Overview : - PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Papua New Guinea (PNG) has been one of the fastest growing economies globally this century with average growth rates above 6%. This rapid growth has been driven primarily by the expansion of foreign investment within the natural gas sector and high prices for PNG’s central exports many of which are transported to rapidly growing Asian economies. This growth has built on a long history of natural resources being at the centre of the PNG economy with exports and employment dominated by mining, natural gas, logging and agriculture. While this rapid growth has delivered significant changes in PNG’s main urban areas and those communities benefiting directly from foreign investment, the country still faces significant challenges in meeting the objectives of Vision 2050 and in providing development opportunities for all while also maintaining its natural environment. Over 85% of the nation’s 7.3m population are based in rural areas and rely primarily on subsistence agriculture for survival and have limited access to health centres, education or broader development opportunities. Falling commodity prices since 2012 have also left the country facing significant economic challenges despite ongoing growth. PNG has a significant area of intact tropical forest covering 77.8% of the country’s 46.9m ha of land. Together with the forest of West Papua (Island of New Guinea) they represent one of the largest areas of intact tropical forest in the world. PNG’s forests are also highly diverse, including 14 distinct forest types, with carbon-rich low altitude tropical forest constituting over 50% of forest area. The country’s forests are critical to the livelihoods and economy of the country. The ecosystem services forests provide help to maintain access to water and suitable agricultural land for PNG’s predominantly rural population as well as helping to protect key infrastructure, people and crops from flash flooding and landslides. Forests also play a direct role in supporting the livelihoods or rural communities with more than 500 species of wild growing plants identified as being used for food and the value of annual bush meat consumption estimated to be equivalent to $26million if alternative meats had to be sourced These economic values sit alongside the deep social and cultural values attributed to forests across PNG. With over 90% of the land area under customary land ownership, PNG’s forests are at the center of the cultural identity of many communities. Since 2005, PNG has been at the forefront of intergovernmental negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to develop an international mechanism to compensate developing countries for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+). To be eligible to receive results-based finance for REDD+ results-based actions under the UNFCCC, PNG will have to develop the following elements: - A National Strategy or Action Plan;
- A national forest reference emission level and/or forest reference level;
- A robust and transparent national forest monitoring system for the monitoring and reporting of the REDD + activities;
- A system for providing information on how the safeguards on local community and forest biodiversity are being addressed and respected throughout the implementation of the REDD+ activities while respecting sovereignty.
The Government of PNG is receiving international support from a number of bilateral and multilateral sources to prepare the country for implementing REDD+ under the UNFCCC, including through readiness support from the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), which is being delivered by UNDP. In 2016-2017, with the support of UNDP/FCPF project, a National REDD+ Strategy (NRS) was developed and submitted to the Government of PNG for review and endorsement. The NRS marks a major milestone in PNG’s transition from the REDD+ Readiness Phase to REDD+ implementation. The NRS was developed over an 18-month period through a process of structured consultation and awareness raising with key stakeholders from government agencies, civil society and the private sector. It builds on the experiences of early REDD+ readiness activities in PNG, including the development of pilot activities, and the ongoing assessment and analysis work that has focused on key areas of action on REDD+ including reviews of forest sector financing, commercial agricultural development, stakeholder engagement processes and land use mapping. Much of this work was compiled in an Issues and Options Paper for REDD+ in PNG, which set out the key decision and action areas for REDD+ in PNG and was circulated widely for consultation, the feedback from which was central to creating the NRS PNG is still at an early stage of its REDD+ development process. Thus, while the NRS marks a critical step in the nation’s REDD+ development process further action is needed to ensure that the NRS is effectively financed, that proposed policies and measures are developed and tested, and that long term sustainable financing and management systems are in place. To achieve this the NRS will be supported by a National REDD+ Finance and Investment Plan (NRFIP), which will provide a detailed breakdown of activities to be undertaken in the coming five years, including clear budgets and approaches to financing. In order to make the process inclusive and participatory, there is a need to support inter-sectoral coordination to improve participation of all relevant stakeholders from the government, civil society and private sectors in the joint development of NRFIP and positioning of PNG to support REDD+ before the global community. In this regard, Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA), as PNG’s leading government agency to coordinate climate change and UNDP/FCPF REDD+ project are seeking a qualified full-time national consultant to strengthen inter-agency coordination and planning on REDD+ in the country. - SCOPE OF WORK
Under overall guidance of CCDA’s REDD+ and Mitigation General Manager and direct supervision of the FCPF Chief Technical Advisor and in close collaboration with the CCDA REDD+ and FCPF teams, the National Consultant will be responsible for the provision of day-to-day support to promote and strengthen inter-agency coordination and planning on REDD+. Specifically, the National Consultant will perform the following duties: - In close collaboration with CCDA REDD+ and FCPF teams coordinate with target sectors (government, civil society and private) on the development of their action areas under the National REDD+ Strategy to ensure effective consultation and coordination;
- Provide assistance for Technical Working Committees on National REDD+ Strategy, Safeguards and Safeguards Information System and other climate change-related groups;
- Strengthen coordination between mitigation and adaptation within CCDA to provide coherent messages to sector agencies;
- Make sure the ongoing sectoral assignments (agriculture, forestry, environment and land-use) are in line with National REDD+ Strategy Policies and Measures;
- Provide support on matters regarding the development, direction, capacity and coordination of activities within NRS and NRFIP to ensure that all stakeholders work together effectively;
- Provide coaching and mentoring to key partners to support the capacity development processes (support sector agencies in understanding climate change concepts through capacity building trainings, workshops and study–tours);
- Assess capacity levels and existing planning frameworks in sectors;
- Support the development of a framework / tool to support integrated climate compatible planning at sector level, linked with DNPM and other relevant agencies;
- Support the development of sector mitigation plans with target on land use change and forestry for relevant sectors;
- Participate proactively in the development of stakeholder engagement plans at the national and subnational levels;
- Support and participate in information exchange and coordination mechanisms with partners and relevant information systems/units
- Institutional arrangements
The assignment will be performed under overall supervision of the Climate Change and Development Authority in close collaboration with relevant government agencies at national and provincial levels as well as team of international and national consultants. The FCPF REDD+ Project Management Unit (PMU) in consultation with UNDP Regional Hub will provide technical advice on the methodological approach throughout the assignment. The National Consultant will be placed within the CCDA’s REDD+ Division and closely work with the team to ensure that all CCDA activities are effectively consulted/advised with relevant stakeholders. The assignment will be carried out in parallel with the REDD+ Financial mapping assessment. The National Consultant will seek to maximize integration and complementarity with that parallel processes in the work it does to ensure the study outputs can strengthen NFRIP and offer a useful case study for mainstreaming climate objectives into PNG master planning. Following the drafting of an inception report the National Consultant will meet with relevant stakeholders and gather data and information for the assignment. The FCPF PMU will provide support to the National Consultant with regard to logistics, including introductions to key stakeholders and organization and financing of workshops, if needed. - Duration of the assignment
The assignment will be undertaken over a period of up to 8 months, starting at the end of May 2017. In accordance with expected outputs and deliverables, the National Consultant submits reports to FCPF REDD+ Project Chief Technical Advisor and CCDA’s REDD+ General Manager for reviewing outputs, comments, and certifying approval/acceptance of works afterwards. In case of any delays to achieve the expected outputs, the National Consultant should notify the FCPF REDD+ Chief Technical Advisor in advance to take necessary steps. - Duty station
The duty station for this assignment is Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Work experience - Demonstrated experience in planning, strategy and policy development at the national level; especially in designing national strategies for forests, land use and/or natural resources;
- Strong understanding of climate change issues, particularly as regards to national REDD+ strategy/plan and climate and/or land use finance;
- Knowledge of the institutional and legal framework in PNG;
- Strong communication skills, including demonstrated written and presentation skills and the capacity to relate to both internal and external constituencies of the programme in English;
- Demonstrated ability to work well in multidisciplinary teams and manage complex tasks
Experience with REDD+ in PNG or the Pacific region an advantage - APPLICATION PROCEDURES
The application should contain: - Cover letter explaining why you are the most suitable candidate for the advertised position and a brief methodology on how you will approach and conduct the work (if applicable). Please paste the letter into the "Resume and Motivation" section of the electronic application.
- Filled P11 form including past experience in similar projects and contact details of referees, please upload the P11 instead of your CV.
Financial Proposal* - specifying a total lump sum amount for the tasks specified in this announcement. The financial proposal shall include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (number of anticipated working days – in home office and on mission, travel – international and local, per diems and any other possible costs). For more details, please see Section 8. “Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments | 
