International Waters learning Exchange & Resource Network

Technical Coordinator of the 10th GEF Biennial International Waters Conference (IWC10) Consultant. GEF IW:LEARN. Deadline 01MAR23

Technical Coordinator of the 10th GEF Biennial International Waters Conference (IWC10) for GEF International Waters: Learning Exchange and Resource Network (GEF IW:LEARN). Apply Before: 01 / March / 2023 (23:59 CET)

Deadline extended to 1 March

Description 

Your written offer should comprise:
(a) A Technical Proposal consisting of:
 an up to date curriculum vitae including the contact details of three professional references, and  an approach and methodology for the assignment, a workplan and comments on the Terms of Reference if any (max. 2 pages).

(b) The total amount to be charged for the assignment, which should be quoted in US dollars or in euros only and should indicate the consultant’s monthly rate.
Your proposal and any supporting documents must be in either English or French. Documents should be consolidated into a single document and all file names should include the family name of the applicant.
UNESCO places great emphasis on ensuring that the objectives of the work assignment, as described in the Terms of Reference, are met. Accordingly, in evaluating the proposals for the assignment, attention will focus first and foremost on the technical elements. From those proposals deemed suitable in terms of the criteria in the Terms of Reference, UNESCO shall select the proposal that offers the Organisation best value for money.
Your proposal should be submitted by e-mail to claudette@iwlearn.org no later than end of the day (23:59 CET) 10 February 2023. E-mail proposals should not exceed 5MB. It is the individual’s responsibility to ensure that his/her proposal is received by the deadline.
Thank you for your interest in this UNESCO assignment; and we look forward to receiving your proposal.

Terms of Reference

1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE PROJECT AND ASSIGNMENT
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is the largest public funder of projects to improve the global environment. An independently operating financial organization, the GEF provides grants for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants. The GEF International Waters (IW) focal area targets transboundary water systems, such as river basins with water flowing from one country to another, groundwater resources shared by several countries, or marine ecosystems bounded by more than one nation. The GEF currently unites 183 member countries—in partnership with international institutions, civil society organizations, and the private sector—to address global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable development initiatives. Since the inception of the GEF in 1991, the IW portfolio (more than 400 projects with about US$2.8 billion of GEF grants and US$18.6 billion in co-finance invested in more than 170 GEF recipient countries) has delivered substantive results and replicable experiences to be scaled up and mainstreamed globally.
GEF IW:LEARN is one of these projects, and its mandate is to promote experience sharing and learning among the GEF IW projects and the country officials, agencies, and partners working on them. IW:LEARN operates as a central hub of information and knowledge sharing and delivers a host of programmatic initiatives for the benefit of the GEF IW portfolio of projects. In pursuit of its global and regional objectives, IW:LEARN seeks to strengthen global portfolio experience sharing and learning, dialogue facilitation, targeted knowledge sharing and replication in order to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of GEF IW projects to deliver tangible results in partnership with other
IW initiatives. More information about GEF IW:LEARN is available at www.iwlearn.net/abt_iwlearn.
The GEF Biennial International Waters Conference (IWC) is the signature event of the GEF IW portfolio. The IWC objectives are to facilitate cross sectoral and GEF IW portfolio-wide learning and experience sharing. They strive to solicit advice from the existing GEF IW portfolio on burning issues and to assist in building participant capacity in key management and technical areas. The 300-350 participants (from about 70 GEF IW projects and 80 countries, and including government representatives, project managers, staff of international and non-governmental organizations, and the private sector) sum up progress achieved and look to the future of programming within and beyond the GEF IW focal area.
The IWC10 will take place in Uruguay in October-November 2023 (exact dates to be confirmed). It will feature an innovation marketplace (exhibit area); interactive training for project managers and country representatives through participant-directed workshops and roundtable discussions; highlights of GEF IW project contributions to ecosystem-based management of shared water bodies and their results; interaction among project representatives and the GEF Secretariat, GEF agencies and partner institutions working on GEF IW projects; and technical site visits, which are field trips to demonstration sites funded by the GEF, to other examples of good water management practices (both marine
and terrestrial cases), and to examples of successful public-private water management partnerships.

2. OBJECTIVES OF THECONSULTANCY
This ToR is designed to recruit a consultant to act as IWC10 Technical Coordinator, to co-lead the content design and implementation of the conference, ensuring that the session content is consistent with objectives and expected outputs/outcomes set by the IWC10 Planning Committee, as well as the overall strategic objectives of the overall GEF IW focal area.

3. SPECIFIC TASKS
The Technical Coordinator will provide key technical and content-related inputs to the execution of the IWC10, communicating and coordinating closely with project personnel, technical services personnel, the IWC10 Planning Committee and project partners.
A. Task One: IWC10 Preparation
 Establish a detailed workplan with clear tasks, deliverables and timelines
 Monitor and report on progress against agreed milestones/roadmap
 Conduct portfolio survey to identify the key thematic priorities and other important content for the conference agenda and inputs
 Together with the PCU and Planning Committee, prepare the conference agenda and conference inputs, including the pre-conference targeted workshops for project managers and other key portfolio partners. This includes handling communications with all key partners, including the issuance of official letters
 Help ensure the quality of IWC10 conference sessions (both design and implementation), by ensuring that the session content is consistent with objectives and expected outputs/outcomes set by the IWC10 Planning Committee, as well as the overall strategic objectives of the overall GEF IW focal area
 Liaise with the operations manager to set up a communication plan with identified audience and timelines
 In collaboration with the various Committees and the IWC10 Service Provider, help to prepare the technical site visits
 In collaboration with the various Committees and the IWC10 Service Provider, prepare the VIP programme (including identification of what and when we want them to intervene in the conference regular program)
 Liaise with and guide the lead session coordinators from each part of the conference, setting out objectives and expected outcomes of sessions, as well as clarifying a reporting plan. Meetings should be conducted with session coordinators prior to the conference by phone as well as through an in-person meeting prior to the conference start, on location.
B. Task Two: Promote the IWC10 and Develop Associated Materials
 Help the GEF and GEF IW:LEARN promote the IWC10 to potential sponsors (consistent with the communication plan developed in Task One)
 Work together with the IW:LEARN PCU on the development of awareness and promotional materials, including but not excluding generating content for the:
o Conference agenda and agenda-at-a-glance
o VIP program agenda (not for wide distribution)

C. Task Three: Conference Follow up

 Prepare the final conference report (in the context of the key conference sessions and themes). The report should focus on key analysis and recommendations for the GEF IW project portfolio, rather than a summary of events
 Contribute to the post-conference evaluation report

4. Duration of the Consultancy
The consultancy will be for 9 months.

5. Deliverables
Throughout the duration of this contract, the Technical Coordinator will provide regular brief progress reports (status of tasks and/or deliverables submitted) to the IW:LEARN Project Manager.

6. Qualifications and Experience
 At least five years project management or related experience with UN organizations and UN-implemented projects, and preferred, familiarity with regulations and procedures of the UN System and in particular experience in UNDP/GEF, UNESCO-IOC procedures.
 Advanced university degree required, preferably in the field of international relations/political science, economics, development studies or other related fields, and/or technical fields like environmental management.
 Demonstrated experience in planning and organizing. Ability to organize, plan, and implement work assignments, able to work under pressure of frequent and tight deadlines.
 Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and reliably contribute to a geographically distributed work environment (via phone and email), including accountability to remotely located manager(s).
 Excellent ability to work in English.
 Good organizational, interpersonal and oral and written communication skills.
 Teamwork. Strong inter-personnel skills and ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and working relations in a multi-cultural environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.
 Experience with researching and writing on international environment and/or international development issues.

Desired qualifications:
 Familiarity with transboundary waters regions and associated issues.
 Familiarity with or, ideally, work experience in GEF International Waters recipient countries and/or with donors or related NGOs.
 Proficiency in at least one other UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish or Russian).

7. Supervisory arrangements
The Head of IOC/MPR will assume the overall supervision of the PCU and the Project Manager who is responsible for day-to-day supervision and implementation of the project. At no point should the Consultant make representations or act on behalf of UNESCO-IOC or any of the project partners.

8. Facilities to be provided by UNESCO
UNESCO will provide the Consultant with all required access to working files, UNESCO network, knowledge-management systems (including institutional email and Microsoft TEAMS accounts), and temporary office space if needed on occasional presence at UNESCO Headquarters.

9. Taxes
UNESCO will not reimburse any taxes, duties or other contributions for which individuals may be liable in respect of any payments made to them under the terms of their contract.

10. Insurance
Individuals issued with a contract for individual consultants or other specialists are covered by UNESCO’s insurance policy for work-related illness, injury, accidents or death whilst performing their official duties or travelling on behalf of the Organization. The insurance premium for the coverage, as determined by Pension and Insurance Section (HRM/SPI), must be included in the financial commitment for the contract.

11. Social Benefits
Individual consultants and other specialists shall be responsible for arranging, at their own expense, any medical insurance that they consider necessary during the contract period. Unless they are affiliated by virtue of their status as former staff members, they cannot be enrolled in the UNESCO’s Medical Benefit Fund or United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund. Individual consultants and other specialists are not entitled to paid annual or sick leave.

More information: RFP-IW-LEARN5-IWC10-technical-coordinator.pdf - Google Drive