UNDP Jobs - 59643- Lead National Consultant Project Design

Lead National Consultant Project Design

Location :

Colombo, SRI LANKA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

20-Sep-2015

Application Deadline :

10-Sep-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

National Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

60 days over 4 months

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

60 days over 4 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 GEF Small Grants Program has been a fundamental part of the GEF’s support to the production of global environmental benefits and the implementation of the UNFCCC, UNCBD, UNCCD and other multilateral environmental agreements in Sri Lanka since the SGP Country Program was first established. UNDP/GEF recently secured PPG financing for the “Sixth Operational Phase of the GEF Small Grants Programme in Sri Lanka”. The project aims to enable community organizations in Sri Lanka to take collective action for adaptive landscape management for socio-ecological resilience - through design, implementation and evaluation of grant projects for global environmental benefits and sustainable development. The project will be financed by the GEF Trust Fund.

The Project Preparation Grant (PPG) will carry out stakeholder consultations, baseline assessments, and development of a project log frame with defined baseline and indicators, a detailed work plan, and the definition of the management arrangements for the FSP. Consultations and other activities will be supported by desk review of support documentation, as appropriate. It will also finance consultations with primary stakeholders (the community-based organizations and local communities who will receive grants to produce benefits to local sustainable development and the global environment) and partners in the target landscapes. Project preparation will involve the communities, organizations and selected strategic partners in each particular landscape in a participatory planning process.

This process will include baseline assessments, problem identification, outcome descriptions, progress and success indicators, and identification of potential community-based initiatives. A final step, would be the selection by communities of the initiatives they intend to implement with GEF-SGP financing. Complete detailed baseline assessments will be undertaken in each of the landscapes during project preparation to define existing ecological, social and economic factors on which to build project activities. More precise definition of the landscapes to be addressed – their geographic boundaries, potential community organizations, make-up of multistakeholder partnerships, etc. - will be undertaken.

Elements to be analysed and confirmed include biodiversity conservation status, climate vulnerability, land use trends and patterns, opportunities for application of renewable energy technologies, previous SGP supported initiatives, opportunities for upscaling past or current community-based initiatives to be financed under the SGP strategic project window of the Country Program, poverty and inequality levels, disposition of communities and local authorities, potential partnerships with NGOs, the private sector and others, and other factors. Detailed analysis of institutional activities in each of the landscapes will be carried out to fully comprehend the current governance frameworks, institutional programs and projects, and the presence and availability of strategic partnerships with the project proposed here.

Scope and Objectives

The purpose of this consultancy is to provide substantive technical input to project design, guide other local consultants and provide technical support to the development of a detailed Project Document for submission to the GEF Secretariat by end of December 2015 and respond to any technical review queries raised by UNDP-GEF and/or the GEF Secretariat. The National Consultant is expected to produce the draft situation analysis, barrier analysis and project framework. The National Consultant will lead activities that are needed for sound project design and overall sustainability of the project. The National Consultant is also expected to ensure that all stakeholders, particularly communities, are consulted in the process of project preparation following the general methodology for landscape level planning outlined in the COMDEKS program[1]. He/she will work with the International Consultant to produce a UNDP-GEF Project Document of the requisite technical quality by the submission deadline of 30 November 2015. The National Consultant will also support the GEF SGP National Coordinator to source potential co-financiers for the project and procure co-financing letters as part of the submission package.

The project design should aim to include the following approaches, in consultation with stakeholder entities.

Detailed assessments of the three selected geographical locations (landscapes) for implementing the Sixth Phase of SGP in Sri Lanka.

This will include:

The land use and natural resource related conflicts in the project area;
Other development issues including poverty, unemployment, disaster threats, climate change related issues, governance of natural resoruces and wildlife threats to livelihood and lives;
A thorough analysis of gender issues in all three project areas;
A thorough analysis of community-based organisations functioning in these three areas including a verifiable capacity assessment, using UNDP/SGP tools, of these organisations to determine their ability to enagage in natural resources management and conservation;
A thorough analysis of barriers to conservation practices with local stakeholders in each location. This requires a problem tree-type of workshop in each location with government, non-government and community including private sector;
Develop a sound project results framework, with the support of the National Consultant/ecologist and the International Consultant, with strong indicators and measurable/achievable targets. In line with GEF requirements, the project design should clearly outline how the project will deliver short, medium and long-term global benefits, while improving long term conservation prospects across the country.

SGP implements the Japan-financed COMDEKS initiative in 20 countries around the world; it focuses on community-based landscape planning and management for socio-ecological resilience. For more information, please see https://comdeksproject.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/communities-in-action-comdeks-web-v2.pdf.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Lead National Consultant for Project Design will be responsible for planning and coordination of the work of the PPG team and for ensuring that the required information is coordinated and received by the International Consultant to complete the project document in the given time.

Specifically, the Lead Consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:

Consult closely with the UNDP-GEF COMDEKS Program Manager and the Global Upgrading Country Program Coordinator to fully understand the COMDEKS landscape planning methodology;
Guided by the COMDEKS methodology, ensure that participatory baseline assessments are carried out in the three landscapes as well as work with local community organizations to identify landscape level outcomes in four areas: biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services; agroecosystem sustainability and productivity; alternative livelihoods and governance and social capital;
With the participating communities and multistakeholder groups, identify potential community level projects in the three landscapes and determine appropriate targets and indicators based on the GEF indicators in Table F of the PIF;
Review existing information, reports and studies to collate detailed information on the regions and landscapes in order to establish the baseline and landscape specific project interventions and targets, and identify potential intervention areas;
Support the international consultant to develop the UNDP-GEF Project Document, drafting key sections especially on the situation analysis fully compliant with the enforced GEF rules and standards. Within the framework of this ToR, the Consultant is expected to play the lead role to support the development of the GEF/SGP UNDP project document as well as the GEF CEO endorsement format using the relevent inputs from all local consultants;
Review available information and conduct field-based studies to identify critical information gaps, and conduct rapid reviews and research to overcome these gaps;
Collect information on the government and partners’ baseline activities, as well as complementary activities by various partner organisations;
Analyse the key project stakeholders, including NGOs/CSOs; assesses their capacity and identifies capacity building needs;
Define project risks and risk mitigation strategies;
Explore the opportunities and ways for cooperation with other relevant initiatives.

In order to address potential social and environmental impacts of the project the expert will:

a) Conduct indicative community level consultations at the project locations including targeting to ensure that the views and interests of women, poor and marginalized groups are taken on board in the design of the land use planning framework and to ensure that they are adequately represented on the local decision making structures related to land use planning and permitting processes;
b) Carry out a detailed gender analysis to identify gender roles, responsibilities and access related to natural resource management. Such analysis should primarily be led by a gender expert with support from local resource persons knowledgeable about gender relations in the communities and trained in participatory approaches. This will inform design of project activities especially at the community level so that project interventions do not negatively affect gender equality.
Address UNDP-GEF and GEFSec comments, if any, at review stage

Expected Deliverables:

The key products to be delivered are as follows:

Three landscape level reports on the three participatory landscape planning processes and their results;
Draft Situation Analysis, barrier analysis and project strategy and framework;
Draft inputs to the UNDP Project Document, Project Results Framework, and allied implementaton plan and budgets;
Support International Consultant to complete the Request for CEO Endorsement.

Competencies

Functional Competencies

Strong expertise in ecosystem/landscape management, biodiversity conservation, sustainable rural development;
Familiarity with the International Conventions addressing Climate Change, Desertification and Biodiversity Conservation;
Ability to pick up new terminology and concepts easily;
Familiarity with GEF policies, templates and requirements;
Demonstrable skills and experiece in drafting and report writing;
Demonstrated strategic technical and intellectual skills in the substantive area;
Demonstrated leadership, facilitation and coordination skills, ability to manage technical team and long term strategic partnership;
Excellent communication (both oral and written) and partnership building skills with multi-dimension partners, people skill for conflict resolution and negotiation;
Computer proficiency, especially related to professional office software packages (Microsoft Office);

Core Competencies

Maturity and confidence in dealing with senior members of national institutions;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Excellent written communication skills, with analytic capacity and ability to synthesize relevant collected data and findings for the preparation of quality analysis for the project proposal;
Excellent coordination skills and result oriented collaboration with colleagues – especially for this case the national level consultants;
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP and the GEF SGP;
Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
Good team player who has ability to maintain good relationships.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s Degree or equivalent in natural sciences, environmental management or related fields.

Experience:

Minimum of 5 years of demonstrable experience and knowledge in the field of ecosystems and biodiversity management, in particular experience working on forestry, wetland management and conservation, and comanagement of protected areas;
Extensive experience with project development, implementation and management (direct project formulation and management experience is preferable);
Experience in developing institutional arrangements for multi-stakeholder projects will be an added advantage
Experience in drafting UNDP-GEF project documents will be an added advantage;
The prospective consultant should have GEF project development experience, sound background in natural resrouces or ecosystems management with detailed knowledge of environmental issues in all three landscapes prioritised by GEF SGP.

Language

Excellent English language skills, particularly in the preparation of written documents.

How to Apply

The application should contain:

A brief methodology on how you will approach and conduct the work (if applicable). Please paste the letter into the "Resume and Motivation" section of the electronic application;
Individual consultants will be evaluated based upon the offer which gives the best value for money based on the Lump Sum proposal submitted, selected by the UNDP Sri Lanka Country Office in consultation with the UNDP Regional Centre Technical Advisor.

Financial Proposal

Please indicate the All Inclusive Lump Sum and the breakdown according to the following:

Professional Fee LKR;
Travel cost LKR;
Workshop cost LKR;
Stationery and other cost LKR;
All inclusive fee LKR.

Note:

The three geographic locations project operats are:

Mannar to Jaffna coastal belt including the islands;
Knuckles conservation area;
Urban wetlands of Colombo district.

Travel:

13 days to be allocated for travel for Mannar to Jaffna;
12 days to be aloocated for travel to the Knuckles range;
05 days to be allocated for travel to Colombo.

Workshops:

2 workshops to be held for the distrct for Mannar to Jaffna (two day workshops minimum 25 participants);
2 workshops to be held for the Knuckles range (two day workshops minimum 25 participants);
1 workshop to be held for the Colombo wetlands (one day workshop minimium 25 participants).

Note: Payments will be based on invoices on achievement of agreed milestones i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR and certification of acceptance by the UNDP. The applicant must factor in all possible costs in his/her “All Inclusive Lump Sum Fee financial proposal including his/her consultancy and professional fee, honorarium, communication cost such as telephone/internet usage, printing cost, return travel from home to office, ad-hoc costs, stationery costs, and any other foreseeable costs in this exercise. No costs other than what has been indicated in the financial proposal will be paid or reimbursed to the consultant. The UNDP will only pay for any unplanned travel outside of this TOR and Duty Station on actual basis and on submission of original bills/invoices and on prior agreement with UNDP officials. Daily perdiums and costs for accommodation/meals/incidental expenses for such travel shall not exceed established local UNDP DSA rates.

For an Individual Contractor who is of 62 years of age or older, and on an assignment requiring travel, be it for the purpose of arriving at the duty station or as an integral duty required under the TOR, a full medical examination and statement of fitness to work must be provided. Such medical examination costs must be factored in to the financial proposal above.

Payment for Services

The National Consultant will be on the below milestones:

Situation Analysis Produced 20%;
Field Assessments and stakeholder consultations coordinated 20%;
Project design completed and accepted by key stakeholders 20%;
Validation on draft project document completed 20%;
GEF Sec Comments Addressed 20%.

Qualified women and members of minorities are encouraged to apply.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials.