Background
This project has been designed to strengthen capacity for environmental monitoring and information management in Albania by establishing an operational environmental information management and monitoring system (EIMS). The project will address the need for an environmental monitoring system that is integrated throughout relevant government institutions and that uses international monitoring standards for indicator development, data collection, analysis, and policy-making. It will also build on existing technical and institutional capacity in Albania to align its management and monitoring efforts with global monitoring and reporting priorities. Increased capacity in this area will improve reporting to the Rio Conventions and lay the groundwork for sustainable development through better-informed environmental policy.
The project will aim at:
- Development of the EIMS to enable integration of global environment commitments into planning and monitoring processes.
- Development and application of uniform indicators encompassing UNFCCC, CBD and CCD concerns and global environmental threats.
- Stakeholder’s capacity for information management (collection processing) of key global environment data and utilization (interpretation and reporting) is enhanced at national and local level.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the guidance and in consultation with the project coordinator, the program officer for environment and energy at UNDP Albania and the relevant stakeholders, the consultant will provide on-going technical inputs to the project team and consultants regarding climate-related issues that are common to the three Rio Conventions:
- Review WMO Hydrorological Standards and Recommended Practices related to hydrological monitoring (river levels and flows, and lake and reservoir levels; sea level, etc.).
- Provide the information on the status of the Albanian National Hydrological Network and draft the methodologies on observations and/or evaluation of the above mentioned hydrological elements in manned and automated stations (including e.g. the water-level series data, the flow measurements, the gauged flows into rating curves and applying the rating curves to the series data in order to compute flows).
- Draft the methodologies on data processing of above mentioned hydrological indicators (mean annual, monthly, or seasonal values; maxima, minima and selected percentiles; measures of variability, such as the standard deviation; continuous records in the form, for example, of river flow hydrographs), illustrated with examples from Albanian stations.
- Provide the following information for the mentioned elements for at least one hydrological station located in each main river and support the IT specialist to feed it in the EIMMS project platform:
- the metadata for selected representative hydrological stations over the main rivers in Albania, (up to 7 stations manned or automatic);
- the normal river flow values for the periods, 1961-90 and 1981-2010 at monthly basis;
- mean monthly and annual values of river flows, extremes (high and low flows) starting from the year 2000 – up to 2017.
- mean monthly and annual values of lakes and sea levels (main lakes and for 1 or 2 marine stations)
- Deliver project presentations on hydrological data monitoring and processing as needed by the EIMMS project.
- Provide inputs to project documentation, project reporting, and technical reports as needed.
Expected Deliverables and Payment Schedule
The Consultant shall receive payment in installments from UNDP as follows:
- Upon submission of the report on WMO Hydrorological Standards and Recommended Practices related to hydrological monitoring; on methodologies of observations of the hydrorological elements in Albania.
- Upon submission of the report on the status of the Albanian National Hydrorological Network and methodologies on data processing, including quality control and homogenization, statistical methods used in evaluation of hydrological indicators, with examples from Albanian river stations.
- Upon submission of the draft report on hydrological indices for selected representative river, lake and marine stations in Albania.
- Upon submission of the final report on hydrological indices for selected representative river, lake and marine stations in Albania.
The reports should be submitted in Albanian and English languages.
Responsibility for Expenses and their Reimbursement
The Consultant will be responsible for all personal administrative and travel expenses associated with undertaking this assignment including office accommodation, printing, stationary, telephone and electronic communications, and report copies incurred in this assignment.
Competencies
Corporate Competencies:
- Demonstrates integrity by modelling 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.
Core Competencies:
- Communication - Facilitate and encourage open communication and strive for effective communication.
- Planning & Organizing – Develops clear goals in line with agreed strategies, identifies priorities, foresees risks and makes allowances accordingly.
- Organizational Awareness - Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment.
- Teamwork - Demonstrate ability to work in a multicultural, multi-ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
- Accountability – Takes ownership of all responsibilities and delivers outputs in accordance with agreed time, cost and quality standards.
Functional Competencies
- Thorough understanding of disability issues, human rights, social inclusion and social services
- Excellent inter-personal and teamwork skills, networking attitude;
- Capacity to deliver as per deadlines;
- Strong expertise in environmental indicators in of climate impact in hydrology and conventions related issues in Albania;
- Familiarity with the International Conventions and EU Regulations related to environmental indicator monitoring.
- Ability to pick up new terminology and concepts easily;
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- University degree in the fields of natural sciences, environmental sciences or related field.
Experience:
- At least 10 years of work experience in the hydrology area.
- Proven experience in hydrological data processing and hydrological indicators evaluation;
- Knowledge and experience with UNDP project implementation modalities is an advantage;
Languages:
- Excellent English writing skills are essential.
Evaluation of Applicants
- Only those applications which are responsive and compliant will be evaluated;
- Individual consultants will be evaluated based on Combined Scoring method taking into consideration the combination of the applicants’ qualifications and financial proposal;
- Combined weighted scoring: Technical (70%); Financial (30%).
25% or 25 points: - Advanced university degree in the fields of natural sciences, environmental sciences or related field.
25% or 25 points: Proven expert knowledge in hydrological data processing and hydrological indicators evaluation;
20% or 20 points: Methodology on how the consultant intends to carry out this assignment.
Application procedure
Qualified candidates are requested to apply online via this website. The application should contain:
Cover letter explaining why you are the most suitable candidate for the advertised position. Please paste the letter into the "Resume and Motivation" section of the electronic application.
- Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability-please fill in the attached form...http://www.un.org.al/doc/PSU_%20Individual%20Contract_Letter%20to%20UNDP.docx
- Filled P11 form including past experience in similar projects and contact details of referees, please upload the P11 instead of your CV. Download here.
- Financial Proposal in ALL* - specifying a total lump sum in Albanian Lek for the tasks specified in this announcement. The attached template may be used - http://www.un.org.al/doc/Financial%20Offer%20template.doc Please note that the financial proposal is all-inclusive and shall take into account various expenses incurred by the consultant during the contract period (e.g. fee and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services).
- Copy of Diplomas and copy of Passport.
*Kindly note that Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability and Financial Proposal are two separate documents and should be both part of your application.
How to Submit the Application:
How submit your application online, please follow the steps below:
Download and complete the UN Personal History Form (P11) for Service Contracts (SCs) and Individual Contracts (ICs);
Merge your UN Personal History Form (P11) for Service Contracts (SCs) and Individual Contracts (ICs), Financial Proposal, Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability and cover letter into a single file. The system does not allow for more than one attachment to be uploaded;
Click on the Job Title (job vacancy announcement);
Click “Apply Now” button, fill in necessary information on the first page, and then click “Submit Application;”
Upload your application/single file as indicated above with the merged documents (underlined above);
You will receive an automatic response to your email confirming receipt of your application by the system.
Merge your UN Personal History Form (P11) for Service Contracts (SCs) and Individual Contracts (ICs), Financial Proposal Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability and cover letter into a single file. The system does not allow for more than one attachment to be uploaded
Due to large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process.
UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Qualified women and individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.