International GEF Project Development Specialist

Contract

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Background

UNDP has been supporting the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in meeting its national and international environmental priorities and commitments. These include close to 40 projects in the area of biodiversity conservation, sustainable resource management, climate change and chemical management. UNDP’s support focusses on technical and policy advisory, institutional strengthening and building capacities of various stakeholders to utilize natural resources in a sustainable way, while increasing resilience to climate variability and associated risks and impacts. UNDP also supports India’s engagement with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and works with Central Ministries and state governments to implement GEF financed projects.

UNDP India along with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, is developing a GEF-supported project on sustainable management and restoration of degraded landscapes for achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN). The project aims to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) through ecosystem-based management and restoration of productive landscapes across degraded agricultural, forest, pastoral lands and surface water bodies.

UNDP seeks to engage a GEF Project Development Specialist who will be responsible for quality assurance and finalization of all reports and documentation, including the finalized UNDP Project Document (ProDoc) and CEO Endorsement Request, with all mandatory and project specific Annexes and supporting documentation.

Duties and Responsibilities

Duties and responsibilities

1) Management of the GEF PPG Team

a. Draft a detailed work plan allocating responsibilities for elements of the project design process (ProDoc sections) across team members in a spreadsheet.

b. Prepare a zero draft of the ProDoc with comments/guidelines in each section of the document.

c. Ensure that project development is participatory, gender-responsive and based on extensive stakeholder engagements; and

d. Verify and ensure that all project components are technically sound and cost effective.

2) Formulation of the ProDoc, CEO Endorsement Request and Mandatory and Project Specific Annexes

Review the first draft of the ProDoc and further develop and finalize each section, with inputs from PPG team members, as detailed in their respective TORs, and based on international best practice. The GEF Project Development Specialist must cover the following:

a. Develop, present and articulate the project’s theory of change;

b. Develop the Results Framework in line with UNDP-GEF policy;

c. Develop a detailed Monitoring and Evaluation Plan and Budget;

d. Review the Stakeholder Engagement Plan to ensure that it is comprehensive and meets the consultation needs of each project component;

e. Review the Gender Action Plan and Budget to ensure that it is comprehensive and meets the gender mainstreaming needs of each project component;

f. Review the SESP prepared by the International Safeguards Specialist and ensure that the development of required environmental and/or social management plan(s) as required are included in proposed project activities and budgeted for;

g. Prepare the GEF Land Degradation tracking tool and GEF Core Indicators and ensure these are supported by robust and validated data;

h. Synthesize all analyses, studies, etc. that are prepared and submitted by the National PPG Team Leader to develop the draft UNDP-GEF ProDoc, GEF CEO Endorsement, and all mandatory and project specific Annexes, using the templates.

Expected Deliverables

• Consolidation of all technical and consultation inputs and comments including from national stakeholders, UNDP, GEF Secretariat, STAP and GEF Council, into a well written and concise UNDP ProDoc with all required sections and Annexes, in line with the standard UNDP-GEF ProDoc template and annotated guidance;
• Finalized SESP (and stand-alone management plans as required);
• All documentation from GEF PPG (including technical reports, meeting minutes, etc.); and
• Validation Workshop Report

Payment Scheduled: Payments will be deliverable linked per the following schedule of payments:

Outputs and Deliverables

Timeline

Payment Milestones

(Deliverable 1)

• Detailed work plan with responsibilities for elements of the project design process (ProDoc sections) across team members
• Zero draft framework of the ProDoc with comments/guidelines in each section of the document

January 30, 2021

20%

(Deliverable 2)

• Draft project’s theory of change
• Draft Project Results Framework in line with UNDP-GEF policy

April 30, 2021

30%

(Deliverable 3)

• Detailed Monitoring and Evaluation Plan and Budget
• Draft Stakeholder Engagement Plan, Gender Action Plan and SESP

May 30, 2021

30%

(Deliverable 4)

Draft UNDP-GEF ProDoc, GEF CEO Endorsement, and all mandatory and project specific Annexes, using the templates.

July 10, 2021

10%

Deliverable 5

Final UNDP-GEF ProDoc, GEF CEO Endorsement, and all mandatory and project specific Annexes, incorporating comments and inputs received from MoEF&CC, UNDP CO and RTA

July 30, 2021

10%

Competencies

• Analytical skills: Able to synthesize large sets of inputs and data to form coherent outputs
• Ability to effectively and efficiently interact with senior members and stakeholders
• Must be detail-oriented
• Communication skills: Able to communicate clear ideas across a variety of mediums
• Writing and presentation skills: Able to produce high quality reports and presentations
• Team skills: Able to work independently as well as in teams
• Great organizational and time-management skills

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualification:

• Advanced university degree in a relevant field, such as natural resources management, , environmental management, biological sciences, social sciences or similar.

Professional Experience:

• Minimum10 years of demonstrable experience in the area of biodiversity, sustainable natural resource management or environment management;
• Experience of preparing high quality project documents, particularly for UNDP and GEF projects;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English;
• Demonstrated understanding of the GEF rationale and procedures, and demonstrated experience in formulation of GEF-funded project proposals, using the logical framework and the results-based management approaches;
• Experience working in India or in Asia on similar projects highly desired

Language Requirement: Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.

5. Evaluation Criteria

The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as Responsive to the requirement. Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation;

• Technical Criteria weight - 70%;

• Financial Criteria weight – 30 %

Technical Criteria (70% of the total evaluation)

Criteria 1: Prior Experience (20%)

1. 10 years of demonstrated relevant professional experience in biodiversity, sustainable natural resource management or environment management.

   Criteria 2: Demonstrated Knowledge on Developing GEF ProDoc (40%)

2. Worked on developing project document for full-sized projects for GEF

   Criteria 3: Multi-stakeholder coordination (10%)

3. Consultant should have demonstrated experience in coordinating and working with multi-stakeholder groups.

Financial Proposal:

Technically qualified consultants will be requested to submit their lump sum rate i.e. consultants who score more than 70% i.e. 49 marks with respect to the above-mentioned evaluation criteria. Consultant should not specify their consultancy fee on their CV or with the submission. The CV will not be evaluated further in case the consultant submits the same.