| Introduction : Country: Philippines Description of the Assignment:
Project Description
The Philippines remains one of the most climate-vulnerable countries globally, as evidenced by more frequent and intense tropical cyclones, prolonged monsoon rains, droughts, and sea-level rise. Climate change poses more significant risks to the stability of both human and natural systems if the economy continues to grow without addressing environmental degradation and social inequality, and the government fails to plan for new and emerging threats such as disease outbreaks. Acknowledging and responding to these multidimensional risks are the key to strengthening resilience.
To address this challenge, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) through the support of the Government of Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in the Philippines (DFAT), is implementing the Strengthening Institutions and Empowering Localities Against Disasters and Climate Change (SHIELD) Programme. Together with its consortium partners, SHIELD aims to transform its 11 target provinces, Metro Manila, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) into safer and resilient communities by achieving three interdependent components:
Component 1: Government, private sector, and civil society stakeholders in targeted local government units (LGUs) are collaborating to unlock funding and implement informed and inclusive resilience actions Component 2: Relevant national government agencies (NGAs) are prioritizing action on local climate and disaster resilience Component 3: Philippine scientific agencies are producing tailored and accessible information for local resilience action
The second component is built upon the need to develop and strengthen an enabling environment at the national level beyond planning and financing, to accelerate climate and disaster resilience actions at the local level and improve oversight and accountability for its implementation and results. Together with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) as the government lead for Component 2, SHIELD is looking at initiating policy reforms, including the development and enhancement of resilience frameworks, plans, policies, and strategies, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) framework for resilience, and data ecosystems for resilient development.
Background/Rationale
The legislative actions taken in the Philippines, particularly the enactment of Republic Act (RA) 10121, the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act in May 2010, and RA 9729, the Climate Change Act of 2009, indicate significant strides towards integrating disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) into national and local planning processes. These laws provided the legal framework for the formulation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan (NDRRMP) 2011-2028 and National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) 2011-2028 which outlined comprehensive strategies for enhancing disaster resilience and reducing risks at all levels and assess the impact of climate change. Both plans emphasized the importance of mainstreaming DRRM and CCA across various sectors, highlighting the need for integration in policy formulation, socio-economic development planning, budgeting, and governance.
In response to the implementation challenges identified after five years of RA 10121, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) initiated a review of the law's Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) to address operational ambiguities. Supported by stakeholders from civil society organizations, the academe, and the private sector, this review process aimed to enhance the effectiveness of DRRM efforts through the development of comprehensive guidelines and protocols. Stakeholder consultations and workshops identified gaps, including the need for standardized approaches to integrating disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.
Subsequently, the publication of the updated NDRRM Plan 2020-2030 reinforced the convergence between DRR and CCA by establishing linkages between disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and human security concepts. This strategic alignment with other ecologically grounded frameworks, such as the National Framework Strategy on Climate Change (NFSCC) and the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP), signifies a holistic approach to addressing the absence of a common framework in targeting DRR and CCA programs among National Government Agencies (NGAs) and Local Government Units (LGUs). Moving forward, efforts to enhance this convergence should focus on strengthening coordination mechanisms, fostering multi-stakeholder partnerships, and improving the integration of DRRM and CCA into policy and planning processes at all levels. By aligning strategies and actions, the Philippines can better mitigate risks, build resilience, and adapt to the impacts of climate change and disasters, ultimately safeguarding the well-being of its communities and ecosystems.
To strengthen the alignment of CCA and DRR within the country’s policy framework, the OCD, with support from the UNDP through the SHIELD Programme, will develop a strategic policy paper that shall aim to address the following gaps:
1. Integration of CCA and DRR functions at the national level. The paper shall explore various policy options, such as (a) establishing a dedicated office for resilience to harmonize CCA-DRR efforts and (b) strengthening coordination and collaboration among existing agencies, including the OCD, CCC, NDRRMC, and the Cabinet Cluster on Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation, and Disaster Risk Reduction (CCAM-DRR) for a more comprehensive and coordinated approach on resilience-building, and other policy options as may be appropriate to facilitate stronger coordination and convergence at the policy, programming, and implementation levels. 2. Alignment of Relevant National Frameworks and Plans. The paper shall address existing gaps and propose solutions to align the NDRRMP and NCCAP with other national plans including the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023 – 2028, National Adaptation Plan 2023– 2050, and international frameworks and commitments, such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The policy paper must also propose how to operationalize this alignment of frameworks and plans. 3. Alignment of Relevant Local Plans. The paper shall discuss current challenges and policy recommendations to strengthen the alignment between local development planning documents such as Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUP) and Comprehensive Development Plans (CDP), Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plans (LDRRMP), and Local Climate Change Action Plans (LCCAP) with local investment programs like the Local Development Investment Program (LDIP) and Annual Investment Program (AIP). Likewise, the policy paper must also propose how to operationalize this convergence and execution of local plan convergence.
Scope of Work
UNDP seeks to engage the services of an Individual Consultant to develop a strategic policy paper that will support the OCD, the Climate Change Commission (CCC), and other relevant national government agencies in effectively converging and integrating their CCA and DRR initiatives. Specifically, the Consultant is expected to perform the following tasks in undertaking the project:
1. Prepare an Inception Report which shall include the following:
a. Introduction containing the background of the study, project objectives, key activities, and expected results b. Analytical and methodological framework c. Detailed work plan and schedule of activities and key milestones d. Progress reporting method e. Stakeholder approach in project implementation, which includes the list of relevant stakeholders (e.g., national and local government institutions, civil society organizations, academia, private sector), their specific roles, and how they will be engaged in each stage of the project f. Potential risks and challenges in implementing the program activities, likelihood, impact, and mitigating measures
2. Conduct a desk review of current local and international policies, policy papers, guidelines, frameworks, strategies, and other relevant documents on CCA-DRR policy convergence.
3. Facilitate consultation meetings and workshops, key informant interviews (KII), focus group discussions (FGD), surveys, and/or other relevant activities to validate and extend the initial results of the desk review, and gather additional insights from relevant stakeholders as input to the policy paper.
4. From the results of desk research and other consultation activities, prepare a Gap Assessment Report which covers at the minimum:
a. Current state of CCA-DRR convergence in the Philippines, including existing policies, strategies, and initiatives, key stakeholders and their roles, and existing mechanisms of coordination and collaboration b. Issues and challenges impeding effective CCA-DRR convergence at both the national and local levels, including policy, institutional, knowledge/data, operational, and financial gaps, if applicable c. Case studies/Literature review of policies and best practices in CCA-DRR convergence from relevant national and international sources and synthesis of key learnings and recommendations that can be applied in the Philippine context
5. Building on the key findings of the Gap Assessment Report, formulate the first draft of the policy paper on CCA-DRR convergence. The draft should include proposed policy options and detailed implementation strategies to effectively address the identified gaps.
6. Present the draft policy paper to the OCD, SSU, and other relevant agencies, and revise the document based on the inputs and comments generated from the validation activities.
7. Provide technical assistance to the OCD in its presentation to the NDRRMC such as but not limited to the preparation of the following:
a. Slide deck containing summary of key findings b. Policy brief
8. Present the final draft of the policy paper to the OCD, SSU, and other relevant agencies for additional inputs and approval.
9. Lead the coordination with relevant OCD offices and other stakeholders for inception meetings, consultations, workshops, and other activities needed to complete the deliverables.
10. Prepare letters of correspondence, presentation materials, progress reports, activity design, post-activity documentation, and other relevant documents, as required.
11. Upon completion and acceptance of the final output, submit all relevant information and documents gathered throughout the engagement to the OCD.
The Consultant is expected to work with the SHIELD Support Unit (SSU), the UNDP Climate Action Programme Team, the OCD, and other relevant Stakeholders.
Period of assignment/services: 100 person-days spread over 9 months Proposal should be submitted directly in the portal no later than indicated deadline. Any request for clarification must be sent in writing via messaging functionality in the portal. UNDP will respond in writing including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry.
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