Report assessing MONRE work on national environmental standards, including budget amounts (based on task 10);
Summary report on baseline projects including budget amounts (based on task 11);
Detailed proposal (including responsibilities, timing, and budget estimates) for project activities related to: 1) elevating the conservation status of 50,000 ha of forest; 2) creating set-aside areas of at least 100,000 ha for non-exhaustive forest use; 3) the restoration of 10,000 ha degraded forests in Protection Forests; and 4) improving the management effectiveness of 370,000 ha of existing forest, and identify 50,000 ha of new protected forest (based on tasks 12-15);
Baseline and project target figures for Eld’s deer, Green peafowl, and Siamese crocodile in the targeted districts in Savanakhet province (based on task 16);
Baseline and project target figure of Biodiversity Intactness Index of Dry Forests in the target areas of Savannakhet Province (based on task 17);
Complete the management effectiveness tracking tool form (GEF format) for at least 4 projected areas covering at least 420,000 ha. (based on task 18);
Environmental and social impact assessment report that identifies and addresses impacts the restoration of the 10,000 ha forests could potentially have in every steps, and provide rating for the possible impacts, and outline the mitigation strategy/plan/activities, report for (based on task 19 i-vi.);
Environmental and social impact assessment report that identifies and addresses possible impacts from the establishment of an additional 50,000 ha of protected areas, the increase in effective PA management in the 430,000 and new Pas, and consequent from management of 100,000 ha of HCVFs, could potentially have, and develop the mitigation strategies for the listed negative social and environmental impacts that were rated as high likelihood of occurring and a high level of impact (based on task 19 vii-xi.);
Development of resettlement plan (if needed) based on the findings of the environmental and social impact assessment reports (based on task 19 xii.).

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Proven understanding legal process in establishing protected area and conservation forest;
Proven experience in forest management, protected area conservation, wildlife conservation and ecosystem management;
Proven knowledge of social and impact assessment in Lao PDR;
Work experience in with international and local government of Lao PDR;
Strong project management skills;
Strong coordination and management skills;
Strong communication and report writing skills;
Full computer literacy.

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity and fairness by modeling UN values and ethical standards;
Displays cultural and gender sensitivity and adaptability;
Treats all people fairly and without favoritism; and
Shows strong corporate commitment.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Minimum of a Masters degree in natural sciences, include sustainable forestry management, land use planning, protected areas management, ecosystem management, biodiversity conservation, financial and economic analysis, or related fields.

Experience:

At least 7 year experience working in sustainable forestry management, protected areas management, ecosystem management, biodiversity conservation, financial and economic analysis, or related fields.

Languages:

Fluency in spoken and written English is required.

Requirements for submission of proposals:

All interested and qualified candidates should apply on-line using the following links:

UNDP Lao PDR Country Office website at http://www.la.undp.org/content/lao_pdr/en/home/operations/jobs/ or
UNDP Jobs at http://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_jobs.cfm.

In order to make submission please read the attached relevant documents which are also available on our web-site here http://www.la.undp.org/content/lao_pdr/en/home/operations/jobs/:

TOR (Annex I);
Individual Contract & General Terms and Conditions (Annex II);
Offeror's letter to UNDP comfirming interest and abailability(Annex III).

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals:

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

Technical and Financial Proposal as per Annex III “ Offeror's letter to UNDP confriming interest and availability ”
- Explaining why you are the most suitable for the work;
- Providing a brief methodology on how you will approach and conduct the work including the work schedule for the delivery of outputs/deliverable;
- CV including past experience in similar project and contact reference of at least 3 references for whom you have rendered preferably the similar services.

Financial proposal:

Detailed financial proposal: Lump sum offer with clear cost breakdown against each deliverable.

Note:

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 monthly outputs, 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). All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. UNDP accept travel costs not exceeding of an economy class air ticket.

Instructions for on-line submissions:

Step 1: Please prepare all required documents electronically;
Step 2: Combine all documents in one single file (preferably in PDF however Word format can be also accepted) and upload to the UNDP Jobs using the links above;
Step 3: After that you will receive an auto reply from the UNDP jobs if your offer is received successfully.

Incomplete proposals or proposals received after the deadline will be rejected.

Please kindly refer to the Terms of Reference Annex I for detailed information on:

Project’s background

Scope of work and Responsibilities

Deliverables

Requirements for Experience and Qualifications

Cumulative analysis: The award of the contract will be made to a consultant who 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.

Technical Criteria weight: [0.7];
Financial Criteria weight: [0.3].

Only a consultant obtaining a minimum of 50 points in the technical rating would be considered for the financial evaluation.

Note: Any request for clarification must be sent in writing to the following e-mail: chitlatda.keomuongchanh@undp.org with CC to phadthakone.sophavilay@undp.org

UNDP Lao PDR will respond in writing by standard electronic mail and will send written copies of the response, including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry, to all consultants.

Please note that only short-listed candidates will be notified.

Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

For more detailed information about UNDP Lao PDR please visit our website at http://www.la.undp.org/lao_pdr/en/home.html