International GEF Project Design Expert- Palau at United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

The main responsibility of the assignment is to conduct the detailed project design and execution arrangements and develop the UNEP Project Document, GEF CEO Endorsement Request, including all applicable annexes, for the project. The consultancy will be home-based. The consultant will report to the Johan Robinson, Head of GEF Biodiversity and Land Degradation Unit, Ecosystem Division of UNEP, based in Nairobi, Kenya, and work closely with MAFE and other national and provincial counterparts in Palau.

Objectives, expected outputs and performance indicators

• The PPG process will support a suite of activities to further identify and cost the actions to be included in the MSP, including:
• Analysis of policy and institutional capacity to support the environment for mainstreaming biodiversity considerations into aquaculture enterprise development and management – involving socio-economic analysis, gap analysis of current policy and regulations, national plans and policies, GIS survey, criteria to be developed, aquaculture permitting and training for aquaculture facilitators (detailed design of Outputs 1.1 to 1.7).
• Assessment of conditions and opportunities for implementing of sustainable aquaculture practices – involving aquaculture education and training program, monitoring program, infrastructure to be established, aquaculture farms to be developed and its strategy (detailed design of Outputs 2.1 to 2.5).
• Strategy for knowledge management, monitoring and evaluation, awareness raising and training – involving in developing a plan for knowledge products, data information system, communication system and M&E system (detailed design of Output 3.1 to 3.4) and
• Overall guidance and final documentation. The PPG process will also respond to requests made during the GEF Council meeting held in June 2020 and reproduced in the annex to the CEO ER document.
• The detailed activities and deliverables of the PPG phase are listed below under Outputs.

Main tasks of the PPG TL:

• To support the implementation of the PPG and write the full project document, in consultation with MAFE of Government of Palau, and local and international partner organizations. The consultant will be responsible; in close consultation with the UNEP Task Manager and in close collaboration with the national consultant as well as the range of other national and international programs, projects and partners listed in the Project Identification Form (PIF) concept. A full and detailed Terms of Reference for the PPG will be made available to the consultant, with the summary of tasks for the PPG TL listed below.

Specifically, the consultant will be required to complete the following tasks:

• PPG Team Planning Meeting: organize a Skype call with the UNEP Task Manager (TM), MAFE and National Consultant to review plans for the PPG, and arrangements for inception workshop (start August 2022);
• Prepare a detailed work plan at the outset of the Project Preparatory Grant (PPG) formulation process, in collaboration with MAFE and the national consultant, and provide an overall orientation to the national consultant in relation to GEF and UNEP requirements, including the set Project Document and GEF CEO ER templates (by August 2022);
• Prepare and reach agreement with the National Consultant on detailed workplan and deliverables, contents of reporting and communications (e.g. through Skype, email, etc) and monitor and supervise the deliverables.
• Develop detailed schedule, deliverables and agreement with UNEP TM and MAFE of the Government of Palau;
• Ensure that sufficient and relevant information is acquired, and all requisite consultations and studies are completed for timely preparation of PPG reports and delivery of the UNEP Project Document and GEF CEO Endorsement Request document;
• Initiate remote and on-site meetings in Palau with MAFE and key government departments of concern to the baseline assessment, project design and MSP project execution arrangements, including at national and provincial level and the National Consultant;
• Conduct the situation analyses, as well as the identification and documentation of relevant baseline conditions based on the data collection and analysis by the National Consultant;
• Develop and/or finetune a feasible and measurable Project Results Frameworks having an integrated set of SMART indicators and midterm and end-of-project targets that monitor outcomes, including the costing of the Project Monitoring and Evaluation Plan;
• Ensure, including through coordinating the related work by the National Consultant, that all relevant national and provincial stakeholders are widely consulted throughout the PPG process and that work under development is shared on a regular basis to ensure that the project is responsive to stakeholders needs, feasible to implement, has broad ownership and that stakeholders agree on the implementation and execution arrangements;
• Review all former and ongoing GEF and other donor/NGO financed (baseline) projects related to the project objectives and describe in detail how the current project will build on these initiatives, using their knowledge, experience and lessons learnt to build a solid foundation;
• Ensure that the design of the project complements national development plans, sectoral plans and policies.
• Apply the UNEP Social and Economic Review (ESERN checklist), based on information provided by the National Consultant
• Ensure that any review points from the GEF Secretariat or GEF Council, including those made during the project identification stage, as well as the formal review by the UNEP Project Review Committee are met and responded to in the Project Document and CEO Endorsement Request;
• Prepare a detailed multi-year budget using the standard templates provided by UNEP and ensure that the budget reflects the mandatory requirements of the GEF Monitoring and Evaluation Policy as well as the set Project Management Costs ceiling;
• Pay particular attention to gender mainstreaming and social inclusiveness, including socioeconomic and gender disaggregated indicators in the Monitoring and Evaluation Plan;
• Develop and finalize the project's Monitoring and Evaluation work plan, with responsibilities and accountabilities clearly defined, as well as an appropriate budget – based on the relevant UNEP template;
• Write the full project documents (both the UNEP template as well as the GEF CEO Endorsement Request, including annexes); present drafts to national stakeholders for review and incorporate the ensuing comments;
• Perform final reviews of the project documentation, as required;
• Compile response to review comments by UNEP, MAFE, GEF Secretariat, and make necessary revisions to the documents
• The consultancy will be home-based.

Qualifications/special skills

• Academic Qualifications: Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in environmental planning and management, and/or natural resource research, development and conservation is required.
• Experience: Minimum 10 years professional experience in the field of management and protection of biodiversity, environmental planning and conservation, and ecosystem services is required.
• Additional significant knowledge of GEF policies and programming, as well as senior experience in GEF project formulation and writing of GEF Project Document and CEO Endorsement is highly desirable.
• Work experience in coastal and marine environment sector, particularly in planning and management, working with a broad range of stakeholders and international donor agencies are desired.
• Language: English is one of the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the consultancy post advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required.

Closing; 17 August 2022