Background

Papua New Guinea (PNG) has been one of the fastest growing economies globally this century with average growth rates above 6% . This rapid growth has been driven primarily by the expansion of foreign investment within the natural gas sector and high prices for PNG’s central exports many of which are transported to rapidly growing Asian economies. This growth has built on a long history of natural resources being at the centre of the PNG economy with exports and employment dominated by mining, natural gas, logging and agriculture. While this rapid growth has delivered significant changes in PNG’s main urban areas and those communities benefiting directly from foreign investment, the country still faces significant challenges in meeting the objectives of Vision 2050 and in providing development opportunities for all while also maintaining its natural environment.

Over 85% of the nation’s 7.3m population are based in rural areas and rely primarily on subsistence agriculture for survival and have limited access to health centres, education or broader development opportunities. Falling commodity prices since 2012 have also left the country facing significant economic challenges despite ongoing growth.

PNG has a significant area of intact tropical forest covering 77.8% of the country’s 46.9m ha of land. Together with the forest of West Papua (Island of New Guinea) they represent one of the largest areas of intact tropical forest in the world. PNG’s forests are also highly diverse, including 14 distinct forest types, with carbon-rich low altitude tropical forest constituting over 50% of forest area.

The country’s forests are critical to the livelihoods and economy of the country. The ecosystem services forests provide help to maintain access to water and suitable agricultural land for PNG’s predominantly rural population as well as helping to protect key infrastructure, people and crops from flash flooding and landslides. Forests also play a direct role in supporting the livelihoods or rural communities with more than 500 species of wild growing plants identified as being used for food and the value of annual bush meat consumption estimated to be equivalent to $26million if alternative meats had to be sourced .

These economic values sit alongside the deep social and cultural values attributed to forests across PNG. With over 90% of the land area under customary land ownership, PNG’s forests are at the center of the cultural identity of many communities.

Since 2005, PNG has been at the forefront of intergovernmental negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to develop an international mechanism to compensate developing countries for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+). To be eligible to receive results-based finance for REDD+ results-based actions under the UNFCCC, PNG will have to develop the following elements:

• A National Strategy or Action Plan;
• A national forest reference emission level and/or forest reference level;
• A robust and transparent national forest monitoring system for the monitoring and reporting of the REDD + activities;
• A system for providing information on how the safeguards on local community and forest biodiversity are being addressed and respected throughout the implementation of the REDD+ activities while respecting sovereignty.

The Government of Papua New Guinea is receiving international support from a number of bilateral and multilateral sources to prepare the country for implementing REDD+ under the UNFCCC, including through readiness support from the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), which is being delivered by UNDP.

In 2016-2017, with the support of UNDP/FCPF project, a National REDD+ Strategy (NRS) was developed and submitted to the Government of PNG for review and endorsement. The NRS marks a major milestone in PNG’s transition from the REDD+ Readiness Phase to REDD+ implementation.

The NRS was developed over an 18-month period through a process of structured consultation and awareness raising with key stakeholders from government agencies, civil society and the private sector. It builds on the experiences of early REDD+ readiness activities in PNG, including the development of pilot activities, and the ongoing assessment and analysis work that has focused on key areas of action on REDD+ including reviews of forest sector financing, commercial agricultural development, stakeholder engagement processes and land use mapping. Much of this work was compiled in an Issues and Options Paper for REDD+ in PNG, which set out the key decision and action areas for REDD+ in PNG and was circulated widely for consultation, the feedback from which was central to creating the NRS .

PNG is still at an early stage of its REDD+ development process. Thus, while the NRS marks a critical step in the nation’s REDD+ development process further action is needed to ensure that the NRS is effectively financed, that proposed policies and measures are developed and tested, and that long term sustainable financing and management systems are in place.

To achieve this the NRS will be supported by a REDD+ Finance and Investment Plan (RFIP), which will provide a detailed breakdown of activities to be undertaken in the coming five years, including clear budgets and approaches to financing.

Prior to the development of the RFIP, it is critical to assess current land use investment trends and identify opportunities to promote inter-sectoral planning, mainstream REDD+ objectives in national and sub-national planning and budgeting, better capture environmental outcomes in policy and decision-making processes, fill existing knowledge and finance gaps, and reinforce coherence between national and sub-national policy implementation.

Initial scoping work on Forest Sector Finance (through FCPF) and conservation finance (through GEF) has been conducted. The assessment of the forest sector highlighted the importance but also the complexities of finance within the sector with estimates indicating that forestry industries contribute approximately $200million to the economy through payment of 19 levies, two royalties and an export tax. Further work is now needed to review how this finance is utilised as well as how government finances can further support the development of a robust and environmentally sustainable forest sector in PNG. The current assessment will help move this forward while also linking the forest sector with other key sectors that are impacting forest cover (most specifically agriculture) as well as the financing of those institutions that are relevant to decision making on and the protection of forests. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work

Under overall guidance of International Consultant on REDD+ Financial Mapping Assessment and in close collaboration with the team of experts, a National Consultant will be responsible for mapping out the existing and potential sources of finance within the agriculture sector for REDD+ implementation in PNG (including the identification of “REDD+-relevant” financing, including from domestic government budget and private sector) and identify the scale of finance necessary for the development of REDD+ Investment plan, particularly to support the integration of various land uses, REDD+ and climate-smart objectives in national, provincial planning and budgeting in PNG.

The detailed scope and approach of work will be proposed by the National Consultant as part of the inception report. The assignment will build on the identification and quantification of relevant agricultural financial flows conducted at the national level as part of the elaboration of the resource mobilization framework of the national REDD+ investment plan.

The assignment will provide a deep-dive analysis into agricultural financial flows at the national level, and at the sub-national level in two pilot provinces: Madang and East New Britain (ENB). The approach taken will build on the work and results of multiple other assessments and will ensure consistency with the climate-relevant tracking approach developed.

The National Consultant will take necessary actions under this assignment, while working in close coordination and consultation with the team of consultants on the development of PNG’s REDD+ Investment Plan (RIP), Government, UNDP/FCPF project staff and the UNDP regional technical advisor. Key elements of the assignment will include:

Under overall guidance of International Consultant, the first task will be to clearly define the proposed scope of work and identify the levels of agricultural data assessment that is feasible within the existing time frame.

It is anticipated that this will review and address the proposed scope, which is:

• Provide assistance to International Consultant in the assessment of the budgetary process in PNG, identifying key actors, agencies, ministries involved in the budgeting process, as well as an overview of the budget coding system in PNG and consistency with the objectives of the assignment;
• Assist International Consultant to collect and assess international donor and private sector financial flows within the agricultural and land-use sectors and the breakdown of financing between national and subnational entities;
• In close partnership with the team of consultants on the development of REDD+ Investment Plan, participate in the collection and processing of agricultural data for REDD+ Investment Plan development;
• Review of government spending and break down of expenditures between Department of Agriculture, relevant commodity boards, the FPDA, NARI and other relevant institutions and how this spending is broken down by areas of technical work;
• Public financing flows (i.e. government funds, including staff salaries and funded policy instruments for the agricultural sector (e.g. fiscal policies, taxes, levies, etc.)) linked to the main drivers of deforestation and forest degradation; and (existing and potential) finance for the implementation of policies and measures (PAMs) to address these drivers (as set out in PNG’s National REDD+ Strategy);
• The level revenue through taxation, levies and other fees that flows that are provided by agricultural sector;
• A review of existing planning frameworks influencing agricultural investments at the national and subnational levels, including private sector investment related to development of infrastructure;
• A detailed assessment of financial flows within agricultural sector in two target provinces, East New Britain and Madang;
• An assessment of existing and potential climate finance within REDD+ relevant areas including review of national definitions for REDD+, and REDD+ relevant activities to identify areas that might be considered REDD+ aligned (or REDD+ ‘unaligned’);
• An assessment of the existing financial management structures within the agricultural sector for the above noted finances;
• A definition of a methodological approach for:
  • Ensuring necessary support from national and subnational stakeholders;
  • Collecting quantitative and qualitative data from the domestic budget, ODA and, to the extent possible, private sector in forest sector;
  • Ensuring data consistency and avoiding double counting;
  • Developing a typology for agricultural investments, consistent with and related to national climate change and REDD+ policy frameworks;
  • Managing data in a spreadsheet and coding according to relevant categories for the analysis.
• Opportunities to re-direct finance flows that are supporting activities linked to deforestation and forest degradation (e.g. alterations of fiscal frameworks);
• Private sector financing sources: including finance for the implementation of sustainable production systems, e.g. certification schemes for agricultural (“forest friendly”) commodities and sustainable timber;
• The results of the assessment presented in infographics which will be developed by the International Consultant to support easy dissemination to stakeholders. One example of infographics which is useful to illustrate financial flows is the landscape of finance tool (see Annex 1 for a generic example);
• Draw relevant conclusions and recommendations for the national and sub-national governments in Madang and ENB and their financial partners, with regard (but not limited) to:
  • The amount of agricultural investment contributing to REDD+/climate-smart objectives in PNG, with a deep-dive into Madang and ENB;
  • Gaps between current agricultural finance flows and needs, both in terms of volumes and activities being financed;
  • Potential barriers identified in financial flows at national and sub-national level;
  • Opportunities for redirecting public agricultural finance to REDD+/REDD+-relevant initiatives;
  • Recommendations for financing the National REDD+ Strategy and selected policies and measures in PNG, including Madang and ENB;
  • Opportunities for public finance to support private REDD+-relevant investments in PNG, including in Madang and ENB;
  • Opportunities and needs to improve coherence and coordination between national and subnational level agricultural spending.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling 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 favoritism;
• As strong understanding of political sensitivities and ability to work positively with all partners in a politically dynamic environment.

Functional Competencies:

Knowledge Management and Learning

• Demonstrated capacity in knowledge sharing and knowledge management and ability to promote a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example;
• Ability to advocate and provide top quality advice services on REDD+;
• In-depth practical knowledge of inter-disciplinary development issues;
• Ability to conduct research and analysis and strong synthesis skills.

Development and Operational Effectiveness

• Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting;
• Ability to develop innovative approaches to program design, implementation, monitoring evaluation of development programmes and projects;
• Ability to mobilize resources;
• Ability to work with minimal supervision.

Management and Leadership

• Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to critical feedback; consensus-oriented;
• Encourages risk-taking in the pursuit of creativity and innovation;
• Leads teams effectively and shows conflict resolution skills;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Demonstrates good oral and written communication skills;
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
• Proactive and have the ability to discuss openly with all senior government staff;
• Results-orientation and efficiency in a multi-tasking environment;
• Capacity to perform effectively under pressure and hardship conditions;
• Highly developed inter-personal, negotiation and teamwork skills, networking aptitude, ability to work in multi-cultural environment;
• Highly developed inter-cultural communication skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

• University degree (MSc) in agriculture, natural resources economics, development economics, finance, or closely related field. Post-graduate is an advantage.

Work experience

• A minimum of 10 years progressive experience in agriculture, natural resource economics and management or a related field;
• Experience with public expenditure reviews related to agricultural finance, natural resource management in developing country contexts;
• Strong inter-personal skills, in particular, demonstrated team leadership qualities and excellent oral communication skills.
• Experience with REDD+ in PNG or the Pacific region an advantage.

Language requirements

• Fluency in written and spoken English.

Scope of price proposal and schedule of payments

In accordance with UNDP IC guidelines, the proposal must include “Lump Sum Amount” approach which is closely linked to deliverables. It must be “all-inclusive” and shall take into account various expenses incurred by the National Consultant during the contract period (e.g. fee, health insurance, vaccination, office costs and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services.

All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. If duty travels are expected, UNDP will provide the National Consultant with the UN’s Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) rates prevailing at the time of sourcing, for the duty station and all other cities indicated in the TOR as part of duty travel destinations. This will give the National Consultant an indication of the cost of living in a duty station/destination, to aid their determination of the appropriate fees and financial proposal amount, but it does not imply that Offerors are entitled to DSA payment .

The initial payment shall include the actual cost of the IC’s travel to arrive at the designated Duty Station. Such cases therefore imply that the completion of the journey can be considered as one of the deliverables payable upon arrival.

Payments will be made only upon confirmation of UNDP on delivering on the contract obligations in a satisfactory manner.

The National Consultant is responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director. The National Consultant is also required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under dss.un.org

Application procedures

Qualified candidates are requested to apply by April 26, 2017 by sending their application packages to registry.pg@undp.org with the subject line “National Consultant to undertake REDD+ Financing assessment within agricultural sector and support to REDD+ Investment Plan development”.

The application should contain:

• Cover letter explaining why you are the most suitable candidate for the advertised position and a brief methodology on how you will approach and conduct the work (if applicable). Please paste the letter into the "Resume and Motivation" section of the electronic application;
• Filled P11 form including past experience in similar projects and contact details of referees, please upload the P11 instead of your CV;
• Financial Proposal* - specifying a total lump sum amount for the tasks specified in this announcement. The financial proposal shall include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (number of anticipated working days – in home office and on mission, travel – international and local, per diems and any other possible costs). For more details, please see?“Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments”.

Contact peter.katapa@undp.org for the following documents:

• Terms of Reference;
• Procurement Notice;
• P11 modified for SCs and ICs;
• General Conditions of Contract-for the services of IC's;
• Technical & Financial Proposal.

Note: Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials.

Evaluation of applicants

Applicants will be evaluated based upon the offer which gives the best value for money based on the Lump Sum proposal submitted, selected by the UNDP PNG Country Office in consultation with the UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub Technical Advisor.

The Technical and the Financial Proposal submitted to by the National Consultant will be evaluated on the basis of the weight of the technical criteria [70] and of the financial proposal [30].

The evaluation will be performed in two stages:

• Stage One (Technical Evaluation of Proposals). ?All Individual Contractors proposals comprising the information/documentation provided will be evaluated to ascertain the suitability of the individual contractors to carry out the assignment. Candidates who obtain the minimum of 49 points of the full mark (70 points) will be considered technically compliant and their financial evaluations will be evaluated thereafter;
• Stage Two (Financial Evaluation). The financial proposals of all the individual contractors who pass stage one will be evaluated. The maximum 30 points will be allotted to the lowest financial bid, and all other bids shall receive points in inverse proportion to the lowest fee e.g. [30 Points] x [USD lowest] / [USD other] = points for other proposer’s fees.

The award of contract shall be based on the individual contractor who receives the highest cumulative score.

Technical criteria

The following criteria will be used to evaluate the individual contractors’ technical proposals:

Education – 10 points

• University degree (MSc) in agriculture, natural resources economics, development economics, finance, or closely related field. Post-graduate is an advantage.

Experience – 50 points

• A minimum of 10 years progressive experience in agriculture, natural resource economics and management or a related field;
• Experience with public expenditure reviews related to agricultural finance, natural resource management in developing country contexts;
• Strong inter-personal skills, in particular, demonstrated team leadership qualities and excellent oral communication skills.
• Experience with REDD+ in PNG or the Pacific region an advantage.

Language Requirements – 10 points

• Fluency in written and spoken English.