Antecedentes
Somalia faces many challenges in achieving the MDGs. Persistent insecurity, coupled with fast depleting natural resources, natural disasters such as floods and droughts, have contributed to Somalia's stunted development and economic growth. Somali women's lack of education and the country's cultural norms give women limited control over resources. Extensive deforestation in Somalia undermines livelihoods and threatens an already deeply fragile environment. 90% of the population does not have access to electricity and their sole dependence is on fuel wood and unsustainably produced charcoal. Less than half the population has access to sanitation, and less than a quarter can access clean drinking water.
Over two decades of the Somali conflict has not only caused severe losses to human life, property, economy and social and political structures, but it has also resulted in colossal losses to natural environment; e.g. damage to water sources, destruction of forests, rangelands and coastal areas, and enhanced desertification. Absence of urban governance system and limited capacities has also resulted in poor solid waste management and non-functional sanitation. Both the conflict and resultant environmental degradation have enhanced exposure and vulnerabilities of Somali communities to adverse impacts of climatic hazards and disasters. The rehabilitation of environmental resources and reduction of climatic hazards will require significant long-term efforts, with a conflict sensitive development paradigm. In the on-going Country Programme (2011-14), UNDP is implementing initiatives to establish foundational policies, institutional arrangements and capacities for environmental recovery, restoration and disaster risk reduction in the Puntland, Somaliland and South Central Somalia.
Under the overall framework of the on-going Country Programme (2011-14), the focus of this assignment is to deal with the charcoal production and trade that is considered as a root cause of degradation of natural resources across Somalia. The charcoal production in Somalia not only destroys the environment and contributes to food insecurity, but it also funds the elements and organisations behind conflicts. According to a case study published in 2007, total charcoal production was estimated to be 112,000 metric tons in 2000 and had increased to 150,000 metric tons by 2005. Though recent estimates of charcoal production are not available, the trend has been on the rise due to increase in demand from local and international markets. The process of turning cut wood into charcoal is also rough and dirty as it pollutes the air, albeit in a very local fashion.
The charcoal production accelerates the process of desertification, decreasing the amount of land useable for agriculture or even grazing, pushing locals out of areas as they become uninhabitable after charcoal producers clear all of the trees. This deforestation also decreases bio-diversity as species that relied on the acacia groves habitat are unable to survive. All of this ultimately hurts the livelihoods of Somalis not involved in the charcoal production. Pastoralists and agriculturalists rely on the acacia forests to play their part in maintaining the delicate balance that makes life in arid Somalia possible. Pastoralists graze their cattle in the grass that flourishes while the acacia groves’ root systems hold in ground water and prevent erosion. Agriculturalists grow staple crops in neighboring lands, but as erosion increase without the acacia groves holding in top soil, their lands are becoming fallow. With forests destroyed, these groups must move to other areas in order to survive, or engage in the charcoal production themselves, which only deepens the cycle of destruction and violence.
Charcoal trade has become today a serious threat to the security and stability of Somalia as well as a major impediment to the peace process. The charcoal industry has significant implications on livelihood security, exacerbating community conflicts and increasing vulnerability to drought. The industry is a source of tension, particularly with clans who dominate the trade at the expense of others. It is also a source of funding for militias. According to the UN Security Council report , It is estimated that Al-Shabaab currently generates between $70 million to $100 million per year in revenue from taxation and extortion in areas under its control, of which at least $15 million is based on the export of charcoal. Most charcoal is produced in the area lying between Baraawe and Kismaayo. The conflict over charcoal trade has turned violent in this specific area. It is also one of the first areas where famine was declared in 2011 – that later crept into other regions of the Country.
To respond to this triple threat on environment, livelihood and conflict, the Somali government has over the years, instituted a ban on charcoal trade. A prohibition was passed in 1969 preventing the export of charcoal and firewood. After the onset of civil war, export oriented charcoal production restarted and there has been a rapid expansion ever since - much of which is reported to be destined for export to other countries. The export ban was re-imposed in 2000 and has been in effect albeit poorly enforced, under changing transitional administrations. In December 2010, the Transitional Federal Government reissued the ban. In response to government efforts, traders have stopped shipping charcoal out of Mogadishu and Marka ports almost entirely. However, the trade is booming in areas controlled by Al-Shabaab, mainly out of Kismaayo port.
It is very well understood that the imposition of ban alone cannot help in reducing the charcoal production and illegal trade. An effective set of interventions that is based on alternative sources of livelihoods, alternative energy and institutional support to ban - encompassing all of Somalia’s important ports and charcoal producing areas - will be able to counter the destructive short-term logic of exploiting Somalia’s acacia groves for charcoal exports. Therefore, UNDP and UNEP have committed to develop a comprehensive programme to implement set of interventions that will promote sustainable use of charcoal.
Deberes y responsabilidades
Objectives of the assignment
The objective of this assignment is to design a comprehensive programme to support both the domestic and international efforts for sustainable solutions and gradually stop the charcoal trade from Somalia. The programme is envisaged to be a package of integrated activities that help to address the capacity gaps, enforcement of policy and legal frameworks, sensitisation of the key stakeholders, promote alternatives for livelihoods and facilitate access to the alternative sources of energy.
Scope of work
In broader terms the formulation of the Programme Document will require an update of the existing situation, problem and solutions analysis, identification of the key partners, details on implementation strategy, key outputs, activities, sub-activities, management arrangements and detailed budgetary estimates. The Document will follow standard UNDP template. The specific tasks of the Policy/Legal Expert, working under the direct supervision of the Team Leader, will be (but not limited to) the following:
Detailed Situational Analysis and Gaps Identification:
i. Literature Review and Stakeholders Consultations: This will entail: a) Literature review of the publications, independent articles, research studies, UN reports, government documents that cover the issues associated with charcoal in South-Central Somalia, Puntland and Somaliland; b) Preparation of a structured questionnaire to collect firsthand information from the key government functionaries dealing with national planning, natural resources management, trade, law enforcement, finance, constitutional matters, external affairs etc.; c) Consultation with the key civil society organizations, academia, research organizations, representatives of agriculture communities, representatives of pastoral communities and media from South-Central Somalia, Puntland and Somaliland to collate the evidence on the extent of sensitisation about unsustainable use of charcoal; d) assist in the analysis of the import market chain in other countries; and, e) Consultation with the UN agencies, including UNEP, and other multi/bilateral development and humanitarian organizations to collate information on their associated on-going activities and future plans.
ii. Conflict Analysis: Assist in the analysis to cover: a) the local and national conflicts that are linked to and/or impact on the charcoal production, transportation and marketing; b) the illegal revenue generated as a result of charcoal marketing and trade and use of this revenue in funding or perpetuating conflict; c) understanding networks of influence (including clan-ism) on the charcoal trade, and uncover key links in the chain; d) identify the winners and losers of the charcoal trade and categorize those institutions or individuals who can be targeted as champions of the ban/change/reform and how a support framework can be built around them; e) provide insights to inform the proposed program; and, f) assess how unresolved conflicts and lack of stability continue to adversely affect women and their families.
iii. Existing Policy, Institutional and Regulatory Challenges: a) Present the chronology of the various policies, legal, institutional and other efforts made to control the use and trade of charcoal. Analyse past efforts to highlight lessons and challenges associated with charcoal in Somalia; b) Identify the gaps at the institutional, policy, legal, political, consumptive and technical levels that emerge as barriers to the control on use and trade of charcoal; and, c) Present the impact of Charcoal use on MDGs targets and the targets established in the national plans.
iv. National and Regional Best Practices: a) Collect information on national success stories on self-regulation by the communities to ban Charcoal use or/and control illegal trade; and, b) Assist in the preparation of a brief on best practices from the regional countries on the successful transition from Charcoal use to environmental friendly sources of energy.
Programme Document for the Control on Use and Trade of Charcoal:
The main output of the assignment is to come up with a Programme Document that is endorsed by the national government and the main implementation partners. The Programme Document will also be presented to the potential donors for resource mobilization. Based on the situation analysis and gap identification the Programme Document will be detailed out on a clearly articulated results framework (logical framework) and is likely to propose targeted outputs and activities in three broad areas, including: i) creating the enabling environment for sustainable solution to charcoal use and trade; ii) promotion of alternative livelihoods and alternative energy; and, iii) linking with global environmental financing mechanisms for financial sustainability. The main areas of support for the policy/legal expert in the formulation of the programme are likely to be under the following components:
i. Institutional Capacity Development: Analyse the capacities of established government institutional structures (in South-Central, Puntland and Somaliland) directly and indirectly associated with charcoal production for local use and exports. Recommend a phased activities plan for strengthening the government institutions both at local and central levels under the programme.
ii. Legal Framework: Analyse the legal instruments (including traditional decision making systems) available in South-Central, Puntland and Somaliland for their efficacy to gradually ban the use and trade of charcoal. Recommend a clearly articulated set of activities for putting in place legal regime that will help in the ban on use and trade of charcoal. The legal instrument shall be responsive to various decision making systems, i.e., traditional, Islamic and secular. Identify the process of approval of the legal frameworks considering the constitutional requirements of the three governments and activities or resources required to get these approvals.
iii. Negotiations to ban trade: Analyse the negotiation capacities of the government institutions with the states and governments of the countries that are markets of the charcoal from Somalia. Recommend specific capacity needs of the governments that will help to sensitise these governments to put in place import restrictions.
iv. Advocacy and Sensitisation: Advocacy campaigns targeting local producers, traders, users as well as importers in the affected countries is key to attitudinal shift from unsustainable to sustainable use of natural resources. The advocacy campaigns will focus on the environmental and security impacts of charcoal production and charcoal trade – while incorporating gender perspective.
v. Programme Work Plan and Funding: Provide inputs to the work plan for the complete duration of the programme and detailed work plan for year 1 of implementation. The work plans should include the estimates for human and financial resources.
vi. Management Arrangements: Provide inputs to the management plan with clearly defined roles and responsibilities for different institutions based on their capacities and mandate.
Monitoring and Progress controls
The assignment is to be based on key deliverables in the form of inception report, draft Programme Document and Final Programme Document. The contents of the deliverables with progress control measures are as follows:
i. Inception Report: The team of experts engaged on this assignment will have to produce an inception report within two weeks from the start date to present the findings from the literature review, detail out the methodology and itinerary, tasks assigned to the team members, comments on the TORs and annotated table of contents of the draft Programme Document.
ii. Draft Programme Document: At the end of week 6 of the assignment a draft Programme Document will be submitted for the review and feedback of the government and other programme partners.
iii. Final Programme Document: Final Programme Document (incorporating the comments of the stakeholders, partners and UNDP) will be submitted to UNDP in week 9 of the assignment.
Final product/Deliverables
The main output of the assignment is to come up with a Programme Document that is endorsed by the national government and the main implementation partners. The Programme Document will also be presented to the potential donors for resource mobilization. Based on the situation analysis and gap identification the Programme Document will be detailed out on a clearly articulated results framework (logical framework) and is likely to propose targeted outputs and activities in three broad areas, including: i) creating the enabling environment for sustainable solution to charcoal use and trade; ii) promotion of alternative livelihoods and alternative energy; and, iii) linking with global environmental financing mechanisms for financial sustainability.
Review/approval time
The Policy/Legal Expert will be work under the direct supervision of Team Leader. The team leader will certify the delivery of key outputs assigned to the expert.
Competencias
- Excellent communication skills (spoken, written and presentational)
- Good interpersonal skills and ability to work in and with teams
- Ability to set priorities and manage time effectively
Habilidades y experiencia requeridas
Academic Qualifications:
- Masters degree in development planning, policy studies, constitutional law, environment law, social sciences or other relevant field.
Experience
- The expert will be responsible to complete the tasks under the scope of work under supervision of the team leader and as part of a four members team and specifically have 8 years of experience on legal and policy frameworks that can be strengthened or implemented for the ban on charcoal production and trade. The expert shall have full knowledge of the constitution, laws associated with natural resources management and trade.
Language requirements:
- Fluent in Verbal and Written Communications in English language.
Other Information
- The expert will be required to have a personal lap top computer.
- The incumbent must be willing to travel to Somalia following the security protocols of the UN for different location in Somalia.
Terms of Service
This is a non-staff contract under the Individual Contractor (IC) modality of hiring of the UNDP. Individuals engaged under an IC serve in their individual capacity and not as representative of a government institutions, corporate body or other authority external to UNDP. The incumbent shall not be considered as staff of UNDP, the UN common system or the government and are therefore not entitled to any diplomatic privileges or any other special status or conditions.
Submission of application
Interested and qualified candidates are requested to submit electronic application by visiting http://jobs.undp.org/.
Applicants are required to fill and sign a P11 Form and submit it together with Curriculum Vitae on the online application.
The P11 Form can be obtained from the link below:
UNDP will only be able to respond to those applications in which there is further interest.