National Consultant: Environmental Safeguards - SIDA Global

Background

UNDP has a three-year strategic collaboration framework agreement with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) to strengthen their work in the areas of environment and climate change. This framework agreement forms the basis for the SIDA Programme on Environment and Climate Change (SIDA Programme). The SIDA Programme provides support to nine pilot countries to increase country office (CO) internal capacities and to deliver better country results in line with UNDP's Signature Solutions in an integrated manner. The Programme is designed to strengthen internal capacities to achieve UNDP's overall sustainable development vision for poverty eradication through a more integrated, coherent approach to the environmental and climate dimensions of its Strategic Plan.

 

It is grounded in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Paris Agreement, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the emerging post-2020 global Biodiversity Framework, and linked multilateral environmental conventions and agreements, as well as the challenges and opportunities around the COVID-19 pandemic response. It includes an overarching priority on poverty eradication and an understanding of the many direct links between multidimensional poverty and natural resource management. The focus of the SIDA programme at the country level is achieving integrated programming. In particular, capacity strengthening in the areas of Social and Environmental Standards (SES, www.undp.org/ses); Gender Mainstreaming; and Data, Communications, and Knowledge Management. In relation to SES, the programme aims to implement Social and Environmental Standards implemented across the piloting countries’ CO programme.

 

 

B. PURPOSE OF THIS ASSIGNMENT

UNDP’s Social and Environmental Standards (SES) guide our commitment toward streamlining social and environmental sustainability in our existing and future programmes/projects to support sustainable development. The key objectives of SES are to

• Strengthen the social and environmental outcomes of Programmes and Projects;
• Avoid adverse impacts on people and the environment;
• Minimize, mitigate, and manage adverse impacts where avoidance is not possible;
• Strengthen UNDP and partner capacities for managing social and environmental risks;
• Ensure full and effective stakeholder engagement, including through a mechanism to respond to complaints from project-affected people.

A key mechanism to ensure these standards are applied is through UNDP’s project-level Social and Environmental Screening Procedure (SESP) which is a requirement for all proposed projects. The SESP aims to:

• Integrate the SES Overarching Principles (human rights, gender equality, and environmental sustainability)
• Identify potential social and environmental risks and their significance
• Determine the Project's risk category (Low, Moderate, High)
• Determine the level of social and environmental assessment and management required to address potential risks and impacts.

UNDP’s SES and SESP came into effect on 1 January 2015 and were revised in January 2021. All guidance on UNDPs Social and Environmental Safeguards can be found in the SES Toolkit. While standards and procedures are in place, having relevant capacities of the staff and counterpart government officials will boost the implementation of the SES across the CO programme/projects. As a part of SES related capacity building initiatives, UNDP Bangladesh is seeking the services of an Environmental Safeguards Consultant.

 

 

C. OBJECTIVES OF THIS ASSIGNMENT

The key objective of this assignment is to build relevant capacities of the staff and counterpart government officials and to support the SES Action Plan Tracking and Implementation (environment part).

 

 

 

Duties and Responsibilities

 

 

D. SCOPE OF WORK

The National Consultant- Environmental Safeguards will work closely with the Climate Change Specialist and SES Focal Point of UNDP Bangladesh. The Consultant will lead the initiatives for building environmental safeguard-related capacities of UNDP Staff and counterpart government officials. As social and environmental safeguard standards complement each other, the Consultant will be expected to work in collaboration with the Social Safeguards Consultant. Both the consultants will be working together on the integrated safeguard documents (e.g. ESIA, ESMP, SESA, ESMP, etc.). Also, the Consultant will assist UNDP CO Team in tracking and implementing the Country Office’s SES Action Plan.

1. To review the existing relevant plans, policies, and documents of UNDP and the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) and identify best SES capacity-building practices across the UN system and other related organizations, including UNDP partners.

 

       2. To develop training modules (English and Bangla) on Environmental Safeguards consisting of          

• Initial Environmental Examination (IEE)
• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
• Environmental Management Framework (EMF)
• Environmental Monitoring Plan (EMP)

 

Note: The components of social safeguard will be finalized in discussion with the SES Focal Point and Concerned Team of UNDP. Both social and environmental safeguards consultant needs to work together and the training modules will need to be on “Social and Environmental” safeguards. Relevant policies and plans of both UNDP and the GoB need to be reflected in the training modules

 

1. To develop interactive training materials (English and Bangla) i.e., handbook, glossary, presentations (power point slides), group activities or exercise, quiz, case studies, scripts on role play, training evaluation form and refresher training plan from the training modules for basic( 4 batches; 2 days each) and advanced (2 batches; 4 days each) SES training programme
2. To conduct basic and advanced SES training programme for the UNDP Staff and Counterpart Government Officials using the UNDP approved training modules and materials
3. To conduct training evaluation after each training and share the results with UNDP               `
4. To develop a monitoring mechanism (including a checklist for project SES focal point) and progress report on UNDP Bangladesh’s SES Action Plan for supporting tracking and reporting implementation of its progress.  
5. To provide support in Safeguards Quality Assurance/Oversight of SES related documents and develop a SOPs

 

Note: Venue and Logistics required for the training programme will be provided by the UNDP

Competencies

 

E(1) CORE COMPETENCIES:

 

• Excellent oral and written English and Bangla communication skills, and exceptional technical writing and presentation capabilities;
• Demonstrates integrity by modeling UN values and ethical standards;
• Displays culture, gender, religion, race, nationality, age sensitivity, and adaptability;
• High-level planning, organizational, and time management skills, including flexibility, attention to detail, and the ability to work under pressure to meet challenging deadlines;
• Analytical and problem-solving skills of a high order, including the ability to formulate recommendations and advise senior management on tackling difficult scenarios;
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to establish strong cooperative relationships with senior government officials, civil society, and donors;
• Ability to quickly adapt to change, and to remain calm under pressure;
• Proven cross-cultural communication and the ability to function effectively in an international, multicultural environment.

 

E(2) FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES:

 

• Able to communicate effectively in writing to a varied and broad audience simply and concisely.
• Capable of working in a high-pressure environment with sharp and frequent deadlines, managing many tasks simultaneously.
• Excellent analytical and organizational skills;
• Exercises the highest level of responsibility and to handle confidential and politically sensitive issues responsibly and maturely.
• Works well as a team;
• Projects a positive image and is ready to take on a wide range of tasks;
• Focuses on results for the client;
• Welcome constructive feedback; and
• Fluent English and Bangla languages (both oral and written) and excellent communication and presentation skills, particularly in the preparation of written documents.

 

 

E(3) CORPORATE COMPETENCIES

 

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN's values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism.

 

Required Skills and Experience

F. ACADEMIC QUALIFICATION

• Master’s degree, or equivalent in environmental science, environmental engineering or management, environmental economics, development studies, or a closely related field.
• Bachelor’s degree in environmental management, environment policy, environmental engineering, environmental economics, environment policy or related fields, combined with specialized five-year experience in similar organization/s, may be considered in lieu of a Master’s degree

 

G. EXPERIENCE

• At least five years of demonstrable experience related to environmental standards and impact assessment, social and environmental safeguards risk assessment and mitigation in Bangladesh and/or international context;
• Experienced in developing environmental safeguards planning documents and preparing Environment Management Plan (EMP), Environmental Management Framework (EMF) including Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Initial Environmental Examination (IEE);  The candidate should provide a list of relevant experience and 2 samples of completed assignments on EMP/EMF/EIA
• Good understanding of the environment operations, policies, and procedures of UN, multilateral development bank, and financing institutions.
• Sound knowledge of government institutions/administrative systems/procedures in environment sector.
• Minimum 5 years of experience and knowledge in safeguarding principles, climate change, environmental impact assessments including environmental management; The candidate should provide a list of relevant experience
• Technical background and experience in preparing environmental safeguards related training module; Please provide a list of trainings prepared on this issue.
• At least two assignments completed successfully in training design and facilitation for UN agencies/international organizations/government organizations. The candidate should provide a list.

 

 

Language

Excellent command of English and Bangla is a key requirement.

 

H. SUPERVISION AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

 

The consultancy will be home-based and will report directly to the Climate Change Specialist, UNDP. S/he will also closely coordinate tasks with UNDP Country Office through other team members. S/he will also work closely with other national consultants from the project team recruited by UNDP. S/he will also engaged with the global SES expert in the SIDA Programme to ensure alignment with UNDP policies. S/he will conduct training for UNDP Staff and officials from UNDP’s counterpart organizations.

 

The Consultant will be given access to relevant information necessary for the execution of the tasks under this assignment. The Consultant will be responsible for providing her/his workstation (i.e., laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to a reliable internet connection. The Consultant is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability while completing the assigned tasks;

 

Payments will be made upon submission of a detailed timesheet and certification of payment form, acceptance and endorsement by the Supervisor on days worked (with a “day” calculated as 8 hours of work) and outputs delivered.

 

I. DUTY STATION AND DURATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT

 

The duty station will be based in Dhaka with required filed visit to any parts of Bangladesh. The Consultant  need to conduct training in Dhaka and regional level for the UNDP staff and counterpart government officials.   The basic training programme ( 4 batches; 2 days each) will be conducted in Dhaka. The advanced training programme (2 batches; 4 days each including field trip) will be conducted in Chittagong Hill Tracts (1 batch for 4 days) and in the Khulna region (1 batch for 4 days). All required logistic arrangement for the training programme will be provided by UNDP.   

 

Forty (40) workdays on an intermittent basis over 12 months from June 2022 –May 2023. The Consultant will use his/her own personal PC or laptop and other required equipment, and UNDP will provide temporary office space if required. 

 

J. TIMEFRAME AND DEADLINES

 

 

Sl.	Deliverables/Outputs	Estimated number of working days	Verification of Deliverables
1	An inception report with the detailed work plan and approach of training	3	The deliverables will be verified by a Climate Change Specialist and a concerned team of UNDP Bangladesh
2	Training modules (English and Bangla) covering both govt and UNDP’s requirements on Social and Environmental Standards (in UNDP’s prescribed format)	14
3	Training materials (English and Bangla) including  handbook, presentations, group activities or excercise, quiz, case studies, scripts on role play, etc. from the training modules.
4	Training facilitation and training completion report	15
5	Monitoring plan and progress report on UNDP Bangladesh’s SES Action Plan including completion report of the assignment	5
6	Safeguards Quality Assurance/Oversight of SES related documents and develop SOPs	3
Total	40

 

 

K. PAYMENT METHOD

The consultant will submit a financial proposal that includes daily professional fee and associated costs to be incurred (i.e. travel, accommodation, communication etc.) in completing the assignment need to be reflected in the financial proposal breakdown form. The contract price will be a fixed output-based price regardless of the extension of the herein specified duration. Payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables (i.e., whether payments fall in installments or upon completion of the entire contract).

 

 

L. FINANCIAL PROPOSAL

 

Lump-sum contracts

 

The financial proposal shall specify the daily rate of service (in Bangladeshi Taka) and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables (i.e., whether payments fall in installments or upon completion of the entire contract). Payments are based upon output, i.e., upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR. To assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal will include a breakdown of daily rates (including domestic travel, per diems, and of several anticipated working days, etc.). Payments will be made in tranches based on the following milestone deliverables upon invoice submission and upon certification of the work completed.

 

Sl.	Deliverables	Tentative Deadlines	Percentage of Total Price
1	Upon submitting the inception report with detailed work plan	21 June 2022	20%
2	Draft training modules (English and Bangla) on Environmental Safeguard (in UNDP’s prescribed format) for both basic and advanced training Draft training materials (English and Bangla) with handbook, glossary, presentations, group activities or exercise, quiz, case studies, scripts on role play, training evaluation and refresher training plan for both basic and advanced training	12 July 2022	15%
3	Final training modules (English and Bangla) on Environmental Safeguard (in UNDP’s prescribed format) for both basic and advanced training Final training materials (English and Bangla) with handbook, glossary, presentations, group activities or exercise, quiz, case studies, scripts on role play, training evaluation and refresher training plan for both basic and advanced training	23 July 2022	15%
4	Basic Training facilitation and Basic training completion report	18 August 2022	15%
5	Advanced Training facilitation and Advanced training completion report	28 February 2023	15%
6	Monitoring plan and progress report on UNDP Bangladesh’s SES Action Plan, report on safeguards Quality Assurance/Oversight, SOPs and assignment completion report	April 2023 (Date to be determined later)	20%

Note: Due dates of some deliverables might be changed according to the training programme schedule.

 

M. DOCUMENTS SUBMISSION

 

The Consultant shall prepare and submit the documents mentioned above during the assignment period. The outlines of each deliverable should be agreed upon at the beginning of the assignment and cleared by UNDP. Further work or revision of the documents may be required, if the documents do not meet the ToR, contain an error of facts or the documents are incomplete or not of an acceptable standard.

 

 

N.   EVALUATION

Individual Consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodologies:

 

1. Cumulative analysis

When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should be made to the individual Consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

1. Responsive/compliant/acceptable, and
2. Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

• Technical Criteria weight: 70%
• Financial Criteria weight: 30%

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 pointsor 70% would be considered for the Financial Evaluation

Technical Criteria for Evaluation (Maximum 70 points)

Criteria	Weight	Max. Point
Technical	70%	70
Relevant Education background	5%	5
Experience of developing social and environmental standards and conducting environmental impact assessment, social and environmental safeguards risk assessment, and mitigation. List of relevant experience and 2 samples of completed assignments on EMP/EMF/EIA will be assessed under this criterion]	20%	20
Experience of the environment operations, policies, and procedures of UN, multilateral development bank, and financing institutions. [Number of assignments done in relevant field will be assessed under this criterion]	10%	10
Experience in designing and preparing environmental safeguards related training module and facilitating relevant training for UN agencies/international organizations/government organizations   [Number of assignments done in relevant field under this criterion]	15%	10
Interview (for only shortlisted candidates)	20%	20
	30%	30
	100%	100

 

 

O. FINANCIAL EVALUATION

(Total obtainable score – 30)

 

All technically qualified proposals will be scored out of 30 based on the formula provided below. The maximum points (30) will be assigned to the lowest financial proposal. All other proposals receive points according to the following formula:

 p = y (µ/z)

                              Where:

p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated

y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal

µ = price of the lowest-priced proposal

z = price of the proposal being evaluated

 

P. RECOMMENDED PRESENTATION OF OFFER

Interested individuals must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications.

 

1. Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
2. Personal CV or P11, indicating all experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references;
3. Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided   http://www.bd.undp.org/content/dam/bangladesh/docs/Jobs/Interest%20and%20Submission%20of%20Financial%20Proposal-Template%20for%20Confirmation.docx
4. Suppose an organization/company/institution employs an Offeror and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNDP under Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA). In this case, the Offeror must indicate this at this point and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated into the financial proposal submitted to UNDP.  

Please combine all your documents into one (1) single PDF document as the system only allows you to upload a maximum of one document.

 

Note: The individual consultant who does not submit the above documents/requirements shall not be considered for further evaluation.

 

For any clarification regarding this assignment please write to ebidbox@undp.org.

 

Q. OTHER TERMS AND CONDITIONS  

1. UNDP holds the right to accept or reject any proposal without giving any verbal and/or written rationale
2. All reports and documents prepared about the assignment will be treated as UNDP property
3. The reports/documents or any part, therefore, cannot be sold, used, and reproduced in any manner without the prior written approval of UNDP.
4. UNDP reserve the right to monitor the quality and progress of the work during the assignment