UNDP Jobs - 55930- Consultant for the Identification and Mainstreamin

Consultant for the Identification and Mainstreaming of Policies to Support an Aligned National Action Plan to Combat Land Degradation

Location :

Home based, with travel to Georgetown, GUYANA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

25-May-2015

Application Deadline :

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

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Two months

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

Twenty-five days

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

This consultancy is undertaken under a Project entitled “Support the Alignment of Guyana’s National Action Plan to the UNCCD’s 10-Year (2008-2018) Strategic Plan”.

The Project addresses Guyana’s need to continue to fulfill its obligations under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), with particular focus on Decision 3 of the UNCCD COP 8 (Paragraph 5-“Urges affected developing country Parties, and any other affected country Party in the framework of its Regional Implementation Annex, to align their action programmes and other relevant implementation activities related to the Convention with The Strategy, inter alia, by addressing the outcomes under the five operational objectives”).

Guyana has been a Party to the UNCCD since September 24, 1997. The Project is a significant contribution to Guyana’s efforts towards implementing the UNCCD 10-Year Strategic Plan (2008-2018) at the national level. The Project builds on the current status and achievements of Guyana with respect to planning to align the National Action Plan and UNCCD Reporting. The Project aims to integrate Guyana’s obligations under the UNCCD into its national development and sectoral planning frameworks through a renewed and participative National Action Plan framework and strategizing process. This process is expected to produce measurable targets to prevent and reduce the impacts of land degradation and droughts, and to promote Sustainable Land Management.

The Project will achieve its objective through the implementation of two components whose activities are thoroughly described in the GEF approved proposal for Land Degradation (LD) Enabling Activity (EA). These are: (1) Alignment of the National Action Plan (2006) to fully integrate new aspects of the UNCCD’s 10-Year Strategy (2008-2018) and (2) Undertaking UNCCD Reporting and Review process.

The Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC) is the Government institution responsible for the implementation of the Project and will act as the National Implementation Partner in collaboration with the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment and its Sectoral Agencies, and other Governmental and Non-Governmental Organisations. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Agency for the Project and accountable to the GEF for the use of funds.

The GL&SC has already completed two consultancies under this Project: a National Stocktaking Activity and a Drought Early Warning Study. The National Stocktaking provides some information useful for this consultancy, such as an analysis of relevant policies and plans, and human and scientific capacities, and indicators for land degradation. The Drought Early Warning Study provides a proposal for a drought protocol to be implemented within Guyana’s Early Warning System, and identifies resources and solutions for a methodology to be instituted, which may require the support of policies. Additionally, there is an ongoing consultancy to develop an Integrated Financial Strategy and Investment Framework, which will provide a financing framework with a strategy to identify funding for an Aligned National Action Plan (NAP).

A report on the recommendations of the Sustainable Land Management (SLM) Policy in addition to other reports from previous projects will provide background information on actions to encourage sustainable land management related policies.

The consultant will use these documents, as well as other documents and reports, information collected from Agencies, and recommendations from meetings with stakeholders, to prepare the outputs of this consultancy.

The Need for the Identification and Mainstreaming of Policies in support of an Aligned National Action Plan to combat Land Degradation

The project to “Support the Alignment of Guyana’s National Action Plan to the UNCCD’s Ten Year (2008-2018) Strategic Plan” is intended to integrate the country’s obligations to the UNCCD into its national development and sectoral planning frameworks.

The need for the development and mainstreaming of policies stems from UNCCD’s Operational Objective 2: Policy framework of the UNCCD Strategy. Overall, the consultancy should identify the enabling environment for promoting solutions to combat desertification/land degradation and mitigate the effects of drought.

The policy development process and support for implementation is within the remit of the Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment and of the Cabinet, in consultation with the National Assembly. However, GL&SC’s function under the GL&SC Act (1999) provides for advising on policies.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objectives:

To review the existing structures with a view of how best to place NAP implementation;
To determine how land degradation and the NAP can be integrated and mainstreamed into sectoral policies and work programmes;
To prepare a NAP implementation plan and identify barriers to implementation.

The Key Tasks of the consultancy are as follows:

Discuss and agree on the final set of tasks, budget and a workplan with the Commissioner of Lands and Surveys within one week of award of the Contract;
Review the existing structures with a view of how best to place NAP implementation and make a proposition for this structure;
Identify the areas in national documents, policies, strategies and sectoral plans where NAP can be mainstreamed;
Conduct consultations and prepare a report on recommendations detailing how land degradation and an Aligned NAP can be integrated and mainstreamed into sectoral policies and work programmes, identifying synergies;
Prepare a NAP implementation plan;
Review the capacities available and capacities needed to support the institutions for long term monitoring and data management undertaken with recommendations for the development of the necessary capacities;
Finalize and submit all Reports based on comments/feedback from Stakeholders and the Implementing Agencies.

Information on Working Arrangements:

Estimated level of effort: 25 working days;
The Consultant will work under the technical guidance and supervision of the Commissioner of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, and will report and liaise with the Project Staff for all administrative and logistical arrangements;
All deliverables must be submitted in Microsoft Word, in soft copy, to facilitate review and dissemination at consultations;
Duration of mission to Guyana: 12 days.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally;
Proven ability to collect, verify and analyze information;
Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing, in order to communicate complex, technical information to both technical and general audiences;
Ability to present research with a high degree of accuracy and technical quality in Reports and Presentation;
Knowledge and understanding of the relevant UN Convention;
Knowledge of the work of UNCCD and the National Focal Point Agency, and functions of other stakeholders.

Core Competencies:

Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback;
Ability to plan, organize, implement and report on work;
Ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines;
Demonstrates integrity and ethical standards;
Positive, constructive attitude to work.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

Advanced Degree (MSc or higher) in environmental policy and/or law, natural resource management, public policy.

Experience

Minimum 5 years of professional experience in the development of national and regional policies, action plans, strategic documents, and other planning documents, preferably in the area of environmental management;
Previous experience with land degradation and sustainable land management policies, actions plans and issues will be considered an asset.

Language

Fluency in written and spoken English.

Documentation to be submitted:

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Please combine them into one (1) single PDF document as the application only allows to upload maximum one document.

Personal CV in P11 template, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references.

Technical proposal, including a) a brief description of why you are the most suitable for the assignment; and b) a methodology on how you will approach and complete the assignment.

Financial proposal, Consultant must send a financial proposal based on the breakdown of the all-inclusive amount.

Incomplete proposals may not be considered.

UNDP P11 Form can be downloaded from: http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/corporate/Careers/P11_Personal_history_form.doc.

Financial proposal:

The Contract will be based on lump sum payment;
Consultant must send a financial proposal based on the breakdown of the all-inclusive amount.

The total amount quoted shall be all-inclusive and include all costs components required to perform the deliverables identified in the TORs, including professional fee, travel costs, DSA and any other applicable cost to be incurred by the IC in completing the assignment. The contract price will be a fixed output-based price regardless of extension of the herein specified duration.