UNICEF is seeking an Individual National Consultant to conduct an analysis of the legislative and institutional frameworks in Turkmenistan concerning climate change adaptation to support country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC-2)

Background

Turkmenistan ratified the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on June 5, 1995, and the Kyoto Protocol to it on January 11, 1999. The signature of these documents reaffirmed the readiness of the country to undertake active steps aimed at solving a wide range of tasks outlined in the documents.

In 2000, Turkmenistan prepared and submitted to the UNFCCC Secretariat First, and in 2009 the Second National Communication, and in 2016, the Third National Communication on Climate Change, reflecting the national conditions of climate change and its impact on ecosystems and the economy, as well as the results of the assessment of greenhouse gas emissions for 1994-2010 and the measures to reduce the volume of emissions.

On June 15, 2012, the President of Turkmenistan signed a decree endorsing the National Climate Change Strategy of Turkmenistan which became the basis for development and implementation of the state climate change policy of Turkmenistan and the relevant consequences.

In 2016, Turkmenistan ratified the Paris Climate Change Agreement. This agreement stipulates that specific measures to combat climate change should be aimed at reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Paris Agreement consolidates and focuses on a new low-carbon model of economic development aimed to the gradual abandonment of traditional technologies of extraction, processing and use of mineral resources in favour of “green” technologies.

In 2015, Turkmenistan, as a party to the Paris Agreement, prepared and provided to the UNFCCC Secretariat the First Report introductory Determined Contributions at the National level (iNDC-1). In accordance with the relevant provisions of the Paris Agreement, the nationally determined contributions (NDCs) should be regularly updated on the progress in implementation of the climate policies, practices and actions earlier identified by the country involved into the process.

One of the current priority measures for Turkmenistan in implementation of the Paris Agreement is to develop and approve the second, Determined at the National level Contributions (NDC-2), with the focus on strategic goals stipulated in the new edition of the National Climate Change Strategy of Turkmenistan endorsed by the President of Turkmenistan on the 23^rd September 2019. The NDCs contain steps taken towards emissions reductions and also aim to address steps taken to adapt to climate change impacts, and what support the country needs, or will provide, to address climate change. Turkmenistan actively participates in international efforts and international cooperation to address climate change and implement the provisions of UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol. Realizing the importance and assuming the responsibility, Turkmenistan intends to make its adequate contribution to international efforts in addressing climate change. Country is committed to limiting greenhouse gas emissions and improving the country's capacity to respond to climate change. Turkmenistan is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change in Central Asia. Since the beginning of the 1950s, the average growth of the temperature in Turkmenistan was about 0.2^оС for a decade. According to the forecast data, under unfavourable climate change the country may experience shortage of water resources, increased desertification and land degradation, drought and increase in number of hazards leading to instability of agricultural production and threatening food security and social well-being of the population and in particular the most vulnerable children.  The child-safe and friendly environment along with education of children to adapt to the immediate challenges of the climate change is considered as one of the key priorities to strengthen resilience and ensure sustainability. Considering the above, the section "Adaptation" has been included in NDC Turkmenistan coupled with the section “Mitigation”.

UN is supporting Government of Turkmenistan in implementation of its international obligations and in particular in reporting under the NDC framework. UNICEF and UNDP cooperate to provide support in development of the strategic documents in the field of climate change and one of the joint efforts is preparation of the NDC-2 Report under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. In 2021, Turkmenistan should present the country’s NDC-2 Report on the UNFCCC COP-26. Therefore, a Team of local consultants will be engaged to draft the NDC-2 Report. One of the National Consultants will be focusing on the Adaptation to Climate Change, another one will concentrate on the Mitigation issues.  

Purpose of the assignment

Due to the above, UNICEF is seeking a national consultant to assist in the analysis of the legal and institutional frameworks concerning the climate change adaptation and the elaboration of the section on Adaptation to Climate Change in the framework of the second, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC-2) of Turkmenistan under the Paris Agreement.

Specific Tasks

• To undertake a review of the national baselines, focusing on the status of development and its general characteristics, economic conditions of the country, geographical location and climate with detailed analysis of the type of climate, climatic zones, natural resources and environmental issues, the country population and its growth rate;
• Review the institutional mechanisms and legislation, the efforts the country undertakes towards development focusing on the priorities and the progress on sustainable development, the relevant scenarios and the most important sectors from the climate change adaptation point of view taking into consideration the SDGs;
• Analyze the state of affairs of climate change adaptation in Turkmenistan with particular focus on sustainability of the key sectors affecting adaptation to climate change: food production, water supply, healthcare, forestry, energy, oil and gas industry and tourism;
• Conduct an analysis of vulnerability, with particular focus on children, in observed and predicted changes in climatic parameters, specific impacts, climate risks, as well as socio-economic consequences and their cost;
• Elaborate the Final Report summarizing all findings and draft the section on “Adaptation to Climate Change” as part of the preparation of National Determined Contributions-2 (NDC-2)

Workplan and deliverables 

The consultancy will cover the period of 20 July to 20 November 2020 and will be deliverable based. The consultant is expected to work home-based. The below timeline is a decent attempt of deadlines, considering the period that will be needed for translation, sharing of document and receipt of feedback. Depending on the progress and details, more than 2 reviews of some documents may be required, which may affect the timelines.

Reporting requirements

All the reports and documents will be developed in Russian and translated by UNICEF, as needed.

Payment schedule

The payment will be made in instalments, according to the following schedule.

Work arrangements

The day to day supervision will be provided by the Education Specialist and the DRR/Climate Change Consultant of the UNICEF Turkmenistan Country Office. Additional guidance and lead will be provided by the Deputy Representative of UNICEF CO. UNICEF will regularly communicate with the UNDP “Sustainable Cities in Turkmenistan: Integrated Green Urban Development in Ashgabat and Avaza” Project Manager and the selected consultant and provide formats for reports, feedback and guidance on performance and all other necessary support so as to achieve objectives of the exercise, as well as remain aware of any upcoming issues related to expert’s performance and quality of work.  

General Terms and Conditions

UNICEF’s general terms and conditions will apply to the contract awarded to the vendor.  Please note that, in the evaluation of the technical merits of each proposal, UNICEF will take into consideration any proposed amendments to the UNICEF General Terms and Conditions. Proposed amendments to the UNICEF general terms and conditions may negatively affect the evaluation of the technical merits of the proposal.  

UNICEF retains the right to patent and intellectual rights, as well as copyright and other similar intellectual property rights for any discoveries, inventions, products or works arising specifically from the implementation of the project in cooperation with UNICEF. The right to reproduce or use materials shall be transferred with a written approval of UNICEF based on the consideration of each separate case. Consultant should always refer to UNICEF Turkmenistan support in developing the materials when publishing the results of the research conducted while in Turkmenistan in academic journals, books and websites.

In the event of unsatisfactory performance, UNICEF reserves the right to terminate the Agreement. In case of partially satisfactory performance, such as serious delays causing the negative impact on meeting the programme objectives, low quality or insufficient depth and/or scope of the assignment completion, UNICEF is entitled to decrease the payment by the range from 30% to 50% of the contract value as decided jointly by the Contract Supervisor and Operations Manager.

Qualifications and Skills Required

• Diploma of Higher Education in the field of economics, management, agriculture or water management, on environmental protection are stored, climatology and other related fields;
• At least 3 years of practical experience on climate change issues;
• Experience in preparing reports on various aspects of climate change and environmental protection;
• Experience to work with international organizations/projects;
• Good understanding of national legislation and existing gaps in the field of adaptation to climate change;
• With the aptitude and skills of collecting, analyzing and processing information materials on climate change and adaptation;
• Experience in developing reports or programs/strategies in the field of climate change;
• Ability to build professional relationships, initiative and the ability to conduct dialogue with government officials and other stakeholders of the project, demonstrating diplomacy and tact;
• Ability to reach consensus and have a positive attitude to criticism;
• Ability to work effectively in the conditions of limited terms of performance of tasks;
• Skills of interpersonal communication, negotiation, the ability to work in a multinational environment, taking into account gender aspects;
• The ability to work effectively in a team;
• Computer skills to develop presentations, compile reports, skills to work with word processing programs, spreadsheets, etc.;
• Knowledge of Turkmen and Russian languages;
• Knowledge of English is preferred. 

Technical Proposal

The technical proposal should include

• A cover letter, including
  • Assessment of suitability vis-à-vis the requirements of this ToR;
  • A summary of experience in similar assignments;
  • Links to/attachments of examples of similar work;
• CV of the candidate (including qualifications and experience)
• References

Financial Proposal

Candidates are expected to submit a lump sum financial proposal to complete the entire assignment based on the terms of reference.  The lump sum should be broken down to show the detail for the following:

Evaluation

Each proposal will be assessed first on its technical merits and subsequently on its price. In making the final decision, UNICEF considers both technical and financial aspects to ensure best value for money.  The Evaluation Team first reviews the technical aspects of the offer (on the basis of the qualifications described above), followed by review of the financial offers of the technically compliant candidates.  The proposal obtaining the highest overall score after adding the scores for the technical and financial proposals together, that offers the best value for money will be recommended for award of the contract.

A cumulative analysis will be used to evaluate and award proposals.  The evaluation criteria associated with this TOR is split between technical and financial as follows:

75   % Technical

25   % Financial

100 % Total

Read ToRs for more information

 2020-24-06-UNICEF TOR-CCA-National Consultant_Final.pdf