UNDP Jobs - 82894- National Consultant on Comparison of Union Governm

National Consultant on Comparison of Union Government and EAO Forest Policy Documents (Myanmar National Only0

Location :

Home based, with travel to Nay Pyi Taw and other locations as required, MYANMAR

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

25-Jan-19 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

National Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

45 days over the period of 4 months starting in March 2019

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

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

Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAO’s) are key stakeholders in the Myanmar REDD+ Programme, since the decision hs been made that REDD+ will be implemented at the national scale, and significant areas of forests are under the control of EAO’s. Engagement with EAO’s, by its very nature, is complex and involves multiple challenges.

There are three basic categories of EAOs:

Those which have signed the National Ceasefire Agreement (10, as of the end of 2018)
Those which have not signed, but which have bilateral ceasefire agreements
Those which are active combatants

Ceasefires break down, so EAO’s may change categories. Some EAO’s act as a de facto government in the areas they control, whereas others act more in the the way of promoting self-interest.

From the perspective of REDD+, there is little justification to engage with EAO’s holding no, or only insignificant amounts of territory, and similarly there is little point in trying to engage with those which are not interested in governing their territory. Therefore, the UN-REDD Programme has prioritized engagement with EAOs that have signed the NCA, control “significant” amounts of territory, and have internal governance structures related to forest management.

Article 25 of the NCA calls for cooperation between the Union Government and NCA signatories in a number of areas, including environmental conservation. The Pyidaungsu Accord also established a number of agreements related to the land and environment sector, including:

A countrywide land policy that is balanced and supports people centered long-term sustainable development
Based on justice and appropriateness
A policy that reduces central control
Policy on land matters should be transparent and clear
In setting up policy for land development, the desire of the local people is a priority

In initial engagements between the UN-REDD Programme and priority EAO’s, the issue of policies and regulations guiding REDD+ implementation was raised. Some EAO’s have their own Forest Policy, or other environmental regulations, which may differ from those of the Union Government. However, no analysis has been conducted of the extent to which such documents may differ in substance.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Consultant will collate and compile all regulatory documents produced by EAO’s (note: not necessarily limited to NCA signatories) that are pertinent to the land and natural resources sector. These include, but are not limited to Forest Policies or laws, Land Policies or laws, Protected Areas Policies, regulations or laws, Community Forestry Instructions or equivalent, and Sustainable Development Policies or regulations.

The Consultant will also collate and compile equivalent Union Government documents, including, but not necessarily limited to:

Forest Law 2018 and draft Forest Rules 2019
Conservation of Biodiversity and Protected Areas Law 2018 and draft CBPA Rules 2019
VFV Land Amendment Law 2018 and Rule 2018
National Land Policy 2016
Community Forestry Instructions 2016

The Consultant will then develop a draft analytical framework including a tabular summary of principles or objectives that are being pursued through the Union Government policy/regulatory documents. This draft framework will be discussed and agreed with the UN-REDD Chief Technical Advisor.

The Consultant will summarize, in the approved tabular form, the principles or objectives that are being pursued in each section of the Union Government documents. The Consultant will then analyze the relevant EAO documents to identify:

Where there are substantive differences from Union Government documents;
Where differences are only in the form of wording;
Where there are principles or objectives incorporated into EAO documents that are missing from Union Government documents; and
Where there are principles or objectives in Union Government documents that are missing in EAO documents.

Competencies

Please kindly see the following link for your complete information;

http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=52590

Required Skills and Experience

Please kindly see the following link for your complete information;

http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=52590