Sierra Leone: Agroforesty Expert Tech

Sep 27, 2015 | UNDP
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Sierra Leone is increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of global climate change. This is exacerbated by uncontrolled deforestation, partly due to unsustainable agricultural methods and charcoal production.  While charcoal/fuel wood provides a key source of rural income and energy Sierra Leone does not have adequate wood-fuel policies or certification procedures, strategies or programmes in place.

The external pressures caused by unsustainable charcoal production and rapid deforestation are threatening the sustainability of the natural environment and its ability to perform ecological services. This in turn poses a grave challenge to sustainable socio-economic development and resilience as the vast majority of the rural population in Sierra Leone relies on natural resources for their livelihoods and nutrition

Sierra Leone’s third Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper aims to pursue economic development without creating additional burdens on natural resources, thereby preserving ecosystems that are critical to maintaining the quality of life and providing environmental services to society. UNDP supports the Government of Sierra Leone with interventions designed to enhance livelihoods in ways that are both economically and environmentally sustainable.

As part of this approach, UNDP is supporting pilot community-owned woodlots and agroforestry (and associated livelihoods) initiatives in three districts. These pilot interventions include production of certified charcoal (Port Loko district) and climate-smart agroforestry (Bombali and Tonkolili districts). The interventions are designed and implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Energy, National Protected Areas Authority and the National Secretariat for Climate Change. UNDP is recruiting an expert to provide technical support for the establishment of woodlots and climate smart agroforestry initiatives while enhancing capacities of the local communities for nursery and woodlot maintenance, and develop recommendations for upscaling.

An international expert will be engaged to ensure that the establishment of the woodlots in the communities is informed by the latest knowledge in agroforestry, and to facilitate capacity enhancement at the community level as well as for relevant Government MDAs.

Duties & Responsibilities:

The objective of this consultancy is to provide technical support to increase the success of the abovementioned interventions:

• Assessment of existing proposals for agroforestry interventions in the three targeted communities, and development of recommendations for strengthening the interventions;

• Provision of advice on procurement of seedlings and tools for climate smart agroforestry;

• Provision of advice on the production of certified charcoal;

• Development of training modules for targeted communities;

• Provision of training for targeted communities;

• Development of recommendations for future support and possible upscaling.

Deliverable for 2015:

• Detailed work plan including timeframes, to be submitted to UNDP for review and approval within the first week upon signing the contract;

• Recommendations for strengthening of the proposed interventions, submitted within two weeks;

• Lists of items to be procured, submitted within two weeks;

• Training modules for targeted communities, submitted within three weeks;

• Draft report including an overview of lessons learnt and recommendations, submitted by 7 December;

• Final report, submitted no later than 15 December.

Deliverable for 2016:

• Detailed work plan including timeframes, to be submitted to UNDP for review and approval within the first week of March 2016;

• Recommendations for strengthening of the proposed interventions & lists of items to be procured submitted and training modules for targeted communities to be submitted in third week of March 2016;

• Draft report including an overview of lessons learnt and recommendations, submitted by 30th July 2016;

• Final report, submitted no later than 31st August 2016.

Institutional Arrangements:

The consultant will work full time, based in the UNDP Country Office in Freetown with regular visits to relevant MDA’s and field locations. Limited administrative and logistic support, as well as transport for visits will be provided by UNDP. The consultant will use his/her own laptop and cell phone. The consultant will report to the Team Leader, Energy, Environment, and Natural Resource Management Cluster, UNDP, while working in close cooperation with relevant MDAs.

Payment Modalities

Payment to the consultant will be made in three instalments upon satisfactory completion of the following deliverables in 2015:

1st instalment: 40% upon approval by UNDP of the detailed work plan;

2nd Instalment: 40% upon approval of the procurement lists and training modules;

3rd instalment: 20% upon approval of the final report by UNDP;

The same payment modalities apply in 2016.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;

• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;

• Treats all people fairly.

• Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise:

• Demonstrated knowledge of environmental challenges in Sierra Leone;

• Strong analytical skills, particularly applied to environment profiling.

• Functional Competencies:

• Building Strategic Partnerships;

• Ability to identify needs and interventions for capacity building of counterparts, clients and potential partners.

Results Orientation:

Ability to take responsibility for achieving agreed outputs within set deadlines and strives until successful outputs are achieved.

Team Work and Communication skills:

• Excellent time management, monitoring and evaluation skills;

• Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback;

• Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication;

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

• Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing:

• Identifies new approaches and strategies that promote the use of tools and mechanisms;

• Knowledge of inter-disciplinary development issues.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

MSc or higher in Forestry, Agroforestry, or related professional field.

Experience:

At least five years’ experience in agroforestry issues and adequate knowledge in climate-smart operations will be required.

Language:

Fluency in written and spoken English;

Strong reporting and presentation skills.

Evaluation criteria

Offers received will be evaluated using a Combined Scoring method, where the qualifications and proposed methodology will be weighted 70%, and combined with the price offer, which will be weighted 30%. Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points in the Technical Evaluation will be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Criteria to be used for rating the qualifications and methodology

Technical evaluation criteria (total 70 points):

• Professional qualifications and experience with respect to the TOR: 25 points;

• Methodology of approach in accomplishing the consultancy including though not limited to (a) stakeholder engagement strategy, (b) timeline, (c) strategies addressing possible risks and barriers and management responses: 45 points.

• Financial evaluation (total 30 points)

• All technically qualified proposals will be scored out 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.

Qualified candidates are hereby requested to apply. The application must contain the following:

• Brief letter of application;

• Personal CV or P11, indicating relevant professional experience, as well as the contact details (email address and phone number) of at least three professional references;

• Brief description (max. 1 page) of the proposed methodology on how you intend to complete the assignment;

• Financial proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price supported by a breakdown of costs (including professional fee, international travel, and specified other costs if applicable).