Procurement Notices

Consultancy Title: International Technical Specialist

Project Name: Integrating Global Environment commitments in investment and development decision-making (IGECIDDM).

Duty Station: Honiara, Solomon Islands.

Duration of the Contract:

• Contract period: 7 December 2015 – 29 January 2016
• Number of working days: 30 days within 7 weeks
• Commencement date: 7  December 2015

Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), acting as an implementing agency of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), is providing assistance to the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management, and Meteorology (MECDM) under the Government of The Solomon Islands in the implementation of the GEF Medium Size Project (MSP) “Integrating global environment commitments in investment and development decision-making” or ‘IGECIDDM’ for short. This project is already in motion after being launched on the 21st of June 2015.  

The IGECIDDM Project is a response to the key capacity constraints identified in country’s National Capacity Self-Assessment (NCSA) conducted in 2008. These includes; ineffective legislation and policy framework; institutional, technical and capacity weaknesses; lack of public awareness and information sharing for sound environmental management and decision making; lack of mainstreaming environmental considerations, biodiversity conservation and sustainable development across government programmes; and gaps in human capacity and development.

In conjunction with the REDD + Development Process (which includes 3 phases of 1): capacity building, design of national plans, policies & measures; 2): Implementation of the national policies (result based); and 3): positive incentives for verified performance) whereby Solomon Islands is still in phase 1, this project presents a unique opportunity for the country to move forward into the second phase.

Building on UN REDD Programme implemented from 2011 to 2013, this project will support the Government to implement the National REDD Plus Roadmap/Strategy which is currently due for Cabinet submission. This Roadmap is a product of the UNREDD programme.

IGECIDDM Project goal is to deliver global environmental benefits across the three Rio Conventions through reduced deforestation and forest degradation by strengthening policy coordination and planning mechanisms.  This requires the country to have, among others, the capacity to access and use data and information, as well as best practices for integrating global environmental priorities into planning, decision and reporting processes.  To this end, the project’s objective is to strengthen and institute a tiered network of key decision-makers, planners, and other stakeholders to catalyze and sustain reductions of deforestation and forest degradation in a way that meets objectives under the three Rio Conventions.  In addition, the project will help raise awareness of the value of REDD+ as a tool to achieve Rio Conventions commitments.

Project Strategy

The incremental approach to this project lies in building upon the commitment of the Government to the REDD+ National Programme in order to mainstream Rio Convention obligations.  In this way, project outcomes will continue after completion of the project because they will be institutionalized within the established REDD+ process.  Through this project, government staff will be trained to prepare planning frameworks that are better informed by global environmental trends yet still achieve national socioeconomic priorities. 

GEF funds will be used to train government staff through directed workshops on how to integrate Rio Convention obligations into planning and development frameworks for improved global environmental governance in the three Rio Convention focal areas.  The learn-by-doing exercises will be used to take the training one step further to train people to think critically about environmental priorities and how they are intertwined with more traditional priorities.  Whereas the GEF focal area projects currently under operation focus on the development, testing and application of focal area best practices, the CCCD project is targeted to institutionalizing the underlying set of capacities to carry out this work.

This project is strategic and transformative through its adaptive collaborative management approach that is part of the design of project activities.  This approach calls for stakeholders to take an early and proactive role in the mainstreaming exercises, as well as to help identify and solve unexpected implementation barriers and challenges.  By taking an ACM approach, project activities and outputs can be more legitimately modified and adapted to maintain timely and cost-effective project performance and delivery.

Project Outcomes and Components

At the end of the project, the project will have resulted in improved capacities for meeting global environmental priorities.  This general outcome will be measured by a variety of indicators, characterized as outputs, process, and performance indicators.  Output indicators include the preparation of a provincial development plan that integrates Rio Convention obligations.  Process indicators include the very important collaboration among government agencies and authorities to strengthen coordination and institutional linkages.  This project is organized into three linked components:

Component 1:       Strengthening institutional capacities for improved implementation of Rio Convention obligations

The first component focuses on strengthening the policy and institutional framework by integrating Rio Convention provisions into The Solomon Islands’ sectoral policies that serve to meet national socio-economic development priorities.  This mainstreaming exercise will be conducted in coordination with the REDD+ Roadmap so as to reinforce the legitimacy of these improved sectoral policies, programmes, plans and legislations.

Component 2:      Strengthening the Development Consent Process to more effectively mainstream Rio Convention obligations

Component 2 focuses on the establishment of an effective knowledge management system that addresses the Development Consent Process within the context of the Rio Conventions.  This system will provide a strong tool for promoting multiple benefits within REDD+ and monitoring the implications of safeguards.  This component will especially support the national institutions responsible for the Rio Conventions in establishing clear, strong linkages with the REDD+ safeguards in order to increase cost-effectiveness in the implementation and monitoring of results toward meeting the objectives of the Rio Conventions in a highly harmonized fashion.

Component 3:       Strengthening awareness and understanding of REDD+ as a strategy to meet Rio Convention obligations

Component 3 aims to strengthen institutional sustainability of the project results by advancing awareness, understanding, and capacity of REDD+ as a means of developing nationally appropriate social and environmental safeguards respecting the guidance and safeguards of the FCCC Cancun Agreements. 

Sustainability of the project will require that a solid baseline of stakeholders value the project and that champions embrace the project.  Activities are therefore directed to raising the public profile of the project, convening targeted awareness-raising workshops and developing related materials, as well as developing a resource mobilization strategy to address the financial sustainability of project results.

Not only will this project produce additional important benefits in the form of national reporting to the three Rio Conventions, but to other multilateral environmental agreements to which The Solomon Islands is signatory as well as to the Millennium Development Goal 7.  The preparation of these reports will be made easier through the strengthening of inter-agency coordination and the integration of Rio Convention obligations into national polices and planning mechanisms as well as the REDD+ process in The Solomon Islands.

Scope of work:

Against the above background, following are the key objectives of this consultancy work.

• To provide necessary technical advisory services to the PMU and the Government on the implementation of the key project activities,
• To assist in the strengthening of the organizational capacities of the Ministry of Forestry and Research (MoFR) REDD+ Implementation Unit (RIU),
• To improve Government coordination and institutional linkages, and
• To assist in other activities that integrate and institutionalize Rio Convention obligations within sectoral planning and EIA guidelines among other substantive areas. This is to ensure timely and high quality project delivery.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The consultant will be responsible for, but not limited to the following: 

• To provide necessary technical advisory services on the implementation of key project activities.  This should include reviewing the existing National REDD+ Roadmap/Strategy, identify relevant strategies and activities, and align them to the IGECIDDM Project work-plan.

• Assist in the strengthening of the organizational capacities of MoFR REDD+ Implementation Unit (RIU). This should include training the RIU officers to strengthen their technical and analytical skills enabling them to effectively carry out their roles. The Consultant should also identify and suggest relevant trainings or develop a REDD+ Training Manual for MoFR/ RIU. 

• Improve Government coordination and institutional linkages by preparing the necessary documents (such as the Terms of Reference and a cabinet submission) for the establishment of the National REDD Plus Committee (NRC) and Technical Working Groups (TWGs). Also develop an MOU and training materials on ‘good practices that should foster more effective inter-agency coordination and collaboration’ between the NRC, TWGs and the Government (in this case it is the MECDM, MoFR and MAL). 
• Support the PMU, the relevant Government Institutions, the NRC and the TWGs to identify potential development plans and policies to integrate the Rio Conventions into them.

Key deliverables:

Following are the deliverables expected of the consultant:

1. IGECIDDM Multiyear Implementation Plan
2. REDD+ Training Manual(s) or guide for the MoFR/RIU,
3. Terms of References and a Cabinet Paper for the establishment of the NRC and TWGs,
4.  An MOU to be signed by the NRC, TWGs, and Solomon Islands Government (SIG) to boost proper coordination and more collaboration,          
5. Trainings and materials on ‘good practices for inter-agency communication, coordination and collaboration’,
6. A final Report recommending the relevant activities adopted from the National REDD+ Roadmap/Strategy to be incorporated into the Project work-plan and guidelines on how to integrate Rio Conventions into the identified development policies or plans.

Resources Provided :

MECDM will provide workspace however, the consultant has to provide his or her own laptop.

Transportation is to be provided by the consultant and not Project

Supervision/Reporting:

 The consultant will be working with the Project Management Unit which has been established to implement the project and support the Government to comply with its obligations under the Rio Conventions. Under the supervision of the National Project Director (i.e. the MECDM Permanent Secretary) and the IGECIDDM Project Manager, the consultant will be reporting to them on the expected deliverables of the consultancy work.

Requirement for Qualifications & Experience (International Technical Specialist):

Qualification

• At least have a minimum of Post-Graduate or Master Degree in environment sciences, agriculture, economics, or any other environmental studies related fields

Experience

• Have at least a minimum of 5-10 years of professional experience working with Governments in areas of coordination.
• Good technical understanding of REDD Plus and the Rio Conventions and experience in coordinating the integration of these Conventions in to Governmental institutional frameworks in developing countries will be an advantage
• Experience in GEF/UNDP or other donor funded projects will also be an added advantage.

Interpersonal and Communication skills

• Has good interpersonal skills to work in multi-cultural environment
• Possess excellent spoken and written English skills
• Has experience in providing trainings.