National Consultant for the Development of Risk Framework and Index

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Application deadline 2 years ago: Friday 7 May 2021 at 23:59 UTC

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Contract

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

Background

Project Name: Recovery and Resilience-building in the Philippines

Project Description

The Philippines remains one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world as evidenced by more frequent and intense tropical cyclones, prolonged monsoon rains, droughts, and sea-level rise. Climate change poses greater risks to the stability of both human and natural systems if the economy continues to grow without arresting environmental degradation and social inequality, and the country fails to plan for new and emerging threats such as disease outbreaks. Acknowledging and responding to these multidimensional risks is key to strengthening ecosystem and societal resilience.

The concept of resilience has garnered attention in the context of disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, sustainable development, and development cooperation in general. Within a proper framework, resilience can bridge the gaps between these interconnected dimensions. Given the multi-dimensional nature of resilience, it is important to monitor progress through the development and use of indicators.

Resilience can be referred to at the scale of a country, region, urban area, city, community, or household. Currently, the majority of growing literature on resilience indicators is focused on cities and communities. One possible major reason for this is the ease of collecting data. However, as stated in the UN Resilience Guidance, experience has shown that achieving meaningful progress in resilience-building requires a harmonized and coherent approach in support of governments’ national development priorities. Therefore, resilience should not be a stand-alone goal, but as a means for achieving the SDGs and a country’s national development objectives.

A number of studies attempted to measure resilience across scales and levels in the country, but none was able to cover both ecological and socioeconomic dimensions. A good indicator of resilience reflects the capacity of ecosystems to withstand changes, restore themselves while undergoing such changes to sustain their ecological functions. This includes the contribution of having an intact ecosystem to the overall resilience of communities, especially the services and benefits that ecosystems provide (e.g., carbon sequestration, flood control, sediment regulation, and protective services), which are vital to the growth and development of communities and the economy in general. A quantitative and science-based approach to measuring resilience needs to be institutionalized to better inform national and local policy- and decision-making processes.

UNDP Philippines, in partnership with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), intends to provide the Government of the Philippines (GPH) with a long-term evidence-based programmatic support that systematically links up government policy and funding to address both the impact of climate change and disasters and their root causes. To fully achieve the objectives of the Project Initiation Plan (PIP) that has been developed, this assignment will bring about a comprehensive list of climate change, disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM), resilience efforts from government, civil society, and other multilateral agencies and provide initial assessment and review of the impacts of these initiatives on recovery and resilience over the past few years.

Objectives of the Assignment

The primary objective is to conduct a scoping study and develop a framework to guide the development of a resilience index. Specifically, the study will identify indicators and methodologies for measuring the level of resilience of the ecosystems and communities to natural hazards and climate change.

Expected duration of the contract/assignment

  1. It is estimated that the work shall involve a total of eighty-five (85) working days of combined effort spread over approximately 4.5 months including the period for output reviews and approvals.
  2. The IC may propose alternate working days provided it would not exceed the 4.5 months duration of the contract. The proposed working days should be properly explained in relation to the execution of the Technical Proposal.
  3. The UNDP CO will review and give comments on outputs for a maximum of four (4) working days after output presentation (or submission if a presentation is not necessary)

Governance and Accountability

  1. The activities of the IC will be coordinated, monitored, and assessed by the UNDP CO CAPT Team Leader and the Recovery and Resilience-building Project Manager (RR PM) from UNDP CO.
  2. The Resilience-building Project Manager (RR PM) from UNDP CO will supervise the IC.
  3. All outputs in this TOR will be submitted to the RR PM and discussions/ presentations will be scheduled
  4. A final version of the output with implemented revisions from comments will be submitted and an acceptance letter will be issued to the IC
  5. The IC is required to report progress every fortnight through meetings or written report
  6. The IC is responsible for liaising and setting up meetings and stakeholder consultations with national agencies, communities, local government units, NGOs, and other identified stakeholders. The CO may provide key persons to contact in these organizations to the consultant
  7. The NEDA, together with the UNDP, shall be responsible for overseeing the delivery of project outputs to ensure that they meet the needs/requirements of the GPH. An Inter-agency Technical Working Group (TWG) shall be convened to provide technical guidance and recommendations and endorse the outputs of the IC to NEDA and UNDP.

Facilities to be provided by UNDP

  1. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions in place for meetings and gatherings, meetings will be done using online applications.
  2. The IC is expected to use his/her own computer and communication equipment and other resources that are required and may be needed to conduct activities in this TOR

Duty Station

  1. The duty station is in Metro Manila.
  2. The engagement may be home-based. For accessibility and availability to allow for discussions and reporting on the progress of activities, regular online meetings shall be conducted.
  3. The majority of activities will be done in Metro Manila.
  4. Considering the COVID-19 pandemic and declaration of State of Public Health Emergency in the Philippines, all work and travel of the Contractors shall be done within the guidelines and protocols set by the local and national government.
  5. The Consultant will not be required to report to the office regularly but a status report on the outputs shall be expected monthly.

Scope of Price and Schedule of Payments

  • The agreed and final contract price is a fixed output-based price regardless of the extension of the project or changes in cost components.
  • Final acceptance and approval of Outputs is required for processing and releasing each payment

Deliverable

Due Date

Percentage of Payment

Upon submission and Approval of inception report by UNDP

May 28, 2021

15%

Upon submission and Approval of baseline data report by UNDP

July 30, 2021

35%

Upon submission and Approval of the final report by UNDP

September 10, 2021

50%

Total

100%

  • The agreed and final contract price is a fixed output-based price regardless of any extension of the project or changes in cost components.
  • Final acceptance and approval of Outputs is required for processing and releasing each payment

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work

The Consultant will perform the following tasks:

Prepare an inception report, which shall include the following:

  1. Introduction containing the background of the study, project objectives, key activities, and expected results
  2. Analytical and methodological framework, including assessment/data-gathering tools, methods/approaches, and models appropriate to the work context
  3. Detailed work plan and schedule of activities
  4. Identification of stakeholders in project implementation containing the list of relevant stakeholders (e.g., national government institutions, civil society organizations, academia, private sector) and their specific roles in project implementation
  5. Potential risks and challenges in implementing the program activities and recommended actions

Conduct a comprehensive review of resilience definition, dimensions, and approaches from various lenses and sectors, and stocktaking of relevant indicators with readily available data. This includes review and collection of data from relevant documents on resilience:

  1. International frameworks and agreements
  2. Resilience frameworks, scorecards, and indices, including measurement tools on assessing different dimensions of resilience developed in other countries and different organizations and their applications for planning and decision-making
  3. Relevant publications and conference proceedings from NGOs/INGOs, academe and university-affiliated groups that are related to resilience; and
  4. Archived newspaper articles, online community forums, and think pieces from online platforms
  5. Stocktaking of relevant institutional, legal, and planning documents in the Philippines such as but not limited to Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Watch (Tier 1 indicators), Community Based Monitoring System (CBMS), Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG), Climate Change Expenditure Tagging (CCET), PAGASA’s Climate Data Bank, PSA’s Environmental Accounts which include statistics on disasters and loss and damage
  6. Other relevant tools and assessment currently used by LGUs in relation to climate and disaster resilience measures (e.g. CDRA, LCCAP)

Develop the Resilience framework

  1. Hold a consultation process with government agencies, CSOs, NGOs, academic organizations, and other relevant groups to gather and validate inputs on the elements and components of the resilience framework and its applications in the Philippines.

Develop priority indicators to be measured for each resilience dimension

  1. Create a long list of indicators for each dimension/sub-dimension that will be included in the resilience framework (e.g., environmental, social, economic, institutional, and infrastructure)
  2. Shortlist the priority indicators to be included in each dimension/sub-dimension using a set of criteria and determine critical indicators with data gaps/no data for future collection and reporting
  3. For each indicator, identify sources of data, the current method of measurement, reporting agency, reporting mechanism, frequency of reporting, and others; and
  4. Hold consultations/focus group discussions (FGDs) with government agencies mandated to report in each indicator:
    • Identify the frequency of reporting
    • Gaps in measuring progress
    • Possible improvements
    • Relevance of each indicator in measuring resilience for a particular identified dimension

Develop a framework for institutionalizing the measurement and reporting of the Resilience Index. This includes recommended strategies to address gaps (e.g., data collection/sharing, institutional, technical capacity), including the appropriate institutional structure/arrangement and instrument. This will build on the scoping study on resilience framework and indicators, which will serve as input in determining the agencies to be involved in the development of the resilience index.

Approach and Methodology

An Individual Consultant (IC) will be engaged to perform assigned activities and delivery of the outputs outlined in this TOR. Through the submission of an inception report, the selected Consultant must describe how it will deliver the activities and outputs outlined in this TOR; providing detailed work plan including timelines, activities, outputs, list of stakeholders, data collection methodology appropriate to the work context, reporting condition, and quality assurance mechanism. The IC may have his or her own support team to deliver the outputs of this project.

Deliverables and Schedules/Expected Outputs

Deliverables/ Outputs

Estimated Duration to Complete

Target Due Dates

Review and/or Approvals Required

Name of the designated person who will review and accept the output

Estimated Start Date

May 21, 2021

Inception Report (Proposed design and work plan)

Five (5) Working Days

May 28, 2021

UNDP

Floradema C. Eleazar, EnP

Baseline Data Report (Mapping of initiatives, review, and analysis)

Fifty (50) Working Days

July 30, 2021

UNDP

Floradema C. Eleazar, EnP

Final Scoping report

Thirty (30) Working Days

September 10, 2021

UNDP

Floradema C. Eleazar, EnP

Total Working Days

Eighty-five (85) Working Days

Competencies

Corporate competencies

  • Must have strong leadership and project management skills
  • Must have an extensive background and understanding of the Philippine DRR, recovery, and resilience policies, programmes, and activities
  • Must be detail-oriented
  • Has excellent analytic skills especially in understanding complex information to produce evidence-based comparisons and conclusions.
  • Excellent written and spoken English is required.

  • Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN's values and ethical standards;

  • Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, and age sensitivity and adaptability;
  • Treats all people fairly without favoritism.

Functional and technical competencies

  • Ability to work in a diverse and multi-cultural environment;
  • Self-motivated and ability to work under pressure and to meet strict and competing deadlines;
  • Displays analytical judgment and demonstrated ability to handle confidential and politically sensitive issues in a responsible and mature manner;
  • Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities

Required Skills and Experience

Offers will be evaluated based on the combined scoring method :

  • Technical qualifications = 70%
  • Financial Proposal = 30%

For the evaluation of the Technical Proposal, the selection of the successful consultant must be based on the following qualifications (with the appropriate obtainable points)

Criteria

Allocation Points

Background/experience of Individual per submitted CV/ P11

60 points

At least two final/published version of similar output document/report will be required for submission to provide UNDP an idea on how the prospective IC will package the expected outputs;

15 points

Plan of Approach and Methodology, including timeline (shall provide a brief description of the strategies, processes, and activities to be employed by the Consultant to deliver the expected outputs. It should also contain an indicative timeline to conduct/complete proposed activities and deliver outputs by the expected due dates.)

25 points

TOTAL

100 points

The CV / P11 shall be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Qualifications

Points Obtainable (60 points)

Education

At least a Master’s degree in Disaster Management, Urban/Environmental Planning, Environmental Management, and Climate Change or other relevant fields

(Minimum 14 points for Master’s degree, additional points for additional degree and professional license, maximum of 20 points)

10 points

Experience

Must have at least eight (8) years of relevant work experience working in the field of climate change, DRRM, and landscape and systems-thinking approaches on resilience.

(Minimum fourteen (14) points for eight (8) years’ experience, additional points for an additional year, maximum of twenty (20) points)

20 points

Completed a minimum of 2 projects in recovery and resilience projects. Has engaged with a wide array of stakeholders.

(minimum seven (7) points for two (2) completed projects, additional points for additional projects, maximum of ten (10) points)

15 points

Completed minimum of 1 project that has a metrics development/ data modeling/ risk modeling component

(minimum seven (7) points for one (1) completed project, additional points for additional projects, maximum of ten (10) points)

15 points

TOTAL

60 points

Only candidates with a minimum of 70 points from the overall evaluation of the Technical Proposal that includes CV, submission of two (02) published/written documents, and Plan of Approach and Methodology will be eligible for review of financial proposals.

Recommended Presentation of Offer

Interested applicants 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 of a maximum of one document.

  1. Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
  2. Personal CV or P11 (using template of UNDP), indicating work history as well as competencies related to this engagement, contact details of the proponent and at least three (3) professional references; and,
  3. Submission of at least two (2) published/written documents/reports
  4. Plan of Approach and Methodology including a timeline (shall provide a brief description of the strategies, processes, and activities to be employed by the Consultant to deliver the expected outputs)
  5. Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive lump-sum amount commensurate to the scope of work, 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.

Note: The above documents need to be scanned in one file and uploaded to the online application as one document.

Interested applicants to note that personal Medical/health insurance (to be purchased by the individual at his/her own expense) is mandatory for the issuance of contracts. Upon award of the contract, the consultant must be ready to submit proof of insurance valid during the contract duration.

The following templates / Annexes and IC General Terms & Conditions can be downloaded from http://gofile.me/6xdJm/bE9TCw8fU:

  • General Terms and Conditions for Individual Contract
  • Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability
  • P-11 form

In view of the volume of applications, UNDP receives, only shortlisted offerors will be notified.

Added 2 years ago - Updated 2 years ago - Source: jobs.undp.org