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:

• UN Cape Verde website,www.un.cv, under the section Anúncios;
• the UNGM website at www.ungm.org; and
• UNDP Procurement website at http://procurement-notices.undp.org

The consultancy 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”, 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.

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 DNA in the development of a participatory process that brought to the elaboration of a proposal for a Law-Decree to introduce SEA in Cabo Verde.

In order to provide reliable supporting information to national decision makers, and to the wider stakeholders community, key project Partners, within the framework of the Project Technical Committee (PTC), identified the need to elaborate a cost–benefit analysis on the application of the Law-Decree proposal. The consultancy described in these ToRs aims to address the needs identified by the PTC.

Duties and Responsibilities

The international consultant will support the MAA, through the DNA and the Project Management Unit (PMU) to develop a cost–benefit analysis related to the implementation of the Law-Decree on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) proposal developed by the MAA/DNA in the framework of the BIO-TUR Project, which is currently in the process to be assessed by competent National Authorities. The analysis has to provide relevant information to complete the ongoing assessment process.

Key Responsibilities and Tasks

• Review the current proposal of Law-Decree on the introduction of SEA in Cabo Verde and the documentation related to the participatory process that lead its elaboration.

• Prepare and discuss with UNDP and DNA/PMU the consultancy Inception Report that comprise the methodological proposal, associated workplan and a list of relevant stakeholders to be met during the first field mission, in order to develop the services described in these ToR.

• Review and finalize the consultancy Inception Report according to the feedbacks received from UNDP and DNA/PMU.

• Hold meetings with national stakeholders relevant to the assignment in order to:

  • Complete the collection of relevant data and information.

  • Develop an inventory of the strategic documents and plans to be submitted to SEA according to the scope defined by the current proposal of Law-Decree on SEA.

  • Discuss preliminary findings from documental analysis.

• Provide technical information relevant for the national consultant to estimate costs related to the development of SEAs processes associated with inventoried programs and plans for each interested Public Institution.

• Provide technical information relevant for the national consultant to estimate costs to be afforded by the MAA/DNA for the adequacy of its structure to comply with requirements of the Law-Decree proposal for the following resources:

  • Technical staff (including capacity building);

  • Equipment and facilities;

  • Operational costs of the SEAs processes to be supported directly by the MAA/DNA.

• Provide technical information relevant for the national consultant to estimate costs identified with de analysis described in this section relating them to the different categories of SEAs defined by the proposal of Law-Decree.

• Estimate direct and indirect costs in which will likely to incur Public Institutions and the whole national community in case of implementation of the Scenario 0 (i.e. no approval of the proposed Law-Decree on SEA by competent National Authorities).

• Identify relevant tangible and intangible benefits associated with the approval and implementation of the proposed Law-Decree on SEA.

• Attend a meeting with UNDP-CO and DNA/PMU and other selected stakeholders to discuss key outputs from the first field mission.

• Prepare and deliver to UNDP and DNA/PMU a draft of the consultancy Final Report which will have at least to include:

  • The methodological proposal as approved in the Inception Report;

  • Results of the inventory of strategic planning documents to be submitted to SEA;

  • Results of the analysis of the direct and indirect costs in which will likely to incur Public Institutions, and the whole national community, in case of no introduction of SEA into the national legal framework (opportunity cost);

  • The description of identified tangible and intangible benefits associated with the introduction of SEA into the national legal framework;

  • A section of the report that will comprise: i) overall considerations on the consultancy, ii) occurred constrains and limitations, iii) risks, iv) lessons learnt, v) recommendations.

• Support the national consultant in developing the following sections of the consultancy Final Report:

  • Results of the analysis of the costs associated with the development of SEAs processes to inventoried strategic planning documents for each interested Public Institution;

  • Results of the analysis of the costs to be afforded by the MAA/DNA for the adequacy of its structure to comply with requirements of the Law-Decree proposal;

• Co-carry out with the national consultant a presentation of the results of the consultancy in a final meeting with UNDP-CO, DNA/PMU, DGTT and other relevant stakeholders in order to discuss the key outputs.

• Prepare and deliver the final draft of the consultancy Final Report according to the feedbacks received from UNDP, DNA/PMU and other relevant stakeholders.

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.
• 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: Portuguese, English, French, or Spanish. Working knowledge of spoken and written Portuguese is a strong competitive advantage.