UNDP Jobs - 78672- Consultant to Strengthen the National Framework fo

Consultant to Strengthen the National Framework for Protected Areas Financial Sustainability

Location :

Praia, CAPE VERDE

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

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

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

7 months - 85 working days

Languages Required :

English French Spanish

Expected Duration of Assignment :

7 months - 85 working days

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

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 Tourism and Transport, 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 to establish more sustainable tools for PA financing, protected area management and local community development, contributing 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

Scope of Work

The international consultant will support the Project Management Unit (PMU) and the DNA to:
Review and assess the current legal and regulatory framework for PAs financial management in Cabo Verde. This includes the existing system of collection, canalization and distribution of the available funds and the current financing mechanisms.
Provide top-level international technical support to the PMU/DNA, project partners, relevant stakeholders, and national consultant to identify: i) key regulatory and normative changes to be adopted; ii) more efficient mechanisms and structures for PAs financial management suitable for the Cape Verdean context and acceptable by governmental sectors; iii) new and innovative potential sources of revenue for the PAs system in Cabo Verde.
Support project team and partners to develop a market demand study among tourism operators and tourists for PAs fees.
Provide specific advocacy to the public key-players in engaging private key-players willing to contribute to PAs’ financial sustainability.
Support PMU and PAs management units to establish strategic partnerships with international NGOs suitable to secure additional financial support for PAs activities.
Provide top-level international technical support to the PMU/DNA, national consultant, project partners and relevant stakeholders to develop legal and normative references for the mechanisms to support user fee collection systems related to entry fees, special user fees, concession fees, and competitive tourism concession and license award process for PAs.
Develop guidelines for PAs for financial and business planning to be adopted at national level.
Design and propose the monitoring and evaluation system to track visitor, operator, and other potential payers (e.g. concessionaries) entries to the PAs, and record revenues generated as well.
Support PMU, DNA, DGTT and Tourism Fund to seek for mechanisms to allow the Tourism Contribution Tax (TCT) to increase the contribution of tourism sector to PAs management and biodiversity conservation.
Design and carry out a training program for project staff and relevant stakeholders on PAs financial mechanisms and tools created (or proposed) for Cabo Verde.
Design and carry out a two-day workshop on the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity, BIOFIN, or comparable approaches to biodiversity and environmental financing.

Key Responsibilities and Tasks

The International Consultant will have the following functions and responsibilities:

Phase 1

Review and discuss with project team, national consultant and relevant project stakeholders the current national framework on PAs financial management. The review will include:

A deep analysis of the current national legal and regulatory framework, including laws and regulations potentially affecting directly and indirectly the future system of financing.
A review and discussion of the Cabo Verde’s PAs Financial Sustainability Strategy and Plan (2014).
A comparative analysis between the experience in PAs financing of Cabo Verde and the best practices and lessons learned from sub-Saharan Africa, SIDS and other relevant developing countries.

Carry out a one-day national workshop 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 PAs financial strategies and management and the elaboration of related supporting tools.

Prepare the consultancy Inception Report that will include:

Findings from the analysis of the current national legal and regulatory framework on PAs financial management.
Findings from the analysis of the Cabo Verde’s PAs Financial Sustainability Strategy and Plan and identification of data/information and strategic gaps of the document.
Findings from the comparative analysis between the experience in PAs financing of Cabo Verde and the best practices and lessons learned from sub-Saharan Africa, SIDS and other relevant developing countries.
Identified key regulatory and normative changes that should be adopted to allow the National Systems of Protected Areas, or eventually, single sites to collect and manage revenues from several alternative sources (i.e. non-State/non-Donors revenues) in more efficient way compared to the current setting. This will include the required amendments to the legal framework that will allow PAs to collect and retain tourist fees, and also to control access to those that pay the entrance fee, or entities that are awarded a license or concession to operate in the PAs.
Proposals to establish more efficient and effective mechanisms and structures for PAs financial management suitable for the Cape Verdean context, to be assessed, and eventually adopted by governmental levels.
The methodology to develop a market demand study (including willingness-to-pay assessment) among tourism operators and tourists for PAs fees on Santiago, Sal, Boa Vista and Maio. The market demand study will have to be carried out in the field by the PAs Management Units located at island/site level, and coordinated by the PIBT-AP National Expert on Tourism Management, and by the Sustainable Tourism Officers at local level.
The proposal program for a two-day workshop on the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity, BIOFIN, or comparable approaches to biodiversity and environmental financing.

Support PMU and PAs managers to identify at least two international NGOs suitable for the establishment of strategic partnerships to secure support for PAs activities.

Support national consultant in preparing proposals for national guidelines for collection, canalization and distribution of the available funds, including, if applicable, different options.

At the completion of the field mission to Cabo Verde of Phase 1, the consultant will submit to the PMU a mission report. 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.

Phase 2

Carry out a one-day validation workshop to present and discuss to/with project partners and stakeholders outputs and deliverables from Phase 1 of the consultancy and to collect feedbacks for the preparation of the outputs and deliverables from Phase 2.

Carry out a two-day workshop on the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity, BIOFIN, or comparable approaches to biodiversity and environmental financing.

Collect and systematize feedbacks from project team, national consultant and relevant project stakeholders, and incorporate them into the final version of the consultant Inception Report.

Collect relevant information and discuss with national and local PAs managers, national consultant, project partners and stakeholders on:

The possible design and piloting mechanisms for user fee collection systems related to entry fees, special user fees, and concession fees.
The possible design of a competitive tourism concession and license award process for PAs in line with international best practices.

Coordinate project teams for data management and analysis and finalize outputs of the market demand study (see phase 1).

Develop benchmarking of fees with competing destinations offering similar nature-based tourism services.

Prepare the consultancy Final Report that will include:

Finalised list of identified key regulatory and normative changes that should allow the National Systems of Protected Areas, or, eventually, single sites to collect and manage revenues from several alternative sources (i.e. non-State/non-Donors revenues) in more efficient way compared to the current setting.
A detailed description, and a step-by-step guidance for the development of the mechanisms and structures for PAs financial management selected for Cabo Verde.
Results from the market demand study (including willingness-to-pay assessment) among tourism operators, tourists and eventually other key-players for PA fees on Santiago, Sal, Boa Vista and Maio.
Results from the benchmarking of fees with competing destinations offering similar nature-based tourism services.
A feasibility study and scenario analysis, based on the activities indicated above, to research the viability and processes to establish and operate at least: entry fees; special user fees; and concession fees.
A catalog of all potential sustainable financing mechanisms (i.e. innovative and alternative to traditional mechanisms) suitable for the Cabo Verde context, including, if applicable, Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES).

The proposal of a training program for project staff and relevant stakeholders from project intervention sites. The training program will focus on the implementation of:

Piloting mechanisms for user fee collection systems related to entry fees, special user fees, and concession fees.
Elaboration and evaluation of business plans for PAs, according to proposed guidelines and standards.
Monitoring and evaluation system to track visitor and operator entries to the PAs, record revenues generated, and report on all tourism revenue that is re-invested in PA management and tourism mitigation.

Develop guidelines for PAs business planning to be adopted at national level. The guidelines will comprise an outline of the standard PAs Business Plan, with detailed description of the minimum contents of each section.

Prepare detailed national guidelines, with specific adaptations for each one of the four project intervention islands/sites, for the monitoring and evaluation system to track visitor and operator entries to the PAs, record revenues generated, and report on all tourism revenue that is re-invested in PA management and tourism mitigation.

Support national consultant in preparing the proposal for a Law-Decree to restructure the management system of financial resources related to the National Protected Areas System.

Support PMU, DNA, DGTT and Tourism Fund to seek for mechanisms to allow the Tourism Contribution Tax to increase the proportion of tourism and biodiversity initiatives that receive funding from funds accrued under the tax.

Provide support to the PMU and PAs managers to set up at least two strategic alliances with international NGOs to secure support for PA activities. The main purpose of the partnerships will be to obtain technical and financial resources for technical and institutional support for new financial arrangements such as debt-for-nature swaps and non-reimbursable technical cooperation from donor agencies.

At the completion of the field mission to Cabo Verde of Phase 2, the consultant will submit to the PMU a mission report. 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.

Phase 3

Carry out a one-day validation workshop to present and discuss to/with project partners and stakeholders outputs and deliverables from Phase 2 of the consultancy, and collect feedbacks for the preparation of the outputs and deliverables from Phase 3.

Collect and systematize feedbacks from project partners and stakeholders, and incorporate them into the final version of the consultancy Final Report and other outputs from Phase 2.

Review the proposed training program according to the feedbacks provided by the PMU/DNA and relevant project partners.

Carry out the approved training program for project staff and relevant stakeholders from project intervention sites.

Prepare drafts of ToR suitable to support the implementation of the PAs business plans to be developed within the project framework in the islands of Sal, Boavista and Santiago.

At the completion of the field mission to Cabo Verde of Phase 3, the consultant will submit to the PMU a mission report. 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;
Feedbacks from the implementation of the training program.

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.
Hold an advanced degree (Master or PhD) with expertise in the area of environmental economics, or a mix of finance/business/tourism and environmental degrees, or related fields.
Additional relevant professional trainings and courses are an asset.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Hold an advanced degree (Master or PhD) with expertise in the area of environmental economics, or a mix of finance/business/tourism and environmental degrees, or related fields.
Additional relevant professional trainings and courses are an asset.

Experience:

Have at least 10 years of proven experience in PAs sustainable financing, and/or in the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity, BIOFIN, or similar approaches to biodiversity and environmental financing, as an individual or as a team.
Extensive knowledge of PAs multiple financing strategies and mechanisms, including legal and policy frameworks, financial management systems and supporting tools (including PES).
Previous working experience in designing, establishing and implementing PAs alternative revenue generation (e.g. non-State and non-International Donor based funding mechanisms), and in developing PAs business plans.
Previous working experience in developing market demand studies and/or competitive tourism concession and license processes for PAs.
Previous working experience in designing, establishing and implementing PAs alternative revenues generation that involve the tourism sector is a strong assets.
Previous working experience on PAs and/or biodiversity conservation sustainable financing in sub-Saharan African countries, or SIDS is also an asset.
Demonstrated track record of production of relevant publications and technical documents on PAs financial management and alternative revenue generation (papers, project proposals, guidelines, manuals, etc.).
Previous experience with GEF project development and technical support is an advantage.

Language

It is required the working knowledge of at least one of the following languages: English, French, or Spanish;
Working knowledge of spoken and written Portuguese is considered as a strong asset.