Climate Change Strategic and Institutional Specialist

Background

According to Article 4 of the Paris Agreement, each Party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is required to prepare, communicate and maintain successive nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to support the achievement of the long-term goal of keeping global temperature rise well-below 2°C and pursuing efforts to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial level. All PICs have submitted NDCs and the Republic of Marshall Island (RMI) submitted its second in November 2018. Most Pacific Parties indicate either a 5 or 10-year implementation period (all except Tonga and Samoa with 2020 as the starting point) and a few has included a longer-term vision for low-emission (carbon-neutral) development. The NDCs address some of the major sources of national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and most of them include a GHG emission reduction target, however their focus is on the energy sector and the targets are predominantly on renewable-energy based power generation, but some include energy efficiency and transport. Some aim for 100% renewable energy-based penetration, including Fiji, PNG, Samoa, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. The energy sector targets in the NDCs are the same renewable and energy efficient targets that PICs have already included in their energy sector policy and/or action plan documents. Priority actions for Adaptation and Loss and Damage are less explicit in many Pacific NDCs.  Accordingly, key plans and strategies that identify priority adaptation actions were referenced in several Pacific NDCs.  

Recent outcomes of the 24th Conference of the Parties to UNFCCC (COP24) in Katowice demonstrated however, that current NDCs submitted under the Paris Agreement are insufficient to keep global temperature rise well-below 2°C in this century. Globally there is an urgent need to accelerate the implementation of NDCs and to identify ways for increased ambition. COP24 sets out procedures and mechanisms to operationalize the Paris Agreement. It provides guidance on how the NDCs are to be presented, the contents and approach of the mitigation goals and activities and the modalities for operation and use of the public NDC registry. Furthermore, it defines procedures and guidelines for the Enhanced Transparency Framework, including the information to be provided in the first and subsequent Biennial Transparency Reports on tracking the progress of the implementation and achievement of NDCs.

Globally, UN organizations have a critical role in supporting countries to meet the goals and requirements of the Paris Agreement. Supporting the preparation and delivery of ambitious NDCs however require a focused and coordinated effort across the whole UN system. In February 2019 the UN Deputy Secretary-General (DSG) called on all Resident Coordinators to drive this UN effort at country-level and fulfil the commitment of a joint UN system effort to galvanize ambitious climate action. Under this Joint Approach, UNDP among others has been tasked with leading the implementation of NDCs at the country level and helping to facilitate coordination among UN Agencies and other partners.

To assess the status of NDC planning and implementation and to get a better understanding of key gaps and needs of countries in accelerating the achievement of their NDCs and raising ambition, UNDP is currently conducting a global survey with participation of Government counterparts and UNDP Country Offices. Building on this and other relevant information, a consultant is needed to assess the status of the NDC process (planning and implementation) across the Pacific Island Countries (PICs), to assess UN system support towards the process in the PICs, including identifying any bottlenecks, and, provide recommendations to enhance UN system support to the NDC process across the PICs.  

Please refer to the  Terms of Reference for more details http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=58502

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work 

Activities for the consultancy will include, but not necessarily be limited to the following in relation to specific deliverables:

Inception Note 

• Summarize the successful Contractor’s understanding of the consultancy and associated tasks, outline the final proposed approach and methodology(ies), provide the final work plan for the consultancy, identify any issues crucial to the viability of the consultancy, and, provide comments on this TOR (subsequently, if required and approved by UNDP Pacific – Fiji Office the activities can be elaborated, modified, etc.).

DEBRIEFING NOTE

• Write-up a note for (1) mission to Fiji (first mission) and Samoa, summarizing key findings and recommendations vis-à-vis successful completion of this consultancy.

Assessment Report

• Review relevant documents, including UNDP’s global survey to assess the status of implementation of NDCs (2019) conducted in Pacific Island Countries; Submitted NDCs from the Pacific Island Region; The Paris Agreement, Overview of Katowice Climate Package and relevant decisions; UN Multi-Country Office Review – Final Report 2019; Independent Evaluation UN Development Assistance Framework (2013 – 2017) for the UN Country Team in the Pacific; UNDP Guidance Note on Joint Programmes; Implementation of General Assembly resolution 71/243 on the quadrennial comprehensive policy review of operational activities for development of the United Nations system, 2019; United Nations Pacific Strategy (UNPS) 2018 – 2022; UNDP Sub-regional Programme Document for the Pacific Island Countries and Territories 2018-2022; UNDP Country Programme Document for Papua New Guinea 2018-2022 and the forthcoming FAO Regional Analysis of the NDCs of the Pacific.

• As appropriate consult: 1) the Global Support Unit, UNDP NDC Support Programme, the Resilience and Sustainable Development Team (RSD), UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji, the UNDP Multi-Country Office in Samoa, and the UNDP Country Office in Papua New Guinea; 2) other UN agencies, including those represented in UNPS Outcome Group 1; and, 3) other development partners and regional platforms, and in particular the Pacific NDC Hub.

• Prepare and conduct a survey among UN agencies working in the Pacific Islands region to establish a baseline status of relevant existing and planned programmes and activities undertaken by UN organizations to support: i) PICs in fulfilling the requirements of Paris Agreement (including as detailed in subsequent COPs); ii) the planning and preparation of PICs for NDC implementation and the implementation of NDCs in Tonga and Samoa (as they have 2015 as the starting point for their NDC implementation);  iii) the planning and implementation of relevant sectoral targets included in NDCs (mainly energy); iv) the planning and implementation of a monitoring and reporting system for tracking the progress of NDCs at the national level and under the UNPS and UNDP SRPD and the achievement of sectoral targets.
• Outline and assess existing UN institutional arrangements, capacities and coordination mechanisms in the Pacific vis-à-vis providing effective and efficient UN system support the PICs’ NDCs.
• Analyze and synthetize the results from documents review and the survey and the outcomes of stakeholder consultations, including identify: i) any synergies, overlaps and/or gaps between existing and planned UN programmes and initiatives vis-à-vis providing effective and efficient UN system support the PICs’ NDCs; ii) any key institutional, governance, financial, etc. bottlenecks vis-à-vis providing effective and efficient UN system support the PICs’ NDCs; and iii) pros and cons of existing cooperation mechanisms among UN agencies vis-à-vis providing effective and efficient UN system support the PICs’ NDCs.
• Based on findings, provide specific recommendations for strengthened UN support/approach that will address any key bottlenecks identified and accelerate the implementation of PICs’ NDCs, including changes to institutional arrangements, forms of cooperation (coordination, joint or complementary activities, etc). In this context, based on capacities and comparative advantages, propose a suggested role for UNDP including in the context of UNDP’s integrator role.
• Based on feedback from a planned meeting with UNPS Outcome Group 1 members (refer below) on the draft Assessment Report, prepare a final version of the report.  

Workshop Report

• In context of a planned one (1) day meeting with UNPS Outcome Group 1 members (date to be confirmed); 1) prepare draft invitation letter, including workshop agenda; 2) present the key findings and recommendations from the draft Assessment Report; 3) facilitate discussions on the key recommendations from the draft Assessment Report vis-à-vis more effective and efficient UN system support the PICs’ NDCs and, 4) facilitate agreement on the way forward, including next steps.

• Please refer to the  Terms of Reference for more details http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=58502

Competencies

• A minimum of 10-years of relevant and practical working experience with climate change interventions (adaptation and/or mitigation).
• A minimum of 10-years of relevant and practical working experience with UN organizations and/or other regional development organizations.
• A minimum of 10-years of relevant and practical working experience in Pacific Island Countries. 

Excellent working knowledge of English.

Required Skills and Experience

• Degree in Environmental Science, Climate Change, International Development, Sociology, Political Science, Economics or another field relevant to the tasks required. 

• Consultancy Proposal (CV & Financial proposal Template, Methodology and workplan ) should be uploaded on UNDP Jobshop website(https://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_jobs.cfm?cur_rgn_id_c=RAS) no later than, 31st August 2019 (Fiji Time) clearly stating the title of consultancy applied for. Any proposals received after this date/time will not be accepted. Any request for clarification must be sent in writing, or by standard electronic communication to procurement.fj@undp.org. UNDP will respond in writing or by standard electronic mail and will send written copies of the response, including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry, to all consultants. Incomplete, late and joint proposals will not be considered and only offers for which there is further interest will be contacted. Failure to submit your application as stated as per the application submission guide (Procurement Notice) on the above link will be considered incomplete and therefore application will not be considered.

  NOTE:

  Proposals must be sent through UNDP job shop web page. Candidates need to upload their CV and financial proposal -using UNDP template ,Methodology and workplan- This should be scanned as 1 PDF document  

  Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted

  If the selected/successful Candidate is over 65 years of age and required to travel outside his home country; He/She will be required provide a full medical report at their expense prior to issuance to contract. Contract will only be issued when Proposed candidate is deemed medically fit to undertake the assignment.