UNDP Jobs - 112923- National Consultant for MTR

National Consultant for MTR_Flyway project

Location :

home-based with possibility of field missions in China, CHINA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

15-Aug-2023

Application Deadline :

03-Jul-23 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

National Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

4 months

Languages Required :

English Chinese

Expected Duration of Assignment :

4 months

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

Please add the following in the top and bottom:

Please Submit your application directly on the UNDP online supplier portal as decribed below:

Link: http://supplier.quantum.partneragencies.org, Click-View Active Negotiations, Search with Negotiation Number: UNDP-CHN-00052, then Create response.

!!!!!!Please note that only the application submitted in UNDP online supplier portal is accepted!!!!!!

Incomplete applications will be excluded from further consideration.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is currently requires the Interpreter services of Two individuals to perform the work described in this document.

In consideration of your qualifications, we are hereby inviting you to submit an offer for this particular assignment.

Should you be interested and decide to submit an offer for this assignment, kindly submit directly in the online supplier portal no later than the deadline indicated in the system.

Offers must be submitted directly in the system following this link: http://supplier.quantum.partneragencies.org using the profile you may have in the portal. In case you have never registered before, you can register a profile using the registration link https://estm.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/fscmUI/faces/PrcPosRegisterSupplier?prcBuId=300000280598021 and following the instructions in guides available in UNDP website: https://www.undp.org/procurement/business/resources-for-bidders. Do not create a new profile if you already have one. Use the forgotten password feature in case you do not remember the password or the username from previous registration. If you are new registered for IC, the company name should be the name of individual.

If any discrepancy between deadline in the system and in deadline indicated elsewhere, deadline in the system prevails.

We look forward to your favourable response and thank you in advance for your interest in working with UNDP.

Sincerely,

INTRODUCTION

This is the Terms of Reference (ToR) for -the Midterm Review (MTR) of the full-sized UNDP-supported GEF-financed project titled Strengthening the Protected Area Network for Migratory Bird Conservation Along the East Asian - Australasian Flyway (EAAF) in China (PIMS 6110) implemented through the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA), which is to be undertaken in late 2023. The project started on 26 January 2021 and is in its third year of implementation. This ToR sets out the expectations for this MTR. The MTR process must follow the guidance outlined in the document.

2. PROJECT BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The Flyway Project is implemented by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration with the United Nations Development Programme as the international implementing agency, and the project period is six years.

China constitutes a major portion of the globally significant East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF) -one of the world's nine great migratory flyways and the one involving the most endangered species. However, land reclamation and infrastructure development are leading to the sharp reduction in the area of coastal wetlands in China. While the government has made significant efforts to reduce threats to wetland biodiversity including migratory waterbirds, these efforts have been impeded by a number of barriers, including absence of a strategic approach towards migratory waterbird conservation, limited integration of flyway wetland conservation priorities into the policies, and lack of awareness of the value of wetland ecosystem services and management needs.

Thus, the project aims to secure the conservation of globally significant migratory waterbirds through the establishment of a robust, resilient and well - managed network of protected wetlands across the East Asian - Australasian Flyway (EAAF) in China.

The project includes 3 components:

(1) Flyway PA network planning, expansion, financial sustainability and mainstreaming;

(2) Site-based demonstrations of adaptive habitat management and rehabilitation for migratory waterbird conservation,

(3) Knowledge management, awareness, gender mainstreaming and M&E. The project selects four pilot sites, including Liao River Estuary Landscape, Yellow River Delta Landscape, Chongming Dongtan Landscape and Local Site Network, and Dashanbao Landscape and Local Site Network. The results of these pilot interventions will be documented and inform the development of national technical guidelines on wetland sustainable use and management.

The total cost of the project is $95,986,952, including a GEF grant of $8,932,420 and co-financing of $87,054,532.

Duties and Responsibilities

DETAILED SCOPE OF THE MTR

The MTR team will assess the following four categories of project progress. See the Guidance For Conducting Midterm Reviews of UNDP-Supported, GEF-Financed Projects for extended descriptions.

1. Project Strategy

Project design:

Review the problem addressed by the project and the underlying assumptions. Review the effect of any incorrect assumptions or changes to the context to achieving the project results as outlined in the Project Document.
Review the relevance of the project strategy and assess whether it provides the most effective route towards expected/intended results. Were lessons from other relevant projects properly incorporated into the project design?
Review how the project addresses country priorities. Review country ownership. Was the project concept in line with the national sector development priorities and plans of the country (or of participating countries in the case of multi-country projects)?
Review decision-making processes: were perspectives of those who would be affected by project decisions, those who could affect the outcomes, and those who could contribute information or other resources to the process, taken into account during project design processes?
Review the extent to which relevant gender issues were raised in the project design. See Annex 9 of Guidance For Conducting Midterm Reviews of UNDP-Supported, GEF-Financed Projects for further guidelines.
- Were relevant gender issues (e.g. the impact of the project on gender equality in the programme country, involvement of women’s groups, engaging women in project activities) raised in the Project Document?
If there are major areas of concern, recommend areas for improvement.

2. Results Framework/Logframe:

Undertake a critical analysis of the project’s logframe indicators and targets, assess how “SMART” the midterm and end-of-project targets are (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound), and suggest specific amendments/revisions to the targets and indicators as necessary.
Are the project’s objectives and outcomes or components clear, practical, and feasible within its time frame?
Examine if progress so far has led to, or could in the future catalyse beneficial development effects (i.e. income generation, gender equality and women’s empowerment, improved governance etc...) that should be included in the project results framework and monitored on an annual basis.
Ensure broader development and gender aspects of the project are being monitored effectively. Develop and recommend SMART ‘development’ indicators, including sex-disaggregated indicators and indicators that capture development benefits.

Competencies

APPLICATION PROCESS[1]

Recommended Presentation of Proposal:

Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template[2] provided by UNDP;
CV and a Personal History Form (P11 form[3]);
Brief description of approach to work/technical proposal of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment, and a proposed methodology on how they will approach and complete the assignment; (max 1 page)
Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price and all other travel related costs (such as flight ticket, per diem, etc.), supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template attached to the Letter of Confirmation of Interest template. If an applicant 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 applicant must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP.

Incomplete applications will be excluded from further consideration.17 July

Applicants are requested to apply online (UNDP Procurement Website, etc.) by (July 17, 2023). Incomplete applications will be excluded from further consideration.

Criteria for Evaluation of Proposal: Only those applications which are responsive and compliant will be evaluated. Offers will be evaluated according to the Combined Scoring method – where the educational background and experience on similar assignments will be weighted at 70% and the price proposal will weigh as 30% of the total scoring. The applicant receiving the Highest Combined Score that has also accepted UNDP’s General Terms and Conditions will be awarded the contract.

[1]Engagement of the consultants should be done in line with guidelines for hiring consultants in the POPP: https://popp.undp.org/SitePages/POPPRoot.aspx

[2] https://intranet.undp.org/unit/bom/pso/Support%20documents%20on%20IC%20Guidelines/Template%20for%20Confirmation%20of%20Interest%20and%20Submission%20of%20Financial%20Proposal.docx

[3]http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/corporate/Careers/P11_Personal_history_form.doc

Required Skills and Experience

1. Qualifications for the National Consultant

Education

At least a Master’s degree in Biodiversity/Environmental Science/Environmental or other closely related field(10%);

Experience

Work experience in Biodiversity related management for at least 8 years; Experience in wetland protected areas, flyway wetland conservation, or other related areas at least 3 years; (20%)
Relevant experience with results-based management evaluation methodologies; (10%)
At least 5 years experience working with Chinese government departments, ministries, communities and NGOs (15%)
Experience applying SMART indicators and reconstructing or validating baseline scenarios; (10%)
Project evaluation/review experience within United Nations system will be considered an asset; project evaluation/review experience with UNDP as well the GEF (in addition to the UN system) would be highly preferable, experiences in evaluating GEF-funded project in China will be an asset; (15%)
Competence in adaptive management, as applied to CBD; (5%)
Excellent communication skills; (5%)
Demonstrable analytical skills;(5%)

Language

Fluency in written and spoken English; Fluency in written and spoken Chinese (native speaker)(5%)