Consultancy for National Consultant: Gender Action Plan for ‘Investing in Coral Reefs and Blue Economy’ in Papua New Guinea

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Application deadline 1 year ago: Monday 26 Dec 2022 at 23:59 UTC

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Contract

This is a National Consultant contract. More about National Consultant contracts.

Background

Background

Papua New Guinea is classified as one of seventeen “megadiverse” countries in the world and its marine ecosystems are of international significance. Despite its extraordinary natural heritage, most of Papua New Guinea’s highly biodiverse marine and coastal ecosystems and species are not well protected or resourced and are subject to multiple anthropogenic pressures, including overfishing, pollution, and habitat degradation. With a few exceptions, there is no revenue being generated by protected areas for active conservation management and thus little incentive to manage natural resources sustainably.

Papua New Guinea’s 2020 Oceans Strategy set forward a pathway to reaching the seven targets of SDG 14 (life below water) by facilitating blue economy processes. However, local communities may lack the skills and capital to develop blue businesses, which have the potential to provide both positive livelihoods and conservation outcomes. This is particularly the case for women who remain marginalised in the business and labour markets. On the finance side, many domestic and international investors are unaware of the business and investment opportunities available in the blue sector in Papua New Guinea.

Marine ecosystems lack sustainable blue economy opportunities

Conservation projects, particularly around marine ecosystems, are not able to attract commercial or impact capital at the same pace as other economic sectors due to a confluence of factors. These include: a lack of knowledge about the blue economy; a lack of expertise and capacity to develop bankable projects for investment; low financial literacy, especially amongst women and other disadvantaged populations; lack of affordable finance and inability to fulfil bank/investor requirements and risk aversion on the part of domestic and international investors to diversity portfolio into more environmentally focused (non-traditional) investment areas.

Putting the health of the reef first can be a surprisingly good model for so-called ‘blue business’. In PNG’s local language, tok ples, this is expressed as Gutpla solwara, gutpla bisnis (Good oceans, good business). UNDP has launched a joint project with the UN Capital Development Fund to demonstrate this model’s viability by supporting local blue enterprises, leveraging local skills and ultimately unlocking private capital from domestic and international sources. The Global Fund for Coral Reefs is a blended finance instrument for mobilising action and resources to protect and restore coral reef ecosystems.

UNDP proposes to develop a Blue Investment Plan to operationalize the National Oceans Policy and guide the establishment of the “Blue Economy Enterprise Incubation Facility” (BE-EIF), which will stimulate the growth of viable business options in the new blue economy space. The BE-EIF will provide dedicated technical assistance and a mix of financial instruments, particularly early-stage finance and risk guarantees, to unearth, incubate and grow sustainable blue enterprise investment-readiness from cradle to exit with a particular focus on small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and on women.

The project will start with Kimbe Bay (West New Britain), a site high in biodiversity and coral reefs and with an established network of locally managed marine areas (LMMAs). Supported businesses and projects will include marine ecotourism, coral reef restoration and sustainable aquaculture or seaweed farms, among others.

Gender Analysis and Action Plan

To ensure compliance with PNG legislation, as well as with the UNDP’s Social and Environmental Standards (SES) Policy in the context of the Project, the Project has contracted an International ESIA/ESMP/IPP Development Specialist to assess the risks and impacts associated with the project’s activities by conducting an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) which will feed into the overall Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) and Indigenous People’s Plan (IPP). As Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment is a key Principle for UNDP’s SES Policy, it will be necessary to have a National Gender Specialist support and facilitate stakeholder consultation in West New Britain with the International ESIA/ESMP/IPP Development Specialist to ensure gender considerations are fully considered within these critical documents.

This consultant will develop a gender analysis for the project, using participatory methods and the UNDP screening checklist. In addition, the consultant will review the monitoring and evaluation strategy and ensure gender issues are mainstreamed in the Strategy.

Objectives

The objective of the consultancy is to:

  1. Support and facilitate stakeholder consultation in West New Britain with the International ESIA/ESMP/IPP Development Specialist to ensure gender considerations are fully considered within these critical documents.
  2. Draft and validate the Project Gender Analysis and Action Plan with data collected from the stakeholder analysis.
    1. as part of the Gender Action Plan, this must include annual outputs to facilitate implementation and monitoring of activities that promote gender equality and women’s empowerment within the project.
  3. Review and provide comments on the ESIA/ESMP/IPP.
  4. Review the Monitoring & Evaluation Strategy and ensure gender issues have been fully captured by the proposed methods and measurements.
  5. Conduct one training workshop in West New Britain on the importance of Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, as well as the Gender Action Plan detailing the project actions, targets and indicators.

Duties and Responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the general direction of the UNDP’s Technical Advisor (TA), the Consultant will work with key stakeholders, including the Technical Adviser and Project Manager, to perform the following outputs and tasks:Tasks

  1. Participate in virtual inception meeting with UNDP and ESIA/ESMP/IPP Development Specialist. The purpose of this meeting is to set expectations on working arrangements, set dates of the travel to project site in West New Britain, and to submit a methodology for drafting, collecting data, and validating the Gender Analysis. The deliverable will be composed of:
    • Details of the activities to be completed
    • Methodology on ensuring gender considerations are fully considered with the preparation of the ESIA, ESMP and IPP, as well as collection of gender data during stakeholder consultations.
    • Submit a draft table of contents and methodology for the Gender Analysis and Action Plan (note – this should be based on the UNDP SES Toolkit guidance on Gender available here) on gender issues to be addressed by the project at the proposed project sites. Note that synthesized information available through secondary data collection should be included in the draft table of contents whereas data which will need to be collected through stakeholder engagement should be identified, alongside methodology for collecting data.
  2. Participate in Inception Meeting and subsequent stakeholder engagement and site visits in Kimbe, West New Britain with the International ESIA-ESMP Development Specialist. This will include:
    • Meet and coordinate with the International ESIA/ESMP/IPP Development Specialist (this can be done through internet telecommunications / Zoom), as well as the Project Management Team to prepare/plan for stakeholder engagement at the national level and within West New Britain Provinces for the ESIA, ESMP and Indigenous Peoples Plan.
    • Once the International ESIA/ESMP/IPP Development Specialist is in PNG, support and facilitate meetings in West New Britain to prepare the Project ESIA, ESMP and Indigenous Peoples Plan. These meetings must be conducted in close collaboration with the appropriate Officials engaged with the Project and should be booked well in advance with support from UNDP and CEPA.
    • Deliver a 15–20-minute powerpoint presentation on the Gender Action and Analysis Plan at the Inception Meeting in Kimbe, West New Britain. This is tentatively scheduled for the first week of February 2023. This presentation should give a broad overview of why gender is important to the Project, and to Development, what the “Gen3” marker means, and what the methodology for the development of the Gender Action and Analysis Plan will be.
    • Undertake stakeholder engagement in Kimbe, West New Britain following the Inception Meeting. This will involve:
    • Conduct meetings with District and LLG officials (particularly Community Development Officers), NGOs, etc., and most importantly, to collect primary data among communities through meetings with local leaders and Focus Group Discussions with women, men and young people, both together and separately.
    • These meetings are meant to learn not only about their differentiated socio-economic and gender power positions, environmental issues, concerns and changes observed, their development opportunities, but also about their dreams, desires, and their interest to actively engage in blue economy projects and SME growth.
  3. Draft Gender Analysis and Action Plan. This document should be consistent with community consultations, respective GOPNGs Gender strategy, UNDP Gender Strategies and input from the respective divisions responsible for community development in West New Britain Provinces. Any deviations from the original methodology identified in Task 1 should be justified. The Plan will be made available in Google Drive or Dropbox, and a reasonable period of time (2 weeks) for comments will be held. After this, the consultant will be expected to hand in a final report with Task 5 which will be well-formatted, consistent headings and figure numbering, and have a title page.
  4. Review and provide comments on the ESIA/ESMP/IPP and the Monitoring & Evaluation Strategy (developed by the M&E Specialist) & Blue Incubation Facility business and revenue plan and ensure gender issues have been fully captured by the proposed methods and measurements. This will involve communicating with the ESIA/ESMP/IPP Development Specialist, the M&E Specialist and the consultancy tasked with the Blue Incubation Facility.
  5. Submission of Gender Workshop Training Workshop results. Conduct one training workshop in West New Britain on the importance of Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, as well as the Gender Action Plan, for Project Stakeholders. The purpose of these workshops will be to present/validate field findings for the Gender Action Plan and to present the importance of the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment within the Project. Participants may include the first five businesses selected for incubation, government stakeholders, and UNDP staff. A questionnaire will be prepared pre and post workshop to determine whether participants have gained an understanding of the workshop content material. The submission of the gender workshop training report will only be approved by the Project Technical Advisor if all comments to the Gender Analysis and Action Plan have been integrated and included. Finally, the final deliverable will be accompanied by all disaggregated data collected during the course of the consultancy.

Reporting period and key milestones

Duration

Report due

Payment percentage

Review and Approvals

Payment upon submission and acceptance of the following deliverables:

  • Submission of a methodology and workplan.

5 days

January 25 2023

15%

TA

Payment upon submission and acceptance of the following deliverables:

  • Submission of Field Mission Report from stakeholder engagement and site visits with International ESIA-ESMP Development Specialist. This should include contact details of all stakeholders met.
  • Submission of UNDP Gender Mainstreaming Checklist.

25 days

30 March 2023

25%

TA

Payment upon submission and acceptance of the following deliverables:

  • Gender Analysis and Action Plan.

20 Days

30 April 2023

20%

TA

Payment upon submission and acceptance of the following deliverables:

  • Review and provide comments on the ESIA/ESMP/IPP and the Monitoring & Evaluation Strategy and business and revenue plan.

5 Days

30 July 2023

20%

TA

Payment upon submission and acceptance of the following deliverables:

  • Submission of Gender Workshop Training Workshop results.

5 days

30 October 2023

20%

TA

Working Arrangements

The consultant will closely work with the UNDP PNG Blue Economy team while taking responsibility for deadlines and deliverables as outlined in the Terms of Reference and associated Contract. The consultant will also work closely with the International ESIA-ESMP Development Specialist and will be expected to travel and conduct meetings alongside the Development Specialist, and also review the ESIA/ESMP/IPP to ensure gender is appropriately represented.

The consultant is responsible for providing their own IT equipment and is expected to be reasonably available by mobile and email within PNG working hours through WhatsApp, Teams, and/or Zoom. If based in Port Moresby, the consultant will not have a permanent office space at UNDP but may be expected to come in for in-person meetings before and after the consultation period.

Any travel outside of Port Moresby will be funded by the project separately.

Competencies

Functional Competencies

  • Fluent in English (written and verbal).
  • Fluent in Tok Pisin (written and verbal).
  • Ability to work independently and to deliver high quality programs with minimal supervision
  • Excellent verbal and writing communication skills (i.e Publications or field reports on gender issues that credit the consultant)

Evaluation

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.

Criteria

Points

Percentage

Qualification

20%

  • Master’s degree in social sciences, gender studies, environmental management or another relevant field (e.g. labour economics.

20

Experience

40%

  • 5 years’ experience working in PNG on one or more of the following: community engagement, gender, land use planning, agriculture; biodiversity conservation or related fields;

15

10%

  • One or more projects conducting gender analyses and preparing gender action plans with UNDP or other UN Agencies;

15

10%

  • Demonstrable experience developing and delivering training in the field of gender and/or development;

10

10%

Competencies

10%

  • Fluent in English (written and verbal).
  • Fluent in Tok Pisin (written and verbal)
  • Ability to work independently and to deliver high quality programs with minimal supervision
  • Excellent verbal and writing communication skills (i.e Publications or field reports on gender issues that credit the consultant)

2

3

2

3

Technical Criteria

70%

**If necessary interviews shall also be conducted as part of the technical evaluation to ascertain best value for money.

Financial Criteria – Lowest Price

30%

Total

100%

Required Skills and Experience

Education and experience

  • A Master’s degree in social sciences, gender studies, environmental management or another relevant field (e.g. labour economics);
  • At least 5 years’ experience working in PNG on one or more of the following: community engagement, gender, land use planning, agriculture; biodiversity conservation or related fields;
  • Demonstrable experience (at least one project) in conducting gender analyses and preparing gender action plans with UNDP or other UN Agencies;
  • Demonstrable experience developing and delivering training in the field of gender and/or development;
  • Experience with GEF, GFCR, or Joint SDG Fund projects (at least one of the three) is highly desirable.

  • Have a strong interest in cross-cutting areas such as gender, indigenous or minority rights, etc.

Documents to be included when submitting Consultancy Proposals

The following documents may be requested;

  1. Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
  2. Signed P11, 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;
  3. Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment, and a methodology, if applicable, on how they will approach and complete the assignment.
  4. 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. The financial proposal must be submitted separately from other documents. 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.

The P11 form and Template for confirming availability and interest is available under the procurement section of UNDP PNG website (www.pg.undp.org ).

Lump sum contracts

The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables (i.e. whether payments fall in installments or upon completion of the entire contract). Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (including travel, living expenses, and a number of anticipated working days).

Travel

Travel, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging, DSA and terminal expenses within PNG for the purpose of achieving the project deliverables will be covered by the Project. The Project will not cover living expenses and incidentals while in Port Moresby.

Submission Instructions

Completed proposals should be submitted to procurement.png@undp.org , no later than December 26th 2022. For any clarification regarding this assignment please write to procurement.pg@undp.org

Please be guided by the instructions provided in this document above while preparing your submission.

Incomplete proposals and failure to comply with proposal submission instructions may not be considered or may result in disqualification of the proposal.

UNDP looks forward to receiving your Proposal and thank you in advance for your interest in UNDP procurement opportunities.

Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: jobs.undp.org