National Consultant: Gender Specialist

Project Description

Since 2014, The United Nations Development Program through its Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) Project, has been supporting the Philippine Government in articulating the financial resources it needs to maintain a healthy biodiversity portfolio in-country. In particular, BIOFIN in collaboration with the Department of Natural Resources Biodiversity Management Bureau has conducted the following assessments: 1) Policy and Institutional Review (PIR); 2) Public and Private Biodiversity Expenditure Review (PPBER); 3) Assessment of financial needs (cost and gap analysis of implementing Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP)). These assessments significantly contributed to the development of a Biodiversity Finance Plan.

Based on insights gained from the results of the three BIOFIN assessments, this Plan acknowledges the importance of tapping additional financing to support the biodiversity agenda of the Philippines, mainly through its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP), referred to henceforth in this Plan as the Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP). This Plan is cognizant of the parallel challenges that could not be addressed by generating financing alone: thus, the Plan transcends the focus on generating additional resources and also identifies a range of “finance solutions” that leverage finance, fiscal and economic tools and strategies to improve the outcome of biodiversity objectives in the country. Financing solutions include a range of transformative actions: generating more financing to fund the PBSAP or associated planning documents; appropriate attribution of biodiversity expenditures in the budget; attaining cost-effective budget execution by eradicating overlaps in biodiversity functions; eradicating expenditures that continue to or aggravate dissipation of biodiversity resources, and paving the groundwork for a responsive policy environment through greater awareness on biodiversity and biodiversity financing and enhancing institutional support towards monitoring of PBSAP.

BIOFIN recognizes the importance of gender considerations to the achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the PBSAP and will give due consideration to the integration of gender into its work in line with the UNDP gender guidelines and the 2015-2020 CBD Gender Plan of Action. UNDP will continue its efforts to promote gender equality and develop capacities contributing to the national gender equality agenda and SDG 5.

Duties and Responsibilities

A. Scope of Work

The Gender Specialist under the supervision of the Project Manager and Senior Technical Advisor will:

Develop BIOFIN’s Gender Action Plan with annual outputs to facilitate implementation of activities that promote gender equality and women’s empowerment for each finance solution. This will include mechanisms/measures/interventions to support gender equality integration into biodiversity planning mechanisms and capacity building activities including the development/formulation of gender-responsive legislation/strategies/policies to address gender and biodiversity related issues. The Action Plan will also identify a finance solution with a specific additional impact on gender and contribute to development of specific activities that would enhance participation, empowerment, leadership and institutional strengthening;
In relation to the Gender Action Plan, conduct participatory gender analysis (geographical area/community/island) to fully consider the different needs, roles, benefits, impacts, risks and access to/control over resources of women and men (including considerations of intersecting categories of identity such as age, social status, ethnicity, marital status, etc.) for the finance solutions. This will include collection of gender responsive baseline data relevant to finance solution planning, implementation and monitoring; identification of the share of female and male direct beneficiaries and work with the BIOFIN team using findings from gender analysis to develop a gender-responsive plan or engender existing activities;
As needed, conduct consultations with key stakeholders including women organizations on the gender issues related to the project and collect stakeholders’ feedback and incorporate these comments into the project results framework and the Gender Action Plan;
Assess potential negative impacts of the project on gender equality and specific activities to mitigate and/or minimize them and incorporate into UNDP’s Social and Environmental Standards process;
Ensure that the M&E system of the project can provide gender-disaggregated data and analysis;
Provide guidance and recommendations to the design of proposed policies and to related training programs;
Attend relevant project meetings and workshops/exercises; and
Submit reports as required by the BMB and UNDP.

B. Expected Outputs and Deliverables

Deliverables/ Outputs

Estimated Duration to Complete

Review and Approvals Required

Name & Email address of designated person who will review and accept output

Inception Report

5 days

Project Manager, BIOFIN Ph

Team Leader, CAP

Director, BMB

Report on gender analysis of finance solutions

30 days

Gender action plan that includes gender targets and indicators

20 days

C. Institutional Arrangement

The BIOFIN Project Manager shall directly supervise the consultant and approve his/her output.

The consultant is expected to liaise/interact/collaborate/meet with the national and global (as necessary) BIOFIN project team, DENR and its units, and UNDP. As needed, the project staff shall provide administrative assistance to her/him in order for her/him to accomplish all requirements.

The project staff including other project consultants, as well as, relevant technical staff shall provide comment on the outputs of the consultant within 2 weeks of the consultant’s submission of his/her outputs. Should there be further comments, the revised output shall be submitted within a week. Should there be no comments, the Project Manager shall endorse the consultant’s output/s for approval.

Based on the table above, outputs will be submitted to UNDP and BMB through the Project Manager in the dates indicated.

UNDP Philippines will not provide a workstation, transportation, or ICT equipment for the consultant.

UNDP Philippines shall be entitled to intellectual property and other proprietary rights over all materials that have direct relation to the project.

Considering the COVID-19 pandemic and declaration of State of Public Health Emergency in the Philippines, all work of the Individual consultant shall be done within the guidelines and protocols set by the local and national government. During the entire duration of the Community Quarantine, this consultancy shall be performed remotely and will be a home-based assignment. The Consultant is expected to have his/her own equipment, office space, and internet connectivity. The Consultant shall not engage in any meetings or activities outside their homes. Coordination/meetings shall be done through phone or online communication until such time that the quarantine is lifted.

The project and the Consultant shall assess once the Community Quarantine is lifted if it is safe and necessary to have in-person meetings and collaboration.

Duration of the Work, Duty Station, and Travel

The Contractor will be engaged from March 15, 2022 to August 31, 2022 unless revised in a mutually agreed-upon timetable by UNDP and the Contractor. Changes in the duration of the contract will be implemented through the issuance of a contract amendment. The consultant is expected to render a total of 55 person-days spread for 5 months.

Duty station: This is a work from home arrangement. The Consultant is not required to report daily at the duty station but shall have an agreed reporting schedule with the project management unit and other relevant UNDP and BMB personnel.

Competencies

Competencies

Corporate Competencies

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN mission, vision, values, and ethical standards
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, and age sensitivity and adaptability
Promotes UNDP's agenda in meetings

Other Competencies

Ability to work in close collaboration with a group of national and international experts, to meet strict deadlines and plan the work according to priorities;
Demonstrates capacity to plan, organize, and execute effectively;
The initiative, good analytical skills, mature judgment, and ability to work under tight schedule while respecting deadlines achievement, ethics, and honesty;
Ability to establish effective working relations in a diverse environment
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
Builds strong relationships with internal and external clients;
Demonstrated ability to function in a team environment and to deal with a complex multi-stakeholder environment
Good ability to use information and communication technologies as tools and resources;
Excellent written communication and presentation/public speaking skills focus on results, ability to interact productively in a teamwork environment

Required Skills and Experience

Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer and Qualifications of Successful Candidate

The Offers received will be evaluated using a combined scoring method - where technical proposal will be weighted 70 points and combined with the price offer which will be weighted 30 points.

The CV will be reviewed using the criteria in the table below. Only offerors who will obtain a minimum of 70% or 49 out of 70 obtainable points will be shortlisted and considered for evaluation of financial proposal.

Criteria

Points Obtainable

(70pts)

Education

Advanced Degree in gender issues, gender development, sustainable development or related fields

Master’s degree- 7 points

Doctorate Degree- 10 points

10 points

Experience

At least 7 years of practical working experience in gender mainstreaming, women’s empowerment and sustainable development

Below 7 years’ experience – 0 points

7 years - 14 points

8-10 years – 18 points

10 years experience and above - 20 points

20 points

At least 5 years’ experience in carrying out participatory gender analysis; collecting and formulating gender responsive indicators and sex-disaggregated data and preparing gender responsive project analysis; and developing gender action plans

Below 5 years’ experience – 0 points

5 years’ experience- 7 points

6-7 years- 8 points

8 years and above- 10 points

10 points

At least 3 years demonstrated expertise in gender issues in the environment or biodiversity management/ conservation

3 years’ experience-7 points

4 years’ experience – 8 points

5 years’ experience and above- 10 points

10 points

At least 3 years demonstrated experience working on policy and programmatic issues with national and local governments and civil society organizations including community organizations

3 years’ experience-7 points

4 years’ experience – 8 points

5 years’ experience and above- 10 points

10 points

At least 3 years’ experience in facilitating gender responsive stakeholder meetings

(10 points if 3 years’ experience, 0 points if less than 3 years)

10 points

TOTAL

70 points