Procurement Notices

A.       Project Description  Rationale

 The Biodiversity Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources is currently implementing a two-year enabling project entitled “National Biodiversity Planning to Support the implementation of the CBD 2011-2020 Strategic Plan in Republic of the Philippines”, which is on its final stage of completion. Funded by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) - Global Environment Facility, it aims to develop, adopt and begin implementation of the Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP) 2015-2028 in a manner that is in line with the global and national guidance contained in the Convention on Biological Diversity or CBD’s Strategic Plan for Biodiversity and Aichi Biodiversity Targets, the Philippine Development Plan (2016-2020) and relevant sectoral plans. At the same time, expense evaluations, subsidizing sources and financing components for the full implementation of the updated PBSAP are being developed through the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN). BIOFIN is managed by the UNDP Ecosystems and Biodiversity Programme, in partnership with the European Union and the Governments of Germany, Flanders and Switzerland, who support the initiative. with a total of USD 15 million (as of March 2014 – further support is being sought)

Making a case for biodiversity conservation has been difficult given the dearth of information on the value of Philippine biodiversity. This gap has largely contributed to the limited understanding of biodiversity by various stakeholders and to the low priority policy and decision makers have given to biodiversity conservation.   For biodiversity and many biological resources, the absence of apparent value combined with absent or poorly defined property rights creates a problem of overexploitation and unregulated use (OECD, 2002).  Available information on Philippine biodiversity values needs to be gathered and organized to be used as inputs to the PBSAP resource mobilization plan and communications strategy that are currently being developed.

B.      Responsibilities

Under the supervision of Program Manager, the Resource Economist will carry out the following tasks:

1. Gather information (published and unpublished) from national government agencies, NGOs, LGUs, academic institutions and other sources within and outside of Metro Manila on Philippine valuation studies/ biodiversity values (genetic, species and ecosystem levels) and the like for the following ecosystems/thematic areas:  forest, coastal and marine, inland wetlands, caves and cave systems, agrobiodiversity and  urban biodiversity.  Comparable valuation studies from other countries may also be gathered to provide a perspective or context to Philippine studies or may be used as reference values for ecosystems/thematic areas that may not have any information.
2. Based on the abovementioned ecosystems/thematic areas, analyze and organize the information to provide the Project a good working document on Philippine biodiversity values that can be utilized for its communication strategy and technical reports.
3. Attend Biofin Technical Working Group and related project and BMB meetings
4. Submit report/s as may be required by UNDP and BMB

C.      Expected Outputs and Deliverables

D.   Institutional Arrangement

The Project Manager shall directly supervise the Resource Economist and approve his/her output.

The Resource Economist is expected to liaise/interact/collaborate/meet with the national BIOFIN project team, DENR BMB and UNDP.  As needed, the project staff shall provide assistance to her/him in order for her/him to accomplish all requirements.

E.       Duration of the Work

The expected duration of work is estimated at 1.5 person months.  The target date for the start of work is September 07, 2015 and the completion date is October 25, 2015. 

F.      Duty Station

The Resource Economist is not expected to report on a daily basis to the Project Management Office based in BMB in Quezon City but shall be available on an on-call basis.  

G.  Qualifications of the Successful Individual Contractor

Corporate competencies

• Preferably with sufficient knowledge of UNDP and BMB and some level of familiarity with its operations

Functional and technical competencies

• Leading and supervising
• Formulating strategies and concepts
• Relating and networking
• Persuading and influencing
• Applying technical expertise

Required Skills and Experience

Education: 

• Master’s degree in environmental economics, environmental science or related fields or an undergraduate degree plus at least 5 years of demonstrated professional experience in the field of economics, biodiversity conservation or resource economics.

Experience: 

• With extensive knowledge and experience in research, resource valuation, environmental economics, biodiversity conservation;
• Familiar and up-to-date with national and local programs, projects and initiatives on biodiversity conservation and related areas

Skills:        

• Good communications and interpersonal skills;
• Good analytical and organizational skills

Language requirements:

• Very good command of oral and written English

H.    Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

The financial proposals from possible candidates should be expressed in lump sum amount inclusive of all financial costs related to this engagement (i.e. transportation/travel to and from residence-Manila and/or within Metro Manila, transportation/travel to outside of Metro Manila, supplies & materials, reproduction, communications including internet). 

Schedule of Payments:

I.   Criteria for Evaluation of Proposal

      A. Qualifications/methodology – 70%

• Track record in undertaking similar/related work – 20%
• Practicality and appropriateness of the approach and methodology – 30%
• Qualifications of the Contractor – 20%

      B. Financial  Proposal – 30%

J. Application Requirements

1.     Duly accomplished 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.     Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided. 

Application requirements should be emailed to procurement.ph@undp.org and registry.ph@undp.org on or before   31 August 2015.