Mid Term Review Consultant (Fiji IAS)

Consultant Environment

Contract

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Background

This is the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Midterm Review (MTR) of the full-sized UNDP-supported GEF-financed project titled Building Capacities to Address Invasive Alien Species to Enhance the Chances of Long-term Survival of Terrestrial Endemic and Threatened Species on Taveuni Island, Surrounding Islets and Throughout Fiji project (PIMS#5589) implemented through the Biosecurity Authority of Fiji which is to be undertaken in 2020. The project started on the 16 May, 2018 and is in its third year of implementation. This ToR sets out the expectations for this MTR. The MTR process must follow the guidance outlined in the document Guidance or Conducting Midterm Reviews of UNDP-Supported, GEF-Financed Project -http://web.undp.org/evaluation/documents/guidance/GEF/midterm/Guidance_Midterm%20Review%20_EN_2014.pdf)

Project Background and Information

Invasive alien species (IAS) are the greatest threat to biodiversity in the Pacific Islands. The recent introduction of Giant Invasive Iguana – GII (Iguana iguana) – to Fiji represents the first established population of this species in the Pacific and is a potential bridgehead to some of the world’s most isolated island ecosystems. GII have already caused harm throughout the Caribbean where they are spreading fast and have significant detrimental effects, including on native biodiversity, agriculture and tourism. Although there are several national and local-level initiatives to address IAS in Fiji, these efforts, lack adequate capacity and an overall comprehensive strategy to ensure a systematic and effective protection of biodiversity-rich and important areas. An effective, systematic and comprehensive eradication effort against GII, before populations grow beyond the point where they can be controlled is currently lacking and urgently needed.

The objective of the project is to improve the chances of the long-term survival of terrestrial endemic and threatened species on Taveuni Island, surrounding islets and throughout Fiji by building national and local capacity to manage Invasive Alien Species. It is a 5- year project with a total grant of USD 3,502,968 from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

The main purpose of the MTR is intended to identify potential project design problems, assess progress towards the achievement of objectives, assess any cross cutting and gender issues in contribution to achieving the objectives, identify and document lessons learned (including lessons that might improve design and implementation for the remaining period of the project), and to make recommendations regarding specific actions that (who) will be use to improve the project.

The MTR will assess progress towards the achievement of the project objectives and outcomes as specified in the Project Document and assess early signs of project success or failure with the goal of identifying the necessary changes to be made in order to set the project on-track to achieve its intended results. The MTR will also review the project’s strategy and its risks to sustainability.

• A team of two independent consultants will conduct the MTR - one international team leader (with experience and exposure to projects and evaluations in other regions globally) and one local expert from the country of the project.
• The International Consultant (the team leader) will be responsible for the overall design and writing of the Mid Term Review Report. The consultant cannot have participated in the project preparation, formulation, and/or implementation (including the writing of the Project Document) and should not have a conflict of interest with project’s related activities.

Duties and Responsibilities

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

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Deliverable

Description

Timing

Responsibilities

1

MTR Inception Report

MTR team clarifies objectives and methods of Midterm Review

No later than 2 weeks before the MTR mission

**Date****: 19 February January 2021

MTR team submits to the Commissioning Unit and project management

2

Presentation

Initial Findings

End of MTR mission

**Date****: 10 March 2021

MTR Team presents to project management and the Commissioning Unit

3

Draft MTR Report

Full draft report (using guidelines on content outlined in Annex B) with annexes

Within 3 weeks of the MTR mission

**Date****: 24 March 2021

Sent to the Commissioning Unit, reviewed by RTA, Project Coordinating Unit, GEF OFP

4

Final Report*

Revised report with audit trail detailing how all received comments have (and have not) been addressed in the final MTR report

Within 1 week of receiving UNDP comments on draft

**Date****: 12 April 2021

Sent to the Commissioning Unit

*The final MTR report must be in English. If applicable, the Commissioning Unit may choose to arrange for a translation of the report into a language more widely shared by national stakeholders.

Institutional Arrangement

• The consultant is expected to provide his/her own computer.
• UNDP will ensure the timely provision of per diems and travel arrangements within the country for the MTR team, if the travel is permitted, and will provide an updated stakeholder list with contact details (phone and email).
• The Project Team will be responsible for liaising with the MTR team to provide all relevant documents, set up stakeholder interviews, and arrange field visits.
• Project team will provide logistic support in the implementation of remote/virtual meeting if travel to project site is restricted.

Supervision/Reporting

• The consultant is expected to work under the leadership of the Team leader of this Mid Term Review.

• The consultant will report directly to UNDP Head of Resilience and Sustainable Development Unit and/or her/his representative and UNDP Regional Technical Specialist/Advisor based in / Bangkok, Thailand.

• The consultant will be monitored, overseen and supervised by UNDP Pacific Fiji in close cooperation with the Biosecurity Authority of Fiji.
• The consultant expected to produce a final report upon successful completion of activities according to the agreed schedules.

Duration of the Work

The total duration of the MTR will be approximately 28 working days over a time period of 9 of weeks, and shall not exceed five months from when the consultant(s) are hired. The tentative MTR timeframe is as follows:

ACTIVITY

NUMBER OF WORKING DAYS

COMPLETION DATE

Document review and preparing MTR Inception Report (MTR Inception Report due no later than 2 weeks before the MTR mission)

2 days

19 February 2021

MTR mission: stakeholder meetings, interviews, field visits

9 days

10 March 2021

Presentation of initial findings- last day of the MTR mission

1 day

18 March 2021

Preparing draft report (due within 3 weeks of the MTR mission)

7 days

24 March 2021

Finalization of MTR report/ Incorporating audit trail from feedback on draft report (due within 1 week of receiving UNDP comments on the draft)

5 days

12 April 2021

Options for site visits should be provided in the Inception Report.

Duty Station

The consultant will be based in Suva, Fiji and is expected to make travels to respective project sites.

The local consultant is expected to travel to project sites for a maximum of 9 days.

Competencies

The following competencies are required:

• Demonstrates integrity and commitment to UN principles and values and ethical standards;
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills;
• Ability to work well as part of a multi-cultural team and displays gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Ability to work in a team;
• Self-management, emotional intelligence and conflict management;
• Analytical and strategic thinking/results orientation;
• Experience in participating and following the project cycle, creative capacity solving problems;
• Computer literacy (e.g. Microsoft Word, Excel, and Power Point) is a prerequisite;
• Ability to engage various partners and stakeholders and build strong relationships with clients and other stakeholders;
• Demonstrates strong commitment and patience to deal with competing deadlines, demands, and interests.

Required Skills and Experience

Educational Qualifications:

• A Master’s degree in conservation, biology, sustainable management, or other closely related fields

Experience

• Experience in evaluating GEF /UND supported projects is advantageous
• Experience working in Fiji with national stakeholders including government, NGOs, Provincial authorities and communities;
• Experience in relevant technical areas for at least 7 years;
• Experience in community-based conservation and adaptive management
• Experience with Fiji’s National Biodiversity Strategic Action Plan and other conservation plans and strategies (NBSAP)
• Familiarity/Knowledgeable with Invasive Alien Species and key threats to biodiversity in Fiji
• Competence in adaptive management, as applied to Biodiversity conservation/Invasive Aliens Species management.
• Demonstrated understanding of issues related to gender and experience in gender sensitive evaluation and analysis.
• Excellent communication skills;
• Demonstrable analytical skills;

Language requirements

• Fluency of English language is required (verbal and written).

Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

The total amount quoted shall be all-inclusive and include all costs components required to perform the deliverables identified in the TOR, including professional fee, travel costs, living allowance (if any work is to be done outside the IC´s duty station) and any other applicable cost to be incurred by the IC in completing the assignment. The contract price will be fixed output-based price regardless of extension of the herein specified duration. Payments will be done upon completion of the deliverables/outputs and as per below percentages:

• 20% payment upon satisfactory delivery and approval of MTR Inception Report to the Commissioning Unit by February 19,2021
• 40% payment upon satisfactory delivery of the draft MTR report to the Commissioning Unit by March 24 ,2021
• 40% payment upon satisfactory delivery of the final MTR report and approval by the Commissioning Unit and RTA (via signatures on the TE Report Clearance Form) and delivery of completed TE Audit Trail by April 12, 2021

Criteria for issuing the final payment of 40%:

The final MTR report includes all requirements outlined in the MTR TOR and is in accordance with the MTR guidance. The final MTR report is clearly written, logically organized, and is specific for this project (i.e. text has not been cut & pasted from other MTR reports). The Audit Trail includes responses to and justification for each comment listed.

In general, UNDP shall not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources

In the event of unforeseeable travel not anticipated in this TOR, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and the Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.

Evaluation Method and Criteria

The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as both: a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and b) offering the lowest price/cost.

Technical Criteria for Evaluation (Maximum 70 points)

• Criteria 1: Relevance of Education – Minimum Master’s degree in conservation, biology, sustainable management, or other closely related fields (Max 15 points)
• Criteria 2:Experience in relevant technical areas for at least 7 years - biodiversity conservation, invasive alien species management, climate change adaptation (Max 20 points)
• Criteria 3:Demonstrated understanding of issues related to gender and; experience in gender sensitive evaluation and analysis. (Max 5 points)

• Criteria 4: Experience in evaluating GEF and/or donor funded initiatives (Max 20 points)

• Criteria 5: Experience working in Pacific region (Max 10 points)

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation. Interviews maybe conducted for shortlisted bidders only as part of the technical evaluation process to validate the technical evaluation scores maybe adjusted accordingly.

Documentation required

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Please group them into one (1) single PDF document as the application only allows to upload maximum one document:

• Cover letter, including a) a brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment.
• Personal CV, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of at least three (3) professional references.
• Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided in Annex II.
• Financial proposal, as per template provided in Annex II.

Incomplete and joint proposals may not be considered. Consultants with whom there is further interest will be contacted.

The successful consultant shall opt to sign an Individual Contract or a Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA) through its company/employer with UNDP.

Women applicants are also encouraged to apply.

Annexes

• Annex I - Individual IC General Terms and Conditions
• Annex II – Offeror’s Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability for the Individual IC, including Financial Proposal Template

For any clarification regarding this assignment please write to Mr. Ronald Kumar at ronald.kumar@undp.org. Complete proposals should be submitted online via UN Jobs website or etenderbox.pacific@undp.org by/before the due date.

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Added 3 years ago - Updated 3 years ago - Source: jobs.undp.org