Background

Under the UNDP Ecosystem and Biodiversity Framework (2012-2020), UNDP has a large portfolio of biodiversity projects. UNDP provides support to parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to implement their National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAPs) to fulfil their obligations to the CBD Strategic Plan 2020. 

Some 140+ countries have accessed the Global Environmental Facility’s (GEF) Biodiversity Enabling Activities (BD EA) with the aim of updating their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) and fulfilling other related obligations under the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD). A new generation of NBSAPs have been produced to align with the Aichi Biodiversity Targets (ABT) that were agreed upon by CBD Parties during the COP10 in Nagoya, as part of the CBD’s Strategic Plan. They are now being implemented. The “Global Support to NBSAP” project relates to ABT 17, which emphasizes that each Party should develop, adopt as a policy instrument, and commence implementing an effective, participatory and updated NBSAP. ABT 17 relates to all other ABTs with respect to biodiversity policy development and biodiversity mainstreaming.

In order to strengthen UNDP’s ability to provide targeted technical support to Parties during the development and implementation of NBSAP, the organization is exploring partnerships with other conservation agencies to further fulfil UNDP’s obligations to the CBD Strategic Plan 2020. The initial areas for collaborative programme development include: protected area programmes (terrestrial and marine), forest initiatives, and work to articulate the contribution of biodiversity to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to garner political commitment for conservation work. 

Duties and Responsibilities

UNDP is seeking the expertise of a consultant to:

• Explore opportunities to develop strategic partnerships in collaboration with project team;
• Define the strategic nature and rationale for one or more joint programmes, and articulate how joint work will yield greater and more cost-effective impact;
• Support the development of a common vision and programmatic framework for joint fund-raising between UNDP and other conservation agencies, including clear targets and financing needs assessment;
• Support UNDP to develop MOUs for an agreement regarding protected areas, marine and forest related strategies, and any other complementary areas identified, and to recommend the way forward for collaboration on flagship programmes;
• Analyze the comparative advantages of UNDP and other agencies working in the fields of protected areas, marine and forest related strategies, among other topics, and the potential synergistic impacts that collaboration can bring;
• Map biodiversity pathways to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with graphical feedback loops;
• Prepare funding proposals across a range of traditional and innovative financing partners;
• Support the development of user-friendly, customizable capacity building tools that support the NBSAP implementation development processes;
• Advance the incorporation of key conservation and sustainable development issues into national conservation planning processes;
• Develop UNDP position papers on various thematic areas within the work of the Ecosystems and Biodiversity Team.

Institutional Arrangements:

• Estimated level of effort:  approximately 80 days each year, spread in various intermittent assignments. Maximum working days over the 3-year period would be 240.  However, UNDP does not warrant that any quantity of services will be purchased during the term of the Framework Agreement as this will depend on forthcoming needs;
• IC as a Framework agreement is non-exclusive (i.e. it does not prohibit UNDP from entering into another such framework agreement with another individuals or entities);
• The Consultant will work from home with limited mission travel;
• The initial contract would be from April 2017 – December 2017 with an option for renewal, for up to three years, in the subsequent years dependent on demand for services, availability of funding, and satisfactory performance evaluation;
• The Framework Agreement will be for a fixed all-inclusive daily fee;
• Once the Framework Agreement is signed, if there is a specific assignment, the focal person(s) at UNDP would contact, by email, the Consultant informing of specific deliverables and timeline;
• The consultant must advise within 48 hours whether s/he is available to deliver the requested service;
• Thereafter a Purchase Order will be raised. Financial commitments will only be established each time the services are requested within the scope of the Framework Agreement through the transmitted email and purchase order;
• The Consultant will be given access to relevant information necessary for the execution of the tasks under this assignment;
• The Consultant will be responsible for providing her/his own working station (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to a reliable internet connection;
• The consultant will report to the Head of Ecosystems and Biodiversity, based in New York.
• Given the global consultations to be undertaken during this assignment, the consultant is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability for such consultations taking into consideration different time zones;
• Payments will be made upon submission of a detailed time sheet and certification of payment form, and acceptance and confirmation by the Supervisor on days worked and outputs delivered.

Travel:

• International travel may be required to attend relevant meetings, which will likely not exceed 10 days during the first year;
• Any necessary mission travel must be approved in advance and in writing by the Supervisor;
• The Basic Security in the Field II courses must be successfully completed prior to commencement of travel;
• Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director;
• Consultants are also required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under https://dss.un.org/dssweb/; 
• The consultant will be responsible for making his/her own mission travel arrangements in line with UNDP travel policies;
• All travel expenses related to mission travels will be supported by the project travel fund and will be reimbursed as per UNDP rules and regulations for consultants.  Cost of mission travel should not be included in the financial proposal.

Competencies

Corporate:

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly without favouritism.

Technical:

• Demonstrates sufficient technical knowledge to perform effectively in own specialty.

Professionalism:

• Focuses on achieving results;
• Sets priorities, produces quality outputs, meets deadlines and manages time efficiently;
• Works toward creative solutions by analyzing problems carefully and logically;
• Has a dynamic, positive and adaptive attitude towards work-related challenges, bringing innovative and effective solutions to them;
• Leads and supports team decisions;
• Facilitates meetings effectively and efficiently;
• Resolves conflicts as they arise.

Communication:

• Writes and presents clearly and convincingly.

Knowledge Management:

• Shares knowledge and is willing to provide support to others who request advice or help.

Client Orientation:

• Maintains strong relationships with partners and clients.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree in communications, environmental management/sciences, social/political sciences, international relations, development studies, administration & management and/or other relevant field for biodiversity planning (max. 10 points).

Experience:

• At least 7 years of working experience in project and knowledge management at the national and/or international levels in issues of environmental management (preferably with respect to biodiversity management) and preferably with a focus on policies, capacity development and global processes (max. 15 points);
• Demonstrated experience with project implementation, planning, monitoring, reporting (direct project management experience is preferable) (max. 10 points);
• Demonstrated communications experience in meeting facilitation, training others, developing MOUs and proposals, organising events and/or presenting content, as well as, preparing and reviewing publications, communication pieces and other knowledge management products (max. 10 points);
• Experience on liaising between UNDP and other conservation institutions, civil societies and/or governmental authorities is an advantage (max. 15 points).

Language:

• Fluent in English with excellent oral and written communication skills (max. 10 points).

Evaluation Method, Criteria, and Award of Contract:

• Only those applications which are responsive and compliant will be evaluated;
• Offers will be evaluated according to the Combined Scoring method – where the qualifications will be weighted at 70% and the financial offer will be weighted at 30%;
• The technical criteria (education, experience, language [max 70 points] and interview [max 30 points]) will be based on a maximum 100 points. Only the top three candidates scoring 49 points or higher from the review of the education, experience, languages will be considered for the interview;
• Applicants obtaining 21 points or higher in the interview will deemed technically qualified and considered for financial evaluation;
• Financial score (max 100 points) shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal of those technically qualified;
• The financial proposal shall specify an all-inclusive daily fee.  In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal must additionally include a breakdown of this daily fee (including all foreseeable expenses to carry out the assignment);
• Applicant receiving the Highest Combined Score and has accepted UNDP’s General Terms and Conditions will be awarded the contract. 

Documentation required:

• Applicants must submit a duly completed and signed UNDP Personal History form (P11) to be downloaded from the below link;
• Applicants must reply to the mandatory questions asked by the system when submitting the application;
• Applicants must submit a duly completed and signed Annex II Offeror´s letter to UNDP confirming interest and availability for the Individual Contractor (IC) assignment to be downloaded from the UNDP procurement site.

UNDP Personal History form (P11) required of all applicants:

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

General Conditions of Contract for the ICs:

http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/documents/procurement/documents/IC%20-%20General%20Conditions.pdf.  .  

Annex II Offeror´s letter to UNDP confirming interest and availability for the Individual Contractor (IC) assignment

http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=36038