Background
N.B.
Applications through UNDP jobs will not be accepted, only to the procurement.cv@cv.jo.un.org email address.
Interested offeror is strongly advised to read the Individual Consultant (IC) Procurement Notice, which can be viewed at http://www.un.cv/anuncios.php for more detail information about the Terms of Reference, IC Procurement Notice, and the documents to be included when making the submission.
Background and Project Description:
As a Small Island States (SIDS), the archipelago of Cabo Verde is prone to many extreme weather and natural hazards such as rainstorms, floods, and volcanic eruptions. Many coastal communities are vulnerable to disasters caused by these extreme weather and geological hazards. Tropical rainstorms always generate intense flash floods, which cause soil erosion. The flooding of the low-lying catchments results in the degradation of the ecosystems and has adverse impacts on water supply and food security. Cabo Verde is exposed to volcanic hazards as well, as shown by the recent eruption of Fogo. In addition, several islands such as Maio, Boavista and Sal due to their low elevation and sea-level rise are subject to coastal erosion, which might have adverse impacts on the tourism industry and the livelihood of the communities on these islands.
The low availability of human and logistics resources hampers the country’s capability to timely and effectively respond to disasters. Furthermore, the lack of comprehensive hazard and risk assessments as well as the weakness of information-management/communication mechanisms limit risk-informed decision-making, thereby undermining the country’s effectiveness in preventing and reducing disaster risks and managing recovery processes in a sustainable manner.
While the Government of Cabo Verde - under the leadership of the Ministry of Environment, Habitation and Land Planning (MAHOT) and the National Civil Protection Service and in collaboration with UNDP - has started to work towards reinforcing its capacities in Disaster Risk Management a few years back, the attention so far paid to its ability to manage post-disaster recovery has been lower. It is only in 2014 that the Government has started to engage in this issue through the implementation of the project “Preparedness for Resilient Recovery” in collaboration with the UNDP Office in Cabo Verde.
This capacity development initiative in pre-disaster recovery planning aims to strengthen the country’s capacity to effectively manage recovery processes with financial support of the Governments of Luxembourg and Japan over a period of two years (2015-2016). The project supports the development and establishment of policies, institutional frameworks and mechanisms to manage disaster recovery processes and specifically:
- Build capacities to use the post-disaster needs assessment (PDNA) methodology and, on this basis, design a recovery strategy;
- Institutionalize the PDNA methodology as necessary;
- Based on an assessment of current needs and gaps, provide guidance to establish institutional mechanisms for managing recovery – including policy revisions to integrate recovery concerns into national and local DRR strategies; and
- Establish capacity for managing DRR and recovery processes at national and local level.
Objective:
In order to support the implementation of the capacity dvelopment initiative in pre-disaster recovery planning, the Environment, Energy and Disaster Prevention Unit of the UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF Joint Office in Cabo Verde is requesting the technical assistance of a team of 2 consultants (one lead and one co-lead consultant, recruited through two separate procurement procedures) with technical expertise and experience in disaster recovery and DRR, policy revision and capacity building at national and local institutions level to develop capacities for planning and managing sustainable recovery processes.
Cabo Verde became the first pilot joint office of the Ex-Com agencies (UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA and WFP) on 1 January 2006, and is now officially known as the UN Joint Office of UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF in Cabo Verde. A joint office: is a single UN office of the participating agencies; is led by one representative, the Representative of the UN Funds and Programmes, who equally represents all the participating agencies and is also Resident Coordinator; implements one common country program encompassing the activities of all participating agencies; and is supported by one operations system.
In June 2012, the Government of Cabo Verde and the UN office in Cabo Verde adopted a new United Nations Development Action Framework (UNDAF) covering the period 2012-2016. The UNDAF 2012-2016 identifies a series of priorities that are to contribute to the consolidation of the country’s development gains. These priorities are articulated around four thematic areas for which the United Nations System brings in its expertise a collective comparative advantage: Inclusive growth and poverty reduction; Consolidation of institutions, democracy and citizenship; reducing disparities and promoting of equity; Environmental sustainability and adaptation to climate change. In addition, the new UNDAF includes cross-cutting approaches to human rights and gender as well as the inclusion of HIV-AIDS, capitalizing on the benefits of communication for the dissemination of these issues and volunteering. The Joint Office has a programme aligned with the four pillar groups defined in the UNDAF and five cross-cutting working groups [Human Rights and Gender Equality, M&E Cell, HIV-AIDS, Operations, and Communication for Development].
Interested candidates are required to read the Procurement Notice for Individual Consultants and its related documents, which are available in the following websites:
- UN Cape Verde website, www.un.cv, under the section Anúncios;
- the UNGM website at www.ungm.org; and
- UNDP Procurement website at http://procurement-notices.undp.org.
Duties and Responsibilities
Description of tasks
Under the direct supervision of the Head of the Environment, Energy and Disaster Prevention Unit and in close collaboration with the Disaster Risk Reduction Management Specialist, the consultants will contribute to developing national and local capacities for planning and managing sustainable recovery processes.
Specifically, the consultants will undertake the following tasks:
- Conduct a capacity assessment (report) of national and local institutions to manage recovery processes, including legislative and policy framework review, lessons learned, best practices and examples from other country models at national and sub-national level, and specific recommendations;
- Formulate a capacity building plan to enhance preparedness for recovery, based on the initial gap analysis/capacity assessment of national and local institutions to manage recovery processes, including leading one workshop to present the capacity assessment results and the recommended capacity building plan;
- Plan and lead one training on preparedness for disaster recovery focusing on policy making and concrete tools, based on recommendations formulated in the capacity building plan;
- Lead the revision and update of the existing national contingency plan from a “preparedness for recovery” lens;
- Lead the revision of the Cape Verdean institutional and policy framework for DRR and formulate a comprehensive national DRR and recovery preparedness strategy aligned with international standards and guidelines (clarifying, among others, institutional and legal framework for DRM, DRR and recovery, tools and practices for integration of DRR and recovery into development and sectorial planning, risk drivers, EWS, knowledge management and technical capacity building, information management, financial capacity and insurance, transparency mechanisms, M&E framework);
- Within the national strategy (above) design an appropriate financing mechanism for DRR and recovery at the national level, drawing on past experiences and best international practices and development of a proposal for its operationalization (with associated budget allocations, access and monitoring mechanisms);
- Conduct a feasibility study for a national contingency fund to support recovery initiatives and definition of an operationalization mechanism;
- Conduct technically focused workshop for decision makers on mainstreaming DRR into their ministries and sectors;
- Support to at least 1 priority sector ministry in piloting preparedness for recovery management plan;
- Review the existing National Directive on Land Use planning to better guide integration of DRR concerns and available risk information into development policies and plans at both national and local level;
- Formulate a model pre-event recovery ordinance and preparedness plans for sustainable recovery in targeted municipalities.
Institutional Arrangements:
- The consultant team will work in close collaboration with the Disaster Risk Reduction Management Specialist, under the coordination of the UN Country Office and will report directly to the Head of the Environment, Energy and Disaster Prevention Unit;
- Institutions with whom the consultants will interact and collaborate include: Instituto Nacional de Gestão do Território (INGT) e o Serviço Nacional de Proteção Civil e Bombeiros (SNPCB), relevant ministries and local authorities;
- An office space will be available at the UN building and the admin and logistical support will be ensured by the UN Country Office.
Results/Expected Outputs:
Deliverables Delivery Date
Formulation of a detailed work plan for the consultancy By end of week 2
proposing milestones and clarifying responsibilities
Capacity assessment (report) of national and local By end of month 2
institutions to manage recovery processes;
Recovery capacity-building plan for national and local By end of month 2, workshop to be Government formulated on the basis of the capacity conducted in the following month
gap analysis/capacity assessment;
Training on preparedness for disaster recovery focusing By end of month 2
on policy making and land planning tools (GIS services
and data for recovery planning), based on recommendations
formulated in the capacity building plan;
Revision and update of the existing national contingency By end of month 3
plan from a “preparedness for recovery” lens;
Revision of the Cape Verdean institutional and policy By end of month 4
framework for DRR and formulate a comprehensive
national DRR and recovery preparedness strategy aligned
with international standards and guidelines;
Feasibility study for a national contingency fund to support By end of month 5
recovery initiatives and definition of an operationalization
mechanism;
Technically focused workshop for decision makers on By end of month 5
mainstreaming DRR into their ministries and sectors
Support to at least 1 priority sector ministry in piloting By end of month 5
preparedness for recovery management plan;
Formulate a proposal for the amelioration of the existing By end of month 6
National Directive on Land Use planning to better guide
integration of DRR concerns and available risk information
into development policies and plans at both national and local
level;
Model pre-event recovery ordinance and preparedness plans By end of month 6
for sustainable recovery in targeted municipalities.
Competencies
Values/Guiding Principles:
- Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Valuing Diversity:
- Demonstrates an international outlook, appreciates differences in values and learns from cultural diversity;
- Continually examines his/her own biases and behaviours to avoid stereotypical responses;
Working in Teams:
- Works collaboratively with colleagues inside the Joint Office as well as partners and other stakeholders; Supports the decisions of the team even when it is not his/her preferred solution;
- Proactively pursues solutions to team problems and asks for help when needed. Pursues achievement of common goals.
- Strong ability to work and interact well with diverse groups, in particular government officials and agents.
Self and conflict management:
- Remains calm, collected and patient, regardless of circumstances;
- Responds effectively to stress and situations of ambiguity or crisis;
- Adapts flexibly to changing situations or to overcome obstacles;
- Listens and responds appropriately to criticism.
Communicating information and ideas:
- Communicates clearly and effectively;
- Seeks to understand the ideas of others;
- Helps create an environment for open communication;
- Delivers oral/written information in a timely, effective and easily understood manner;
- Prepares written material in a manner that requires little or no corrections or editing by others.
Functional and operational effectiveness:
- Strong analytical, writing and advocacy skills;
- Skills and understanding of local governance and decentralization issues;
- Skills in results-orientated programme development and implementation.
Knowledge Sharing/Continuous Learning:
- Promotes a knowledge sharing and learning culture in the office In-depth knowledge on development issues;
- Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more Practice Areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in disaster risk reduction and management, environment, geography, development and land use planning, or other relevant fields.
Experience:
- At least 3 years of relevant experience at international levels within governmental institutions, think tanks, NGOs, in international development, disaster risk reduction and management; recovery planning and management;
- Substantial experience in designing, implementing and/or evaluating post-disaster recovery policies and programs is required (in transitional or developing countries is an advantage);
- Substantial experience in designing, implementing, and/or evaluating Disaster Risk Reduction policies and programs in is required (in transitional or developing countries is an advantage);
- Experience in supporting development and implementation of capacity building plans is required;
- Track record of analysis, research, presentations, project management on disaster risk reduction, and recovery processes strongly preferred;
- Demonstrated GIS services expertise strongly preferred;
- Knowledge of Post-Disaster Needs Assessment methodology is an advantage;
- Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of conventions on Disaster Risk Reduction and institutional partnerships and platforms, such as Sendai Agreement, Sustainable recovery frameworks, UN ISDR, UN SPIDER, Prevention web and other relevant is an advantage.
- Demonstrated interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively with local counterparts;
- Confidence in consensus building skills with senior executives and technical staff as well as strong public speaking, facilitating and presentation skills.
Language:
- Must be fluent in English, written and spoken. Must have published research in English.
- Working knowledge of Portuguese, Spanish or French is an advantage.
Computer Skills:
- Proficiency in current office software applications and corporate IT systems (Office Pack and Internet);
- Knowledge of remote sensing and spatial decision support tools applied to disaster risk reduction and recovery planning is required;
- Knowledge on disaster data integration tools and information systems design is an advantage.
Please be informed that we don’t accept application submitted via UNDP JOBS site. Only applications emailed to procurement.cv@cv.jo.un.org .
Presentation of Offer
Interested consultants should send their application dossier to procurement.cv@cv.jo.un.org indicating the following reference (mandatory) “International Consultant for Co-Lead consultant to support the development of capacities and institutional frameworks in DRR and Post-Disaster Recovery” by 29th February COB, 16H00 Cape Verde time. Incomplete applications will be excluded from further consideration. Only selected candidate will be notified.
The application is a two-step process. Failing to comply with the submission process may result in disqualifying the applications:
Format: PDF files only and Financial proposal password protected. Free from virus and corrupted files
For electronically transferred data, the maximum capacity is 9MB. Thus, if the size of the file is greater than 9MB attach them with two or more emails. In this case you are kindly advised to label each email as “Attachment 1 of 3; 2 of 3; and 3 of 3”.
No. of copies to be transmitted: only One, do not send the proposals time and again to avoid mistake in identifying the appropriate proposals. UNDP/Procurement Unit will not be liable for failing to locate a right proposal owing to repetitively sending proposals.
Proposals File Name (Mandatory): The File Name for Technical and Financial Proposals MUST BE:
- For Technical Document: Technical - International Consultant for Co-Lead consultant to support the development of capacities and institutional frameworks in DRR and Post-Disaster Recovery;
- For Financial Document: Financial - International Consultant for Co-Lead consultant to support the development of capacities and institutional frameworks in DRR and Post-Disaster Recovery.
For failing and/or incorrectly state the above subject line may result in failing to exactly locate your proposals as the Procurement Unit processes several of such type bid process and will not be liable for any consequences thereof
Step 1:
- Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
- Personal CV and P11, duly signed and 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;
- Brief description of why the Candidate considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment, and a brief methodological proposal on how the assignment will be approached and completed;
- Two samples of past publications in English.
Step 2:
- Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided. The Financial Proposal should be submitted separately, if not complied the application will not be considered. If an Offeror is employed by an organization/company/institution, and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNDP under Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the Offeror must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP.
Password for Financial Proposal, will be requested from those Proposers whose Technical proposals found to be Technically Qualified by Technical Evaluation Panel, where minimum passing score of technical proposal is 70 points.
Note:
The selected candidate will be required to provide additional personal information i.e. copy of last education certificate, reference check, release letter (for government official employee only).
Criteria for Evaluation of Proposal: Only those applications which are responsive and compliant will be evaluated. Offers will be evaluated according to the Combined Scoring method: the qualifications and methodology will be weighted a max. of 70 points (Educational background: 5 points, Professional experience and experience in similar assignments: 20 points and quality of technical proposal: 45 points) and combined with the price offer which will be weighted a max of 30 points.
The applicant receiving the Highest Combined Score, and that has also accepts UNDP’s General Terms and Conditions will be awarded the contract.
UNDP applies a fair and transparent selection process that will take into account the competencies/skills of the applicants as well as their financial proposals. Qualified women and members of social minorities are encouraged to apply.