UNDP Jobs - 70558- Community Development Specialist for the Preparati

Community Development Specialist for the Preparation of AFB Proposal for Restoring Marine Ecosystem Services by Rehabilitating Coral Reefs to Meet a Changing Climate Future

Location :

Seychelles, SEYCHELLES

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

10-Mar-2017

Application Deadline :

05-Mar-17 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

10 person days spread over an estimated 7 months

Languages Required :

English French

Expected Duration of Assignment :

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

Project Title: Preparation of a Community Development Plan in view of a Project Proposal for the “Restoring marine ecosystem services by rehabilitating coral reefs to meet a changing climate future” project

Following a call for proposals of the Adaptation Fund Board (AFB) in May 2015 for projects and programmes to be funded by the AFB under the pilot programme for regional projects and programmes of the Adaptation Fund, the UNDP Country Office for Mauritius and Seychelles with national stakeholders in Mauritius and Seychelles have developed a pre-concept for a regional project. The pre-concept for the project which endeavours to “restore marine ecosystem services by rehabilitating coral reefs to meet a changing climate future” in Mauritius and Seychelles, developed in collaboration with Seychelles Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, Nature Seychelles and Seychelles National Parks Authority; Mauritius Ministry of Ocean Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries, Shipping and Outer Island (MOE), Mauritius Oceanography Institute (MOI), Albion Fisheries Research Centre, UNDP GEF Small Grants Programme and the Mauritius Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MOFED), was approved in October 2015 to develop a concept note. Subsequently, the concept note was approved by the AFB in October 2016 to develop the full project proposal.

The final stage of the proposal process is the submission of the fully-developed regional AFB project proposal as well as the UNDP project document in the UNDP project document template. The endorsement of the concept does not create an obligation for the AFB for later funding. As such, the project proposal needs to be of a high quality, in line with the requrements of AFB rules for the call and its strategic priorities, to increase the odds of endorsement by the Board.

Objective of the Project

The main objective of the proposed project is to upscale and mainstream the rehabilitation of coral reefs degraded by coral bleaching in order to restore essential ecosystem services in the face of climate change threats and to generate knowledge about the most effective solutions for dissemination to SIDS and countries within the wider region. The project responds to two of the three thematic focal areas namely 'Food Security' and 'Disaster Risk Reduction' as: (i) the rehabilitation of degraded reefs will restore fish habitats by increasing coral cover on degraded reefs thereby encouraging the recovery of reef associated fish communities important as food to the local communities and; (ii) the rehabilitation of degraded reefs will restore the protective barrier function provided by coral reefs through stabilising the reef substrate and planting corals.

The proposed project will have three components (excluding project management), namely:

Component 1) Enhancement of food security and reduction of risks from natural disasters through the restoration of degraded reefs in Mauritius
Component 2) Enhancement of food security and reduction of risks from natural disasters through the restoration of degraded reefs in Seychelles
Component 3) Knowledge management and sharing, training and sensitization to build regional capacity for sustainable reef restoration

Institutional Arrangement

The Project Proposal preparation phase will be coordinated through the UNDP Country Office in Mauritius, which provides UNDP representation for both Mauritius and Seychelles under a single UN leadership with shared programme support services. A Regional Steering Committee (RSC) will be established composed of the stakeholders outlined below. The RSC will meet twice during the project preparation phase to ensure regional aspects are taken on board and to achieve consensus, and at least annually during implementation, if possible organized back-to-back with planned regional workshops for cost efficiency. The National Steering Committees will be composed of the principal stakeholders outlined below for each country, as well as other private sector, civil society and government organisations and will meet quarterly.

Once the project is approved, then in Seychelles, the project will be implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change (MEECC) which has the mandate for environmental, climate change and energy policy and management. Other key national implementing entities (NIE) will include:

Nature Seychelles (NS), an NGO that has pioneered terrestrial restoration of islands, been the recipient of GEF-funds and other large donor funded projects. NS manages the Cousin Island Special Reserve, the site of a 5,500 m2 restored reef, and is registered as a Private Educational and Training Institute (under the Education Act);
Seychelles National Parks Authority (SNPA), which is responsible for the management of all state owned terrestrial and marine protected areas. SNPA will build on its existing coral reef restoration work and benefit from opportunities for further training for its staff.

In Mauritius the main NIE will be the Ministry of Ocean Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries, Shipping and Outer Island (MOEMRFSOI), which has the mandate to provide an enabling environment for the promotion of sustainable development of the fisheries sector and is responsible for the management of coastal waters and any related activities being carried out within these, and specifically the following bodies under this Ministry:

Mauritius Oceanography Institute (MOI) established in 2000 to develop and strengthen oceanographic research, within the maritime zone of the Republic of Mauritius, with technical expertise and institutional capacity for both coral farming, species identification and coral genetics. MOI will lead on research activities in the project, and the development of a land-based coral nursery.
Albion Fisheries Research Centre (AFRC) established in 1982 under the MOEMRFSOI, and responsible for stock assessment of marine resources, MPA management, ocean-based coral farming/restoration and long term coral reef monitoring. AFRC will lead on the development of ocean-based coral nurseries, with support from MOI.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of services

The consultant is expected to produce, in a timely manner and in full compliance with the set deadlines, the reports relating to community development, with emphasis given to gender and youth mainstreaming and empowerment, in relation to the project to support the Team Leader in the development of the project design and the project document. Specifically, a community development plan that identifies selected community needs, identifies roles and responsibilities, establishes baselines, sets targets, identifies potential further sources of finance to assist with wider economic development and community development needs, will be required. This plan will help the project communicate outcomes, which in turn will help manage community expectations. This will be done by performing the following principal tasks:

Assess how the project will benefit vulnerable groups, and coastal communities in general.
Assess how the project can empower women and youth in particular and produce a report on the gender and youth assessment.
Develop a Gender and Youth Action Plan, based on the gender and youth assessment, for the overall project.
Select potential communities to benefit from the project in collaboration with the Team Leader and the project steering committee.
Review the UNDP and the AFB corporate gender mainstreaming requirements and assess how to best address the specific Mauritian and Seychellois concerns to achieve the corporate targets.
Carry out desk top research as required.
Liaise closely with stakeholders in Mauritius and Seychelles to ensure the relevance of the proposed project interventions.
Identify roles and responsibilities of communities who would be participating in the project.
Develop SMART targets, baseline and mid-term and end-of-the-project targets in relation to community development and gender and youth empowerment for the project.
Produce draft Community Development Plan by end March 2017
Revise the Community Development Plan and the Gender and Youth Assessment and Action Plan according to comments from the team leader, UNDP and stakeholders.
Finalise all Plans and reports by mid May 2017

Deliverables

The consultant shall be responsible for the following, in collaboration with UNDP, and stakeholders:

Activity Plan, in consultation with the Team Leader and UNDP
Draft Community Development Plan, Gender and Youth Assessment, and Gender and Youth Action Plan for Mauritius
Final Community Development Plan, Gender and Youth Assessment, and Gender and Youth Action Plan for Mauritius
AFB project proposal contents related to the above
UNDP project document contents related to the above

Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

The financial offer should be quoted as a lump sum amount, all-inclusive (professional fee, travel by the most direct and economic route, DSA, insurance).

The contract price is fixed regardless of changes in the cost components. Payments will be effected based on deliverables:

Deliverables_Outputs / Tentative Dates / Fee (%) / Review and Approvals Required

Submission of activity plan by - 10 March 2017 / 10% / UNDP
Draft Community Development Plan, Gender and Youth assessment report - 30 March 2017 / 20% / UNDP & SC
Final Community Development Plan, Gender and Youth Assessment report - 20 April 2017 / 10% / UNDP & SC
Final Gender and Youth Assessment Acyion Plan report - 15 May 2017 / 20% / UNDP & SC
Project proposal for Adaptation Fund Board - September 2017 / 20% / Adaptation Fund Board
Project document for UNDP - September 2017 / 20% / UNDP

Competencies

Core competencies:

Demonstrates integrity/commitment by demonstrating highest levels of integrity and acts in accordance with the Standards of Conduct for international civil servants;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Treats all people fairly without favouritism;
Promotes and demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s vision, mission, values and strategic goals of UNDP
Building support and political acumen;
Building and promoting effective teams;
Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication;
Fair and transparent decision making; calculated risk-taking.

Management and Leadership:

Focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback and differing views;
Leads teams effectively and shows conflict resolution skills;
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills;
Builds strong relationships with clients and external actors;
Remains calm, in control and good humoured even under pressure;
Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
Solicits feedback from team members about the impact of his/her own behaviour;
Ability to effectively plan, implement, monitor and evaluate own work.

Innovation and Marketing New Approaches:
Developing new approaches

Seeks a broad range of perspectives in developing project proposals;
Identifies new approaches and promotes their use in other situations;
Creates an environment that fosters innovation and innovative thinking;

Resource Mobilization:
Developing tools and mechanisms

Makes the case for innovative ideas documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches;
Identifies new approaches and strategies that promote the use of tools and mechanisms.

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise:
In-depth knowledge of the subject-matter

Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally;
Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments;
Excellent English drafting and communication skills.

Client Orientation:
Contributing to positive outcomes for the client

Anticipates client needs;
Works towards creating an enabling environment for a smooth relationship between the clients and service provider;
Demonstrates understanding of client’s perspective;
Solicits feedback on service provision and quality.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Minimum postgraduate degree in a relevant subject.

Experience:

Proven experience in projects related to community development and empowerment.
Experience in gender assessment and development of the gender action plans leading to gender empowerment
Experience in Western Indian Ocean states and/or SIDS will be highly advantageous.
Experience with UNDP/AFB projects/policies would be an advantage
Strong synthesis skills to present succinctly findings of researches and analyses relevant to the project interventions
Evidence of being able to build strong relationships with local communities and national stakeholders, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to critical feedback; consensus-oriented.
Highly developed inter-personal, negotiation and teamwork skills, networking aptitude.
Ability to work independently with minimum supervision as well as to work as part of a team under the guidance by a team leader for the best team performance.
Regional and national knowledge, in particular on social and community development, is highly desirable.

Language:

The language of the assignment shall be English. All deliverables shall be in English language. Therefore, excellent English communication skills (oral, written, and presentation) are essential;
Knowledge of French will be an advantage.

Recommended Presentation of Offer:

The following documents are requested:

Duly completed Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
Personal CV and 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;
Technical offer: Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment (including his/her experience using Financial Planning and Budgeting), and a methodology on how they will approach and complete the assignment; and
Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided by UNDP.

Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer

The Combined Scoring method will be as follows:

Technical Evaluation will be weighted at a maximum of 70%, and
Financial Evaluation will be weighted a max of 30%;

Technical Evaluation criteria:

Criteria - Maximum points

Education - (5 points);
Experience in the formulation of donor-funded projects. Familiarity with UNDP and or AFB projects, either during the formulation or implementation - (10 points);
General Experience in community development, youth and gender empowerment - (10 points);
Experience in gender mainstreaming and empowerment - (10 points);
Experience in Western Indian Ocean states and/or SIDS, preferably in Mauritius - (10 points);
IT skills (MS Office) - (5 points);
Methodology for the assignment - (20 points).

Total maximum - (70 points)

Candidates scoring 70% or above in the Technical Evaluation will be short-listed.

Financial Evaluation Criteria:
The financial offers will be evaluated giving the lowest price proposal 30 marks and marking the other more expensive proposals reverse proportionally to the cheapest offer.

Final Evaluation
The final scoring of short-listed candidates will take into account the technical Evaluation and the Financial Score:

Criteria                     Weight       Max. Point
Technical score           70%            70
Financial score            30%           30

The candidate ranking highest shall be selected.