Background

In October 2017,  the project concept entitled “ Integrated Approach in the Management of Major Biodiversity Corridors in the Philippines” with a budget proposal of USD12M was cleared by GEF CEO.  The project aims to establish and operationalize a comprehensive planning and management framework  to manage biological corridors in an integrated manner which will generate multiple benefits including effective conservation of globally significant biodiversity, reduced deforestation and degradation and enhanced livelihoods. Specifically,  the project is envisioned to address the following barriers:

Barrier 1:  Policies, regulations, and approaches that breed disjointed goverance, planning, management, and financing of activities within the landscape/corridor. Currently relevant agencies in PA management and those that have remit over lands identified as biodiversity corridors are guided by their respective mandates and deliver on stated outcomes.  The interplay of various policies and programs in the same landscape oftentimes result in unintended results due to the absence of a commonly agreed planning and management framework for all sectors to follow;

Barrier 2: Fragmented implementation of key programs that fails to effectively address threats to BD corridor connectivity and natural resources decline: The absence of an integrated planning framework within the landscape that considers connectivity within the corridor is manifested by programs being implemented with no focus on addressing threats to habitat loss, maintaining ecosystem flows, fragmentation, conversion of high conservation value forests to agriculture. Thus, existing corridors remain a mosaic of disjointed land management units with incompatible objectives;

Barrier 3: Weak community level mechanisms to incentivize conservation of biodiversity, promote sustainable natural resource utilization, and monitor compliance: The BD corridors consist of areas that are managed under various tenure regimes including communally and privately-owned lands. A system of incentives is essential to encourage private or land tenure holders in critical spaces within the landscape to contribute to providing stepping stones, or expand the pathways of target species while ensuring improvement in ecosystem services and resilience.

To detail out the project concept into a full blown project proposal,  the GEF has also granted an amount of USD273,000 as project preparation grant. This PPG aims to prepare and develop the following documents for final submission and approval by the GEF:

• UNDP-GEF Project Document (ProDoc), using the 2017 standard template.
• Mandatory annexes to the ProDoc, including gender analysis and action plan, and stakeholder engagement plan, among others, and project specific annexes (e.g. landscape profile, institutional and legal analysis, feasibility studies etc).
• GEF CEO Endorsement Request.
• Validation Workshop report (as appropriate for projects with a moderate and high SESP risk rating).

The project preparation grant (PPG) has an allocation for the hiring of project development team including a National Consultant on Forest and Land-Use Planning & Management Specialist who will assist and support the team in the development and completion of the required above-cited documents/PPG deliverables. 

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT

For the duration of the contract, the consultant will report to and coordinate with UNDP and key focal agencies such as DENR-BMB, DENR-FMB and DA-BSWM.  All activities supported by this engagement should be approved by UNDP.

All outputs should be cleared by the PPG Team Leader and endorsed by the key focal agencies before UNDP issues the certificate of acceptance for the processing of payments.

Those who will be involved in PPG are barred from participating in the implementation.

DURATION OF WORK

The contract will cover a period of 8 weeks spread over 01 March to 30 November 2018. 

EXPECTED OUTPUTS

• Report on detailed analysis of baseline (legal, policy, institutional, investment etc.) and recommended project interventions to promote sustainable land and forest management including integration of BD Corridor management in land-use and development planning processes and the mechanisms to measure and monitor sustainable forest and land improvement outcomes;
• Accomplished SFM Tracking Tool
• Appropriate inputs to the relevant sections of the UNDP-GEF Project Document (ProDoc), using the 2017 standard template as maybe assigned/requested by the PPG Team Leader
• Appropriate inputs to the relevant sections of the GEF-CEO Endorsement as maybe assigned/requested by the PPG Team Leader

• SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS

  The financial proposals from possible candidates should be expressed in lump sum amount inclusive of all financial costs related to this engagement (i.e. professional fees, transportation/travel to and from residence-Manila, reproduction, communications including internet).  Domestic airfare, food and accommodation of the team outside Manila will be shouldered by UNDP separately and only 20% of the DSA following the NIM rates will be provided.

  The payment terms will be as follows: 

• First Tranche       10%     - Upon submission and acceptance of the inputs to Inception Work Plan 
• Second Tranche   30%    -  Upon submission and acceptance of the Report on detailed analysis of baseline (legal, policy, institutional, investment etc.) and recommended project interventions to promote sustainable land and forest management including mechanisms to measure and monitor sustainable forest and land improvement outcomes
• Third Tranche       20%    -  Upon submission of the accomplished SFM Tracking Tool; 
• Forth Tranche       40%    - Upon submission and acceptance of appropriate inputs to the 1st draft and  2nd draft of the UNDP-GEF Project Document with the mandatory annexes and 1st draft of the CEO Endorsement Document (in report format).

Duties and Responsibilities

ROLE

The Forest and Land Use Planning and Management Specialist will work closely with the PPG team leader and other local consultants and will perform tasks below.

SCOPE OF WORK

1. Prepare inputs and support the required analyses/studies, as agreed with the PPG Team Leader, including:
   1. Prepare a project strategy and plan for implementing an integrated approach to biodiversity corridors in the country. This will be based on a needs assessment that includes: (a) reviews of relevant documents, forest management plans, spatial planning initiatives, land use plans, NBSAPs, etc.; (b) assessment of existing and emerging threats to PAs, biodiversity corridors; (c) assessment of the country’s sustainable forest management initiatives and its biodiversity connectivity with an analysis of relationship between various sectors in the landscape, existing mechanisms and interactions; (; (d) assess, collate and analyse information related to any other aspect of baseline, forest management and land-use planning in the country; (e) conduct assessment of knowledge gaps on the status of biodiversity corridors; (f) develop the project strategy and detailed plan for supporting implementation of integrated approach to biodiversity corridor management including incentives for private sector and communities in SFM, including tenure instruments for forest occupants.
   2. Lead and facilitate the accomplishment of the required tracking tool for SFM;
   3. Support and provide inputs and relevant information to the site profile focusing on SFM and high conservation forests in the area;
   4. Support the identification and finalisation of pilot sites for intervention
   5. Support the preparation of the gender analysis;
   6. Support the action points, including risk assessments, from the UNDP Social and Environmental Screening Procedure (SESP) at the PIF stage (“pre-screening”) are fully implemented during the PPG, and support the iterations of that screening in an iterative fashion throughout the PPG, as appropriate;
2. Support the completion of any additional studies that are determined to be needed for the preparation of the ProDoc and all other final outputs.
3. Prepare inputs and support the development of final PPG deliverables such as accomplishment of required tracking tools and other mandatory annexes, among others, as agreed with the PPG Team Leader.
4. Support, contribute and participate in the Validation Workshop
5. Support all necessary revisions that arise during the workshop, as appropriate.

Competencies

Core Competencies

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN's values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly without favouritism. 

Functional and Technical Competencies

• Ability to work in a diverse and multi-cultural environment;
• Self-motivated and ability to work under pressure and to meet strict and competing deadlines;
• Displays analytical judgment and demonstrated ability to handle confidential and politically sensitive issues in a responsible and mature manner;
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
• Demonstrates self-management, including conflict management/negotiation skills on interpersonal issues;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English, Filipino, and the language(s) in ARMM;
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to work effectively in teams, delivering through and within others;
• Computer literate; good knowledge of Microsoft Office Applications.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a relevant field, such as forestry, NRM, Land Use Planning, Agriculture etc; 

Experience

• Minimum 10 years of demonstrable experience in the technical area of project development, planning, implementing and monitoring projects and programmes related to forest management, natural resource management, sustainable land management

• Minimum of 3-5 years experience in proposal writing and development.

Language

• Fluency in spoken and written English, Filipino and languages used in ARMM is required

Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer

A Combined Scoring method will be used in evaluating the offers received. The qualifications and methodology will be weighted 70%, and combined with the price offer which will be weighted 30%.

Recommended Presentation of Offer and Application Process

Applicants are required to submit the following documents to procurement.ph@undp.org.

1. Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability that indicates the all-inclusive lumpsum contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided; 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.
2. Personal CV or 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; 

In view of the volume of applications UNDP receives, only shortlisted offerors will be notified.