Procurement Notices

Background:

Costa Rica is already experiencing the effects of climate change (CC), principally in the northern region of the country. CC scenarios suggest that by 2080 the annual area rainfall will be reduced by up to 65% in the region. In the short term, rainfall is predicted to decrease 15% by 2020 and 35% by 2050. These extreme conditions will exacerbate climate and water stress in some areas, recreating conditions that are typical of semi-arid areas (Northern Costa Rica). In other areas of the country, the Caribbean coast, and the Pacific central and southern coasts will suffer from recurrent floods and sea level rise.

If CC-driven pressures are not addressed, the region will continue to experience significant water shortages that will have a severe economic impact on the livelihoods of local communities and the productive sectors.

In Costa Rica, rural aqueduct associations (ASADAS), which are locally organized groups of men and women from the user-communities delegated by the National Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA), provide potable water and sanitation services to 28.7% of the country’s population, reaching communities in suburban and rural areas. Most ASADAS in the region must develop the necessary skills and have access to knowledge and tools, as well as adequate investment, in order to address the scarcity of the water supply due to CC. Existing aqueduct infrastructure is often outdated and overloaded, causing inefficient water delivery, which in turn complicates the collection of fees from end users. Instability of fee collection leads to financial uncertainty, which impedes the ASADAS and the AyA’s ability to plan for and implement targeted improvements and new investments, including adaptation to CC.

AyA investment plans lack community-based or ecosystem-based adaptation measures and financial institutions lack tools that can provide the correct incentives for private sector enterprises to integrate community- and water-related adaptation measures. If the ASADAS do not strengthen their capacities to cope with CC, the vulnerability of rural populations of the northern region of Costa Rica will only increase.

The above stated threats of water shortages to local livelihoods as well as the weaknesses of the existing Integrated Water Resource Management amongst institutional stakeholders Costa Rica are documented and addressed in Costa Ricas National Climate Change Strategy, Nationaly Determined Contribution (INDC) submitted to the UNFCC, as well as in the National Development Plan. For this reason, the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts (AyA), the Ministry of Environment anf Energy (MINAE, represented by the GCF Focal Point for Costa Rica-PF, the Director for Climate Change-DCC, Director for International Cooperation- DCI , Direction of Waters DA- and Meteorological Institution- IMN) requested UNDP to develop a proposal for the Green Climate Fund that may provide a long-term solution to mitigate the prevailing threats of water shortages to local livelihoods is to establish a holistic approach to managing the water supply and demand that takes CC into account.

UNDP therefore requires an international project planning expert to prepare a project proposal using the Green Climate Fund Proposal template (Annex III) for the following project idea (Annex IV):

Project Idea:

The objective of this project is to improve water supply and promote sustainable water practices of end users and productive sectors by advancing community- and ecosystem-based measures by ASADAS to address projected climate-related hydrological vulnerability (including extreme drought and flood events) at a national scale in Costa Rica. This will be achieved through investments in the National Integrated Water Resource Management Information System (SINIGIRH) to ensure updated information of all rural aqueduct associations (ASADAS) is included in the system. The project will focus on promoting community- and ecosystem-based measures in rural aqueduct associations (ASADAS) to address projected climate-related hydrological vulnerability. The interventions aim at upscaling and replicating at national level measures based on the ongoing  GEF SCCF-UNDP-AYA pilot project in the northern region of Costa Rica (Guanacaste and Alajuela provinces) that tested the package of solutions for CC adaptation suggested in the project. (See Annex IV)

Duties and Responsibilities:

The consultant will closely coordinate with the Project Formulation Team composed of representatives from AYA, MINAE (PF, DCC, DIC, DA, IMN) and UNDP (Country Office, Regional tech Adviser), as well as national experts (subject matter, technical feasibility study) and international support consultants (e.g. on economic and financial feasibility, safeguards, gender). Within suggested country/field missions as well as home-based work, the consultant will perform the following tasks:

1. Provide broad guidance to the formulation team team in relation to GCF requirements for planning and monitoring of the project.

2. Facilitate the coordination with other GEF, GCF and Adatation Fund projects implemented by other agencies and institutions for the identification of common actions that contribute to the scope of the project products and results.

3. Provide methodological guidance for collection of data related to the planning and monitoring of the project, with particular attention to the description and quantification of the baseline investments.

4. Coordinate the definition and validation of the results, outputs and activities based on a logical framework analysis and the results of studies of the provided by associated projects or related consultancis by UNDP or partners.

5. Compile and document baseline/ situational analyses for the project based on the inputs from local experts and in close cooperation with experts and key national partners. This will include a precise definition of the baseline of projects, activities, budgets, targets and outcomes, GCF co-financing contacts; and the development of the incremental cost analysis.

6. Preapre the full funding proposal document using the GCF template and GCF annotaded templace by UNDP (to be provided once hired), and coordinate expert input for the preparation of all needed annexes that feed to the proposal (including technical feasibility study, economic and financial analysis, gender analysis, sfaeguards, procurement and budget plan, and others)

7. Complete the Checklist of environmental and social safeguards of the project.

8. Support the development of a stakeholder plan using inputs from national experts.

9. Carry out final revisions of the documentation of the project.

Assignment Deliverables

Deliverable 1:

• Detailed timeline of activities and responsibilities for the preparatory process.

• Proposed methodology and formats for collecting information by the consultant and expected roles of partners that conform the Project Formulation Team.

• Virtual inception workshop report that includes technical advice on data collection, planning and project monitoring, focusing on the approach to describe and quantify the project baselines.

• Identification of additional studies and analysis required for proposal preparation (with ToRs for tech expertise on subject matters)

•Inception report outlineing proposal preparation timeline as per finding proposal outline and annexes,  observations and comments on the products.

Deliverable 2:

• Theory of Change Scheme

•Logical framework (including output and activity structure) and Total Budget and Work Plan table.

• Draft documents: Proposal Proposal, Terms of Reference for additional studies required for submission, ESSP checklist, in English, revised, updated and including required attachments, in accordance with the guidelines and requirements of UNDP.

Deliverable 3:

• Final Proposal ensuring all annexes are completed, ESSP checklist , updated in response to the reviews and comments of the UNDP CO, RCU and HQ.

Deliverable 4: support adjustmenst and revisions responsing to GCF Secrtariat review and comments, following submission of full proposal and annexes

Estimated duration    

The consultancy will be for 40 working days over a period from November 2016 to June 2017.

Institutional Arrangements

The Consultant will be home-based, with some travel to Costa Rica.

The Consultant will be given access to relevant information necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment.

The Consultant will be responsible for providing her/his station (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to reliable internet connection.

Payments will be made per deliverable. The quality of the final documents will be evaluated by the UNDP-GCF Regional Technical Adviser and RTA on Adaptation. If the quality does not meet standards or requirements of the UNDP, the consultant will be asked to rewrite or revise (as necessary) the document before proceeding to payment. In that sense, payments shall be made upon delivery and approval by the UNDP- Regional Technical Adviser on Adaptation and the UNDP-GCF Global Technical Adviser on Adaptation of the products agreed as per following distribution:

• Deliverable 1 (40% of total contract amount)

• Deliverable 2 (40%)

• Deliverable 3 (20%).

Travel:

International travel will be required to attend one or two missions to Costa Rica (depending on technical offer) with expected maximum total travel duration of 10 days including a long mission or two shorter missions.

Costs for mission travel should be included in financial proposal. Consultants will be responsible for making their own mission travel arrangements in line with UNDP travel policies. Any necessary missions must be approved in advance and in writing by the supervisor.

The Basic Security in the Field II and Advanced Security in the Field courses must be successfully completed prior to commencement of travel.

Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director;

The consultant shall be solely responsible for taking out and for maintaining adequate insurance required to meet any of its obligations under the Individual Contract, as well as for arranging, at the consultant’s sole expense, such life, health and other forms of insurance as the consultant may consider to be appropriate to cover the period during which the   consultant provides services under the Individual Contract.

Consultants are required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under https://dss.un.org/dssweb/;

Consultants are responsible for obtaining any visas needed in connection with travel with the necessary support from UNDP.

Competencies-Corporate

Excellent communications and networking skills and the ability to work in a team;

Strong interpersonal and negotiating skills;

Ability to work in a multicultural environment; and

Sound judgment and discretion.

Functional Competencies:

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise

Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally; and

Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments.

Management and Leadership

Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills;

Focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;

Leads teams effectively and shows conflict resolution skills;

Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;

Builds strong relationships with clients and external actors;

Remains calm, in control and composed even under pressure;

Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;

Communicates effectively with staff at all levels of the organization;

Acts with tact and diplomacy;

Proves outgoing and comfortable in handling external relations at all levels;

Demonstrates compelling communication skills and cross-cultural effectiveness;

Demonstrates experience in bilateral and/or multilateral negotiations, and negotiating and training / facilitation skills; and

Possesses the ability to convey difficult issues and positions to senior officials, proven political judgment, sensitivity to local cultures.

Professionalism:

Capable of working in a high pressure environment with sharp and frequent deadlines, managing many tasks simultaneously.

Excellent organizational skills.

Able to work independently and remotely with minimal supervision.

Exercise the highest level of responsibility and be able to handle confidential and politically sensitive issues in a responsible and mature manner.

Capacity to submit high quality deliverables under time constraints.

Required Skills and Qualifications

Language: Essential requirement; If not completed, it won't be considered for evaluation. English and Spanish are the working languages for this assignment, therefore excellent oral and written communications and presentation skills in both languages are required. Deliverables are to be developed and submitted in English language only.

Education

• Masters’ degree or higher in Ecology, Environmental Sciences, Environmental Management, Climate Change or a closely-related field.

Experience:

• At least 8 years of experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of sustainable development and climate change adaptation projects with multilateral international organizations related to the management of protected areas, environmental services and biodiversity.

• Minimum 3 years demonstrated experience in formulation of project proposals funded through vertical funds, using the logical framework and the results-based management approaches.Good understanding of the GEF rationale and procedures.

• Minimum 4 years experience with project development, implementation and management.

• Minimun 2 years experience in the policy development processes associated with environment and sustainable development and climate change adaptation issues.

  Familiarity of the Costa Rican develop ent and climate change vulnerability context.

  Documentation to be submitted

  Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

• Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided in Annex II.

• Duly completed and signed P11 Form, 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.

• A brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment.

• Financial proposal stating the quoted lumpsum amount as well as breakdown per deliverable and per working day, as per template provided in Annex II.

  All proposals must be submitted on October 31th, 2016 (11:59pm Costa Rica time) to the following email address: adquisiciones.cr@undp.org; subject “Consultor internacional experto planificación y formulacion de proyectos”.

  Incomplete proposals may not be considered.