Background

*The candidates who have previously applied to this position need not to reapply

In 2015 the world endorsed an ambitious agenda for Sustainable Development and a landmark agreement to avert run away climate change. Attention now turns to implementing the unprecedented global commitments encompassed by the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement and ultimately the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

At the heart of the Paris Agreement (PA) is the mitigation target; limiting global temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius, while making every effort  to  realize the 1.5 degrees, leading to net zero emissions in the second half of the century; Establish binding commitments and urged all parties to  submit Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and to pursue domestic measures aimed at achieving them; Commit all countries to report regularly on their emissions and “progress made in implementing and achieving” their NDCs, and to undergo international review; Commit all countries to submit new NDCs every five years, with the clear expectation that they will “represent a progression” beyond previous ones -  hence the need to strengthen NDC governance and implementation structure; Reaffirm the binding obligations of developed countries under the UNFCCC to support the efforts of developing countries, while for the first time encouraging voluntary contributions by developing countries too; Extend the current goal of mobilizing $100 billion a year in support by 2020 through 2025, with a new, higher goal to be set for the period after 2025;

Particularly Uganda NDCs prioritize: Renewable Energy, Clean Cooking- Which holds great mitigation potential for Uganda due to the potential offsetting of wood and charcoal burning and the consequential deforestation, climate smart agriculture, forestry and land restoration (including wetlands) and the transport sector with a focus on adaptation and resilience of local communities to climate change impacts.

On energy, the NDC Uganda points to Uganda’s commitment to achieve a total of at least 3,200 MW renewable electricity generation capacity by 2030 up from 729 MW in 2013.  In terms of energy demand the NDC explicitly proposes the promotion and wider uptake of energy efficient cooking stoves and induction cookers that we see contributing to approximately 40% efficiency saving over traditional cooking stoves. Similarly, for transport Uganda NDC proffers implementation of fuel efficiency policies and regulations to promote cleaner fuels and more fuel-efficient vehicle technology contributing to GHGs reduction between 24% and 34% of BAU projections for road transport.

Focus now turns to implementation of these actions with the understanding that implementing the NDCs offers significant benefits, such as greater energy security and improved resilience to energy price shocks, improved health due to lower conventional pollutant emissions, and greater agricultural and land -use productivity with a clear opportunity to advance to new cleaner technologies such as wind and solar energy, low energy buildings, energy efficient industrial production, sustainable transport and climate smart agriculture.

Despite all this effort, transiting and actual implementation of the commitments largely remains a challenge due to capacity gaps that exit. One of the key bottlenecks is are policy gaps related to implementation as well as an NDC implementation plan which is central to Uganda’s efforts to successfully tackle climate change. This includes designing and implementation plan as well as identifying the necessary resources available to support the actions both nationally and internationally, timelines of activities with robust outputs to facilitate the national and international reporting requirements/obligations.

Against that background the Government of Uganda with support from UNDP is seeking to ensure a robust plan is in place to support implementation of the NDCs and the PA in order to achieve the ultimate goal of limiting global temperature increase well below 2 degrees.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of work and methodology:

The overall aim of the assignment is to enhance implementation of the Nationally Determined Contributions which was submited to UNFCCC as one of the requirements from member countries that ratified the Paris Agreement.  The consultancy is expected to facilitate elaboration, design and implementation strategies pointing to targets and how they shall be achieved to facilitate the reporting required at national and international level on NDC implementation in addition to triggering action on the ground.

The overall purpose of the consultancy is the preparation of the NDC implementation plan with the financing elements based on three work packages described as below:

Work package 1: Design costed NDC implementation and Institutional Frameworks:

• Re-examine NDCs to identify gaps and suggests ways of address gaps and strengthen underlying technical basis and bottlenecks that impede implementation;
• Translate the NDCs targets into achievable actions through NDC implementation plans and assessments of existing policies in the context of NDC targets;
• Critically assess sector wide mitigation targets with concrete potential for emission reductions and what is expected after 5 years;
• Suggest ways to strengthening institutional frameworks and capacities to manage NDC implementation, including mainstreaming of climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Work package 2: Develop resource mobilization strategy and concept notes for both the Health and the Education Sectors:

• Costing assessments for the implementation of NDCs, based on the 30% commitment by GOU and 70% from other sources (national/international, public/private);
• Identify innovative financial incentives for both Mitigation and Adaptation such as ABM, carbon offsets, and fossil fuel subsidy reduction);
• Capacities for management and coordination of NDCs strengthened for central and line ministries;
• Engagement with international funding mechanisms (GCF, CIF,. .etc) and the commercial actors to mobilize funds for NDC;
• Develop resource mobilization strategy and concept notes for both the Health and the Education Sectors.

Work Package 3: Develop MRV Plan:

• Assessing current progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions towards the overall target (by reviewing the greenhouse gas projections), and expected future emissions (by reviewing greenhouse gas projection), at national and sectoral levels, to understand the aggregate impact of mitigation actions now and in the future;
• Undertake M&E to track the implementation and assess the impacts of individual mitigation actions, to ensure actions are contributing to NDC commitments and capture lessons learned on which policies work best (and why) to inform the design of future policies;

• Undertake M&E to track implementation and assess the effectiveness of adaptation actions taken, to inform regular updates of the National Adaptation Plans;
• Integrating lessons learned into subsequent actions of the National Adaptation Plan process;
• Track climate finance flows for NDC implementation, including international public finance, national domestic budgets and private climate finance, to improve the overall transparency of climate finance flows, and assess whether the scale/type of financing requirements for NDC implementation are being addressed;
• Undertake a study on how to strengthen the GHG data collection and reporting system.

Tasks of Assignment:

The consultant is expected to support and report to Climate Change Department; Ministry of Water and Environment.

• Design costed NDC implementation and Institutional Frameworks;
• Develop 2 climate finance concept notes and resource mobilization strategy for the Health and the Education Sectors;
• Develop MRV Plan and strengthening the current GHG data collection and reporting system.

Main output:

A robust NDC implementation Plan taking into consideration the current strengths and weaknesses to implement NDCs. Assess the financial resources required to implement NDCs and ways to mobilize further resources within the Government of Uganda and the development partners to respond to the 30% versus 70% commitment. Elaborate on the institutional framework to implement NDCs and how it can be strengthened. Specific to financing  the development of  resource mobilization strategy and concept notes for both the Health and the Education Sectors in order to allow tapping into the financing available to implement NDCs. In this regard developing an MRV plan is also essential with a concrete baseline and indicators of measuring the NDCs activities.

Competencies

• Excellent analytical skills and strong commitment to sharing expertise and experience in order to develop capacity of others, and work as a member/advisor of a team;
• Must be a results-oriented team player with excellent interpersonal skills, including enthusiasm, tact, diplomacy and high integrity; concise and analytical thinking;
• Strong communication skills; able to communicate effectively with people and able to write concisely and make presentations in a simple non-technical manner;
• Ability to work with minimum supervision;
• Excellent analytical, organizational and negotiation skills. Ability to demonstrate tact and diplomacy.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications:

• A Master’s degree in climate change and/or environment/natural resources management, International Development or related areas.

Experience:

• A Minimum of 5 years of related experience with some understanding of climate change and extensive experience in policy development, strong working knowledge of UNDP, government institutions, the civil society sector and working with state public authorities on issues related to climate change;
• Minimum 5 years of professional expertise in Strategic Guidance;
• Extensive knowledge and skills in development of NDCs is critical;
• Experience in applying climate change tools and constructing baseline scenarios;
• Good professional knowledge of the national socio-economic and international development context;
• Demonstrated analytical, communication and report writing skills;
• Experience in gender mainstreaming in climate change and environment related topics;
• Advanced skills in communication and facilitation.

Language requirements:

• Fluency in written and spoken English.

Price proposal and schedule of payments:

The schedule of payment is detailed below. Payments are released after successful completion of the task and approval of the deliverable by UNDP and MWE. 

• Submission of an inception report detailing methodology, milestones, timeframe/work plan for the assignment - 5%;
• Shared a draft implementation plan for discussion with stakeholders and co-organize workshop with stakeholders - 20%;
• Submit a revised Draft implementation plan for CCD/UNDP after presentation to stakeholders - 15%;
• Develop resource mobilization strategy and concept notes for both the Health and the Education Sectors - 10%;
• Present a study to strengthen the GHG data collection and reporting system - 10%;
• Present NDC coordination Mechanism for implementation - 10%;
• Develop final NDC implementation plan - 15%; 
• Submit a final implementation plan to CCD/UNDP - 15%.

Evaluation Method and Criteria:

Cumulative analysis:

The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

• Responsive/compliant/acceptabl; and
• Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation:

Technical criteria weight; - 70%;

Financial criteria weight; - 30%.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70 points (70% of the total technical points of 100) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Technical Criteria – Maximum 70 points:

Criteria:                                                                             

• Relevant degree – 10;
• Relevant Work experience in applying climate change tools and constructing baseline scenarios - 10;
• Minimum of five years with relevant experience with somestrong understanding of climate change and extensive experience in policy development, strong working knowledge of UNDP, government institutions, the civil society sector and working with state public authorities on issues related to climate change. - 15;
• Experience in working with multi-stakeholders such as governments, NGO, and civil society organizations in both climate change and environment - 10;
• Extensive knowledge and skills in development of NDCs, GHG database and MRV reporting systems- 10;
• Experience in gender mainstreaming in climate change/environment related topics - 10;
• Good professional knowledge of the national socio-economic and international development context - 5.

Submission of Application:

The candidate is required to submit an electronic application directly uploaded on the UNDP jobs website with all the requirements as listed here below. Annexes and further information may be downloaded on http://procurement-notices.undp.org/. (Reference #40164).

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications in one single PDF document to this website - http://jobs.undp.org (Ref no.74119).

• Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP (Annex II);
• Personal CV, 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.

Technical proposal:

• Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment;
• A methodology, on how they will approach and complete the assignment;
• Financial proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided (Annex II);
• Annexes 1 and II - may be downloaded from the UNDP Procurement Notices Website -http://procurement-notices.undp.org/ - under reference #40164. For further clarifications, please contact; janet.anyango@undp.org; moses.lutwama@undp.org;

Interested applicants should submit applications through uploading of all their required documentation in one single pdf document on this website only.