Background

Philippines has rich endowment of biodiversity and associated ecosystem services. The large variety of ecosystems and species, along with the services they provide, underpin many of the country’s economic sectors and contribute substantially to job creation. Although the financial benefits may not immediately appear as substantial as those from mining, the country’s biodiversity provides significant and often unaccounted for benefits, without which economic growth and development would not be possible.

 

Since 2014, the United Nations Development Program through its Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) Project, has been supporting the Philippine Government in articulating the financial resources it needs to maintain a healthy biodiversity portfolio in-country. In particular, BIOFIN in collaboration with Department of Natural Resources-Biodiversity Management Bureau has conducted the following assessments:  1) Policy and Institutional Review (PIR); 2) Public and Private Biodiversity Expenditure Review (PPBER); and 3) Finance needs assessment (cost and gap analysis of implementing Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP)); and has prepared a finance plan.

 

Based on insights gained from the results of the three BIOFIN assessments, the finance plan acknowledges the importance of tapping additional financing to support the biodiversity agenda of the Philippines, mainly through its Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP). The finance plan is cognizant of the parallel challenges that could not be addressed by generating financing alone: thus, the Plan transcends the focus on generating additional resources and also identifies a range of “finance solutions” that leverage finance, fiscal and economic tools and strategies to improve the outcome of biodiversity objectives in the country. Financing solutions include a range of transformative actions: generating more financing to fund the PBSAP or associated planning documents; appropriate attribution of biodiversity expenditures in the budget; attaining cost effective budget execution by eradicating overlaps in biodiversity functions; eradicating expenditures that continue to or aggravate dissipation of biodiversity resources; and paving the groundwork for a responsive policy environment through greater awareness on biodiversity and biodiversity financing and enhancing institutional support towards monitoring of PBSAP.

 

In the Philippines, LGUs receive internal revenue allotments (IRA) from the national government based upon the governance level (province, municipality, city) and a formula based upon their land area, population, and equal sharing. Typically, IRA accounts for 90% of total revenues of LGUs.  Usually, allocations for biodiversity conservation are nil or at times, absent. The finance solution is the development of an ecological index that will be the core of a policy on ecological fiscal transfers. The latter shall incentivize management of protected areas located in local government jurisdictions as recognition for the ecological and economic benefits arising therefrom which are not fully internalized by the local government. Such ecological and economic benefits are distributed far beyond the local government jurisdiction, even at regional and national levels, whilst being financially supported solely by the concerned local government.

 

A policy brief with a technical supplement shall be prepared and subjected to consultations over a two-year period (2019-2020). The technical supplement shall feature an “ecological index”  which shall encapsulate the biodiversity attributes (type of protected area, size of protected area, global/regional significance) of a particular area.

Duration of the Work

 

The expected duration of work is estimated at 35 days spread over 3 months.  The target date for the start of work is June 15, 2019. 

 

Duty Station

The Project Manager shall directly supervise the Consultant and approve his/her output with the endorsement of the Biodiversity Management Bureau.

The Consultant is expected to liaise/interact/collaborate/meet with the national BIOFIN project team, DENR BMB and UNDP.  As needed, the project staff shall provide administrative assistance to her/him in order for her/him to accomplish all requirements.

The project staff including other project consultants, as well as, relevant technical staff shall provide comment on the outputs of the consultant.

 

Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

The all-inclusive and fixed lump sum amount for this service. No travel outside Manila will be required.

Payment terms are as follows:

  • First Tranche       - 15% Upon submission and approval of Inception report;
  • Second Tranche  - 35% Upon submission and approval of the Draft ecological index;
  • Third Tranche      - 50% Upon submission and approval of the final version of the ecological index based on validation workshop    results

 

Duties and Responsibilities

The main responsibilities of the consultant are as follows:

  • Review the concept of ecological fiscal transfer as applied in other countries including but not limited to Brazil, Indonesia, Portugal
  • Characterize protected areas, both terrestrial and marine, across various local governments levels and assess the utilization and distribution of ecological and economic benefits
  • Propose an ecological index formulation and recommend how the same can be incorporated into the current  IRA estimation process
  • Present results of study to project team and relevant stakeholders including one site where BIOFIN is undertaking localization process
  • Attend relevant project meetings as needed

Competencies

Core Competencies:

  • Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity;
  • Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment;
  • Self-development, initiative-taking;
  • Acting as a team player and facilitating team work;
  • Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively;
  • Creating synergies through self-control;
  • Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others.

Required Skills and Experience

The selection of the best offer from the shortlisted candidates will be based on a Combined Scoring method – where the qualifications and experienced will be weighted a maximum of 70 points and combined with the price offer which will be weighted a max of 30 points out of 100 points.

For the evaluation of the Technical Proposal, the selection of the successful consultant must be based in the following qualifications (with the appropriate obtainable points):?

 

Education

  • At least MS/MA degree in Economics, Business, Management, Governance or similar fields - 30 points

Experience

  • Minimum of 7 years professional experience in the development and local governance work including policy development - 40 points
  • Minimum of 5 years experience in protected area management, financing, and natural resource economics and valuation - 30 points

Langauge

  • .Fluency in written and spoken English

 

APPLICATION

Offerors must upload in one (1) file the documents below at 

  1. Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability that indicates the all-inclusive lumpsum 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;
  2. Financial Proposal (Annex 2 of Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability)
  3. Personal CV or P11, 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.

 

 

In view of the volume of applications UNDP receives, only shortlisted offerors will be notified.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.