Background

The Biodiversity Focal Area programming of the Global Environment Facility in its 7th replenishment (GEF-7), responds directly to the GEF7 Four-year Framework of Program Priorities agreed by countries at CBD COP-13, as well as the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity, 2011-2020. Specifically, the proposed Biodiversity Focal Area is built around achieving the Four-year Programs three objectives: (i) Mainstream Biodiversity Across sectors as Well as Within Production Landscapes and Seascapes, (ii) Reduce Direct Drivers of Biodiversity Loss, and (iii) Strengthen Biodiversity Policy and Institutional Frameworks. 

In line with the GEF-7 strategic programming for Biodiversity, the project “Enhancing Biodiversity Considerations and Effective Protected Area Management to Safeguard the Cook Islands Integrated Ecosystems and Species” aims to bring about a paradigm shift towards delivering effective and scalable solutions at key target sites through enhanced ridge-to-reef, land/seascape and catchment scale approaches that bring together relevant sectors and other interested parties in an integrated, coordinated manner that will foster the necessary enabling conditions for achieving long-term environmental sustainability across entire islands, lagoons and coastal waters

The expected Global Environmental Benefits that will result from an integrated sustainable management from ridge to reef safeguarding the integrity and functioning of ecosystems and production systems include:

• Some 400 ha of terrestrial and 2,400 ha of coastal marine protected areas created or under improved management for conservation and sustainable use.  
• A 118 ha of new protected area established, conserving key ecosystems that contain threatened endemic species and valuable fresh water sources. It features among the best remaining examples of primary montane rain and (Metrosideros) cloud forest in Eastern Polynesia, as cited in WWF’s Global 200[1].
• 2,411 ha of landscape will be under improved practices (excluding protected areas)
• 788,236 tCO2eq emission avoided during a 20-year period.
• The investment will directly benefit an estimated 11,428 community members (5,627 female and 5,801 male) representing about 75% of the Cook Islands resident population.
• US$ 26.5 million of co-financing leveraged and invested in this integrated catchment approach to safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem services; and effectively managing protected areas.
• Improved management (i.e., community-based co-management) of selected priority catchments, as well as specific priority protected areas that are habitat to key threatened and endemic species.
• Raised awareness and understanding of biodiversity considerations and mainstreaming safeguards across key development sectors (tourism, agriculture and infrastructure), as well as increased technical capacity within relevant government sectors and communities to apply sustainable control measures.

Table 1. brief description of the Project’s objectives, grant amounts, components, project location and the PPG team composition

UNDP, in collaboration with the Government of Cook Islands, seeks to engage a qualified International PPG Project Coordinator to support the GEF-7 Project document preparation. The consultant will be contributing to the delivery of PPG tasks as specified below.

Olson, D. M., Dinnerstein, E. 2002. The Global 200: Priority ecoregions for global conservation. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 89(2):199-224.

Duties and Responsibilities

Role

The PPG Project Coordinator will facilitate the PPG process and ensure coordination between the relevant parties involved in the formulation process. The consultant will liaise with national counterparts, as well as the international and national consultants and assist in the timely implementation of the PPG process. The consultant will also provide support for the Project Document preparation, as needed, and undertake secondary data gathering.

Responsibilities and Deliverables

The consultant shall be responsible for the following lists of key responsibilities and deliverables; the PPG Initiation Plan for the project provides further and more detailed guidance regarding the responsibilities of the prospective PPG team leader and the entire team, and must be consulted accordingly:

1. Preparatory Technical Studies and Reviews (Component A):

• Coordination and liaison with counterparts (government offices, non-governmental organizations, donor agencies, private sector, UNDP, UN agencies) towards project implementation;
• Coordination and liaison with international and national consultants;
• Facilitate and assist in the preparation of Harmonized Approach on Cash Transfer (HACT), Partner Capacity Assessment Tool (PCAT) among concerned partner agencies and due diligence of private sector partners;
• Facilitate conduct of Technical Working Group (TWG) meetings;
• With the PPG Team Leader, prepare the Project budget, Multi-Year Work Plan, and Monitoring & Evaluation Plan;
• Facilitate obtaining co-financing letters;
• Organize meetings and technical discussions (including inception and validation workshops) ; prepare activity designs (including program and budget), invitations and materials needed for the meetings and technical discussions;
• Document the proceedings during stakeholder consultations and workshops;  
• Ensure preparation of Annual Work Plan and prepare regular reports for submission to UNDP MCO and BRH;
• Provide research support for Project Document preparation and undertake secondary data gathering, as needed; and
• Other tasks deemed necessary for project delivery and completion.

2. Formulation of the ProDoc, CEO Endorsement Request and Mandatory and Project Specific Annexes (Component B):

• Contribute to HACT Report for project partners
• Contribute to PCAT forms for project partners
• Contribute to Due Diligence for private sector partners
• Interact with lead consultants and consolidate Project budget, Multi-Year Work Plan and, M&E Plan
• Facilitate obtaining co-financing letters
• Support the completion of the GEF Audit Checklist as needed

3. Validation Workshop (Component 3):

• Document the proceedings and facilitate the workshop preparation and process
• Contribute to the validation workshop; and
• Support all necessary revisions that arise during the workshop, as appropriate.

4. Final Deliverables:

• HACT Report for project partners
• PCAT forms for project partners
• Due Diligence for private sector partners
• Co-financing letters
• Inputs to ProDoc, including Project budget, Multi-Year Work Plan and M&E Plan
• Activity designs and documentation of proceedings of TWG and stakeholder consultations

Table 2. PPG Milestones, dates, fee disbursement percentage and required approvals

[1] Note that Travel bans, restrictions and requirements will likely affect the dates and structure of the missions. The above table provides tentative information for mission budgeting/ICs financial proposal purposes only. Flexibility is expected from the selected candidate in terms of the possibility of having alternative mission and consultation arrangements (i.e. online consultations and online inception/validation workshops. Having one single consultation/truth-grounding mission when travel restrictions are lifted, etc.).

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling 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 favoritism, and;
• Knowledge of GEF project development, implementation and/or evaluation with capacity development elements.

Functional Competencies

• Able to communicate effectively in writing to a varied and broad audience in a simple and concise manner;
• Capable of working in a high- pressure environment with sharp and frequent deadlines, managing many tasks simultaneously;
• Excellent analytical and organizational skills;
• Exercises the highest level of responsibility and able to handle confidential and politically sensitive issues in a responsible and mature manner;
• Works well in a team;
• Projects a positive image and is ready to take on a wide range of tasks;
• Focuses on results for the client;
• Welcomes constructive feedback;
• Fluent English language (both oral and written) and excellent communication and presentation skills, particularly in the preparation of written documents; and
• Due to the COVID-19 quarantine-free travel bubble in place between Cook Islands and New Zealand, potential candidates currently based in New Zealand may be given priority consideration should he/she have a minimal score difference with the top candidate who is not based in a country with travel bubble arrangement with the Cook Islands.

Required Skills and Experience

Evaluation Method:

Only those applications that are responsive and compliant will be evaluated. Incomplete applications will not be considered;

• Offers will be evaluated according to the Combined Scoring method – where the technical criteria will be weighted at 70% and the financial offer will be weighted at 30%;
• The technical criteria (education, experience, language) will be based on a maximum 70 points. Only the top 4 candidates that have achieved a minimum of 49points from the review of education, experience and language will be deemed technically compliant and considered for financial evaluation;
•  Financial score (max 30 points) will be computed based on the formula “(Lowest Price Offer / Price of the Offer Being Reviewed) x 30”.
• The financial proposal shall specify an all-inclusive lump sum fee. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal must additionally include a breakdown of this daily fee (including all foreseeable expenses to carry out the assignment).
• Applicant receiving the Highest Combined Score (max 100 points) and has accepted UNDP’s General Terms and Conditions will be awarded the contract.

Documentation to be submitted:

• Applicants must submit a duly completed and signed UNDP Personal History form (P11) and/or CV including Education/Qualification, Professional Certification, Employment Records /Experience;
• Applicants must submit a duly completed and signed Annex  “Offeror´s letter to UNDP confirming interest and availability for the Individual Contractor (IC) assignment”.;

Applicants must submit a Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price. 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, living expenses, and number of anticipated working days), 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.  

Travel

All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. In general, UNDP should not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using his/her own resources.

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