Background

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is the UN’s Global Development Network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in over 170 countries, employing participatory approaches to developing local solutions to national and global development challenges. UNDPs core vision is to help countries achieve simultaneous eradication of poverty and significant reduction of inequalities and exclusion.  We do this through three main areas of work which are: (1) sustainable development (2) inclusive and effective democratic governance, and (3) climate and disaster resilience.

Addressing gender equality and women’s empowerment is a key aspect of UNDP’s approach to achieving its core vision. Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment are seen as goals in their own right and are also central to the achievement of UNDP’s development mandate. UNDP is guided in its work by its Gender Equality Strategy 2014-2017 which details how UNDP works towards gender equality in each of the goals and key results set out in the UNDP Strategic Plan 2014-2017.

Regarding UNDP’s work on Adaptation to Climate Change, UNDP’s Strategic Plan (2014 – 2017) lays out a commitment to strengthening sustainable development pathways and building resilience in developing countries. In this context, UNDP is currently supporting a number of countries to implement a large portfolio of climate change adaptation projects, which have designated sets of indicators to track project activities and impact. Among these initiatives are the NAP portfolio of programmes that focus on supporting countries to advance their national adaptation plan (NAP) process, which is meant to result in the integration of climate change considerations into planning and budgeting systems at the country level. Several sources of financing including the GEF Least Developed Country Fund, Special Climate Change Fund and bilateral funding from the Government of Japan and Germany, is also supporting this body of work.

Focus on integrating gender, climate, and inclusive market development

In most developing countries, micro and small enterprises (MSEs) provide at least sixty per cent of all employment. These small business livelihoods are mostly in agriculture, a sector especially vulnerable to climate change because of floods and droughts. Agricultural MSEs can benefit from increasing their own resilience, and are also well-positioned to develop and sell products and services that strengthen the resilience of their communities.  In this way, these businesses become an enabling resource for enhancing the resilience of vulnerable communities worldwide.

At the same time, gender inequalities limit agricultural productivity and efficiency and in so doing, undermine development agendas. Women constitute approximately 40 per cent of the agricultural labor force in developing countries, and about half of the force in Eastern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, yet their roles remain largely unrecognized. Compared with male farmers, women tend to operate smaller farms, keep fewer livestock, have greater overall workload, have less education and less access to agricultural extension and financial services as well as agricultural inputs, receive lower wages and are engaged in more precarious employment.

Early experience from the UNDP adaptation portfolio has indicated that MSE and livelihoods support, particularly for women, must be a core focus of adaptation investments. However these production-level investments alone may not address systemic issues that can prevent MSEs from enhancing resilience.  For example, a farmer may not be able to access finance for key climate resilient inputs, or an MSE owner may be uncertain about the market demand for her climate resilient crops. Adaptation investments can be made more sustainable by targeting barriers along the value chain.

In response to these issues, UNDP is developing an approach to integrating gender and climate change adaptation into national agricultural market development strategies, under the project Integrating Agriculture in National Adaptation Plans programme (“NAP-Ag”).  In the NAP-Ag project, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are working together with ministries of Agriculture, Environment, Planning and Finance, and key national stakeholders in Nepal, Kenya, the Philippines, Thailand, Uganda, Uruguay, Viet Nam, Zambia, Guatemala, Colombia, and The Gambia to incorporate agricultural sectors into National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) processes. In doing so, the programme aims to safeguard livelihoods, raise agricultural production and boost food security. In all target countries, agricultural sectors, including forestry and fisheries, have been identified as the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, but also key to ensuring food security and reducing poverty. The programme is funded by the International Climate Initiative of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB).

Within this overall background, UNDP is seeking the support of an International Consultant to support the areas of gender, climate change adaptation, and agricultural market development in NAP processes.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objective:

The overall objective of the assignment is to strengthen the integration of gender, climate, and agricultural market development in NAP processes, by means of developing a toolkit and training module and supporting capacity building processes in countries.

UNDP is seeking to recruit a Toolkit Development and Value Chains expert to support a set of initiatives that are underway which focus on supporting the areas of gender, climate change adaptation, and agricultural market development in NAP processes.

Scope of Work:

Under the overall guidance of the head of climate change adaptation, UNDP GEF and under the supervision of the lead Technical Specialist of the NAP-Ag programme, the Consultant will undertake the following tasks, including:

• Participate in a 1-day inception workshop with an interdisciplinary team;
• Develop a toolkit for use by NAP-Ag countries in value chain analysis, mapping, and intervention design to assist them in integrating gender and climate change adaptation into national market development strategies;
• Design an accompanying training module;
• Design and conduct 1 training session in each of 3 selected countries;
• Draft a mission report for the 3 countries.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables:

By the end of the Assignment, the Consultant shall prepare and submit a toolkit and accompanying training module, and collect initial feedback in three countries.  The objective of the toolkit is to help countries in selecting and analyzing value chains for opportunities to improve climate change resilience and reduce gender inequalities, and in identifying and prioritizing investments in line with these opportunities.

The Consultancy is split into the following Phases:

Phase 1 (15 January – 30 January, 2 days):

Deliverable 1:

The Consultant will participate in a 1-day inception meeting. The objective of the inception meeting will be to agree on the content of the toolkit and workplan with an interdisciplinary team of UNDP staff and external reviewers. The Consultant will then prepare an inception report and final workplan for the toolkit development (due 5 working days after the inception workshop).

Phase 2 (January 30 - March 15, 40 days):

Deliverable 2a:

Develop a toolkit on integrating climate and gender into national market development strategies.

The toolkit should be based on a review of existing tools and literature and would include at a minimum:

• Criteria for selection of value chains for detailed analysis, including existing national market development strategies, climate change impacts, gender, and stakeholder interest.
• Best practices for mapping value chains and their broader system/context and identifying potential interventions that enhance climate resilience, empower women, and contribute to inclusive market development.
• Best practices for analyzing gender/social norms, practices, and institutions that may have implications for risk reduction and climate change resilience, including the need to engage men as well as women, and recommended actions (networks/tools) to follow through in this process.
• Best practices for engaging stakeholders, including community members and organizations, as well as private sector actors, in all stages of the process.  The best practices should highlight in particular the involvement of women.

The toolkit should focus on the perspective of public sector action, and how to best crowd in private sector activity, including through policies, programs, and planning.

The consultant will be expected to work in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team comprised of gender, climate, and value chain experts on UNDP’s staff as well as external peer reviewers. The consultant will be responsible for assembling relevant information and preparing the toolkit.

(Approximately 25 days: Draft by February 28, 2017 Second Version by 15 March 2017 incorporating peer review feedback).

Deliverable 2b:

Develop an accompanying training module to assist NAP-Ag countries in the general understanding of the conceptual approach and in deploying the toolkit.  This half-day training module should:

• Provide an overview of value chain approaches for development of the agriculture sector.
• Discuss why value chain approaches are important for enhancing climate resilience and empowering women.
• Train participants in the purpose and use of the toolkit.
• Include a comprehensive list of the most appropriate and relevant literature and other resources.

The training module should be delivered as a powerpoint slide deck and interactive exercises that are a supplement to the toolkit (Deliverable 2a).

 (Approximately 5 days: Draft by 5 March 2017, Second Version by 15 March 2017).

 Deliverable 2c:

Deliver the training module through two to three webinars and 2 multi-stakeholder workshops during 2 NAP support missions (to be held in March – April 2017), and adjust the toolkit and training module based on feedback.

The consultant will conduct these webinars/missions by:

• Providing input into the preparation of webinars/ missions, in cooperation with the NAP-GSP team, the Country Offices and the governmental counterparts;
• Customizing the training to local contexts, including through desk review of existing market development strategies and exchange with the Country Offices and the governmental counterparts;
• Traveling to the 2 target countries;
• Conduct one training module on each mission/webinar;
• Draft a mission report for each country highlighting next steps in implementing the tool and intended outcomes; and
• Revising the training module and assessment tool based on participant feedback.

(Approximately 10-15 days: Due date: March- April 2017)

Phase 3 (1 April - 30 April, 15 days):

Deliverable 3:

The consultant will expand the toolkit to incorporate additional guidance on developing and prioritizing interventions to upgrade agricultural value chains with a focus on climate and gender.  This additional work will include at a minimum the following:

• example business models for upgrading value chains focused on climate and gender (PPPs, outgrower schemes, micro-enterprise development, etc)
• guidance for prioritizing among potential interventions.

(Approximately 15 days: Draft due March 31, final toolkit and training module due April 30).

Summary of Deliverables:

• Deliverable 1 : Inception workshop and report / Due date :  25 January, 2017 (2 days approximately);
• Deliverable 2a:  NAP -Ag toolkit/ Due date ; Draft - 28 February, 2017 and Second version - 15 March,2017 (25 days approximately);
• Deliverable 2b: NAP - Ag training module/ Due date: Draft - 5 March 2017 and Second version -15 March, 2017 (5 days approximately);
• Deliverable 2c: Two - Three training missions / Due date : March - April 2017 (10 days appoximately);
• Deliverable 3: Updated Toolkit and Training Module/ Due date: 30 April 2017 (15 days approximately).

Total number of working days : 57 days

Institutional Arrangement:

• The Consultant will carry out his/her tasks under the overall guidance of the UNDP/GEF’s Head for Climate Change Adaptation and the Lead Technical Specialist for the Global Support Programme for NAPs. He/she will work closely with UNDP Gender Team (Environment and Climate Change Policy Specialist and Gender Regional Advisors as defined), FAO Gender Focal Point and other staff involved in the process.
• The Consultant will be responsible for providing her/his own working station (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to a reliable internet connection, during the assignment (the cost of this facilities should be included in the financial proposals, if required).
• Payments will be made upon submission of a certification of payment form, and acceptance and confirmation by the UNDP-GEF Head Climate Change adaptation: on satisfactory delivery of outputs.

Review Time Required: Two weeks.

Contract Duration:  Up to 60 days during 15 January 2017 to 30 April 2017

Duty Station: Home-based. Possible travel to the countries targeted by the NAP-Ag programme.

Travel: The expert might be requested to undertake one 1-2 day inception mission or participate in a virtual inception meeting. In addition, the expert might be requested to undertake 3 mission trips to country offices (likely Zambia and Uruguay, Nepal or Uganda. Destination shall be assigned and approved prior to travel. For all international travel expected of this consultancy, return air-tickets on least-cost, economy fares will be arranged and paid separately. Once a mission plan is drafted, the consultant will submit the request for travel to the supervisor of this contract at least 3 weeks prior to the travel dates. Living allowance and terminals, should be identified once the travel is agreed/approved by the supervisor and will be reimbursed by UNDP.

Competencies

The selection of consultants will be aimed at maximizing the overall qualities in the following areas:

• Proven ability to undertake value chain analyses with gender and/or climate change dimensions;
• Proven ability to design and implement tools in market development with a focus on the user and using iterative methods;
• Knowledge of UNDP focal areas, especially inclusive market development, gender, and/or climate change;
• Understanding of the links between climate change, agriculture and gender issues;
• Ability to collaborate and incorporate user feedback;
• Ability to engage in interdisciplinary projects;
• Skills in designing and facilitating trainings and capacity building activities;
• Experience working in Asia and/or sub-Saharan Africa;
• Excellent analytical, writing, advocacy, presentation, and communications skills;
• Fluency in spoken and written English;
• Demonstrated ability to work in an independent manner.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree in any of related areas: sustainable agriculture, sustainable development, business administration, policy analysis, gender, climate change, environment.

Experience:

• A minimum of at least ten years of progressive experience in inclusive agricultural value chain development;
• Experience in addressing climate change and/or gender in the context of market development;
• Demonstrated experience in designing and facilitating tools and trainings on themes listed above for government officials and civil society and private sector representatives in developing countries;
• Demonstrated substantive experience in working with developing countries;
• Demonstrated experience working on policy and programmatic issues in multi-stakeholder processes that include national and local governments, private sector entities, and civil society organizations including community organizations;
• Experience or strong familiarity with the work of UNDP and/or other multilateral, bilateral and civil society development partners.

Language:

• Fluency in English communication is essential.

Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments:

Consultant must send a financial proposal based on Daily Fee.

Consultant shall quote an all-inclusive Daily Fee for the contract period. The term “all-inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, communications, consumables, etc.) that could be incurred by the IC in completing the assignment are already factored into the daily fee submitted in the proposal. If applicable, travel or daily allowance cost (if any work is to be done outside the IC’s duty station) should be identified separately. Payments shall be done on a monthly basis based on actual days worked, upon verification of completion of deliverables and approval by the IC’s supervisor of a Time Sheet indicating the days worked in the period.

In general, UNDP shall not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources.

In the event of unforeseeable travel not anticipated in this TOR, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and the Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.

Evaluation Method and Criteria:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on Cumulative Analysis.

Only those candidates that meet the minimum level of education and relevant years of experience requirements will be considered for the technical evaluation. The technical evaluation will include a desk review to select the shortlisted candidates. The technical evaluation may also include interviews with shortlisted candidate(s).

The selection of the best offer from the shortlisted candidates will be based on a Combined Scoring method – where the technical evaluation (desk review and interview) will be weighted a maximum of 70 points, and combined with the price offer which will be weighted a maximum of 30 points. The 70 points rating shall be based on how well the Offer- or meets the minimum qualifications/competencies described above.

Technical Criteria for Evaluation (Maximum 70 points)

• Criteria 1: Master’s degree or above in gender, climate change, environment, sustainable agriculture, sustainable development or a related field - 15 points;
• Criteria 2: Demonstrated substantive experience (at least 10 years) in working with developing countries and undertaking policy and programmatic work, and designing and conducting trainings and participatory approaches, in the area of agricultural market development and gender or climate change - 25 points;
• Criteria 3: Experience/familiarity of adaptation to climate change, technical expertise, and analytical skills on issues related to gender, environment and sustainable agriculture, and value chains, with extensive research and documentation of stories and case studies - 20 points;
• Criteria 4: Demonstrated substantive experience in working with developing countries; and working on policy and programmatic issues in multi-stakeholder processes that include national and local governments, private sector entities, and civil society organizations including community organizations - 5 points;
• Criteria 5: Communication skills relevant to the position and experience in producing reports in English - 5 points.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Recommended Presentation of Offer:

The application is a two-step process. Failing to comply with the submission process may result in disqualification:

Step 1: Interested individual consultants must include the following documents when submitting the applications in the UNDP job shop (Please note that only 1 (one) file can be uploaded therefore please include all docs in one file):

• Personal History Form (P11), 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
• A methodological note on the approach to this assignment (2 pager) as well as a brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable candidate for the assignment
• Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
• Indicate available start date.

Please click on the link below to download required documents:

http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=34545

Step 2: Submission of Financial Proposal

Applicants are instructed to submit their daily rate financial proposals in US Dollars for this consultancy using the financial proposal template. The proposals should be sent via email to brh.gef.procurement@undp.org with the following subject heading: “Financial Proposal for Expert on Gender and Adaptation to Climate Change" by the deadline for this vacancy. Proposals to be received after the deadline may be rejected. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal should be all-inclusive and include a breakdown. The term ‘all-inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, travel related expenses, communications, utilities, consumables, insurance, etc.) that could possibly be incurred by the Contractor are already factored into the financial proposal.

Travel

It is expected that the expert might be requested to undertake 2-3 missions travel to country offices in Africa, Asia and/or Latin America (likely Zambia, Uganda, Nepal, or Uruguay, 3 days per mission).

• Living allowance and terminals, should be identified upon the travel is agreed/approved by the supervisor and will be reimbursed by UNDP

The applicants are expected to reflect the cost of the above travel in their financial proposals.

Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments:

• Financial proposals must be all inclusive and must be expressed on the basis of “a daily fee” in USD.

For any clarification regarding this assignment please write to brh.gef.procurement@undp.org