TERMS OF REFERENCE

for a Project Development Specialist

for

GEF IW:LEARN 5: Supporting Portfolio Coordination Within and Beyond the International Waters Focal Area, particularly in Small Island Developing States, Through Knowledge Sharing, Information Management, Partnership Building and Programmatic Guidance ServicesGEF Large Marine Ecosystems: Learning Exchange and Resource Network (GEF LME: LEARN)

GEF Project Number: 10374, UNDP Project Number: 6438

A GEF Project Preparation Project,
Implemented by UNDP and Executed by UNESCO-Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)

1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE PROJECT and assignment

Over the last twenty years, IW:LEARN has grown from an informal network of a few projects and agency staff focused on IW projects to a community of individuals from a few hundred public and private sector organizations, including local, national, and international government and non-government organizations. The new IW:LEARN project (provisionally called IW:LEARN 5) will continue supporting the core mandate of the GEF International Waters Focal Area to  support transboundary cooperation in shared marine and freshwater ecosystems and assist the project portfolio in achieving long term benefits. The project’s proposed activities will help the portfolio to implement regionally endorsed SAP priorities, mainstream gender considerations, and stimulate private sector investment. IW:LEARN’s outcome will contribute in particular to two of the three GEF7 IW objectives: (1) Strengthening Blue Economy opportunities, (2) Improve management in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction and (3) Enhance water security in freshwater ecosystems. The proposed project will also assist the IW portfolio with contributing to the preparation of the 8^th GEF Replenishment.

The proposed project includes five interrelated and mutually supportive components: 1) Provide targeted knowledge sharing and results showcasing across projects and development partners (through face-to-face dialogue and training) to advance transboundary water management in all IW focal area ecosystems 2) Support the communication and replication of portfolio results and experiences 3) Deliver inter- and intra-regional coordination and knowledge management across focal areas in Small Island Developing States to improve portfolio performance 4) Deliver support to surface freshwater, groundwater and large marine ecosystem subsets in support of portfolio strategic priorities 5) Mobilize public and private partnership to enhance long-term sustainability of project interventions.

Specifically, the project will retain focus on its core objective, towards a more impactful GEF portfolio: facilitating replication of good practice across GEF International Waters projects, as well as projects across all focal areas in Small Island Developing States, working in collaboration with development partners,  supporting the delivery of trainings, information management, providing programmatic guidance and facilitating partnership building. It will leverage outcomes across the focal area, between focal areas especially in SIDS, and in focal area projects from source-to-sea which help the portfolio improve its performance, build partnerships, replicate its success, improve coordination and ultimately improve the management of transboundary ecosystems. The project will seek to increase visibility and  impacts of GEF interventions and move towards robust integrated management in a source to sea continuum, sharing of portfolio planning and management tools, best practices and solutions; enhancing networking and data sharing; continuing commitment to capacity building and expanding the partnership with the private sector.

The objective of the GEF Project Preparation Grant (PPG) is to develop the project concept into a full project GEF IW:LEARN 5: Supporting Portfolio Coordination Within and Beyond the International Waters Focal Area, particularly in Small Island Developing States, Through Knowledge Sharing, Information Management, Partnership Building and Programmatic Guidance Services.

This ToR is aimed at the recruitment of a Consultant to lead in the preparation of the GEF IW:LEARN5 Project Document (ProDoc) and other associated documents necessary for the submission to GEF for CEO Endorsement, as well as leading the overall GEF IW:LEARN5 PPG Development Team.

2. Description of required ACTIVITIES

The Project Development Specialist will be the GEF PPG Team Leader and will be responsible for quality assurance and timely preparation of all reports and documentation, including the finalized UNDP Project Document (ProDoc) and CEO Endorsement Request, with all mandatory and project specific Annexes and supporting documentation. S/he will be responsible for managing all consultants on the GEF PPG Team, and coordinating the Team’s work.

1. Management of the GEF PPG Team

1. Define and submit a detailed methodology and work plan in consultation with the other consultants with clear delegation of responsibilities for the International Consultants (ICs) and National Consultants (NCs);

2. Ensure that project development is participatory, gender-responsive and based on extensive stakeholder engagements; and

3. Verify and ensure that all project components are technically sound and cost effective.

2. Preparatory Technical Studies and Reviews (Component A): With inputs from the other national and international consultants, as detailed in their respective TORs:

1. Compile baseline/situational analysis for the full-size project (FSP). This will include a precise definition of baseline projects, activities, budgets, goals and co-financial links to GEF outcomes; definition of GEF incremental value per outcome and output; and presentation of results of the incremental cost-analysis in matrices as appropriate;
2. Oversee the stakeholder analysis and consultations and ensure that they are complete and comprehensive;
3. Ensure the preparation of the gender analysis and ensure its findings are meaningfully integrated into the project’s strategy, theory of change and results framework;
4. Ensure action points, including risk assessments, from the UNDP Social and Environmental Screening Procedure (SESP) at the PIF stage (“pre-screening”) are fully implemented during the PPG, and update that screening in an iterative fashion throughout the PPG, as appropriate;
5. Conduct/oversee the identification of the project sites, with documentation of selection criteria;
6. Oversee the consultations with partners regarding financial planning; and
7. Ensure completion of any additional studies that are determined to be needed for the preparation of the ProDoc and all other final outputs.
8. Ensure the preparation of partner capacity assessments and discussions on management arrangements early in the PPG process;

3. Formulation of the ProDoc, CEO Endorsement Request and Mandatory and Project Specific Annexes (Component B): With inputs from the other national and international consultants, as detailed in their respective TORs, and based on international best practice:

1. Develop, present and articulate the project’s theory of change;
2. Develop the Results Framework in line with UNDP-GEF policy;
3. Develop a detailed Monitoring and Evaluation Plan and Budget;
4. Oversee and ensure the preparation of a Stakeholder Engagement Plan;
5. Oversee and ensure the preparation of a Gender Action Plan and Budget;
6. Update the SESP based on assessments undertaken during Component A, and ensure the development of required environmental and/or social management plan(s);
7. Prepare the required GEF Core Indicators;
8. Secure and present agreements on project management arrangements;
9. Ensure the completion of the required official endorsement letters; and
10. Synthesize all analyses, studies, etc. that are prepared under Components A and B to produce the draft UNDP-GEF ProDoc, GEF CEO Endorsement, and all mandatory and project specific Annexes, using the required templates.
11. Secure and present agreements on project execution and management arrangements and ensure that the project aligns to UNDP-GEF guidance on UNDP execution support;

4. Validation Workshop (Component C):

1. Lead the validation workshop to present, discuss and validate the final draft ProDoc and mandatory and project specific annexes, with a special focus on the SESP and any management plans; and
2. Oversee all necessary revisions that arise during the workshop.
3. Ensure completion of Validation Workshop Report.

3. DELIVERABLES

The Consultant will deliver the following inputs to the ProDoc:

• Consolidation of all technical and consultation inputs including from national stakeholders, UNDP, GEF Secretariat, STAP and GEF Council, into a well written and concise UNDP ProDoc with all required sections and Annexes, in line with the standard UNDP-GEF ProDoc template and annotated guidance;
• Completion of the GEF CEO Endorsement Request;
• All documentation from GEF PPG (including technical reports, etc.); and Validation Workshop Report.

4. SUMMARY OF DEADLINES, PAYMENTS, MONITORING AND PROGRESS CONTROL

The schedule of activities and payments is as follows:

5. IMPLEMENTATION AND WORK ARRANGEMENTS

Time-frame

The PPG phase will officially operate until at least June 2020. The contractual period is from March 2020 until June 2020.

Work place

Works taking place under this ToR will be executed from the Consultant’s home base.

Coordination arrangements

The PPG Team Leader will assume the overall supervision and coordination role.  For purposes of programmatic guidance and execution of activities, the Consultant will coordinate with the PPG Team Leader. The Consultant will report on financial matters to UNESCO-IOC. 

Travel

If Consultant will be required to travel, the cost of travel will be covered separately. All eventual travel arrangements will be organised according to IOC-UNESCO rules.

Skills and Experience Required

Academic Qualifications/Education:

• Master’s degree or higher in a relevant field, such as environmental management or science, international relations, economics, development studies or related fields, or equivalent demonstrated experience.

Experience:

• At least ten years of demonstrable experience in the technical area of international waters and project management.
• Demonstrated knowledge of project development and experience with project formulation.
• Proven track record of fundraising and/or experience delivering investments

Language skills:

• English is the working language for this assignment, therefore excellent oral and written communication skills in English are required.

6. Request to submit a written proposal for a work assignment with UNESCO

UNESCO is inviting written proposals from Individual Consultants for the work assignment described below. Your written should comprise:

(a) An up to date personal curriculum vitae

(b) An approach and methodology for the assignment, a workplan and comments on the Terms of Reference if any (in brief). Please include the amount to be charged for the assignment, which should be quoted in US dollars or in euros only (Monthly rates

Your proposal and any supporting documents must be in English s

Your proposal should be submitted by e-mail no later than close of business (23:59-Paris time) on 6 March 2020 to m.hamid@unesco.org