National Expert on evaluation of the progress and promotion of NDC Partnership Plan implementation in Armenia

Contract

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

Background

Armenia ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1993, the Kyoto Protocol in 2002 and the Paris Agreement in 2017. The country's position under the Convention and the Paris Agreement is set out in the “Intended Nationally Determined Contributions” (INDC), approved by the government of Armenia (GoA) Decision No. 41 of 10 September 2015, and submitted to the UNFCCC on 22 September 2015. With the ratification of the Paris Agreement, the INDC of Armenia became its NDC for the period of 2015 – 2050. In its updated NDC, which was approved by the Government on the 22nd of April and submitted to the UNFCCC Secretariat on the 5th of May, the Republic of Armenia intends to adhere to a ten-year NDC implementation period (2021-2030), including the new mitigation target to be achieved in 2030 equals 40 per cent reduction below 1990 emissions levels.

To receive support in the process of efficient implementation of its NDC, Armenia joined the NDC Partnership in 2018. Within the framework of the NDC Partnership country engagement in Armenia, the NDC Partnership Plan was developed, with the overarching goal to serve as a basis for the coordination of the work of partners under the NDC implementation at the country level, aiming to reduce fragmentation of services and provide greater leveraging of resources. Launched in April 2021, the Partnership Plan consolidates the work of implementing partners on a three-year programming cycle by providing a framework for them to work together toward the common goals nexus to the NDC Implementation Plan. The Facilitator of NDC Implementation embedded in UNDP Armenia supports the implementation of the NDC Partnership Plan by promoting a whole-of-government and coordinated approach to adaptation and mitigation actions.

However, to ensure that Armenia fulfils its commitments under the Paris Agreement, the proper and periodic communications of the NDC implementation related activities to relevant decision makers, businesses and public is utmost important given that the starting year of the first NDCs implementation cycle is 2021. Such communication requires organizing in-country exchanges among national and international stakeholders on the NDC implementation progress, including through the organization of targeted meetings of the National Inter-agency Council on Climate Change on stakeholder engagement framework and resource mobilization initiatives towards the NDC implementation. This also implies developing knowledge products relevant to the implementation of the country’s NDCs and disseminating information on best practices and lessons learned with national stakeholders.

The task objective is to review the progress made on the NDC implementation of the Republic of Armenia through the basis of the NDC Partnership Plan which serves as a tool for the coordination of in-country work of the partners under NDC implementation for a three-year programming cycle and assist Armenia to achieve its NDC goals.

This review is timely as the NDC Partnership Plan has been launched since 19 April 2021, and hence the assignment will focus on updating the relevant national and international stakeholders on the implementation progress of the NDC Partnership Plan nexus to the NDC Implementation Plan (currently under development within the framework of EU4Climate Project) as well as promoting a whole-of-government approach in the further process.

The task will include providing a content-based support for a workshop and roundtables with the recently re-established Inter-Agency Council on Climate Change and its working groups, development of knowledge products on NDC related projects, and disseminating information on the NDC Partnership Plan implementation activities among relevant stakeholders at the country level.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the Climate Change Programme Coordinator (PC) and guidance and support of the NDC Implementation Facilitator, the consultant is responsible for preparation of the detailed plan for advocacy and awareness raising in 3 key directions: (i) on the implementation of the NDC Partnership Plan for coming three years; (ii) on existing projects focusing on NDC related activities (including inter alia Climate Action Enhancement Project (CAEP), GCF Green Readiness, EU4Climate, etc.); (iii) on a Quick-start Guide on the NDC Implementation through the basis of the NDC Partnership Plan nexus to the NDC Implementation.

In the scope of providing professional services, the consultant must perform the following activities:

• Collect and summarize up-to-date information about the implementation of the actions under NDC Partnership Plan and outcomes of projects targeted at NDC related activities such as CAEP, GCF Green Readiness, etc. including lessons learned;
• Conduct a scoping analysis of the NDC Partnership Plan implementation in nexus to the NDC Implementation and produce a set of recommendations to enhance the complementarity and synergy among NDC related actions based on international relevant best practices (summarized in maximum 10 pages);
• Based on the scoping analysis, develop a Quick-start Guide outlining the key steps that Armenia needs to go through to implement its NDC Partnership Plan as part of the NDC implementation (maximum 8 pages);
• Based on the Quick-start Guide and scoping analysis, develop background materials for sharing with the Inter-agency Council on Climate Change and round table discussions with its working groups:

1. Provide a content-based support for three roundtables with the respective permanent working groups of the Council with the participation of other identified national and international stakeholders not included in the working groups (for example, civil society, expert community, international agencies, etc.) to support information sharing and exchange on existent, planned and potential in-country mitigation and adaptation activities and support received from the implementing partners of the NDC Partnership;
2. Provide a content-based support within the framework of a workshop with the Council toward updating the NDC Partnership Plan implementation progress, including stakeholder engagement framework and resource mobilization initiatives;

• Disseminate and share information on the workshop, roundtables, NDC implementation progress and prepared up-to-date summary on NDC related activities via social networks.

Expected Deliverables

Deliverable

Timeline

Deliverable 1: Report on conducted scoping analysis summarizing up-to-date progress on implementation of the NDC Partnership Plan and projects related to achievement of the Paris Agreement objectives (max 10 pages)

4 weeks after signing the contract

Deliverable 2. Quick-start Guide on the NDC implementation progress based on the scoping analysis of the NDC Partnership Plan implementation (maximum 8 pages)

Deliverable 3. Background materials developed on NDC Partnership Plan implementation to be used for communicating with Inter-agency Council on Climate Change

20 November, 2021

Deliverable 4. Report summarizing results of the study and roundtable discussions in Armenian and English developed and disseminated through the social network

Payment Terms

Evaluation of outcomes is the responsibility of the UNDP CC Programme Coordinator.

• Payment will be issued according to the claims and submitted upon completion deliverables in AMD according to the official UN exchange rate, in 2 installments
  • Deliverables1 and 2 – 60% of total amount
  • Deliverables 3 – 40% of total amount

Competencies

• A good understanding of the climate change, sustainable development agenda and socio-economic and environmental issues in Armenia.
• Proper understanding of UNDP mission and values.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with ability to establish and maintain effective work relationships with people of different social and cultural backgrounds.
• High degree of independence and responsibility.
• Result oriented, fact-based management approach.
• Computer literacy (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, advanced knowledge of social media.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

• Advanced university degree in Master degree in Environmental Sciences, Economics, Political Sciences, Social Sciences, Administration or Public Administration, or related.

Experience

• At least 5-year experience in preparing policy/project papers and monitoring evaluation related to environmental/climate change issues;
• At least 5-year experience in environmental/climate change advocacy and stakeholder involvement in environmental decision making;
• Practical experience in cooperation with international organizations on advocacy of environmental issues (preferably);
• Desirable: experience working with UN projects related to climate change.

Language Skills

• Fluency in Armenian and English

CANDIDATES WILL BE EVALUATED BASED ON THE FOLLOWING METHODOLOGY:

Candidates will be evaluated using a cumulative analysis method taking into consideration the combination of the applicants' technical qualifications, experience and financial proposal.The contract will be awarded to the candidate whose offer has been evaluated and determined as technically responsive/compliant/acceptable to the requirements of the ToR and received the highest cumulative (technical and financial) score out of below defined technical and financial criteria.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points in the technical evaluation would be considered for financial evaluation.

Technical Criteria - 70% of total evaluation - max. 70 points

Financial Criteria - 30% of total evaluation - max. 30 points.

DOCUMENTS TO BE INCLUDED WHEN SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION.

• Financial Proposal and Availability form: OFFEROR’S LETTER TO UNDP (A total lump sum option is applicable for this assignment)
• CV shall include Education/Qualification, Processional Certification, Employment Records /Experience

General Conditions of Contract is available here: GENERAL CONDITIONS OF CONTRACT

Note: Please note you can upload only one document to this application (scan all documents that should be included in the application in one single PDF file and upload it).