UNDP Jobs - 76959- International consultant for the Development of Na

International consultant for the Development of National Guidelines for the Management of Rangelands Outside Forests.

Location :

Beirut, LEBANON

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

14-Feb-18 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

60 working-days spread over a period of 7 months.

Languages Required :

Arabic English French

Expected Duration of Assignment :

60 working-days spread over a period of 7 months.

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

The UNDP Sustainable Land Management in the Qaraoun Catchment (SLMQ) Project aims at embedding sustainability considerations in land use planning and development activities in the Qaraoun Catchment. The project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and is implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Environment in Lebanon. The project is intended to reshape land and natural resource management to (i) alleviate land degradation, (ii) maintain existing ecosystem services and (iii) improve livelihoods in the Qaraoun Catchment.
The project objectives will be achieved by developing institutional tools upstream at national level which will provide the Ministry of the Environment (MoE) and the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) as well as related agencies such as the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR), the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, the Bekaa Governorate, and District Administrations and Municipalities in the districts of Zahle, Rachaya, and West Bekaa with the know-how, means and mechanisms for promoting sustainable land use as in the best interest of the land owners, farmers and communities as well as the nation.
The implementation of the proposed project will have an immediate environmental benefit, through the increased management efficiency of arable land and rangelands and the expansion of the area under forests through land use plans, buffer zones, and riparian strips. It will also contribute to the restoration of natural productivity and conservation of the habitats of various plant and animal species and valuable ecosystems and will secure migratory bird pathways.
As grazing remains socially and economically critical to rural livelihoods, high priority should be given to the sustainable management of the natural resources base that supports them. Indeed, grazing animals are a major practical method of exploiting natural vegetation and pastoralism and is considered an important economically, culturally and socially appropriate strategy for maintaining the well-being of rural communities, as it can simultaneously provide secure livelihoods, conserve ecosystem services, promote wildlife conservation and honor cultural values and traditions. Thus, the basis for action at the local level requires the implementation of national measures to manage rangelands and restore and rehabilitate rangelands identified in the districts of West Bekaa and Rachaya so as to ensure the sustainability of available resources.
This exercise will be done in close coordination with the MoA and MoE as well as local communities including municipalities, land owners, herders etc. to ensure the sustainability of the implemented measures.

Duties and Responsibilities

The objective of this consultancy is to develop a guidance document that aims to maintain and enhance the economic, social and environmental values of rangelands outside forests, for the benefit of present and future generations in Lebanon. It aims at establishing a standard approach for the development of locally adapted Management Plans for Rangelands outside forests (RMP). The guidelines shall propose a unified and standardized procedure based on international best practices, adapted to the national context taking into account local conditions. It shall constitute a working tool for both the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment, as well as other public-sector authorities such as municipalities and other concerned stakeholders for the development, implementation, and monitoring of RMP. The RMP for the specific project sites will be developed based on the guidelines developed through these TORs by a national expert that will be hired by the Project in parallel to this assignment.
The requested guidelines will ultimately lead to the optimization of ecosystem health and the improvement of management of rangelands and their resources.
This consultancy is divided into the following tasks:

Task 1 – Desk review of existing rangelands management guidelines and tools;
Task 2 – Development of National Guidelines for the Management of Rangelands Outside Forests;
Task 3 – Establishment of methodologies for the evaluation of rangelands elements to prepare plans for range use and ecosystem restoration;
Task 4 – Development of training material for trainers and execution of Training of Trainers.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Ability to interpret and make practical applications of current range management research findings on Mediterranean rangelands;
Knowledge of Mediterranean rangelands, other natural resources, its people, and culture is an asset;
Knowledge of the existing related policies, legal and regulatory frameworks is a plus.

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;
Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Kindly refer to the Individual Consultant Procurement Notice and all related Annexes by visiting the below link:

http://www.lb.undp.org/content/lebanon/en/home/operations/procurement/

Please make sure to submit all the requested documents/information; otherwise, your application will be considered incomplete

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications:

Higher degree in natural resources related field with an extensive knowledge of grazing and vegetation management.

Experience:

At least 10 years of work experience on the preferred field of pasture management and livestock keeping in general;
Experience of working cooperatively with livestock producers, government agencies (centrally and locally), and environmental interest groups on rangelands-related assignments;
Experience in rangelands management planning;
Experience with UN or international donor project(s) is an asset.

Language requirements:

Proficiency in English language. Arabic or French are asset.

How to Apply:

1. Read the additional information and annexes on teh UNDP lebanon website at http://www.lb.undp.org/content/lebanon/en/home/operations/procurement/

2. The consultancy is open for all international consultants who meet the selection criteria and propose a competitive fee. Interested consultants are requested to apply only through this UNDP jobs portal.

Submissions through any other media will not be considered.

The application must include the P11, technical proposal, Annex 3 (Offerors Letter) and the financial proposal in one single document and uploaded as word or PDF file to the UNDP job site.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.