Background

1. ADMINISTRATION
2. To apply, interested persons should upload the combined* Technical Proposal/Methodology (if applicable), CV and Offeror’s Letter to “UNDP Jobs” by navigating to the link below and clicking “APPLY NOW”, no later than the date indicated on the “UNDP Jobs” website. Applications submitted via email will not be accepted**: -

UNDP Job Site – https://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_job.cfm?cur_job_id=81349 (cut and paste into browser address bar if the link does not work)

* PLEASE NOTE: The system allows the upload of one (1) document ONLY – if you are required to submit a Technical Proposal/Methodology, this document along with your CV/P11 and Offeror’s Letter, MUST be combined and uploaded as one.

NOTE: The Financial Proposal should not be uploaded to “UNDP Jobs”**.

Any request for clarification must be sent in writing to procurement.bb@undp.org within three (3) days of the publication of this notice, ensuring that the reference number above is included in the subject line. The UNDP Barbados & the OECS Procurement Unit will post the responses*** two (2) days later, including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry, to: -

http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=50388 (cut and paste into browser address bar if the link does not work)

A detailed Procurement Notice, TOR, and all annexes can be found by clicking the above link.

*** UNDP shall endeavour to provide such responses to clarifications in an expeditious manner, but any delay in such response shall not cause an obligation on the part of UNDP to extend the submission date of the Proposals, unless UNDP deems that such an extension is justified and necessary

There are three recently established Marine Management Area (MMA) Conservation Zones and three existing terrestrial protected areas units in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. Only the Central Forest Reserve National Park was established primarily for ecological conservation, and there are no legally declared terrestrial protected areas on the island of Nevis. The Global Environment Facility (GEF)

investment, through the Conserving Biodiversity and reducing habitat degradation in Protected Areas and their areas of influence Project (Conserving Biodiversity Project), will expand the protected areas system from two terrestrial sites totaling 5,260 hectares to four terrestrial sites totaling 8,810 hectares and three marine sites totaling 11,693 hectares, The project will further enable support for improved ecosystem representation in the protected areas system through the establishment of these new conservation / protected areas, strengthening of the institutional, policy and legal/regulatory frameworks development of sustainable finance mechanisms and the establishment and strengthening of protected areas management operations at key sites. However, for effective support for conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems of national, regional and global significance, there needs to be appropriate and sufficient data to inform effective decision-making.

As part of the overall development and operationalization of a system of protected areas, the project aims to enhance both opportunities for gender responsive sustainable livelihoods in and around its network of protected areas as well as community participation and collaboration in effective management of the sites and their resources. This would entail gender responsive community participation for increasing community members’ access to and capacity for livelihood opportunities in keeping with the goals and objectives of the protected areas. As such, the Project will contract a consultant to carry out a gender responsive feasibility assessment for sustainable financing of SKN PA system and develop corresponding gender responsive sustainable finance plans for 3 terrestrial protected areas and 3 Marine Management Area (MMA) Conservation Zones, incorporating existing sustainable finance plans (2017, 2012, to be provided to consultant), including supporting the implementation of a visitor/user fee system, as outlined in the Conserving Biodiversity Project. Furthermore, enhanced gender responsive sustainable livelihoods, including small- and micro-enterprises that support protected area objectives and conservation, will be integrated into overall financial planning for the protected area sites and the 6 site-based financial plans developed through this consultancy. These gender responsive sustainable site-based finance plans will build on outputs of the ongoing gender responsive socio-economic and livelihood assessment, of the communities around the protected areas and that depend on the natural resources for their livelihoods, as appropriate. These sustainable finance plans are intended to further support long-term sustainability of livelihoods, the protected area sites, and the overall management and institutional growth of the system of protected areas for St Kitts and Nevis.

DOCUMENTS TO BE INCLUDED WHEN SUBMITTING THE PROPOSALS

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

1. Proposal explaining why they are the most suitable for the work

2. Personal CV including past experience in similar projects and at least 3 references

3. Financial proposal

FINANCIAL PROPOSAL

Lump sum contracts

The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables (i.e. whether payments fall in installments or upon completion of the entire contract). Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (including travel, per diems, and number of anticipated working days).

TRAVEL

All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. This includes all travel to join duty station/repatriation travel. In general, UNDP should not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the Inidividual Consultant wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources.

In the case of unforeseeable travel, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.

EVALUATION

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodologies:

* Cumulative analysis

When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and

b) Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria** specific to the solicitation

* Technical Criteria weight; [70%]; * Financial Criteria weight; [30%]

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points would be considered for the Financial Evaluation –

Duties and Responsibilities

SCOPE OF WORK, RESPONSIBILITIES AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ANALYTICAL WORK

The consultant will develop site specific gender responsive sustainable finance plans for 3 terrestrial protected areas (Central Forest Reserve National Park, Nevis Peak National Park – Camps River Watershed Area, and Basseterre Valley National Park) and 3 MMA Conservation Zones (Keys, The Narrows, and Sandy Point), incorporating outputs of the above mentioned gender responsive socio-economic/livelihood assessment and recently completed 2017 Sustainable Finance Plan with specific site based finance mechanisms for the above mentioned protected areas. The project’s primary aim for these areas is to support long term conservation and protection of the protected areas resources. In addition, outputs of this consultancy will support the Project’s aim to enhance community/stakeholder livelihoods and co-management in its financial planning, as appropriate, to support PA management.

Scope of Work

Task 1: Inception Report

* Submit an inception report to the Project Coordinating Unit (PCU) and UNDP no later than two weeks from commencement of the consultancy that includes: (i) methodologies and approaches to develop the gender responsive sustainable site-based finance plans, including community and stakeholder engagement plan for this process; and (ii) detailed work plan and schedule. Incorporate reviews and comments, ensuring approval by PCU and UNDP. Data collection (content and methodology) should be developed and presented for approval, ensuring data needs are identified and appropriate tools for their collection are implemented. The inception report with stakeholder comments incorporated should be finalized prior to the consultant’s mission to the country.

Task 2: Revenue Generation Gender Responsive Feasibility Assessment for Sustainable Financing for SKN PA System:

* Prepare a Revenue Generation Feasibility Assessment for Sustainable Financing of SKN’s Protected Area System by identifying the revenue generating opportunities for each of the areas individually. This should include the potential for using fee structures (entrance, user, commercial, special and concession fees as well as grants and philanthropic giving/donations). The assessment should incorporate legal and social considerations, administration and revenue management costs (staffing, infrastructure, hardware, software, banking and other costs associated with fee/revenue management), revenues and any other considerations deemed pertinent, and that incorporate mechanisms for revenue generation identified in the SKN Sustainable Finance Mechanism Plan (2017) and outputs of the Gender Responsive Socio-economic and Livelihood Assessment (2018, in progress). The Assessment will gather essential information / data to help determine the current levels of investment in the PA estate and identify the level of financial resources necessary for its long-term management. This should include attention to gender equality mainstreaming regarding existing and potential livelihood generation. Data collection associated with the development of this feasibility study should be gender responsive at the minimum include sex disaggregated socio-economic information.

* Include in the feasibility analysis, inter alia, (i) a comparative analysis of the current expenditure and investment levels for the PA system by the different managing agencies, inclusive of the scope of human resources expended that is, the number of women and men employed through these agencies and in what positions; (ii) required investment and funding requirements; (iii) the shortfall in funding for the present PA estate quantified; and (iv) recommendations on addressing the funding shortfall and developing needed financial capacity.

* Provide recommendations, including on business planning and tools for cost-effective management, and tools for revenue generation by PAs.

Task 3: Six (6) Protected Area Gender responsive Site-based Finance Plans:

Develop Six (6) protected area gender responsive site-based finance plans in collaboration with the Project, relevant agencies and stakeholders, that include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Incorporate into sustainable site-based finance plans outputs of feasibility assessment (Task 2), identified gender responsive sustainable livelihood recommendations (including but not limited to outputs of the Socio-economic and Livelihood Assessment Consultancy; to be provided) that support conservation, PA management objectives, community supported management, and recently completed 2017 Sustainable Finance Plan

• Ensure all revenues, expenditures and financial needs of the PA sites are addressed and incorporated into financial planning for each site;

• 5- and 10-year financing goals for each site to accommodate: 1) an anticipated increase in visitor use, 2) anticipated PA infrastructure to accommodate projected increased visitation, and 3) financing profiles for selected gender responsive sustainable livelihood initiatives (TBD), including small- and micro-enterprises that support co-management of the PA site (outputs of the Socio-economic and Livelihood Assessment Consultancy; to be provided

• Ensure that site-based finance plans include recommended sustainable finance mechanisms identified in the 2017 Sustainable Finance Plan and other SKN sustainable finance initiatives, that site level financing mechanisms stem from and support the systemic level finance strategy, and that replicability supports overall PA system growth in a gender responsive way. These plans should also ensure current expenditures of institutions for protected area management do not represent an underestimation of the actual cost of protected area and conservation management due to existing budget limitations and that funds are spent effectively and opportunities for cost-savings between PAs are optimized. Further ensure that the identified sustainable site funding activities incorporated meet biodiversity and other protected areas objectives based on management and PA system plan information.

1. DELIVERABLES

Expected deliverables and deadlines

Competencies

REQUIREMENTS FOR EXPERIENCE AND COMPETENCIES

I. Years of experience:

* 10 years of experience in financial management planning, with at a minimum 5 years of said experience in sustainable financing related to natural resources protection, protected areas management or related field

* Advanced practical knowledge of the management of terrestrial and marine protected areas systems, including community based management, and particularly in the context of Small Island Developing States in the Caribbean, including protected area management, design, operations and evaluation

* Experience in developing a minimum of 3 previous PA sustainable finance/business plans which include consideration of gender equality and community based development.

* Demonstrated experience in and excellent skills for stakeholder engagement at the national and community levels, including efficient facilitation during meetings between various stakeholders (government, NGOs, CBOs, international community and communal levels)

* Experience implementing gender responsive community-based and participatory approaches

* Previous experience with UNDP and/or GEF projects is an added plus, but not mandatory

II. Competencies:

* Strong technical report writing, data acquisition and analysis skills

* Excellent writing and speaking skills in English

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications:

* Minimum of a Master’s degree in environmental economics / finance / sustainable business development, or other closely related field of study.

* University degree in natural resource management, tropical terrestrial/marine ecology or related field preferred.