| Overview : The deadline has been extended to Sunday 28 March 2021 (23:59 New York, USA) Background / Project Description The ‘Restoring Marine Ecosystem Services by Rehabilitating Coral Reefs to Meet a Changing Climate Future’ project was approved by the Adaptation Fund in October 2018 following a regional call for proposals under the themes of Food Security and Disaster Risk Reduction. The project budget of USD 10 M will benefit Mauritius and Seychelles through coral restoration activities as well as capacity building programems and knowledge exchange for the region. The project is implemented under the Direct Implementation Modality (DIM) and involves executing partners in the Republic of Mauritius (Ministry of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping) and the Republic of Seychelles (Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment). The project implementation started in 2020 and the duration is six years (72 months). The overall objective of the project is to reduce the impact of climate change on local communities and coral reef-dependent economic sectors in the Republic of Mauritius and the Republic of Seychelles by implementing coral reef restoration with thermal tolerant corals as adaptation to climate change. The project objective will be achieved through the following outcomes in the Republic of Mauritius and Republic of Seychelles:
(i) development of a sustainable partnership and community-based approach to reef restoration;
(ii) establishment of coral farming and nursery facilities, and
(iii) active restoration of degraded reefs.
The outcomes under the regional component of the project are:
(i) improved understanding and knowledge management of using coral reef restoration as an adaptation to climate change;
(ii) sharing regionally and globally the experienced learned in sustainable coral reef restoration, and
(iii) training to build capacity for long-term sustainable coral reef restoration.
The Project Management Unit (PMU) has been set up with the recruitment of the following:
• Regional Project Manager (RPM)
• National Coordinator in Seychelles
• Project Financial and Administrative Assistant in Seychelles
• Finance and Procurement Assistant
• Project Assistant
• Gender Officer (part-time)
• Communications Officer (part-time) In this context, a Chief Technical Adviser is required to provide technical quality control of the project, support the PMU and the relevant stakeholders through advisory and capacity building services, and provide overall strategic direction and support to partnerships building. In view of achieving the relevant project strategies, objectives and outputs, additional technical specialists will be recruited for the following work:
I. Review of Social and Environmental Safeguards and implementation of Environmental and Social Management plan
II. Assessment of Coral Resilience and Genetic Connectivity
III. Sexual reproduction of corals and training in genetic analysis and micro-fragmentation
IV. Development of financing strategies for Coral Reef Restoration
V. Review of Policy and Legal frameworks for Coral Reef Restoration
VI. Design and construction of Land Based nurseries
Scope of work The Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) will be responsible for advising on strategic direction, partnerships building, ensuring the regional dimension of the project and providing overall technical backstopping. He/ She will render technical support to the Project Management Unit (PMU) and other project counterparts. The CTA will support the provision of the required technical inputs, reviewing and preparing Terms of Reference and reviewing the outputs of consultants and other sub-contractors. The CTA will also provide the principal technical input on Coral Reef Restoration. He/she will report directly to the Regional Project Manager and the UNDP. Duties and Responsibilities
Project Coordination
- Provide advice on strategic direction, lead on partnerships building and networking at the regional level, contribute to enhancing synergies between Mauritius and Seychelles, and ensure the regional dimension and visibility of the project.
- Support the PMU to oversee project implementation and provide technical support to the PMU, the Responsible Parties and Activity Partners in the areas of management of site activities, monitoring, and impact assessment.
- Provide recommendations to the PMU in relation to Terms of Reference for consultants and sub-contractors and assist in the selection and recruitment process.
- Support the PMU in coordinating the work of all consultants and sub-contractors, ensuring effective and timely delivery of expected outputs, and ensuring an effective synergy among the various sub-contracted activities.
- Review all deliverables by the consultants, Responsible Parties and Activity Partners, ensure quality assurance and make recommendations for improvements.
- Provide support to the PMU in the preparation of the Annual Progress Report (APR) and technical reports for submission to UNDP, the AFB, other donors, and Government Departments.
- Provide support to PMU in mobilizing staff and consultants in the conduct of a mid-term project evaluation, and in undertaking revisions in the implementation program and strategy based on evaluation results.
- Provide assistance to the PMU in liaison work and mobilizing alternative financing sources with project partners, donor organizations, NGOs, and other groups to ensure effective coordination and sustainability of project activities.
- Provide support to the PMU in the handling of any complaints received and provide advice on addressing them.
- Provide support to the PMU in documenting lessons from project implementation and make recommendations to the Project Steering Committee for more effective implementation and coordination of project activities.
Delivery of Project Outcomes
- Ensure that the project activities lead to improved livelihood for a sustainable partnership and community-bases approach to reef restoration.
- Provide technical advice to ensure that coral farming and nursery facilities are established at a sufficient scale in Mauritius, Rodrigues, and Seychelles as per project document.
- Provide technical recommendations on all reports relating to coral reef status, sea water quality and other key environmental and social parameters and Environmental and Social Impact monitoring carried out by either Responsible Parties, Activity Partners or Consultants.
- Ensure that the activities conducted under the project are ensuring that the health of degraded coral reefs are restores through proper restoration work, maintenance, and monitoring.
- Provide guidance to ensure that improved understanding and knowledge management of use of reef restoration as an adaptation measure is achieved.
- Provide recommendations in the composition and operation of the Regional Scientific Advisory Committee (RSAC), assist in the selection of members and form part of the RSAC.
- Conduct a comprehensive review of Coral Reef Restoration globally and in the region and support to project partners with regard to coral taxonomy, reef ecological resilience and connectivity and ecosystem-based management.
- Update the inventory of corals in Mauritius and updating the booklet describing the corals of Mauritius and Rodrigues and highlighting the ecological resilience and connectivity.
- Provide technical inputs on latest reef restoration methodologies, innovative coral reefs restoration methodologies, concepts and guidelines on best practices and advise on the best practice to be adopted for specific sites and review the Coral Reef Restoration Toolkit for Seychelles.
- Perform other tasks as may be requested by the PMU and UNDP.
For detailed information on the outputs and deliverables, please refer to the Terms of reference. Duration of the Work
The Chief Technical Adviser shall be for 170 working person days over 3 years (5 field missions and home-based) until April 2024 with the following breakdown: 75 field mission days and 95 days home based. This is a lump sum-based contract, based on set deliverables. Duty Station
During the field-based part of the assignment, the Chief Technical Adviser will be based at the Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment in Seychelles, at the Mauritius Oceanography Institute in Mauritius and at the Commission for Environment, Forestry, Fisheries and Marine Parks under the Rodrigues Regional Assembly, in Rodrigues.
Bidders should also take into consideration quarantine cost for 14 days while in Mauritius, including cost for 2 x Covid-19 tests under the quarantine facility. It is a pre-requisite for Passengers travelling to Mauritius to show the Carriers and Mauritius Port Authority ‘proof of purchase of a travel package including accommodation, on a full board basis, at a designated hotel for a mandatory 14-day in-room quarantine’. Visit this link for more details: https://www.mymauritius.travel/articles/notice-all-travellers-mauritius.
Qualifications and Experience of the Successful Consultant
Education:
A PhD or post-doctoral qualification in marine biology, marine science, or any other relevant field
Experience:
- Specific expertise in the field of Coral Reef Restoration, a good understanding of conservation, sustainable use, and management of marine and coastal biodiversity in tropical zone.
- At least 15 years of professional experience in conservation, sustainable use, monitoring and management of marine and coastal biodiversity.
- Previous participation in Coral Reef Conservation and MPA management programmes.
- Demonstrable experience in implementing equivalent AFB or other multilateral donor-funded projects.
- Be an effective negotiator with excellent oral and presentation skills; and
- A good working knowledge of international best practice in marine conservation, sustainable use and management of marine ecosystem is desirable.
- Has worked in regional projects and demonstrate the ability to bring regional coherence
- Has worked in or with small island states and understand their specificities.
Skills:
- Knowledge of Project Adaptive Management, as applied to conservation or natural resource management projects;
- Ability to effectively coordinate a large, multi-stakeholder project;
- Ability to work effectively with counterpart staff at all levels and with all groups involved in the project;
- Strong drafting, presentation and reporting skills, excellent written communication skills;
- A good personality with strong leadership skills;
- A good working knowledge of international best practice in conservation, sustainable use and management of marine and coastal biodiversity is desirable,
- Holder of a scuba diving certificate
- Knowledge in GIS would be an advantage; and
- Fluency in English is required and a working knowledge of French is desirable.
Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments
Payment Conditions
This is a lump sum contract that should include costs of consultancy, travel and other costs required to produce the above deliverables.
In full consideration for the complete and satisfactory performance of the Services under this Contract, UNDP shall pay the Contractor based on the Certificate of Payment (CoP) and supporting documents/respective against the deliverables stipulated in Section D of the Terms of Reference.
Travel costs will be paid as per actual travel costs claimed by the consultant after each mission and after written confirmation from the Regional Project Manager and verification by UNDP that the services have been satisfactorily performed.
In general, UNDP should not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the consultant wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources.
Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer
Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology:
Cumulative analysis
When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should 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.
Candidates scoring a minimum of 70% of the technical evaluation, excluding the interview would be considered for the interview. Candidates scoring above 70% on the technical evaluation (including interview) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.
The financial offers will be evaluated giving the lowest price proposal 30 marks and marking the other more expensive proposals reverse proportionally to the cheapest offer.
Recommended Presentation of Offer
The following documents are requested:
a) Duly completed Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
b) Personal CV or P11, indicating all 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) Technical offer: Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment (including his/her experience and Tracking Tools), and a methodology on how they will approach and complete the assignment. The technical offer should be submitted along with the P11 in a single pdf file; and
d) Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided by UNDP. The financial proposal should be submitted as a separate file (marked “Financial Proposal _CTA”) to procurement.mu@undp.org and should be locked with a password that would be provided upon request and subject to the candidate being shortlisted after the interview.
Submission of Application Applications should be sent through email: procurement.mu@undp.org on or before Sunday 28 March 2021 (23:59 New York, USA). The subject of email should be : 75938_Chief Technical Adviser Annexes
Annex A - Letter of confirmation of interest and availability and Submission of financial proposal
Annex B - Model Contact IC (for information only)
Annex C - UNDP GCC IC
Annex D - P11
Terms of Reference | 
