UNDP Jobs - 67635- Climate Change Adaptation Specialist

Climate Change Adaptation Specialist

Location :

Home based with travels, THAILAND

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

01-Sep-2016

Application Deadline :

08-Aug-16 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

1 September 2016 – 30 August 2017

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

220 working days

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

UNDP recognizes that the growing risks and impacts of climate change and the accompanying loss of ecosystem services requires the world to urgently invest in a new green development paradigm. Based in UNDP’s Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS), the UNDP GEF unit helps developing countries make green, low-emission and climate-resilient development not only possible, but also economically attractive. To achieve this, it works closely with UNDP country offices to help countries develop and implement programmes and projects which advance their capacity to put in place the right mix of regulatory and financial incentives, remove institutional and policy barriers, and create enabling environments that attract and drive private sector investment into green development.

UNDP GEF staff assist partner countries to develop and implement programmes and projects that combine and sequence resources from a wide range of global environment and climate funds, financial mechanisms, and instruments including, but not limited to: the GEF managed family of vertical funds such as the GEF Trust Fund, the Special Climate Change Fund and the Least Developed Countries Fund; the Adaptation Fund; the Clean Development Mechanism, Joint Implementation, voluntary carbon markets and other innovative sources of carbon, climate, and ecosystem finance, as well as a variety of multilateral, bilateral, national, sub-national and private sector sources.

Staff are organized into thematic teams of technical specialists led by Principal or Senior Technical Advisors (PTAs/STAs). Each team leader supports, guides, and supervises a team of Region-based Technical Advisors (RTAs) and Specialists (RTSs). RTAs and RTSs work in close collaboration with other technical specialists at both global and regional levels. While RTAs and RTSs have global responsibilities in their area of specialized technical expertise, they are deployed from Regional Service Centres, normally close to the countries to which they provide most support, and have a secondary line of reporting to the Regional Practice or Team Leaders on the countries they support.

The strategic objective of the Climate Change Adaptation team is to support countries to attract and direct public and private investment towards catalyzing and supporting sustainable economic growth through initiatives focused on integrated Climate Change Strategies, Advancing Cross-sectoral Climate Resilient Livelihoods and Strengthening Climate Information and Early Warning Systems for Climate Resilient Development. The strategic objective of the Water & Oceans team is to promote integrated, ecosystem based climate resilient management of the world’s major freshwater and marine transboundary water systems through improved water and ocean governance.

During the course of the consultancy, and while supporting countries achieve their development needs, the consultant will advise the RTAs and RTSs on the necessary courses of action in response to changes in the country context and assist with new programming and opportunities for bankable projects.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objective

The consultant will provide technical assistance to the client UNDP country offices on the implementation of their GCF and NAP initiatives related to Climate Change Adaptation. The consultant will support UNDP staff with resource mobilization efforts in line with country priorities and donor requirements. S/he will have regular contact with country offices and national counterparts regarding monitoring of UNDP Climate Change Adaptation programmes and projects, including NAP-related activities. The consultant will make recommendations to the UNDP GEF Regional Technical Advisors on necessary courses of action in response to changes in the country context and new programme and resource mobilization opportunities.

Scope of Work

The consultant will be primarily responsible for providing high quality technical, policy, programming implementation support, as well as knowledge and capacity development services, to UNDP country offices and client countries. S/he will work with UN agencies, governments, inter-governmental organizations, NGO’s, donors, and the private sector in accordance with UNDP’s key results as outlined in the corporate strategy. This will be undertaken in full compliance with UNDP’s Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures including on gender, environmental safeguards, etc.

Specifically the consultant will be expected to deliver results in the areas of:

Innovation, Strategic Leadership, Dialogue and Advocacy:

Contributing to identifying strategic policy development support and guidance;
Supporting the development of strategic UNDP policy position papers and internal briefing notes;
Supporting the development of specific policy analysis and development tools and guidance;
Keep the Regional Practice/Team Leader and other RTSs informed of trends and issues with respect to their substantive technical area; and
Keep the Principal/Senior Technical Advisors informed of trends and issues in the countries served;
Strengthen strategic understanding of the substantive technical issues, institutions, and processes of relevance to NAPs within the countries supported, including establishing contact and developing strategic partnerships with other agencies, NGOs, donors, etc., as they relate to advancing NAP processes;
Provide technical and advisory support in country on the national adaptation plan process.

Portfolio Management:

Strengthen relationships between those involved in project development, external contractors, government agencies and UNDP country offices;
Facilitate the identification, and sourcing of technical expertise and support including the preparation of TORs, identification and evaluation of experts and reviewing reports, and promoting gender equality;
Guide country level consultations and conduct and/or reviewing assessments, stocktaking, gap analyses of key institutions to fully embark on medium to long-term planning and budgeting for adaptation aligned to national development priorities (e.g. NAP) for sectoral and cross-sectoral approaches.

Resource Mobilization:

Support programme and project identification and development;
Provide timely quality information and technical advice on source of funds policies, priorities and activities;
Identify priorities and entry-points for UNDP assistance;
Facilitate the process of preparation, design, submission and approval of programme/project concepts and full-fledged proposals for financing;
Identify and source technical expertise and support including assisting with the preparation of TORs, identification and evaluation of experts and reviewing reports; and
Facilitate relationships with potential financing agencies and institutions.

Development Impact:

Assist with inception, contracting and start-up of programmes/projects including establishment of indicators, benchmarks and work plans;
Support UNDP country offices and programme/project implementation partners in supervision, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, troubleshooting and adaptive management;
Maintain high quality of the programme’s implementation delivery, monitoring of results, and reporting requirements to the donors;
Support UNDP Country Offices with liaising with national partners on NAP-related issues;
Identify and source technical expertise and support including assisting with the preparation of Term of References, identification and evaluation of experts and reviewing reports.

Learning, Knowledge Management and communication:

Evaluate, capturing, codifying, synthesizing lessons and stimulating the uptake of best practices and knowledge, including the development of resource kits and other knowledge materials;
Peer review, comment on, and seek to improve, the technical quality of programmes/projects, policies, practices, guidelines, advisory notes, publications and the like;
Respond to queries on programme/project progress, impacts and lessons.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

The expected outputs from this assignment are:

September 2016 – August 2017 (estimated duration to complete : 180 days)

Develop two GCF project documents;
Support RTA work (peer review of adaptation concepts, project reviews, and providing technical advice to RTAs as requested).

Review and approval are required by Arab states Regional Technical Advisor –CCA.

September 2016 – August 2017 (estimated duration to complete : 40 days)

Produce 2 NAP proposals

Review and approval are required by NAP Technical Advisor.

Institutional Arrangement

The consultant will be supervised by the Arab States Regional Technical Advisor and GCF Focal Point, UNDP-GEF and/or his designate throughout the consultancy.

Contract Duration: 1 September 2016 – 30 August 2017 (up to 220 working days)

Duty Station: Home based with travels

Travel: Destination shall be assigned and approved prior to travel. Payment of travel costs including tickets, living allowance, terminal expenses and other travel related cost should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and Individual Consultant, prior to travel. The provided living allowance will not be exceeding UNDP DSA rates. Repatriation travel cost from home to duty station in Bangkok and return shall not be covered by UNDP.

Competencies

Strong interpersonal and communication skills;
Strong analytical, writing, and advocacy skills;
Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback;
Ability to plan, organize, implement and report on work;
Ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines;
Comprehensiveness knowledge of Climate Change;
IT literacy, familiarity with e-presentation techniques and ability to operate with on-line web-based applications;
Outstanding project management and organizational skills;
Excellent drafting ability, presentation and communication skills, both oral and written;
Skills in facilitation and coordination, entrepreneurial spirit and demonstrated ability to work in an independent manner; commitment to team work and to working across disciplines;
Demonstrates integrity and ethical standards;
Positive, constructive attitude to work;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s degree or higher in Climate change and development, Development Economics, Environmental Economics, marine or water resources management, Environmental Law, Planning or a closely-related field.

Experience:

At least 5 years of relevant experience preferably in the area of climate resilient integrated natural resources planning at national and sub-national levels ; experience in Asia would be an advantage;
Experience working with private sector/public-private partnerships especially on financing and operations for small, medium and multinational enterprises;
Experience with project development, implementation and management. Familiarity with UNDP/GEF projects is an advantage;
Experience in the policy development processes associated with environment and sustainable development issues in the context of climate change risk and marine and freshwater resources management;
Work experience in an international organization is an advantage, as is knowledge of UNDP policies and procedures.

Language:

Excellent knowledge of the English language, with exceptional writing, presentation and communication skills;
Proficiency in other UN languages is an asset.

Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments:

The contract will be based on daily fee.

Consultant shall quote an all-inclusive Daily Fee for the contract period. The term “all-inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, communications, consumables, etc.) that could be incurred by the IC in completing the assignment are already factored into the daily fee submitted in the proposal. If applicable, travel or daily allowance cost (if any work is to be done outside the IC’s duty station) should be identified separately. Payments shall be done on a monthly basis based on actual days worked, upon verification of completion of deliverables and approval by the IC’s supervisor of a Time Sheet indicating the days worked in the period.

In general, UNDP shall not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources.

In the event of unforeseeable travel not anticipated in this TOR, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and the Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.

Evaluation Method and Criteria

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on Cumulative analysis.

The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as a) responsive/compliant/acceptable; and b) having received the highest score out of set of weighted technical criteria (70%). and financial criteria (30%). Financial score shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal received by UNDP for the assignment.

Technical Criteria for Evaluation (Maximum 500 points)

Criteria 1 : Education - max 75 points;
Criteria 2 : Experience in the area of climate resilient integrated natural resources planning at national and sub-national levels - max 125 points;
Criteria 3 : Experience working with private sector/public-private partnerships especially on financing and operations for small, medium and multinational enterprises - max 100 points;
Criteria 4 : Experience with project development, implementation and management. Familiarity with UNDP/GEF projects is an advantage - max 75 points;
Criteria 5 : Experience in the policy development processes associated with environment and sustainable development issues in the context of climate change risk and marine and freshwater resources management - max 50 points;
Criteria 6 : Availability - max 50 points;
Criteria 7 : Excellent knowledge of the English language, with exceptional writing, presentation and communication skills - max 25 points.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 350 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Shortlisted candidates may be called for an interview which will be used to confirm and/or adjust the technical scores awarded based on documentation submitted.

Documentation required

Interested individual consultants 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 Availability using 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 and at least three (3) professional references;
The brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment;
Financial proposal, as per template provided in Annex II.

Incomplete proposals may not be considered.

Please click on the link below to download all required documents.

http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=31535

For any clarification regarding this assignment please write to brh.gef.procurement@undp.org