UNDP Jobs - 79566- International Consultant to Develop an Adaptation

International Consultant to Develop an Adaptation Fund (AF) Proposal on Improved rural resilience through sustainable water management and small-scale water reservoirs

Location :

Chisinau, MOLDOVA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

20-Jul-2018

Application Deadline :

13-Jul-18 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

50 working days during July 2018 - March 2019 (includes two in country missions of 5 days each)

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

Moldova’s water deficit threatens the long-term sustainability of the agriculture sector. Agriculture is the mainstay of the national economy, contributing approximately 14.5% to the country’s total gross domestic product (GDP) and employing less than a third (28%) of the country’s population, half of which are women. Agro-food exports account for roughly 50% of the country’s total exports. Approximately 70% of the population from rural areas depends on agriculture for their livelihoods. According to General Agricultural Census conducted in 2011, there are a total of 902 214 agricultural holdings in the Republic of Moldova. Approx. 2/3 of the agricultural land is cultivated by large agricultural farms which hold more than 100 ha of land, while 35% by households and small farms with less than 10 ha. The agriculture of Moldova is mostly rain-fed, providing for production of perennial crops across the country such as maize, wheat, sunflower, barley, vineyards and fruits.

Without appropriate adaptation interventions, it is likely that a large proportion of the rural population will remain extremely vulnerable to the interacting effects of climate change. Within this context, UNDP is intending to develop a project proposal contributing to implementation of adaptation interventions in the agricultural sector by promoting water storage options and development and repairs to the irrigation infrastructure, while at the same time contributing to capacity building in the area of water governance and strengthening of the relevant legal frameworks.

In this sense the objective of the project would be to increase resilience and adaptive capacities of farming communities to climate variability and extreme events through holistic management of scares surface and groundwater resources.

Duties and Responsibilities

This consultancy entails 50 workdays and the task of the International Consultant will be to develop the AF proposal on promoting sustainable integrated approach to address irrigation systems and watersheds, availability of agricultural water, climate-smart agricultural practices and use of micro-irrigation systems for developing long-term rural climate resilience in Moldova, and observe AF and UNDP guidelines.

The International Consultant will develop a detailed project proposal package, including the proposal document in the required AF format, including all relevant analysis and studies, and all associated mandatory annexes for submission to AF and will be responsible for coordination with other consultant(s) as needed and ensuring overall quality of the proposal package.

The international consultant will be supported by two national consultants engaged by UNDP under separate contractual arrangements.

For detailed information, please refer to Annex 1 – Terms of Reference.

Competencies

Good understanding of the climate change and water-food security nexus;
Excellent analytical skills and project writing abilities;
Availability to work with UNDP during the indicated period;
Excellent interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills;
Excellent proficiency in English (the knowledge of Russian and Romanian is an advantage).

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications:

Advanced university degree in environment, water, agriculture and/or climate change studies or other related fields.

Years of experience:

At least seven years of international experience in environment, water management, agriculture and climate change related projects
Experience with preparation and supporting implementation of climate change adaptation projects;
Practical experience with projects financial and economic analysis and incremental cost analysis will be considered as an advantage.
Previous experience of working in CIS countries for environment/climate change adaptation will be an asset.

Additional documentation can be found at: http://sc.undp.md/jobdetails/1735