| Description |
|
The Philippine government, through the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has received a grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to implement the Project entitled Expanding and Diversifying the National System of Terrestrial Protected Areas in the Philippines (EDNSTPAP). The objective of the Project is to expand and strengthen the terrestrial PA system in the Philippines by developing new PA models and building capacity for effective management of the system. This will be supported by improved systemic (especially funding) and institutional (especially management effectiveness) capacities. The expanded PA system will have comprehensive ecological coverage and strengthened links to local communities and indigenous lands in the surrounding landscape, through the integration of new conservation areas.
The major outcomes envisaged by the Project are:
- PA system of Philippines has been expanded under new and diverse management regimes (ancestral domain, local government and community managed areas) to cover an additional 400,000 ha. of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) and with enhanced potential for further expansion;
- Improved conservation effectiveness through enhanced systemic, institutional and individual capacities
- Enhanced financial sustainability of the terrestrial PA system. A copy of the Project Document and GEF CEO Endorsement is available at the PAWB.
The Project shall be implemented over a period of five years starting September 2010, covering nine Key Biodiversity Areas. It is managed by the PAWB which has established a Project Management Unit (PMU) to oversee implementation.
The Project intends to address sustainable PA financing as one of the major barriers to the effective management of the national PA system in the Philippines. These include inadequate systems for financial planning, budgetary management and revenue generation. The budget for PA system management, such as general planning, prioritization, national coordination, establishment of linkages, technical assistance, policy support, monitoring and evaluation, continuing development of tools and procedures, establishment and maintenance of a national database, advocacy, information and awareness campaigns, are all lodged with the PAWB, and funded through the regular budget cycle of government.
For the period 2005 to 2009, the average annual operating budgets allocated to PAWB in support of these activities is about Php 900,000 or only about US$20,000. In 2011, this budget has increased to P 6,593,000 (US $ 149,840). The regional offices have budgets to support local capacity building, and supporting the operations of the PAMBs. For the year 2011, the allocation for PA management and biodiversity conservation total P 357,091,000 (US $ 8,115,704). This reflects the total budget allocated to all the 238 PAs under the system.
|
Duties and Responsibilities
|
The objective of this assignment is to develop a national strategy and action plan for improving the financial sustainability of the national PA system, with an expanded and diversified coverage, to include community conservation areas. As defined, PA financial sustainability refers to the capacity to secure stable and sufficient long-term financial resources, and to allocate them in a timely manner and appropriate form, to cover the full costs of PAs (both direct and indirect) and to ensure that PAs are managed effectively and efficiently with respect to conservation and other objectives. The adoption of sound business principles and financial plans is an essential part of this process [1].
The specific tasks are as follows:
- Based on existing data, conduct a financial gap analysis of current income versus expenditures, differentiating between basic and optimal costs, and including the costs of improving protected area management. Review the updated PA Financing Scorecard and undertake estimations of financing needs and inflows;
- Develop cost estimates to address the PA financing gap over a ten-year time horizon, including minimum, medium, and ideal growth scenarios;
- Assess existing funding mechanisms to address financial gaps, and make recommendations on how to maximize inflows from these sources given two scenarios: Scenario 1: existing policies, systems, institutions and organizational capacity of PAWB as overall manager of the national PA system; as well as capacities of PAMBs and other bodies to manage PAs. Identify constraints to increasing levels of financing given this Scenario and make recommendations on how inflows can be maximized. Scenario 2: improvements in existing policies, systems, institutions and organizational capacity of PAWB as overall manager of the national PA system; as well as capacities of PAMBs and other bodies to manage PAs, and new conservation areas. Identify the specific actions required to address key constraints and make estimates of the likely funding inflows over a five and ten year period
- Screen new funding mechanisms to address financial gaps, including an assessment of how fiscal and management reforms might reduce overall expenditures. This would involve an assessment of other mechanisms for generating funds/revenues for financing PA management, in order to diversify the sources of financing. The assessment will consider the existing legal, policy and institutional framework for PA management in the Philippines, and the potential expansion of the PA system to include new conservation areas.Develop a national strategy for PA financing sustainability in the Philippines in the medium term (5 years) and long term (10 years). Specify the policy and institutional requirements for implementing such strategy;
- Formulate a ten year PA financing Action Plan at the system level with multi-year action plans, including strategic funding mechanisms, resource allocations, fiscal and management reform opportunities, management and capacity building needs, and the implementation plan. Specify how a PA financing plan can be developed at the site level, using one of the Project's pilot sites as an illustrative case.
- Make recommendations on how the implementation of the PA financing plan can be monitored and evaluated.
Expected Outputs:
- PA Financing Gap Analysis, Validation of PA Financing Scorecard, and assessment of status of PA financing in the Philippines
- Assessment report on existing funding mechanisms, given the two scenarios outlined above;
- Assessment of potential financing mechanisms that can be implemented in the Philippines to diversify the sources of financing, with greater predictability of funding streams;
- Strategy and Action Plan for improving PA financing sustainability in the Philippines, with recommended indicators for monitoring implementation, and evaluating results and outcomes
[1]Financing Protected Areas Task Force of the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) of IUCN, in collaboration with the Economics Unit of IUCN (2000). Financing Protected Areas. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. viii + 58pp.
|
Competencies
|
|
The position requires a Senior Consultant with extensive international experience in the design and implementation of PA financing strategies at the system and site levels. The following are the specific competencies required:
- Sensitive to local culture, values, and traditions;
- Ability to relate well with a diverse range of stakeholders at local and national levels;
- Excellent written and oral communication skills;
|
Required Skills and Experience
|
|
Education:
- MS Degree or equivalent in Environmental Economics/Accounting, biodiversity conservation and environmental protection, natural resources management or other related fields.
Experience:
- The position requires at least 10 years of extensive international experience in the design and implementation of PA financing strategies at the system and site levels.
- Experience in international discourse in PA financing; such as by IUCN, WCPA, and other bodies;
Language:
DOCUMENTS TO BE INCLUDED WHEN SUBMITTING THE PROPOSALS:
Interested invidual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:
- Expression of Interest - candidate should provide explanation of he/she is suitable for the work and provide a brief methodology on the approach and how the candidate would conduct the work.
- Financial Proposal - the contract will be a lump sum contract, that will include professional fees, travel from host country to the Philippines and DSA. Payment shall made in two installments. 20% of the Professional fee shall be made upon signing of contract and the rest upon completion of the deliverables. All local travels will be shouldered by the Project.
- Personal CV including past experience in similar projects and at least 3 references
Evaluation:
Cumulative Analysis:
- Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 80points will be considered for the Financial Evaluation.
|
|
