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:

Background:

The provision of the professional services described in these ToR 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 (Bio-Tur)”, 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, fisheries and associated real estate/construction and fisheries 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.

In 2018, under Project Output 1.2 “Cross-sectoral planning integrates biodiversity conservation objectives, and Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs) conducted in priority PAs/ ZRPTs.” the Bio-Tur project supported the development of a participatory process that led to the elaboration of a Law-Decree proposal to introduce SEA into the national legal framework.

Within the Bio-Tur framework was also developed a training needs assessment (TNA) for the staff of the DNA, the PAs teams and relevant stakeholders at project intervention sites related to EIA and SEA implementation. Based on the TNA, it was developed a training program for four short-term courses to be implemented at each target island (Santiago, Sal, Boavista and Maio). In 2018, some training modules included in the training program have been also implemented. These ToR describe the work to be done by the international consultant that will support the implementation of the second part of the training program.

Duties and Responsibilities

The international consultant will support the MAA, through the DNA and the Project Management Unit (PMU) to carry on and complete the training program that comprises four short-term courses on EIA and SEA to be implemented at each target island (Santiago, Sal, Boavista and Maio).

  • Develop and agree with the UNDP Country Office (UNDP-CO) and the DNA/PMU, the draft of the consultancy Inception Report that will comprise the overall workplan, contents (detailed for each hour training activity), evaluation scheme, and training schedule. The proposal will be based on the overall training program that was already developed in the framework of the Bio-Tur project (Annex I; the modules to be implemented are those from number 5 to 9). The PMU will provide additional documents to the consultant to support the preparation of the Inception Report (i.e. the TNA report, etc.).

  • Review and finalize the consultancy Inception Report based in the feedbacks received from UNDP-CO and the DNA/PMU.

  • Hold inception meetings with DNA/PMU and UNDP-CO in order to discuss approach, specific contents and operational issues useful to carry out the training.

    Carry out the training modules according to the proposal approved with the Inception Report. Training courses will be carried out by the consultant during a field mission to Cape Verde, and will be implemented at each project intervention Island (Sal, Boavista, Maio and Santiago). Beside DNA and PAs staff, also key stakeholders will be invited by the DNA to attend training courses at each site. The total number of trainees attending the courses will range from 10 to 20 in Sal, Boavista and Maio, and from 15 to 25 in Santiago.

  • Carry out an evaluation of the impacts of the training courses on the knowledge and understanding of trainees on the subjects related to the training. This will be done by an evaluation scheme that will allow assessing the level knowledge and understanding of trainees before and after the implementation of the training. The evaluation scheme will also comprise an assessment of the performance of the trainer and of the organizational setting.

  • Carry out a final debriefing meeting with UNDP-CO and DNA/PMU to discuss key outputs from the field mission, and the overall implementation of the consultancy.

  • Prepare and deliver to UNDP-CO and DNA/PMU the draft of the consultancy Final Report that will comprise at least:

    • Implemented training program, with the lists of trainees that attended the courses at each site;

    • Results from the implementation of the evaluation scheme;

    • Overall findings from the consultancy;

    • Constrains and limitations occurred during the implementation of the consultancy;

    • Lesson learned; and

    • Recommendations

  • Review and finalize the consultancy Inception Report based in the feedbacks received from UNDP-CO and the DNA/PMU

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.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

  • Hold a Master degree with expertise in the areas of Environmental Sciences, Environmental Engineering, or other fields assessed as suitable to carry out the appointment.
  • Hold a PhD in fields assessed as relevant to carry out the appointment is a plus.
  • Additional relevant professional trainings and courses are a plus. 

 Experience and Skills

  • Have at least 10 years of proven experience in the assessment of social and environmental impacts and its management in strategic, sectorial and land planning, or alternatively to have at least 10 years of proven experience in developing Strategic Environmental Assessment processes.
  • Previous experience in the implementation of similar trainings on Strategic Environmental Assessment and/or Environmental Impact Assessment.
  • Demonstrated track record of production of relevant publications and technical documents (papers, guidelines, planning documents, etc.) on socio-environmental impacts and their prevention and mitigation in strategic, sectorial and land planning.
  • Previous working experience in the fields related to the consultancy in SIDSs, in archipelagos of the Macaronesian Region, or Sub-Saharan Africa is an asset.
  • 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 or French. Working knowledge of spoken and written Portuguese or Spanish is a strong competitive advantage.