Procurement Notices

Title:

Island Strategic Planning Consultant

Unit:

Resilience and Sustainable Development, UNDP Pacific Office, Suva, Fiji

Project Name:

Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project

Duty Station:

Tuvalu – with one visit to the UNDP Country Office in Suva, Fiji

Duration of Contract:

6 months

Commencement and End Date:

August 15th, 2018 – February 15th 2019

Closing Date of Application:

August 16th , 2018

Objective

The main objective of this assignment is to establish a framework for the implementation of Output 3 of TCAP. This includes an initial stocktaking exercise, development of an Operations Manual, partnership building with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Rural Development and the LoCAL project, contributions to the finalization of the performance-based grant mechanism, and initial liaison with national and local stakeholders.

The ISP Consultant will work closely with the Department of Rural Development (DRD) in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Rural Development (MoHARD), Kaupules and in collaboration with the Climate Change Policy & Disaster Coordination Unit (CCPDCU) in identifying strategic areas of intervention for TCAP to sustain and advance the recent progress made in the areas of Island Strategic Plans (ISPs) with support, particularly, from the UNDP-supported NAPAII project and UNCDF-supported LoCAL project, and the establishment of the Tuvalu Survival Fund.

With the recognition that establishing strong local governance in the Tuvaluan context requires altered notions and behaviours by all stakeholders and that such a change takes place only gradually, the Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project is expected to extend the duration of support to Kaupules, communities and the Government, that was started by NAPAII and LoCAL, by another six years.

From this perspective, continuity of support in institutionalizing a climate-responsive ISP process is an important element of Output 3 of TCAP.

Background

The Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project (TCAP), financed by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), was approved in June 2016 and the project implementation commenced in September 2017. The primary focus of the project is to put in place robust coastal protection measures in the three islands of Funafuti, Nanumea and Nanumaga; and by building institutional and community-level capacities to prepare for the impact of increasingly intensive wave actions in the country.

While the construction of physical defense is considered one of the urgent actions required to reduce Tuvalu’s extreme vulnerability, the Government of Tuvalu is acutely aware that there is a considerable need to invest in long-term resilience of the country and that it can be achieved only by strengthening the ability of each of the nine islands to identify, plan for and execute locally-relevant adaptation actions.

In response, the design of the TCAP project also contains a component whereby island councils (Kaupules) and communities will receive assistance in facilitating participatory consultations, identifying climate change adaptation priorities, reflecting the priorities in the island investment plan, executing priority actions and monitoring results. Importantly, all of these areas of support will be provided in the context of the existing Island Strategic Plan framework.

Tasks and Responsibilities

Working under the direct supervision of the TCAP National Project Manager, in close collaboration with the Government of Tuvalu and UNDP Country and Regional Teams, the consultant will be responsible for providing high quality implementation support to Output 3 of TCAP including:

• Support the TCAP PMU and MoHARD/DRD, in collaboration with the CCPDCU, in developing the Operations Manual for the Performance-Based Climate Resilience Grants (PBCRGs), building on the ongoing work of UNDP/LoCAL, which include the minimum conditions (MCs) and performance measures (PMs) for obtaining the PBCRG, the Means of Verification (MoV) for compliance, the process and timeline for performance assessment, the fund distribution mechanism, and monitoring and reporting mechanisms;
• Assess the eligibility criteria for accessing the Tuvalu Survival Fund and reflect them in the Minimum Conditions/Performance Measures or in the capacity building strategy targeting Kaupules;
• Initiate a strategic dialogue with MoHARD on synchronizing the ISP production/implementation cycle;
• Work closely with the LoCAL team for jointly finalizing the PBCRG implementation design;
• Sensitize and raise awareness of Kaupule and MoHARD/DRD staff about all the Operations Manual and other related process in the ISP cycle;
• Undertake outer island missions as needed and produce a mission report for each mission;
• Support MoHARD/DRD Capacity Strengthening Program through identification of the technical and financial assistance that can be provided by TCAP (areas of assistance should fall within the scope of TCAP);
• Develop, in collaboration with MoHARD/DRD, CCPDCU and LoCAL, a capacity development strategy for Kaupules;
• Assist the initial MC assessment mission for new Kaupules, and;
• Review the existing process of ISP formulation and the content of ISPs and make recommendations for establishing a consistent ISP revision process (including the alignment of timelines for all islands, formatting, contents), integrating climate change adaptation needs, and improving Kaupules’ capacities for planning and implementation. 

Expected Output/Deliverables

The consultant will be required to submit the following deliverables:

1. Inception Report;
2. Operations Manual;
3. Capacity Building Plan for Island Kaupules;
4. Design Document and MoU to be signed between MoHARD and UNDP;
5. Baseline Report post Minimum Conditions (MC) assessment;
6. Plan of Actions on streamlining the ISP process;
7. Final Consultancy Report;

To effectively achieve these deliverables, the activities for the consultancy will include, but not necessarily be limited to the following:

INCEPTION REPORT

• Make revisions, where appropriate, on the planned activities for Output 3 in agreement with the wider TCAP technical team based on the TCAP AWP for the 7-year period;
• Update DRD/MoHARD on project activities targeting Kaupules and outer islands to avoid duplication and promote ownership of the project by gov’t partners;
• Develop a work plan for the 6 months consultancy work based on the prescribed tasks;

OPERATIONS MANUAL (UNDER THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL FISCAL TRANSFER MECHANISM)

• Review existing primary sources of information to ensure compatibility of the Operations Manual for the Performance-Based Climate Resilience Grants (PBCRGs) binding within the Government rules and regulations;
• Submission of a Stocktaking report

CAPACITY BUILDING PLAN FOR KAUPULES

• Agree with the wider TCAP technical team on timeframe to deliver specific capacity building trainings for the Island Kaupules;
• Identify capacity building needs for the Kaupules;

PBCRG DESIGN DOCUMENT

• Initiate formal dialogue with MoHARD/DRD on areas of collaboration;
• Develop an MoU to be signed between MoHARD and UNDP;

BASELINE REPORT POST MC ASSESSMENT

• Following the Minimum Conditions Assessment mission(s), identify and conduct, in agreement with the wider TCAP Technical Team, the specific capacity building trainings for Kaupules that will assist Kaupules in meeting the PBCRG criteria;

PLAN OF ACTIONS ON STREAMLINING THE ISP PROCESS

• Provide recommendations on improving the ISP planning process at the national and community level;

• Review what climate adaptation measures that have incorporated into existing ISPs based on the earlier works made by CCDPCU;

FINAL CONSULTANCY REPORT

• Report on the overall progress and achievements made, plus challenges encountered on the designated deliverables and activities during the contracting period;
• Provide supporting documents of training activities and consultations conducted during the mission(s);
• Report should indicate the level of participation by different community groups such as women, youths and others;

Resources Provided

The consultant is required to provide for his/her own computer as well as the travel and transportation costs during this consultancy.

UNDP shall make arrangements with MoHARD to allocate a working space for the consultant and at TCAP Tuvalu office to accommodate the working station needs and to ensure good flow of information between MoHARD and PMU in the course of this consultancy.

Supervision/Reporting

The consultant will report to and work under the guidance of the TCAP Project Manager and the Chief Technical Advisor (CTA), while seeking inputs from the Deputy Team Leader RSD at the UNDP Pacific Office in Suva and the Regional Technical Advisor (RTA) based in Bangkok.

The consultant will respond timely (within 24 hours, preferably) to technical requirements of key stakeholders, such as CCPDCU, DoE, UNDP PO, and UNDP RTA. This input can be where applicable, by email, telephone and as necessary, in person.

Requirement for Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum Master’s Degree in Development Administration, local government or rural development;
• 15 years of professional experience with at least 10 years of experience in the Pacific;
• Having at least 5 years of direct experience working with or related to Tuvalu Government Administration;
• Proven track record of providing advisory service and coordination with the high-level government official in the Pacific, especially in Tuvalu;
• Proven track record of directly involving in performance-based grants and similar tools like budget support;
• Experience in capacity development and institutional strengthening in the Pacific, ideally in Tuvalu, in the context of fiscal transfer, decentralization processes and/or climate change adaptation;

Language

• Fluency in both English & Tuvaluan (written and oral)

Payment Schedule

Note: Payments will be authorized by the Deputy Team Leader RSD, UNDP Pacific -Fiji Office in close consultation with the TCAP Project Manager in Tuvalu.

Evaluation Criteria

Cumulative analysis

The proposals will be evaluated using the cumulative analysis method with a split 70% technical and 30% financial scoring. The proposal with the highest cumulative scoring will be awarded the contract. Applications will be evaluated technically and points are attributed based on how well the proposal meets the requirements of the Terms of Reference using the guidelines detailed in the table below:

When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract may be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and

b) having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

* Technical Criteria weighting; 70%

* Financial Criteria weighting; 30%

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points in the Technical Evaluation would be considered for the Financial Evaluation. Interviews may be conducted as part of technical assessment for shortlisted proposals.

Evaluation Matrix

Proposal Submission

The following information are to be concisely provided by the applicant while bidding for the consultancy works:

Technical Proposal

• CV
• P11 Form
• Statement of how applicant meets requirements for qualifications & experience;
• Proposed methodology/approach including preliminary work plan (covering deliverables, key activities and due dates);
• Names and contacts of 3 referees;

Financial Proposal

• Lump sum financial proposal inclusive of all cost- Daily fee/Travel/ accommodation and any cost associated to undertake this consultancy;

The P11 form and Template for confirmation of interest and Submission of Financial Proposal is available under the procurement section of UNDP Fiji website (www.pacific.undp.org)