Background

The ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme is a three-year, €13.1 million capacity building program of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States, financed by the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and implemented by UNDP. The aim of the programme is to promote the sustainable development of industrial minerals, construction materials, dimension stones and semi-precious stones in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.

The ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme supports the capacity development of key stakeholders in the sector such as regulatory agencies and local governments; private stakeholders including small-scale mining enterprises, construction companies, mining and quarrying associations; as well as training centres, universities, civil society organizations and community groups.

The ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme is implemented at both the regional and country levels. At the regional level, the programme conducts capacity building activities with participants from forty (40) ACP countries through regional training workshops, field trips, the production of guidance products and knowledge exchange. At the country level, in depth capacity building is undertaken with six focus countries: Cameroon (Central Africa); Guinea - Conakry (West Africa); Uganda (East Africa); Zambia (Southern Africa); Jamaica (Caribbean); and Fiji (Pacific). Country-level activities include: training; small grants; the production of maps and databases; development of regulations on environment, health and safety; organization of community dialogues, technology fairs and networking events.

‘Development Minerals’ are minerals and materials that are mined, processed, manufactured and used domestically in industries such as construction, manufacturing, and agriculture. Development Minerals are economically important close to the location where the commodity is mined. Development Minerals include industrial minerals, like gypsum and salt, construction materials, like sand and gravel, dimension stones, like marble and granite, and semi-precious stones, like garnet and tourmaline.

Duties and Responsibilities

Two (2) trainers will be selected to co-facilitate one (1) Regional and one (1) Country-level Training Workshop on Geo-data Digitization and Mapping of Development Minerals.  Each trainer must submit a separate application as an individual.

The two training workshops will each be held over a duration of 12 days (including 2 days of fieldwork). The consultant will also provide advice and support to the trainees in the implementation of Return to Work Projects following the training. These projects, which will be developed by each country delegation, apply the knowledge learnt during the workshop to the participants own professional context.

Training Rationale and Aims:

The ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme is seeking up to two trainers to co-faciitate two workshops on geological data digitization techniques, field mapping, resource estimation and database management of Development Minerals. The proposed workshops will consist of one (1) regional training workshop for the Caribbean (including participants from Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago) and one (1) country-level training workshop for Jamaica.

The workshops will be delivered in 2017 in partnership with CARICOM. The Caribbean Regional Workshop is scheduled for 6 – 17 November 2017; and the Jamaica Country-level Workshop is scheduled for 27 November – 8 December 2017.

The Development Minerals sector commonly operates with a lack of publicly available and easily accessible geological data, which exacerbates wasteful exploration and discourages investment in the sector. Efforts to improve geological information and mapping have tended to prioritise so-called high value minerals (metals) rather than Development Minerals and many countries do not hold comprehensive mineral occurrence data, maps or information of reserves for Development Minerals. This situation has resulted in a lack of reliable data for informed decision making such as for development planning, permitting, urbanization and even disaster management.

This workshop series on Geo-data Digitization and Mapping of Development Minerals aims to reduce the skills and knowledge gaps on Development Minerals in the Caribbean. Specifically, the training will:

• Familiarize trainees with mapping, digitization and reserve estimation software; 
• Improve geo-data mapping, digitization, database management and field mapping skills;
• Catalyze the collection of geological data and the development or enhancement of geological inventories of Development Minerals;
• Improve the public availability of geological data for potential investors in the Development Minerals sector;  
• Encourage south-to-south knowledge exchange;
• Support the implementation of the acquired skills through Return-to-Work Plans for each participating country that will aim to develop or enhance a country level geo-data inventory.

Training Approach and Design:

The training will consist of the following phases:

• Adaptation of Training Curricula

The training curricula will reflect participatory, adult-learning methodologies, including a mixture of technical presentations, software instruction, participant knowledge sharing, case studies, a field visit, group discussion, guest speakers, Return to Work Plans and post-workshop mentoring and monitoring. The curricula will outline the state of play for geo-data mapping, digitizing and reserve estimation for Development Minerals and will be adapted from an existing generic curricula developed for this thematic area.

The curricula will include the following topics: mapping software, spatial databases, digitizing geo-data, web mapping, geological data digitization techniques, field mapping, resource estimation and database management.

The emphasis of the curricula will be guided by the prior experience and needs of the participants as determined by a needs assessment/survey that will accompany the application forms submitted by the trainees. Any software that will be provided to the participants must be done so prior to the training attendance and must prioritize inexpensive or freely available programs.

The curricula will be tailored to delivery in a Regional-level and a Country-Level workshop format. The regional workshop will include the attendance of country-level trainers who will train to assist in the delivery of the subsequent country-level training workshop.

Following the conclusion of the contract the training curricula will be embedded, as far as is possible, into further programmes delivered by training institutions in the Caribbean. Details of any envisaged programmes should be provided in the proposal.

A field visit protocol will be developed including details on sampling and data gathering. The training guidance notes will include practical guidance needed to undertake the fieldwork task. Due to the importance of the field component for the practical demonstration of skills the locations of the fieldwork will be scouted before the workshops to ensure their suitability and to collect necessary data for the training. An outcome of the fieldwork will be improved geological knowledge of the fieldwork sites and the strengthening of the geo-data inventories. The training participants will work independently in small groups to undertake a practical digitization and reserve estimation task. The task will enhance skills in digitization, database creation, 2D and 3D modeling (reserve estimation). Participants will present their work back to the training group.

Partnerships with the relevant Government Ministry or municipalities will be needed to achieve the fieldwork outcome. The ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme will provide all participants a field vest/high visibility vest. The trainer(s) must provide a field safety briefing and ensure the trainees wear enclosed leather shoes.

The field location for the country level workshop will be chosen in consultation with the ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme team. The field sites identified to be mapped as part of any Return to Work Plans (RWP) will prioritise locations where there are data gaps in important Development Minerals.

One goal of the training will be to enhance the development of country-level geo-data inventories on Development Minerals. Ongoing support and mentoring should be provided to the workshop participants post-workshop, including and not limited to: advice and assistance with software and technics; and mentorship, monitoring and oversight of the delivery of the Return to Work Plans that will focus on the development of the inventories (see details below).

• ?Selection of training participants and needs assessment

The ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme will prepare a request for training application form and issue a call to interested training participants. The application form will include a needs and capability assessment to survey existing skills and knowledge, the mapping and database software currently in use and the availability of existing data. Knowledge and capabilities will be assessed at the individual and institutional levels. The consultant (s) will undertake an analysis of the applications received and develop a selection short list for discussion with the ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme. After the participant selection the consultant(s) will analyse the applications to determine the pre-training needs of the participants; tailor the training curricula to respond to these needs; and continue to engage with the participants on their needs and capabilities in the lead up to the workshops.

For the regional-level event 25 participants will be chosen by the ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme representing: geological and cadastral institutes, mining regulators, geological survey staff involved in digitization and mapping and investment promotion agencies. The participants of each country will reflect the targeted stakeholder groups and an even gender balance. For the country-level event 20 participants will be chosen representing: geological and cadastral institutes, mining regulators, geological survey staff involved in digitization and mapping and investment promotion agencies, as well as, regional geological training centres, specialised institutions, on-site quarry geologists and geological service providers.

• Preparation for training and collection of available data

The trainer(s) will coordinate a meeting of each country delegation approximately one-month before the training to compile an inventory of the available non-digital and digital data and maps on Development Minerals in the country. The country delegation will also be encouraged to meet with the respective UNDP country office and the Geological Survey/Ministry/department to discuss the potential for financial and logistical support for the development/enhancement of a geological-data inventory/database/map for the country as an outcome of the Return to Work Plan following the training. Upon completion of the inventory an event will be held and the data would be made public for ongoing use.

The printed training curricula/workshop notes and other communications materials of the ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme will be provided to participants at the outset of the training delivery.

• Delivery of regional and country-level training

One regional and one country-level training workshop will be delivered. The total number of training participants will be 25 at the regional level and 20 at the country-level.

The workshops will be delivered in 2017, with the first workshop to be held on 6-17 November 2017 and the second is scheduled for 27 November – 8 December 2017. The trainer(s) will issue, collect and analyse participant evaluation forms to monitor the quality of the training. A template of the evaluation form will be provided by UNDP to be adapted by the trainer(s). The trainer(s) will analyse the participant evaluation form and provide a summary to UNDP no longer than 4 weeks after each event that will also be included in the submitted progress report.

Location: The workshops will be held at training facilities in the Caribbean at a location to be determined which will comprise of a computer laboratory and other equipment. Facilities will need to be located for the theoretical, practical and computer laboratory components of the course within a Geological Survey, University, or other specialized geological institution.

Duration: Each workshop will be held for 12 days (inclusive of the 2-day field trip).

Languages: The training will be delivered in English. Translation will be made available by UNDP for French and Spanish speaking participants (for the regional-level event; see Table 1).

Logistics: UNDP will be responsible for coordinating the travel, accommodation, visas, subsistence and fieldwork logistics for the participants during the period of the training. A logistics note will be prepared and distributed to the participants by UNDP around 3 weeks before the commencement of the workshop. UNDP will provide support in the organization of the opening ceremony and invitation of high-level dignitaries.

• Return to work projects and the development of geo-data inventories

Return to work projects are a valuable mechanism for the personal and professional development of each participant. The training curricula will position the participants for the successful completion of the projects. The training participants of the ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme prepare Return to Work Plans (RWP) that implement the knowledge generated by the programme in their work environment. Each country delegation will develop a group RWP to create or enhance a geo-data inventory/database/map of Development Minerals for the country. The trainer(s) will require participants to submit the proposed RWP within 3 weeks of the end of their respective training course. A template for the submission of the RWP will be provided by UNDP. Mentoring, technical support, monitoring and coaching for the RWP should be provided.  The duration of the return to work project will be no longer than six months. The RWP will include a budget. The ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme will not fund the implementation of the RWP for the Regional-level training event. Financial and technical support will be requested from UNDP Country Offices, Geological Surveys/Ministries and other development partners for the implementation, public launch and dissemination of the data. UNDP will assist the coordination with the UNDP country office and other potential sources of funding.

Funding is available from the ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme for the country-level RWP in Jamaica. This RWP will build on the RWP developed by the Jamaican delegates to the regional training event and expand the scope of the geo-data inventory (e.g. the extent of mapping). Any public launch of the created inventories should follow the visibility requirements of the ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme.

The consultant(s) will effectively monitor the implementation of the RWP on a monthly basis and provide consolidated progress reports on the implementation of the plans to UNDP.

• Partnerships

In addition to the programme partners (ACP; EU; UNDP) the workshop will have event partners. CARICOM will be the lead event partner of the training series.

The Ministry of Transport and Mining in Jamaica will be an event partner for the country-level workshop in Jamaica. Partners will support the events with additional expertise and assistance for the field trips.

• Timeframe of the Assignment

The assignment will be undertaken from 18 September 2017 to 22 June, 2018 in the following phases: (1) preparatory phase (within 3 weeks of contract signing); (2) training delivery phase (first workshop to be held within 7 weeks); (3) training delivery phase (second workshop to be held within 10 weeks); (4) monitoring of return to work projects and mentorship in the development of geo-data inventories (within 40 weeks); (5) reporting and review phase (within 40 weeks); (6) finalization phase (within 42 weeks).

Table 1 Details of the Training Workshops

• Deliverables/Timeframes and Payment schedules:

• Reporting Line:

The consultant(s) will be awarded a contract with UNDP/BPPS/Sustainable Development cluster for the delivery of services applied for, and will work under the overall supervision of the Programme Manager of the ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme. The Jamaica Country Coordinator of the ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme will directly supervise the consultant(s) for the country level event in association with the Country Working Group.

Technical review of the deliverables will be undertaken by the ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme Technical Committee. The consultant(s) will not be eligible for any payment without the approval of the Programme Manager. 

Key Functions

The Training Consultant(s) will together undertake the following duties:

• Prepare an inception report covering the detailed work plan and methodology including details and timeframe for each of the planned phases
• Adapt the existing training curricula (including presentations, activities and case studies) to the Caribbean context and submit a draft training curricula
• Prepare a draft training agenda to be finalised before delivery of the training
• Prepare a field visit protocol in close collaboration with the line ministries
• Analyse application forms and prepare a pre-training needs assessment
• Deliver training in close collaboration with the programme team
• Assist the training workshop participants to formulate a return-to-work plan
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the training and make recommendations for improvement
• Prepare a workshop report capturing the key discussions and outcomes of the training
• Provide technical support and monitor the implementation of the return-to-work plans and geo-data inventories.

Please note the logistics of the event itself will be organised by the UNDP programme team.

Participatory, adult learning methodologies will be used, including a mixture of technical presentations, participant knowledge sharing, case studies, a field visit, and group discussions. Training participants will be selected by the UNDP programme team following a request for applicant (RFA) process.

Participants from the following institutional profiles will be targeted by the training:

• Geological and cadastral institutes
• Mining regulators
• Geological survey staff involved in digitization and mapping
• Investment promotion agencies
• Regional geological training centres, specialised institutions,
• On-site quarry geologists and geological service providers

NB: All available channels will be used to encourage women to apply for the trainings.

Deliverables

Inception Report

• Inception report covering the detailed work plan and methodology including details and timeframe for each of the planned phases

Adapted training curricula and other supporting materials

• An existing training curricula and other supporting training materials including a mixture of technical presentations, case studies, reference materials and hand-outs and will be adapted to the Caribbean context.

Training Agenda

• Agenda and rationale on how the syllabus contributes to the objectives of the programme and the training workshop.

Field Visit protocol

• A thorough field visit protocol will be developed including details on sampling and data gathering. This will comprise of training guidance notes which will include practical guidance needed to undertake the fieldwork task.

Pre-training needs assessment

• A pre-training needs assessement will be undertaken from the training needs and workshop objectives highlighted by the selected training participants.

                Training workshop delivery

• The training workshop will be successfully delivered by the training consultant (s) in collaboration with the UNDP Programme Team.

Final report

• The final training report will capture the key discussions and outcomes of the training, as well as provide an evaluation of the training effectiveness and recommendations for improvement. The final report will provide a summary of the return-to-work plans initiated by the training participants.

Monitoring plan for the Return-to-Work plans

• A monitoring plan will be developed to provide a timeline according to which the training consultant (s) will undertake the monitoring and follow-up of the implementation of the return-to-work plans developed by the training participants while providing technical support over a 6 month period.

Expected Outputs:

Regional workshop

• Inception report with detailed workplan. Timeline: by 8 October 2017
• Draft adapted training curricula and materials (including presentations, activities and case studies) for review by the programme team and other experts. Timeline: by 8 October 2017
• Draft field visit protocol. Timeline: by 8 October 2017
• Draft training agenda. Timeline: by 8 October 2017
• Pre-training needs assessment of selected workshop participants. Timeline: by 22 October 2017
• Final training workshop agenda Timeline: by 29 October, 2017
• Final adapted training content and materials Timeline: by 29 October 2017
• Progress report for regional workshop Timeline: by 22 November, 2017

Country-level workshop

• Draft adapted training curricula and materials to Jamaica context (including presentations, activities and case studies) for review by the programme team and other experts. Timeline: by 24 November 2017
• Draft field visit protocol. Timeline: by 25 November 2017
• Final training workshop agenda. Timeline: by 25 November, 2017
• Final adapted training content and materials. Timeline: by 25 November 2017
• Progress report for country-level workshop. Timeline: by 15 December 2017
• Final report including monitoring report on return-to-work plans and geo-data inventories. Timeline: by 06 July 2018

The final timelines for delivering the above outputs will be discussed and documented in contractual documents.

Intellectual Property:

All information pertaining to this programme as well as outputs produced under this contract shall remain the property of the UNDP who shall have exclusive rights over their use. Except for purposes of this assignment, the products shall not be disclosed to the public nor used in whatever format without written permission of UNDP in line with the national and International Copyright Laws applicable.

Competencies

Corporate competencies

• Commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values;
• Sensitivity to cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age differences.
• 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.

Functional Competencies:

• Advanced skills in geo-data digitization, mapping and resource estimation of Development Minerals;
• Ability to coordinate and manage complex projects;
• Produce high quality analytical outputs and in a timely manner;
• Strong organizational skills;
• Ability to work independently, flexibly and under pressure utilizing initiative;
• Sound judgment, strategic thinking and the ability to manage competing priorities;
• Flexibility in responding to changing priorities in a fast-paced environment;
• Strong analytical, teaching, research and writing skills and demonstrated ability to think strategically;
• Strong inter-personal, communications, negotiation and liaison skills;
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English. Working knowledge of French or Spanish an advantage.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

• Advanced degree in geology, mining engineering, geo-physics, GIS and/or other relevant field, and/or other relevant field;

Experience

• Minimum 10 years of relevant international experience in issues related to geological data digitization techniques, field mapping, GIS, resource estimation and database management (minimum 10 years);
• Extensive experience undertaking geo-data digitization, mapping and resource estimation;
• Demonstrated experience undertaking capacity building / training on geo-data digitization, mapping and resource estimation
• Sound knwoeldge of one or more of the following commodity categories: industrial minerals, construction materials; dimension stones; and semi-precious stones;
• Experience in the use of commercial and Open Source Software packages such as: ArcGIS, QGIS, GSLIB, Mapserver, for the implementation of the digitisation of geological data;
• Sound knowledge and understanding of the socio-economic development and mining contexts in the Caribbean, specifically with regard to small scale mining and quarrying;
• Previous work for similar development projects/programs/trainings for UNDP

Language

• Excellent writing and communication skills in English;
• Working knowledge of French or Spanish an advantage.

Application Submission Process:

The application submission is a two-step process. Failing to comply with the submission process may result in disqualifying the applications:

Step 1: Interested individual consultants must include the following documents when submitting the applications in UNDP job shop (Please note that only 1 (one) file can be uploaded therefore please include all docs in one file):

• Personal History Form (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 template can be downloaded from this link: http://sas.undp.org/Documents/P11_Personal_history_form.doc
• A sample of previous training materials prepared by the candidate related to the thematic areas of the assignment. 

Step 2: Submission of Financial Proposal

Applicants are instructed to submit their financial proposals in US Dollars for this consultancy to procurement.be@undp.org using the financial proposal template available here: http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_file.cfm?doc_id=45780. The proposals should be sent via email with the following subject heading: “Financial Proposal/LVMM-Caribbean Geodata Consultant"  by latest September 4th, 2017. Proposals to be received after the deadline will be rejected. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal should be all-inclusive and include a breakdown. The term ‘all-inclusive” implies that all costs (monthly professional fees, travel related expenses if applicable, communications, utilities, consumables, insurance, etc.) that could possibly be incurred by the Contractor are already factored into the financial proposal. The flight, local transfer, daily subsistence and accommodation costs associated with attendance at the regional and country-level workshops should not be included in the financial proposal and will be separately arranged and directly paid by UNDP. Similarly the costs associated with the logistics of these two events (venue etc.) should similarly not be included.

Application Evaluation Process

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the cumulative analysis methodology (weighted scoring method), where 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 technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Technical Criteria weight: [70%]

Financial Criteria weight:  [30%]

Only Individual Consultants obtaining a minimum of 70% on the Technical evaluation would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Technical Criteria - 70% of total evaluation – max. 100 points:

• Candidate holds a Master’s degree in geology, mining engineering, geo-physics, GIS and/or other relevant field, and/or other relevant field – 5 points;
• Candidate has a minimum 10 years of relevant international experience in issues related to geological data digitization techniques, field mapping, GIS, resource estimation and database management of Development Minerals  (minimum 10 years) – 15 points;
• Candidate has demonstrated experience undertaking capacity building / training on geo-data digitization, mapping and resource estimation – 15 points;
• Candidate has experience in the use of commercial and Open Source Software packages such as: ArcGIS, QGIS, GSLIB, Mapserver, for the implementation of the digitisation of geological data for Development Minerals - 10 points;
• Candidate has sound working knowledge of on one or more of the following commodities: industrial minerals, construction materials; dimension stones; and semi-precious stones – 10 points;
• Candidate has extensive experience undertaking geo-data digitization, mapping and resource estimation of Development Minerals – 10 points;
• Candidate has sound knowledge and understanding of the socio-economic development and mining contexts in the Caribbean, specifically with regard to small scale mining and quarrying – 5 points;
• Interview inclusive of written sample of previous training materials developed by the candidate – 20 points;
• English and Spanish/French languages proficiency – 10 points;

Financial Criteria - 30% of total evaluation

The following formula will be used to evaluate financial proposal:

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

UNDP is applying fair and transparent selection process that would take into account both the technical qualification of Individual Consultants as well as their price proposals. The contract will be awarded to the candidate obtaining the highest combined technical and financial scores. Please go the following link for the General Conditions of Individual Contracts: http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/documents/procurement/documents/IC%20-%20General%20Conditions.pdf

UNDP retains the right to contact references directly.

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

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 dss.un.org

Due to large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process.

Director. Consultants are also required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under dss.un.org.

Due to large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process.