International expert to design a monitoring and evaluation framework to track adaptation activities of the NAP in Montenegro

Contract

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Background

The climate change poses serious, wide-ranging risks to economies, societies and ecosystems. Reducing these risks requires action to sharply reduce greenhouse gas emissions (mitigation), combined with measures to increase resilience to the impacts that occur (adaptation). Through the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), opportunities have been created to ensure a more sustainable, equitable and prosperous future for all.

In many countries, Montenegro included, UNDP has an important role in working towards this future. Working in partnership with the Government of Montenegro and with support from the Green Climate Fund, Montenegro is now implementing a project entitled “Enhancing Montenegro’s capacity to integrate climate change risks into planning”.

Relying on cooperation with national stakeholders and in close cooperation with the Government of Montenegro, a stocktaking exercise to inform the development of an adaptation process concluded that water, agriculture, tourism and health sectors were the initial priority sectors for climate change adaptation interventions.

Despite the actions taken and progress made so far in prioritizing adaptation planning within policy and institutional frameworks, several gaps and barriers are limiting the functioning and effectiveness of the adaptation planning process. These barriers are: The coordination framework for adaptation planning and action are only partially established and underperforming, with a need for improvement and more effective organizational design, clear roles and responsibilities, improved capacity (technical and functional) and institutional arrangements designated for mainstreaming climate change into work-programmed at the sector level Limited institutional and technical capacity at the national and sectoral level to address climate change impacts through adaptation actions, with a need to improve the technical capacity to collect, generate, use and disseminate climate information and services The information required for conducting informed and effective adaptation planning and investments is unavailable. It is difficult to accurately gauge and cost adaptation options at national and sectoral levels without relevant information on climate impacts, vulnerabilities and adaptive capacity in the medium to long-term (iv) national and alternative sources of finance to fund adaptation investments are not optimized as the full costs of adaptation are not yet known.

Responding to these challenges, the proposal was developed for funding under The Green Climate Fund Readiness Programme. The project’s overarching objective is to improve Montenegro’s institutional capacity for long-term adaptation planning. To achieve this, the proposal is focused on (i) improving the institutional coordination framework and increasing institutional capabilities, (ii) increasing climate information and identifying potential adaptation responses/measures, and (iii) identifying financial requirements and resources to fund adaptation investments.

The design and sequence of the project activities have been planned to create efficiencies and have a greater change of being effective.

By building enabling institutional, planning and programming environments for adaption at the national and sectoral level, Montenegro will be able to identify climate-induced risks, and vulnerabilities, and use that information to inform adaptation planning process and to explore appropriate adaptation responses.

Within this context, the project is inviting eligible candidates with relevant experience in mainstreaming gender and climate change issues into sectoral policies, previous experience in capacity building interventions, training program design and implementation of training programs to, in cooperation with local expert and UNDP/national partners, support design and establishing a monitoring and evaluation framework for adaptation planning and its effectiveness. This monitoring and evaluation framework will include indicators and targets for monitoring and evaluation based on sex-disaggregated data.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objective of the assignment:

The overall objective of this set of activities is to start establishment of the M&E system, initially with a smaller number of indicators and with additional indicators to be included over time, as the country is gaining experience with M&E and adaptation actions. Consequently, the expected activities will have a component of capacity building as well as specific work on design and establishing a monitoring and evaluation framework for adaptation planning and its effectiveness. This monitoring and evaluation framework will include indicators and targets for monitoring and evaluation based on sex-disaggregated data.

The process will benefit from ongoing comprehensive review and consolidation of available climate risk assessments within or related to the four priority sectors implemented by the project, develop gender-sensitive adaptation goals, targets and indicators for each of the four priority sectors and identify entry points for integrating gender-sensitive climate adaptation measures for NAP Montenegro while the process is expected to contribute to establish a monitoring and evaluation framework for adaptation planning and its effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis for prioritized CCA investment options.

The overall objective of the assignment is to lead, in conjunction with the national consultant, the development and establishing a monitoring and evaluation framework for adaptation planning and its effectiveness, taking in consideration national framework, draft MRV structure and secure appropriate incorporation of the design into relevant frameworks. A secondary objective is to develop training materials that will contribute to increasing capacity on the M&E of adaptation.

The lead expert will have overall responsibility to guide the process, direct the work of local expert in a manner to obtain needed inputs and formulate expected deliverables.

Expected results of the assignment:

The process will develop a framework for an effective monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system for climate change (CC) adaptation activities., therefore consists of following steps:

• Desk review of the relevant documents to identify existing and relevant M&E frameworks within national strategic framework as well as future ones, with a view to identify partnerships.
• The second part will be to do an in-depth gender-sensitive adaptation goals, targets and indicators analysis together with national consultants, programme staff and national counterparts to identify gender issues, priorities and strategies for developing M&E framework in the new NAP. This will have to be done in line with the country’s relevance, priorities and ongoing work and available financial and human resources.
• Lastly, do a synthesis of findings to develop M&E properly designed for programmatic responses, outputs and indicators and to track progress and assess the resource requirements. This will lead to the development of action points for the new NAP, training programs, identify entry points for integrating gender-sensitive climate adaptation measures.

Specific tasks are:

The consultant should work in close consultation with and under the guidance and supervision of the UNDP project manager. Specifically, his\her responsibilities are focused to developing a framework for an effective M&E system for CC adaptation processes. The specific tasks include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Performing a detailed assessment of the current national policy and regulatory frameworks (laws, regulations, decrees, strategies, drafts) in the field of climate change, especially M&E and MRV, as well as possible institutional arrangements in the field of climate change.
• Assess the current national policy and regulatory frameworks with an aim to identify gaps as well as entry points for embedding domestic M&E system, with focus on adaptation to climate change.
• Provide advice on how to effectively reflect decisions and guidelines of the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement relevant to M&E and MRV, as well as other best available practices or relevant guidelines.
• Explore potential requirements, including legal and administrative requirements for establishment of M&E in the context of the EU accession status of the country;
• Analyze current and envisaged sector-level M&E needs (water management, agriculture, tourism, heath sectors) with the aim of integration with envisaged M&E system.
• Propose the most appropriate Conceptual Framework for M&E, which will include (but is not limited to) the following:
• Identification and collection of all relevant data, sources, and methodologies;
• Data processing and quality control model (s) i.e. roles and responsibilities of entities in charge of implementing, measuring, reporting and verifying adaptation actions in respective sectors;
• Performance indicators to measure progress in implementation of adaptation actions,
• Procedures for reporting and collecting performance indicator data;
• Procedures for data communication and dissemination
• Propose governance structure for the suggested M&E framework.
• Specific information on technical and methodological details related to M&E infrastructure analyzed and related capacity building needs and training programme for such an M&E system identified
• Propose a pathway describing all steps for implementation of the proposed Framework, including responsible entities, a timeframe, and related costs to the extent possible;
• Identify and present several best practices in M&E of climate change adaptation actions applicable for the country;
• Present the findings and recommendations from the proposed Conceptual Framework for M&E of Adaptation Actions to relevant stakeholders.
• Develop technical guidelines for M&E activities including baselines, goals and standard indicators to monitor and evaluate adaptation projects in MNE (considering already defined protocol on data flow between sectors relevant for the scope of the project)
• Produce and deliver following knowledge products: training program with the approach of train the trainers targeting Directorate and Working group of National council for sustainable development responsible for issues of climate change. The training program will serve as a framework for delivering capacity building activities under the CIBIT project Output 1.3: Transparency Methodologies, Procedures and Guidelines (MPGs) for tracking adaptation activities; the report summarizing relevant international best practices to promote the incorporation of these into the Montenegro context. This may also include engaging with UNDP's regional and global experts on this topic and discussions with relevant UNDP specialists about international best practices, indicators, targets and objectives, conducting desk review of available documentation to identify key sectoral results, indicators, and outputs, desk review of relevant international materials, including other good examples, especially from other countries in the region.
• Produce final report and standard operating procedures for the mechanism of coordination of horizontal and vertical exchange of CCA indicators in Montenegro.

All of the above listed tasks shall be performed under the supervision of Project Manager in cooperation with other project staff.

Expected Deliverables of the assignment:

Task/Milestone

Deliverable/Outcome

Planned Completion date

Phase I: Develop an Inception Report detailing understanding of TOR, methodology and work plan.

Inception Report detailing methodology to be used. Action Plan with clear deliverables and timelines, with clear distinction and tasks division between national and international experts.

The planning process should account for local experts having up to 40 working days available to provide support to the lead expert.

First half of February 2022

Phase II: Conduct a desk review and a comprehensive analysis of the sectoral programmes, results matrix, programme interventions, MRV framework, legal framework

Conduct key informant interviews to understand their needs gaps limitations and opportunities for future partnerships including discussions with each sector to map related activities, opportunities for an integrated approach and have an in-depth discussion on the areas selected for the analysis

Draft Mapping of results (outputs, activities, indicators) with recommendations on the existing opportunities including potential partnerships

Report summarizing relevant international best practices and to promote the incorporation of these into the Montenegro context.

First half of April 2022

Phase III: Develop a training program

Develop and deliver training program (two workshops, two day each)

First half of May 2022

Phase IV: Finalization

Final report with finalized deliverables

End of June 2022

Phase V: Validation

Presentation of results and verification process

End July 2022

The actual starting date may impact the dates estimated in the TOR, a detailed workplan with exact timeframes and actual delivery dates will be jointly agreed upon between the consultant/ individual contractor and the supervisor upon contract signature.

Time duration: the assignment should be implemented during the period of February to August 2022, with 40 working days and at least two in country visit.

The Consultant is expected to adhere to the following reporting requirements: He/she will be reporting to the project manager on biweekly basis through e mails, teams or zoom calls.

The Consultant will be reporting his/her progress through e mails as a mode of communication to the contract supervisor. The Consultant will therefore submit all the agreed contract deliverables through e mails and these documents should be in word unless when he/she is submitting final versions where he/she has to submit both word and PDF versions. The Consultant should submit the following agreed deliverables; Inception Report detailing methodology to be used, Action Plan with clear deliverables and timelines; Draft Mapping of results (outputs, activities, indicators) with recommendations on the existing opportunities including potential partnerships; Report summarizing relevant international best practices to promote the incorporation of these into the Montenegro context, training program with developed modules and implementation guidelines, Final report.

Competencies

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UN/UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting;
• Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Demonstrates ability to manage complexities and work under pressure, as well as conflict resolution skills.
• Excellent social, communication skills and writing skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• University degree in economics, natural science, statistics or relevant field

Experience:

• Minimum 7 years of professional experience with examples of projects relevant for the ToR;
• Experience in working on monitoring and evaluation activities.
• Demonstrated experience in working with government partners and other stakeholders,
• Experience with the usage of various systems analysis methods and techniques would be considered as advantage.

Languages:

• Knowledge of Montenegrin language would be considered as asset;
• English language knowledge.

Criteria for selection:

Combined Scoring method will be used. When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should be made to the inidividual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as: (i) responsive, compliant, acceptable, and (ii) having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Technical criteria weight - 70% (Background and education 10%; Relevant previous experience 20%; Substantial knowledge/Required competencies 30%; Required language 10%);

Financial criteria weight - 30%.

Only offerors obtaining a minimum 490 points for technical criteria will be considered for the financial evaluation. For more information on procurement methodology for Individual Contractors, please refer to Procurement Notice.

Application procedure:

Interested applicants are requested to submit their applications by January 13, 2022 by using the Apply now button.

The application should contain a duly completed CV or Personal History Form (P11) that can be downloaded from https://www.me.undp.org/content/montenegro/sr/home/jobs.html

Please note that UNDP jobsite system allows only one uploading of application document, so please make sure that you merge all your documents into a single file.

Only the short-listed applicants will be contacted and requested to submit a letter of interest including a price quotation indicating the lump sum (in EUR) requested for the work and travel envisaged in the section "Description of Responsibilities".