Background
Bangladesh is a signatory to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC has taken a number of decisions in recent years to encourage developing country Parties to take forestry climate change mitigation actions. The role of forests and reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries (REDD+) have been fully recognised and enshrined in the Paris Agreements.
As part of the country’s long-term strategy to reduce GHG emissions, largely described in its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC), the Government of Bangladesh has taken initial steps to contribute to this global effort to address climate change, and one of such steps is to develop its capacity to implement REDD+. The Government of Bangladesh prepared and endorsed its REDD+ Readiness Roadmap in 2012.
To support this effort, the UN-REDD Bangladesh National Programme was established to provide technical capacity development assistance to the Government of Bangladesh in designing and implementing its National REDD+ Strategy and in meeting the international requirements under the UNFCCC Warsaw Framework to receive REDD+ results-based finance.
One of the key components of the REDD+ readiness process is to identify public policy approaches and interventions, including incentive mechanisms to effectively address key drivers and causes of deforestation and forest degradation (D&D). In order to identify such approaches, a clear understanding of drivers and causes of D&D in Bangladesh must first be developed.
To develop such an understanding, UNDP Bangladesh seeks the services of a national consultant who works as a member of a team to deliver the following objectives. The contracted expert is expected to work closely with separately contracted international and national experts.
The objective of the assignment is to develop a detailed understanding of key drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, as well as for sustainable forest management and forest enhancement in Bangladesh (from here onwards referred to as ‘drivers of forest cover change’) based on which to then identify REDD+ Policies and Measures (PAMs). In so far as possible, drivers of forest cover change shall be analysed with respect to historical, current and future timescales and with reference to their spatial extent. It is important to assess relations between drivers of forest cover change together with their interactions with underlying causes.
Duties and Responsibilities
Scope of Work
The contracted expert will work as a member of a team. The team is expected to work under guidance of the international expert. The consultant will provide his support in coordination with the Senior National Expert and International Expert to achieve the objectives of the study. The team will conduct analysis of drivers of forest cover change with respect to historical, current and future timescales and with reference to their spatial extent.
The team of national experts is expected to lead all discussions with national stakeholders and experts, including the conceptualization and implementation of consultation and validation meetings at national and sub-national levels. The team is also expected to identify and collect all relevant data and conduct key analysis, using an analytical framework agreed between the team, international expert, Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF), Forest Department and REDD+ Governance Activity Coordinator, who will liaise with the project manager (PM) of National Programme, UNDP Bangladesh Country Office and UN-REDD Regional Technical Advisor. The team is also responsible for the production of key written deliverables, agreed between the team and international expert in consultation with the REDD+ Governance Activity Coordinator.
The GIS expert will provide technical support in mapping forest extent and change over time to understand drivers of deforestation and forest degradation. The consultant will ensure the timely collection of all remote sensing data, further processing of data to analyze and prepare maps to support the study of deforestation and forest degradation. The consultant will also be responsible for collation, archiving, analyzing and visualization of spatial data as per requirement of the study.
General Methodology
The methodology of the study consists of the following main components of investigation. This work will build on the rudimentary analysis of drivers of deforestation and forest degradation provided in the National REDD+ Readiness Roadmap. It will provide the necessary foundation for identifying and prioritizing potential policies and measures (PAMs), which will then be built on the results of this work, to address those critical drivers.
- Take stock of forest cover and forest cover change:
A basic analysis of land-cover and land-cover change will be conducted. The analysis will deliver an overview of types of forest cover, next to the pathways of change. Pathways of change organise observed changes into different spatial and temporal scales to provide historical, present and future narratives of forest cover change in Bangladesh. The data from the assessment of land use change, if available, and other existing relevant physical data will be used for this analysis, and it will be complemented with secondary data from publications, media sources, national forest inventory, land use change assessment, and census data.
- Identify drivers of forest cover change and describe their political economy:
Using observed pathways of forest cover change as a point of departure, drivers that are creating those pathways, and underlying causes of those drivers will be identified.To identify underlying causes will require detailed analysis of forest governance (including policy, legal, regulatory, institutional, socio-political, economic, cultural and biophysical factors). This may rely on analysing individual pathways of forest cover change under a profile of barriers and incentives to change. This analysis will lead up to identifying a set of drivers of forest cover change. Most importantly, information will be collected through interviews and focus group discussions.
- Assess drivers according to their impacts on forests:
In so far as possible, the biophysical impacts on forests will be assessed, chiefly the areas affected and the GHG emissions or removals. Data will be drawn from publications, national forest inventory, land use change assessment, and census data.The drivers will be placed in order of priority according to their extent of their impact.
- Identify agents of forest cover change:
By analysing the pathways of forest cover change, key agents of change will be identified.The agents are those individual actors or groups of actors whose behaviours and actions directly drive forest cover change. Identifying such agents is a crucial part of this study as they are as much part of a complex web of factors of forest cover change as part of solutions that can enable PAMs to effectively address the drivers.Information on agents will be collected through interviews and focus group discussions.
- Assess drivers according to the government interface:
The understanding of drivers and causes of forest cover change as well as critical agents of change involved such processes put in the context of Bangladesh’s current policy, legal and institutional framework in order to identify key issues, challenges and opportunities faced by the Government in addressing the drivers. Those issues, challenges and opportunities will provide important considerations during the next stage of identifying and prioritising potential PAMs.
Tasks to be Performed
To achieve the stated objectives above, the following indicative activities are anticipated under close coordination and collaboration with the international expert and senior national expert:
- Conduct a desk review to take stock of any existing information and data on forest cover and drivers of forest cover change in relation to major change pathways;
- Identify their causes, agents of change and their inter-relationships, as well as key issues, challenges and opportunities to be considered during the identification of potential PAMs to address the drivers;
- Consult with key stakeholders on their perception of drivers of forest cover change, including their causes, agents of change and their inter-relationships, as well as key issues, challenges and opportunities from the political economy perspective;
- Prepare a draft report with spatial presentation that details the above findings;
- Participate in a national (and sub-national if deemed necessary) validation meeting(s) organized by the NP to ensure stakeholders’ buy-in and actions on findings, policy options and recommendations; and
- Submit a final report addressing the inputs by stakeholders from the national validation meetings.
Expected Outputs
The submission of an initial work plan will be due after 15 working days of contract commencement.
A detailed work plan shortly after inception describing specific methodologies, work flow, structure of deliverables (e.g., an outline of final report), output delivery timeline, consultation plans, specific roles and responsibilities of experts (both national and international), and any other items as appropriate.
The first draft report will be due after 55 working days of contract commencement and final repport will be due after 65 working days, with an additional 5 days for final revisions and other activities.
A final report that in addition to information from the inception report also contains all analytical results with spatial presentation, including the identified drivers of forest cover change and narratives explaining their underlying causes and agents of change, as well as key issues, challenges and opportunities to be considered during the identification of potential PAMs. The final report should also include minutes and participants lists from all stakeholder consultation meetings carried throughout the process.
Deliverables
- Deliverable 1 A detailed work plan – 15 Days
- Deliverable 2 First draft report – 40 days
- Deliverable 3 Final Report – 15 Days
Institutional Arrangement
The consultant will report directly to the Project Manager, UN-REDD Bangladesh National Programme and Assistant Country Director, UNDP (CCED Cluster). The Individual Consultant will work closely with the PMU, in particular the Governance Coordinator, with technical guidance from the International Consultant (Team Leader).
The consultant will be a member of the study team. The study team includes experts in the following areas-
- Environmental and forest governance;
- Natural resource /sustainable forest management;
- Environmental/natural resources economics; and
- GIS and remote sensing.
The consultant is expected to work as a member of the team of experts in undertaking the activities mentioned in the TOR in order to achieve the stated objectives above and complete the study. The deliverables will be submitted in electronic and hard form on time by the consultant to UNDP Bangladesh.
Duration of the Work
This work will require approximately 70 days over the total duration of four months (.
Duty Station
The duty station will be home based and the field visits will be required as per thework plan and requirement of the methodology .Consultant also needs to participate in consultation and validation meetings at national and sub-national levels organized by the NP and a numbers of sharing/ coordination meeting in the Project Office and UNDP Country Office.
Competencies
- Demonstrated ability to ensure timeliness and project targets;
- Excellent coordination and team working skills;
- Demonstrated analytical, communication and report writing skills;
- Ability to work in multi-cultural and diverse settings; and
- Ability to work with different data formats used in forestry sector and GIS mapping.;
Required Skills and Experience
Educational Qualifications
- A university degree (preferably Masters or higher) in Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing or related discipline.
Experience
- At least 5 years’ experience of GIS analysis in Forestry Sector particularly Land-Use and Land-Cover Change (LUCC) analysis in forestry sector.
- Demonstrated track record of delivering at least 3 nos. of similar kind of reports on time;
- Previous experience of working with United Nations or other international organizations or donor funded project minimum 2 assignements.
Language requirements
- Fluency of English language is required;
Evaluation of the Candidates:
Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology
Cumulative analysis
The candidates will be evaluated through Cumulative Analysis method. The award of the contract will 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.
Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points in the technical evaluation would be considered for Financial Evaluation.
Technical Evaluation Criteria (Total 70 marks):
- Relevance of Education –10 Marks;
- Submitted methodology and ToC –20 Marks;
- Specific experience in the provision with similar service- 20 Marks;
- Experience & working with Govt. & United Nations or other international organizations or donor funded project- 20 Marks.
Financial Evaluation (Total 30 marks)
All technical qualified proposals will be scored out 30 based on the formula provided below. The maximum points (30) will be assigned to the lowest financial proposal. All other proposals received points according to the following formula:
p = y (µ/z)
where:
- p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated;
- y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal;
- µ = price of the lowest priced proposal;
- z = price of the proposal being evaluated.
The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables (i.e. whether payments fall in installments or upon completion of the entire contract). 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 (including travel, per diems, and number of anticipated working days).
Financial Milestone:
- 1st payment: 20 % of total contract amount will be paid after submission a detailed work plan;
- 2nd Payment: 40 % of total contract amount will be paid after submission of First draft report;
- Final Payment: 40 % of total contract amount will be paid after submission of Final Report.
Candidates are requested to submit their financial proposal using the template from the below link;
Documents to be included when submitting the Proposals
Interested individual consultant must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Please group them into one (1) single PDF document as the application only allows to upload maximum one document:
- Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availabilityusing the template provided in Annex II.
- Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate andat least three (3) professional references.
- Technical proposal, including a) a brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment; b) a brief methodology, on how you will approach and complete the assignment, including a tentative table of contents for the final report; and c) a list of similar assignments with topic/name of the assignment , duration, role of consultant and organization/project.