| Overview : UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (COSTA RICA) Terms of Reference (TOR) for an Assignment Requiring the Services of an Individual to be Engaged Through an Individual Contract (IC) Project BIOFIN: Costa Rica International Review of Case Studies: Successful Fundraising Strategies Aiming to Purchase Land Needed for Conservation Project Title: Project BIOFIN (Costa Rica) Project Description Available evidence and the decisions adopted by Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) indicate that a significant gap remains in finance for biodiversity management, for countries to drastically scale up their efforts and achieve the 20 Aichi Targets defined in the CBD’s Strategic Plan for 2011-2020. A preliminary assessment recently conducted under the auspices of the High-level Panel on Global Assessment of Resources for Implementing the CBD Strategic Plan estimated that the global investment required ranges between 130 and 440 billion US$ annually. While useful, this and similar other global estimates are based on extrapolations sensitive to the underlying assumptions. To define biodiversity finance needs and gaps with greater precision and determine related challenges and opportunities for resource mobilization, detailed national-level (bottom-up) assessments are therefore required. In this context, UNDP in October 2012 launched the Biodiversity Finance Initiative – BIOFIN, as a new global partnership seeking to address the biodiversity finance challenge in a comprehensive manner – building a sound business case for increased investment in the management of ecosystems and biodiversity. BIOFIN is managed by the UNDP Ecosystems and Biodiversity Programme, in partnership with the European Union and the Governments of Germany and Switzerland, who support the initiative with a total of USD 15 million (as of May 2014 – further support is being sought). The Global Environment Facility is a further partner financing parallel in-country projects in support of the revision of National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs). Guided by a steering committee representing the partners, BIOFIN works along two main axes: 1. Globally-led development of a new methodological framework An entirely new methodological framework is being developed and piloted for undertaking national-level “bottom-up” analyses of the finance-relevant enabling context; for determining the current / baseline investment in biodiversity; for quantifying the full cost of meeting national biodiversity conservation targets and the resulting finance gap; and for assessing the suitability of financial mechanisms and developing national resource mobilization strategies that are fully appropriated by national governments and other key in-country stakeholders. The methodologies applied in the project will be refined through regional and global learning, and made available more widely. b. Adaptation and implementation of this new methodological framework at national level To help countries increase the importance attributed to biodiversity and in consequence bridge the financing gap, the work at national level will be led by Ministries of Finance, Economics or Planning and the Ministry of Environment. Countries will begin implementing recommendations pertaining to a priority subset of the identified financing mechanisms – regarding aspects such as institutional requirements, laws and regulations, taxes and fees, identification of legal thresholds, removal of perverse incentives, further feasibility studies and implementation plans, certification processes, public-private-partnerships, voluntary agreements, etc.
Following the global methodology and process, the BIOFIN team in Costa Rica encountered a very difficult situation for this country to fully fund all of its needed investments for Biodiversity Conservation. Specifically, the existing obstacle is a very large debt that State has to pay back to land tenants who were expropriated of their land in order to create protected Areas. By direct request of the Government of Costa Rica, BIOFIN is planning to conduct an international review of case studies and facilitate a closed-doors workshop to help de government plan the best action to pay back this debt. Background to the Costa Rican situation of Un-paid Land used to create Protected Areas. Costa Rica has been a leader in the establishment of protected areas. Beginning with the creation of the historic Santa Rosa National Monument, Costa Rica embarked on a major park-making push in the 1960s and 70s. However, Costa Rica still owes an estimated US$ 1.5 billion to pay back debts from expropriations needed to create protected areas. Some of these debts are 30 years old, and much of the payment is on debt interests. Postponing the situation means increasing the biodiversity deficit of the country in the long term. Therefore, BIOFIN Project has been mandated by its Steering Committee to help the Costa Rican Government identify a viable option to pay this debt to tenants. This consultancy is for the identification, review, and priorization of successful fundraising experiences for the creation and financial sustainability of protected areas that have taken place in the last 25 years. The selected consultant will write an international review of case studies and will propose a plan and facilitate an international workshop to help the Costa Rican government to decide on viable plan to address this debt. Expected Outputs and Deliverables General Objective: Identify, document and systematize lessons learned from successful international experiences raising funds to pay for the creation of protected areas and to propose a plan adapted to costarican situation. Specific Objectives: Identify at least 15 documented cases, between 1990-2015, of governments or public sector entities raising funds specifically for any of the following: - To pay back debts from expropriations needed to create protected areas; or
- To purchase land from the private sector to create protected areas; or
- Successful fundraising mechanisms aimed at improving the financial sustainability of protected areas systems
The final list 15 experiences to be reviewed should combine a range of state-led initiatives (debt swaps, taxes, levies, bonds; etc); private sector initiatives (campaigns, trust-funds; private bons, financial transaction, voluntary airfare taxes); public-private ventures (joint investments, etc), and other mechanisms that have proven to work. Characterize the experiences considering (but not limited to) the following: - Sector: i) Public, ii) Private, iii) Public-Private; etc.
- Aim: i) To pay back for land expropriated; ii) Raise funds for long term sustainability of protected area; etc.
- Amount of funds raised: i) US$ 0.5 Billion; ii) US$ 1 Billion; etc.
- Time frame of implementation: i) less than one year; ii) 2-4 years; iii) 4 years or more; etc.
- Brief stakeholder analysis of champions and implementers of the experience: For each selected experience, the role of the implementing partners and associated partners will be explained to understand the level of investment and involvement of each party.
- Brief description of the process for each experience: Reviews will include: i) chronology of events; ii) description of important milestones, iii) reference to specific conditions that were contributed to the success of the experience; iv) description of technologies and human resources used.
- Costs: As much as possible describe the final cost and how was this distributed among the most important stakeholders.
- Lessons learned: The most important lessons derived from the experience.
- Recommendations for best practice: Lessons learned that can be translated into specific recommendations for the Costa Rican experience.
Develop an executive summary for the 5 best reviewed experiences, selecting those that are most relevant and applicable to the Costa Rican context considering: The Costa Rican target of paying up to $1.5 Billion US to pay land (and interests) that was expropriated from tenants to create Protected Areas Effectiveness in achieving fundraising targets. Particularly interesting are those experiences were a very high fundraising target was met. In the Costa Rican case, an estimated 3% of the GDP needs to be raised. Viability of implementing the selected strategy in the legal and governance context of Costa Rica. This is a highly legalistic society (many government measures are easily contested in the court by citizens); separated legislative, executive and judicial powers (therefore executive decisions may not necessarily become law); and a significantly small national budget (US$ 15 Billion approx.); a fragmented legislative assembly were no party has majority (all decisions need nation-wide consultation in order to be adopted. Viability of contacting an informant of the experience: Special consideration should be taken to select experiences were it may be viable to contact a professional or civil servant who lived the selected experiences to invite to an event in Costa Rica. Based on the previous review, propose draft Fundraising strategy/plan/program suggested for the Costa Rican Government to address the above stated challenges. This document will also serve as a reference document for the workshop. It will outline the most viable fundraising strategy for Costa Rica according to the consultant’s review of best practices, knowledge about the country and the fundraising targets needed for Costa Rica. Identify and contact three high level informants of the three priority experiences who would be willing to participate in an international workshop to showcase these lessons among Costa Rican decision makers to be held the second semester of 2016. Design and support facilitation of a workshop to be held the second semester of 2016 (August/September) and will help high level decision makers from the Ministries of Finance, Environment and Planning design a Plan to Pay Back Tenants owed for land for the creation of Protected Areas. This is an initial workshop to be held at close doors with only the participation of technical staff from the relevant ministries. The idea is that it will help government staff prepare a preliminary roadmap that is to be presented to the Minister of Environment and other members of the cabinet. For this workshop the consultant will present the review of the successful cases studied, with the best practices identified and the draft plan to be applied in Costa Rica, as well as any other relevant material/document that can be useful. The workshop will be designed to achieve two objectives. First, it will consider reviewed best practices and help participants discuss the viability of different examples for the Costa Rican context and national planning instruments (Biodiversity Strategy, ODS national targets, National Development Plan). The second part of the workshop will help participants design a Preliminary Plan to Pay Back Tenants owed for land for the creation of Protected Areas. This plan will be presented to the Minister of the Environment at the end of the event. Deliverables 1. Draft document version 1: International Review of Case Studies: Successful Fundraising Strategies Aiming to Purchase Land Needed for Conservation 2. International Review of Case Studies: Successful Fundraising Strategies Aiming to Purchase Land Needed for Conservation. (30 pages maximum length, Garamond 12). 3. Executive summary for the 5 best reviewed experiences 4. Draft Fundraising strategy/plan/program suggested for the Costa Rican Government to address the above stated challenges. This document will also serve as a reference document for the workshop. 5. Methodological design Report for International Workshop Plan to Pay Back Tenants owed for land for the creation of Protected Areas. This report will include: i) minutes of the 3 informants attending the workshop confirming participation on suggested date; ii) Technical Annexes (Deliverable 1,2,3 and 4, plus any other recommended reading by participants before for the workshop); iii) Workshop Plan Matrix (time, objective, description, inputs, responsible person); iv) Workshop Talking points for the opening remarks by the Ministries of Environment, Finance, Planning, as well as for the presentations of Informants highlighting the most relevant lessons for Costa Rica of each experience. 6. International Workshop Report: A 3 pager high quality diagrammed document with pictures, to be sent back to participants no later than 3 days after the workshop. Institutional Arrangement a) This consultancy will be supervised by the BIOFIN Project Lead in Costa Rica and UNDPs Sustainable Development Officer in that country. All outputs must be approved by those two parties. b) The contractor is expected to include in its economic offer all what is required for him/her to develop the consultancy, including airfare and daily expenses in San Jose Costa Rica for a workshop to be held at the end of the consultancy, once the workshop plan and output documentation has been approved and translated into Spanish. The costs of the workshop will be costed fully by the BIOFIN project, which will also provide logistical and coordination assistance for the selection of venue, invitations and other logistical responsibilities. The contractor is only expected to provide methodological design, reporting and presentation of the study and support facilitation during the event. Qualifications of the Successful Individual Contractor Clearly define and indicate the following: a) With Masters or Doctoral degree in Economics, Environmental Economics or Conservation and Economics b) Has lead the development of at least 5 studies, consultancies or published research related to conservation finance, fundraising for protected areas or protected area financial sustainability. c) Participation in at least two successful fundraising processes is desirable. d) CV shows at least two previous work experiences leading, planning, or facilitation workshops for the public sector of developing countries on issues related with conservation, protected area systems financial sustainability or environmental finance. e) Proven background knowledge of Costa Rican or Central American conservation finance history and issues (proven through publications or working in duty stations based on any of the suggested countries). Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments All proposals must be expressed in following pricing: a) Lump Sum Amount: All-inclusive of travel to Costa Rica and necessary arrangements and purchases to finalize the consultancy. The contract price is fixed regardless of changes in the cost components; Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer This section should indicate all the criteria which shall serve as basis for evaluating offers, which may be done in either of the following manner: a) Combined Scoring method – where the qualifications, proposal and methodology will be weighted a max. of 70%, and combined with the price offer which will be weighted a max of 30%. Duration of the Work a) 3 months maximum (and deliverables presented according to the table above) b) All outputs will be reviewed in no more than 5 days. Duty Station a) Home Based, with one requested mission to Costa Rica to conduct and support the suggested workshop. (The costs of travel and accommodation are to be included in the Economic Offer). The workshop will be supported by local staff who will provide assistance in terms of logistics, venue, and catering issues of the workshop (costs of which will be covered by Project BIOFIN). Recommended Presentation of Offer The following documents are requested to present Offers: a) Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP; b) Personal CV and 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; c) Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided. SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS This process will be conducted by the UNDP, following the rules and guidelines of the agency (simplified selection and procurement through the IC—Individual Contract modality). The documents must be send to email: adquisiciones.cr@undp.org; , subject “Review of cases studies”. Application deadline: 1st July 2016 | 
