UNDP Jobs - 73064- Conservation Adviser

Conservation Adviser

Location :

Famagusta, CYPRUS

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

01-Aug-2017

Application Deadline :

07-Jul-17 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

National Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

6 Months

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

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

Conservation works are also planned for other cultural heritage sites in Cyprus and will be implemented in 2017 and 2018.

The Agreement of 21 March 2008 reached between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots under the auspices of the United Nations (UN), paved the way for the establishment of the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage (TCCH), dedicated to the recognition, promotion and protection of the rich and diverse cultural heritage of Cyprus. The TCCH is composed of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot experts. The TCCH works to provide a mutually acceptable mechanism for the implementation of practical measures for the proper preservation, physical protection and restoration (including research, study and survey) of the immovable cultural heritage of Cyprus. The TCCH is operating under the UN auspices and its work is an important tool for building confidence between the Turkish Cypriots and the Greek Cypriots.

The TCCH is supported in its work by an Advisory Board (AB) composed of archaeologists, architects, art historians and town planners from both communities.

Within the framework of the activities of the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage, in 2012 the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) initiated with the implementation of the European Union (EU) funded activity “Support to Cultural Heritage Monuments of Great Importance for the communities in Cyprus” Phase 1/ Phase 5.

Within this context, conservation studies (designs) for new cultural heritage sites are about to start, while concurrently works at cultural heritage sites as for example, the portion the Famagusta Walls, Martinengo Bastion, Ravelin and the 4 churches located near the Martinengo bastion in Famagusta.

Other cultural heritage sites have started

Duties and Responsibilities

The appointed Conservation Adviser will work under the overall supervision of the UNDP Senior Programme Manager and he/she will provide guidance to UNDP as per conservation issues for ongoing/new contracts/projects. The Conservation Adviser will work in coordination and collaboration with the respective UNDP Contracts Engineers appointed for each projects/contracts.

Main Duties and Responsibilities inter alia:

Providing consultation services and technical assistance in regard to matters of conservation of movable/immovable cultural heritage objects;
Providing advice to UNDP in regard to the specifications of each new contract/project referring to the conservation of immovable/movable cultural heritage objects;
Conducting periodic site visits for monitoring conservation works and preparing notes to the Senior Programme Manager; Particular attention should be on stone conservation / pointing and any other stone architectural element;
Providing advice on the proper implementation of conservation works according to the type of materials and craftsmanship, and in line with the international conservation standards;
Providing advice to the Senior Programme Manager on reports submitted in regard to the conservation of movable/immovable cultural heritage objects;
Monitoring the implementation of conservation works on movable/immovable cultural heritage objects in accordance to technical specifications and drawings;
Survey (metric and image based) of movable/immovable cultural heritage objects and production of measured drawings, if required;
Systematic documentation (mostly photographic) of movable/immovable cultural heritage objects and creation and update of electronic database of the documentation material;
Attending the site inspections for the substantial completion and advice on the snagging list (pending items for the contractor) for each site;
Prepare specifications for vegetation cleaning on stones by any appropriate means;
Attending site meetings if asked by the Engineer/s of the contract/s;
Attending TCCH and/or AB meetings, if required;
Providing advice on any conservation issues;
In depth historical research related to movable/immovable cultural heritage objects if requested by the Senior Programme Manager;
Providing advice on the maintenance and upkeep of the conserved movable/immovable cultural heritage objects;
Any other related task requested by the Senior Programme Manager.

The Conservation Adviser shall submit an activity note after each task that has been carried out.

Narrative parts of the reports must be written in good English and must be proof read before submission to the Senior Programme Manager.

Competencies

Other than the specific and technical competencies required in order to perform the duties described above, the following personal and general competencies will be needed:

Overall Professionalism, Integrity, Enthusiasm & Commitment;
Good problem-solving skills; ability to apply good judgment in the context of assignments given;
Ability to plan own work and meet tight deadlines;
Able to work efficiently with minimal direction;
Self-disciplined with strong work ethic;
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive attitude;
Remains calm, in control and good humoured even under pressure;
Demonstrates integrity by behaving according to the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Maintains effective partnerships and working relations with sensitivity and respect for diversity;
Excellent analytical and document drafting skills;
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
Partner in a team effectively and work as team
Good problem-solving skills; ability to apply good judgment in the context of assignments given; ability to plan own work and meet tight deadlines; attention to detail.
Demonstrates good oral and written communication skills
Excellent analytical and document drafting skills and ability to gather, analyse and evaluate data on technical aspects of Cultural Heritage preservation.
Good interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and working relations with sensitivity and respect for diversity.

Required Skills and Experience

Education, experience and language requirements:

Post-graduate degree in Conservation related to natural stones and vernacular materials
University degree in architecture or a related discipline
10 years of post-graduate experience
Conservation experience in at least 3 cultural heritage sites
Fluency in spoken and written English and fluency in Greek and/or Turkish
Valid registration/membership with the relevant professional association, if applicable
Competency in computer use
Interested candidates must submit daily fee considering the below criteria:
A day will be calculated as 8.0 hours of worked and it will be prorated with the hours worked
Up to 15 days of work per month will be required; these working days should be arranged with the progress of the works and in consultation with the Senior Programme Manager
Time-sheets will be kept for the time spent on each task;

Traveling to and from UNDP Office will not be calculated.

Application:

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

Motivation/Cover Letter: Explaining why they are the most suitable for the work.
Personal History (P11): Applicants are required to fill and sign a P11 Form and submit it together with the online application. The UNDP P11 Form can be downloaded from: http://europeandcis.undp.org/files/hrforms/P11_modified_for_SCs_and_ICs.doc
References: Contact details of 3 references.
Financial Proposal: Financial proposal will specify the daily fee in EUR per working day and shall cover all expenditures including fees, health insurance, vaccination, international (all travel to join duty station/repatriation travel) or local travel (place of residence to office and office to place of residence), cost of living and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services. Leave benefits (annual, sick, paternity, maternity) are not applicable to Individual Contractor and absent days including weekends and office holidays are not payable.
Evaluation / Selection Process:
All applicants will be screened against qualifications and the competencies set above. Candidates fully meeting the requirements will be further evaluated based on the criteria below.

Technical Criteria (CV review and desk review/interviews) – 70 % of total evaluation– max. 70 points:
CV review: 30 points
Educational qualifications and certifications as defined in the ToR (20 points)
Experience as defined in the ToR (10 points)

Only candidates who obtained at least 70% of points from the CV desk review (who will score at least 21 points) will be invited for an interview

Interview/Desk review: 40 points

Experience in conservation of cultural heritage sites (15 points)
Experience with stone-works in cultural heritage sites (15 points)
Language: Fluency in English and Greek and/or Turkish (10 points)

Only those individual consultants who obtained at least 70% of points from the interview (28 out of 40) will be considered for financial proposal evaluation.

Financial Criteria – 30 % of total evaluation – max. 30 points.

Financial scores will be calculated using the formula [lowest offer / financial offer of the candidate x 30].

UNDP applies the “Best value for money approach” – the final selection will be based on the combination of the applicants’ qualification and financial proposal.

Payment Term:

Monthly payments upon submission of the monthly time-sheet and the collated activity notes for the month.

General Conditions:

General Conditions of contract for the services of Individual contractor can be downloaded from: http://web.undp.org/procurement/documents/UNDP_GCC_IC_Final_English.pdf.