UNDP Jobs - 97680- National Consultant - Preparation of Regional Mana

National Consultant - Preparation of Regional Management plans for Forests in the High Mountain Areas in Akkar & Jbeil Districts

Location :

Beirut, LEBANON

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

06-Apr-21 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

National Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

50 days spread over the period between May 2021 and November 2021

Languages Required :

Arabic 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

The Land Degradation Neutrality of Mountain Landscapes in Lebanon (LDN) project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and is implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Environment in Lebanon, seeks land degradation neutrality in mountain lands by rehabilitating degraded land and preventing further degradation. It will do this initially at the pilot scale to gain the necessary skills and know-how as well as confidence before it can be up scaled and replicated post-project comprehensively. The pilot areas will be the mountain ranges in the Cazas of Jbeil and Akkar. The project duration is five years.

Rehabilitation practices will be tested for technical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and benefits in the agriculture, mountain pastures and forestry sectors, the quarrying sector, and the eco-tourism and outdoor recreation sectors. Prevention will be achieved through comprehensive land use planning and the monitoring for compliance with set conditions and their enforcement.

There will be clarification of roles and enhancement of capacities particularly at local government level. The institutional and regulatory context will be reviewed, updated, and strengthened to prevent new degradation of forests, rangelands, and agricultural lands. The project will aim for a robust, comprehensive, and appropriate legal framework which will assess biodiversity and key ecosystem goods and services to inform permitting decisions.

Ultimately, the key to achieving LDN is in making the most effective land use planning decisions and in implementing and upscaling these together with appropriate restoration measures – which is reflected in the three Outcomes of the project which are:

1. Outcome 1: Degraded mountain land in selected mountain districts of northern Lebanon identified, rehabilitated, and restored.

2. Outcome 2: Mountain lands managed sustainably to prevent degradation.

3. Outcome 3: Project monitoring and evaluation, communication, knowledge management and financial mechanisms for the dissemination and replication of the results of the project with the aim of achieving land degradation neutrality.

The project will develop new financing mechanisms for sustainable land management (SLM) and forest management based on international best practice and a knowledge management platform to facilitate sustainability, replication and up-scaling of the new practices leading to land degradation neutrality.

To pilot the approach, the project will focus on the districts of Akkar and Jbeil and apply comparative remedial methodologies to restore mountain lands to their valuable ecological functions such as sustainable agricultural productivity, biodiversity habitat and ecosystem services.

Despite the crucial contribution of forests to life on earth and human well-being, deforestation and forest degradation continue in many regions. Many drivers of deforestation lie outside the forest sector and are rooted in wider social and economic issues, including challenges related to reducing poverty, urban development and policies that favor land uses which produce higher and more rapid financial returns, such as agriculture.

Urgent action and cross-sectoral policy coordination at all levels to secure sustainable forest management, including forest conservation, restoration and expansion is needed.

In the recent past, reversing the effects of human-induced deforestation has become a priority for the Lebanese Government that has been allocating resources for afforestation and reforestation activities and for improved management. Several initiatives have been undertaken and are planned not only by central authorities but also by municipalities and NGOs with the support of academic institutions.

The project is seeking this consultancy to develop strategic management plan for forests in Akkar and Jbeil districts. The consultancy will be done, under the supervision of the Project Manager (PM), in close coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and Ministry of Environment (MoE) as well as local authorities.

Duties and Responsibilities

Forests are at risk from illegal or unsustainable logging, unmanaged fires, pollution, dust, diseases, pests, fragmentation and impacts of climate change, including severe weather events such as droughts. All of which threaten forest health and the ability of forests to function as productive and resilient ecosystems.

The objective of this consultancy is to set strategic management plans for the optimal coordination of the ecological, economic, and social demands on the forests of Akkar and Jbeil districts. The strategic issues of a long-term timeframe (i.e., 20 years) should provide a general framework for actions at sub-national levels to sustainably manage all types of forests and halt deforestation and forest degradation and improve existing forest cover. They should also provide a framework for forest-related contributions to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement adopted under the UNFCCC, the CBD, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and other international forest-related instruments, processes, commitments, and goals.

The strategic management plans will provide a unified system based on international best practices, adapted to the national context, taking into consideration the local circumstances and skills. It will also create favorable conditions for an efficient and innovative forestry sector, along with potential replication in other Lebanese regions. These strategic plans will help in improving the management of forests and increasing forest cover as well as contributing to an enhancement of local livelihoods by a more sustainable and equitable use of forest products.

The management plans will cover the forest areas and the different types of forest ecosystems of Jbeil and Akkar districts.

The consultant will carry out the following tasks:

- Task 1: Development of strategic management plans for forests in Akkar & Jbeil districts

- Task 2: Execution of targeted trainings for the adoption of the strategic plans by local authorities

For additional information, please refer to ANNEX I – Terms of Reference

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Advanced writing and editing skills in English.
Computer literacy for Microsoft Office Package or equivalent.

Corporate Competencies:

Excellent communication and consultation skills.
Proven analytical skills and capacity in producing quality reports and documents.

Required Skills and Experience

I. Academic Qualifications:

Graduate Degree (MSc/PhD) in at least one of the following fields: forestry, forest management, or closely related fields.

II. Years of experience:

Minimum of 10 years’ experience in forest resources management, forest inventory, monitoring, and assessment.

III. Technical experience:

Expert knowledge in existing related policies, legal and regulatory frameworks.
Expert knowledge with experience in forest management planning at the local level.
Experience working with central and/ or local agencies, NGOs, private sector, civil society on Forestry- related assignments.
International Experience in forest management is an asset.
Experience with UN or international donor project(s) is an asset.

How to apply:

The consultancy is open for all national consultants who meet the selection criteria and propose a competitive fee. Interested consultants are requested to apply only through this UNDP jobs portal.

Submissions through any other media will not be considered.

The application must include all of the following documents:

1. P11,

2. Technical Proposal,

3. Annex 3 (Offerors Letter) and

4. Financial proposal

Kindly note that you may find all the required documents on the below link: https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=76407 ; whereas the application must be submitted through this Jobs portal
All files shall be submitted in one single document and uploaded as word or PDF file to the UNDP job site.

It has been observed that bidders don’t submit all requested documents and thus reducing their chance to be selected for a contract with UNDP. before you submit your offer please revise that the application is complete and comprises all four (4) documents.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.