Background

UNDP Myanmar, with funding from Adaptation Fund is currently implementing a Climate Change Adaptation project - “Addressing Climate Change Risks on Water Resources and Food Security in the Dry Zone of Myanmar.” The project aims to reduce the increasing impacts of climate change on agricultural and livestock production cycles in the dry zone of Myanmar - the impacts of increasing temperature and evaporation, declining water availability, and intensifying weather events especially flash floods and cyclones.

The Dry Zone is one of the most climate sensitive and natural resource poor regions in Myanmar. The dry zone covers approximately 54,390 square kilometers and represents about 10% of the country’s total land area. The present population in the Dry Zone is estimated at 18 million people. It constitutes 34% of the country’s total population of about 53 million. The population density is 123 people per square kilometer, making it the third most densely populated region in Myanmar.

Across the Dry Zone, water is scarce, vegetation cover is thin, and soil is degraded due to severe erosion. The region is characterized by low annual rainfall that ranges between 508 and 1,016 mm per annum with high variability and uneven distribution. The monsoon rain is bimodal with a dry period during July when dry desiccating winds blow from the south. The undulating land, composed mainly of sandy loam with low fertility, is subjected to severe erosion under rain and strong winds. The average mean temperature in the Dry Zone is about 27° C and the temperature often rises to about 43° C in the summer period. This dry environment with its other natural limiting factors has led to conditions of growing food insecurity and severe environmental degradation.

The major economic activities in the Dry Zone are subsistence farming such as paddy, sesame and groundnut and small scale livestock rearing. Agricultural productivity is low and the farmers are heavily dependent on products from the natural forest especially fuel wood, pole, post and fodder to support their living and livestock. Many landless people are working as seasonal farm labourers, migrating to urban regions during non-planting time to find temporary employment.

The project operates in five townships in the Sagaing, Mandalay and Magway Regions – Shwebo and Moneywa townships in the Sagaing region, Myingyan and Nyaung Oo townships in the Mandalay Region, and Chauk township in the Magway Region. The townships were selected on the basis of observed temperature extremes, frequency of drought per year, and the impacts of climatic parameters on food security. An additional criterion for township selection was the potential to access ground and surface water resources – vital prerequisites for small irrigation and water management schemes. The direct beneficiaries of the project are marginal farmers in rain-fed areas and landless workers whose access to arable land is severely threatened by erosion and land degradation. Special emphasis is placed on women and female-headed households within this vulnerable group.

The project targets approximately 50,000 households from 280 villages. The target populations are largely categorized into the following three types of beneficiaries: First group is landless farmers, who make up about 60% of target population; second group is marginal/small farmers whose landholding is less between 0.4 – 0.8 hectares and they make up about 25% of target population; and the third group is farmers who have landholding larger than 0.8 hectares.

Absence of community water infrastructure for both domestic and agricultural purposes is a critical constraint in building the resilience of these communities to future climate change impact. This project aims to deliver the following key outputs to build community resilience to climate change:

Enhancing water capture and storage capacities in 280 villages to augment irrigation and domestic water supply during the dry periods

Protecting and rehabilitating 6,141 hectares of micro-watersheds through Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) to increase natural water retention and reduce erosion

Establishing 3,983 hectares of community-based agro-forestry plots in private and communal lands to conserve soil and water

Introducing drought-resilient farming methods

Introducing resilient post-harvest processing and storage systems

Introducing diversified livestock production systems targeting landless households

Develop climate hazard maps and risk scenarios in each township to support community-based climate risk management and preparedness planning

Strengthen local level climate and disaster risk management framework for timely and effective communication of climate risk and early warning information.

At the national level, the Project is supported by a Project Steering Committee (PSC). The PSC oversees and keep abreast of project progress and facilitate the implementation of the project in partnership with co-financing institutions. Implementation of the project and allocation of resources is the responsibility of UNDP - as the executing agency under the overall direction of the PSC. The PSC is chaired by the Country Director of UNDP and the Director General of Dry Zone Greening Department (DZGD). The DZGD is also the principle counterpart agency for the project. Other members of the PSC include representatives from Environmental Conservation Department, Irrigation and Water Utilization Management Department, Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, Department of Agriculture, Relief and Resettlement Department, Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department, Watershed Management Section, Forest Department, Department of Rural Development and Foreign Economic Relations Department

To assist the Project Team on technical questions, a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) has been constituted. The TAG provides guidance and advice on technical questions related to water management, agriculture, forestry, food security and risk information/communication. The main objective of the TAG is to identify technical strengths and weaknesses of the project, take stock of available and required technical know-how under different project components, and provide technical backstopping and quality control throughout the project period. The TAG includes representatives from Dry Zone Greening Department, Environmental Conservation Department, Irrigation and Water Utilization Management Department, Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, Department of Agriculture, Relief and Resettlement Department, Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department, Watershed Management Section of Forest Department and Department of Rural Development.

A project team, which is housed in the Dry Zone Greening Department offices in Patheingyi and Nyaung U, comprises of the following personnel – National Project Manager, Technical Specialist (International), Soil Conservation and Water Harvesting Specialist (Nyaung U-based), Agricultural Specialist, Environmental Conservation and Forestry Specialist (Nyaung U-based), Livestock Specialist, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Project Assistant and a Project Driver. 

The project has two locations – one main office within the Dry Zone Greening Department compound in Patheingyi, Mandalay Region and the other in Nyaung U, Mandalay region. Under the overall guidance of PSC and TAG, the Project Team is responsible for the day-to-day management and implementation, oversight, reporting and monitoring of project activities.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Providing overall leadership on the independent evaluation of the Adaptation Fund Project – “Addressing Climate Change Risks on Water Resources and Food Security in the Dry Zone of Myanmar” - based on inputs and insights from the national consultant

• Conducting desk reviews of relevant documents and interview with government partners, UN/UNDP staff, donors and other partners

• Reviewing the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, value-added and impact of the AF Project;

• Identifying whether or not UNDP has achieved its intended results (based on the strategic outcomes and work plans)

• Ensuring completion of all the deliverables outlined above:evaluation inception report, draft evaluation report, and final evaluation report

For more details and documents to be download following link:http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=39898

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards and acts in accordance with the Standards of Conduct for international civil servants;
• Advocates and 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.

Functional Competencies:

• Good knowledge of the natural resource management particularly lake and watershed management, the concept of sustainability and sustainable development in the region and developing countries;
• Ability to quickly grasp and synthesize inputs from a range of disciplines related to environmental conservation and lake management;
• Ability to advocate and provide technical advice on the relevant sector/theme;
• Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision;
• Promotes a knowledge sharing and learning culture in the office;
• Sensitivity to and responsiveness to all partners, respectful and helpful relations with all UN/UNDP staff;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure;
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage.

Required Skills and Experience

• Master’s Degree in Environment, Natural Resources Management, Social Sciences or other closely related field;

• Recent experience with result-based management evaluation methodologies;

• Experience applying SMART indicators and reconstructing or validating baseline scenarios;

• Competence in adaptive management, as applied to Climate Change Adaptation focal area;

• Experience working with the AF or GEF evaluations;

• Experience working in South East Asia region;

• Work experience in relevant technical areas for at least 5 years;

• Demonstrated understanding of issues related to gender and climate change adaptation; experience in gender sensitive evaluation and analysis;

• Excellent communication skills;

• Demonstrable analytical skills;

• Project evaluation/review experiences within United Nations system will be considered an asset;