Background

The GEF has approved a Project Preparation Grant (PPG) for Nigeria in order to produce a UNDP Project Document and a GEF CEO Endorsement Request (both using the appropriate templates) under the guidance of UNDP-GEF and working in close collaboration with key government officials, donors, NGOs, CBOs and the private sector.
 
The project, budgeted for $3.6 million in GEF funding and $6.2 million 5,265,000 million in co-financing to be mobilized, will conserve globally important biodiversity in Nigeria by mainstreaming biodiversity management priorities into the Niger Delta oil and gas (O&G) sector development policies and operations. This process will contribute to averting threats and risks to biodiversity linked to O&G operations in priority Niger Delta ecosystems within a spatial area of 4,600,000 hectares. This will be achieved through the following three components: 
  1. Governance framework for the mainstreaming of biodiversity conservation into the O&G sector in the Niger Delta
  2. O&G industry and community engagement in biodiversity management in the Niger Delta
  3. Financial mechanisms for O&G sector support to biodiversity conservation
The PPG process is to be implemented between May and November 2010 and will focus on the activities necessary for approving and finalizing the proposed project. The focal points for the project in government and the PPG team of consultants will work in collaboration with existing related initiatives to carry out the following activities:
 
1. Baseline data collection and information gap analysis
  • Analyze the Niger Delta Regional Development Master Plan’s Biodiversity Sector Report.
  • Collect and collate available ecological data on the biological and ecological diversity of the Delta (threats, impacts and barrier analysis)
  • Prepare a preliminary biodiversity valuation exercise for biodiversity in the Niger Delta.
  • Prepare comprehensive activity/output component and Terms of Reference for the development of an application of the IBAT for the Niger Delta that is useful to the O&G industry and useful for guiding conservation planning.
  • Analyse existing legal and policy frameworks governing the O&G sector and their ability to support the incorporation of biodiversity conservation imperatives into them (concessions, EIAs, O&G siting agreements, biodiversity offsets)
  • Baseline Capacity Assessment. (1) At the federal level: FMoE, NDCC, MNDA, NOSDRA and NESREA). (2) At the state level: Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross Rivers.
  • Baseline Capacity Assessment at local level.
  • Map and estimate the spatial mainstreaming targets will be better
2. Industry Assessment and Initial Industry Engagement Plan
  • Identify and map the O&G industry players in the Niger Delta,
  • Assess whether these companies have (or plan to have) CSR plans or policies, oil spill contingency plans, and their positions on biodiversity conservation; assess the adequacy of these.
  • Assess companies willingness to join together in a compact to contribute to a Biodiversity Trust Fund and to establish biodiversity-maintreamed siting agreements
  • Identify potential incentive mechanisms for engaging the industry in the project
  • Outline a capitalization plan for the Trust Fund proposed under the project’s component 3
  • Compile the Initial Industry Engagement Plan: Propose a plan with clear recommendations for the engagement of the O&G industry in the project and in its objectives
3. Delta Biodiversity Conservation Financing Assessment
  • Assess relevant laws, policies, and institutional baseline for the Delta Biodiversity Trust Fund in Nigeria.
  • Apply the GEF’s checklist of eligibility requirements for GEF funding of Trust Funds
  • Consider how the Trust Fund could be designed (i.e. financial and administrative aspects) with measures to ensure the security of assets, from invasion, currency devaluation and attachment, and to manage investment risks.
  • Confirm whether co-financing targets can be satisfied, and development of a preliminary fund raising strategy
4. Stakeholder consultation and engagement
  • Identification of related projects, programmes and initiatives
  • Site selection and a strategic assessment of what is required to enable local communities chosen for pilot work to become more involved in biodiversity conservation planning, monitoring and activities in the Delta area. 
  • Identification of groups that will be targeted to participate in training seminars
  • Planning of these seminars within the framework of the project’s work plan and propose the most appropriate and cost-effective way of delivering them
  • As a final result of this activity, production of a report containing a ‘Stakeholder Matrix’, a ‘Stakeholder Involvement and Capacity Building Plan’, and ‘Recommendations for the full-size project on stakeholder involvement’.
  • Identification and confirmation of potential sources of co-financing, through the activities of stakeholder and industry engagement as a whole.
5. Project Scoping, Costing, Risk Assessment and M&E Planning
  • Summary of the local, national and global biodiversity benefits of the project;
  • A thorough analysis of the barriers to achieving the proposed project outcomes
  • Appropriate scoping of the project, based on the conceptual elements outlined in the PIF and the results of the PPG studies, where comments from GEF Council, GEF Secretariat and STAP will be specifically taken into account;
  • Identification of lead implementing partners and implementation arrangements, and a complementary strategy for partnerships and co-funding;
  • A learning (adaptive management) plan, including potential lessons and knowledge products;
  • A replication plan to ensure that project interventions are geared towards ensuring replication, following the removal of barriers;
  • An analysis of project risks and risk mitigation measures, including (if applicable) climate change associated risks;
  • Costing of expected project outcomes through detailed inputs-budgeting, including where applicable in-cash co-financing sources and co-financing commitments in compliance with the GEF incrementality principle;
  • A cost effectiveness analysis to identify the most effective project alternatives;
  • Analysis of the social, institutional, economic and financial sustainability of proposed project activities; and
  • An overall project Monitoring and Evaluation Plan, with recommendations on how to track the project’s progress and effectiveness, and the baseline and target values on indicators.

Duties and Responsibilities

Encompassing approximately 20 weeks of work throughout the duration of the PPG and reporting to the PPG Activity Coordinator, the national ‘Leading national BD Expert’ will lead BD mainstreaming and baseline assessment expert. He/she will work in close collaboration with the will work in close collaboration with the international ‘BD Mainstreaming Policy And Capacity Development Specialist’ and the remainder of the PPG team members, and will be responsible for the following work:
 
i)      Describe, analyze and the extent possible map the project’s Delta biodiversity baseline. Conduct detailed biodiversity study (i.e. species, habitats and ecosystem processes, protected areas) with particular focus on unique flora and IUCN Red List. Collect and analyze available ecological data on terrestrial, aquatic, coastal and marine biodiversity, including data on threats, ecosystem services and selected taxa. This study will serve as the up-to-date description of globally significant biological and ecological diversity. This will also result in the elaboration of a preliminary list of and map of “key biodiversity areas” in the Delta;
 
Note: The collation of baseline information for the project area will primarily involve a desk review of existing data and reports. This will then be supplemented by focused interviews and consultations with key stakeholders. No new field research or surveys will be conducted with PPG funding support.
ii)       Produce a minimum set of biodiversity and ecological indicators for the project; 
iii)     Develop a concise suite of activities to elaborate and operationalize an Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT) under the the full-size project;
iv)     Highlight globally significant biodiversity in the Delta region specifically affected or threatened with the O&G development plans. Analyze and document threats and impacts to Delta biodiversity from O&G development plans and operations and their root causes; consider the socio-economic context and barriers to mainstreaming biodiversity conservation into O&G policies, planning and operations; To the extent available data allows, this expert will work with the international O&G Industry Specialist to produce spatial data for assessing impacts linked to O&G on biological resources and fisheries in the Delta. This will include the elaboration of basic maps highlighting the overlap or not of O&G activity and key biodiversity areas; 
v)      Confirm the spatial extent of the proposed project area.
 
The lead expert will have overall coordination role among the national experts in collecting and compiling baseline information by other national PPG experts and communicating closely with the international consultants on baseline development matters. In this aspect of the consultant’s work, collaboration with the other national (and international) experts will be required. The work will include the following:
 
vi)     Determine the current spatial distribution of land uses and levels of transformation in the Delta, existing and potential conflicts among land uses affecting conservation objectives;
vii)   Analyze O&G development plans, projects, programs and initiatives affecting or impacting Delta biodiversity and offer recommendations to improve the proposed solutions as need be;
viii) Complete the SP-2 Biodiversity Tracking Tool as a baseline for future project M&E at the implementation phase; 
ix)     Assist the Capacity Development Specialist in carrying out the Baseline Capacity Study with respect to the biodiversity conservation programs, and policies. The study will target the Federal Ministry of Environment, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture (forest reserves) and local government in targeted coastal communities and will contribute to the completion of the UNDP Capacity Assessment Scorecard;
x)      Contribute to the completion of the GEF Tracking Tool for BD-SO2 and SP4;
xi)     Develop practical, affordable monitoring plan for Delta biodiversity, taking into account that the IBAT capacity and the GEF SP-2 Biodiversity tracking tool.

Competencies

  • Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing in order to communicate complex, technical information to technical and general audiences
  • Skill in negotiating effectively in sensitive situations
  • Skill in achieving results through persuading, influencing and working with others
  • Skill in facilitating meetings effectively and efficiently and to resolve conflicts as they arise

Required Skills and Experience

The general qualifications required are
 
(1) Advanced degree in the relevant field of Expertise for this position;
 in this case: biodiversity / ecology
 
(2) At least 5 years of work experience, including relevant experience as an independent consultant with demonstrated quality products, respect for deadlines and good presentational skills (written and oral);
 
(3) Analytical thinking; and
 
(4) Excellent written skills in English.