Consultant - Achieving Ecosystem Stability Project

The UNDP OFFICE IN UZBEKISTAN seeks multilingual, motivated candidates with appropriate experience for the position of International Chief Technical Advisor for the joint Project of UNDP and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan “Achieving Ecosystem Stability on Degraded Lands in Karakalpakstan and the Kyzylkum Desert”.

Background:

This project is a part of the Central Asian Countries Initiative for Land Management (CACILM). The name of the project is “Achieving Ecosystem Stability on Degraded Lands in Karakalpakstan and the Kyzylkum Desert”.

The overall goal of the project is to achieve the ecosystem stability on degraded lands in Karakalpakstan and the Kyzylkum Desert in Uzbekistan, thus reversing the spread of deserts, increasing carbon sequestration, enhancing habitats for biodiversity and achieving public health and socio-economic benefits on a sustainable basis. It will contribute to this goal by testing, evaluating and promoting innovative solutions to the problems of land degradation, particularly mobile sand, at a pilot scale in the selected localities of Kyzyl Rovat and Kazakhdarya, and other pilot sites of the project on an area of about 500 ha of degraded lands. (The Project Document available in www.undp.uz/projects, click to the relevant project title). 

The project will involve international, national experts and consultants for the effective and timely manner achieving of the project target.  The major objective of the project is to test approaches that will widely involve local population to land rehabilitation activities rather than relying entirely on governmental initiatives. In other words, the key role is put on local communities. The project aims at creating an environment for the people to take responsibility for the land rehabilitation. In return they must be able to receive substantive livelihood benefits from the land.

The four main components (outcomes) of the project and their outputs, are:

• Outcome 1: Plant species, having both strong the ecological and economic benefits for succession in desert and semi-desert ecosystems identified and the sustainable land management methods tested.
• Outcome 2: Mobile sands stabilized and degraded land rehabilitated in partnership with local communities.
• Outcome 3: Institutional and policy framework for integrated land use planning and management, strengthened.
• Outcome 4: Monitoring and evaluation, learning and adaptive management, implemented.

Post Profile

The project seeks an International Chief Technical Adviser (CTA), who will be able to advise and consult the project team directly in effective and timely project implementation. The CTA will provide the overall project advisory services and technical assistance to the National Project Manager (PM), the National Project Experts (NPE) and the other project consultants. In essence, the responsibility of the CTA is to ensure that the overall technical direction of the project is maintained and flexibly adapted to meet the practical challenges faced during the implementation of the project.

At the critical initial stages of project implementation the inputs of the CTA will be on a semi-permanent basis, however they will be gradually reduced once technical directions are firmly established and project implementation capacity is placed. Nonetheless, the role of the CTA will remain critical throughout the project as he/she will continue to have inputs on key technical decisions at strategic moments in the project implementation through field missions and remote communication (email).

Under the direct supervision of Project Manager and in cooperation with National Technical Adviser, the CTA will take responsibilities to fulfil in a timely and efficient manner the following tasks and responsibilities:

Project Organization and Management

• Work closely with the PM in coordinating and facilitating inputs of government agencies, partner organizations, scientific and research institutes, subcontractors, and national and international experts in a timely and effective manner;
• Provide guidance and assistance to the PM and the NPEs to ensure that the project activities conform to the approved project document;
• Assist the PM and the NPEs in development of relevant TORs and recruitment/mobilization of qualified national and international external experts and organizations as needed to provide specific consultancy and engineering services;
• In close cooperation with the PM, the NPEs, UNDP Focal Point on Energy and Environment, and in consultation with the project partner organizations and stakeholders, prepare the Annual Project Work Plans to be agreed upon by the Project Steering and Coordination Committee (PSC);
• Provide “on job” technical guidance and mentoring to the PM and NPEs in order to build their capacity to effectively implement the technical aspects of the project.
• Support the PM in reporting to the Project Steering Committee (PSC) on the progress of project implementation and achievement of project results in accordance with the project's logical framework matrix;
• Support the PM and the NPEs in project-related meetings as required;
• Review reports of national and international consultants, project budget revisions, and administrative arrangements as required by UNDP/GEF procedures;
• Prepare and submit to UNDP mission reports describing activities and outcomes of the work of the CTA;
• In cooperation with the PM and the NPEs develop a suitable project exit strategy during the third year of the project, and present it for approval to the PSC.

SPECIFIC

Plant species, having both strong ecological and economic benefits for succession in desert and semi-desert ecosystems identified and sustainable land management methods tested

• Provide technical guidance to national project staff and counterparts on the process of (a) environmental assessment of pilot areas, (b) assessment of planting technologies in the pilot areas, (c) assessment of current potential of local communities in the pilot areas, (d) use the Geographic Information System (GIS) as the basis for planning of project activities and drawing of the integrated land use plan.
• Provide ongoing advice and guidance to national project staff and counterparts on the implementation of awareness raising activities by the project.

Mobile sands stabilized and degraded land rehabilitated in partnership with local communities

• Assist the PM in the identification, recruitment and supervision of relevant international and national project consultants.
• Provide technical oversight to the process of identifying appropriate demonstration activities and provide overall technical support and guidance during their implementation
• Provide technical review and comments on demonstration and capacity building activities undertaken and in particular the key lessons learned and best practices identified.
• Provide technical advice and guidance to the national project staff and counterparts on efficient approaches for helping local communities to effectively review and plan, in a participatory manner, natural resource use in their Mahallas (i.e. initial capacity development and training in regard to participatory planning techniques, development of natural resource plans, identification/development of effective mechanisms and structures for their implementation).
• Assist in finalization of the best practices reports.

Institutional and policy framework for integrated land use planning and management, strengthened

• Assist the PM in the identification, recruitment and supervision of relevant international and national project consultants.
• Provide technical oversight to the process of identifying appropriate demonstration activities and provide overall technical support and guidance during their implementation.
• Deeply advice the PM and NPEs according to issues on establishing local integrated land use plan.
• Assist in finalization of best practices and lessons learned reports.

Dissemination of Best Practices and Lessons Learned

• Assist the national Project technical Staff to integrated lessons learned and best practices into the existing natural resource plans of project target communities.
• Provide advice and guidance to the PM and PSC on the best strategy for effective dissemination of best practices and lessons learned.
• Provide technical review and comments on demonstration activities undertaken and in particular the key lessons learned and best practices identified.
• Assist the PM and NPEs in the elaboration of a concrete dissemination plan and development of appropriate dissemination materials and tools.
• Provide ongoing advice and guidance to the PM and NPEs during implementation of the dissemination plan.
• Participate when appropriate in project “lessons learned and best practices” workshops and public relations events.
• Assist the PM in liaison with other key international players in regard to SLM in order to ensure incorporation of the project lessons learned and best practices into their activities and their replication at national / regional level.

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Assist the PM in the development of a concrete Monitoring and Evaluation Plan at the outset of the project.
• Support the PM in preparing project progress reports, information releases, as well as monitoring and review reports in accordance with UNDP/GEF monitoring and evaluation rules and procedures.
• Support the PM in the preparation and implementation of mid term and final Independent Evaluation Missions (TORs, identification and recruitment of appropriate candidates, organization of missions, joint field missions and discussion with evaluators, etc).
• Accompany leading UNDP CO staff on their annual monitoring visits to project sites.

Expected Outputs:

The primary expected project outputs are described in the project's logical framework matrix and in the background section of this TOR (see above).

Specific key outputs of the work of the Chief Technical Advisor include:

• Individual Mission reports (including concrete reviews of ongoing project activities and guidance on improving effectiveness).
• Technical Reports to the PSC.
• TORs for key national and International Project technical staff, contractors, and Evaluation Missions.
• Annual Project Work Plans and Annual Project Review Reports (APR/PIR’s).
• Technical guidance notes on the implementation of key components of the project.
• Reviews and finalization of demonstration project reports.
• Overall Project Best Practices and Lessons Learned Report.
• Best Practices and Lessons Learned Dissemination Plan.
• Project Exit Strategy.

Qualification/Experience:

• Postgraduate or other advanced university degree in sustainable land management, natural resource management, agriculture, environmental management or related fields.
• At least 10 years of demonstrated working experience in areas relevant for Sustainable Land Use Management within arid environments.
• Prior knowledge and experience of the political, social and environmental factors and issues related to arid natural resource use and agricultural systems in Central Asia, preferably in Uzbekistan.
• Prior experience in the use of local level participatory approaches to natural resource management.
• Practical experience addressed to rural energy needs (demand reduction and mitigation/alternatives) and social forestry approaches is an advantage.
• At least 5 years of practical field experience in a similar professional role (i.e. CTA, manager or equivalent of a natural resource management project implementing practical activities in the field).
• Familiarity with the goals and procedures of international organizations, in particular those of the GEF and UNDP.
• Good interpersonal, facilitation and training skills.
• Proficiency in English, knowledge of Russian and/or Uzbek is an advantage.

Application Process:  The applicants should submit completed UN Personnel History Forms to the reception of the UNDP Office in Uzbekistan located at 4, T. Shevchenko St., 100029, Tashkent, in sealed envelopes with the indication of vacancy ID (120/2008). Blank UN Personal History Forms are available at the reception of the UNDP Office on the above address. The electronic version of a UN Personnel History Form can be downloaded from http://www.undp.uz  (Job Opportunities Section) and submitted via jobs.uz@undp.org or online with clear indication of the vacancy ID (120/2008) in the message subject line.

The deadline for submission of application is COB June 23, 2008. Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. Applicants will be contacted only if under serious consideration. The position is open for International candidates.