Background
This project is designed to strengthen capacity for environmental monitoring and information management in Albania by establishing an operational environmental information management and monitoring system (EIMMS) with a focus on biodiversity and protected areas. The project will address the need for an environmental monitoring system that is integrated throughout relevant government institutions and that uses international monitoring standards for indicator development, data collection, analysis, and policy-making. It will also build on existing technical and institutional capacity in Albania to align its management and monitoring efforts with global monitoring and reporting priorities. Increased capacity in this area will improve reporting to the Rio Conventions and lay the groundwork for sustainable development through better-informed environmental policy.
Project Description:
Albania has become a Party to three Rio- Conventions after 1990-s which corresponds to the country’s change of regime and participation in international agreements on environmental protection. The national development agenda of Albania fully takes into consideration the fact that its development will only proceed by adequately taking into account, global processes and trends. The principles of the conventions, as well as of the European Union environmental policy, have been established as priority areas in the National Strategy for Development and Integration (NSDI) 2007-2013, which is under review for the period up to 2020. The Environmental Cross-cutting Strategy integral part of the NSDI is the basic document that represents the national policy on environmental protection. This document addresses all environmental components and sets general guidance on problems arising from sectors having an impact upon environment.
Reporting obligations under the existing environmental regulations have been restricted to compliance with environmental quality standards without including any information about policies’ effects and effectiveness. The lack of policy-oriented monitoring and information support tools hinders intersectoral collaboration throughout the entire policy process
In 2006 Albania, with UNDP support has conducted a self-assessment process aming at assessment of capacity needs (NCSA) and priorities with respect to the global environment and within the context of sustainable development so that Albania can meet the requirements of the Global Environmental Conventions in a coordinated and strategic manner
The NCSA highlighted that due to many problems existing in information collection and management systems, the government has limited capacity to meet its obligations, which results in uninformed constituency, poor knowledge of existing problems and their extent by the decision makers which in turn results in poor planning practices. The immediate need for sound and integrated information was articulated in NCSA as:
- Providing basis for the development of specific and yet future looking policies, strategies, plans, undertaking specific measures;
- Enabling the Civil Society organizations (CSO) and the general public in getting more aware and mobilized around solving particular issues and pressuring the government to adhere to its obligations;
- Reporting to the all three Rio Conventions to which Albania is the signatory and has commitments.
Reporting obligations under the existing environmental regulations have been restricted to compliance with environmental quality standards without including any information about policies’ effects and effectiveness. The lack of policy-oriented monitoring and information support tools hinders intersectoral collaboration throughout the entire policy process The key challenges and its causal linkages identified in the NCSA with regards to information management and reporting is summarized in figure 1 annexed herewith.
The existing Protected Areas (Biodiversity) Information System (PA-IS) is thought as the single, unique and more comprehensive national entry point for data and information on biodiversity in Albania. However, at its current scale and scope the PA-IS is limited to the protected areas network and cannot serve as a tool for informed decision making and reporting for broader natural resources management and conservation at national level and global level.
In addition, various projects carried out by many international and national agencies in the environment and natural resources management areas have generated a vast amount of data and information which are important for conservation and sustainable management of these resources within the country as well as within the region. These data and information are stored in various government and non-government agencies with no proper system established to interlink and retrieve for utilization.
Creating national wide environmental information system will therefore enable Albania monitoring and coordinating sectoral policies strategically to fulfill national obligations under global environmental agreements so that Albania can meet the requirements of the Global Environmental Conventions in a coordinated and strategic manner.
As an integral part (or the pre-requisite) of the national environmental information system establishment, the country needs to review various environmental and social economic indicators in order to create a well integrated and manageable monitoring systems that would form the foundation of national environmental information system.
The project is a response to the need for an environmental monitoring system that is integrated throughout the related government institutions, that is well coordinated and cooperates, using international monitoring standards for the selection of monitoring indicators, the data collection processes, the processing and reporting of this information covering all three Rio Conventions. The GEF contribution will develop national capacities in Albania to align its national environmental information management and monitoring system with global environmental monitoring and reporting priorities; including the compliance with the Multilateral Environment Agreements reporting obligations.
In particular the project will aim at:
- Development of the EIMS to enable integration of global environment commitments into planing and monitoring processes.
- Development and application of uniform indicators encompassing UNFCCC, CBD and CCD concerns and global environmental threats.
- Stakeholder’s capacity for information management (collection processing) of key global environment data and utilization (interpretation and reporting) is enhanced at national and local level.
Duties and Responsibilities
These Terms of Reference serve to define the responsibilities, tasks and qualifications required for an information technology expert.
The principal responsibility of the expert is to assist the Ministry of Enviroment in establishsings the Environmental Management and Monitoring Information system in Albania.
Under Component 1 of the project the expert is required to :
- Conduct research and contribute to recommendations regarding institutional arrangements and data flow and data gaps in the sectors covering the three MEAs.
- Conduct a user survey for relevant sectors, communities and environmental and statistical institutions, assessing their data usage and data needs.
- Lead the development of recommendations on how to make data available to communities near protected areas.
- Lead a technical review of the CEMSA/other existing databases with an emphasis on MEAs related components.
- Develop and/or modify the fields for data collection in the database.
- Design an integrated EMMIS.
- Provide support for hardware and software purchase and installation during the launch of the pilot information centers and their proposed expansion.
- Lead the development of guidelines for QA/QC for the proposed EIMMS.
- Lead the drafting of recommendations on long-term data storage.
- Draft guidance on database usage and procedures and provide periodic updates to this guidance based on user feedback.
Under Component 2 of the project:
- Provide IT support to data collection (format and entry) as necessary in support to the MoE and its Agencies.
Under Component 3 of the project:
- Provide support to the Education/Training Specialist in the IT-related aspects of curriculum development and provide support to training as necessary.
- Provide substantive advice and IT and drafting support for data reports and data visualization for the national and global reports and briefings using project data
Across components:
- Provide inputs to project documentation, project reporting, and technical reports as needed
- Provide technical review and comments to project reports as needed
The system will be composed of at least four main pillars: (i) User friendly database (ii) GIS (iii) Document Management System (iv) General public access.
Possible modules of the EMMIS system:
- Environment Indicators Management Module (Protected Areas, Climate Change, Land Degradation, Hunting, etc.)
- GIS
- Document management system (DMS)
- Data Exchange Module (data exchange with external databases; module for access for external users such as the general public, etc.)
The IT consultant will also act as the project manager during the programming and will closely work with the other consultants of the project, he will also support the EMMIS management team in MoE.
Expected Deliverables:
The IT consultant will prepare full documentation for the design of software solution and programming and development for EMMIS for a two year period including:
- Design the process workflow
- Assessing the existing databases and proposing a design of the integrated data model
- Design the data update system, ingoing and outgoing documentation, reports and web services
- Develop/implement the EMMIS system and test the connections and data flows
- Training system end users, content providers and administrators
Payment Schedule:
The IT Consultant shall receive payment in four installments from UNDP as follows: 20%- Upon submission and approval of the process workflow; 30%- Upon assessing the existing databases and proposing a design of the integrated data model; 30%- Design the data update system, ingoing and outgoing documentation, reports and web services; 20%- Development of the EMMIS and training the system end-users
Competencies
Technical work
- Strong expertise in Information Technology Management
- Strong analytical skills to evaluate and review databases
- Experience in developing databases and web applications
- Ability to pick up new terminology and concepts easily;
- Familiarity with international organizations;
Partnerships
- Maturity and confidence in dealing with senior members of national institutions;
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
- Excellent English written and communication skills, with analytic capacity and ability to synthesize relevant collected data and findings for the preparation of quality analysis for the EMMIS system;
- Excellent coordination skills and result oriented collaboration with colleagues
Results
- Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
- 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:
- University degree in the fields of information technology or related fields.
Experience:
- 10 years of experience in software programming, system engineering or related field;
- At least 5 years of experience with international organizations;
- Experience of design and maintenance of databases;
- Experience in developing databases and web based applications for public institutions and enterprises;
- Experience in design and development of software based on free open source software;
- Certified Trainer on one of major technology brands (Microsoft, Oracle, Linux, Archgis, etc.)
- Experience on similar projects in region or other countries is preferred.
Languages:
- Excellent English writing skills are essential.
Evaluation of Applicants:
Individual consultant will be evaluated based on a cumulative analysis taking into consideration the combination of the applicants and financial proposal.
Technical Criteria - 70% of total evaluation – max. 70 points
Criteria A: 10 years of experience in software programming, system engineering or related field with at least 5 years of experience in international organizations; max points -30
Criteria B: Proven experience in developing databases and web based applications for public institutions and enterprises; max points – 20
Criteria C: Certified trainer on one of major technology brands (Microsoft, Oracle, Linux, Archgis, etc.); max points - 20
Financial Criteria - 30% of total evaluation – max. 30 points
General Conditions of Contract for the ICs:
UNDP Personal History form (P11):
For Service Contracts (SCs) and Individual Contracts (ICs) - Download here
The application should contain:
- Cover letter explaining why you are the most suitable candidate for the advertised position and 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.
- Filled P11 form For Service Contracts (SCs) and Individual Contracts (ICs)including past experience in similar projects and contact details of referees, please upload the P11 instead of your CV. (a template Download here );
- Financial Proposal* - specifying a total lump sum amount for the tasks specified in this TOR. The financial proposal shall include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (number of anticipated working days – in home office and any other possible costs).
- Please note that UNDP is not in the position to accept incomplete applications - please make sure that your application contains all details as specified below in this notice.