Location: Home-based
Last Date: December 17, 2010
Email: ddc@undp.org
Location : Home based
Application Deadline : 17-Dec-10
Type of Contract : SSA
Post Level : International Consultant
Duration of Initial Contract : 50 days spread over 4 months
Background
The Drylands Development Centre (DDC) is one of the three UNDP Thematic Centres around the world. Based in Nairobi, Kenya, DDC provides core support for development and poverty reduction in the drylands to affected countries world-wide through the Integrated Drylands Development Programme (IDDP). The overall goal of the IDDP is to contribute to poverty reduction through the sustainable development of drylands leading to reduced vulnerability and improved livelihoods. The expected outcomes of the IDDP are:
1) Drylands issues, climate change adaptation and mitigation mainstreamed into national policies, planning and development frameworks and contributing to the effective implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD);
2) Vulnerability of drylands communities to environmental, economic and socio–cultural challenges (such as climate risks, drought, land degradation, poor markets, migration) reduced and adaptation/mitigation capacity built; and
3) Drylands communities benefit from improved local governance, management and utilization of natural resources. This support is provided through the UNDP country offices.
Under the framework of the IDDP, DDC has been leading the African Drought Risk and Development Network (ADDN), a region-wide network for advocacy, capacity building and peer learning, since 2005. The ADDN is co-sponsored by the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction.
A wealth of knowledge-based resources on drought risk management (DRM) exists in Africa, yet the opportunities for sharing successful experiences, disseminating lessons learnt and up-scaling innovative practices are still limited. In recognition of this, ADDN aims to bridge the gaps between knowledge producers and users, by promoting applied discussion and improving stakeholders’ access to information that will help them better react to the increased threats of drought and climate change in the dryland of Africa.
Based on the positive outputs obtained through the implementation of ADDN, the Africa-Asia Drought Risk Management Peer Assistance Project (hereafter the Project) was developed with the financial support from the Government of Japan in 2009. The project seeks to: (a) create an enabling environment for inter-regional knowledge sharing and technical cooperation among drought-prone countries in Africa and Asia; and (b) increase the use of best practices in DRM for development in the two regions.
Inter alia, the Project will establish an applied inter-regional DRM peer assistance network (hereafter the Network), building on the pool of experiences and expertise of the existing ADDN and leveraging its well established operational modalities. This broad-based Network will serve as a clearing-house for identifying, documenting and promoting the application of experiences, expertise and models of good practices in DRM along the chain of regional, national and local development practitioners in Africa and Asia. It also intends to improve the capacity of decision-makers and practitioners in their efforts for policy-setting, development planning and programme/project implementation in the two regions.
Context and Justification for the Exercise
Years of ADDN operation demonstrate that the efficiency and sustainability of South-South cooperation (SSC) rests largely on the adequate institutional set-up, in which a rich collection of knowledge and expertise is stored and through which useful experiences are shared and technologies transferred. Conventional SSC support tends to be provided as a stand-alone, one-off activity in an ad hoc, uncoordinated and supply-driven way without sufficient analytical understanding on the capacity gaps and needs of the beneficiary entities. Lack of a mechanism to continuously monitor, follow up and link the SSC processes has often resulted in the lack of clarity of the impacts of SSC.
Leveraging on these empirical insights, the Project will establish a robust, flexible, institutional framework, i.e., the Project Team (PT). The PT will manage and coordinate the Network’s peer learning and capacity building activities in an integrated, systematic and accountable manner. This framework will also serve as a mechanism to collaborate closely with other relevant DRM-focused initiatives in support of the implementation of key international agreements and action frameworks such as United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015, etc. Mirroring the management arrangements of ADDN, which has a proven track record, the PT will comprise:
• A Secretariat: The Secretariat will be housed by UNDP-DDC, and will comprise of a full-time coordinator. It will provide administrative, financial and logistical support on a cost-recovery basis. The Secretariat will be responsible, as an anchor institution, for the establishment and operationalization of the Network; overall coordination and monitoring of the Network activities as per the workplan including facilitating and maintaining communication among the Network members; collecting and disseminating relevant information for its members; and administrative and financial management of the Network operations. The Secretariat will also be responsible for reporting to the donor partner.
• A Technical Advisory Committee (TAC): The TAC will consist of the representatives of the key institutions that are engaged and have a proven expertise in SSC regarding DRM and drylands development at different levels in Africa and Asia. It will provide overall technical guidance and oversight support to the implementation process of the Project.
In order to establish a baseline for the project, the first step that needs to be taken is to gather existing information on the status, trends and needs of DRM in the two regions. It is in this context that the stocktaking exercise is being planned.
Objective and Scope of the Exercise
The overall objectives of this stocktaking exercise are to:
1) review the current institutional and programmatic landscape in the realm of DRM in Asia as well as Africa, including through mining the existing ADDN database;
2) map out the demand/supply for DRM capacities in the two regions; and
3) identify the key actors and priority areas to which the inter-regional SSC could add values.
Specific Tasks of the Consultant
Under the direct supervision of the Project Secretariat and in close collaboration with other Project partners, as elaborated in the Project Document, the tasks of the consultant will be the following:
1) Undertake a desk review of all the relevant documents and other information materials as well as stakeholder consultations as a basis for a situation analysis of DRM at different levels, taking into account the cross-sectoral and multi-faceted nature of drought and DRM. Particular attention should be paid to the gender dimension. Activities to be undertaken include:
• Comparative analysis of local, national and (sub-)regional commitments to DRM (e.g. implementation of UNCCD National Action Programmes, Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 and other related international and regional agreements/measures; existence of supportive policy frameworks; integration of drought/dryland agenda into national/local development plans; availability of inter-governmental coordination mechanism for DRM, etc.).
• Assessment of the existing institutional arrangements relevant to DRM, including government and inter-government set-ups, NGOs/CBOs, research/academic institutes and development partner institutions. This exercise is critical, in particular, for the identification of 1) the ‘inner’ and ‘outer’ target groups to be targeted by the various planned Network activities, 2) the prospective members of the TAC, and 3) opportunities for resource mobilization.
• Review of the completed, ongoing and planned programmes and projects implemented by UNDP and other entities in the area of DRM and drylands development.
While the situation analysis shall cover both Africa and Asia regions, the primary focus of the exercise will be directed on Asia. A substantial amount of data and information has been accumulated through the ADDN activities. Therefore the assessment in Africa should be carried out in a manner to update and complement these already available resources.
2) Drawing on the information collected and its analysis, generate a detailed overview of the opportunities for DRM peer learning and for up-scaling best practices vis-à-vis the needs and priorities of capacity strengthening. The stocktaking report should include the following:
• Outputs of the context analysis at local, national and (sub-)regional levels and the priority areas of SSC interventions between Asia and Africa through the Network. The report should provide the practical recommendation(s) on how the Network could best operate to contribute effectively and efficiently to the enhanced knowledge management, sharing and application in the identified DRM priority areas in the two regions.
• Mapping of the DRM institutional arrangements in the two regions and the list of organizations representing different aspects of DRM issues in the two regions, including their contact details, to be considered as the prospective members of the TAC.
• A draft terms of reference for the TAC with clear description of scope, roles and the operational framework.
• Summary of the opportunities for resource mobilization in support of the Network implementation and expansion.
• Brief description on the DRM-related programmes/projects with a short summary of the lessons learnt, best practices drawn and/or remaining gaps identified (from completed and ongoing projects).
3) Provide technical support for planning of the first inter-regional drought adaptation forum scheduled in early 2011 and present the findings of the stocktaking exercise for further deliberation.
Expected Outputs
• A draft stocktaking report, encompassing the aforementioned key elements in Microsoft Word in soft copies upon the completion of the Task 2. The report should incorporate all the comments provided by the Secretariat.
• Presentation at the first inter-regional drought adaptation forum in early 2011.
• Final stocktaking report, incorporating the key outputs of the stakeholders’ discussion during the first inter-regional drought adaptation forum.
Duration and Consultancy Implementation Modalities
This consultancy is home-based. The service of the consultant is needed for period of 50 working days, spread between January and April 2011. This entails 40 days for information collection, analysis and production of a draft report (and revision, if necessary, based on the comments provided by the various Project partners) and an additional 10 days for presentation at the first inter-regional drought adaptation forum and development of final report.
The consultant will work under the supervision of the Project Secretariat housed by UNDP-DDC in Nairobi, Kenya. S/He will be briefed at the beginning of the assignment by teleconference. The working language is English.
Payment Schedule
Payment will be made based on satisfactory submission of deliverables as follows:
• 50% upon the submission of the draft stocktaking report;
• 20% upon the completion of presentation at the first inter-regional drought adaptation forum;
• 30% upon the submission of the final stocktaking report.
Qualifications
The Consultant will have the following knowledge, skills and abilities:
• Advanced University Degree in disaster management, natural resources management/environment or related disciplines;
• Profound knowledge and/or familiarity with drought policies and practices specifically in Asia and Africa;
• At least 5 years of demonstrated relevant work experience in the fields of DRM in the targeted regions, in particular Asia;
• A good understanding of the roles, processes and dynamism of knowledge sharing, peer learning, network and SSC;
• Strong conceptual and analytical skills, communication and writing skills with proficiency in English and ability to compile information in coherent and succinct formats;
• High attention to detail and ability to work under tight deadlines;
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team and in a multi-cultural environment; and
• IT competencies at least in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and internet.
Application Procedures
Interested applicants are required to submit their applications via http://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_job.cfm?job_id=20491 or directly to UNDP DDC by email at ddc@undp.org by December 17, 2010. The application should contain: (i) CV; (ii) cover letter with a brief write-up on his/her interpretation of the TORs, including a short description on how the situation analysis in Asia will be carried out; and (iii) a work plan for the activity.
The short-listed candidates will be requested to submit a letter of interest including a price quotation indicating the lump sum (in USD) requested for the work envisaged in the section of "Specific Tasks of the Consultant", exclusive of the travel cost incurred to the participation in the first inter-regional drought adaptation forum.
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