Background
UNDP-Global Environmental Finance Unit is based in UNDP’s Bureau of Policy and Programme Support and is responsible for providing leadership and technical support to, among other areas, delivery of the Environment and Sustainable Development pillar of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. Its main focus is on helping countries develop the capacity to fully incorporate environmental sustainability and resilience into development at national and local, but also global and regional levels. The principal areas of work are in environmental mainstreaming, environmental finance, adaptation to climate change, and local governance of resources, including energy.
The UNDP-GEF Unit helps developing countries make green, low-emission and climate-resilient development and the sustainable management of biodiversity and ecosystems not only possible, but also economically attractive. To achieve this, it works closely with UNDP country offices to help countries develop and implement programmes and projects which advance their capacity to put in place the right mix of regulatory and financial incentives, remove institutional and policy barriers, and create enabling environments that attract and drive private sector investment into green development.
The strategic objective of the Green Low Emission and Climate Resilient Development Strategies (GLECRDS) Team is to develop the capacity of national and sub-national governments to conduct long-term integrated planning exercises to transition to green, low-emission and climate-resilient (LECR) development.
To achieve this, the team focuses its efforts into the following signature programmes:
- Supporting Integrated Climate Change Strategies: Supports national and sub-national governments (with focus on Ministries of Finance and planning bodies) to develop and strengthen policies, institutions, capacities and knowledge for integrated green, low-emission and climate resilient development (Green LECRD), and to make use of the full range of public and private financing mechanisms to support Green LECRD investment;
- Advancing Cross-sectoral Climate Resilient Livelihoods: Supports climate resilient economic development and sustainable livelihoods, especially for vulnerable populations – the poor, women, and indigenous peoples. UNDP-GEF provides assistance to country-led efforts on climate change risk management in the context of food security, water resources, coastal zone development, public health, and climate change-related disaster risks;
- Strengthening Climate Information and Early Warning Systems for Climate Resilient Development: Supports the development of climate information and Early Warning Systems (EWS) across a range of countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean in order to help them respond to both short-term/rapid onset climatic hazards (e.g. cyclones, floods and storms), as well as long-term/slow onset hazards (e.g. drought and long-term climate change).
The consultants will work with the UNDP-GEF team located in UNDP’s Regional Hubs - Bangkok, Thailand; Istanbul, Turkey; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Panama City, Panama - to support country offices in the respective regions in accessing resources from a wide range of global environment and climate funds, and to develop their capacities to transition to green, low-emission, climate resilient development. Under the overall supervision of the Head of Climate Change Adaptation, the consultants will assist national and sub-national governments to develop and implement programmes and projects that combine and sequence resources from GEF vertical funds such as the Special Climate Change Fund, and the Least Developed Countries Fund, the Adaptation Fund, the Green Climate Fund as well as several other multilateral, bilateral, national, sub-national and private sector sources.
Duties and Responsibilities
Scope of Work:
The scope of work will vary depending on the specific assignment but would include one or various of the below tasks:
Innovation, Strategic Leadership, Policy Dialogue and Advocacy:
- Contribute to a strategic understanding of, and engagement with, the substantive technical issues, institutions, and processes within the region, including establishing contact and identifying strategic partnerships with other agencies, donors, NGOs, the private sector, scientific institutions and the like;
- Participate in the development and implementation of UNDP’s global and regional strategies on environment and sustainable development within the BPPS and beyond. Engagement in policy and advocacy work with external partners where relevant;
- Provide policy development support and guidance;
- Support the development of strategic UNDP policy position papers and internal briefing notes;
- Facilitate policy analysis and the development of technical tools and guidance;
- Keep the Regional Team informed of trends and issues with respect to the substantive technical area;
- Keep the Principal/Senior Technical Advisors informed of trends and issues in the region.
Portfolio Management:
- Facilitate the identification and sourcing of technical expertise and support, including assisting with the preparation of TORs, identification and evaluation of experts, and review reports;
- Develop and advocate for specific policy analysis and development tools and guidance in support of programming and finance for climate change adaptation, including from both public and private sources;
- Assist in the maintenance of programme/project and portfolio information and corporate information systems.
Resource Mobilization:
- Support programme and project identification and development, including on integrated approaches and multifocal area projects;
- Liaise with the relevant experts in Government, NGOs, CSOs, Private Sector, Development Partners to obtain critical input, including expert advice, information from relevant documents that can feed into the preparation of a feasibility assessment, concept design and proposal development;
- Organize, lead, participate and collate information based on a series of consultations with stakeholders;
- Synthesize key information from existing documents of relevance, given the scope of the intended project, that can then be used as input to the development of a feasibility assessment, concept design and proposal development;
- Provide timely and quality information and technical advice on sources of funds, policies, priorities and activities – including the Global Environment Facility funds, the Green Climate Fund, other multilateral donors, bilateral donors and foundations;
- Identify and suggest to the STA priorities and entry-points for UNDP assistance;
- Support UNDP staff (at Regional and national level) to conduct and capture discussions from community level consultations to both inform and validate the design of the project;
- Facilitate the process of preparation, design, submission and approval of programme/project concepts and full-fledged proposals for financing;
- Support the project formulation technical expert to conduct technical analysis to flesh out project components and all technical sections, and project log frame with well-defined indicators, targets, inputs and outputs;
- Support the project formulation technical expert with acquiring sufficient data and facilitating necessary consultations with relevant government agencies, stakeholders, and experts to produce a draft feasibility report for the project concept based on the consultations, research and analysis conducted;
- Support the project formulation technical expert on outlining of financial structure of the project (with input from UNDP staff) and all main cost categories at the input level corresponding to all outcomes and outputs;
- Facilitate liaisons with potential financing agencies and institutions.
Development Impact:
- Assist with inception, contracting and initiation of programmes/projects including establishment of indicators, benchmarks and work plans;
- Support UNDP country offices and programme/project implementation partners in supervision, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, troubleshooting and adaptive management;
- Assist the UNDP country offices with organizing and compiling information that will feed into the project development exercise;
- Prepare reports and communications pieces effectively showcasing socio-economic development benefits as well as environment results.
Learning, Knowledge Management and Self Development:
- Evaluate, capture, codify, synthesize lessons and stimulate the uptake of best practices and knowledge, including the development of knowledge materials;
- Peer review, comment on, and seek to improve the technical quality of programmes/projects, policies, practices, guidelines, advisory notes, publications and the like;
- Contribute to the preparation of regional Community of Practice meetings;
- Support the preparation and delivery of training courses;
- Respond to queries on programme/project progress, impacts and lessons.
Specific Outputs:
An indicative list of outputs includes:
- Development of strategic UNDP policy position papers and internal briefing notes;
- Development of technical tools and guidance, and Policy analysis;
- Formulation of strategies and policies to support countries with the design and implementation of projects financed by environmental vertical funds;
- Preparation, design, submission and approval of programme/project concepts and full-fledged proposals for financing;
- Initiation of programmes/projects including establishment of indicators, benchmarks and work plans;
- Drafting and finalization of the Technical Feasibility Assessments;
- Preparation of Annexes for the full proposal including procurement plan, terms of references for key project staff, GANTT charts, total budget and workplan;
- Draft an updated M&E Framework for Adaptation projects supported by UNDP;
- Develop reports and communication tools showcasing socio-economic development benefits as well as environment results;
- Develop knowledge materials that capture and synthesize lessons and best practices; and
- Organization of regional Community of Practice meetings.
Information on Working Arrangements:
- The overall objective of these Framework Agreements is to facilitate and expedite the process by which UNDP-GEF can hire the services of Technical Specialists on Climate Change Adaptation for the Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean regions, once there are specific assignments over the next 3 years;
- Estimated level of effort including travel: approximately 173 working days over 12 months for each consultant. Maximum working days over the 3-year period would be 521 days per consultant;
- UNDP does not guarantee that any quantity of services will be purchased during the term of the Framework Agreement as this will depend on forthcoming needs, good performance, and availability of resources;
- IC as a Framework Agreement is non-exclusive (i.e. it does not prohibit UNDP from entering into another such framework agreement with other individuals or entities);
- The Framework Agreements will be for a fixed all-inclusive daily fee;
- Once the Framework Agreements are signed, if there is a specific assignment, the focal person at UNDP would contact the Consultant by email informing of the specific deliverables required, and timeline for delivery;
- The consultant must advise within 48 hours whether s/he is available to deliver the requested service;
- Thereafter a Purchase Order will be raised. Financial commitments will only be established each time the services are requested within the scope of the Framework Agreement through the transmitted email and purchase order;
- Of the 8 consultants to be selected, two Consultants will be hired for Category 1 (Junior), four consultants for Category 2 (Mid-level), and two consultants for Category 3 (Senior);
- Given the consultations to be undertaken during this assignment, the consultant is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability for such consultations taking into consideration different time zones;
- The Consultant will be given access to relevant information necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment;
- The Consultant will be responsible for providing her/his own working station (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to a reliable internet connection;
- The consultant will engage regularly with the supervisor by email and Skype on a weekly and/or as needed daily basis.;
- The consultant shall submit to the Supervisor a monthly progress report on the status of the implementation of tasks;
- Payments will be made monthly upon submission of a detailed time sheet (including deliverables and their timely execution) and certification of payment form, and acceptance and confirmation by the supervisor on days worked (with “a day” calculated as 8 hours of work) and outputs delivered.
Travel:
- International travel will be required. An estimated 5-6 missions during the first year (destinations to be identified) with expected total travel duration of approximately 4-8 days per mission. Expected mission travel would be discussed upon commencement of assignment and updated quarterly;
- Any necessary mission travel must be approved in writing and advance by the Head of Climate Change Adaptation;
- The Advanced and Basic Security in the Field II courses must be successfully completed prior to commencement of travel;
- Consultants are responsible for obtaining any visas needed in connection with travel with the necessary support from UNDP;
- Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director;
- Consultants are required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under https://dss.un.org/dssweb/;
- The consultant will be responsible for making his/her own mission travel arrangements in line with UNDP travel policies;
- All related travel expenses will be reimbursed as per UNDP rules and regulations upon submission of an F-10 claim form and supporting documents. Costs for mission travel (including air tickets, living allowances) should not be included in the financial proposal.
Competencies
Corporate Competencies:
- Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s vision, mission and values;
- 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.
Technical Competencies:
- Ability to provide guidance on climate change adaptation especially as it relates to livelihoods, early warning systems, and coastal risk management;
- Knowledge of methodologies, tools, systems and apply practical experience in planning, monitoring, evaluating and reporting;
- Ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge.
- Ability to plan, organize, motivate, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.
Functional Competencies:
Project/Programme Management
- Ability to guide the design and implementation of multi-sectoral and sectoral programmes and projects at different scales, and to work with multiple stakeholders across a wide range of disciplines;
- Ability to identify and organize programmes and projects to implement solutions and generate resources;
- Ability to manage programmes and projects with a strategy aimed at improved performance and demonstrable results;
- Ability to productively share UNDP knowledge and activities (at UN and other venues).
Client Orientation, Professionalism, and Communications:
- Ability to make new and useful ideas work;
- Ability to persuade others to follow;
- Ability to improve performance and satisfaction;
- Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform;
- Capable of working in a high-pressure environment with sharp deadlines, managing many tasks simultaneously;
- Exercise the highest level of responsibility and be able to handle confidential and politically sensitive issues in a responsible and mature manner.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Master’s degree or higher in environmental economics, environmental law, natural resources management, sustainable development, climate change adaptation/mitigation, international development with a specialization in climate change adaptation, environment and development, or other closely related field (max. 10 points).
Experience:
- Experience working with developing countries on Climate Change Adaption and/or Mitigation, Community-level Finance, and/or Development (max. 15 points);
Category 1: Up to 3 Years / Category 2: 3 to 7 Years / Category 3: Over 7 Years
- Experience in providing technical research in support of formulation of projects/programmes/proposals (max. 15 points);
Category 1: Up to 2 Years / Category 2: 2 to 5 Years / Category 3: Over 5 Years
- Experience with project development, implementation, and/or management in business-oriented or private sector platform (project management experience is preferred) (max. 15 points);
Category 1: Up to 2 Years / Category 2: 2 to 5 Years / Category 3: Over 5 Years
- Experience in policy development processes in climate change risk management (max. 10 points);
Category 1: Up to 2 Years / Category 2: 2 to 5 Years / Category 3: Over 5 Years
- Experience working in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and/or Latin America and the Caribbean (max. 10 points);
Category 1: Up to 3 Years / Category 2: 3 to 7 Years / Category 3: Over 7 Years
- Experience in UN or international organization and knowledge of UNDP policies, procedures and practices would be an advantage (max. 10 points);
Category 1: Up to 1 Year / Category 2: 1 to 3 Years / Category 3: Over 3 Years
Language:
- Written and oral proficiency in English for all candidates (max. 10 points);
- Good command of oral and written French and/or Spanish is highly desirable (max. 5 points).
Evaluation method
- Only those applications which are responsive and compliant will be evaluated;
- Offers will be evaluated according to the Combined Scoring method – where the technical criteria will be weighted at 70% and the financial offer will be weighted at 30%;
- The technical criteria (education, experience, language [max. 100 points] and interview [max.30 points]) will be based on a maximum 130 points;
- Only the top 15 candidates scoring 70 points or higher from the review of the education, experience and languages will be considered for the interview;
- Candidates obtaining 21 points or higher in the interview will be deemed technically qualified and considered for financial evaluation;
- Financial score shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal of those technically qualified;
- The financial proposal shall specify an all-inclusive daily fee. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal must additionally include a breakdown of this daily fee (including all foreseeable expenses to carry out the assignment);
- The top two Category 1, top four Category 2, and top two Category 3 applicants receiving the highest combined score and who have accepted UNDP’s General Terms and Conditions will be awarded the contract.
Documentation to be submitted:
Kindly note you can upload only ONE document to this application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
- Applicants must submit a CV shall including Education/Qualification, Professional Certification, Employment Records /Experience;
- Applicants must reply to the mandatory questions asked by the system when submitting the application;
- Applicants must submit a duly completed and signed Annex II Offeror´s letter to UNDP confirming interest and availability for the Individual Contractor (IC) assignment to be downloaded from the UNDP procurement site.
General Conditions of Contract for the ICs
Annex II Offeror´s letter to UNDP confirming interest and availability for the Individual Contractor (IC) assignment
http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=49885