Background

The Local Consultants will assist the team leader and deputy team leader. S/he will be responsible for consultations, facilitation with related provinces in Guizhou, Hunan, Yunnan, Guangxi Provinces and/or Inner Mongolia respectively besides providing technical inputs to the project design.

The Foreign Economic Cooperation Office of the Ministry of Environmental Protection has requested GEF assistance through UNDP for the preparation a project proposal for a full sized project: “Developing and Implementing the National Framework on Access and Benefit Sharing of Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge”. The project aims to develop and implement China’s national framework on access to and benefit sharing (ABS) of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge in accordance with provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Nagoya Protocol (NP). The project will remove the aforementioned barriers and enable the country to ratify and implement the NP by promoting the establishment of the National Regulatory and Institutional Framework on ABS, Strengthening ABS Capacity Building and Awareness Raising, and support up to 6 such pilots focusing on genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge in Guizhou, Hunan, Yunnan, Guangxi Provinces and/or Inner Mongolia.

The Project Preparation Grant (PPG) has been requested to formulate the full-sized project through appropriate situation analysis and stakeholder consultations. The preparatory phase will include the collection of information and gathering of data for the project design and improve baseline context for the project; identifying implementing partners and implementation arrangements; develop results framework that has optimal resource allocation from GEF and other stakeholders to meet the project objective; identifying and selecting pilots from potential pilots; developing more investigation on risks lists in PIF. The activities of the PPG include:  baseline and capacity needs assessment of ABS for China; conduct logical framework analysis (LFA) and define project goal, objectives, outcomes, outputs and key activities. The outcome of the PPG will be Project Document and Request for CEO Endorsement.

Please download Project Identification form (PIF) for you to better know about the project from this link: http://yun.baidu.com/share/link?shareid=2065158734&uk=2217764688.

Duties and Responsibilities

The consultant will carry out the following tasks:
  • Review existing data, reports and studies to collate a situation analysis report on biodiversity and genetic resources in respective provinces;
  • Collect information in respective provinces on local stakeholder and other partners’ baseline activities and planned investments, as well as complementary activities by various partner organizations;
  • Ensure the accuracy of indicator baselines with clear methodologies for monitoring, as well as the feasibility of targets for the project, especially from the respective provinces;
  • Assist in data collection related to project planning and monitoring with particular attention given to the description and quantification of the baseline information, especially from the respective provinces;
  • Assist team leader to organize consultation sessions in order to solicit inputs and ensure local stakeholders involvement in and buy-in to the project, especially from the respective provinces;
  • Any other responsibilities, especially from the respective provinces as required by the team leader in order to complete the submission package to GEF;
  • Defining operational strategies and resource needs, and providing administrative support for effective project design, especially from the respective provinces.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:
  • Sound communication and facilitation skills;
  • Team work spirit;
  • Capable to manage deadlines for information and data collection during the project formulation;
  • Demonstrated strategic technical and intellectual skills in the substantive area;
  • Excellent communications (both oral and written) and partnership building skills with multi-dimension partners, people skills for conflict resolution and negotiation.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Advanced degree in NRM/Biodiversity Conservation/environmental science, etc.

Experience:

  • At least 5 years woking experience in developing or implementing projects with focus on biodiversity related projects;
  • Experience in working with respective provincial and local government institutions as well as civil society/private organizations;
  • Experience in policy and legal analysis; 
  • Experience in collaborating with government agencies, institutes in China;
  • Experience in project formulation that addresses technical assistance and capacity development for implementing partners. 
Language:
  • Excellent Chinese and English language skills, particularly in the preparation of written documents.