UNDP Jobs - 65230- International Consultant to Undertake a Thorough

International Consultant to Undertake a Thorough Assessment of the Existing Technical and Operational Capacities of the Jordan Environment Fund (JEF)

Location :

Amman, JORDAN

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

01-May-2016

Application Deadline :

07-Apr-16 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

30 working days during the period 1, May 2016- 1, July 2016

Languages Required :

Arabic English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

30 working days during the period 1, May 2016- 1, July 2016

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

The Government of Jordan through the Ministry of Environment (MoEnv) established the Jordan Environmental Fund (JEF) (the “Fund”) to provide financial support for projects that will strengthen the capacity of entities to comply with national environmental law. The Fund will aim to drive technological and process improvements across select sectors and complement existing environmental expenditure in Jordan.

Government commitment to the protection of its environment has been consistently demonstrated by the significant legal measures, national strategies and international conventions it has ratified over the years. Despite these efforts, Jordan’s environment faces significant threats that have led to resource loss, degradation of habitats and human health risks.

According to a study completed by the World Bank in 2004, the cost of environmental degradation in Jordan was estimated at JD 205 million or 3.1% of GDP. The Government (GOJ) is aware that significant investments are needed, particularly in the private sector, to improve environmental conditions and that current environmental expenditure, across both the public and private sectors, is inadequate to meet national objectives.

The MoEnv plans to use the Environment Fund as a catalytic tool for extending finance to projects that drive improvements in environmental protection and result in more sustainable use of natural resources. The Fund’s primary goal, as proposed in its draft Regulation, is to support implementation of projects and other activities that lead to improved environmental conditions and more sustainable use of natural resources in Jordan. More specifically, the Fund will finance activities implemented by the private sector, and other entities that promote sustainable use of Jordan’s natural resources and help strengthen compliance with national environmental law.

Jordan’s Environmental Protection Law provides a clear, legal mandate for creation of the Fund at the MoEnv where the Fund operates under a semi autonomous basis. Financially the fund’s revenue streams come from the environmental services, donations and CDM market and its administration consists of ten Board of Directors members representing five governmental and five from the private sector. It is therefore the MoEnv’s intent to build a Fund with a professional management team and operational autonomy.

Fund operations are supervised by an appointed Board of Directors which also makes resource allocation decisions. The Board includes balanced representation across key stakeholder groups – government, private sector, NGOs and independent experts. As the long-term intent is for the Fund to operate as an independent, legal entity, its governance and management framework have been designed with such evolution in mind. The regulations for the Fund specify its official mandate and establish clear, explicit rules for the Fund’s governance and management structure, operations and relations with outside parties. Key elements of the regulations also define the Fund’s operating principles; revenue sources; financing instruments; reporting and audit requirements.

Nonetheless, the fund remains challenged by weak technical and administrative capacities, and it is in need to develop these capacities to be enabled for better operations and utilize the available funding at the national as well as strengthening the bilateral relationship with Funds and donors at the international level.

Duties and Responsibilities

With the recently-approved Paris agreement, developing the fund’s capacities is becoming an emerging issue, in order to be proactively prepared given the funding opportunities that will come out climate negotiations.

The overall objective of this assignment is to undertake a thorough assessment of the existing technical and operational capacities of the JEF. And it also hoped to specify the priorities moving forward.

Specific objective #1:

To assess the existing institutional set up for the fund with critical review for the current coordination mechanisms with other available donors/financing institutions within the country and linkages with GCF implementing Agencies.

In order to achieve this objective, the consultant is required to:

Review existing institutional set up for the fund and identify strengths and weaknesses in the current intuitional arrangements;
Review the existing coordination mechanisms with the other funding agencies in the country, notably with the recently-established Jordan Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Fund (JREEEF) and other environment funding mechanisms (bilateral donors, multilateral donors, private sector, market-based financing, etc);
Conduct extensive consultations with stakeholders such as the GGGi and GIZ with aim of collecting thoughts and perceptions on the development of the fund’s operations;
Conduct extensive consultations with the JEF executive Board with the aim gathering their perceptions on the development of the fund’s operation with regard to the GCF and others;
Identify gaps in the existing institutional set up and coordination mechanisms;
Develop, informed by the consultation and the gap analysis, a capacity assessment report and road map for enhancement.

Deliverables:

Assessment report for the current institutional and coordination set ups for the JEF;
A road map for enhancing the institutional and coordination arrangements.

Specific objective #2:

To assess the available technical and operational capacities of the JEF, and recommend improvement road map.

The consultant is expected to:

Analyze the existing technical capacities within the fund; this includes the staffing and their backgrounds, tools and available knowledge as well as linkages with available technical sources within the ministry and outside the ministry.
Assess the existing operational capacities of the fund, this includes finance management, call for proposals, staffing, operational cycles, etc;
A thorough review and analysis of the existing operationalization guidelines of existing priorities of the Ministry (GG, CC, SDG) for the “call for proposals”;
Identify priority capacity development actions to enable the JEF to get accredited by international funding sources, mainly the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Global Environment Fund (GEF) and the Adaptation Fund (AF);
Identify technical and operational gaps and recommend a road map for development;
Provide a roadmap for the development of bilateral relations with other agencies accredited by the GCF.

Deliverables:

Capacity assessment report covering the technical and the operational sides;
Road map for capacity development priorities with aim of getting international accreditation by international funding sources (GCF, GEF and AF);
A new revised operationalization guidelines for the “call for proposals”.

Summary of all deliverables:

Inception report illustrating a detailed methodology and assignment work plan; 2 weeks after signing the contract;
Assessment report for the current institutional and coordination set ups for the JEF; 4 weeks after signing the contract;
A road map for enhancing the institutional and coordination arrangements with other agencies accredited by the GCF; 6 weeks after signing the contract;
Capacity assessment report covering the technical and the operational sides; 4 weeks after signing the contract.
Road map for capacity development priorities with aim of getting international accreditation by international funding sources (GCF, GEF and AF) and other entities accredited by the GCF; 6 weeks after signing the contract;
Road map for capacity development priorities with aim of getting international accreditation by international funding sources (GCF, GEF and AF) and other entities accredited by the GCF. 8 weeks after signing the contract.

Competencies

Excellent technical and analytical writing skills;
Strong facilitation and moderation, communication and inter-personal skills;
Excellent networking and partnering competencies and negotiating skills;
Ability to use information technology as a tool and resource.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

University degree in relevant field to financing, environment, environmental science, environmental management, biodiversity/ecology, climate change, institutional development or any related fields.

Experience:

Minimum of 10 years of total experience of which at least five years relevant experience to the assignment working with the Donor community.

Language requirement:

Proficient in both written and oral English and Arabic.

Computer skills:

Demonstrable skills in office computer use - word processing, spread sheets, etc.

Documents to be included when submitting the proposal

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

Proposal: (i) Explaining why they are the most suitable for the work; (ii) Provide a brief methodology on how they will approach and conduct the work;
Financial proposal;
Personal CV including past experience in similar projects and at least 3 references.

Financial proposal:

The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount including fees, international travel cost, DSA for two calendar weeks in Jordan. Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR. 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.

Evaluation:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodologies:

Cumulative analysis

When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and
Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Technical Criteria weight: 70%.

Financial Criteria weight:30%.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 50 points would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Technical evaluation criteria

Having relevant academic degree, 10 points.
Having carried out similar or related work, 30 points.
Technical approach and methodology and work plan demonstrating a clear understanding of the job to be done.