Background

Purpose

To assist UNEP and the Ministry of Environmental Protection in the execution of activities under the Global Biodiversity Framework – Early Action Support (GBF-EAS) programme in the Republic of Serbia.

Objective

National Policy Expert is needed to support delivery of national biodiversity targets aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), analysis and plans for the development of the new Nature Protection Programme, assessment of monitoring systems and related action plan, as well as policy and institutional alignment. More specifically, National Policy Expert is expected to conduct analysis of the current state of implementation of existing policies and needs for updates, conduct a review of policy and institutional frameworks, support redefinition of national nature protection targets, provide analytical insight of sectoral policies from the biodiversity mainstreaming perspective and contribute to the organization of the National Working Group meetings and other stakeholder events. The results of this contract shall further serve in the process of update of the National Strategy of Biodiversity Protection, within the scope of the above-mentioned project. Maintaining a participatory approach throughout the process will ensure ownership, commitment, and sustainability of the efforts in Serbia.

The ultimate results of service constitute the following:

• Ex-post and ex-ante analysis, in line with the national law on planning system;
• Stakeholder mapping and plan for stakeholder engagement;
• National policy and institutional review;
• Analysis of the status of biodiversity mainstreamed into other sectoral policies and identified opportunities for improvements;
• Plan to promote a nature-positive approach to sectors;
• Technical contribution to the meetings and roundtables of the national Working Group on NBSAP alignment;
• A comprehensive presentation for the final event with stakeholders.

Background

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. Under its Western Balkan portfolio, it facilitates the implementation and execution of numerous projects pertaining to climate change, biodiversity protection, land degradation and other environmental related aspects. The consultant will be engaged for the purposes of providing expertise to the project implemented in Serbia and focused on the preparation of the update of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), to align with the KMGBF, executed with support from UNEP’s Early Action Support programme team in Nairobi, Kenya.

UNEP’s Early Action Support programme team is currently supporting the execution of the GEF funded project implemented in the Republic of Serbia focused on the preparation of the update of Serbia’s NBSAP. The NBSAP and biodiversity frameworks in Serbia are not fully aligned with the KMGBF. Furthermore, lessons learned from the last round of updating NBSAPs indicate that challenges persist in terms of non-alignment of national targets with global targets, lack of a financing plan for NBSAP implementation, inadequate implementation due to delays in updating NBSAPs, as well as inadequate monitoring. Alignment will help catalyze implementation of the KMGBF and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and its protocols. There are now only six years remaining for Parties and the global community to achieve the agreed KMGBF targets.

Within this context, the UNEP and the Republic of Serbia are implementing this project, with the specific objective to fast-track readiness and early actions to implement the GBF. The project provides financial and technical support to GEF-eligible Parties to the CBD in their work to review and align their national targets, NBSAPs, policy frameworks, monitoring frameworks and finance with the KMGBF.

The objective of this consultancy is to secure the services as specified under the Scope of work below.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of work

The project intervention is structured in the following specific components:

Component 1 focuses on a rapid review of Serbia’s existing Nature Protection Programme to align national biodiversity targets with the KMGBF and relevant Sustainable Development Goals.

There are two anticipated outputs for Component 1:

• National biodiversity targets are rapidly aligned with the KMGBF: Coherence is determined between existing national biodiversity goals and targets and those in the KMGBF. A whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach is to be used to identify the level of alignment of national goals and targets with those of the KMGBF, and determine which adjustments may be needed, where appropriate.
• Operational plans are developed to revise or develop national targets and update the Nature Protection Programme to align with the KMGBF: Targets are refined to become measurable, costed, and spatially-explicit. Best practices in gender mainstreaming, stakeholder engagement, involvement of Indigenous peoples and local communities, and whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches are applied.

Component 2 focuses on enhanced and improved monitoring, reporting systems and transparency frameworks, and aims to increase the number of countries implementing plans for enhanced monitoring systems.

There are two anticipated outputs for Component 2:

• Gaps in monitoring systems are assessed and identified: Gaps in existing data and knowledge systems, and institutional monitoring systems and frameworks, are assessed for monitoring: 1) biodiversity status and trends, 2) other elements of Nature Protection Programme targets and indicators, and 3) KMGBF headline indicators.
• Monitoring action plans are developed: A plan for enhancing monitoring systems is developed to respond to the updated national targets and KMGBF. An initial costing of monitoring systems, and sequencing of investment support to fill the monitoring gaps, may also be determined.

Component 3 focuses on identifying actions for policy alignment across nature-related sectors. National policy and institutional frameworks will be reviewed for coherence with the KMGBF.

There are two anticipated outputs for Component 3:

• Policy and institutional alignment exercises trigger greater policy coherence: A policy and institutional review is conducted to help Serbia assess the alignment between the KMGBF and national policy and institutional frameworks. This review will consider synergies and trade-offs across economic, social, and environmental policy and institutions; incentives and harmful subsidies; and other environmental agreements.
• Policy alignment and action plans are developed and shared across sectoral agencies: A prioritized action plan for policy coherence is developed using a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, and opportunities for enhanced biodiversity mainstreaming are identified. A plan to promote a nature-positive approach to sectors is developed. Spatialized mapping of nature-related policy targets is conducted.

Component 4 focuses on defining biodiversity finance gaps and identifying opportunities for resource mobilization. Each country will undertake a sequenced subset of a step-by-step process to develop a biodiversity finance plan based on national capacity and experience.

There are three anticipated outputs for Component 4:

• Domestic resource mobilization plans are developed: A biodiversity expenditure review is conducted, which assesses spending related to biodiversity across all sectors (e.g., energy, transport, infrastructure, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, extractive industries). Costing projections of new and updated KMGBF activities are generated, and national financing gaps are calculated.
• Subsidy repurposing plans are developed: Biodiversity-harmful subsidies are reviewed. Existing finance mechanisms are also analyzed, including why they are not working, and key constraints and obstacles.
• Finance solution action plans are developed: A domestic resource mobilization or biodiversity finance plan is developed. A national action plan to fill the finance gap for KMGBF by 2030 is completed, and a clear monitoring system for finance and national reporting on finance is developed.

Under the supervision of the UNEP Project Coordination Specialist, and following the guidance by the Head of Department for Biodiversity in the Ministry of Environmental Protection, National Policy Expert will be fully responsible for analytical insights in the entire national NBSAP alignment process while ensuring that the revised targets are fully in line with the KMBGF targets.

He/she will carry out the following activities:

– Conduct performance evaluation of the previous Nature Protection Programme 2021-2023 (ex-post analysis) and analyze the effects during the planning and formulation of the new Programme (ex-ante analysis), ensuring data collection and consultation with all relevant parties during all phases of the cycle;

– Conduct stakeholder mapping and develop plan for stakeholder engagement, ensuring a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach is applied;

– Undertake a policy and institutional review to support the Government assess the alignment between the KMGBF and national policy and institutional frameworks; the review should consider synergies and trade-offs across economic, social, and environmental policy and institutions; incentives and harmful subsidies; and other environmental agreements.

– Support revision of national targets aligned with the KMGBF, making sure these are refined to become measurable, costed, and spatially-explicit;

– Conduct analysis of the status of biodiversity mainstreamed into other sectoral policies, conduct spatialized mapping of nature-related policy targets and identify opportunities for enhanced biodiversity mainstreaming;

– Develop a plan to promote a nature-positive approach to sectors;

– Participate in and provide technical contribution to the meetings and roundtables of the national Working Group;

– Prepare a comprehensive presentation for the final event with stakeholders, elaborating on the aligned NBSAP.

Deliverables and timelines

The Consultant will be responsible for the following deliverables:

All deliverables will be quality reviewed and approved by direct supervisor in consultation with the Head of Department for Biodiversity in the Ministry of Environmental Protection. All deliverables developed under the contract belong to UNEP and UNEP has the right to transfer the ownership to national partners. Deliverables to be delivered in electronic version.

All deliverables will be submitted in Serbian language.

Competencies

• Good organizational and time management skills.
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
• Demonstrates commitment to UN mission, vision and values.
• Demonstrates integrity by modeling ethical standards.
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.
• Ability to successfully manage competing priorities.
• Maturity and confidence in dealing with senior and high-ranking members of national and international institutions, governmental and non-governmental institutions.
• Possesses excellent oral communication skills with the ability to assist in facilitating meetings.
• Builds strong relationships with stakeholders.
• Excellent information technology skills, including word processing, database applications, presentation software, and internet.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• MA on management, public participation, sustainable development, nature protection, education, environmental policy, or a similar field is required.

Experience:

• At least ten years of experience in the field of nature protection and biodiversity policy analysis, policy development and implementation is required.
• Detailed knowledge of Serbia’s national legislation in the field of nature and biodiversity conservation and sustainable use is required.
• Familiarity with other sectoral policies relevant to nature protection is desirable.
• Experience in organizing and leading stakeholder consultations is desirable.
• Work experience in or with governmental institutions is desirable.

Languages:

• Fluency in Serbian and English language.
• Knowledge of French or any additional language is an asset.

DOCUMENTS TO BE INCLUDED WHEN SUBMITTING THE PROPOSALS

Application Procedure:

Qualified and interested candidates are asked to submit their applications via UNDP Web site: UNDP in Serbia under the section “Jobs” no later than Friday, 21st June 2024.

The application should include:

• CV in English language containing the date of birth, contact information (home address, phone number, e-mail) and timeline of work experience (including a description of duties).
• Offeror’s Letter confirming Interest and availability for the Individual Contractor (IC) Assignment. Offeror’s Letter (only PDF format will be accepted) confirming Interest and availability for the Individual Contractor (IC) Assignment. Can be downloaded from the following link: https://popp.undp.org/document/individual-contract-offerors-letter-undp-confirming-interest-and-availability-template . The Offeror’s Letter shall include financial proposal specifying a total lump sum amount for the tasks specified in this announcement with a breakdown of costs (Offeror’s Letter, including Annex 2, Table A: Breakdown of costs & Table B) Breakdown of costs by deliverables).

In order to apply please merge the CV and the Offeror’s Letter into a single PDF file. The system will not allow for more than one attachment to be uploaded.

The shortlisted candidates may be asked to provide copies of diplomas and any other certificates providing evidence of their education and experience in relevant fields.

Any request for clarification must be sent by standard electronic communication to the Administration unit at e-mail: admin.rs@undp.org . The administration UNDP entity will respond by standard electronic mail and will send response, including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry, to all applicants.

Financial Proposal

Lump sum contracts:

The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount in USD currency, and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables (i.e. whether payments fall in instalments or upon completion of the entire contract). Payments are based upon approval of each deliverable. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (including travel in Serbia, per diems, and number of anticipated working days).

Travel:

The Consultant is expected to travel to participate at in-person meetings of the Working Group and project roundtables to be held with Government partners, experts from relevant institutions, public utilities and companies and protected area managers, taking place out of duty station (Belgrade). The meetings are scheduled to take place on a monthly basis, with the exception of August 2024. Costs of the travel will be covered by UNEP.

Evaluation:

1. Cumulative analysis

When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

a) Responsive/compliant/acceptable, and

b) Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

* Technical Criteria weight; 70%

* Financial Criteria weight; 30%

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% (70 points out of maximum 100 points) obtained in technical evaluation would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Additional Information:

• Individual Contract (IC) will be applicable for individual consultants applying in their own capacity. Template of IC with General Terms and Conditions could be found on: https://popp.undp.org/document/individual-contract-template.
• Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA) will be applicable for applicants employed by any legal entity. Template of RLA with General Terms and Conditions could be found on: https://popp.undp.org/document/model-reimbursable-loan-agreement.
• In the case of engagement of Civil servants under IC contract modality a no-objection letter should be provided by the Government entity. The ‘no-objection’ letter must also state that the employer formally certifies that their employees are allowed to receive short-term consultancy assignment from another entity without being on “leave-without-pay” status (if applicable), and include any conditions and restrictions on granting such permission, if any. If the previous is not applicable ‘leave-without-pay’ confirmation should be submitted.

Engagement of Government Officials and Employees

Government Officials or Employees are civil servants of UN Member States. As such, if they will be engaged by UNDP under an IC which they will be signing in their individual capacity (i.e., engagement is not done through RLA signed by their Government employer), the following conditions must be met prior to the award of contract:

(i) A “No-objection” letter in respect of the individual is received from the Government employing him/her, and;

(ii) The individual must provide an official documentation from his/her employer formally certifying his or her status as being on “official leave without pay” for the duration of the IC.

The above requirements are also applicable to Government-owned and controlled enterprises and well as other semi/partially or fully owned Government entities, whether or not the Government ownership is of majority or minority status.

UNDP recognizes the possibility that there are situations when the Government entity employing the individual that UNDP wishes to engage is one that allows its employees to receive external short-term consultancy assignments (including but not limited to research institutions, state-owned colleges/universities, etc.), whereby a status of “on-leave-without-pay” is not required. Under such circumstance, the individual entering into an IC with UNDP must still provide a “No-objection” letter from the Government employing him/her. The “no objection” letter required under (i) above must also state that the employer formally certifies that their employees are allowed to receive short-term consultancy assignment from another entity without being on “leave-without-pay” status, and include any conditions and restrictions on granting such permission, if any. The said document may be obtained by, and put on record of, UNDP, in lieu of the document (ii) listed above.