UNDP Jobs - 58714- Comprehensive Stocktaking for the National Adapta

Comprehensive Stocktaking for the National Adaptation Plan

Location :

Lilongwe, MALAWI

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

18-Aug-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

25 working days over a period of 12 weeks

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

Three Months

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 Government of Malawi (GoM) has prioritised the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process to adopt a medium-term approach for reducing vulnerabilities to climate impacts and to facilitate the integration of climate change adaptation into on-going sectoral planning processes at national and sub-national levels. The NAP process was established in 2010 as part of the Cancun Adaptation Framework to support all developing countries, especially the least developed countries (LDCs), in identifying and addressing their medium- and long-term adaptation needs. The process provides for guidance on interventions aimed at reducing vulnerabilities, building adaptive capacities and facilitating the integration of adaptation into sector-specific and general development planning processes.

The GoM recognizes value addition in the NAP process to enhance the climate change responsive development targets as provided for in the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy II (MGDS II) which includes the development of national frameworks, establishment of coordination mechanisms and management systems and mainstreaming of climate change and operationalization through the development of the National Climate Change Policy, Investment Plan, Communication Strategy and Programme. The NAP process advances the short-term guidelines for the country, provided for in the National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs) and arranges for long-term planning for climate change adaptation.

The International Consultant (IC) will lead in the team of two to undertake a Stock-taking for the NAP process for the Government of Malawi (GoM). Working with the National Consultant, the IC will undertake the assignment under the GoM National Climate Change Programme (NCCP) established in the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA).

Objective

To undertake comprehensive stock-taking of the NAP process and identify national and sectoral available information on climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation and assessing gaps and needs of the enabling environment for the NAP process. This will ensure value addition on coherence integration of climate change into policy, strategic and sectoral planning and programming.

Duties and Responsibilities

The International Consultant will work closely with a NAP Core Team, and with the National Consultant to achieve the overall objective of the assignment. The International Consultant will lead the assignment undertaking, and be responsible for the key deliverables and final product. The tasks undertaken by each team member are complementary in feeding into the final key deliverable the Stocktaking Report for the NAP process for Malawi.

Essential elements of the stock-taking assignment will include the following:

Review of the LDC Expert Group Guidelines on the NAP process particularly with respect to stock-taking and defining the scope and baselines of the stock-taking process;
Identify existing national institutional planning and coordination mechanisms processes working with global and regional entities, highlighting opportunities and barriers to the implementation of adaptation;
Assess the level of stakeholder engagement (government, non-governmental and private sector) and other relevant on-going/upcoming initiatives that can support the NAP process in Malawi;
Consolidate existing gap analyses, mapping, databases already set up with a view to identify areas that need to be focused in the NAP process for complemental outcome and elimination of duplications;
Analyze entry points in on-going development monitoring and evaluation systems and identify key indicators that are already collected to build on tracking NAPs implementation;
Provide technical inputs into the preparation of a national stock-taking workshop for sector teams to contribute to finalizing the process and undertake gap analysis and identification of next steps. The NAP workshop should assist in developing a schedule of activities with a buy-in from national stakeholders, in particular the private sector to assist the Government of Malawi with technical support and knowledge sharing to advance the NAP process;
Draft a Terms of Reference for a consolidated coordination mechanism for institutions that generate required data and knowledge for the NAP process based on global experiences with climate policy coordination with the view to identify what data and knowledge sources are available to assess current and future climate risks, vulnerability and adaptation in Malawi;
Identify development goals that are sensitive to climate change, providing an indication of the development risks from climate change, as well as identifying the potential co-benefits of adaptation for development, and how this can be integrated into national development planning. Identify opportunities for integration of climate change adaptation into national development planning;
Ensure cross-cutting and special population groups issues such as gender and youth are taken into consideration in the development of the medium and long term adaptation options;
Work with the National Consultant and NAP Core Team in consultation with the Chair of National Climate Change Technical Committee, and using the Baseline Report developed by the National Consultant, produce a draft NAP Stocktaking Report with a Plan that has key higher activities, measurable SMART indicators and timeframes as well as roles and responsibilities as informed by the consultations;
Present the draft Stock-taking Report to the Technical Committee on Climate Change.

Revise the draft to incorporate comments from the Technical Committee and submit the final report which should also include:

Synthesis of available information; Geospatial database in support of the NAP process;
Knowledge-base of observed climate impacts, vulnerabilities and potential interventions;
Gap and needs analysis, and; Barrier analysis report;
Submit five (5) professionally formatted and bound copies of the final report with a CD that has all data and information that was collected and used during the assignment.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Display cultural, gender, race, and age sensitivity;
Demonstrate integrity by modeling the United Nations values and ethical standards;
Display comfort working in politically sensitive situations.

Functional Competencies:

Have good oral and written skills;
Demonstrate research and analytical skills;
Have a good grasp climate change adaptation planning;
Have excellent communication and inter-personal skills, particularly for facilitating discussions on sensitive topics;
Ability to support the formulation and implementation of NAPs.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

An advanced university degree (Masters or higher level) in a discipline relevant to Climate Change, Development Studies, Public Policy, Economics or Social Planning related qualifications;
Specialization on climate change issues will be considered highly relevant and an added advantage.

Experience:

Minimum of seven years of professional, research or academic and consultancy experience, with practical knowledge and working on climate change policies and strategies;
In-depth knowledge and understanding of the current issues in Climate Change Policy, Meteorology, Environment and Natural Resources Management and how these relate to sustainable development;
Track record of preparation of publications relevant to public policy and planning in the context of climate change;
Skills in facilitation and coordination, including high level government consultation, with strong communication and inter-personal skills;
Proven leadership skills, with track-record to lead a team of national experts;
Sound judgment and strong client and results oriented;
Demonstrated strong analytical, research, presentation, and report writing skills;
Experience in working with government and national stakeholders, with demonstrated ability to work under different settings and environments.

Language:

Fluency in English.

Documents to be included when submitting proposal

Interested individuals must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their comparative competencies for the assignment:

Technical Proposal:

Explaining why they are the most suitable for the work;
Provide a brief methodology on how they will approach and conduct the work;
Personal CV including past experience in similar projects/ academic achievements in regards to research on climate change adaptation planning in least developed countries, and at least 3 references.

Financial proposal based on lump sum.

Reporting and deliverables

The team of Consultants will report and work under the overall supervision of the Director of Environmental Affairs and the UNDP Resident Representative. The International Consultant (IC) will work together with the National Consultant in carrying out this assignment, ensuring information from the specific tasks of each consultant’s assignment, are linked and inform ongoing work, feeding into the overall NAP Stocktaking Report. It will be the responsibility of the IC to ensure the outputs of the National Consultant and the final key deliverable, the NAP Stocktaking Report are timely delivered. Technical support and engagement will be provided working closely with the NAP Core Team. The duration of the consultancy is 25 working days spread over a period of not more than three (3) calendar months.

There are four main outputs expected from the assignment:

An Inception Report that provides annotated outlines of the stock-taking, including method of data collection and relevant literature to be used (maximum 8-10 pages), a strategy, and work plan to undertake the stock-taking exercise including a list of stakeholders to be consulted. The draft Inception Report will be submitted to the Director of Environmental Affairs and UNDP Resident Representative within two (2) weeks from the date of signing the Contract. Responsibility of the Inception Report will lie with both the IC, supported by the National Consultant. The Inception Report shall be presented to the NAP Technical Committee for endorsement before the actual consultancy begins;
A zero draft NAP Stocktaking Report to be submitted to the Director of Environmental Affairs for initial comments, maximum 30 days after the Inception Report is approved. This will be the responsibility of the International Consultant building on the work of the National Consultant, through the Baseline Report;
A revised NAP Stocktaking Report to be submitted to the Director of Environmental Affairs for initial comments, maximum five (5) days after the Zero draft is approved. Responsibility for the revised and final NAP Stocktaking Report will lie with the International Consultant building upon continual work with the National Consultant;
Final copies of the Stocktaking Report to be submitted to the Director of Environmental Affairs and UNDP Resident Representative within five (5) working days after receiving any additional comments from the Technical Committee, together with a CD that has all data and information that was collected and used during the assignment. Responsibility for these submissions will lie with the International Consultant supported by the National Consultant.

Duration and Timeline:

The assignment is expected to last a total of 25 working days over 3 months (12 weeks)

Consultation with the Secretariat and NAP Core Team – Week 1;
Inception Report – Week 2;
Literature review and consultations with key sectors – Week 3 to week 5;
Submission of NAP Baseline Report – Week 6;
Submit a draft Stocktaking Report – Week 8;
NAP Stocktaking Report – Week 9;
Present key findings to the NAP Core Team –Week 10;
Present draft report and key findings to the Technical Committee on Climate Change – Week 11;
Finalize the Stocktaking Report to incorporate feedback from the Technical Committee and submit to the Director of Environmental Affairs and UNDP Resident Representative the final report – Week 12.

Financial Proposal:

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 on delivery of the services specified in the TOR. In order to assist the requesting unit in the application comparison the financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount;
Travel: All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. It is anticipated that the consultancy will require a maximum of 25 working days in-country, to include a maximum of seven (7) working days in the field and 18 days based in Lilongwe.

Evaluation:

Cumulative analysis: When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract is made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as: (a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and (b) Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation: Technical Criteria weight; 70% and Financial Criteria weight; 30%. Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70 % points would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Criteria A:

Professional experience: Minimum of seven (7) years of relevant professional, research or academic and consultancy experience, with practical knowledge in Climate change and working on climate change policies and strategies, have a track record in conducting stocktaking work in LDCs up to a maximum of 20 points.

Criteria B:

Contextual experience and proven skills;
Familiarity with the sectors and stakeholders involved in LDCs climate change adaptation sector;
Have a well-established network in the LDC climate change landscape and knowledge about the political context of the country; Proven ability to develop NAPs/LAPs;
Experience in stakeholder analysis, and stakeholder engagement strategies.

Criteria C:

Soundness of methodology proposed and schedule in technical proposal.