Summary
Date Posted: Tuesday, August 02, 2022 , Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:
International GEF Project Design Expert
Result of Service
• The Project Documents – both UNEP Project Document and GEF CEO ER, should incorporate key findings from the PPG phase and be written in a simply and concise style, making full use of figures, diagrams, images, tables and boxes to illustrate key points, where applicable;
Work Location

Home based
Expected duration
This consultancy will run for 8 months.

Duties and Responsibilities
UNEP, acting as an implementing agency of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), is providing assistance to the Government of Viet Nam, through its Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment (ISPONRE) - Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, in the preparation of the GEF Medium-Sized Project (MSP) "Mainstreaming Marine and Coastal Natural Capital Assessment and Accounting into Viet Nam’s Development Planning for Blue Economic Growth of Key Sectors”. As part of the GEF Project Preparation Grant (PPG), UNEP is hiring a team of two consultants to develop, in full compliance with the enforced GEF rules and standards, the UNEP Project Document in the required formats and GEF CEO Endorsement Request for submission to the GEF Secretariat. In accordance with GEF procedures, the full set of project documentation must be submitted to the GEF Secretariat no later than 9 January 2023. Through the present announcement, UNEP is seeking to engage an experienced lead consultant, who has a strong background in GEF requirements for project design, implementation and monitoring as well as experience in sustainable economic development including with private & public sectors, biodiversity conservation, regional planning, and preferably experience in programs involving natural capital and ecosystem services valuation (including NC accounting). This preparatory phase will conduct, analyse and summarise baseline studies, implementation arrangements and co-financing partnerships necessary for the detailed project design as well as submission of full project documents to the GEF; undertake stakeholder consultations and analysis in order to facilitate participation and meet gender requirements, as well as design GEF-funded complementary project activities based on the identified baseline programs (see PIF); and develop the UNEP/GEF Project Document & CEO Endorsement Request package for submission to the GEF Secretariat- within the agreed upon timeframe, meeting quality requirements, and with all support documentation required, including co-financing confirmation letters, taking also into account the comments from the GEF Council and UNEP’s Concept Review Committee (CRC).


The main responsibility of the assignment is to conduct the detailed project design and execution arrangements, supervise the National Consultant for NCA and Baseline Assessment (contracted separately through ISPONRE) and develop the UNEP Project Document, GEF CEO Endorsement Request, including all applicable annexes, for the project. The consultancy will be both home- as well as field-based to conduct at least one mission to Vietnam for stakeholder engagement and field assessments. The Lead Consultant will report to the Johan Robinson, Head of GEF-Biodiversity and Land Degradation Unit, based in Nairobi, Kenya and work closely with ISPONRE and other national and provincial counterparts in Viet Nam.

Objectives, timelines, main tasks, expected outputs and performance indicators

The PPG Process Will Support a Suite Of Activities To Further Identify And Cost The Actions To Be Included In The MSP, Including
• Analysis of the national policies & institutional system, data platforms and capacity needs to establish and apply a coherent and consistent methodology, institutional arrangements as well as the national system for SEEA-based Natural capital Accounting (NCA) in Viet Nam - involving all ecosystems and related line agencies, whilst zooming in on Ocean accounting to support a sustainable blue economy growth path in Viet Nam (detailed design of Outputs 1.1.1 to 1.1.5).
• Analysis of existing baseline programs, landscapes, local stakeholder agencies, provincial and national data systems on NC, and institutional capacity development needs, towards establishing provincial NC accounts in agreement with local government on provincial NCA applications toward development and implementation of blue economic growth and land-/seascape conservation planning for Quang Ninh Province (leading to detailed design of Outputs 2.1.1, 2.1.3).
• Identification and baseline analysis of private/corporate entities towards partnership on the application of NCA for quantification of impacts, dependency and interlinkages on marine and coastal NC in Qu¿ng Ninh Province through NC-based sustainable business planning and/or development of NC Protocols, as well as pre-feasibility assessment of options for PA friendly operations/investments (detailed design of Output 2.1.2).
• Baseline analysis for draft strategy development on project outreach and knowledge management for enhancing national uptake and replication of NCA towards a blue economy growth path (detailed design of Outputs 3.1.1 and 3.1.2).
• Definition of Project Strategy, including preparation of required documentation; a completed logical framework; project monitoring plan and specifically capturing best practice to enable replication of NCA and blue economy in additional province(s) (Output 3.2.1) and risk mitigation plans; GEF budget and co-financing plans; and implementation arrangements; and
• Overall guidance and final documentation. The PPG process will also respond to requests made during the GEF Council meeting held in June 2020 and reproduced in the annex to the CEO ER document.
• The detailed activities and deliverables of the PPG phase are listed below under Outputs. Main Tasks Of The PPG TL

To support the implementation of the PPG and write the full project document, in consultation with ISPONRE, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and local and international partner organizations. The consultant will be responsible; in close consultation with the UNEP Task Manager and in close collaboration with the national consultant as well as the range of other national and international programs, projects and partners listed in the Project Identification Form (PIF) concept. A full and detailed Terms of Reference for the PPG will be made available to the consultant, with the summary of tasks for the PPG TL listed below.


Specifically, the consultant will be required to complete the following tasks:
• PPG Team Planning Meeting: organize a Skype call with the UNEP Task Manager, ISPONRE and National Consultant to review plans for the PPG, and arrangements for first mission and inception workshop (start August 2022);
• Prepare a detailed work plan at the outset of the Project Preparatory Grant (PPG) formulation process, in collaboration with ISPONRE and the national consultant, and provide an overall orientation to the PPG team in relation to GEF and UNEP requirements, including the set Project Document and GEF CEO ER templates (by August 2022);
• Prepare and reach agreement with the National Consultant on detailed workplan and deliverables, contents of reporting and communications (e.g. through Skype, email, etc) and monitor and supervise the deliverables.
• Develop detailed mission schedule, deliverables and agreement with UNE TM and ISPONRE, for field trips to Vietnam;
• Ensure that sufficient and relevant information is acquired, and all requisite consultations and studies are completed for timely preparation of PPG reports and delivery of the UNEP Project Document and GEF CEO Endorsement Request document;
• Compile and study similar PIF concepts and GEF Project Documents in the field of natural capital accounting and its application to planning, financing and programs for the conservation of NC and biodiversity, particularly through sector transformation, sustainable economic development, sustainable land-use planning and management, and enhanced protected area landscapes mainstreaming of biodiversity and natural capital objectives (UNEP will make some of these resources available for use);
• Initiate remote and on-site meetings in Viet Nam with ISPONRE and key government departments of concern to the baseline assessment, project design and MSP project execution arrangements, including at national and provincial level (Quang Ninh Province) and the National Consultant to (i) conduct baseline assessment, delineation of the project targeted landscape, stakeholder consultations, and (ii) reach agreement on local project implementation modalities and milestones, and the role of each project partner during the implementation (preliminary scheduled for 1 December 2022);
• Conduct the situation analyses, as well as the identification and documentation of relevant baseline conditions based on the data collection and analysis by the National Consultant;
• Develop and/or finetune a feasible and measurable Project Results Frameworks having an integrated set of SMART indicators and midterm and end-of-project targets that monitor outcomes, including the costing of the Project Monitoring and Evaluation Plan;
• With support of the National Consultant and ISPONRE, facilitate the development of national and international partnerships for the implementation of the project - especially related to coastal and marine NC accounting based on the SEEA Framework, including consultations and calculations in securing in-kind and cash co-funding contributions;
• Ensure, including through coordinating the related work by the National Consultant, that all relevant national and provincial stakeholders are widely consulted throughout the PPG process and that work under development is shared on a regular basis to ensure that the project is responsive to stakeholders needs, feasible to implement, has broad ownership and that stakeholders agree on the implementation and execution arrangements;
• Review all former and ongoing GEF and other donor/NGO financed (baseline) projects related to the project objectives and describe in detail how the current project will build on these initiatives, using their knowledge, experience and lessons learnt to build a solid foundation;
• Ensure that the design of the project complements national development plans, sectoral plans and policies.
• Apply the UNEP Social and Economic Review (ESERN checklist), based on information provided by the National Consultant
• Ensure that any review points from the GEF Secretariat or GEF Council, including those made during the project identification stage, as well as the formal review by the UNEP Project Review Committee are met and responded to in the Project Document and CEO Endorsement Request;
• Prepare a detailed multi-year budget using the standard templates provided by UNEP and ensure that the budget reflects the mandatory requirements of the GEF Monitoring and Evaluation Policy as well as the set Project Management Costs ceiling;
• Pay particular attention to gender mainstreaming and social inclusiveness, including socioeconomic and gender disaggregated indicators in the Monitoring and Evaluation Plan, including through the related assessments, analyses and reporting by the National Consultant.
• Develop and finalize the project's Monitoring and Evaluation work plan, with responsibilities and accountabilities clearly defined, as well as an appropriate budget – based on the relevant UNEP template;
• Write the full project documents (both the UNEP template as well as the GEF CEO Endorsement Request, including annexes); present drafts to national stakeholders for review and incorporate the ensuing comments;
• Perform final reviews of the project documentation, as required;
• Compile response to review comments by UNEP, ISPONRE, GEF Secretariat, and make necessary revisions to the documents.
The consultancy will be home-based.

Qualifications/special Skills
Academic Qualifications: - Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in environmental planning and management, and/or natural resource research, development and conservation is required.

Experience: - Minimum 15 years professional experience in the field of environmental planning, sustainable land

management, management and protection of biodiversity and ecosystem services is required.
• Additional significant knowledge of GEF policies and programming, as well as senior experience in GEF project formulation and writing of GEF Project Document and CEO Endorsement is highly desirable.
• Work experience in in sustainable economic development including with private & public sectors, biodiversity conservation, regional planning; and preferably experience in programs involving natural capital and ecosystem services valuation (including SEEA-based NC accounting).
Language: - English is one of the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the consultancy post advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required.

Job Experience: No Requirements

Work Hours: 8

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

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