UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan.  BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response. BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working. BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts.

As the UN system's development program, a GEF Implementing Agency and an Accredited Entity to the Adaptation Fund and the Green Climate Fund (GCF), UNDP also supports countries in addressing development, climate, and ecosystem sustainability in an integrated manner. UNDP-Global Environmental Finance (GEF) Unit is based in UNDP’s Bureau of Policy and Programme Support and is responsible for providing leadership and technical support to, among other areas, delivery of the Environment and Sustainable Development pillar of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. Its main focus is on helping countries develop the capacity to fully incorporate environmental sustainability and resilience into development at national and local, but also global and regional levels. The principal areas of work are in environmental mainstreaming, environmental finance, adaptation to climate change, and local governance of resources, including energy. The UNDP-GEF team within the BPPS offers UNDP Country Offices and client countries a range of highly specialized technical services.

The Social and Environmental Standards (SES) underpin UNDP’s support sustainable development. The objectives of the standards are to:

• Strengthen the social and environmental outcomes of Programmes and Projects
• Avoid adverse impacts to people and the environment
• Minimize, mitigate, and manage adverse impacts where avoidance is not possible
• Strengthen UNDP and partner capacities for managing social and environmental risks
• Ensure full and effective stakeholder engagement, including through a mechanism to respond to complaints from project-affected people

A key mechanism to ensure these standards are applied is through UNDP’s project-level Social and Environmental Screening Procedure (SESP), which is a requirement for all proposed projects. The objectives of the SESP are to: (a) integrate the SES Overarching Principles (human rights, gender equality and environmental sustainability); (b) identify potential social and environmental risks and their significance; (c) determine the Project's SES risk category (Low, Moderate, High); and (d) determine the level of assessment and management required to address potential social and environmental risks and impacts. All guidance on UNDPs Social and Environmental Safeguards can be found in the SES Toolkit.

The Social and Environmental Safeguards consultant will support UNDP staff in Country Offices in the Asia-Pacific region, and UNDP staff in the Bangkok Regional Hub who manage the Asia-Pacific regional portfolio of the Global Environmental Finance Unit. The consultant will provide oversight of the implementation of SES requirements (e.g. Environmental and Social Management Plans) of active projects in this portfolio. The consultant would also be responsible for building capacity in safeguards at the project- and Country Office-levels. The Social and Environmental Safeguards consultant will report to the Management Advisor, Asia-Pacific Regional Hub, and the Results and Evaluation Senior Advisor in the BPPS/GEF Directorate.

1. Safeguards technical oversight to Vertical Fund projects under implementation

• Review draft and final assessment reports, management plans and other documentation produced during project implementation, to ensure they meet technical standards and requirements;
• Advise on new social and environmental risks or changes to project risk categorization;
• Advise on ad hoc safeguards matters as they arise during implementation; including re-structuring of projects as needed, and;
• Undertake oversight missions, as needed.

2. Safeguards technical training for UNDP Country Offices and Implementing Partners

• Develop new technical training materials, as needed;
• Provide training to UNDP staff on technical issues related to social and environmental safeguard;

3. Contribute to the development of UNDP guidelines, tools, and other knowledge management materials related to social and environmental safeguards to build safeguards capacity in UNDP

• Identify technical capacity needs in UNDP and propose solutions;
• Develop new technical guidance, as needed;
• Undertake other ad hoc tasks as needed.

Information on Working Arrangements:

• The consultant will work from the Bangkok Regional Hub with mission travel;
• The consultant will report to, and be directly supervised by the Results and Evaluation Senior Advisor, BPPS/GEF; and Management Advisor, RBAP/BRH;
• The Consultant will be given access to relevant information necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment;
• Given the global consultations to be undertaken during this assignment, the consultant is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability for such consultations taking into consideration different time zones; and
• Payments will be made upon submission of a detailed time sheet and certification of payment form, and acceptance and confirmation by the Supervisor on days worked (with a “day” calculated as 8 hours of work) and outputs delivered. If the quality does not meet standards or requirements, the consultant will be asked to rewrite or revise (as necessary) the document before proceeding to payment. 

Travel:

• Missions to approx. 10 countries with and estimated duration of 7 days might be required;
• Such travel shall be at UNDP’s expense and the Individual Contractor shall receive a per diem not to exceed United Nations daily subsistence allowance. The mission travel cost will be excluded at this time from the price proposal.
• Any necessary mission travel must be approved in advance and writing by the Supervisor;
• The BSAFE course must be completed before the commencement of travel;
• Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when traveling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director;
• Consultants are also required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under https://dss.un.org/dssweb/;
• The consultant will be responsible for making his/her mission travel arrangements in line with UNDP travel policies; and
• All travel expenses related to mission travels will be supported by the project travel fund and will be reimbursed as per UNDP rules and regulations for consultants. Costs for mission airfares, terminal expenses, and living allowances should not be included in financial proposal.

Corporate:

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling 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; and
• Treats all people fairly without favouritism.

Technical:

• Demonstrates strong technical expertise in social and environmental standards and principles, including Displacement and Resettlement; Biodiversity, Climate Change.
• Excellent skills related to stakeholder engagement;
• Experience implementing social and environmental safeguards at the project level.

 Functional:

Communications

• Able to communicate effectively in writing to a varied and broad audience in a simple and concise manner.

Professionalism

• Capable of working in a high- pressure environment with sharp and frequent deadlines, managing many tasks simultaneously;

• Excellent analytical and organizational skills; and
• Exercises the highest level of responsibility and be able to handle confidential and politically sensitive issues in a responsible and mature manner.

Teamwork

• Works well in a team;
• Projects a positive image and is ready to take on a wide range of tasks;
• Focuses on results for the client; and
• Welcomes constructive feedback.

• Education: Master’s degree in field related to international development, environmental science, anthropology or similar field. [max. 15 points]
• Experience:
  • At least 10 years of experience related to social and environmental impact assessment and management. [max. 20 points]
  • At least five years of experience in project management. [max. 20 points]
  • Extensive experience in the Asia and Pacific region. [max. 10 points] 
• Languages: Fluency in English. [max. 5 points]

Evaluation Method:

• Only those applications which are responsive and compliant will be evaluated.  Incomplete applications will not be considered;
• Offers will be evaluated according to the Combined Scoring method – where the technical criteria will be weighted at 70% and the financial offer will be weighted at 30%;
• The technical criteria (education, experience, language [max. 70 points] and interview [max. 30 points]) will be based on a maximum 100 points. Only the top 3 candidates that have achieved a minimum of 52.5 points (75% of 70 points) from the review of education, experience and language will be deemed technically compliant and considered for the interview;
• The financial proposal shall specify an all-inclusive lump sum fee. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal must additionally include a breakdown of this daily fee (including all foreseeable expenses to carry out the assignment);
• Applicant receiving the Highest Combined Score and has accepted UNDP’s General Terms and Conditions will be awarded the contract.

Documentation to be submitted:

• Applicants must submit a duly completed and signed UNDP Personal History form (P11) and/or CV including Education/Qualification, Professional Certification, Employment Records /Experience;
• Applicants must reply to the mandatory questions asked by the system when submitting the application.
• Applicants must submit a duly completed and signed Annex I Offeror´s letter to UNDP confirming interest and availability for the Individual Contractor (IC) assignment to be downloaded from the UNDP procurement site.
• Considering the nature of the requirement, UNDP will negotiate the living costs in Bangkok with the selected consultant.

UNDP Personal History form (P11) required of all applicants:

http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/corporate/Careers/P11_Personal_history_form.doc.

General Conditions of Contract for the ICs:

http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/documents/procurement/documents/IC%20-%20General%20Conditions.pdf.

Offeror´s letter to UNDP confirming interest and availability for the Individual Contractor (IC) assignment can be referred from the procurement notices:

http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=62316