Background

N.B.

Applications through UNDP jobs will not be accepted, only to the procurement.cv@cv.jo.un.org email address.

Interested candidates are required to read the Procurement Notice for Individual Consultants and its related documents, which are available in the following websites:

• UN Cape Verde website, www.un.cv, under the section Anúncios;
• the UNGM website at www.ungm.org; and
• UNDP Procurement website at http://procurement-notices.undp.org

Background: 

The consultancy will be developed in the framework of the project “Mainstreaming biodiversity conservation into the tourism sector in synergy with a further strengthened protected areas system in Cabo Verde”, executed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAA), through the National Directorate of the Environment (DNA), in close collaboration with the Ministry of Economy and Employment (MEE), and co-funded by the UNDP and the GEF. 

The project’s main objective is to safeguard globally significant biodiversity in Cabo Verde from current and emerging threats, by enhancing the enabling and regulatory frameworks in the tourism sector and activating a critical further subset of the national protected areas (PAs) system.

The proposed alternative scenario, supported by the project, will create enabling conditions to mitigate the adverse impacts on biodiversity by the tourism sector in Cabo Verde. The frameworks will be developed at national level and tentatively rolled out in four priority islands – Santiago, Sal, Boa Vista and Maio – where immediate pressure is greatest and urgent action is required that can be replicated more widely in the future. This urgent action includes at the local level the pending operationalization of a number of critical terrestrial and marine/coastal PAs and the piloting of marine biodiversity and artisanal fisheries management together with communities in two selected sites. At the same time the project will harness the opportunities that more sustainable forms of tourism and fisheries offer for biodiversity, protected area management and local community development, and thereby contribute to the consolidation and diversification of Cabo Verde tourism product, and the sustainability of the destination and the sector. This will be achieved through the following two project components:?

• Under Component 1, the project will develop and put in place coherent and effective enabling frameworks (i.e. legal, policy, regulatory and institutional) for enhanced multi-sectoral strategic land-use planning at the landscape level, to focus on the tourism and associated real estate/construction sectors. This will involve: (1) strengthening the capacity at the institutional/governmental level for integrating biodiversity into the tourism sector, including through Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs), Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and related regulations in tourism planning and permitting, and for compliance monitoring and enforcement; (2) the setup of policy mainstreaming committees overseeing policy and planning coherence between tourism development and environmental/biodiversity management, at the national level and on the targeted islands with significant local tourism developments (i.e. Santiago, Sal, Boa Vista and Maio); (3) the development and revision of land-use planning regulations (i.e. SEA, EIA, Special Touristic Zones (ZTEs), Zones of Integral Tourism Development (ZDTIs), Zones of Touristic Reserve and Protection (ZRPT), etc.) so they fully integrate biodiversity concerns, and to ensure their recommendations are implemented and monitored; (4) implementation of SEAs to inform tourism development plans, where there are gaps in destinations where significant tourism development pressure is predicted; (5) the revision of financial tax incentives and licensing processes to integrate biodiversity criteria; (6) the establishment and piloting of best-practice standards for sustainable tourism and voluntary certification for enterprises and destinations; and (7) the design and piloting of innovative PAs financing mechanism, through biodiversity offsets.
• Under Component 2, the project will support: (1) the operationalization of PAs through the development of management plans, ecotourism plans and supporting regulations for 7 in-operational PAs (i.e. one on Santiago, four on Boa Vista and two on Sal) to address existing and emerging threats to biodiversity; (2) identification of new potential Marine PAs (MPAs) sites for inclusion in the national PAs system, through a systematic assessment of biodiversity resources on the marine shelf, and contributing to the development of key missing marine species/habitat management plans; (3) the definition of and implementation of PAs governance, including co-management and conflict resolution mechanisms; (4) agreements on the regulation, management and enforcement of the use of land and natural resources by local communities/resource users; (5) the introduction of biodiversity-friendly and sustainable artisanal fishing in two pilot sites through the promotion and adoption of suitable gear and best practices, the designation of community-enforced no-take zones and seasonal fishing bans, etc.; (6) develop and pilot island-specific, cost-effective PAs revenue generation mechanisms in conjunction with tourism sector stakeholders – these will potentially include, inter alia, gate fees, tourism operator concession fees, ecotourism taxes, and biodiversity offset and reinvestment schemes; (7) installation of a tracking and environmental monitoring program and plan to track the impacts of tourism and fishing in PAs, using participatory approaches; and (8) the preparation and implementation of Informational Education and Communication (ICE) campaigns to promote the role of PAs and sustainable tourism.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the  supervision of the Head of Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction Unit of UNDP-CO, and in close collaboration with the National Project Coordinator, the national consultant for EIA and SEA framework review, the Project Technical Adviser, the project team, the incumbent will support the Project Management Unit (PMU) and the DNA to:

• Review and assess the current context and prepare proposals for the establishment of the national legal and regulatory framework for Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA).

• Prepare selected guidelines and supporting tools for EIA and SEA implementation.

• Develop a training needs assessment for the staff of the DNA and the PAs teams at project intervention sites, and propose a training program to support effective EIA and SEA implementation.

• Carry out trainings on EIA and SEA implementation for the staff of the DNA and the PAs teams.

• Review and assess the current context and prepare proposals for the improvement of the structure of higher education system in the country related to the training of professionals and technicians in the fields of EIA and SEA.

Key Responsibilities and Tasks

The International Consultant will have the following functions and responsibilities:

• Review and discuss with the project team and relevant project stakeholders the current national framework on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). The review will include a deep analysis of the current legal and regulatory framework in these fields. The consultant will also analyze the experience of Cape Verde in EIA and SEA implementation comparing it to best practices and lesson learned from experiences in sub-Saharan Africa and SIDS globally. Results from this inception review and discussion will be incorporated and delivered into the Baseline Assessment Report.

• Carry out a two-day national workshop on EIA and SEA and provide guidance to relevant project partners and stakeholders to develop analyses (e.g. SWOT analysis) to feed the preparation of proposals for the revision of the national framework on EIA and SEA and the elaboration of related supporting tools.

• Prepare detailed guidelines for the implementation of public consultation processes for EIAs. The guidelines will also specify how the feedbacks from these processes should be collated and addressed to ensure that EIA mitigation plans are fully implemented using investor after-care system, and appeals process (i.e. prepare EIA compliance monitoring tools). The minimum contents of these guidelines are specified in Annex 1 to this ToR.

• Prepare detailed guidelines for promoters on how to undertake and report on EIAs in line with international best practice, including the coordinating mechanisms with tourism license award and renewal processes to compliance with relevant EIA mitigation measures and local environmental management procedures (e.g. solid waste disposal; use of mineral resources from licensed quarries; adoption of renewable energy, etc.). The minimum contents of these guidelines are specified in Annex 1 to this ToR.

• Prepare detailed guidelines for SEA implementation. The minimum contents of these guidelines are specified in Annex 1 to this ToR.

• Provide top-level international technical support to the national consultant in the preparation of proposals to establish the national legal and regulatory framework on SEA (i.e. drafts of legal documents and associated regulations).

• Carry out a validation workshop where the above-mentioned proposals and tools are presented and discussed with project stakeholders.

• Define, propose and agree with the PMU a method for training needs assessment (TNA) for the staff of the DNA and the PAs teams at intervention sites of the project related to EIA and SEA implementation.

• Develop the TNA according to agreed method.

• Prepare, present and discuss the results from the TNA, incorporated into a specific report, to the PMU and the DNA, to be subsequently finalized according to the feedbacks received.

• Based on the TNA results, prepare and propose a training program for four short-term courses on EIA and SEA to be implemented in each target island of the project (Santiago, Sal, Boavista and Maio). The training program will include:

• An explanation of the logic on which is based the identification of the required training(s).

• Four short courses comprising between a minimum of three, and a maximum of ten days training.

• A training schedule indicating the target subject for each module of the training course and the required format (field activity, exercises, etc.).

• The profile of each trainer to be involved in the training.

• The budget for the implementation of the training program. This includes the overall budget, the indication of per trainee costs, and per specific training activities.

• Review the proposed training program according to the feedbacks provided by the PMU and DNA.

• Carry out two days of the training program at each target island of the project.

• Inventory the current structure of higher education system in the country (i.e. bachelors, masters and PhDs courses) related to the training of professionals and technicians in the fields of EIA and SEA. The PMU will facilitate meetings with managers and professors of the higher education Institutions in the country and the staff of the General-Directorate of Higher Education (DGES), according to the proposal of agenda prepared and agreed by the consultant with the PMU and the DGES.

• Identify gaps in the current structure of higher education system in the country related to the training of professionals and technicians in the fields of EIA and SEA.

• Prepare practical proposals to fill identified gaps in the current structure of higher education system.

• Present and discuss with the PMU, the DNA and the DGES, the proposals to fill identified gaps, and finalise the proposals according to the feedbacks received.

• Submit to the PMU a mission report after each one of the two field missions in Cape Verde. The short report (max. 10 pages, not considering the annexes) shall include at least:

• A brief description of the activities carried out during the field mission;

• A list of persons met and brief results from these meetings;

• The results from the workshops and other public presentations of the consultant work;

• Overall findings from the in-country mission, including constrains and limitations occurred during the implementation of the consultancy.

• Prepare drafts of ToRs suitable for the project team to develop the full tenders for the implementation of the three SEAs planned within the project framework in the islands of Sal, Boavista and Maio.

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.

Functional Competencies - Knowledge Management and Learning:

• Ability to provide top quality policy advice services on environmental issues;

• In-depth practical knowledge of inter-disciplinary development issues.

Development and Operational Effectiveness:

• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing in order to communicate complex, ?technical information to technical and general audiences;

• Skill in negotiating effectively in sensitive situations;

• Skill in achieving results through persuading, influencing and working with others;

• Skill in facilitating meetings effectively and efficiently and to resolve conflicts as they arise.

Management and Leadership:

• Focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to critical feedback;

• Encourages risk-taking in the pursuit of creativity and innovation;

• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;

• Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Qualifications:

• Hold an advanced degree (Master or PhD) with expertise in the area of environmental sciences, environmental management, environmental engineering or related fields.

• Additional relevant professional trainings and courses are an asset (a plus).

Experience and Skills:

• Have at least 12 years of proven experience in EIA and SEA implementation, as an individual or as a team.

• Extensive knowledge of EIAs and SEA issues, including legal and policy frameworks with proven involvement as an individual, or as a team in EIA and SEA legal and policy framework review at national level.

• Previous working experience in implementing EIAs or SEAs related to PAs and the tourism sector.

• Previous working experience on EIAs or SEAs in Cape Verde, or other sub-Saharan African countries is an asset (a plus).

• Previous experience as professor, and/or trainer in short-courses in environmental subjects. Experience as professor or trainer in courses related or including EIAs or SEAs as subjects is an asset (a plus).

• Demonstrated track record of production of relevant publications and technical documents on SEA and EIA (papers, project proposals, guidelines, manuals, etc.).

• Previous experience with GEF project development and technical support is an advantage.

Language:

Mastery of written Portuguese is a requirement, as the key deliverables will be in Portuguese. Working knowledge of English is also required.