Background

1.Project background:

Climate change is the world’s largest challenge which poses significant threats to global peace and security and threaten to backtrack progress to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The Paris Agreement on Climate Change marks a turning point to an emerging climate regime that brings all the states and the actors together to a new global platform to address the growing risks to peace and development. Actions under current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are inadequate to achieve Paris Agreement long-term goals of limiting global temperature rise well below 2 degrees °C above pre-industrial levels; and to pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 °C. The Paris Agreement calls upon countries to review their NDCs every five years and raise mitigation and adaptation ambitions to help put the world on track to achieve neutrality by 2025. In response to the SG’s call for raising level of ambition in 2020, UNDP launched a global initiative known as Climate Promise to support 100 countries scale up climate action under the Paris Agreement.

Iraq is among the seven Climate Promise countries in the Arab region with UNDP financial and technical support to help enhance NDC and raise adaptation and mitigation ambition on the road to COP26 in Glasgow.  Iraq is a middle-income country with an economy dominated by oil export. Iraq also stands as one of the most climate hotspots and environmentally vulnerable with decades of protracted conflict, fragility, and dramatic escalation of displacement. Recent years have seen an increase in temperatures above 55 degree Celsius in parts of Iraq, and more intense and frequent drought spells, a decrease in the precipitation level by 50 percent, and higher evaporation rates. The recent waves of drought have triggered an increasing trend of rural displacement, and socio-ecological vulnerability. The reduction of water flow of Tigris River, and drought have accelerated land degradation and salinity of agriculture lands while also disrupted the ecosystems of Mesopotamian Marshlands which led to loss of livelihoods, expansion of poverty and social vulnerability.

Iraq is a signatory to the Paris Agreement on climate change, with national climate plans defined in its first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 2015), which reflects the country's commitment to address vulnerability to climate risks while taking proactive actions to ensure gradual transition to a low-carbon economy. The first Iraq’s NDC includes BAU and Mitigation Scenarios with 14% GHG reduction target in 2035 including 1% non-conditional and 13% conditional. Sustainable energy actions including renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy access are among the major actions proposed under Iraq’s NDC to achieve commitments under Paris Agreement. The NDC also outlined a set of adaptation actions to help build resilience of the water and agricultural sectors. Despite the emerging developments of COVID-19, Iraq demonstrated firm commitment and momentum to move NDC revision process forward with first NDC inception workshop convened digitally in April 16, 2020 followed by a number of events to develop the NDC and conduct training on NDC MRV, Costing and Mitigation ambition. This study also shows momentum by Government of Iraq to proceed with NDC revision despite the challenging situation.

2.        Objective:     

The Government of Iraq with support from UNDP Climate Promise is working with national stakeholders and partners to enhance NDC and raise adaptation and mitigation ambition in 2021.  The NDC revision process will help collect relevant data and conduct stakeholder consultations to update national circumstances, investment needs, review mitigation potential of certain energy sectors, and identify catalytic actions to raise adaptation ambition. The NDC revision process will review priority sectoral actions water and agricultural sectors and assess actions with highest potentials for building resilience that help address major vulnerabilities and raise adaptation ambition while generating mitigation co-benefits and help achieve progress across relevant SDGs. Under the Climate Promise workplan for Iraq, UNDP’s Iraq is planning to hire an international NDC Gender Mainstreaming expert (home-based) to support the Government of Iraq in ensuring the NDC to be gender responsive and to build capacity for women to lead the NDC implementation process.

This will help Iraq strengthen the engagement and capacity of women to fulfill their role in leading the NDC implementation process with clear gender-responsive measures. The NDC Gender Mainstreaming expert will work remotely (given movement restrictions due to concerns over COVID-19 pandemic) and conduct consultations with relevant agencies including the Climate Change Center under the Ministry of Environment.

The assignment will be managed under the Project Manager of the SI NDC project and the overall oversight of the Energy, Efficiency and Climate Change (EECC) pillar head - UNDP Iraq.

Duties and Responsibilities

1.Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

The NDC Gender Mainstreaming expert will be an international expert whose main responsibilities shall be to support strengthening of women’s leadership in NDC implementation in addition to the developing tools to track and report on gender-responsive mitigation measures.

The assignment will involve delivering two training workshops targeting the NDC related stakeholders (with focus on women Iraqi officials) on national and provincial level. Each training workshop will involve one working day and will include the importance and role of women in leading the NDC implementation process.

The assignment will also include the following tasks:

• Conduct consultations with the government officials, project stakeholders and women's orgnizations to identify key gender issues and considerations related to climate change, as well as gender responsive climate change actions/measures and issues to be integrated in the Iraq NDC.
• Review the draft NDC and identify the gaps in relation to its responsiveness to gender issues.
• Edit of the NDC policy to ensure it is gender responsive, and elaborate on concrete actions, indicators, targets to be included in the NDC.
• Deliver two training workshops at both national and provincial level on women leadership in NDC implementation. Each training workshop shall include details as to how women to lead the NDC implementation process on national and provincial level, and what capacities are needed.
• Develop gender equality tools, indicators, and data systems to track and report on gender-responsive mitigation measures specific for the Iraq NDC.

2.Expected Outputs and Deliverables:

Under the overall supervision of the Project manager, the NDC Gender Mainstreaming Expert shall, contribute to the provision of the following Scope of Work:

1. Provide an inception report with methodology to be used and workplan to conduct the consultancy including training materials on women leadership in NDC implementation including details on the capacity needed for women to lead the NDC implementation process on national and provincial level.
2. Conduct consultations with the government officials, project stakeholders and women’s organisations to identify key gender issues and considerations related to climate change, as well as gender-responsive climate change actions/measures and issues to be integrated in the Iraq NDC.

Review the draft NDC and identify the gaps in relation to its responsiveness to gender issues.

Edit of the NDC policy to ensure it is gender responsive, and elaborate on concrete actions, indicators, targets to be included in the NDC.

1. Deliver one training workshop on national level and one training workshop on provincial level on women leadership in NDC implementation. Each training workshop shall include details on the capacity needed for women to lead the NDC implementation process on national and provincial level.
2. Develop gender equality tools, indicators and data systems to track and report on gender-responsive measures

The consultant is also required to make him/herself available to attend remote/ virtual meetings / discussions via skype/ zoom or other relevant modality for planning meetings/ feedback meetings convened by project team with stakeholders

3.Reporting:

The International Consultant will report directly to UNDP Project Manager

4.Payment Method

The consultant is expected to discuss with the Project Manager about detail implementation plan within the scope of the work and the listed deliverables within the prescribed timeline explained in the sections above. 

Payments will be made in three instalments based on the satisfactory progress as per agreed implementation plan of the assignments and submission of quality deliverables. The dates and schedules of the payment instalments are as follows:

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates commitment to the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the mission, vision and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly and with impartiality.

Functional Competencies:

• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Ability to work under pressure and to meet deadlines;
• Demonstrates excellent oral and written communication skills;
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
• Self-reliant and able to work as a part of a multi-cultural team in a stressful.

Professionalism:

• Shows pride in work and in achievements; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments; observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; Remains calm in stressful situations.

Communication:

• Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; Asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Planning and Organizing:

• Identifies priority activities and assignments; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; Uses time efficiently.

Client Orientation:

• Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; Meets timeline for delivery of product or services to client.

Teamwork:

• Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; Builds consensus for task purpose and direction with team members; Supports and acts in accordance with final group decisions, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position.

Technological awareness:

• Keeps abreast of available technology; actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; Shows willingness to learn new technology.

Required Skills and Experience

Qualifications of the Successful Contractor:

Education:

• Master’s degree in climate change, environmental science, gender studies, international development or a relevant discipline

Work Experience

• At least 15 years of relevant professional experience in climate change related gender issues
• Proven experience in developing gender equality tools, indicators, and data systems to track and report on gender-responsive mitigation measures
• Knowledge of the Paris Agreement with focus on gender role in NDC implementation
• Related experience in the Arab region and Iraq will be an added asset

Language:

• Knowledge of any degree of Arabic
• Fluency in English languages both written and oral.

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Criteria for Selection of The Best Offer

 Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology:

• Cumulative analysis
• When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

1. responsive/compliant/acceptable, and
2. Having received the highest score out of a predetermined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation:

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70 points of the 100 points in the Technical Evaluation will be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

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IMPORTANT NOTICE TO INTERESTED CONSULTANTS:

When submitting your documents, please group them into one (1) single PDF document as the application system only allows to upload maximum of one document.

**Failure to submit the REQUIRED documents or Incomplete proposals shall result in disqualification

The short listed candidates may be contacted and the successful candidate will be notified.

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THE ANNEXES ARE AVAILABLE AND CAN BE DOWNLOADED in the following link:  

UNDP | Procurement Notices - 83173 - Re-advertisment International ND

ANNEX 1- Terms of Reference (TOR)/Procurement Notice 

 ANNEX 2- Offeror’s letter to UNDP confirming interest and availability and Financial Proposal

ANNEX 3- Individual Consultant General Terms and Conditions 

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Kindly note that the system only  allows ONE document to this application.  Scan your documents in one single file and attached:

1.   Introductory letter explaning why you are the most qualified candidate

2.  P-11 Form or CVs

2.  signed Offeror’s letter to UNDP confirming interest and availability and Financial Proposal

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