Location :
SAO TOME, SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE
Application Deadline :
17-Oct-13
Type of Contract :
Individual Contract
Post Level :
International Consultant
Languages Required :
English French Portuguese
Starting Date :
(date when the selected candidate is expected to start)
(date when the selected candidate is expected to start)
01-Nov-2013
Duration of Initial Contract :
50 days: Home based 30 days; São Tomé based 20 days; 2 missions, 10 days to each mission
Expected Duration of Assignment :
8 months
Background
Africa remains the region with the lowest ratio of hydroelectric deployment-to-potential, and the opportunities for growth are very large across the continent. However in Africa – and particularly in African SIDS – complicated competing priorities and unique vulnerabilities mean that hydropower development is not always straightforward. Significant planning, consultation, safeguards and incentives are required for hydropower development, especially in SIDS with fragile forest ecosystems. In addition, the unique combination of inaccessibility and relatively small populations expose SIDS in the region to the enduring challenges that arise from lack of economies of scale, high oil prices, high transportation and communication costs, expensive public administration and infrastructure, and lack of skilled human capital. Thus the transformation of the energy sector in SIDS to an economically viable and environmentally friendly system requires a comprehensive and multi-faceted approach in the design of the appropriate policy and planning frameworks and incentives to fully integrate RE technologies in way that is climate resilient and minimizes negative impacts on ecosystems.
Sao Tome and Principe urgently requires investments and incentives for the sustainable development and deployment of its hydropower potential to meet its growing energy gap. The country’s water resources are highly vulnerable to climate change which impacts the already weak management of the country’s forest resources and watersheds, as well as its hydropower potential. The development of this new hydropower potential must therefore be integrated with an approach to land-use planning and sustainable land and forestry management practices that is: 1) climate-resilient; 2) mitigates degradation of water resources in surface and groundwater basins; and 3) preserves the integrity of the country’s riparian forests. At present the country lacks the capacity and enabling environment to promote such an approach.
The UNDP/GEF Project Identification Form (PIF) “Promotion of environmentally sustainable and climate-resilient grid-based hydroelectric electricity through an integrated approach in Sao Tome and Principe” is a multi-focal area project (drawing on funds from Climate Change mitigation, land degradation and sustainable forest management allocations) that is designed to introduce an integrated energy and ecosystems-based approach to grid-based hydroelectric electricity generation in Sao Tome and Principe. The project has three components. The first component seeks to remove the underlying barriers that have prevented a market transformation of the sub-sector by developing a streamlined and comprehensive market-oriented energy policy and legal/regulatory framework for on-grid, mini-hydro electricity generation by Independent Power Producers (IPPs) while the second component is focused on promoting investment in mini-hydro through appropriate catalytic financial incentives for investors (the proposed mechanism is the establishment of a renewable energy guarantee scheme).
The third component – the main focus of this consultancy – is focused on watershed and sustainable forestry management and implementation. This component has three broad categories of interventions. The first is institutional planning and interventions for watershed management. Under this component robust watershed basin management plans will be developed enabling equitable water resources allocation and protection to support sustainable economic development, public health and environmental protection. Definitions and operational targets will be included in the plans to define threat hotspots, specific measures to address threats in a given basin, and legal provisions for management and protection. Specific activities under these plans will then be piloted across a landscape of 10,000 ha (encompassing the defined threat hotspots) in the basins where the hydro sites will be located. The two main pilot activities proposed to be introduced at the landscape level will be conservation farming practices and fire management measures since these are the main causes of soil erosion and in turn systemic degradation of the country’s inland watersheds. Assessments will be done during the preparatory phase as regards the most optimal conservation farming and fire management techniques and measures to be introduced in line with crop choices, soil types and local capacity. Under the watershed management plans and in tandem with the above-mentioned interventions, specific reforestation activities will be implemented in degraded secondary forests in selected riparian zones around and upstream of the proposed mini-hydro water intake sites and groundwater recharge areas. A priority focus of the conservation farming and fire management activities – as well as the reforestation activities – will be frontier areas of Obo National Park in the Districts of Lemba and Caué where fires and human encroachment are severely threatening endemic flora and fauna.
The second sub-component is the establishment of an Institutional Framework for Sustainable Land and Forestry Management (SLFM) governance. Under this category a national legal framework for SLFM will be developed under the leadership of the Directorate-General for Environment and a unit in charge of SLFM will be installed under the National Coordination Committee/Climate Change Directorate. Guidelines for the mainstreaming of SLFM principles and priorities into the agriculture and forest sectors will be developed and operationalized. The third sub-component will be the development of a framework for re-investment of a certain portion of the energy proceeds from the mini-hydro energy sales into community conservation. This sub-component will establish a mechanism integrated into the national legal framework for SLFM and the legal energy frameworks formulated under the project’s first component.
Sao Tome and Principe urgently requires investments and incentives for the sustainable development and deployment of its hydropower potential to meet its growing energy gap. The country’s water resources are highly vulnerable to climate change which impacts the already weak management of the country’s forest resources and watersheds, as well as its hydropower potential. The development of this new hydropower potential must therefore be integrated with an approach to land-use planning and sustainable land and forestry management practices that is: 1) climate-resilient; 2) mitigates degradation of water resources in surface and groundwater basins; and 3) preserves the integrity of the country’s riparian forests. At present the country lacks the capacity and enabling environment to promote such an approach.
The UNDP/GEF Project Identification Form (PIF) “Promotion of environmentally sustainable and climate-resilient grid-based hydroelectric electricity through an integrated approach in Sao Tome and Principe” is a multi-focal area project (drawing on funds from Climate Change mitigation, land degradation and sustainable forest management allocations) that is designed to introduce an integrated energy and ecosystems-based approach to grid-based hydroelectric electricity generation in Sao Tome and Principe. The project has three components. The first component seeks to remove the underlying barriers that have prevented a market transformation of the sub-sector by developing a streamlined and comprehensive market-oriented energy policy and legal/regulatory framework for on-grid, mini-hydro electricity generation by Independent Power Producers (IPPs) while the second component is focused on promoting investment in mini-hydro through appropriate catalytic financial incentives for investors (the proposed mechanism is the establishment of a renewable energy guarantee scheme).
The third component – the main focus of this consultancy – is focused on watershed and sustainable forestry management and implementation. This component has three broad categories of interventions. The first is institutional planning and interventions for watershed management. Under this component robust watershed basin management plans will be developed enabling equitable water resources allocation and protection to support sustainable economic development, public health and environmental protection. Definitions and operational targets will be included in the plans to define threat hotspots, specific measures to address threats in a given basin, and legal provisions for management and protection. Specific activities under these plans will then be piloted across a landscape of 10,000 ha (encompassing the defined threat hotspots) in the basins where the hydro sites will be located. The two main pilot activities proposed to be introduced at the landscape level will be conservation farming practices and fire management measures since these are the main causes of soil erosion and in turn systemic degradation of the country’s inland watersheds. Assessments will be done during the preparatory phase as regards the most optimal conservation farming and fire management techniques and measures to be introduced in line with crop choices, soil types and local capacity. Under the watershed management plans and in tandem with the above-mentioned interventions, specific reforestation activities will be implemented in degraded secondary forests in selected riparian zones around and upstream of the proposed mini-hydro water intake sites and groundwater recharge areas. A priority focus of the conservation farming and fire management activities – as well as the reforestation activities – will be frontier areas of Obo National Park in the Districts of Lemba and Caué where fires and human encroachment are severely threatening endemic flora and fauna.
The second sub-component is the establishment of an Institutional Framework for Sustainable Land and Forestry Management (SLFM) governance. Under this category a national legal framework for SLFM will be developed under the leadership of the Directorate-General for Environment and a unit in charge of SLFM will be installed under the National Coordination Committee/Climate Change Directorate. Guidelines for the mainstreaming of SLFM principles and priorities into the agriculture and forest sectors will be developed and operationalized. The third sub-component will be the development of a framework for re-investment of a certain portion of the energy proceeds from the mini-hydro energy sales into community conservation. This sub-component will establish a mechanism integrated into the national legal framework for SLFM and the legal energy frameworks formulated under the project’s first component.
Duties and Responsibilities
Scope of Work:
The GEF project cycle includes a preparatory phase, which follows the approval of the PIF and foresees the collection of information and gathering of useful data for project design; the validation of the indicative outcomes and outputs contained in the PIF; the development of a full M&E plan including appropriate indicators and baseline; and the development of a participatory plan to involve communities and government stakeholders as well as the agree on implementation arrangements and co-financing.
A Project Preparation Grant (PPG) for this project has been approved by the GEF Secretariat to prepare a Full-Size Project Document (FSP), based on the approved project proposal concept (PIF). The PPG phase will support various data collection efforts and undertake several stakeholder consultations with the view to further develop the approved project concept into a fully formulated project document. The final output of the PPG phase will be a UNDP-GEF project document and GEF CEO endorsement template ready for submission to UNDP and GEF, with all required supporting annexes, tracking tools and background information.
The PPG phase will include four interrelated components:
Technical review and project design
The GEF project cycle includes a preparatory phase, which follows the approval of the PIF and foresees the collection of information and gathering of useful data for project design; the validation of the indicative outcomes and outputs contained in the PIF; the development of a full M&E plan including appropriate indicators and baseline; and the development of a participatory plan to involve communities and government stakeholders as well as the agree on implementation arrangements and co-financing.
A Project Preparation Grant (PPG) for this project has been approved by the GEF Secretariat to prepare a Full-Size Project Document (FSP), based on the approved project proposal concept (PIF). The PPG phase will support various data collection efforts and undertake several stakeholder consultations with the view to further develop the approved project concept into a fully formulated project document. The final output of the PPG phase will be a UNDP-GEF project document and GEF CEO endorsement template ready for submission to UNDP and GEF, with all required supporting annexes, tracking tools and background information.
The PPG phase will include four interrelated components:
Technical review and project design
- Collection of baseline information, identifying and filling key gaps in information to strengthen the project design;
- Preparation of studies to address any opportunities/risks identified during an environmental and social screening of the project proposal;
- Identification of specific sites for intervention;
- Integration of the project with relevant development plans, policies, budgets and complementary projects; and
- Completion of the GEF CC Mitigation and Land Degradation tracking tools.
- Finalization of project results framework: Definition of the results framework with appropriate objective-level and outcome-level quantitative and qualitative SMART indicators, and end-of-project targets. Special attention will be paid to include socio-economic and sex disaggregated indicators;
- Definition of monitoring and evaluation (M&E): A detailed M&E work plan will be developed, including clear identification of responsibilities and accountabilities, as well as an appropriate M&E budget;
- Definition of a sustainability plan: The sustainability plan will outline the principles and guidelines for ensuring the long-term sustainability of project achievements. It will also outline an exit strategy, seeking the continuation of key activities/achievements without the need of long-term international financing; and
- Definition of management arrangements.
- Preparation of a detailed multi-year budget following the standard template provided in the UNDP-GEF project document template that reflects the mandatory requirements of the GEF M&E Policy;
- Confirmation of relevant multilateral and bilateral co-financing opportunities; and
- Completion of all required official endorsement letters from project partners.
- A PPG validation workshop will be held to gather representatives from all relevant stakeholders to present, discuss and validate the final draft project document.
- The PPG phase will include extensive stakeholder consultations with government entities, private sector entities, industry groups, donors and civil society organizations as part of the above-mentioned activities.
In approximately 50 days of total work throughout the duration of the PPG process (various tasks are expected to be done concurrently), the overall purpose of the consultancy is the preparation of a UNDP/GEF compliant full sized project. The consultant will be expected to provide lead quality assurance as regards all activities under the project related to land use/planning and sustainable forestry management. The consultant will work under an international team leader and as part of a team with several local consultants. More specifically the consultant is expected to:
- Serve as the Land Degradation & Sustainable Forest Management Expert for the project and together with the team leader be responsible for the timely drafting of the required documents for submission to the GEF strictly adhering to the deadlines agreed to and ensuring quality control;
- Key drafting tasks will be accomplished under the guidance of the UNDP/GEF regional service center and the UNDP Sao Tome and Principe Country Office, working in close collaboration with key government officials, donors, NGOs and the private sector. An early draft of the required submission documents will be submitted to the UNDP Country Office and UNDP/GEF technical staff at a date agreed at the inception workshop;
- Play a pivotal role in developing a work plan and coordinating the input and outputs of all consultants and sub-contractors working on activities related to forestry and land use activities. The activities proposed include a mix of upstream institutional planning and governance support for the management of the watershed and SLFM sectors as well as a suite of specific downstream activities designed to address the core landscape-level drivers of degradation of the country’s watersheds;
- Assist in determining the project’s system boundaries and scope as regards all forestry and land management activities and validate all project baseline assumptions and design criteria as regards activities related to forestry and land management.
- Validate and define the appropriate country-specific frameworks to be supported by the project for institutional planning and interventions for watershed management in the context of the proposed renewable energy investments;
- Validate and define the relevant threat hotspots and propose appropriate and feasible mitigation measures to address these threats in the context of the project.
- Validate and define the specific activities proposed under the project to ensure they are designed to reduce pressures on the country’s natural resources from competing land uses and hydro energy development in the country’s inland watersheds;
- Propose appropriate forestry and land management activities in a pilot landscape of 10,000 ha and specific reforestation activities for 3,000 ha of degraded secondary forests in selected riparian zones around and upstream of the proposed mini-hydro water intake sites and groundwater recharge areas;
- Analyze the existing national data on SLFM propose suitable and adaptive methodologies or additional data collecting activities need as part of the project.
- Further define the results framework with appropriate objective-level and outcome-level quantitative and qualitative SMART2 indicators, and end-of-project targets. Ensure that all forestry and land management activities are in conformance with GEF V focal area guidelines and indicators. Special attention should be paid to include socio-economic and sex disaggregated indicators;
- Develop a detailed M&E work plan for all activities funded by land degradation and SFM allocations, including clear identification of responsibilities and accountabilities, as well as an appropriate M&E budget. The plan will be based on the standard template provided in the UNDP-GEF project document template that reflects the mandatory requirements of the GEF M&E Policy;
- Together with the lead consultant define a sustainability plan which will outline the principles and guidelines for ensuring the long-term sustainability of project achievements, in particular areas under SLFM. The plan will also outline a post-project exit strategy, seeking the continuation of key activities/achievements without the need of long-term international financing;
- Lead on the identification of all land degradation and forestry-related risks associated with the project implementation and address any opportunities/risks identified during the initial environmental and social screening of the project proposal at PIF stage;
- Clarify the additionality of all proposed outcomes and activities funded by land degradation and SFM allocations, and ensure that the project approach is the most cost-effective according to GEF guidelines;
- Complete the GEF Land Degradation tracking tool and evaluate the avoided emissions and carbon sequestration benefits of all LULUCF activities directly supported by the project for completion of the CC mitigation tracking tool with the lead consultant;
- Propose institutional and implementation arrangements for all forestry and land management project activities consistent with a GEF Full-Sized project and in synergy with already existing arrangements for other UNDP/GEF projects in the country;
- Address all comments on land management and forestry-related issues as regards project design by the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel and in the GEF review sheet.Manutd16;
- Facilitate consultations with all relevant project stakeholders related to forestry and land management issues and activities, including preparation of a detailed budget, detailed TORs for all project staff, and a detailed activity and work plan, in line with GEF eligibility principles.
Competencies
Functional competencies:
- Proven ability to conduct detailed financial and technical analyses of project investments or activities, including calculation of estimated GHG reductions and cost-benefit analyses;
- Proven ability to prepare Log Frame Analyses (LFAs) and project budgets;
- Knowledge of LULUCF activities and methodologies;
- Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities;
- Proven communication and leadership skills;
- Excellent team player with good interpersonal skills;
- Ability to manage workload with minimum supervision;
- Ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines;
- Ability to accommodate additional demands at short notice;
- Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment;
- Strong strategic planning, results-based management and reporting capabilities;
- Ability to conduct detailed quantitative GHG emission reduction calculations (direct and indirect) according to GEF policies and procedures;
- Ability to conduct research and analysis with strong synthesis skills;
- Ability to build strong relationships with national consultants; focuses on impact and results for the client and responds positively to critical feedback; consensus-oriented;
- Highly developed inter-personal, negotiation and teamwork skills, networking aptitude.
- Display cultural, gender, religion, nationality and age-related sensitivity and adaptability;
- Highest standards of integrity, discretion and loyalty.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Minimum advanced university degree or equivalent in natural resource management, land planning and /or management, soils science, forestry, agriculture, agronomy and agroforestry, Agro-economy, development or related field from a recognized university.
Successful applicants are expected to possess more than one of the following areas of expertise and proven experience in their respective area of specialization in addition to the minimum qualifications specified above.
- Minimum 7 years of professional experience in the field of sustainable land and forest management, with preference given to candidates with experience in Small Island Development States (SIDS);
- Proven past experience in UNDP/GEF project formulation/design, including drafting of GEF-compliant project documents and endorsement requests;
- Experience with policy or institutional development/implementation/reform related to SLFM, particularly as it relates to energy and infrastructure investments;
- Experience with SLFM project development, implementation, or demonstrations at local, national and/or international levels;
- At least 7 years of experience designing and/or implementing forestry and/or LULUCF-related mitigation activities in developing countries;
- Regional and national knowledge is highly desirable;
- Experience in Sub-Saharan Africa is an asset;
- Experience working with international organizations, including UNDP, is preferred but not required.
- English is essential, Portuguese and/or French is a strong asset.
Application procedure:
- Applicants are required to submit P11 including past experience in similar projects with three references.
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.
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