UNDP Jobs - 78476- National Consultant - Agronomist / Agroforestry Sp

National Consultant - Agronomist / Agroforestry Specialist For The Preparation Of The Project Document

Location :

Mahe, SEYCHELLES

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

21-May-2018

Application Deadline :

07-May-18 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

National Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

10 working days over a 6 months period

Languages Required :

English French

Expected Duration of Assignment :

10 working days over a 6 months period

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

Name of the Project: Ridge-to-Reef project, UNDP-Seychelles

National Consultant - Agronomist / Agroforestry Specialist For The Preparation Of The Project Document A Ridge-To-Reef Approach For The Integrated Management Of Marine, Coastal And Terrestrial Ecosystems In The Seychelles

Context and background

A project proposal concept has recently been approved by the GEF for an allocation of USD $3.9 million for the implementation of a project to support the Government of Seychelles in a Ridge-to-Reef project focusing on managing land-based threats to coastal and marine ecosystems.

The project will undertake a comprehensive Ridge to Reef (R2R) approach that addresses the ‘whole island’ priorities of improved management and conservation of upland forest and agricultural ecosystems as well as coastal and marine ecosystems in the Seychelles to produce global benefits in terms of conservation of globally significant biodiversity and the effective management of the large marine ecosystems (including coastal and near-shore marine ecosystems), and to arrest and reverse ecosystem degradation. This approach acknowledges and actively incorporates the issues of scale, proximity and interconnectedness of environmental systems on SIDS, and utilises the multi-focal area approach to provide ‘joined up’ solutions for sustainable development. By addressing a range of terrestrial threats to the marine environment, including flows of pollutants, nutrients and sediment, disrupted hydrological services, degradation of critical habitat, etc. that have significant negative impacts on important coastal/marine ecosystems including wetlands, mangroves, seagrass beds and coral reefs, the project will simultaneously improve the management of the terrestrial landscape, improve the effectiveness of integrated coastal management practices and secure the integrity of existing and new marine protected areas in the Seychelles, which are vital components of, and effective management tools to conserve, the Agulhas and Somali Current Large Marine Ecosystems. At the policy and strategic level, the project will unite the three most important spatial and resource planning processes in the country (which provide the baseline to this project), namely the Marine Spatial Plan (for the seascape), the Seychelles Strategic Plan (for the landscape, most notably the ‘Green Spine’ on Mahé and other upland forest areas in the Inner Islands), and the Land Use Plans (which embrace integrated coastal management principles and act as the most suitable vehicle to engage District Authorities and local communities in the implementation of these strategic plans). The project will build on these baseline activities by providing strategic incremental funding to implement priority actions in each of the plans.

The main stakeholders for the project are the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change (MEECC), Seychelles National Parks Authority (SNPA), Seychelles Agricultural Agency (SAA), Public Utilities Corporation (PUC), University of Seychelles (UNISEY), environmental NGOs and community groups, such as farmers’ groups and watershed management committees.

An agronomist / agroforestry specialist is required to assist in the preparation of the full project document, focusing on the identification of sustainable land management and agroforestry practices that can be applied around forest protected areas.

The ‘ridge-to-reef’ approach is promoted by the GEF globally, most notably in the Pacific SIDS through the GEF-5 multi-agency, multi-focal area Program titled ‘Ridge-to-Reef’ (UNDP as the lead IA with FAO and UNEP participating as co-IAs). The GEF continues to promote the same approach in GEF-6, as outlined in GEF-6 IW Program 4 (paragraph 53 of the GEF-6 Strategy).

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work

The agronomist / agroforestry specialist will support the UNDP Country Office and the PPG International Lead, and liaise with other national consultants, in the following specific activities:

Assess current agricultural practices as they impact on the flow of nutrients, pollution and sedimentation into downstream coastal and marine ecosystems, and identify remedial measures that could be applied to reduce these flows;
Analyse previous and on-going interventions (e.g. the recent FAO-financed agroforestry project) and what lessons learned can be drawn in terms of sustainable agriculture / land management;
Work with Forestry Expert and Water Expert to identify sites where the project can undertake field activities, with a focus on potential buffer zones of agroforestry production in areas adjacent to Key Biodiversity Areas, and/or watersheds above important coastal / marine biodiversity habitat;
Assess the capacity of farmers and/or farmer associations in target areas to participate in the project, and propose capacity building measures for these stakeholders in areas such as SLM, soil conservation, fertility management, pest management and agroforestry;
Assess the potential role of the UNDP Small Grants Programme as a sub-contractor in managing relationships and implementing activities with farmers and farmer associations;
Propose project activities (focused on agroforestry, conservation agriculture, etc.) to improve sustainable land management practices in agricultural areas, in order to reduce downstream impacts while also improving incomes and food security;
Propose project activities to improve market access / develop business plans for agricultural / agroforestry production.

Deliverables

Summary report on current agricultural practices and their impacts; and previous and on-going interventions and relevant lessons;

Report

Capacity assessment of farmers and proposed capacity building measures;
Proposal for role of UNDP SGP as sub-contractor.

Final report with:

Proposed sites for project field activities;
Proposed project activities in agroforestry, conservation agriculture, etc., with proposed timelines, budgets and responsible parties;
Proposed indicators for measuring sustainable agriculture and its impacts for the project Results Framework (Annex A of the UNDP Prodoc), including baseline figures and targets;
A monitoring plan for those indicators (Annex B of the UNDP Prodoc);
Provide inputs related to agricultural land indicators to the GEF Land Degradation Tracking Tool (LD-PMAT).

Competencies

Ability to build strong relationships with national consultants and stakeholders, to focus on impact and results for the client, to respond positively to critical feedback, and a consensus-oriented approach to work;
Highly developed inter-personal, negotiation and teamwork skills, and a networking aptitude;
Fully computer literate;
Excellent English writing and communication skills;
Ability to work in complex, multi-stake-holder project environments;
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;
Fulfils all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

Minimum University degree in agronomy, agroforestry or a related subject.

Experience

At least 5 years’ experience in agriculture, agroforestry and sustainable land management in Seychelles;
Specific knowledge of previous agriculture and agroforestry project interventions, e.g. FAO agroforestry project pilot interventions, is preferred;
Past experience in UNDP-GEF project formulation/design is an advantage;
Excellent communication and facilitation skill;
Excellent analytical and reporting skills.

Languages

Fluent written and oral communication in English;
Fluency in Creole is required.

Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule Payments:

Price Proposal

The financial offer should be quoted as a lump sum amount, ‘all-inclusive ‘. The term “All inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, travel costs, living allowances, communications, consumables, etc.) that could possibly be incurred by the Contractor are already factored into the final amount submitted in the proposal;
The contract price is fixed regardless of changes in the cost components. Payments will be effected based on deliverables.

Payment Schedule

30%-Summary report on current agricultural practices and their impacts; and previous and on-going interventions and relevant lessons;

30%-Report with:

Capacity assessment of farmers and proposed capacity building measures;
Proposal for role of UNDP SGP as sub-contractor;

40%-Final report with:

Proposed sites for project field activities;
Proposed project activities in agroforestry, conservation agriculture, etc., with proposed timelines, budgets and responsible parties;
Proposed indicators for measuring sustainable agriculture and its impacts for the project Results Framework (Annex A of the UNDP Prodoc), including baseline figures and targets;
A monitoring plan for those indicators (Annex B of the UNDP Prodoc);
Provide inputs related to agricultural land indicators to the GEF Land Degradation Tracking Tool (LD-PMAT).

Proposed Work Plan and Indicative Time

It is planned that the consultancy starts by May 2018 and ends on or before August 2018.

Recommended Presentation of Offer

Individual Consultants/Resource Persons are invited to submit the following applications and requirements:

Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
Personal CV and P11 (both), 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.
Candidates not submitting P11 will not be considered;
Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment, and a methodology on how they will approach and complete the assignment;
Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided. If an Offeror is employed by an organization/company/institution, and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNDP under Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the Offeror must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP.

Criteria for Selection of Best Offer

The award of the contract will be made to the Individual Consultant whose offer has been evaluated using the “Combined Scoring Method” and determined as:
Responsive/compliant/acceptable;
Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specified below - (Technical Criteria with a weight of 0.7 and Financial Criteria of a weight of 0.3.
Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70 marks out of 100 in the Technical Evaluation would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Important Note:

Qualified women are encouraged to apply.

Interested offeror is strongly advised to read the Individual Consultant (IC) Procurement Notice/TOR, which can be viewed at

http://procurement-notices.undp.org/

For more detail about term of references,general terms and conditions of IC and templates to be included when submitting offer;

Interested offerors above the age of 62 and requiring travelling: UNDP regulations require, at their own cost, to undergo a full medical examination including x-rays. Medical evaluation documentation does not need to be submitted with the other requested documents listed above, but will be requested should the candidate be chosen;

Interested offeror is required to submit application via UNDP jobsite system, because the application screening and evaluation will be done through UNDP jobsite system;

Please note that UNDP jobsite system allows only uploading of application document, so please make sure that you merge all your documents into a single file. Your on-line applications submission will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. In such cases, please resubmit the application, if necessary.