Following from the success of the Tonga R2R Phase 1 project, the Government of Tonga (GoT) had requested UNDP for assistance in programming its GEF7 STAR in mid-2019. A PIF was submitted in June 2020 which has now recently been approved from GEF. A team of consultants both international and local will be recruited to facilitate the development of the Tonga R2R Phase 2 Project Document. This will be an 18-month process which includes UNDP – GEF review and clearance process and GEF Secretariate submission, review and CEO Endorsement.    

The Tonga R2R Phase 2 project will focus implementation on 2 islands – Tongatapu and Vavau. The success of the Tonga R2R Phase 1 in Tongatapu has resulted to this project being replicated to Vavau Island taking on lessons learnt.

Fangauta Lagoon is the largest catchment areas in Tonga collectively and covers about 36.6km2. The Fanga’uta Lagoon is the semi-enclosed lagoon of Tongatapu. Fangakakau is a further embayment within the Fanga’uta Lagoon, serving as a second lagoon system (both are referred to, collectively, as “the Fanga’uta Lagoon”). The Fanga’uta Lagoon encompasses an area of 36.6 km² with a mean depth of ~1.4 m and a maximum of 6 m, excluding the entrance channel (MACBIO, 2017). The Fanga’uta Lagoon supports several types of very diverse and productive ecosystems, including mangroves, mudflats, seagrass beds, and coral patch reefs. The lagoon also contributes to the sustainability of the Tongatapu Island’s coastal fisheries. The fauna and flora of the Fangan’uta Lagoon system is relatively diverse: 96 species of fishes; 9 species of large algae (macroalgae); 2 species of seagrasses; 16 species of near-shore plants; 1 species of jellyfish; 1 species of sea anemones; 30 species of hard and soft corals; 40 species of mollusks (including octopus, clams and other shellfish); over 13 species of crustaceans; and over 11 species of echinoderms (starfish, cucumbers and urchins). The lagoon is an important breeding ground for birds and fish, which live within and are supported by the mangroves growing around the lagoon's shores. 

The lagoon was declared a Marine Reserve in 1974 by the government under the Birds and Fish Preservation (Amendment) Act for the protection of fish species and for protection of mangroves as the key nursery habitat for finfish including snapper and mullet. The biodiversity values of the lagoon are noted in the IUCN Directory of Protected Areas in Oceania published in 1991 and the Tonga’s NBSAP Stocktaking Report of 2004 which record the number of species in the lagoon. The Fanga’uta Lagoon marine reserve fits into IUCN Category VI i.e., a protected area with sustainable use of natural resources. The Fanga’uta Lagoon is also important culturally as a place of beauty and enjoyment, and it has a rich archaeological history dating back over 2,850 years to early Lapita settlement.

Management of the lagoon is guided by the Fanga’uta Stewardship Plan (FSP) that was gazetted in July 2017. The Fanga’uta Lagoon is the only protected area in Tonga for wetland habitat and also has the largest area of wetlands in Tonga. The FSP was developed through GEF-5 investment and the UNDP supported project “Integrated Environmental Management Plan of the Fanga’uta Lagoon Catchment Project (FLC)” (referred to as Tonga R2R Phase I in this document). The Tonga R2R Phase I project was formed as part of the “Pacific Islands Ridge-to-Reef National Priorities” project. The terminal evaluation for the Tonga R2R Phase I project recommended that the project should be upscaled and the lessons learned from this project should be replicated by GoT, UNDP and other agencies involved through a second phase. The project was commended for piloting community-based management approaches of the Fanga’uta Lagoon and catchment area, and for generating a lot of practical knowledge. The Phase I terminal evaluation recommended that the second phase should cover all areas of lagoon with a comprehensive suite of activities to improve the lagoon’s ecosystem services.

Specific to this TOR, a National Safeguard, Gender and Stakeholder Specialist consultant will be recruited to conduct a Gender Assessment and a Social and Environment Safeguard Screening with its associated plans respectively – Gender Assessment Action Plan and Environment and Social Management Framework.   

Scope of Work

The National Safeguard, Gender and Stakeholder Specialist will be a gender and social inclusion expert with experience in in-depth gender analysis and local community engagement in Tonga. Core tasks include preparing the Gender Analysis, Gender Mainstreaming Plan and Gender Action Plan, as well conducting stakeholder mapping and analysis to develop a Stakeholder Engagement Plan.

S/he will also be responsible for conducting reviews of national policy and legislative frameworks; past and ongoing projects for lessons, including project evaluations; and for identifying and confirming co-financiers to the project. A detailed description of expected deliverables is included below.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

1. Preparatory Technical Studies and Reviews:
2. Prepare inputs and support the required analyses/studies, as agreed with the GEF PPG Team Leader, including:
3. Analyze the gender-related action points identified in the Social and Environmental Pre-screening at the PIF stage to ensure they are fully addressed during the PPG. As appropriate, assist to update the SESP throughout the PPG on matters related to gender empowerment and equality;
4. Prepare the gender analysis and action plan and work closely with the GEF PPG Team Leader to ensure its findings are meaningfully integrated into the project's strategy, theory of change and results framework;
5. Develop a gender responsive stakeholder analysis and related consultations and ensure that they are complete and comprehensive.
6. Conduct a review of national policy and legislative frameworks;
7. Review relevant past and ongoing projects for lessons, including project evaluations;
8. During stakeholder engagements discuss with country and national authorities and partners and identify co-financiers; and
9. Support the completion of any additional studies that are determined to be needed for the preparation of the ProDoc and all other final outputs as guided by the PPG Team Leader.

2. Formulation of the ProDoc, CEO Endorsement Request and Mandatory Annexes as well as project specific annexes:

1. Prepare the Gender Mainstreaming Plan, with appropriate budget and identification of appropriate project interventions to ensure gender mainstreaming including at project demonstration sites;
2. Using the findings from the gender analysis, provide inputs to the project's results framework and theory of change; ensure gender considerations are integrated into the project's theory of change;
3. Develop a Stakeholder Engagement Plan and ensure it is Socially Inclusive and Gender Responsive;
4. Prepare the Gender Action Plan and Budget, with concrete outputs to facilitate implementation of activities that promote gender equality and women's empowerment;
5. Work with the Safeguard Specialist to provide input to the SESP and ESMF document
6. Summary of national policies and legislative frameworks;
7. Summary of Lessons Learned Matrix from the past and ongoing projects, including project evaluations;
8. Matrix of potential co-financiers, objectives of the interventions and amounts to be co-financed;
9. Serve as secretariat for the PPG Working Group; and
10. Support the agreements on project management arrangements and ensure that gender is adequately incorporated into these arrangements.

3. Inception and Validation Workshop:

a)  Contribute to the inception and validation workshop; and

b) Support all necessary revisions that arise during the workshop, as appropriate.

4. Final Deliverables

a) Completed Gender Analysis and Gender Action Plan;

b) Completed SESP and ESMF

c) Completed Comprehensive Stakeholder Engagement Plan including on gender-responsive consultation and consultations with local communities and any Indigenous Peoples or Ethnic Minorities present within the demonstration landscapes;

d) Appropriate inputs to the final UNDP-GEF project document (ProDoc) based on guidance from the PPG Team Leader.

Institutional Arrangement

• The consultant will be working very closely with UNDP RTA (NCE team) and Programme Analyst (UNDP Pacific Office) specifically in charge of the project.
• He/She will be expected to work closely with the Department of Environment that will provide guidance and support on stakeholders consultation etc
• He/She will be expected to work as a team with all other consultants identified as the Tonga R2R PPG team and especially with the International Safeguards, Gender and Stakeholders Engagement Specialist
• He/She is expected to provide input to the work of the International consultant to ensure that respective deliverables will be acceptable to UNDP
• All deliverables identified must be fully met by the consultant at the end of the consultancy term.

Duration of the Work

• The total number of days for this consultancy is 60 working days for a period of 12 months or longer as may be extended subject to progress of work.

Duty Station

• This consultancy will be home-based with possibility of travel to Vavau depending on travel restriction conditions for within Tonga.

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills;
• Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities skills;
• Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback;
• Ability to plan, organize, implement and report on work;
• Ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines;
• Comprehensiveness knowledge of Conservation work in the Pacific Region
• Proficiency in the use of office IT applications and internet in conducting research;
• Outstanding communication, project management and organizational skills;
• Excellent presentation and facilitation skills.
• Demonstrates integrity and ethical standards;
• Positive, constructive attitude to work;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Educational Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or higher in a relevant field, environment, natural resource management and sustainable development or related fields

Experience

• Minimum 7 years of demonstrable experience in the technical area of gender mainstreaming, community development, and social and environmental safeguards risk assessment and mitigation;
• Experience carrying out participatory gender analysis; experience collecting and formulating gender responsive indicators and sex-disaggregated data and preparing gender responsive project analysis; developing gender action plans;
• Prior experience in multi-stakeholders consultation processes and working with international organizations and donors,
• Demonstrated understanding of the links between sustainable development, social and gender issues;
• Demonstrated experience working on policy and programmatic issues with national and local governments and civil society organizations including community organizations;
• Demonstrated experience in carrying out consultations with Indigenous Peoples, FPIC, protection of cultural heritage, and/or community engagement is highly desired;
• Experience with project development and results-based management methodologies is highly desired
• Excellent analytical, writing, advocacy, presentation, and communications skills are required; and
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English
• Work experience in the Pacific and has understanding of the Pacific Context

Language requirements

• Fluency of English language is required;

Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

Lump Sum Amount. The total amount quoted shall be all-inclusive and include all costs components required to perform the deliverables identified in the TOR, including professional fee, travel costs, living allowance (if any work is to be done outside the IC´s duty station) and any other applicable cost to be incurred by the IC in completing the assignment. The contract price will fixed output-based price regardless of extension of the herein specified duration. Payments will be done upon completion of the deliverables/outputs and as per below percentages:

In general, UNDP shall not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources

In the event of unforeseeable travel not anticipated in this TOR, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and the Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.

Evaluation Method and Criteria

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology

Cumulative analysis

The award of the contract shall 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 set of weighted technical criteria (70%). and financial criteria (30%). Financial score shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal received by UNDP for the assignment.

Technical Criteria for Evaluation (Maximum 70 points)

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Documentation required

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Please group them into one (1) single PDF document as the application only allows to upload maximum one document:

• Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided in Annex II.
• Personal CV, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references.
• Financial proposal, as per template provided in Annex II. Note: National consultants must quote prices in United States Dollars (USD).

Note: Successful individual will be required to provide proof of medical insurance coverage before commencement of contract for the duration of the assignment.

Incomplete and joint proposals may not be considered. Consultants with whom there is further interest will be contacted. The successful consultant shall opt to sign an Individual Contract or a Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA) through its company/employer with UNDP.

Annexes

• Annex I - Individual IC General Terms and Conditions
• Annex II – Offeror’s Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability for the Individual IC, including Financial Proposal Template

For any clarification regarding this assignment please write to pts.fj@undp.org

Please visit UNDP job site link:UNDP Jobs and find the Job title under Climate & Disaster Resiliance section  to submit your online application.