Background:

The Paris Agreement in 2015 was a landmark in the fight against climate change. After years of negotiating, every one of the 196 countries, plus the European Union, all Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), agreed on a set of principles to curb greenhouse gas emissions and tackle climate change head on.

The aim of the Paris Agreement is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ensure that global temperatures don’t rise more than 2C above pre-industrial levels this century, and ultimately pursue a scenario where temperature rise remains below 1.5C

NDC stands for a Nationally Determined Contribution. For the Paris Agreement goals to be achieved, every country needs to play its part. Because countries have different circumstances, resources and abilities, the agreement was designed so each country defines their own pledges, in terms of what they can contribute to the 2030 Agenda. These country pledges are the NDCs. Each country produced a document outlining these contributions and how they will be achieved. Nearly all the NDCs include a target to reduce CO2 emissions by a certain amount over a given time. Most of them also highlight how climatic changes will affect their country, and how they intend to adapt to these changes. The last decade was the hottest in history. Critical new research has also emerged since 2015 demonstrating the potential devastating impacts of a 1.5o rise in temperature. In 2021, the devastation of COVID-19 has made the entire world more vulnerable to shocks and changes and illustrated the potentially severe effect of global crises.

A critical aspect of the Paris Agreement is that every five years, countries are required to update their national pledges with more ambitious targets.

NDCs Progress in Sudan.

Sudan’s current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) has been prepared before the adoption of the Paris Agreement (PA) in Dec 2015, however, it includes ambitious contributions, in line with Art.3 of the PA, on both climate change mitigation and adaptation. After the entry into force of the PA and the recent adoption of work Programme for its implementation, Sudan decided to further develop its NDC and building an enabling environment, to access international finance and technical support to implement its determined contributions. This would enable Sudan to transition its development sectors into a more resilient and low emission pathway, in line with the objectives of the PA and the national development priorities. Following Climate promise planning guideline, UNDP has developed the first NDC report under the autopsy of UNDP of Sudan in 2021. The NDC2020 document was then submitted for approval by the highest government authority (Higher Council for Ministry) but unfortunately and due to political circumstances, the report was not endorsed.  The Climate Promise II offered new opportunity to Sudan to continue its mission on tackling NDC cause, building on the previous experience.

Scope of Work and Responsibilities:

The UNDP Country Office in Sudan seeks the service of a national Consultant (IC) with rich experience in environment and climate change and outstanding knowledge on data collection and analysis of methods to support in reviewing and assessing gaps and barriers in national plans, policies, strategies, and legal framework related to NDC implementation. Assess opportunities at policy level to improve enabling environment for the NDC implementation.

The consultant will present the finding in deliverable (1). The report acts as steppingstones to advocate for NDC integration in national plans. The project will reference report’s findings to initiate advocacy strategy afterwards.

UNDP support the reviewing NDC framework in collaboration with the Higher Council for Environment and Natural Resources. The National Consultant will work under direct guidance of UNDP. He/she will perform duties related to reviewing NDC literature, assess policy gaps and barriers to implementation of NDC and synthesize assignment report. He/ She will come up with suggestion to bridge the gaps to create NDC enabling environment.

Specifically, the national consultant will undertake the following tasks:

• Prepare a report (max. 25 pages) with reference to NDC source of information in Sudan. Provide a short review and in-depth assessment of NDC plans, polices and strategies. Identify gaps and barriers to NDC implementation and provide NDC mapping. Classify NDC stakeholders using Create Power/ influence grid. State suggestions to enhance collaboration and coordination among key players.
• Use outcome of (1) to Conduct consultations with Key NDC players to discuss revisions needed in regulatory, policies and planning frameworks for NDCs preparation and implementation and design recommendations to improve enabling environment at a policy level.
• Provide capacity and awareness building Programme targeting institutions and stakeholders at national, sub-national and sectoral levels responsible for NDC-related activities to discuss their roles and responsibilities for NDC implementation.

Implement technical training targeting experts, NDC focal institutions, technical committee members, stakeholder platforms (existing NDC implementation mechanism) . The training will focus on tracking, updating long-term low emission and resilient development planning

Expected Deliverables:

Output 1: 1.Prepare draft report (max. 25 pages) that depicts,

• NDC source of information in Sudan. Provide a short review and in-depth assessment of NDC plans, polices and strategies.
• Identify gaps and barriers to NDC implementation.
• provide NDC mapping, classify NDC stakeholders using Power/ influence grid

State suggestions to enhance collaboration and coordination among key players.

Output (2) use (1) to

• Conduct consultations to discuss revisions needed in regulatory, policies and planning frameworks for NDCs preparation and implementation and design recommendations to improve enabling environment at a policy level.

provide   capacity and awareness building Programme targeting, Experts and institutions, stakeholders at national, sub-national and sectoral levels responsible for NDC-related activities to discuss their roles and responsibilities for NDC implementation.

Institutional Arrangements:

The national consultant will have direct contact with the UNDP Officer within the Environment and Energy unit at UNDP and work closely with national focal point at HCENR. He/she will work under the direct guidance and supervision of UNDP Programme Officer, Environment and Energy Unit and coordinate activities in with HCENR.

Duration of the Work:

The total duration of this consultancy will be 50 Working days spread over the Period October – December 2022.

 Duty Station

Duty station will be Khartoum, no travel is  required.

Recommended presentation of Offer:

1. Duly completed offer of confirmation of Interest and availability, using the template provided by UNDP.
2. Personal C.V, P11 indicating all experiences and for similar assignment as well as contract details (email, phone number) of candidates and at least 3 professional references.
3. Brief description of why individual/ company considered itself the most suitable for the assignment and provide methodology on how to successfully complete the assignment.
4. Financial Proposal: Indicate all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by break down costs, as per template provided.

Criteria for selection best Offer:

The offer received from candidates will be evaluated using combined scoring method. The combined scoring method assess the offers with technical merits of the proposal. where the qualification and methodology will be weighted a maximum of 70 % and latter combined with financial offer which will be weight a maximum of 30%.

Eligibility Criteria:

Advance degree (Ph.D.) in environmental, social sciences or development-related field.

Technical Evaluation Grid for international Consultant:

Assessment Criteria

• Experience and knowledge on the Nationally Determined contribution literatures, familiarities with UNFCCU / PA emerged initiatives, and funding mechanism.
• Ability to coordinate NDC capacity building and awareness development activities funded by international organizations.
• Experience in designing and facilitating capacity building processes in the environment related issues.
•  Excellent written and communication skills, with analytic and ability to synthesize relevant collected data and finding for the preparation of quality report
• Technical skills in presentation using office power point or any similar software.

Corporate Competencies and Functional Competencies:

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling 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.
• Ability to work with a multi-cultural and diverse team.

Functional Competencies:

• Demonstrated experience in project implementation.
• Demonstrated experience in technical issues related to NDC implementation.
• Ability to analyze substantial amounts of complex and diversified data related to climate change adaptation in least developed countries.
• Demonstrated strong coordination and facilitation skills.

Language needed:    

Fluency in English (Spoke/Written).

Experience and qualifications required:

• PhD in Economics, Environmental conversation Studies, Ecological Studies, and Climate change adaptation.
• A minimum of 10 years of relevant work experience in climate change adaptation/ mitigation.

The consultant shall possess:

• He/she must have high level experience and knowledge on the Nationally Determined contribution literatures, familiarities with UNFCCU / PA emerged initiatives, and funding mechanism.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate NDC capacity building and awareness development activities funded by international organizations.
• Sound understanding of NDCs related global agreements/treaties.
• Demonstrated experience in working with Government, UN, INGO
• Excellent communication competence, facilitation, writing and analytical skills