Nepal: Global Environmenta Facility Project Development Leader

22 June 2017

Consultant Terms of Reference:

Global Environment Facility (GEF) Project Development Leader

“Integrated Landscape Management to Secure Nepal’s Protected Areas and Critical Corridors”

Background:

The five-year GEF-funded full-sized project, “Integrated Landscape Management to Secure Nepal’s Protected Areas and Critical Corridors” (GEF PMIS #9437) was approved by the GEF Council in May 2017. The project supports the government of Nepal’s efforts to promote integrated landscape management to conserve globally significant forests and wildlife. The project is being led by the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation (MoFSC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Population and Environment, WWF Nepal, and the WWF GEF Agency as GEF Partner Agency (Implementing Agency). The project has four key components: (1) National capacity and enabling environment for cross-sectoral coordination to promote forest and landscape conservation; (2) Integrated Planning for Protected Area Buffer Zones and Critical Corridors in the Terai Arc Landscape; (3) Forest and species management for improved conservation of targeted protected area buffer zones and corridors in the Terai Arc Landscape; and (4) Knowledge management and M&E.

The Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) TAL is a low-lying landscape that spans parts of southern Nepal and northern India. The portion of TAL in Nepal stretches from the Bagmati river in the east to the Mahakali river in the west. It provides ecological connectivity through habitat corridors linking six protected areas and three Ramsar sites, and is home to several endangered and vulnerable wildlife species. TAL supports a culturally diverse population of over 7.5 million people including several ethnic groups. Remittances are a major source of income followed by tourism, agriculture, service jobs and wage labor. Many people are dependent on forests for their livelihoods and wellbeing, and many forests in the corridors and buffer zones are managed by local communities. Major threats to the landscape include large infrastructure development, droughts, severe floods, landslides, river water diversion, changes in river courses, poaching and illegal wildlife trade, human-wildlife conflict, illegal harvesting of forest products, encroachment, illegal fishing with river poisoning, overgrazing, invasive species, and pests and diseases. The landscape is experiencing impacts from climate change, which are expected to intensify in the coming decades.

A second ten-year Strategy and Action Plan is currently being implemented for TAL with the goal to conserve the ecosystems of the Terai and Churia hills in order to ensure integrity of ecological, economic, and socio-cultural systems and communities (MoFSC 2015). The strategy takes climate change into account and promotes climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction, as well as local livelihoods, and gender equality and social inclusion. The GEF-6 project, “Integrated Landscape Management to Secure Nepal’s Protected Areas and Critical Corridors”, will support implementation of parts of the strategy.

Objective:

To lead the development of project documents for the “Integrated Landscape Management to Secure Nepal’s Protected Areas and Critical Corridors” project, working closely with government partners and with a team of technical staff from WWF Nepal, WWF GEF Agency, and other key stakeholders. The consultant will be responsible for developing a comprehensive project design in support of the Government of Nepal’s priorities and in accordance with WWF and GEF standards. The consultant may assemble a team and/or delegate tasks as detailed in their technical and financial proposal (more below).

The consultant will ensure timely delivery of the full WWF GEF Project Document package, including: the WWF GEF Project Document, GEF Request for CEO Endorsement document, GEF tracking tools, Letters of Co-financing, and other requested materials as mutually agreed in the project development workplan.

Main Responsibilities:

• Coordinate with Project Planning Committee (PPC) and WWF GEF Agency for overall planning and development of the project document design and associated documentation needed for GEF CEO Endorsement;

• Develop a work plan and budget with key project partners for approval by the Project Planning Committee (PPC) and WWF GEF Agency that includes specific deliverables and deadlines;

• In full coordination with WWF GEF Agency, WWF Nepal, and Government of Nepal technical staff, lead development and drafting of WWF GEF Project Document and accompanying documentation (Request for CEO Endorsement document, GEF tracking tools, Letters of Co-financing, and other requested materials) in accordance with the approved work plan.

• Ensure compliance with WWF, GEF, and Government of Nepal policies and best practices for quality project development, including the use of WWF Project and Program Management Standards (PPMS), social and environmental safeguards, financial management, public involvement, gender and social inclusion mainstreaming, monitoring and evaluation, and incorporating lessons learned from past projects.

• Ensure proper local community and other key stakeholder consultations to inform project design and compliance with WWF, GEF, and Government of Nepal policies

• Coordinate with safeguard consultant(s) to ensure full policy compliance, including full participation in the completion of the screening tool, facilitating third-party consultations and site visits, as necessary;

• Coordinate with consultant(s) for gender equality and social inclusion assessment to ensure full policy compliance and quality project design, as necessary;

• Prepare documentation for and facilitate regular meetings of the PPC as well as regular check-ins on progress towards deliverables to WWF GEF Agency;

• Assist WWF GEF Agency specialists with Financial & Administrative and Capacity Assessments to inform implementation arrangements and project implementation risk mitigation measures;

• Lead organization of project design workshops with WWF GEF Agency and WWF Nepal staff, including the kick-off training in mid-July 2017, a PPMS project design workshop, and other key workshops to inform project design as needed and defined in the work plan;

• Draft other documentation as needed to demonstrate full due diligence throughout project development;

Duration and Deliverables:

• WWF GEF Project Document, GEF Request for CEO Endorsement document, GEF tracking tools, Letters of Co-financing, and other requested materials as mutually agreed in a project development workplan;

• Key intermediate deliverables and due dates will be determined in the work plan, and payments will be made against these and final deliverables in a payment schedule to be developed at that time;

• All Project documents will be due to the WWF GEF Agency by no later than 25 August 2018.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Academic background of at least MSc in natural resource management, forestry or equivalent;

• At least 10 years’ experience in the designing, coordination, management and/or execution of international projects;

• Familiarity with GEF projects and/or with the WWF Network is an advantage;

• Experience in negotiating and coordinating with government officials, local government, donors, project partners, local communities, civil society organizations and multi-lateral organizations;

• Experience and skills in managing professional and multi-stakeholder teams, and working with multi-disciplinary teams;

• Experience and familiarity with Nepal’s political, socio-economic, cultural and environmental contexts particularly knowledge and experiences of TAL and networks operating in the project area;

• Outstanding English writing skills and experience writing proposals and reports;

• Experience with Open Standards/Project and Program Management Standards (PPMS) will be an asset;

• Ability to work in Nepali language would be an asset.

Collaboration and supervision:

The consultant will interact with and undertake negotiation with government and other stakeholders, working closely with relevant government departments, WWF Nepal and WWF GEF Agency staff, local NGO partners, community based organizations, private sector organizations, and others. He/she may delegate specific tasks as appropriate.

The consultant will administratively report to the WWF GEF Agency project manager. A Project Planning Committee (PPC) consisting of Government of Nepal, WWF Nepal, and WWF GEF Agency representatives will oversee quality of consultant deliverables/project documents and advise WWF GEF Agency management of the consultant.

Duty station

Kathmandu with extensive travel in TAL. No international travel is anticipated.

Budget and logistics

Through regular meetings defined in a mutually agreed workplan, the PPC will provide support to the consultant, including strategic guidance, facilitating dialogue with key stakeholders, and assisting addressing project issues. When necessary, WWF Nepal may provide logistical support to the consultant, including the hosting of meeting space and facilitating dialogue with government.

Proposal Submission Details:

Interested parties[1] are requested to email separate technical and financial proposals together with an application letter including CV(s) and organization profile (if applicable) to hr@wwfnepal.org by 5:00 PM Nepal Standard Time, 10 July, 2017.

Financial proposal should include detailed breakdown of total budget proposed including: consultant fee, travel cost, communication costs, meeting and reproduction of documents. The payment is subject to tax deduction as per prevailing government rules. The payment will be made in installments based on submission of satisfactory works and deliverables per a mutually agreed workplan.

[1] The consultant may propose assembling a team and/or delegate tasks and should be detailed in their technical and financial proposal.

Interested parties[1] are requested to email separate technical and financial proposals together with an application letter including CV(s) and organization profile (if applicable) to hr@wwfnepal.org by 5:00 PM Nepal Standard Time, 10 July, 2017.

Financial proposal should include detailed breakdown of total budget proposed including: consultant fee, travel cost, communication costs, meeting and reproduction of documents. The payment is subject to tax deduction as per prevailing government rules. The payment will be made in installments based on submission of satisfactory works and deliverables per a mutually agreed workplan.

[1] The consultant may propose assembling a team and/or delegate tasks and should be detailed in their technical and financial proposal.