Job: INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANCY SERVICES TO ASSESS THE IMPLEMENTATION MODALITIES IN REFORESTATION ACTIVITIES BY THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT - REF.: LEB/CO IC/85/13

Location :

Beirut, LEBANON

Application Deadline :

28-Oct-13

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Post Level :

International Consultant

Languages Required :

Arabic   English  

Starting Date :
(date when the selected candidate is expected to start)

28-Nov-2013

Duration of Initial Contract :

20 working days spread over a period of 3 calendar months

Expected Duration of Assignment :

20 working days spread over a period of 3 calendar months

Background

The long-term goal of the Safeguarding and Restoring Lebanon’s Woodland Resources Project (SRLWR) is to complement the on-the ground investments undertaken through the National Reforestation Program through the creation of an enabling environment and by building capacity for sustainable land management as a contribution to greater ecosystem stability, enhanced food security and improved rural livelihoods. The rationale is to remove the institutional, economic, technical barriers to Sustainable Land Management in this sector in order to enable National Reforestation Plan to meet its targets and up-scale forestry Sustainable Land Management models and approaches over 20 years at the national scale. The immediate objective is to develop a strategy for safeguarding and restoring Lebanon’s woodland resources and assist its implementation through capacity building and execution of appropriate SLM policies and practices.

In the past years The MoE has executed two phases of reforestation activities: phase I (2002-2004) and Phase II (2004-2006) by sub-contracting third party specialized private firms for the implementation of reforestation activities in different regions of Lebanon.

Following its initiation in the year 2009, the SRLWR project has provided technical assistance to the Ministry of Environment in the preparation, launching and implementation of phase III of the National Reforestation Plan, whereby 48 direct contracts have been issued to municipalities for the reforestation of a total of 192 hectares of municipal lands.

Taking into consideration that this new modality of contracting has never been applied previously by the MOE, the SRLWR project needs to conduct an assessment of the advantages of public participation in reforestation activities, as compared to the previous modality of contracting third parties for such activities.

The MOE might wish to reach its final decision on whether to adopt the modality of issuing direct contracts to municipalities or not based on the findings of this study.

Duties and Responsibilities

Responsibilities of the Consultant are:

Task 1: Data Collection & Analysis

• Collection of data on the reforestation modalities used in the 3 phases of the national reforestation programme.
• Assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of each type of modality (i.e. public participation through the municipality’s verses subcontracting of private sector companies, etc.);
• Verification of analysis through field assessments and interviews;
• Assessment of impact of the different modalities.

Task 2: Report:

• Report on the conclusions of this assessment and provide policy recommendations that can be used by the Government for future reforestation activities;
• Include concrete lessons learnt that can be published into a report for public dissemination/use.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

• 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;
• Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment

Functional Competencies:

• Proficiency in the use of computer;
• Perfect communication skills included proficiency in English Language. Working knowledge of Arabic language is an asset;
• Analytical Skills;
• Ability to meet deadlines and prioritize multiple tasks.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree in agriculture, environmental science, social science, economics, or development.

Experience:

• Local/Regional/ relevant experience of not less than 10 years;
• Proven experience in the fields of  development, forestry, agriculture, environment or related field;
• Experience in field research and knowledge of research methodologies;
• Experience in project assessment is a plus.

Language Requirements:

• Proficiency in English Language. Working knowledge of Arabic language is an asset.

Note:

Kindly refer to the Individual Consultant Procurement Notice and all related Annexes by visiting the below link:

http://www.undp.org.lb/procurement/procurementDetail.cfm

Please make sure to submit all the requested documents/information; otherwise your application will be considered incomplete.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

More Info and Application