- Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
- Country: South Sudan
- City: Juba, South Sudan
- Office: UNDP Juba
Closing date: Friday, 15 May 2015
NATIONAL CONSULTANT -PROTECTED AREA NETWORK MANAGEMENT
AND BUILDING CAPACITY IN POST-CONFLICT SOUTHERN SUDAN MIDTERM REVIEW -
(OPEN TO SOUTH SUDANESE NATIONALS ONLY)Location : Juba, SOUTH SUDAN
Application Deadline : 15-May-15
Additional Category
Millennium Development Goals
Type of Contract : Individual Contract
Post Level : National Consultant
Languages Required : English
Starting Date : (date when the selected candidate is expected to start)
25-May-2015
Duration of Initial Contract : One month
Expected Duration of Assignment : One month
Background
Despite the 1983 to 2005 civil war, many areas of Southern Sudan still contain areas of globally significant habitats and wildlife populations. For example, Southern Sudan contains one of the largest untouched savanna and woodland ecosystems remaining in Africa as well as the Sudd, the largest wetland in Africa, of inestimable value to the flow of the River Nile, the protection of endemic species and support of local livelihoods.
The 2007-2010 aerial surveys conducted by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Ministry of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism of the Government of Southern Sudan revealed
- One of the largest, intact antelope migrations in the world comprising 1.2 million White-eared kob, Mongalla gazelle and tiang, which rivals the world famous Serengeti wildebeest migration;
- arge carnivore species such as lion, leopard, cheetah and wild dog still exist;
- However, particular species have been decimated by poaching during the civil war (e.g. zebra, hartebeest and buffalo) and are at risk of local extirpation unless effective protection can be quickly mobilized;
- Rhino have not been detected but local reports suggest that there may still be hope that this species persists.
Project justification and expected value added by GEF funding
Southern Sudan possesses one of the most diverse mammal and avian faunas in Africa due to a broad diversity of habitats ranging from lowland forests to semi-arid scrub and from grass covered plains to afromontane meadows and forests. The country harbors one of East Africa's most spectacular and important wildlife populations.
If effectively conserved and managed, wildlife and protected areas can provide the cornerstone for natural resource management, enhance regional cooperation through trans-boundary parks, contribute to sustainable livelihoods of local communities, create local employment opportunities and form the foundation for ecotourism development. It should also be pointed out that well administered and efficiently managed protected areas contribute significantly to local and regional security. Therefore, the ideal long-term objective for protected area management in Southern Sudan would be 'to establish an ecologically representative and connected network of protected areas, subject to efficient and sustainable management systems and adequately financed through a variety of means'. However, the achievement of this long-term vision is hampered by some immediate barriers, which the GEF supported project will help overcome. As an interim investment in Southern Sudan's protected area estate, this catalytic GEF project will help set Southern Sudan on track towards a long term strategy and system for protected area management, with interventions being scaled up as management, planning and financial capacities grow.
As indicated above, the current status of conservation planning and management in the Southern Sudan is overshadowed by the priority for providing for basic needs and infrastructure in a post-conflict setting. This is a timely moment for GEF investment in that (i) there is an opportunity to influence development planning for the integration of conservation prerogatives; (ii) there is an opportunity to bring in global experiences and lessons into the development of the PA system in the Southern Sudan; (iii) GEF financing often receives high profile at country level, and the provision of GEF financing at this critical stage in time will help build a strong case and advocate for conservation.
In order to curb and reduce the impact of these threats on wildlife and biodiversity, two simultaneous approaches have been adopted by the GOSS: (i) to enhance the integration of environmental considerations and landscape management in its broader policy frameworks therefore providing for an overall improvement in natural resource management; (ii) to establish a network of well managed protected areas therefore securing the minimum requirements for species survival and containing the threats mentioned above on critical ecosystems. These two approaches are intertwined and complementary, and the GOSS is engaging in an international partnership for both; the GEF support is requested solely for the PA network.
It is recognized that the proposed GEF intervention will be of a basic and catalytic nature: it will help lay the foundations for conservation and PA management in the Southern Sudan in a context where, as shown by the METT, financial and capacity assessment scorecards, systems, capacities and infrastructure are minimal.
The GEF intervention is articulated at two different levels. Firstly, at the central level providing benefits to the overall system of the MWCT and secondly, at the site level focused interventions that will test and demonstrate the viability of suggested approaches and protect biodiversity at four key sites. Specifically, it will develop institutional capacity and infrastructure to support protected area management.
The global benefits of this project include the protection of one of the world's largest land mammal migrations, the vast Sudd wetland, and the largest intact savanna in East Africa. Protected areas encompassing some 85,000 km2 of significant habitats will be protected from degradation and loss. The Sudd wetland provides essential ecosystem services and significant carbon reservoirs are contained in the vast reaches of the protected areas. Two endemic antelope species (Nile lechwe and White-eared kob) and several hundred bird species, including the most important stronghold for shoebill in the world reside in the target areas. Important elephant populations that had previously been listed by IUCN as nearing local extirpation will be protected. These benefits will be measurable through land cover mapping and monitoring of changes and surveys and estimates of key wildlife populations.
The GEF supported project will strengthen the following aspects: 1) the legal and participative mechanisms to enlarge and effectively manage the protected area network and to mobilize the necessary investments to manage four key protected areas, 2) the institutional and human resource capacity to establish and maintain effective park management and 3) the cost-effectiveness of protected area management by improving operational capacity, identifying and encouraging investments and addressing and limiting threats at the site level. The protected area management approaches developed will involve a variety of stakeholders, which will include Government Ministries, local and State Governments, community representatives, private investor entities, local NGO's, international NGOs, and multi-lateral donors. It will also contribute to the mainstreaming of wildlife conservation and protected area management in overall land-use planning and development objectives of Southern Sudan.
Organizational Context
The Protected Area Network Management and Building Capacity in Post-conflict Southern Sudan project was designed to: Addresses the first Strategic Objective in the GEF Biodiversity Focal Area: Strengthening National Systems of Protected Areas and meets the eligibility criteria under Strategic Program 3: Strengthening Terrestrial PA Systems. The project will contribute to this strategic objective by establishing a core network of protected areas covering an estimated 68,000 km2 of globally important habitat supporting one of the largest land mammal migrations on earth. Southern Sudan currently has very limited functioning protected area network as a result of the long civil war. Securing the four protected areas (Zeraf, Bandingalo, Southern, and Boma) through improving the ground management effectiveness will expand the PA coverage under effective management from 20,000 km2 (Boma Park) to 68,000 km2. The project will strengthen the capacity of the GoSS and the MWCT at the site and central levels and consolidate the legal, planning and institutional framework providing the foundation for biodiversity conservation and overall protected area network management in the Southen Sudan. This is expected to enable GoSS to take the necessary steps towards an expanded protected areas network strategy and begin to implement it through government-private sector-NGO-community partnerships. Progress will also be made on steps toward sustainable financing of protected area systems through public and private partnerships and financing, as capacity increases.
Duties and Responsibilities
The MTR team will assess the following four categories of project progress
Project Strategy
Project design
- Review the problem addressed by the project and the underlying assumptions. Review the effect of any incorrect assumptions or changes to the context to achieving the project results as outlined in the Project Document.
- Review the relevance of the project strategy and assess whether it provides the most effective route towards expected/intended results. Were lessons from other relevant projects properly incorporated into the project design?
- Review how the project addresses country priorities. Review country ownership. Was the project concept in line with the national sector development priorities and plans of the country (or of participating countries in the case of multi-country projects)?
- Review decision-making processes: were perspectives of those who would be affected by project decisions, those who could affect the outcomes, and those who could contribute information or other resources to the process, taken into account during project design processes?
- Review the extent to which relevant gender issues were raised in the project design. See Annex 9 of Guidance For Conducting Midterm Reviews of UNDP-Supported, GEF-Financed Projects for further guidelines.
- If there are major areas of concern, recommend areas for improvement.
- Undertake a critical analysis of the project's logframe indicators and targets, assess how 'SMART' the midterm and end-of-project targets are (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound), and suggest specific amendments/revisions to the targets and indicators as necessary.
- Are the project's objectives and outcomes or components clear, practical, and feasible within its time frame?
- Examine if progress so far has led to, or could in the future catalyse beneficial development effects (i.e. income generation, gender equality and women's empowerment, improved governance etc...) that should be included in the project results framework and monitored on an annual basis.
- Ensure broader development and gender aspects of the project are being monitored effectively. Develop and recommend SMART 'development' indicators, including sex-disaggregated indicators and indicators that capture development benefits.
Progress Towards Outcomes Analysis
Review the logframe indicators against progress made towards the end-of-project targets using the Progress Towards Results Matrix and following the Guidance For Conducting Midterm Reviews of UNDP-Supported, GEF-Financed Projects; colour code progress in a 'traffic light system' based on the level of progress achieved; assign a rating on progress for each outcome; make recommendations from the areas marked as 'Not on target to be achieved' (red).
Table. Progress Towards Results Matrix (Achievement of outcomes against End-of-project Targets)
Project Strategy Indicator Baseline Level Level in 1st PIR (self- reported) Midterm Target End-of-project Target Midterm Level & Assessment Achievement Rating Justification for Rating
Objective: Indicator (if applicable)
Outcome 1: Indicator 1: Indicator 2: Outcome 2: Indicator 3: Indicator 4: Etc.
Indicator Assessment Key
Green= Achieved Yellow= On target to be achieved Red= Not on target to be achieved
Compare and analyse the GEF Tracking Tool at the Baseline with the one completed right before the Midterm Review
- Identify remaining barriers to achieving the project objective in the remainder of the project;
- By reviewing the aspects of the project that have already been successful, identify ways in which the project can further expand these benefits.
Management Arrangements
- Review overall effectiveness of project management as outlined in the Project Document. Have changes been made and are they effective? Are responsibilities and reporting lines clear? Is decision-making transparent and undertaken in a timely manner? Recommend areas for improvement;
- Review the quality of execution of the Executing Agency/Implementing Partner(s) and recommend areas for improvement;
- Review the quality of support provided by the GEF Partner Agency (UNDP) and recommend areas for improvement.
- Review any delays in project start-up and implementation, identify the causes and examine if they have been resolved;
- Are work-planning processes results-based? If not, suggest ways to re-orientate work planning to focus on results?
- Examine the use of the project's results framework/ logframe as a management tool and review any changes made to it since project start.
Corporate Competencies
- Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN's values and ethical standards;
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
Development and Operational Effectiveness
- Ability to lead strategic planning, change processes, results-based management and reporting;
- Ability to lead formulation, oversight of implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development programmes and projects;
- Ability to apply development theory to the specific country context to identify creative, practical approaches to overcome challenging situations.
- Demonstrates team-building capacity including interpersonal and communication skills and ability to cope with a difficult environment where formal institutions of government are at the embryonic stage;
- Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
- Deals diplomatically with challenging bureaucratic processes, and pressure to meet strict deadlines;
- Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
- Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
- Ability to lead effectively, mentoring as well as conflict resolution skills;
- Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure;
- Proven networking, team-building, organizational and communication skills;
- Capacity to work under pressure, manage stress and adapt to rapidly evolving situations;
- Ability to work in a multicultural environment with sound understanding and capability to empower and develop the capacity of national counterparts;
- Demonstrated understanding of issues related to gender and protected area conservation;
- Demonstrable analytical skills.
Education
- Master degree in economics, social sciences, development, political sciences, management or other relevant practice areas.
- Work experience in relevant technical areas for at least 10 years;
- Recent experience with result-based management evaluation methodologies;
- Experience applying SMART targets and reconstructing or validating baseline scenarios;
- Competence in adaptive management, as applied to protected area conservation;
- Experience working with the GEF or GEF-evaluations;
- Experience working in East Africa, and post conflict environment
- Experience in gender sensitive evaluation and analysis;
- Excellent communication skills;
- Project evaluation/review experiences within United Nations system will be considered an asset.
- Fluency in written and spoken English.
- Job Proposal: Letter of Interest, stating why you consider yourself suitable for the assignment;
- Brief methodology on the approach and implementation of the assignment;
- Personal CV Highlighting past experience in similar projects;
- Work references - contact details (e-mail addresses) of referees;
- Financial proposal indicating consultancy fee, lump sum fee with a breakdown of the costs or unit price together with any other expenses related to the assignment (e.g. travel costs, translation interpretation, etc).
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