UNDP Jobs - 55765- National Consultant - National Policy and Land Us

National Consultant - National Policy and Land Use Expert

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 May 2015 to end of February 2016) (maximum of 24 working weeks)

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

Full-time 10 months (Mid May 2015 to end of February 2016) (maximum of 24 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 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 Policy and Land Use Expert 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 Policy and Land Use Expert to support GEF Project Design Specialist in assisting the UNDP CO and the government of Lao PDR, to assess, develop and/or upgrade the integrated land use management plan (ILAMPs) for the target district and ensure that they are integrated and to be used by local government to guide the implementation of the SEDP at the district and provincial levels.

This is a full-time 10 month consultancy service, with 24 working weeks, starting from 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:

Describe in detail the process of investment approval and land allocation in Savannakhet Province, and assess the impact of such key issues as the limited time provided for comments on investment proposals, and the lack of environmental information required to make well-informed decisions;
Assess the existing coordination between regulatory authorities regarding land use and land allocation and elaborate on the need for an improved land use assessment, monitoring and planning regime to ensure the maintenance of ecosystem goods and services and to allows both managers and users to effectively evaluate and integrate land degradation risks and threats;
Assess the gaps in the regulatory framework in which investments could lead to environmental degradation and clearly list these in the Project Document;
Assess the understanding of Ministerial and Provincial staff from the regulatory authorities on regulations and laws regarding land use allocation, ecosystem conservation, as well as the division of labour between the different divisions;
Describe the existing “know-how” of landholders (public and private) to implement Master Plans and SEDPs, and the necessary requirement of connectivity to maximise ecosystem values;
Undertake a detailed analysis of compliance monitoring and enforcement of SEDPs in Lao PDR and recommend an appropriate system with clearly defined roles and responsibilities to be emplaced in the Savannakhet Province;
Describe and justify the process of development of the ILAMPs for the 5 target districts in Savannakhet Province ensuring optimal allocation of land to generate dual development and environmental benefits;
Clearly articulate in the Project Document and in the CEO Endorsement Request a response to the following Council comments: “Germany welcomes the proposed project but would like to point out that the five-year socio-economic development planning process is currently finalized for the entire country. Therefore it would be recommended to consider the time periods for five-year socio-economic development planning (SEDP) in the project planning for integrating ILUMPs in SEDPs of districts (B.1.a)” [Germany]; and “Moreover, the Savannakhet Province is currently undergoing major infrastructure planning processes, including a road connecting Thailand with Vietnam. This might have direct and indirect consequences on deforestation and degradation. It is recommended that the PIF considers relevant development factors of the province when establishing realistic estimates on reduced degradation in forest landscapes (B.1.a) as well greenhouse gas mitigation potentials over a 10-year period (F4).” [Germany];
Complete an adapted UNDP Capacity Development Scorecard for local regulatory authorities in compliance, monitoring and enforcement of sustainable forest and land management and mainstreaming of forest connectivity into the main production sectors (mining, production forestry and agriculture) in Savannakhet Province;
Assess the existing capacity (in terms of number of staff, technical expertise, and equipment) for the management of target protected areas in Savannakhet Province.

Undertake the following activities in line with the PIF ESSP:

List all potential environmental and social impacts that may result from the implementation of the Integrated Land Use Management Plans, and the legal and policy amendments that the project will assist in developing to include NCVFs in management of Protection and Production Forests in Lao PDR, and develop brief mitigation strategies for the negative environmental and social impacts identified;
Clearly articulate the positive impacts that will result from the implementation of the Integrated Land Use Plans and the legal and policy amendments that the project will assist in developing to include HCVFs in management of Protection and Production Forests in Lao PDR;
Develop step-by-step guidance for the development of the Integrated Land Use Management Plans in which environmental and social impacts are considered and negative impacts mitigated in line with the draft mitigation strategies but using updated information as per the time of the development of the plans;
Undertake a social mapping to identify communities with claims on the natural resource bases to be managed, to ensure that these communities are effectively engaged in the plans and processes to be developed;
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.
Establish the baseline for baseflows (water availability) and flooding occurrence and area of the downstream area of Xe Banghiang River, and establish targets for improved baseflows and reduced flooding as a result of the project;
Establish the baseline figures for water quality and describe the methodology of measurement in order to measure the maintenance of water quality for downstream users during the project period;
Establish the baseline and target figures to indicate the increase of annual household income from forest products, incentive payments and ecotourism ventures as a result of project interventions;
Complete the Land Degradation PMAT, and together with the PA/Ecosystem Finance Expert, complete the Sustainable Forest Management Tracking Tool.

Expected Results and Deliverables

The key deliverables of the National Policy and Land Use Expert are:

Report on investment approval and land allocation process in Savannakhet Province (based on task 1);
Detailed situation analysis report on current land use and resource management planning, policies, plans, programmes and management practices in Savannakhet province (based on tasks 2-8) Pome, as far as I can tell, this single deliverable covers all of tasks 2-8, is that what you intended?;
Completed UNDP Capacity Development Scorecard (based on task 9);
Capacity Assessment report on protected areas management in Savannakhet Province (based on task 10;)
Rapid environmental and social impact assessment report that addresses the possible negative and positive impacts from implementation of the Integrated Land Use Management Plans and the legal and policy amendments that the project will assist in developing to include HCVFs, as well as brief mitigation strategies for the negative environmental and social impacts listed (based on task 11 i. and 11 ii.);
Guidelines that justify and outline a step-by-step process to develop and implement integrated land use management plans for each of the target districts in Savanakhet province (based on task 11 iii.);
Social mapping that indicates communities to be engaged in the ILMPs and processes (based on task 11 iv.);
Develop resettlement plan (if needs) base on the finding from the environmental and social impact assessment (based on task 11 v.);
Baseline data on baseflows (water availability) and flooding occurrence and area of the downstream area of Xe Banghiang River, and proposed targets for improved baseflows and reduced flooding as a result of the project (based on task 12);
Baseline figures on water quality and describe the methodology of measurement in order to measure the maintenance of water quality for downstream users during the project period (based on task 13);
Baseline and target figures that indicate the increase of annual household income from forest products, incentive payments and ecotourism ventures as a result of project interventions (based on task 14);
Land Degradation PMAT and Sustainable Forest Management Tracking Tool (based on task 15).

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Proven experience in facilitating and development of integrated land use plan at national and local levels;
Proven experience in policy analysis and development focusing in natural resource management, forestry, conservation, and ecosystem management;
Experience in application of GIS and ArcMap;
Prove understanding of the process of development and implementation of the government annual development plan;
Work experience in with international and local government of Lao PDR;
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.com.

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);
Offerpr's letter to UNDP confiming interest and avaiability(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 confirming 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