UNDP,GEF Midterm Review Lead Consultant cum Environmental Finance Specialist (Home-Based)Jobs in Malaysia

Closing date: Friday,
13 May 2016

UNDP
– GEF Midterm Review Lead Consultant cum Environmental Finance Specialist
(Home-Based)

Location
:
Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA

Application
Deadline :
13-May-16 (Midnight New York, USA)

Type
of Contract :
Individual Contract

Post
Level :
International Consultant

Languages
Required :
English

Starting
Date :
(date when the selected candidate is expected to start) 30-May-2016

Duration
of Initial Contract :
6 months

Expected
Duration of Assignment : 50 working days

Background

Project
Title:
Enhancing Effectiveness and Financial Sustainability of Protected Areas in
Malaysia

Project
Description

This
is the Terms of Reference for the UNDP-GEF Midterm Review (MTR) of the
full-sized project titled Enhancing Effectiveness and Financial
Sustainability of Protected Areas in Malaysia (PIMS#3967) (also knowns as
PA Financing project) implemented by the Department of Wildlife and National
Parks in Malaysia, which is to be undertaken in June 2016. The project started
on the 5 June 2012 and is in its fifth year of implementation. The project is
scheduled to end on 30 June 2019. In line with the UNDP-GEF Guidance on MTRs,
this MTR process was initiated before the submission of the fourth Project
Implementation Report (PIR). The MTR process must follow the guidance outlined
in the document Guidance for Conducting Midterm Reviews of UNDP-Supported,
GEF-Financed Projects (see
http://web.undp.org/evaluation/documents/guidance/GEF/mid-term/Guidance_Midterm%20Review%20_EN_2014.pdf).

The
PA Financing project was designed to address the sub-optimal management and
inadequate resources invested in the protected area system in Malaysia with
primary focus on the three protected area networks covering a total area of
2.98 million hectares, managed by the Federal Department of Wildlife and
National Parks, Johor National Parks Corporation and Perak State Parks
Corporation.

The
objective of the project is to establish a performance-based financing
structure to support effective protected area system management in Malaysia.
Interventions to achieve this objective are structured into three outcome
components, designed to address barriers at the national, sub-national network
and site PA levels respectively

Outcome
1:
Systemic and institutional capacities to manage and financially support a
national PA system by addressing barriers at the national systems level to
improve management effectiveness and financial sustainability of protected
areas.

Outcome
2:
Technical and institutional capacities to manage sub-national PA networks,
including capacities for effective financial management by strengthening the
sub-PA network capacity to be able to meet the management standards set under
Outcome 1 so as to decrease funding gap of the PA network.

Outcome
3:
Effective site-level PA management by improving basic PA management capacities
where required, and will also enhance the management and business planning
skills of PA managers, to enable the PA system to maximize revenue generation
and to streamline costs.

See
the signed project document at
http://www.my.undp.org/content/malaysia/en/home/operations/projects/environment_and_energy/enhancing-effectiveness-and-financial-sustainability-of-protecte.html.

Duties
and Responsibilities

Scope
of Work and Key Tasks

The
MTR will assess progress towards the achievement of the project objectives and
outcomes as specified in the Project Document and programme outcomes as
stipulated in the Country Programme Action Plan (CPAP) 2016 – 2020 between UNDP
and the Government of Malaysia, and assess early signs of project success or
failure with the purpose 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. The MTR
must provide evidence based information that is credible, reliable and useful.

The
MTR Lead Consultant will perform the key tasks as follows

Lead
and assign division of work for a team of two independent experts
including National Protected Area Specialist and Social Scientist who will
conduct the MTR;
Conduct
a document review of project documents i.e. Country Programme Action Plan
(CPAP) 2016 – 2020 between UNDP and Government of Malaysia, Project
Identification Form (PIF), UNDP Initiation Plan, Project Document,
Environmental and Social Safeguard Policy (ESSP), Project Inception
Report, Project Implementation Reviews, Finalized GEF focal area Tracking
Tools, Project Appraisal Committee meeting minutes, Financial and
Administration guidelines used by Project Team, project operational
guidelines, manuals and systems, etc.; provided by UNDP Malaysia Country
Office and Project Team;
Plan
and facilitate in a MTR inception workshop to clarify their understanding
of the objectives and methods of the MTR, producing the MTR inception
report thereafter;
Conduct
field mission with MTR team that consist of interviews with stakeholders
who have project responsibilities and site visits to Kuala Lumpur, Taman
Negara National Park, Kuantan, Ipoh, Royal Belum State Park, Johor Bahru
and Endau-Rompin National Park;
Assess
the following four categories of project progress based on the Guidance
for Conducting Midterm Reviews of UNDP-Supported, GEF-Financed Projects
for requirements on ratings. No overall rating is required;
Produce
a draft and final MTR report with MTR team members;
Plan
the MTR Concluding Stakeholder Workshop.

Project
Strategy

Project
Design

Review
the problem addressed by the project and the underlying assumptions.
Review the effect of any incorrect assumptions or changes to the context
to achieving the project results as outlined in the Project Document;
Review
the relevance of the project strategy and assess whether it provides the
most effective route towards expected/intended results stipulated in the
project document/inception report and the CPAP 2016 – 2020;
Review
how the project addresses country priorities. Review country ownership.
Was the project concept in line with the national and sector development
priorities and plans in Malaysia?
Review
decision-making processes: were perspectives of those who would be
affected by project decisions, those who could affect the outcomes, and
those who could contribute information or other resources to the process,
taken into account during project design processes?
Review
the extent to which relevant gender issues were raised in the project
design. See Guidance for Conducting Midterm Reviews of UNDP-Supported,
GEF-Financed Projects for further guidelines;
If
there are major areas of concern, recommend areas for improvement.

Results
Framework/Logframe

Undertake
a critical analysis of the project’s logframe indicators and targets,
assess how ‘SMART’ the midterm and end-of-project targets are (Specific,
Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound), and suggest specific
amendments/revisions to the targets and indicators as necessary;
Examine
if progress so far has led to, or could in the future catalyse beneficial
development effects (i.e. income generation, gender equality and women’s
empowerment, improved governance etc.) that should be included in the
project results framework and monitored on an annual basis.

Progress
Towards Results

Review
the logframe indicators against progress made towards the end-of-project
targets; populate the Progress Towards Results Matrix, as described in the
Guidance for Conducting Midterm Reviews of UNDP-Supported, GEF-Financed
Projects; colour code progress in a ‘traffic light system’ based on
the level of progress achieved; assign a rating on progress for the
project objective and each outcome; make recommendations from the areas
marked as ‘not on target to be achieved’ (red);
Compare
and analyse the GEF Tracking Tool at the Baseline with the one completed
right before the Midterm Review;
Identify
remaining barriers to achieving the project objective;
Review
the aspects of the project that have already been successful and identify
ways in which the project can further expand these benefits.

Project
Implementation and Adaptive Management

Using
the Guidance for Conducting Midterm Reviews of UNDP-Supported, GEF-Financed
Projects; assess the following categories of project progress

Management
Arrangements;
Work
Planning;
Finance
and co-finance;
Project-level
monitoring and evaluation systems;
Stakeholder
Engagement particularly local and indigenous communities;
Reporting;
Communications.

Sustainability

Assess
overall risks to sustainability factors of the project in terms of the
following four categories

Financial
risks to sustainability;
Socio-economic
risks to sustainability;
Institutional
framework and governance risks to sustainability;
Environmental
risks to sustainability.

The
MTR Lead Consultant and his/her team will include a section in the MTR report
setting out the MTR’s evidence-based conclusions, in light of the findings.

Additionally,
the MTR Lead Consultant and his/her team is expected to make recommendations to
the Implementing Partners and Project Team. Recommendations should be succinct
suggestions for critical intervention that are specific, measurable,
achievable, and relevant. A recommendation table should be put in the report’s
executive summary. The MTR Lead Consultant and his/her team should make no more
than 15 recommendations in total.

Expected
Outputs and Deliverables

The
MTR Lead Consultant shall prepare and submit

MTR
Inception Report: MTR team clarifies objectives and methods of the Midterm
Review no later than 2 weeks before the MTR mission. To be sent to UNDP
Malaysia Country Office and project management. Approximate due date: 8
June 2016;
Presentation:
Initial Findings presented to project management and UNDP Malaysia at the
end of the MTR mission. Approximate due date: 24 June 2016;
Draft
Final Report: Full report with annexes within 3 weeks of the MTR mission.
Approximate due date: 15 July 2016;
Final
Report*: Revised report with annexed audit trail detailing how all
received comments have (and have not) been addressed in the final MTR
report. To be sent to the UNDP Malaysia within 2 weeks of receiving UNDP
and stakeholders’ comments on draft. Approximate due date: 15 August 2016.
The
final MTR report must be in English. If applicable, UNDP Malaysia may
choose to arrange for a translation of the report into Malay language –
the official language more widely shared by national stakeholders.

E.
Institutional Arrangement

The
Commissioning Unit for this project’s MTR is UNDP Malaysia Country Office. UNDP
Malaysia will contract the MTR Lead Consultant and ensure the timely provision
of per diems and travel arrangements within the country for the MTR team. 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.

F.
Duration of the Work

The
total duration of the MTR will be 50 working days starting 30 May 2016, and
shall not exceed six months from when the Lead Consultant is hired. The
tentative MTR timeframe is as follows

13
May 2016: Application closes;
16
May 2016: Selection of MTR Lead Consultant and team members;
23
– 27 May 2016: Prep the MTR Team (handover of project documents);
30
May – 3 June 2016 (5 days): Document review and preparing MTR Inception
Report;
6
– 10 June 2016 (5 days): Finalization and Validation of MTR Inception
Report- latest start of MTR mission;
12
– 26 June 2016 (15 days): MTR mission: stakeholder meetings, interviews,
field visits;
24
June 2016: Mission wrap-up meeting & presentation of initial findings-
earliest end of MTR mission;
27
June – 11 July 2016 (15 days): Preparing draft report;
18
– 29 July 2017 (5 days): Incorporating audit trail on draft
report/Finalization of MTR report;
1
– 5 August 2016 (3 days): Preparation & Issue of Management Response;
11
August 2016 (2 days): Planning the Concluding Stakeholder Workshop (only
MTR National Protected Area Specialist and Social Scientist participate);
31
August 2016: Expected date of full MTR completion.

The
start date of contract is 30 May 2016.

G.
Duty Station

All
travels within Malaysia will be arranged by UNDP Malaysia and Project Team
except international travel from home base to Malaysia. All related travel
expenses will be covered and will be reimbursed as per UNDP rules and
regulations upon submission of an F-10 claim form and supporting documents.

Travel

International
travel will be required to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia during the MTR mission;
The
Basic Security in the Field II and Advanced Security in the Field courses
must be successfully completed prior to commencement of travel;
Individual
Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have
vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as
designated by the UN Medical Director.
Consultants
are required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under
https://dss.un.org/dssweb/.

Competencies

Competence
in adaptive management, as applied to biodiversity focal area;
Excellent
communication skills;
Demonstrable
analytical skills;

Required
Skills and Experience

Education

A
Master’s degree or higher in conservation/environmental finance,
economics, environmental or natural resource economics, environmental
planning/management, public finance, or other closely related field.

Experience

The
selection of Lead Consultant will be aimed at maximising the overall ‘team’
qualities in the following areas:

Experience
with result-based management evaluation methodologies for at least 10
years;
Experience
applying SMART targets and reconstructing or validating baseline
scenarios;
Competence
in adaptive management, as applied to biodiversity focal area;
Experience
working with the GEF or GEF-evaluations for at least 5 years;
Experience
working in Malaysia, South-East Asian or Asia-Pacific region;
Work
experience in environment and/or conservation finance for at least 10
years;
Project
evaluation/review experiences within United Nations system will be
considered an asset;

Consultant
Independence

The
consultants 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.

Application
Process:
Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

Financial
Proposal

Financial
proposal must be ‘all inclusive’ and expressed in a lump-sum for the total
duration of the contract. The term ‘all-inclusive’ implies all cost
(professional fees, domestic travel costs, living allowances etc.);
For
duty travels, the UN’s Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) rates should
provide indication of the cost of living in a duty station/destination.
The
lump sum is fixed regardless of changes in the cost components.

Schedule
of Payments

20%
of payment upon approval of the MTR Inception Report;
30%
upon submission of the draft MTR Report;
50%
upon finalization of the MTR Report.

Or,
as otherwise agreed between UNDP Malaysia and MTR Lead Consultant.

How
to Apply

Kindly
download the Letter of Confirmation of interest and availability, Financial
Proposal Template, P11 form and General Terms & Conditions mentioned
below;
Completed
Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability (Annex 1);
Personal
CV or a P11 Personal History Form,, indicating all past experience
from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone
number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references;
Read
and agree to the General Terms & Conditions;
Click
the ‘apply’ icon and complete what is required;
Brief
description of approach to work/technical proposal
of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the
assignment, and a proposed methodology on how they will approach and
complete the assignment; (max 1 page)
Financial
Proposal
(Annex 2) that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price,
supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided. If an
applicant 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
applicant must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are
duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP.
Scan
all documents into 1 pdf folder and then upload;
For
clarification question, please email to procurement.my@undp.org. The
clarification question deadline is three (3) days before the closing. When
emailing for clarification questions, please put ‘MyIC/2016/013′ as
the subject matter.

Incomplete
applications will be excluded from further consideration.

Forms
and General terms & conditions to be downloaded

The
UN Personal History Form (P11) is available at:
http://www.undp.org.my/uploads/p11%20personal%20history%20form.doc.
Letter
of Confirmation of Interest and Availability (Annex I) at
https://www-author.undp.org/content/malaysia/en/home/operations/procurement.html%23?download
The
Financial Proposal Template at
http://www.my.undp.org/content/dam/malaysia/docs/Procurement/Financial%20Proposal%20Template.doc?download
The
General Terms & Conditions for Individual contract is available
at:http://www.my.undp.org/content/dam/malaysia/docs/Procurement/General%20Conditions%20of%20Contract%20for%20IC.pdf?download
The
General Terms & Conditions for Reimbursement Loan Agreement is
available
at:http://www.my.undp.org/content/dam/malaysia/docs/Procurement/Reimbursable%20Loan%20Agreement%20_%20Terms%20&%20Conditions.pdf?download

Important
Note

This
Consultancy position is only accepted online. Email submission is not
valid;
Applicant
must READ and ACCEPT the General Terms and Conditions;
The
system DOES NOT accept multiple document upload. Please scan all the
documents and save into one (1) PDF file and upload;

Criteria
for Selection of the Best Offer

The
award of the contract will be made to the Individual Consultant who has
obtained the highest Combined Score and has accepted UNDP’s General Terms and
Conditions. Only those applications which are responsive and compliant will be
evaluated.

The
offers will be evaluated using the ‘Combined Scoring method’ where

The
educational background and experience on similar assignments will be
weighted a max. of 70%;
The
price proposal will weigh as 30% of the total scoring.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Related News