Background
The following documents in PDF format should be attached to your offer and sent to email address procurement.kz@undp.org with reference to Ref. IC-2021-083 in the subject line no later than 10:00 (Nur-Sultan time) on October 22, 2021:
- A duly completed and signed Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP (Annex 4);
- The Financial Proposal must include all the costs of the contract, with a detailed breakdown of costs according to the attached UNDP form (Annex 5);
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.
- Detailed CV, including all previous experience and skills relevant to the assignment, as well as all the necessary contact information (email, phone, etc.);
- Documents confirming the qualifications of the Applicant (diplomas, certificates of advanced training, certificates of completion of courses);
- Short essay:
- explaining why the applicant considers himself the most suitable candidate for the announced position;
- including a methodology on the application of an approach to the implementation of technical specifications;
Important Note: Technical and Financial Proposal? must be submitted in separate PDF/Word files (Annexes 4 and 5)
There should be max 3 e-mail transmissions. Please indicate Ref. IC-2021-083 in the e-mail subject and the e-mail order.
Please make sure you have provided all requested materials. Incomplete applications will be excluded from further consideration.
Due to large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process. Late Proposals will not be considered.
For any questions please contact Procurement Specialist Gyulnara Karpisheva by e-mail gyulnara.karpisheva@undp.org
Project information
The total forest area in Kazakhstan is about 12.6 million hectares, which makes it one of the richest in forest countries in Eurasia, despite the low level of forest cover, which is only 4.6%. Approximately 95% of the forests (wooded areas) in Kazakhstan are managed by 123 forestry administrations, which are controlled by regional governments (akimats). There are three main types of forest ecosystems in Kazakhstan: alpine mountain forests, tugai (southern coastal) forests and saxaul landscapes (desert and semi-desert shrubs).
Since 2018, the GEF-UNDP project "Conservation and sustainable management of key globally significant ecosystems for obtaining various benefits" (hereinafter referred to as the project) has been implemented on the territory of the republic. The project strategy is to holistically address the conservation and sustainable use of forest ecosystems in Kazakhstan, through management approaches including both protected areas and sustainable use of associated HCVF landscapes (maps of the project areas are presented in Appendices 4, 5, 6 to the Terms of Reference).
To protect its globally significant biodiversity, Kazakhstan has established a system of protected areas covering 22,121,641 ha (8.1% of the total area of country). At the moment, PA system coverage include only 4.89% of forested areas. Some of the ecosystems which have globally important species remain outside the PA system notably the unique riparian (tugai) forest and floodplain ecosystems (have 0% representation country-wide), which support a number of endemic and threatened species, large stands of valuable coniferous forests in Altai region, representing an important CO2 pools, and saxaul forests playing critical role in supporting wealth of local communities in a drylands zone. The current estate does not fully cover the habitat of the snow leopard population groups. Only 30-35% of its range in Kazakhstan is protected within the PA network, which bars effective protection from de-gazettement and poaching. Huge areas that provide a natural bridge and genetic interactions between the Tien Shan, Zhungar and Altai population groups of snow leopard stay outside of the existing protected areas network. The problem of preserving the landscape and species diversity of plants and animals on the planet is one of the priorities national and international tasks, on the solution of which the harmonious coexistence of man and nature and ecological stability on the planet depends. And the first, most important link in this complex and lengthy process is monitoring the state of the habitat and its individual components. Ensuring the necessary control over ongoing changes and timely prevention of undesirable or harmful processes for biodiversity is the main task of systemic monitoring of the environment and its components.
Monitoring is an effective tool for measuring the effectiveness of measures taken to conserve biodiversity and for identifying biological trends, both natural and anthropogenic. Environmental monitoring makes it possible to assess abiotic and biotic changes in the ecosystems of the project area. Correct assessment of the processes occurring within a particular population, clarification of the causative factors and the adoption of timely measures to prevent negative consequences is the main task of monitoring biodiversity in pilot PAs.
Within the framework of UNDP Projects, a stable basis for systematic monitoring of biodiversity in PAs has been created, an information system for monitoring biodiversity biodata.kz has been developed, which includes 7 existing PAs, it is planned to connect pilot PAs to this system by the end of the project. To include pilot PAs in the monitoring program, it is necessary to carry out comprehensive scientific research, with an assessment of the current state of ecosystems and globally significant species, as well as to determine the baseline level of populations of important species.
According to the project document and work plan of the Project for 2021-2022, it is planned to create new PAs covering globally significant ecosystems, high conservation value forests and snow leopard habitat in the project areas of Almaty3 , East Kazakhstan4 and Turkestan5 regions, and development of the Biodiversity Monitoring Program for 5 pilot PAs. Within the framework of these works, measures are planned to create 3 reserves and 2 protected areas.
The involvement of an expert is provided for in the activities of the 1st component of the Project Work Plan for 2021.
CONTEXT OF "MUST-HAVE" SERVICES
a. Relevance and purpose of the required work in the context of the project
The relevance of the work lies in the need to expand the PAs network of Kazakhstan to include the range of snow leopards and other globally significant species, improve the management of high conservation value forests and introduce an effective monitoring system to conduct research on the quantitative and qualitative parameters of the state of ecosystems and the environment.
b. Related parties:
- The Forestry and Wildlife Committee of the MEGNR of the Republic of Kazakhstan (hereinafter referred to as the Committee), a state body and department within the competence of the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, carrying out implementation, control and supervisory functions in the field of forestry, protection, reproduction and use of wildlife and protected areas;
- pilot protected areas of Kazakhstan (hereinafter - pilot PAs).
c. Features of the planned work and security risks:
- The implementation of the planned work involves analytical work at the location/residence of the expert and field trips to the East Kazakhstan, Almaty and Turkestan regions. The expert independently ensures his own safety during field trips to the project areas.
PURPOSE OF WORK:
1. Assessment of the state of theriofauna and biodiversity of the project areas and pilot PAs;
2. Development of a general part and a section on monitoring theriofauna in pilot PAs with recommendations.
3. Development of sections on the state of the animal world (theriofauna) of the Scientific Background report and Feasibility Study for the creation of new PAs;
Duties and Responsibilities
Pre-field preparation:
- Expert carries out preparatory work for field trips, completes expeditionary equipment, instrumental equipment necessary for work;
- Collects systematizes and analyses printed materials (manuscript funds) and materials on the theriofauna of the research regions, maps of ecosystems, soils and landscapes, space images and topographic maps;
- Draws up preliminary (working) lists of mammals for project areas and pilot PAs;
- Analysis of thematic handwritten works, reports of scientific research works and Nature Records Book available at the pilot PAs;
- Together with other experts, prepares plans for routes and sites for field surveys, forms for collecting field data to clarify the deliverables.
Field studies:
- Within the planned timeframe, he makes field trips (according to the travel schedule) to the investigated territories and conducts field work in accordance with the goals set by the terms of reference, using agreed methods and the necessary technical equipment;
- Conducts targeted meetings and discussions (according to the goals and objectives described in the TOR) with the management and employees of pilot PAs, state administrations of forestry, hunting farms and other environmental organizations, nature users (if any), Akimats, local government bodies, land users and other interested parties on the creation of new PAs;
- Conducts route surveys of the project areas and pilot PAs, collects materials for an inventory of fauna (theriofauna);
- Conducts theteriological survey of specific sites and pre-allocated ecosystems of the project areas and pilot PAs;
- When conducting field research (at each point of the survey), an expert assesses the impact of negative factors (anthropogenic origin, such as: drying up of reservoirs due to water intake for irrigation, disturbance of ecosystems by grazed livestock, fires, tourist camps in an unallocated place, driving outside paved roads along the coast with a visual assessment of the size of the damaged areas; poaching fishing and hunting). These data are collected by polling, direct observations and the state of objects of flora and fauna;
- Carries out the laying of monitoring sites for the subsequent long-term monitoring of theriofauna in pilot PAs;
- Describes and maps these sites and routes using GPS, describes mammalian complexes and habitats from available sources for pilot PAs;
- Carries out data collection, office processing and analysis of the received materials;
- Draws up a map-scheme of routes and established sites in the study areas (for each pilot PAs);
- Makes a map of the distribution of rare, key, Red Data Book species of mammals in pilot areas and pilot PAs;
- Prepares a description and mapping of data from sites and routes of project areas and pilot PAs using GIS-based on GPS data, describes the routes of migration and flights according to available sources;
- Performs photography (with the determination of geographical coordinates) of plants, phytocenosis, ecosystems, animals, tourist and historical sites, landscapes, other natural objects and sources of man-made impact and pollution;
- Prepares a description and mapping of data from sites and routes of project areas and pilot PAs using GIS-based on GPS data, describes phytocenosis according to available sources;
Cameral treatment and reporting:
- Identifies key, monitoring and indicator species of mammals for each pilot PAs and pilot study areas;
- Analyses the thematic manuscripts available at PAS, reports of scientific research and the Chronicle of Nature;
- Make recommendations for necessary and relevant research on theriofauna of each pilot PAs;
- Identifies and analyses the causal relationship between external factors and changes in the state of theriofauna and ecosystems in general in the pilot PAs and project areas;
- Creates a mammalian inventory for each pilot and PAs under development;
- Compiles a list of specially protected species (International and National Red Data Books), key and monitoring mammalian species for pilot and established PAs;
- Conducts a comprehensive expert assessment and analysis of the state of theriofauna, identifies the causes and factors of threats, formulates recommendations for their elimination for each pilot and created PAs;
- According to the list of input data of the technical project "Development and implementation of an information system for monitoring biodiversity in pilot PAs in the Republic of Kazakhstan" (link: https://cloud.mail.ru/public/FR1g/UfvZxLzz1) prepares and fills in monitoring cards and transfers the completed data To the customer;
- Participates in the preparation of thematic maps for monitoring programs for 5 pilot PAs, scientific justification feasibility report for the creation of 5 new PAs;
- Introduces recommendations on the system of long-term monitoring and strengthening of protective measures in pilot PAS and created PAs;
- The final report on the state of biodiversity and ecosystems is drawn up in accordance with the structure given in Appendix 1 to the Terms of Reference;
- Develops a monitoring program for theriofauna according to the content for each pilot PAs (Appendix 2 to the Terms of Reference);
- Develop sections on the animal world (theriofauna) of the scientific justification projects for the creation of 5 new PAs in accordance with the structure given in Appendix 3 to the Terms of Reference;
- Transmits a base of photographic materials, reports, presentation of completed works and cartographic material in electronic media.
Additionally:
- During the term of the contract, the expert takes part (online) in seminars, discussions, meetings of the Scientific and Technical Council of the FWC and other meetings on the development of the Monitoring Program for 5 pilot PAs.
During the term of the contract, the expert takes part (online) in seminars, discussions, meetings of the Scientific and Technical Council of the Committee, public hearings and other meetings on the creation of 5 new PAs.
For more detailed information please refer to TOR
Competencies
- Higher education in Biology/ Hunting management with a specialization in theriology
- Availability of scientific/popular science articles on theriology or hunting management;
- Knowledge of the Laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the field of biological resources, PAs, protection and reproduction of the animal world;
- Knowledge of the specifics of PAs work;
- Ability to work in a team, excellent communication skills;
- Skills in the preparation of reports and analytical materials.
- Excellent knowledge of Russian language
Required Skills and Experience
- At least 3 years of experience in conducting research in theriology;
- Work experience in government agencies, universities, research institutes and/or environmental organizations;
- Experience in international projects is a plus.