Background
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This TOR combines the technical requirements of two projects funded by the GEF (Global Environmental Facility) in Samoa and the Cook Islands.
Project 1 - Enhancing biodiversity considerations and effective protected area management to safeguard the Cook Islands integrated ecosystems and species Project.
The project aims to reduce and mitigate negative environmental impacts of the key development sectors (agriculture, infrastructure, tourism) in the Cook Islands, which are the main national drivers of biodiversity and habitat degradation. This will be achieved through mainstreaming integrated, sustainable management of land and coastal waters across key partners National Environment Service (NES), Infrastructure Cook Islands (ICI), Cook Islands Tourism Corporation (CIT), and the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) government agencies, as well as private sector and communities through policy development and communications and awareness. Building upon the achievements and lessons learnt of the GEF-5 Ridge-to-Reef project, the GEF-7 project strategy also includes improving management effectiveness of targeted protected areas, as well as expansion of the protected area system through establishment of a 118-ha community conserved area safeguarding globally significant biodiversity within the cloud forests of Rarotonga.
Project results are expected to generate multiple environmental benefits, including 2,401 ha of priority catchments under improved management, and improved management of 1,260 ha of terrestrial protected areas and 14,453 ha of marine protected areas. An estimated 9,588 people (75% of the resident population of the country), of whom 51% are women, are expected to directly benefit as a co-benefit of the GEF investment, including local communities living within and benefiting from the ecosystem services provided by the priority catchments, people benefitting from the biodiversity resources and ecosystem services of the target protected areas, and management and staff members of NES, MoA, CIT, and ICI, as well as other stakeholders benefitting from strengthened capacities.
Through improved management in the agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) sector, 217,154 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent of greenhouse gas emissions mitigated are estimated to be achieved through increased carbon sequestration and reduced emissions.
The objective of the project is to safeguard globally significant biodiversity and core ecosystem services through mainstreaming environmental issues in key development sectors, facilitating more inclusive natural resource governance, and improving the management effectiveness of conservation areas to be realized through the following three component strategies and four outcomes.
Component 1: Mainstreaming safeguards to conserve biodiversity and maintain ecosystem services across key development sectors.
Outcome 1: Biodiversity and ecosystem services safeguards embedded in national and island governance frameworks, and policies, and institutional capacities strengthened across key development sectors (i.e., agriculture, infrastructure, tourism) Outcome 2: Ecosystem services restored, maintained and enhanced, and globally significant biodiversity safeguarded in priority catchments and managed areas.Component 2: Improving the management framework to effectively conserve a national protected areas system representative of Cook Islands biodiversity.
Outcome 3: Globally significant biodiversity protected across Cook Islands through effective selection, design, management, monitoring and enforcement of its PAs system.Component 3: Raising awareness, managing knowledge, mainstreaming gender and monitoring, evaluating and disseminating project results.
Outcome 4: Globally significant biodiversity protected across Cook Islands through effective selection, design, management, monitoring and enforcement of its PAs system.The project will be implemented over 72 months (6 years) starting in March 2023. UNDP is the GEF Implementing Agency and the Cook Islands National Environment Service (NES), is the project’s lead Implementing Partner and responsible party.
Project 2 - Enhancing integrated sustainable management to safeguard Samoa's natural resources (GEF-7) Project.
The biodiversity and natural resources of Samoa provide the ecological foundation upon which the country depends for its physical, cultural, social and economic well-being. It provides the food, fiber, fuel, freshwater, medicinal plants and building material. This is exemplified in that around 80% of the population, largely subsistence, directly depends on the land and sea for food and income. While agriculture, in the past was the backbone of Samoa’s economy, its decline, in large part due to decimation of the taro export due to the Taro Leaf Blight, a deadly non-native fungus that caused the extinction of the Samoan taro varieties. There are a number of pressures on Samoa’s biodiversity, an important one of which is invasive species, the impacts of which have been extensive and costly, both financially, ecologically and culturally, including in particular effects on the productivity and economic output of primary industries such as agriculture, forestry and fisheries, as well as threatening the integrity and biodiversity of natural ecosystems and their processes.
As a consequence of invasive species, the five-million-year history of the Samoan archipelago that has resulted in the evolution of a unique native flora and fauna is being threatened by the rapid spread of invasive species. While conservation efforts have been made to maintain Samoa’s rich biodiversity in reserves and protected areas, considerable efforts are being spent on managing invasive plants that are outcompeting native species.
The project recognizes that these land and seascapes of Samoa underpin the lives and livelihoods of a large number of local communities and that implementation of a coherent and integrated strategy to promote improved measures for prevention and management of invasive alien species (IAS) is an integral part of the solution. The main objective of the project is to equip and empower local communities to safeguard Samoa’s indigenous species, natural ecosystems and food production systems from Invasive Alien Species (IAS) and unsustainable land use practices. The project will be implemented for six years through the following three main components.
Enhancing institutional and technical capacity in safeguarding indigenous species, natural ecosystems, and production systems from IAS. Demonstrating integrated management of catchments from ridge to reef to safeguard indigenous species, natural ecosystems and food production systems from IAS and unsustainable land use practices. Gender mainstreaming and knowledge management.The project will be implemented over a duration of 72 months (6 years) from January 2023. UNDP is the GEF Implementing Agency and the Government of Samoa Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), is the project’s lead Implementing Partner and responsible party.
Both projects are nationally executed as per UNDP National Implementation Modality (NIM) procedures. According to UNDP guidelines on National Implementation Modality (2011), the Governments are of Cook Islands and Samoa responsible for the management and delivery of programme activities to achieve project outcomes/outputs. Government regulations, rules and procedures therefore apply to project implementation to the extent that they do not contravene the principles of the Financial Regulations and Rules of UNDP.
Both projects will be monitored, and evaluation will be conducted in accordance with established UNDP and GEF procedures and oversight and compliance monitoring will be provided by the project team and the UNDP Multi-Country Office (UNDP-MCO) in Samoa with support from the UNDP Regional Bureau for Asia-Pacific (RBAP) region in Bangkok.
The Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) will be responsible for providing strategic direction and overall technical backstopping to both project teams in the implementation of activities as defined in the project document and in the inception report. He/She will render technical support to the Project Manager/Project Coordinator (PM/PC), Project Technical Consultants recruited by the project and the implementing partners to implement the activities and deliver key outputs, that lead to the desired outcomes of both projects. The CTA is expected to divide his/her time equally between the project and be present in Samoa and Cook Islands at least for 20% of the total time during the contract period. This could be divided between two or more missions.
Duties and ResponsibilitiesCross-Functional Competencies:
Business Direction & Strategy
System Thinking : Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome Knowledge and understanding of the operational frameworks in the organization and ability to make good judgments and quick decisions within such frameworks. Effective Decision Making: Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one’s authority, area of expertise and resources.Business Development
Knowledge Generation: Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need. Collective Intelligence design: Ability to bringing together diverse groups of people, data, information or ideas, and technology to design services or solutions.Business Management
Results-based Management: Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrate results. Partnership Management: Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP Strategy and policies.Partnership Management
Relationships Management: Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding.Language Requirements:
Fluency in English (oral and written) is a requirement. Working knowledge of another UN language is desired.Travel:
UNDP will cover the cost of travel of the individual to the duty station, as well as their return to their home upon completion of their services. At least 2 missions should be planned for each project during the contract period, with a minimum of 13 days per combined mission. DisclaimerThis vacancy is archived.