Antecedentes

The global Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) is managed by UNDP, in partnership with the European Commission and the Governments of Germany, Switzerland, Norway and Flanders. Guided by a global steering committee representing its partners, BIOFIN aims to develop a methodology for quantifying the biodiversity finance gap at national level, for improving cost-effectiveness through mainstreaming of biodiversity into national development and sectoral planning, and for developing comprehensive national finance plans. BIOFIN will thus provide a framework for undertaking “bottom-up” analyses and resource mobilisation strategies, embedded in a transformative process led by national stakeholders, aimed at allowing countries to implement their NBSAPs and achieve national biodiversity targets. BIOFIN will feed into the development of NBSAPs, while the NBSAP projects in turn will provide a platform for integration into decision-making processes.

In Georgia BIOFIN project was launched in 2016 and currently the National Teams consists of Project National Coordinator, Project Lead/Senior Finance Expert, Finance Expert and Project Admin/Finance Assistant.

BIOFIN process consists of several components, which have started in Autumn 2016.

Component 1: Integrating biodiversity and ecosystem services in sectoral and development policy, planning and budgeting: This first range of work enables participating countries to analyse current policies, institutions and expenditures affecting biodiversity and ecosystem services both positively and negatively, in order to evaluate their impact and effectiveness, and to understand key opportunities for mainstreaming, for example, through the removal of perverse incentives. It helps countries to establish a firm baseline of current biodiversity expenditure levels and projections, while reviewing the underlying institutional and policy framework that directs expenditures from public, private, national and international source. This component consists of 2 separate but interrelated activities:

• Biodiversity Finance Policy and Institutional Review (PIR) (completed) – The first step includes identifying the existing national vision and key trends for biodiversity and sustainable development, mapping sectoral interactions with biodiversity, ecosystems and ecosystem services. The Review then helps to create a preliminary inventory of existing financing mechanisms used for biodiversity and looks into how existing subsidies affect biodiversity, followed by an analysis of the main drivers of biodiversity loss, identifying relevant stakeholders and their specific mandates related to NBSAP, as well as institutional arrangements. Policy recommendations, particularly on harmful subsidies and other incentives that contribute to continued biodiversity loss, can be incorporated in the NBSAP.
• A Biodiversity Expenditure Review (BER) (ongoing) – The expenditure review is based on the institutions identified under the PIR. For each relevant finance actor, both national and international, public and private, budget and expenditure data are collected for the past 5-7 years, identifying biodiversity relevant budgets. For each main expenditure, the percentage that can be attributed to biodiversity needs to be identified. The expenditures and their outcomes need to be briefly described and where possible tagged with the national budget code, indicating whether these are a one-time or recurring expenditures. Based on these figures, projections are developed for future expenditures, while harmful subsidies and biodiversity generated revenue are assessed more in detail. At the end, the amounts are aggregated to produce multiple national biodiversity expenditure figures. The final report should provide very specific recommendations on (i) possible re-alignment of expenditures; (ii) identification of available sources of financing; and (iii) improvement of processes towards estimation of biodiversity expenditures. Stakeholder engagement is ensured through a consultation workshop in the early stages and a validation workshop at the end to discuss the complete findings and recommendations.

Component 2: Assessing the financing needs for the management and conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services (ongoing): Component 2 involves an estimation of the financial needs for biodiversity management across all sectors of government, NGOs and the private sector. It primarily consists of a bottom-up financing needs assessment, developing projections of the costs required to reach a country’s national biodiversity goals and successfully implement all activities of the National Biodiversity Strategy’s Action Plan. This component starts out by reviewing which actions in the NBSAP and other major policies require to be costed. For each of these costable actions specific cost elements and units are calculated. The cumulative figure represents the national finance needs for biodiversity, and is compared with existing expenditure levels to measure the national biodiversity finance gap. Stakeholder engagement is ensured through a consultation workshop in the early stages and a validation workshop at the end to discuss the complete findings and final recommendations.

Component 3: Developing a Biodiversity Finance Plan (planned to be implemented until the end 2017) - Under this component, a national roadmap/plan is developed for future financing of biodiversity, addressing all possible dimensions of finance, including additional resource mobilisation, improving effectiveness of expenditures, avoiding future expenditures and re-aligning expenditures towards biodiversity goals. The national experts will work closely with the global team to review a wide range of possible finance solutions, and establish an agreed upon approach to prioritise based on a variety of characteristics of each solution, including the financing potential, the legal context and socio-economic/gender impacts, while mapping barriers that currently prevent further financing. For a selected number of the most promising financing mechanisms a more detailed feasibility study will be carried out. A large national workshop involving a wide variety of stakeholders should be organised as a key element of the consultation process followed by a smaller workshop planned at the end to validate the strategy and its recommendations.

Component 4: Initiate implementation of the Biodiversity Finance Plan at national level – Under this final component, support is provided to implement one or more priority areas likely to show significant and relatively rapid results. Based on the process to develop the finance plan, the national BIOFIN team will prepare one or more proposals and submit these for review by the global team. The selected activities can include a wide range of finance-related areas, including the provision of technical or advocacy support for developing laws and regulations, revising taxes and fees, the identification of legal thresholds, removal or reduction of biodiversity harmful incentives, certification processes, public-private-partnerships, voluntary agreements, awareness  raising campaigns, behaviour change through education and training measures etc.

Deberes y responsabilidades

Expert will be responsible for preparation of Biodiversity Finance Plan (BFP) following the guidance provided by the current version of the BIOFIN Workbook in close collaboration with the BIOFIN National Team. Under this assignment, the expert is expected to work under direct supervision of BIOFIN National Coordinator.

The tasks under the current assignment are divided into following stages:

Home-based (5 days):

• review all the existing finance tools and solutions with the BIOFIN team;
• get acquainted with PIR, BER and FNA report and together with the BIOFIN team come up with comprehensive list of any possible finance solution;
• review BIOFIN finance solutions catalogue and sustainable development finance web-site to identify other potential finance solutions for Georgia.

Trip to Georgia (up to 5 days):

• liaise with key stakeholders (MoENRP, Ministry of Finance, etc.);
• together with BIOFIN team, start the process of prioritization of finance solutions;
• participate in BFP workshop and provide the technical expertise and present best practices and key arguments for selected priority solutions;
• building on the workshop feedback, clarify initial description and business case for priority finance solutions;
• Agree on outline and distribution of writing tasks among BIOFIN team.

Home-based after the first trip (25 days):

• Take a lead and prepare full technical proposals for at least 8 out of 15 priority financial solutions
• Provide technical support for preparation of other technical proposals for priority solutions
• Work with the team to complete the draft BFP.
• Analyze mix of priority finance solutions and work with BIOFIN team to ensure effective presentation of BFP.
• Make financial projections of priority solutions in coordination with BIOFIN team.
• Prepare complete draft of BFP for review by stakeholders.
• Consolidate the comments and feedback from stakeholders

Trip to Georgia (up to 5 days):

• Prepare a presentation for each priority finance solution
• Provide training on at least 5 priority finance solutions to BIOFIN team and key stakeholders.
• Participate in BFP validation workshop and provide technical expertise.
• Lead the preparation and delivery of final BFP during and after the trip.

Key deliverables:

• Summary of any existing potential finance solutions applicable for Georgia;
• Report on main feedback received on Biodiversity Finance Plan workshop and initial description of up to 15 priority finance solutions;
• Full technical proposals for at least 8 out of 15 priority financial solutions;
• First draft of BFP ready for review by stakeholders;
• Training on at least 5 priority finance solutions to BIOFIN team and key stakeholders;
• Final BFP report based on feedback from stakeholders.

Competencias

Core Competencies:

• Demonstrated commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values;
• Sensitivity and adaptability to cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age;
• Highest standards of integrity, discretion and loyalty.

Functional Competencies:

• Excellent organizational skills.
• Strong analytical, writing and communication skills.
• Excellent financial and budgetary skills.
• Ability to prepare publications, reports and presentations.
• Ability to manage and work with a multidisciplinary and multicultural team.
• Strong motivation and ability to work and deliver under short deadlines.
• Focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to critical feedback.
• Able to work independently with little or no supervision.
• Familiarity with government planning and budgeting processes strongly desired

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

Education:

• Master’s degree in environmental economics, finance, or a closely related field (Minimum Qualification Criterion: 10 points).

Experience:

• At least 7 years of experience in Financial sustainability assessments / business planning and Analysis and strategic inputs to policy (Minimum Qualification Criterion: 10 points);
• At least 5 years of experience in Environmental economics, Biodiversity Conservation (Minimum Qualification Criterion: 10 points);
• At least 2 studies conducted in ecosystem services valuation (Minimum Qualification Criterion: 5 points);
• Previous experience in Georgia or CIS countries would be an asset (5 points);
• Previous experience engaging within BIOFIN and/or biodiversity financing-related projects would be an asset (5 points);
• Previous experience working with UNDP would be an asset (5 points);
• Sound understanding of key software packages (MS Office).

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English (both written and oral).

Evaluation:

Selection of offerors will be based on the Cumulative Analysis methodology: Technical (70 points) and Financial (30 points) criteria, technical consisting of desk review and interview (50 and 20 points respectively). Offerors that do not meet Minimum Qualification Criteria will be automatically rejected, while the rest will form up the long list. The offerors who obtain minimum 35 points as a result of the desk review will be invited for an interview. Offerors who surpass min 70% threshold for the maximum obtainable scores (i.e. 49 points) under technical evaluation will be requested to submit the financial proposal.

Financial Proposal:

Offerors that do not meet Minimum Qualification Criteria will be automatically rejected.

Offerors who surpass the 70% threshold for the obtainable scores under technical evaluation will be included into the short list.

Shortlisted offerors will be addressed to submit price quotation – lump sum for the above-mentioned assignment. This lump sum shall include a breakdown of the amount requested. All other price offers will be scored using the formula (inverse proportion):  Financial score X = 30* the lowest price offer/suggested price offer. 

Payment Arrangements: 

• Summary of any existing potential finance solutions applicable for Georgia: no later than 20 September 2017, 20% of total amount;
• Report on main feedback received on Biodiversity Finance Plan workshop and initial description of up to 15 priority finance solutions; full technical proposals for at least 8 out of 15 priority financial solutions: no later than 31 October 2017; 40% of total amount;
• First draft of BFP ready for review by stakeholders: no later than 30 November 2017; 30% of total amount;
• Training on at least 5 priority finance solutions to BIOFIN team and key stakeholders; final BFP report based on feedback from stakeholders: no later than 15 February 2018; 10% of total amount.