International Consultant: GIS-based Decision Making in Nature Protection

As one of the implementing agencies for the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), UNDP in Montenegro has began the implementation and coordination of a number of GEF funded projects. These include: the First National Communication to the UNFCCC secretariat, the Biodiversity Strategy-Action Plan and National Report, the Power Sector Policy Reform to Promote Small Hydropower Development in Montenegro and now also a project on Strengthening the Sustainability of the Protected Areas System of Montenegro.

As a result of one of the enabling activities, the Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (a document still not adopted by the Government, but pending), the idea for Strengthening the sustainability of the protected area system of Montenegro emerged as a major systematic effort to assist in capacity development of institutions and individuals mandated with protected, conservation and management of protected areas. The main objectives of this project are to expand and rationalize the protected area system in order to ensure better habitat representation and more secure conservation status as well as to strengthen the capacity of protected area institutions to more effectively manage a representative system of protected areas.

The goal of the project is to have an ecologically representative scientifically-based Protected Area System (PAS), that adequately conserves representative samples of the country’s marine, freshwater and terrestrial biodiversity. This project will secure protection for underrepresented forest, marine, mountain and coastal ecosystems. The first Regional Park in Montenegro (21,000 ha) and the first marine PA (34,000 ha), if shown to be feasible, will demonstrate the efficacy of these types of protected areas in contributing to achieving protected area system expansion targets.

Important part of project activities will focus on decision and planning making processes, while the purpose of this ToR is detailed in section ii. Duties and Responsibilities:

Taking in consideration information listed above United Nations Development Programme, Country Office Montenegro is seeking for an international consultant who will be responsible to undertake activities that will result in proposal of decisions in management of protected areas (MoPA) which can be based on geographic data, in participative process with all relevant stakeholders and taking into consideration existing data collection mechanisms as well as possible modalities for implementation of data collection, update and dissemination practices to support proposed decisions.

• Activities will seek to strengthen the decision-support systems for protected area planning and management, and build the biodiversity data management capabilities of the relevant public institutes and enterprises.
• Collect and prepare overview of  four best practices in MoPA based on geographic data, outlining concrete decisions in MoPA, specific data used in decision making process, as well as data collection, maintenance and dissemination mechanisms  (one from the Balkans region, one from the Europe and two which are relevant worldwide regardless of geographic location) 
• Present best practices and facilitate dialog with selected set of stakeholders as first step in developing proposal of model to be implemented in Montenegro
• Analyze existing practices in data collection in Montenegro, assess existing data and propose improvement to existing mechanisms for data collection
• Identify the data gaps, and cost-effective mechanisms to collect data to address these gaps.
• Format and validate existing data (and metadata) to ensure integration into the biodiversity sector ‘geodatabase’ of the (future) NSDI.
• Based on discussion with stakeholders develop draft proposal of model for decision making in MoPA based on geographic data
• Facilitate presentation of draft proposal, collect final inputs from stakeholders and finalize proposal
• Source, and validate existing electronic (GIS, spreadsheets, image, etc.) or hard copy (maps, reports, tables, etc.) data from data providers – this may include the development of data-sharing agreements.
• Collect key biodiversity datasets for input into the database.
• Develop simple user-driven user interfaces and decision-support tools for protected area agencies.
• Establish data access and data maintenance protocols for biodiversity data.

Performance Indicators for evaluation of results

• Overview of Best Practices
• Workshop with stakeholders to present best practices
• Individual meetings with stakeholders
• Consultation process executed
• Recommendations based on results and conclusions received during implementation of consultative process mentioned above.

Presentation of final proposal

Special Considerations: Confidentiality: Consultant will maintain confidentiality on all information that is not the public domain and shall not be involved in another assignment that represents a conflict of interest to the prevailing assignment. All related materials/questionnaires collected in the proces will be used for the purpose of this assignment only. The Consultant shall submit to the UNDP complete material and no copies held after completion of the assignment. The materials remain will be the property of the UNDP.  

• Demonstrated knowledge, and relevant experience in Civic Education Strategy and CSO Capacity Development;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Good oral communication skills and conflict resolution competency to manage inter-group dynamics and mediate conflicting interests of varied actors;
• Excellent written communication skills, with analytic capacity and ability to synthesize project outputs and relevant findings for the preparation of quality project reports;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Builds strong relationships with clients;
• Good team player, self starter, has ability to work under minimum supervision and maintain good relationships.

• University Degree in Biology, Environmental sciences, Law, Management, or other relevant field or a comparable experience in the field;
• Extensive experience and proven track record in projects and activities relevant for planed activities;
• A minimum of 5 years of experience in Protected Areas System;
• Familiarity with national policy priorities in the area of Environment, economic development and public finance management;
• Familiar with nature protection related issues in the national context;
• Extensive experience and proven track record in capacity development field, preferably in the area of environment and economics, self-starting, independent and responsible personality;
• Initiative and strong team-building, communication and negotiation skills;
• Good knowledge of local language would be an asset, written and oral skills;
• Fluency in English.