The project is aimed at supporting the achievement of global environmental benefits and the protection of the global environment through community and local solutions that work in harmony with local, national and global action.  To that end, the objective of this project is to enable community organizations to take collective action for adaptive landscape management for socio-ecological resilience through design, implementation, and evaluation of grant projects for global environmental benefits and sustainable development in three ecologically sensitive landscapes: the Knuckles Conservation Forest and its buffer zone, the coastal region from Mannar Island to Jaffna, and the Colombo Wetlands. This will be carried out through participatory, multi-stakeholder, landscape management using the COMDEKS approach.  The proposed interventions are aimed at enhancing social and ecological resilience through community-based, community-driven projects to conserve biodiversity, optimize ecosystem services, manage land (particularly agro-ecosystems) and water sustainably, and mitigate climate change.  The pilots will build on experience and lessons learned from previous SGP operational phases, and lessons learned from the COMDEKS Programme, to assist community organizations in carrying out and coordinating projects in pursuit of outcomes they have identified in landscape plans and strategies.  Coordinated community projects in the landscape will generate ecological, economic and social synergies that will produce greater and potentially longer-lasting global environmental benefits, as well as increased social capital and local sustainable development benefits.  Multi-stakeholder groups will also take experience, lessons learned, and best practices from prior initiatives and implement a number of potential scaling up efforts during this project’s lifetime.  There are 6 projects in Mannar, 13 in Knuckles and 9 projects in Colombo.  The projects in Mannar are coastal agricultural related and the projects in Knuckles are centered towards soil conservation reforestation and livelihood development whilst the projects in Colombo are centered towards agriculture and wetland rehabilitation.

Overall Objective of the Consultancy

The Field Coordinator will be on part time basis to provide necessary monitoring, technical advisory services on the implementation of key project activities for the SGP projects, in the three landscapes.

The overall objective of the consultancy is to provide advisory services to the SGP Project Coordinator and National Steering Committee on various technical aspects of the projects in the three landscapes.  The tasks of the SGP Filed Coordinator for the Colombo landscape focuses on ensuring that the implementation of the technical aspects of the SGP Mannar project are on the right track delivering according to the key deliverables. 

• Provide overall technical advice on the strategic implementation of project activities and quality of project deliverables in the SGP projects;
• Support the organization of technical committee meetings and stakeholder workshops (reviewing and commenting on the agenda, list of participants, meeting reports/minutes, etc);
• Inform the multi-stakeholder group in each landscape of the progress of the SGP  projects each quarter;
• Provide technical inputs on alternative strategies and approaches to address critical situations, emerging or potential risks to project delivery and expected outcomes of the SGP projects;
• Reports to the National Steering Committee in regular intervals/ when required;
• Provide inputs on the adaptive management of projects, as appropriate;

• Review and provide substantive inputs on various technical reports drafted by project consultants and specialists for the  Landscape;

• Provide technical backstopping to the preparation of project progress/monitoring/review reports as well as information releases in accordance with UNDP/GEF rules and procedures for the SGP.

Outcomes

1. Report on the progress of multi stakeholder partnerships in the landscape;

2. Report on the technical inputs given to the selected SGP projects in the landscape;

3.Report on the quarterly monitoring inputs given to the NSC on the above projects;

4. Report on the technical inputs given to the projects on adaptive management strategies that can be developed;

5. Report on the how the projects selected in the landscapes ensures connectivity within the projects and contributes towards a landscape approach;

6. Report on monitoring and evaluation of the projects selected in the Landscape.

• Good knowledge on biodiversity, Climate Change, Land Degradation and related fields;
• Capacity to work with multiple stakeholders across a wide range of disciplines;
• Demonstrated leadership, facilitation and coordination skills and ability to give sound technical guidance to the programme;
• Excellent communication (both oral and written) and partnership building skills with multi-dimension partners, with analytic capacity and ability to synthesize relevant collected data and findings for the preparation of case studies and progress reports;
• people skill for conflict resolution and negotiation;
• Maturity and confidence in dealing with the staff of government institutions, civil society organizations and private sector;
• Ability to seek and apply knowledge, information and best practices from multiple sectors.

Education:

• The prospective consultant should have bachelor’s degree or equivalent in the areas of Development, agriculture, biodiversity conservation, natural resource management or related field.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of work experience in the development sector;
• Proven background on development and implementation of biodiversity monitoring, capacity building and project management;
• Experience in working with civil society organizations and multi stakeholders using the landscape conservation approach.

Languages/ Other:

• Excellent written and spoken knowledge of English, and Sinhala

Timeframe

The envisaged time frame of the consultancy is part time for 1 year from 2nd May 2019

How to Apply

The application should contain:

• Cover letter explaining why you are the most suitable candidate for the advertised position and a brief methodology on how you will approach and conduct the work;
• Updated CV to include qualifications/competencies and relevant experience and contact details of 3 professional referees who can certify your competencies, professionalism, quality of writing, presentation and overall suitability to this TOR;
• Individual consultants will be evaluated based on a combination of factors including the cover letter, CV, the credential of an offer and a brief interview (optional) and the offer which gives the best value for money for the UNDP;
• Please send the Financial proposal with breakdown of the cost items separately to the following email address: consultants.lk@undp.org; stating the vacancy number/ position in the subject line.

Financial Proposal

1. All Inclusive Lump Sum Fee (Professional Fees):(LKR)

b. All Inclusive Lump Sum Fee (other costs as indicative below):(LKR)

c. Total Lump Sum Fee (a+b):(LKR)

Note: Payments will be based on invoices on achievement of agreed milestones i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR and certification by the UNDP. The applicant must factor in all possible costs in his/her “All Inclusive Lump Sum Fee” in the financial proposal including his/her consultancy and professional fee, daily living allowance during in-country missions to Sri Lanka (USD equivalent of LKR 15,100 per day), airfare costs (to and from the country of usual residence of the Consultant, via economy class on the most economical/direct route), any additional HR cost (as required) such as translators and field assistants, communication cost such as telephone/internet usage, printing cost,  ad-hoc costs, stationery costs, and any other foreseeable costs in this exercise. No costs other than what has been indicated in the financial proposal will be paid or reimbursed to the consultant.

The UNDP will provide and cover the following costs:

Actual costs for travels outside duty station will be reimbursed. The UNDP will only pay for any unplanned travel outside of this TOR on actual basis and on submission of original bills/invoices and on prior agreement. No costs other than what has been indicated in the financial proposal will be paid or reimbursed to the consultant or institution.

For an Individual Contractor who is of 65 years of age or older, and on an assignment requiring travel, be it for the purpose of arriving at the duty station or as an integral duty required under the TOR, a full medical examination and statement of fitness to work must be provided.  Such medical examination costs must be factored in to the financial proposal above. However, this is not a requirement for individuals on RLA contracts. 

Payment for Services

The vendor shall receive payments in installments from UNDP as follows:

• 30% on submission of 1 & 2  

Report on the technical inputs and adaptive management strategies that can be given to the selected SGP projects in the landscape after 3 months;

Report on the monitoring inputs given to the NSC on the above projects after 3 months;

Report on the progress of multi stakeholder partnerships in the landscape after 3 months.

• 40% on submission of 3 & 4

Report on the technical inputs and adaptive management strategies that can be given to the selected SGP projects in the landscape after 6 months;

Report on the progress of multi stakeholder partnerships in the landscape after 6 months;

Report on the monitoring inputs given to the NSC on the above project 6 months.

• 30% on submission of 5 & 6

Report on the how the projects selected in the landscapes ensures connectivity within the projects and contributes towards a landscape approach after 9 months;

Report on the technical inputs and adaptive management strategies that can be given to the selected SGP projects in the  landscape after 9 months;

Report on the progress of multi stakeholder partnerships in the landscape after 9 months;

Report on monitoring and evaluation of the projects selected in the Landscape after 9 months.