Historique

Overview:

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in October 2012, launched the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) as a new global partnership seeking to address the biodiversity finance challenge in a comprehensive manner – building a sound business case for increased investment in the management of ecosystems and biodiversity, with a particular focus on the needs and transformational opportunities at the national level.

During BIOFIN Phase II (2018 – 2022), BIOFIN is supporting the Royal Thai Government and other key stakeholders from the private sector and civil society in implementing Thailand’s Finance Plan for Biodiversity.

• Thailand’s Finance Plan for Biodiversity identifies a mix of suitable biodiversity finance solutions to reduce the biodiversity finance gap in Thailand. The last component of the BIOFIN process is the implementation phase. The BIOFIN national teams make a selection between the prioritized finance solutions and provide technical support for their implementation.

Biodiversity finance solutions will provide impacts designed to reach national biodiversity targets (i.e., NBSAP, 20-year National Strategy, etc.) through four main results:

1. Generate revenues, i.e. any existing or innovative mechanism or instrument that can generate and/or leverage financial resources to allocate to biodiversity. Examples include the attraction of impact investment in conservation projects, etc.;
2. Realign current expenditures, i.e. any measure that can reorient existing financial flows towards biodiversity.
3. Avoid future biodiversity expenditures, i.e. any measure that can prevent or reduce future investment needs by eliminating or amending existing counter-productive policies and expenditures.
4. Deliver financial resources more effectively and efficiently, i.e. any measure or instrument that can enhance cost-effectiveness and efficiency in budget execution, achieve synergies and/or favour a more equitable distribution of resources.

BIOFIN Thailand, together with a diversity of actors and experts, has developed the prioritized set of finance solutions for biodiversity which are now undergoing implementation (2018 – 2022). Finance solutions that are seen as the most promising and realistic were chosen and judged as being significant in terms of ‘impact on biodiversity’ and ‘impact on finance’ as well as ‘likelihood of success’. ?

Thailand’s prioritized Biodiversity Finance Solutions are the following:

1. User charges
2. Environmental trust fund
3. Conservation license plates
4. Realignment of local government budgets for biodiversity
5. Ecosystem service bond
6. Biodiversity impact investment
7. The Lion’s Share
8. Nutrient trading
9. Biodiversity offsets
10. Earmarking for urban green space

The objective of Phase II is to support Thailand with the implementation of the Biodiversity Finance Plan and related finance solutions (see Annex I).

Devoirs et responsabilités

Scope of work:

The objective of this assignment of the Environmental Economist is to support BIOFIN Thailand in implemention of prioritised finance solutions, including developing and implementing innovative finance solutions. S/he will conduct technical analysis and gather evidence to support BIOFIN Thailand in order to persuade the government, prospective investors and stakeholders on the opportunity of implementing the Plan and investing in biodiversity.

In close consultation with (i) BIOFIN Thailand National Steering Committee, (ii) BIOFIN Project Management Unit of UNDP Thailand and (iii) Global BIOFIN Core Team, the Biodiversity Finance Advisor will coordinate with BIOFIN Thailand to initiate activities related to the country implementation strategy/ pilot projects.

The Environmental Economist will play a key technical role in order to implement the prioritised finance solutions in Thailand termed ‘Biodiversity Impact Investment’.   The scopes of work are as follows:

1. Develop the concept of biodiversity impact investment platform as one of BIOFIN’s finance solution and submission of the finance solution to the Global BIOFIN for approval.
2. Design a survey methodology and summarize the survey results on biodiversity impact investment in Thailand.
3. Organize meetings/technical consultations and follow-up discussions with key strategic partners i.e. SROI Network, SET, ChangeFusion, etc.
4. Participate in related BIOFIN sessions s i.e. National Steering Committee, Inception workshops, webinar,  forum, regional workshop, etc.
5. Launch the pilot project implementation of the finance solution: Biodiversity Impact Investment for Thailand with the Stock Exchange of Thailand and other related stakeholders

Expected Outputs and Deliverables:

Institutional Arrangement:

The Environmental Economist for Biodiversity Finance Plan will report to the Project Manager of BIOFIN Thailand, the Global BIOFIN Core Team and UNDP’s Inclusive Green Growth and Sustainable Development Unit in UNDP Thailand. He/she will work in close collaboration the Project Management Unit and other Biodiversity Finance Advisors of BIOFIN Thailand.

The Environmental Economist is expected to liaise/interact/ collaborate/meet with in the course of performing the work e.g. National BIOFIN Steering Committee, project co-implementers, donors, communities, private sectors and local government units, etc.

Duration of the Assignment:

Duration of Assignment: 6 months, Starting from 15 July 2019 to 30 December 2019, max. 60 man-days.

Duty Station:

The consultant will be home-based with travel required.

Expected places of Travel: official mission to Chiang Mai for the Regional BIOFIN Workshop on 24 - 26 September 2019.

Compétences

Corporate Competencies:

• 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;
• Treats all people fairly without favouritism.

Technical Competencies:

• Analytic capacity and demonstrated ability to process, analyse and synthesise complex, technical information;
• Proven ability to support the development of high quality knowledge and training materials, and to train technical teams;
• Proven experience in the developing country context and working in different cultural settings.

Communication:

• 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.

Teamwork:

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

Qualifications et expériences requises

• This position is for the national consultant only
• In-depth knowledge of the Biodiversity Finance Initiative and its methodology
• Bachelor or Master levels with degree in Economics, Finance, Environment, Social sciences  and/or other related fields;
• At least 3 years of relevant professional experience in developing and implementing biodiversity finance-related projects, including analysis of resources/ environment and economic linkages.
• Familiar and up-to-date with global and national issues on biodiversity conservation and related areas;
• Demonstrated experience in communications work in the context of biodiversity finance
• Previous affiliation/experience working in the UNDP’s Biodiversity Finance Initiative is an advantage;
• Excellent English writing and speaking.

Price Proposal and Schedule of Payment :

Consultant must send a financial proposal based on Lump Sum Amount.

The total amount quoted shall be all-inclusive and include all costs components required to perform the deliverables identified in the TOR, including professional fee, travel costs, living allowance (if any work is to be done outside the IC´s duty station) and any other applicable cost to be incurred by the IC in completing the assignment.

The contract price will be fixed output-based price regardless of extension of the herein specified duration. Payments will be done upon completion of the deliverables/outputs and as per below percentages:

• Deliverable 1 – Completion of concept of biodiversity impact investment platform: 20% of total contract amount
• Deliverable 2 – Organizing important meetings/technical consultations and follow-up discussions for BIOFIN Thailand with key strategic partners: 20% of total contract amount
• Deliverable 3 – Formulation for the implementation of the finance solution: Biodiversity Impact Investment for Thailand with the Stock Exchange of Thailand and other related stakeholders with technical support for the launch of the impact investment platform: 20% of total contract amount
• Deliverable 4 - presenting the progress of finance solutions at the BIOFIN Regional Workshop for Eurasia and the Pacific, to be hosted in Chiang Mai, Thailand: 20% of total contract amount
• Deliverable 5 - Oversee the design and support the launch of the Biodiversity Impact Investment Platform in Thailand: 20% of total contract amount.

In general, UNDP shall not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources.  In the event of unforeseeable travel not anticipated in this TOR, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and the Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed. Travel costs shall be reimbursed at actual but not exceeding the quotation from UNDP approved travel agent.  The provided living allowance will not be exceeding UNDP Living Allowance rates. 

Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology

Cumulative analysis:  The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as a) responsive/compliant/acceptable; and b) having received the highest score out of set of weighted technical criteria (70%). and financial criteria (30%). Financial score shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal received by UNDP for the assignment.

Criteria for technical selection:

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% of the total technical points would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals:

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Please group them into one (1) single PDF document as the application only allows to upload maximum one document:

1. Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
2. Personal CV, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references;
3. Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided.  If an Offeror is employed by an organization/company/institution, and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNDP under Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the Offeror must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP.

Incomplete proposals may not be considered. The shortlisted candidates may be contacted and the successful candidate will be notified.

ANNEXES

Annex I- General Condition of Contract

Annex II - TOR_ Environmental Economist for Biodiversity Finance Plan in Thailand

• Annex to the TOR

Annex III - Offerors Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability and Financial Proposal

All documents can be downloaded at :http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=56798