Climate change is already profoundly impacting the conditions for resource availability and agricultural activities. Over the last decade, the country has experienced a number of extreme events, such as droughts and major floods, along with the incremental effects caused by increased mean temperature, and the uneven distribution of precipitation through the year, which have had negative consequences on the country’s economy, and its population wellbeing and health. Severe droughts are recurring more frequently causing significant economic losses. The increasing scope and intensity of extreme events has also resulted in increased frequencies of high-risk situations. By 2050, an increase of 2–3ºC in the average temperature, an additional 32 days that exceed the current maximum temperature by 10%, and an additional 12 days with zero precipitation are projected.

The Government sees the National Adaptation Planning (NAP) process as key to achieving the adaptation objectives outlined in its 2014 Climate Change Adaptation Strategy of the Republic of Moldova, and its 2020 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), as well as the continued mainstreaming of climate change considerations into its policies and budgeting processes. The proposed project supports the Government of the Republic of Moldova in advancing the second cycle of its National Adaptation Planning process (known as NAP-2). The outcomes of the NAP-2 national adaptation planning processes, are:

• Outcome 1: To strengthen and operationalize the national steering mechanism for climate change adaptation (CCA);
• Outcome 2: To improve the long-term capacity on planning and implementation of adaptation actions through CCA technologies;
• Outcome 3: To improve the mainstreaming of climate change adaptation through the increased alignment of national development priorities, in the priority sectors (forestry, health, energy and transport).

Climate change impact and vulnerability (CCIV) assessments are a key element of the national adaptation policy cycle, as they provide crucial information for the development, implementation and revision of adaptation policies and measures, including national adaptation strategies (NASs) and national adaptation plans (NAPs).

In the Republic of Moldova, the CCIV assessments at sector, sub-sector and local levels were part of adaptation-related projects implemented by the development partners, including Moldova’s Third and Fourth National Communications to UNFCCC and conducted at the expert level.  They varied depending on the objectives and scopes of the project, applied methodology and the use of the outputs of these assessments. The governmental agencies, particularly ministries, were involved in the consultation process of the outcomes of these assessments, expressing their opinions mostly based on their daily experience. However, ministerial staff, including that of key adaptation priority sectors (health, forestry, water, energy, transport) had little implication in the CCIV assessment itself and, therefore, rarely expressing their opinion regarding the appropriateness and usefulness of applied approaches and methodologies and their coherence with adaptation and development planning. This situation led to institutional capacity gaps regarding the understanding of various levels of vulnerabilities, particularly their in-depth complexity, and the use of this information for adaptation planning, including the development of responsive strategic documents and the identification of concrete adaptation measures responsive to these vulnerabilities. These gaps have been identified in several climate-related surveys of institutional capacity assessments of line ministries of Moldova, including those of NAP1 and NAP2.

To overcome this institutional capacity issue, the NAP2 Project provides opportunities to technical staff of government (and non-government) agencies, decision makers to enhance the ability of understanding climate impact, risks and vulnerabilities from sectoral perspectives and identify adaptation response at sector level to increase climate resilience of sectoral development outcomes. The sectoral approach can significantly support a national level or cross-cutting sectoral CCIV assessments to identify overall/systemic climate-related vulnerabilities and risks with the perspective to reduce the vulnerability of people, places, and livelihoods to climate variability and change.

At the same time, considering the urgency of strengthening climate action at the ground level, it is important that local level administration, NGOs, experts be able to apply methodological approaches relevant to this level and correctly identify climate risks and vulnerabilities (including their various underneath aspects) for local climate change adaptation planning and implementation. Therefore, within the proposed assignment, these needs will be addressed by developing a framework of CCIV assessment at the local level as part of the guidelines/manual.

In this context, the Project will contract an International Consultant with experience in CCIV assessments to undertake the assignment with the below-described objectives, tasks and deliverables.

For detailed information, please refer to Annex 1 – Terms of Reference.

The consultant has the overall responsibility to identify the most suitable for the Republic of Moldova key sectors methodological approach/framework for CCIV assessment, develop guiding materials for sectoral planners of line ministries and provide comprehensive training to governmental staff to ensure that CCIV is appropriately supported on the technical and administrative sides, and also, for non-governmental agencies and practitioners with potential to be involved in CCIV assessments.  The IC is responsible for exploring the readiness of organizations (companies, firms) and economy sectors to work under the ISOs framework on climate impact assessment and conclude on this status by providing relevant recommendations. With the national team's support, the IC shall engage with relevant stakeholders throughout the assignment, consult the versions of produced deliverables, address stakeholders’ concerns, and incorporate their recommendations.   

Specific tasks.

The IC will have the responsibility to implement the following tasks:

• Review of the existing literature dealing with the CCIV assessments, methodological papers, best-practice examples. The purpose of the review is to highlight available approaches and practical solutions that underlie the production and use of CCIV assessments;
• Provide an overview of already undertaken climate impact assessments in Moldova with identification of gaps and needs to assess climate impacts under the existing climate scenarios for Moldova;
• Identify the CCIV assessment methods and approaches that are most relevant for Moldova’s context and effectively meet adaptation and development outcomes at sector and subsector levels:
• Carry at least five training workshops delivered to technical planners, researchers, and specialists in 5 priority sectors.

The IC, supported by the NCs, shall produce

a) the outline of gender-responsive, sector-level guidelines or manuals on climate impact and vulnerability assessments, with compartment, dedicated to local level assessment:

b) gender-responsive, sector-level guidelines or manual/s on climate impact and vulnerability assessments that would:   

• be addressed from sectoral perspectives and tailored to the needs of priority sectors of Moldova.  To consider the possibility of applying quantitative models, participatory approaches or a mixture of the two;
• be contextual and acknowledge Moldova sector-specific conditions and national and sectoral requirements at policy and legislative level, as well as constraints;

• emphasize the need to address the impact of climate-related hazards of Moldova, including drought, floods, heatwaves, storms, wildfires, frost, other;
• provide step-by-step guidance with detailed, practical instructions for designing and implementing a vulnerability assessment in practice and which covers the entire life cycle of adaptation interventions and incorporate   templates for developing and implementing an assessment framework;
• focus on the socio-economic dimensions in addition to the biophysical ones, emphasizing the use of the CCIV assessment results for the development of adaptation policies and actions;
• provide the possibility for risk and vulnerability assessments under different future climate scenarios, including the worst scenario (RCP 6.0, RCP 8.5). The time horizon of the CCIV (current vulnerability or vulnerability in the medium to long term) to cover shall be agreed with sectors, along with other contextual details;
• be written in a user-friendly manner for users with a basic understanding of the concept of climate impact, vulnerability and risks.

The guidelines shall also include a dedicated chapter on the framework for risk assessment and mapping at the local level (district or community), which will enable LPAs, local level NGOs, local experts with limited data sources to understand and assess localized climate risks and integrating effective, context-appropriate responses to improve resilience, including local-level adaptation measures. The emphasis of this chapter is to be on the participatory appraisal tools for empowering local people so that they can play an active role in analyzing their living conditions and problems related to climate change and come up with resilience and adaptation solutions using their local knowledge.  The content of this chapter is to be consulted with relevant, local level stakeholders and seek their opinion and recommendations and incorporate them into the final version of the guidelines/manual.

The major aspects of conducting a vulnerability assessment are to be structured into training modules providing step-by-step instructions.  Based on them, develop the on-site training programme focused on climate impacts and vulnerability assessment methodologies and approaches and socio-economic assessment and valuation methodologies. The training programme will also include group exercises that the training participants will need to carry out with case specific CCIV assessment approaches to ensure adequate risk management measures. 

The training shall be provided to sectoral technical planners tasked with the overall environment and climate change coordination, researchers, local experts, and NGOs and other relevant stakeholders of 5 priority sectors who require a more profound understanding of the concepts behind vulnerability analyses.

The guidelines should be the basis for establishing a standardized approach to CCIV assessment, addressing the needs of key sectors of Moldova; health, forestry, water, energy, transport. The guidelines need to be structured around existing policy areas and should engage various relevant stakeholders to have policy relevance. If this is the case, identify policy and regulatory gaps for establishing a unified standardized approach of CCIV assessment at the sector level. The IC shall consider and incorporate the results of the training programme from 5 key sectors.  The IC shall support sectors in formulating the standards according to the most appropriate modality of approval (ministerial order, Government Decision, other).

The IC shall explore the opportunity to apply CCIV assessment at the organizational level and the readiness of the sector’s companies/ organizations to adopt and work under the EU climate change   ISOs framework, along with the possibility of approximation of national legislation for adoption of ISO 14090; 14091; 14092; 14097, other relevant standards to climate impact and vulnerability assessments. Conclude on the situation and provided appropriate recommendations.  

The IC shall consult and test the proposed technical /procedural standards in at least 5 training workshops (one per sector) for technical planners, researchers, and specialists in 5 priority sectors. The IC shall provide support to sectors in formulating the standards according to the most appropriate modality of approval (ministerial order, Government Decision, other).

With the national team's support, the IC shall engage and participate in virtual (if required, physical) meetings to provide feedback and discuss produced versions of deliverables with relevant stakeholders. Address stakeholders concerns and incorporate recommendations. 

The International Consultant will also be responsible for providing the national team with the process-related and methodological guidance throughout the implemented activities.

For detailed information, please refer to Annex 1 – Terms of Reference.

Academic Qualification:

• University degree in climate change and /or environmental sciences, environmental economics, environmental law, public administration, or another relevant field.

Experience:

• At least 8 years of relevant professional experience in climate change-related issues;
• Experience in developing guiding /training materials in climate change;
• Experience in providing training to stakeholders on climate adaptation-related topics;
• Proven experience and knowledge in undertaking climate impact and vulnerability assessments at national, sectoral and local levels;
• Knowledge of internationally applied CCIV assessment approaches, framework and tools;
• Knowledge of the Republic of Moldova climate vulnerabilities and adaptation process will be an asset.

Competencies:

• Excellent proven analytical, overviewing and writing skills.
• Excellent leadership, teaching and communication skills;
• Excellent facilitation and public presentation skills.

Language requirements:

• Fluency in English is required for this assignment, Romanian or Russian is an asset.

Initially, individual consultants will be long listed based on the following minimum qualification criteria:

• University degree in climate change and /or environmental sciences, environmental economics, environmental law, public administration, or another relevant field;
• At least 8 years of relevant professional experience in climate change-related issues.

The long-listed individual consultants will be further 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 a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

* Technical Criteria weight – 60% (300 pts);

* Financial Criteria weight – 40% (200 pts).

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 210 points would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Winning candidate

The winning candidate will be the candidate, who has accumulated the highest aggregated score (technical scoring + financial scoring).

DOCUMENTS TO BE INCLUDED WHEN SUBMITTING THE PROPOSALS

Interested individual consultants must submit the following required documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

1. CV, including information about experience in similar assignments and contact details for at least 3 referees;
2. Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment;
3. Offeror's Letter confirming Interest and Availability with the financial proposal (in USD, specifying the total lump sum amount). Financial proposal template prepared in compliance with the template in Annex 2.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

For supporting documents (Terms of Reference and Procurement Notice and Offeror's Letter, including Financial Offer template) please visit https://sc.undp.md/current_jobs3/  (ref: Pr21/02308) or  UNDP Moldova | Vacancy: International Consultant for developing Climate Change Impact and Vulnerability Assessment guiding materials (NAP-2), UNDP Moldova

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