| Description |
CONSULTANT: INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANT (PART-TIME) FOR THE UNDP/GEF PROJECT “CAPACITY BUILDING FOR IMPROVED NATIONAL FINANCING OF GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT IN KYRGYZSTAN” | | Location : | Home-based with missions to Bishkek, KYRGYZSTAN | | Application Deadline : | 10-Feb-09 | | Type of Contract : | SSA | Languages Required :
| English | Starting Date :
(date when the selected canditate is expected to start) | 25-Mar-2009 | | Duration of Initial Contract : | Three years (25 days in first year, 20 days in second year and 15 days in third year) | | Expected Duration of Assignment : | Up to 60 working days | | Background | Between 2003 and 2005, UNDP implemented Kyrgyzstan’s National Capacity Self-Assessment (NCSA) project with GEF support. A key purpose and outcome of the NCSA project was the identification the challenges faced by Kyrgyzstan in fulfilling the obligations of the Rio conventions. These include inadequate availability and access to data and information, arising in some measure due to poor inter-agency and inter-departmental coordination and communication; frequent structural changes of national executive agencies; dependence on international sources of funding for convention implementation; discrepancies among legal instruments governing natural resource use and management; and inadequate monitoring and enforcement. At the conclusion of the NCSA project, six follow-up recommendations, known as Strategic Directions, were made to strengthen national capacities for implementing the Global Environmental Conventions. This project focuses on Strategic Direction 3, “Improving a system of market mechanisms and economic stimuli”, and in particular Task 3.1 “Improving the institutional framework of taxation for environmental management”. Project Goal and Objectives: The aim of this project is to assist Kyrgyzstan in protecting its environmental resources and to prevent further degradation by initiating a process of environmental fiscal reform. At the international level, this project will also help meet global environmental objectives by improving the capacities to conserve biodiversity, mitigate and adapt to climatic changes, and reduce land degradation. This project will initiate and demonstrate the effective and efficient reform of targeted fiscal measures for environmental protection and management. Given that environmental fiscal reform is a complex and wide reaching process, affecting and affected by broader reforms in public finance management, this project is focused on environmental taxes and other financial instruments that can be implemented at sub-national level and can be designed and managed in a way to help address environmental degradation[1]. This project will be implemented within the broader framework of Kyrgyzstan’s Public Finance Management Reform Programme, which is being supported by donors such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, as well as bilateral donors that include the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID), Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The allocation of revenues for biodiversity conservation, creation of incentives for the use clean(er) / low carbon technologies, and adoption of techniques and practices that minimize the risks of land degradation (e.g. salinization and erosion) and improves the resilience of local communities to current and anticipated climate change risks (e.g. through risk transfer mechanisms, on-the-ground adaptation measures) is the central objective of this project. The cross-sectoral construct of the project serves as the rationale for undertaking this project as a CB2 strategic priority, as opposed to biodiversity conservation, land degradation or adaptation project. As such, the project will approach environmental fiscal reform ‘vertically’, targeting capacity development at multiple levels of the decision-making chain for assessing, collecting and managing revenues from environmental fines. Project Outcomes: There are three main project outcomes: Outcome 1: Improved tax instrument to enhance local environmental funding. Outcome 2: Natural Resource Mobilization Programme (NRMP) for financing global environmental management drafted and launched. Outcome 3: Improved implementation of environmental fiscal measures.
[1] For the purposes of this project, environmental degradation refers to anthropogenic activities that result in emissions of greenhouse gases and associated climate change as well as land degradation, including desertification and ecosystem damage. | Duties and Responsibilities | · To provide technical support to the National Project Manager (PM), National Project Experts (NPEs) and other project stakeholders the International Consultant (IC) will be recruited. In essence, the responsibility of the IC is to ensure that the overall technical direction of the project is maintained and flexibly adapted to meet the practical challenges faced during implementation. IC will provide technical guidance notes on the implementation of key components of the project. This to focus on environmental fiscal reform at sub-national level, identification of range of taxation and pricing measures which can raise fiscal revenues, while furthering environmental goals, locally; environmental tax execution, revenue management, climate change risk transfer options by using some parts of the environmental revenues, options for public and private partnerships in the context of improved environmental management; and other innovative revenue generation and management options, as applicable in the local context. Specifically his/her tasks include but are not limited to: I Year: - Provide substantial assistance to the PM, during the initial 2 months of the project, in the preparation of an “inception report” which will more concretely elaborate the project Logical Framework Matrix and planned project activities, the 1st year Annual Workplan and Budget, TOR’s for key project staff, an M&E and risk management plans.
- Provide technical support to PM for the preparation 1st year Annual Project Implementation Report.
- To ensure the quality of the SWOT Analysis Kyrgyzstan’s of public finance institutional framework performed by the Local Fiscal Experts, an IC will undertake an evaluation of this report. The evaluation will pay particular attention to the holistic review KR’s institutional framework for public finance management, drawing upon expertise and knowledge of similar institutional frameworks in other CIS countries, notably.
- Building on the above and other existing material, assist to undertake a thorough feasibility assessment for introducing an EFR, in particular, environmental taxes at the sub-national level. For this purpose, help undertake a detailed analysis of legal and institutional aspects that are critical for establishing and implementing such instruments at sub-national level.
- Closely monitor the progress made by the project against the established indicators on an annual basis. In case of difficulties or emerging critical risks, inform and provide advice to the UNDP CO in Bishkek and UNDP Regional Support Centre in Bratislava.
II Year: - Provide guidance and assistance to the PM and the NPE’s to ensure that the project activities conform to the approved project document.
- Assist the PM and the NPE’s in development of relevant TOR’s and mobilization of qualified national experts and organizations as needed to provide specific consultancy services.
- Work closely with the PM in coordinating and facilitating inputs of government agencies, partner organizations, subcontractors, and national and international experts in a timely and effective manner for the design of the programmatic framework of Natural Resource Management Programme (NRMP). As per project document, the importance of this programme lies in harmonizing and streamlining budgetary planning processes under the global environmental conventions.
- Assist in ensuring quality control of NRMP, with particular focus on strategic fit with other related activities and feasibility grounded in the broader context of on-going public finance management reforms and socio-economic and political realities and potential.
- Review reports of national consultants and provide a comprehensive guidance and technical contributions. to the NRMP. Provide a technical quality control service to the project throughout the implementation.
- Compile and transfer relevant knowledge and a best practice experience in environmental fiscal reforms and financial instruments (tax instruments; tax revenue management at local level; climate change risk transfer mechanism etc) that can be meaningfully applied at sub-national level in the context of decentralized functions of the sub-national authorities in Kyrgyzstan, including community leaders, that is to lead to improved environmental management at local level.
- The International Consultant will undertake an independent evaluation of the Natural Resource Management Programme and accompanying Budget. The evaluation will assess the quality of the NRMP, with particular attention to its holistic design; strategic fit with other project activities; and feasibility grounded in the broader context of on-going public finance management reforms and socio-economic and political realities and potential.
III Year: - Assist the PM, the project team and partners in design and implementation of a concrete, on-the-ground pilot to practically demonstrate project findings and recommendations.
- Assist in capturing the key lessons and developing a replication plan for other regions and communities in Kyrgyzstan. As part of the replication strategy, help develop a knowledge product/s for wider dissemination of project results and lessons learned.
- In cooperation with the PM and the NPE develop a suitable project exit strategy, and present it for approval to the PSC.
Management Arrangements, Timeline: Under the overall guidance of the UNDP Head of Environment Unit (HEU), and UNDP CO Kyrgyzstan the IC will work closely with the PM, the project NPE’s and consultants. The IC will report to the PM. In the course of the assignment, the IC will be expected to undertake 3 following stages: 25 days in year one, 20 days in year two and 15 days in year three. Moreover the dates for mission to Kyrgyzstan will be agreed upon between the IC and UNDP-Kyrgyzstan. Nonetheless the role of the IC 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). Timeline: 1 year – 1st Quarter and 4th Quarter 2 year – 3rd Quarter 3 year – 3rd or 4th Quarter Expected outputs/deliverables: Specific key outputs of the work of the IC include: 1st year: - An inception report and individual mission reports (including concrete reviews of ongoing project activities and guidance on improving effectiveness);
- Independent evaluation of SWOT Analysis of Kyrgyzstan’s institutional framework for public finance management.
2nd year: - Evaluation report of the NRMP and associated Budget.
3rd year: - Technical reports to the PSC;
- TORs for key national and international project technical staff, contractors, and evaluation missions;
- Contribution to Annual Project Work Plans and Annual Project Review Reports (APR/PIRs), as necessary;
- Reviews and finalization of demonstration project reports;
- Overall Project Good Practices and Lessons Learned Report;
- Good Practice and Lessons Learned Dissemination Plan;
- Project Exit Strategy.
Remuneration and Special conditions: The agreed total amount shall be paid by UNDP to the IC. Payment will be released in three installments: 20% from total amount for the 1st year, 40% from total amount - for the second year and 40% from total amount - for the third year upon approval of the mentioned above respective outputs by the Project Manager. | Competencies | Required Skills: - Good interpersonal, facilitation and training skills;
- Fluency in English, knowledge of Russian can be an advantage.
| Required Skills and Experience | - Postgraduate or other advanced university degree related to environmental economics, financing or related fields;
- At least 10 years of demonstrated working experience in areas relevant for environmental fiscal reform issues with particular focus on environmental tax, pricing and other environmental financial instruments in the context of developing and countries in transition;
- Knowledge of the political, social and environmental factors and issues related to environmental financing in Central Asia, preferably in Kyrgyzstan;
- At least 5 years practical experience in a similar professional role (i.e. Consultant on the issues of environmental financing and fiscal reform).
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