Background

Background and Project Description

UNDP country programme in Sudan aims to strengthen community resilience and promote inclusive sustainable development aligned with UNDP’s corporate Strategic Plan, the United Nations Development Assistance Framework for Sudan and the global Sustainable Development Goals. To achieve this, in full accord with Sudan’s national priorities, UNDP has dedicated itself in supporting community stabilization and governance building for peace, promoting environmentally sustainable livelihoods, a peaceful transition from recovery to development while building the nexus between humanitarian and development. UNDP Sudan pays particular attention to the inclusion of vulnerable groups, youth, women and grass roots citizens, with programmes that build multi-stakeholder partnerships; apply innovative development approaches; and fosters creation of new value areas to attain maximum development impact.  Environment and Energy team in UNDP Country Office is focusing on adaptation to climate change, green job creation and equitable access to natural resources in rural areas as well as promoting inclusive, gender-sensitive policies for clean energy and increase access to renewable energy across the country.

Recently, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) approved a Protected Area Project for Sudan with the aim “to strengthen the national protected area (PA) system and promote integrated ecosystem management in adjacent areas so as to reduce threats to biodiversity, mitigate land degradation, sustain ecosystem services, and improve people’s livelihoods”. The project comprises four components and these are Component 1: An enabling environment established at the national level for expanded PA management; Component 2: Improved management effectiveness at selected terrestrial and marine PA; Component 3 Integrated Natural Resource Management in multi-use landscapes in and around targeted PAs; and Component 4: Knowledge Management, Gender Mainstreaming, and M&E.

The approved project will take a comprehensive landscape approach to address the multi-faceted nature of land degradation and impacts on natural resources by attempting to secure Sudan’s protected area system and ecosystems, focusing in particular on key sites of ecological and economic importance and investing in supporting effective community-level engagement in and around protected areas and buffer zones, across key ecological systems.

 Context of the Assignment

The international consultant will be responsible for providing technical backstopping to the project and focus on supporting Wildlife Conservation General Administration (WCGA) in leading the implementation of Components 1 and 2 (see above) as well as the international consultant will render technical support to the Project Manager (PM), staff and other government counterparts. The international consultant will coordinate the provision of the required technical inputs, reviewing and preparing Terms of Reference and reviewing the outputs of consultants and other sub-contractors. In addition, the consultant will report to the Project Board Chairperson (in conjunction with the PM) in consultation with the Director General of HCENR and to the UNDP.

To fulfill this objective, UNDP is seeking the services of highly experienced consultant for the Protected Area Management Project under a long-term service agreement for a period of four years.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objective and Scope of Work

Objective: The purpose of the assignment is to provide technical assistance to the Protected Area Management Project.

Scope of Works:

The international consultant will be responsible for completing the assigned tasks over an agreed period in consultation with Quality Assurance Officer and the Team Leader of Environment and Energy. Generally, the following tasks will comprise for the assignment:

• Provide technical assistance on project planning and preparation stage focusing on year 1
• Provide technical assistance on project implementation stage focusing on year 2 and 3
• Provide technical assistance before termination of the project stage focusing on year 4

Expected Activities:

The nature of activities is complex and specifically, focusing on quality control of the project activities and to provide technical assistance on Project Management Unit and concern stakeholders, including Wildlife Conservation and General Administration Department. Three key activities are as follow:

• Year 1: Technical assistance on the project planning and preparation stage (prepare technical and management documents; Terms of reference for consultants,  prepare and finalize Memoranda of Understanding with stakeholders, provide technical support and guidance to the two NGOs, peer review of the documents/technical assessment reports i.e. Social and Environmental Standard reports prepared by national and international consultants; ensure strong coordination among stakeholders; quality control on Project activities and budget implementation and Reporting.  
• Year 2 and 3: Technical assistance on the project implementation stage (prepare technical documents; prepared ToRs for national, international consultants and sub-contractors; peer review of the documents/technical assessment reports; chair in technical committee meetings; develop training programme  for the concern stakeholders; ensure strong coordination and effective synergy among stakeholders;  support timely and satisfactorily delivery of expected outputs;  technical guidance for the effective biodiversity conservation and sustainable land management;  technical support for the  Project Management Unit; technical assistance on site activities and monitoring;  initiate and manage Mid Term Review and ensure implementation of its recommendation.; play leading role in ensuring gender mainstreaming and attaining gender markers for all outputs as well as on  Project Reporting. Support the project on communication and documentation of best practices.
• Year 4: Technical assistance before termination of the project stage (prepare a communication plan; assist impact assessment report; document lesson learnt report; take lead on the initiation and quality assurance of the Terminal Evaluation (TOR, Section of consultants, review of the report); quality control on Project Reporting, including preparation of the Project’s Final Report).

The deliverable should be submitted in soft copy via e-mail to the Quality Assurance Officer and Team Leader of the Sudan UNDP Energy and Environment Unit.

Institutional Arrangements:

The consultant will have direct contact with the Quality Assurance Officer and Programme Specialist of the Environment and Energy Unit, UNDP Sudan and the Higher Council for Environment and Natural Resources and Regional Technical Advisor from Istanbul Hub, UNDP. The Project Management Unit, national and international consultants will avail the required data, drafting the reports and requested information.

Duration of the Work

The duration of this Individual Contract (IC) will be for maximum 275 working days based in Khartoum, Sudan over a period of 4 years, initially for one-year renewable for another three years based on the satisfactory performance and if there is a requirement of services by UNDP.

Distribution of actual number of days for each year will be agreed upon with the HCENR and UNDP during the AWP process. The spread of the working per year will be agreed by HCENR and UNDP at beginning of each year; associated travel will be agreed accordingly.  Payments will be effected upon submission of invoice and satisfactory completion of the agreed tasks.   

Consultancy fees  will  paid in lumpsum, including travel cost, visa fees and Daily Subsistence Allowance in, while internal travel to project sites within  Sudan will be covered by the Project.

Recommended Presentation of Offer

 Applicants are kindly requested to complete and sign and submit all the following documents:

1. Duly completed Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
2. 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;
3. Brief description of why the individual/company considers him/herself/itself as the most suitable for the assignment, and a methodology on how they will approach and complete the assignment.
4. Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided.

 Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer 

The offers received from the candidates will be evaluated using combined scoring method. The combined scoring method assesses the offers with technical merits of the proposals – where the qualifications and methodology will be weighted a maximum of 70%, and later combined with the price offer which will be weighted a max of 30%.

 Eligibility Criteria:

MSc Degree or higher in biodiversity conservation, land management and law enforcement; minimum 12 year’s experiences of which at least 8 are at international level; GEF experiences 

Technical Evaluation Gird for international consultant:

Assessment Criteria:-

• Minimum 12 years of experience in biodiversity conservation, land management and law enforcement
• Minimum of 8 years’ experience with result-based management focusing on biodiversity conservation, land management and law enforcement
• Experience with multilateral supported biodiversity conservation, land management and law enforcement specially with the GEF is an asset
• Experience with preparation and peer review of technical reports and Project Implementation Report preparation in particular for GEF
• Excellent written communication skills, with analytic capacity and ability to synthesize relevant collected data and findings for the preparation of quality project documents, technical reports, communication plan and impact assessment report.

The price proposals of candidates obtaining 49 points and above (or 70% and above) will only be technically qualified; then their price proposals will be reviewed and compared for the assessment of overall ranking of the proposals. Those obtaining lower than 49 points (or lesser than 70%) will be technically non-responsive proposals; price proposals of such candidate will not be compared.

Assessment of the Price Proposals (30 Points) or 30%

The lowest priced bid from among the technically qualified Offerors will obtain the full marks of 30 points in the price proposal. Price proposals of remaining qualified bidders will be prorated against the lowest priced bid using the following formula to derive the marks in their price proposal: 

Marks obtained by a Bidder = Lowest Priced Bid (amount) / Bid of the Offeror (amount) X 30 (Full Marks)

Award of the Contract/Award Criteria:

The contract will be awarded to the candidate (bidder) whose proposal obtains the highest cumulative marks (points) when the marks obtained in technical and price proposals are aggregated together.

 Period

The framework agreement would cover a period beginning (1 Nov 2022 to) and ending (31 October 2026). UNDP reserves the right to rescind this agreement due to unsatisfactory performance by the contractor.

 Deliverables and Outputs:

Support the planning and  Preparation of the project activities in year 1

Ensure Quality control on project implementation and reporting in year 2

Ensure Quality control on project implementation and reporting in year 3

Ensure Quality control on project implementation and reporting in year 4

 Other items not listed above will be compared against the complexity and nature of above items and will be agreed in advance by Quality Assurance Officer and Energy and Environment Team Leader

To Review the TOR and Offerors Letter please visit the link below:

http://196.202.143.140/DPAcclab/JAdv/CTAPA/

Competencies

Corporate Competencies Functional Competencies:

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;
• Ability to work with a multi-cultural and diverse team.

Functional Competencies:

• Demonstrated experience in technical issues related to biodiversity conservation and land management
• Ability to analyze large amounts of complex and diversified data related to biodiversity conservation and land management in least developed countries.
• Demonstrated strong coordination and facilitation skills;
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to initiate discussions about biodiversity conservation and land management.

 Language Requirements:

Fluency in English (spoken & written)

Required Skills and Experience

Qualifications and Experiences:

The International Consultant shall possess:

• University education (at least M.Sc.) with expertise in the area of Natural Resources Management, Conservation of Biology, Conservation or Protected Areas Management, Environmental Sciences, or related fields of expertise or alternatively a relevant law enforcement background;
• At least 12 years of professional experience, of which at least eight are at international level;
• Previous experience relating to work on biodiversity conservation and sustainable land management is essential, with a strong track record of on the ground practical work in law enforcement;
• Strong skills in monitoring and evaluation and experience in implementing environmental projects;
• Previous experience with GEF projects is an added plus;
• Ability to effectively coordinate a large, multidisciplinary team of experts and consultants;
• Be an effective negotiator with excellent oral and presentation skills;
• Excellent communication and writing skills in English