Procurement Notices

A.Project Description 

Since 2014, The United Nations Development Program through its Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) Project, has been supporting the Philippine Government in articulating the financial resources it needs to maintain a healthy biodiversity portfolio in-country. In particular, BIOFIN in collaboration with Department of Natural Resources Biodiversity Management Bureau has conducted the following assessments:  1) Policy and Institutional Review (PIR); 2) Public and Private Biodiversity Expenditure Review (PPBER); 3) Assessment of financial needs (cost and gap analysis of implementing Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP)).  These assessments significantly contributed to the development of a Biodiversity Finance Plan.

Based on insights gained from the results of the three BIOFIN assessments, this Plan acknowledges the importance of tapping additional financing to support the biodiversity agenda of the Philippines, mainly through its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP), referred to henceforth in this Plan as the Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP). This Plan is cognizant of the parallel challenges that could not be addressed by generating financing alone: thus, the Plan transcends the focus on generating additional resources and also identifies a range of “finance solutions” that leverage finance, fiscal and economic tools and strategies to improve the outcome of biodiversity objectives in the country. Financing solutions include a range of transformative actions: generating more financing to fund the PBSAP or associated planning documents; appropriate attribution of biodiversity expenditures in the budget; attaining cost effective budget execution by eradicating overlaps in biodiversity functions; eradicating expenditures that continue to or aggravate dissipation of biodiversity resources; and paving the groundwork for a responsive policy environment through greater awareness on biodiversity and biodiversity financing and enhancing institutional support towards monitoring of PBSAP.

B.Scope of Work

Under the supervision of Program Manager and the Senior Technical Advisor, the Policy Specialist will carry out the following tasks:

• In collaboration with the Policy Specialist-Mining, determine policy gaps that prevent or constrain implementation of finance solutions including but not limited to biodiversity offsets and EIA system and organize requisite technical consultations with relevant offices;
• In collaboration with the Sustainable Financing Specialist, assess policy architecture of BD financing among commercial and development finance institutions, including: (i) identification of existing frameworks such as UNEP’s Principles for Responsible Banking, policies, guidelines and Department Orders, among others, that support leveraging biodiversity financing from commercial and development finance institutions; (ii) determination of policy gaps, including incentive systems and institutional landscapes, that prevent commercial and development FIs from developing and deploying biodiversity-related financing instruments, and also those that discourage related sectors from accessing these financing instruments, e.g., MSMEs whose value chains involve nature-based inputs – and/or scaling-up investments on biodiversity conservation along the value chains streams; and (iii) development of policy recommendations that will help in de-risking biodiversity-financing related instruments and increase uptake of said instruments.
• In collaboration with the Sustainable Financing Specialist, assess policy and institutional landscapes related to biodiversity-related Public-Private Partnerships, impact investments and blended finance. Through this work, the Policy Specialist will identify existing policies that provide opportunities for PPP, impact investments and blended finance to achieve PBSAP targets. Throughout the process, policy and institutional gaps and recommendations on addressing these vis-à-vis impact investments and blended finance platforms will also be identified and assessed by the Policy Specialist.
• Draft and/or review MOAs and similar instruments related to the Project;
• Attend project meetings and workshops, as applicable; and
• Submit reports to BMB and UNDP

C.Expected Outputs and Deliverables

D.Institutional Arrangement

The Project Manager shall directly supervise and approve and accept the output/s of consultant.

Based on the table above, outputs will be submitted to the Project Manager in the dates indicated. 

At different points during project implementation, he/she is expected to liaise/ interact/ collaborate/ meet with the BIOFIN team and with other relevant stakeholders.  

E.Duration of the Work

The expected duration of work is estimated at 75 person days.  The target date for the start of work is May 15, 2020 and the completion date is April 30, 2021. 

Within 1 week of the consultant’s submission of their outputs, the Project Manager shall provide their comments.  Should there be no comments, the Project Manager shall endorse the consultant’s output/s for payment.

F.Duty Station

The consultant is not expected to report on a daily basis to the Project Management Office based in BMB in Quezon City but shall be available on an on-call basis.  

Considering the COVID-19 pandemic and declaration of State of Public Health Emergency in the Philippines, all work of the Individual consultant shall be done within the guidelines and protocols set by the local and national government. During the entire duration of the Enhanced Community Quarantine, this consultancy shall be performed remotely and will be a home-based assignment. The Consultant is expected to have his/her own equipment, office space, and internet connectivity. The Consultant shall not engage in any meetings or activities outside their homes. Coordination/meetings shall be done through phone or online communication until such time that the quarantine is lifted. UNDP and the Consultant shall assess, once the Enhanced Community Quarantine is lifted, if it is safe and necessary to have in-person meetings and collaboration.

G.  Qualifications of the Successful Individual Contractor

Corporate competencies

• Preferably with sufficient knowledge of UNDP and BMB and some level of familiarity with its operations

Functional and technical competencies

• Leading and supervising
• Formulating strategies and concepts
• Relating and networking
• Persuading and influencing
• Applying technical expertise

Required Skills and Experience:

CVs must reflect the following minimum qualifications to be shortlisted.

Only those who score a minimum of 70 out of 100 obtainable points will be shortlisted and evaluated.

H. Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

The financial proposals from possible candidates should be expressed on a daily on-call amount inclusive of all financial costs related to this engagement (i.e. transportation/travel to and from residence-Manila and/or within Metro Manila, medical insurance, transportation/travel to outside of Metro Manila, supplies & materials, reproduction, communications including internet). 

Medical/health insurance must be purchased by the individual at his/her own expense, and upon award of contract, the consultant must be ready to submit proof of insurance valid during contract duration.

I. Recommended Presentation of Offer

The following documents are requested:

1. Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
2. Personal CV or P11 Personal History 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; and
3. Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided.  If an Offeror is employed by an organization/company/institution, and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNDP under Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the Offeror must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP. 

Templates for a) P11 Personal History Form and b)  Offeror's Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability and Financial Proposal are available through the link below. UNDP General Terms and Conditions for Individual Contractors  are also available:

http://gofile.me/6xdJm/bE9TCw8fU

J. Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer

The combined scoring method where the qualifications will be weighted 70%, and combined with the price offer which will be weighted 30% shall be adopted.

Submissions must be uploaded on the following link:

https://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_job.cfm?cur_job_id=91373

Offerors must upload in one (1) file the Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability, UNDP Personal History Form (P11) or Curriculum Vitae, Financial proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract prices.

Please see deadline of submissions above.