Historique

Project Title

Project Preparation Grant: Protecting priority coastal and marine ecosystems to conserve globally significant Endangered, Threatened, and Protected marine wildlife in southern Mindanao, Philippines

Project Description   

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) in its the 7th replenishment (GEF-7),  with a view to maintain or improve ecosystem services, land productivity, food security, and to increase the resilience of the land and the populations dependent on it, provides supports to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)’s Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) concept.  Similarly, the GEF-7 Biodiversity Focal Area programming responds directly to the GEF7 Four-year Framework of Program Priorities agreed by countries at CBD COP-13, as well as the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity, 2011-2020. Specifically, the proposed Biodiversity Focal Area is built around achieving the Four-year Programs three objectives: (i) Mainstream Biodiversity Across sectors as Well as Within Production Landscapes and Seascapes, (ii) Reduce Direct Drivers of Biodiversity Loss, and (iii) Strengthen Biodiversity Policy and Institutional Frameworks. Moreover, the GEF to continue and further enhance means to harness opportunities for leveraging synergies among the Rio Conventions and other relevant multilateral environmental agreements.

In line with the GEF-7 strategic synergistic programming for Land Degradation and Biodiversity, the project “Protecting priority coastal and marine ecosystems to conserve globally significant Endangered, Threatened, and Protected marine wildlife in southern Mindanao” aims to strengthen management effectiveness and address underrepresentation of Marine Conservation Areas designed to conserve Endangered, Threatened, and Protected (ETP) marine wildlife and sustain ecosystem services for human well-being.

The project will contribute to the conservation of globally significant biodiversity by conserving priority habitats and ecosystems to secure viable populations of globally significant ETP MW through the use of MCAs as mechanisms to implement conservation activities. The project will create GEBs by supporting the protection of habitats for, and reducing direct pressures on, a number of ETP MW species, including the dugong, three species of marine turtles, Cetaceans, whale sharks, and manta rays. In addition, important coastal and marine ecosystems and their services will be conserved. Coral reef diversity is high in all of the project sites (e.g. at least 25 genera of hard and soft corals are found in Pujada Bay ); these reefs are critical habitat for numerous marine species, and a significant percentage of people living in the project sites rely on the health of reef ecosystems to sustain their livelihoods and improve their well-being. 18 species of seagrass have been identified in the Philippines (9 in Pujada Bay ); seagrass ecosystems are important nurseries for various marine species, critical food sources for dugongs, marine turtles, and other marine herbivores, and provide carbon sequestration and coastal protection services; their conservation is critical in the face of coastal development and unregulated upland practices that can negatively impact their functioning (i.e. through silt and sediment flows). The health of seagrass beds is directly tied to mega-herbivores like dugongs and marine turtles, which can influence biomass, increase productivity, and microbial nutrient cycling, lead to higher leaf growth and ultimately provide the mechanisms for meadow recovery. The project will help to conserve mangrove ecosystems (including approximately 85 ha of mangroves in Pujada Bay ) that serve as habitat for juvenile marine species, including fish and crustaceans, and as food and income sources for local communities. Mangrove forests are also carbon sinks and have been found to sequester more carbon compared to any other ecosystem; disturbing them will result in high greenhouse gas emissions.  The project will also conserve beaches and coastal forests that act as barriers against winds and waves and help to prevent coastal erosion, including in areas that contain nesting sites of marine turtles such as Dahican Beach in Mayo Bay. At the same time, the project will help communities that depend on these ecosystems for ocean-based tourism, fisheries, and other natural resource-based livelihoods to sustain their ways of life and become more resilient to the damaging impacts of climate change.

The project will also support the goals and targets of a number of International Environmental Agreements, including species conservation objectives of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS); the CBD Aichi Targets 5, 6, 10, 11, 12 and 14; and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 14.2, 14.4, 14.7, 15.5 and 15.7. The project also will assist the Philippines in achieving its commitments in Regional Action Plans and Agreements that support GEBs, including the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI-CFF) Regional Plan of Action (RPOA), and the Comprehensive Action Plans of the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Eco-region, in particular the Action Plan for Marine Turtles, Marine Mammals, Sharks, and Climate Change.

Table 1. brief description of the Project’s objectives, grant amounts, components, project location, and the PPG team composition

UNDP, in collaboration with the Governments of the Philippines, seeks to engage a qualified National Coastal and Marine Resources Management Specialist (National Lead).

The PPG will support all the preparatory work required to draft and finalize all the documentation required by the GEF for CEO Endorsement. The PPG phase will be underpinned by a participatory approach, with regular consultation and working meetings with all key PPG stakeholders throughout the PPG phase. Specific attention will be given to gender issues by undertaking a gender analysis to ensure optimal involvement of women in, and beneficiation from project interventions.

Institutional Arrangement

The National Coastal and Marine Resources Management Specialist will work closely with the International Consultant/Team Leader and will report to the CAP Programme Analyst. The Consultant will be given access to relevant information necessary for the execution of the tasks under this assignment. S/he is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability during the PPG tasks.

Payments will be made upon submission of a certification of payment form, and acceptance and confirmation by UNDP Country Office (CO) and RTA, 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.

Duration of Work

The expected duration of work is estimated to be 58 working days spread over 18 months.

Duty Station

• The Consultant will be Philippines-based with mission(s) to the project sites;
• For meetings related to the project, UNDP will cover all costs of three (3) trips to and from Metro Manila, if the Consultant’s duty station is outside Metro Manila;
• The Consultant will travel to the Project sites, the COVID19 travel restrictions permitting. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and declaration of State of Public Health Emergency in the Philippines, all work and travel of the Individual consultant shall be done within the guidelines and protocols set by the local and national government. Field work, trainings, meetings, and coordination shall be done in compliance with community quarantine policies;
• Any necessary mission travel must be approved in advance by the CO focal point;
• 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 UNDP CO will be responsible for  making his/her site travel arrangements and will shoulder related expenses in line with UNDP travel policies;
• In the case of unforeseeable travel, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging, and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and Individual Consultant, before travel and will be reimbursed based on the provision of supporting documentation.

Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

• The Consultant should send the financial proposal based on a lump-sum amount for the delivery of the outputs identified below. The total amount quoted shall be “all-inclusive” (professional fees, medical insurance, communications, transportation, insurance, etc.) that could possibly be incurred by the Contractor should be factored into the final amount submitted in the proposal. Travel, as deemed relevant by UNDP and compliant with government guidelines on community quarantine, will be arranged and paid for by UNDP and should not be included in the financial proposal. Breakdown of the financial proposed should be reflected on page 4 of the template provided
• Medical/health insurance must be purchased by the individual at his/her own expense, and upon award of contract, the Contractor must be ready to submit proof of insurance valid during the contract duration
• The contract price will be a fixed output-based price. Any deviations from the output and timeline will be agreed upon between the Contractor and the UNDP.

• Payments will be done upon satisfactory completion of the delivery by target due dates. Outputs will be certified by the environmental focal point in UNDP Philippines prior to the release of payments.

Devoirs et responsabilités

Role

The National Coastal and Marine Resources Management Specialist will be the National Team Leader, and will have expertise in ETP MW, coastal and marine ecosystems, and natural resource management. The Consultant will work closely with the International Consultant/Team Leader in designing, planning and executing PPG activities at the national level. S/he would provide support in coordinating /leading the other National Consultants (NCs), and ensure to regularly update the International Consultant of the progress made and anticipated challenges.

The Consultant will work with DENR-WRD and DA-BFAR on gathering information from secondary sources on the biology, abundance and distribution of marine turtles, dugongs, cetaceans and elasmobranchs in the project sites, including potential areas of expansion for the MWPAN.  S/he will conduct site scoping studies and rapid assessments of project sites to validate the presence of ETP MW populations in project sites, identify and quantify possible sources of threats to ETP MW and the priority habitats through Focus Group Discussions and Key Informant Interviews of stakeholders in project sites, and recommend ETP MW and MCA mid-term and end-of-project targets and indicators for inclusion in the monitoring plan for the project. S/he will develop a Biodiversity Action Plan, with appropriate budget and identification of appropriate project interventions to ensure protection or improved status of biodiversity in the demonstration sites. In addition, the consultant will assess potential sustainable financing mechanisms for MCAs and the MWPAN, identify gaps and provide preliminary recommendations on how to address these.

Responsibilities

The list below outlines the key responsibilities and deliverables of this contract. The PPG Initiation Plan for these projects provides further and more detailed guidance regarding the responsibilities of the prospective PPG team and must be consulted accordingly.

Preparatory Technical Studies and Reviews (Component A): Prepare inputs and support the required analyses/studies, as agreed with the GEF PPG Team Leader, including:

1. Evaluate the project sites based on the presence and status of ETP MW and important habitats and identify other potential sites that could also form part of the proposed MWPAN
2. Gather baseline information on ETP MW (e.g. species composition of ETP MW, population estimates, seasonality of sightings, presence of various life stages of ETP MW (e.g., juveniles, sub-adults, nesting females, mother and calves, mature males, etc.); including reports of mortalities and causes of mortalities) and on the presence of priority habitats (e.g. seagrass areas, coral reefs, nesting beaches);
3. Gather and/or create comprehensive MCA profiles in the project sites, by gathering information on their extent (coordinates), function/zoning, legal status (proposed, approved, established), management structure etc.;
4. Conduct mapping activities with local stakeholders on: 1) Threats, 2) Fishing locations and gear 3) Sightings of ETP marine wildlife, and 4) areal extent of priority habitats in the project sites. If feasible, complement these maps with secondary data from research conducted in these areas;
5. Use the above results in the development of a Biodiversity Action Plan, with a focus on ETP MW and MCAs, and provide recommendations to inform interventions needed to achieve the project outcomes in the project sites;
6. Conduct METT for the existing MCAs in the project sites and gather and review secondary information, if available, on the MEAT and on enforcement mechanisms and/or structures present (bantay dagat, watchtower, marker buoys etc.);
7. Gather municipal income statements from all municipalities in the project sites and review their yearly income as well as the percentage that is allocated for environmental conservation activities and enforcement to obtain an overview of the financial status quo
8. Assess the status of MCA financing from 1) government, 3) private sector; and 3) civil society organizations, identify financing gaps and draft preliminary recommendations on how to address these;
9. Identify other potential conservation financing schemes suited for application in the project sites, e.g. tourism fees, dive fees, payments for ecosystem services, etc., in collaboration with other programs such as BIOFIN and Biodiversity-friendly Enterprises (BDFEs) of DENR
10. Review the lessons learned from existing MPANs and draft preliminary recommendations to be considered for the design of a financial sustainability strategy for the MPWAN during implementation;
11. Work with the International Consultant and the Stakeholder Engagement and ESS Specialist in the identification and description of baselines of co-financing initiatives (from local governments, private sectors and civil society organizations), obtain co-financing letters, and ensure commitment from project partners;
12. Work with Policy and Capacity Development Specialist to assess and evaluate the enforcement mechanisms and existing operational plans, participation of law enforcement agencies, potential conflicts with local communities, and response chain in place for violations such as unsustainable, illegal, and destructive fishing, wildlife poaching etc., identify preliminary gaps and recommend strategy for assessing training needs of partner institutions or organizations for MPA and coastal law enforcement
13. Support the completion of any additional studies that are determined to be needed for the preparation of the ProDoc and all other final outputs as guided by the PPG Team Leader; and
14. Provide support to the National Stakeholder Engagement and Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialist on the SESP formulation

Formulation of the ProDoc, CEO Endorsement Request and Mandatory Annexes as well as project specific annexes (Component B):

1. Review and verify proposed Outputs and Indicators based on the information gathered during the PPG-Phase and, where appropriate, propose new ones for each Outcome, and establish baselines and targets to be monitored and tracked during implementation, for inclusion in the Results Framework, as appropriate;
2. Review and verify Core Indicators, especially METT (primary) and MEAT (secondary) scores and Hectare Area (Ha) of MCAs to be established and/or under improved management for conservation and sustainable use, to establish baselines and allow for a more realistic calculation of extent and reach from project activities;
3. Participate in consultations, workshops, meetings etc. and provide inputs to management arrangements
4. Recommend potential additional project sites, if applicable, based on stakeholder consultations
5. Work with the Gender and CEPA Specialist in the review and verification of Core Indicators, especially Core Indicator 11 (i.e., number of direct male and female beneficiaries), provide inputs to establish baselines and allow for a more realistic calculation of beneficiaries based on extent and reach from project activities
6. Work with the GEF PPG Team Leader to ensure relevant findings on coastal and marine resources management (particularly on ETP-MW and MCAs) and stakeholder needs are meaningfully integrated into the project strategy, theory of change and results framework, and its implementation are monitored as appropriate

Coordination of the national consultant team together with the International Consultant:

1. Assistance in Kick-off meeting and Inception workshop;
2. Consolidation of inputs from the national PPG team and prepare the Inception workshop report, including stakeholders' recommendations for the Project Document design, risk analysis and appropriate mitigation measures;
3. Assistance in drafting an overall Work Plan;
4. Ensure that the PPG Outputs of the national PPG team members are in line with the requirements and time and budget are well allocated and adhered to; and
5. Coordination of consultations, workshops, meetings etc. and provision of inputs to management arrangements, ensuring stakeholder needs are integrated into the the project's results framework and project's theory of change

Validation Workshop (Component C):

1. Contribute to the validation workshop; and
2. Support all necessary revisions that arise during the workshop, as appropriate.

Final Deliverables:

1. Project Site Profiles;
2. Biodiversity Action Plan, which will identify areas requiring more detailed assessment and biophysical profiling for ETP MW populations and their priority habitats, with appropriate budget and identification of appropriate project interventions to ensure stakeholder engagement in the demonstration sites;
3. Project maps with Geospatial Coordinates, extent and boundaries of MPAs (core and buffer), municipal delineation (terrestrial and municipal waters), location and extent of ancestral domains, etc., for the project sites and for potential project sites to be identified in the beginning of the PPG-Phase;
4. Inputs to the detailed methodology for all assessments and overall work plan for the PPG;
5. Contribute to the first version of the GEF-UNDP Project Document, including draft responses to GEFSEC and GEF Council's comments;
6. Appropriate inputs to the final UNDP-GEF project document based on guidance from the PPG Team Leader;
7. METT results for existing MCAs in all project sites as project baseline (Core indicators);
8. Co-financing commitments and letters; and
9. Final project management arrangements

Compétences

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.

• Demonstrable experience in the technical area of biodiversity conservation, ecosystem management, sustainable development, or closely related area. Specific experience in Integrated Landscape Management, Sustainable Agriculture, Sustainable Commodity Production, or similar is an asset;

• Demonstrable experience with GEF project development, implementation, and/or evaluation, including the formulation of biodiversity conservation projects with capacity development elements.

Functional Competencies:

• Able to communicate effectively in writing to a varied and broad audience simply and concisely.

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

• Excellent analytical and organizational skills;
• Exercises the highest level of responsibility and be able to handle confidential and politically sensitive issues responsibly and maturely;
• 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;
• Welcomes constructive feedback; and
• Fluent English language (both oral and written) and excellent communication and presentation skills, particularly in the preparation of written documents.

Qualifications et expériences requises

Offers will be evaluated based on the combined scoring method :

• Technical qualifications = 70%
• Financial Proposal =    30%

For the evaluation of the Technical Proposal, the selection of the successful consultant must be based on the following qualifications (with the appropriate obtainable points):

Applicants who will only receive 70 points from the assessment of the CV will be qualified for the assessment of the Financial Proposal.

Recommended Presentation of Offer

Offerors must upload in one (1) file the documents below:

You may download the editable version of the Offeror's Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability for the IC by clicking on this link: http://gofile.me/6xdJm/bE9TCw8fU

1. Duly accomplished Offeror's Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability for the IC that indicates the all-inclusive lumpsum 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;
2. Financial Proposal (Annex 2 of Offeror's Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability). 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).
3. Personal CV or P11, 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;

In view of the volume of applications, UNDP receives, only shortlisted offerors will be notified.