Background

The UNDP's Environmental Finance Unit is based in the Bureau of Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) and is responsible for providing leadership, technical support and implementation oversight 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 Unit is organized into a number of substantive technical teams with staff located in both HQs and UNDP's Regional Service Centers in Addis Ababa, Istanbul, Panama, and Bangkok, and with a decentralized structure in terms of financial, operational, and budget managements with authority delegated to respective managers located in HQ or in the region.

With funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and a number of donor countries, the Integration Strategies and Small Grants Program (IS/SGP) technical team is implementing a wide range of Climate Change Enabling Activities, Medium and Full sized projects in more than 100 countries, including the National Communications (NC), Biennial Update Reports (BUR) and the Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT) projects. The 3 Junior Technical Specialist Consultants are needed to assist with project development, technical advice and implementation oversight for the above-mentioned projects at a global level, liaising directly with Country Offices in all regions.

Reporting is one of the cornerstones of the UN Climate change regime. It provides transparency and is basis for understanding and gauging the implementation of the Convention, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement (PA). The NCs provide information on greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories, measures to mitigate and to facilitate adequate adaptation to climate change, and any other information that the Party considers relevant to the achievement of the objective of the Convention. The BURs provide an update of the information presented in NCs, in particular on national GHG inventories, mitigation actions, constraints and gaps, including support needed and received. CBIT projects support developing country Parties, upon request, in meeting enhanced transparency requirements as defined in Article 13 of the Agreement in a timely manner.

Duties and Responsibilities

The consultants will provide support to all the regions based on demand in any country over the contract period, in conceptualizing and writing a range of documents relating to project development, implementation support, mid-term review, and terminal evaluation.  This will include liaison with UNDP Country Offices, Program Analyst, Regional Technical Advisors, Government stakeholders (where appropriate and under guidance of the Program Analyst), project teams, and other relevant consultants.

Under the supervision of the Programme Analyst - NC, BUR, & CCCD, the consultants will provide demand-based technical support to pipeline and project development for selected countries including:

Resource Mobilization and Portfolio Management:

• Provide timely quality assistance, technical and policy support to UNDP Country Offices (COs) and Governments on sources of funds, policies, priorities and activities for the formulation and implementation of national reports and CBIT projects;
• Support the development and writing of GEF Project Identification (PIFs)/Enabling Activities Request (EA Request) forms;
• Support the formulation and review of Initiation Plans and Terms of Reference for Project Preparation Grants (PPGs);
• Support development of Project Documents, GEF CEO endorsement requests and other required items for full project submission packages (where the consultant had no prior involvement with the PPG Initiation Plan) and Delegation of Authority (DoA) clearances;
• Support UNDP country offices and programme/project implementation partners in supervision, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, troubleshooting and adaptive management;
• Assist with inception, contracting and start-up of programmes/projects including establishment of indicators, benchmarks, and work plans;
• Assist in the maintenance of programme/project and portfolio information and corporate information systems;
• Support the identification and sourcing of technical expertise including assisting with the preparation of TORs, identification and evaluation of experts, and reviewing reports.
• Support COs in preparing Inception Workshops and review project Inception reports;
• Review and technical support to Country Offices (COs) to finalize annual Project Implementation Reviews (PIR) including providing inputs to the commentary for each PIR, liaising with COs and project teams as required, and editing the PIR for yearly submission in September, improving the quality of English language, as required;
• Analyse results and follow-up on relevant project progress reports as necessitated by the GEF Secretariat, the UNDP-GEF and the UNFCCC, including annual NC and BUR status surveys;
• Support reviewing of TORs and Mid Term Reviews and Terminal Evaluations reports;
• Support to COs in responding to queries on programme/project progress, impacts and lessons;
• Support the PTA/RTA/PA in the development of strategic UNDP policy position papers and internal briefing notes, as needed;
• In collaboration with PTA/RTA/PA, support programme and project identification and development, including on integrated approaches and multifocal area projects;
• Technical Support to COs and Regional Team to prepare reports and communications pieces effectively showcasing socio-economic development benefits, as well as, environment results;
• Undertake PIF/EA request/Project development/Project inception and/or oversight travel as needed;
• Maintain effective two-way communication and collaboration with the Global Support Programme for NC, BUR and CBIT to coordinate project progress monitoring, common efforts and ensure that countries follow consistent guidelines and receive adequate and timely backstopping, training and learning opportunities, and share experience and knowledge on frequently encountered technical challenges.

Learning, Knowledge Management and Self Development:

• Evaluate, capture, codify, synthesize lessons and stimulate the uptake of best practices and knowledge, including the development of knowledge materials;
• Peer review, comment on, and seek to improve the technical quality of programmes/projects, policies, practices, guidelines, advisory notes, publications and the like;
• Contribute to the preparation of regional Community of Practice meetings;
• Support the preparation and delivery of training courses;
• Respond to queries on programme/project progress, impacts and lessons.

Anticipated key deliverables:

An indicative list includes:

• Technically cleared programme/project documents and concepts;
• Technically cleared project preparation grant initiation plans;
• Annual project implementation reports;
• Annual NC and BUR status survey;
• Technically cleared policy documents including guidance notes and discussion/position papers;
• High quality mid-term review and terminal evaluation reports;
• Communication pieces and knowledge products.

Key performance indicators:

• Effective, timely, high-quality, and often independent support;
• Number of PIFs/EA requests and CEO endorsement requests submitted as per the established deadline and approved;
• Timely and quality submission of PPG IP for technical clearance;
• Number and quality of effective backstopping and problem-solving cases;
• Number of communication and knowledge management products produced and approved by the PTA;
• Number of strategic documents which the consultant led and/or significantly contributed to.

Information on Working Arrangements:

• The overall objective of these Framework Agreements is to facilitate and expedite the process by which the Environmental Finance Unit can hire the services of Junior Technical Specialists for Climate Change Enabling Activities and Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency, once there are specific assignments over the next 3 years;
• Estimated level of effort including travel: approximately 173 working days over 12 months for each consultant. Maximum working days over the 3-year period would be 521 days per consultant;
• UNDP does not guarantee that any quantity of services will be purchased during the term of the Framework Agreement as this will depend on forthcoming needs, good performance, and availability of resources;
• IC as a Framework Agreement is non-exclusive (i.e. it does not prohibit UNDP from entering into another such framework agreement with other individuals or entities);
• The Framework Agreements will be for a fixed all-inclusive daily fee;
• Once the Framework Agreements are signed, if there is a specific assignment, the focal person at UNDP would contact the Consultant by email informing of the specific deliverables required, and timeline for delivery;
• The consultant must advise within 48 hours whether s/he is available to deliver the requested service;
• Thereafter a Purchase Order will be raised. Financial commitments will only be established each time the services are requested within the scope of the Framework Agreement through the transmitted email and purchase order;
• Given the 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;
• The Consultant will be given access to relevant information necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment;
• The Consultant will be responsible for providing her/his own working station (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to a reliable internet connection;
• The consultant will engage regularly with the supervisor by email and Skype on a weekly and/or as needed daily basis;
• The consultant shall submit to the Supervisor a monthly progress report on the status of the implementation of tasks;
• Payments will be made monthly upon submission of a detailed time sheet (including deliverables and their timely execution) 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.

Competencies

Corporate

• Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s vision, mission and values;
• 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;
• Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Technical

• Demonstrated ability to think logically and design projects and programmes according to a theory of change, logical framework or other scheme which designs outputs in support of broader outcomes and overall objectives;
• Demonstrated organizational skills, attention to detail, ability to work quickly and accurately while under pressure and within short deadlines;
• Knowledge of methodologies, tools, systems and apply practical experience in planning, monitoring, evaluating and reporting;

• Ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge;
• Ability to plan, organize, motivate, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals;
• Mastery in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, as a minimum; database management)

Project/Programme Management

• Ability to guide the design and implementation of programmes and projects at different scales, and to work with multiple stakeholders across a wide range of disciplines;

• Ability to identify and organize programmes and projects to implement solutions and generate resources;

• Ability to manage programmes and projects with a strategy aimed at improved performance and demonstrable results;

• Ability to productively share UNDP knowledge and activities (at UN and other venues).

Client Orientation, Professionalism, and Communications

• Ability to make new and useful ideas work;

• Ability to persuade others to follow;

• Ability to improve performance and satisfaction;

• Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform;
• Able to work independently and remotely with minimal supervision;
• Demonstrated strong research and excellent writing skills;
• Strong interpersonal skills, able to communicate and work with diverse people at Headquarters, Regional Bureaux, Country Offices and field based.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree in environmental or natural science, geography, natural resource management, development, economics, international relations, or other closely related field (max 10 points).

Experience:

• At least 3 years of experience working on Climate Change Mitigation and/or Adaptation, Transparency and Reporting, Capacity-building, and/or other closely related field (max. 15 points);
• Experience working on projects submitted to the Global Environment Facility or similar vertical funds is highly desirable (max 10 points);
• Experience with project development, implementation oversight, and/or management (max. 10 points);
• Experience working in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and/or Latin America and the Caribbean (max. 10 points);
• Experience with NC, BUR and CBIT project cycle work is an advantage (max. 5 points);
• Working experience in an international organization is an advantage as is knowledge of UNDP policies, procedures and practices. (max. 5 points).

Language:

• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English; (pass/fail);
• Working knowledge of French, Russian and/or Spanish is desirable (max. 5 points).

Evaluation method

• Only those applications which are responsive and compliant will be evaluated;
• 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. 40 points]) will be based on a maximum 110 points;
• Only the top 6 candidates scoring 49 points or higher from the review of the education, experience and languages will be considered for the interview;
• Candidates obtaining 28 points or higher in the interview will be deemed technically qualified and considered for financial evaluation;
• Financial score (max 100 points) shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal of those technically qualified;
• The financial proposal shall specify an all-inclusive daily 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); 
• The top 3 applicants receiving the highest combined score and who have accepted UNDP’s General Terms and Conditions will be awarded the contract. 

Documentation to be submitted:

• Applicants must submit a CV shall including Education/Qualification, Professional Certification, Employment Records /Experience and/or a duly completed and signed UNDP Personal History form (P11);
• Applicants must reply to the mandatory questions asked by the system when submitting the application;
• Applicants must submit a duly completed and signed Annex II Offeror´s letter to UNDP confirming interest and availability for the Individual Contractor (IC) assignment to be downloaded from the UNDP procurement site.

YOUR APPLICATION MUST BE SUBMITED THROUGH UNDP eTENDERING SYSTEM 

LINK-  https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=68718

General Conditions of Contract for the ICs GTC.

UNDP Personal History form (P11): P11 link .