Programme Development Specialist for Climate Change and Health in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia: climate resilient health services

Addressing climate change is one the key global challenges and priorities for UNDP. Working in over 170 countries and territories, UNDP is uniquely placed to work with all sectors of society to help mobilize the institutions and resources required to support countries implement their climate action targets in the context of the Paris Agreement.

Climate change impacts human health and the health sector in various ways: rising temperatures lead to increased heat strokes and deaths related to cardiovascular or respiratory issues; extreme precipitation and flooding result in damages to health infrastructure and the aggravation of water-borne diseases; mudflows and landslides cause accidents and injuries. Climate change will bring major changes to the epidemiology of infectious diseases through changes in microbial and vector geographic range. Climate change, interacting with environmental change more broadly, has already made conditions more favourable for the emergence and spread of certain infectious diseases. Global warming, change in precipitation regime and increased frequency of extreme events such as droughts and floods directly affect availability of safe water. This exemplifies the complex interaction between different health impacts. The direct effects of climate change on health are compounded by indirect climate change impacts like loss of food supply – linked to droughts, floods and cold spells – which can create and exacerbate nutritional issues, subsequently increasing the vulnerability of populations to disease and mortality.

Countries in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA) will experience a wide range of negative health impacts triggered by climate change, yet many of them lack the capacity and resources needed to prepare for and respond to this challenge. In 2020 the national public health systems in EECCA have been significantly affected by COVID-19. Support is required to make sure that COVID-19 recovery investments are climate informed and climate-proof.

UNDP seeks to engage a consultant as a Programme Development Specialist (hereinafter “Consultant”) on climate resilient health services in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA) to support the region and COs based staff with delivering technical assistance to client Governments. The consultant will be expected to deliver high quality, cutting-edge technical advisory support to the development of a Concept Note and pre-feasibility study for the vertical fund regional programme/project focused on climate resilient health services in the EECCA region. He/she will coordinate, working via global and region-based technical advisors across UNDP’s GPN.

Scope and objective of the assignment:

The Consultant will lead the design and drafting of the concept note, pre-feasibility study and a project preparation grant request for the regional programme/project on climate and health, including coordinating inputs from country offices, regional technical advisors and relevant IRH and HQs technical teams (Climate and DRR Team, Nature, Climate and Energy Team, Health Team). In doing so the Consultant will assist with formulation, refinement and negotiation of indicators for the Green Climate Fund (GCF) regional programme/project, benchmarks, co-finance agreements and work plans. In the course of the project development he/she will also interact with UNDP and WHO technical specialists to coordinate their inputs to the proposal design. The Consultant will provide technical and advisory support to project teams, bureau units and UNDP Country Offices in the context of climate resilient health services, including on evaluating, capturing, codifying, and synthesizing of lessons learned and strategies to promote the uptake of best practices and knowledge, including the development of knowledge materials and guidance notes.

Due to the COVID pandemic travel restrictions, the tasks associated with this Terms of Reference are expected to be completed through a combination of (a) home-based preparatory work; (b) remote technical assistance to client countries and UNDP staff.

• Climate rationale based on the strong scientific evidence of current and future climate change impacts on health and health sector in EECCAA;
• Alignment with GCF investment criteria;
• The rational for programmatic approach/regional programme, including:
  • Defined common objective/synergy/interdependence, translated in a context specific and differentiated objectives for each sub-project
  • Programmatic theory of change
  • Value-add of the programme approach versus individual project approach (outcomes and benefits of Programme to exceed sum of its parts)
  • Cost effectiveness and efficiency
  • Greater likelihood of promoting paradigm shift
  • Additional benefits in terms of learning/knowledge
  • Possible partnership at programmatic level
• Possibilities of private sector engagement
• How the programme is aligned with country/regional programming needs and priorities
• Broad Implementation plan – Timeline for implementation of sub-projects
• Eligibility criteria for countries to participate through sub-projects
• Participatory governance structure at programme level
• Programmatic level monitoring and reporting requirements
• Description of sub-projects included in the regional programme/project, including:
  • Rational to link with overarching rationale
  • Project Level description of activities and budgets
  • Project Level monitoring and reporting
  • Project level co-financing arrangements
  • Project level partnerships

The regional programme/project development needs to be informed with the updated GCF Programming Manual.

The development of the regional programme/project will be coordinated and aligned with the COVID-19 recovery planning and will be aimed, above all, at supporting the COVID-recovery efforts and building resilience to future pandemics through the contribution to the resilience of the health systems in EECCA.

The Consultant will:

1. Review UNDP and WHO joint offer on climate change and health in EECCA, the draft Programme Idea Note and the underlying analysis. Analyze the existing resources, literature and lessons learned from past and on-going projects on the climate change risks to human health and health sector in EECCAA and globally. Establish the data and information baseline for the regional programme/project development.
2. Analyze the evidence and data gaps and provide recommendations on the required additional studies to establish a robust evidence base and climate rationale for the programme/project development.
3. Conduct consultations with the UNDP technical teams at the HQs, IRH and Country Offices levels and with WHO teams. Regularly liaise with the network of climate and health stakeholders at the national level.
4. Review, adjust and finalize the draft programmatic Idea Note, including confirmation from the participating countries.
5. Lead the development of a pre-feasibility study for the regional programme/project. Advise UNDP on the required technical inputs, coordinate with the national and international consultants and experts involved in the CN/PFS development, lead the technical consultations on the PFS development.
6. Develop regional programme/project concept note including description of the programmatic umbrella and national/country-based elements.
7. Draft project preparation grant request in accordance with the GCF template and funding requirements.
8. Support the process of technical reviews with UNDP. WHO and GCF Secretariat, address comments on the CN/PFS as necessary.

The specific deliverables are:

Institutional arrangements:

• The consultant will work from home;
• The Consultant will be given access to relevant information necessary for the execution of the tasks under this assignment;
• The Consultant will be responsible for providing her/his own work station (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to reliable internet connection;
• Given the global consultations to be undertaken during this assignment, the consultant is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability for such consultations taking into consideration different time zones;
• Payments will be made upon submission of a detailed timesheet and certification of payment form, and acceptance and confirmation by the Supervisor on days worked (with a “day” calculated as 8 hours of work) and outputs delivered.

Travel:

In case of any travel is requested by UNDP for the delivery of this assignment, it will be reimbursed separately with the following conditions:

• Any necessary mission travel must be approved in advance and writing by the Supervisor;
• The BSAFE course must be completed before the commencement of travel;
• Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director;
• Consultants are also required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under https://dss.un.org/dssweb/;
• The consultant will be responsible for making his/her mission travel arrangements in line with UNDP travel policies;
• All travel expenses related to mission travels will be supported by the project travel fund and will be reimbursed as per UNDP rules and regulations for consultants. Costs for mission airfares, terminal expenses, and living allowances should not be included in the financial proposal.

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly without favouritism.

Technical:

• Technical knowledge on climate change adaptation and health, climate change impacts on health and/or health sector
• Experience in environmental and climate finance including both public and private international sources.
• Experienced in working with the Global Environment Facility and Green Climate Fund projects/programmes
• Extensive experience in securing public funds for environmental and climate projects;

Functional:

Communications

• Able to communicate effectively in writing to a varied and broad audience in a simple and concise manner.

Professionalism

• Capable of working in a high- pressure environment with sharp and frequent deadlines, managing many tasks simultaneously;

• Excellent analytical and organizational skills;
• Exercises the highest level of responsibility and be able to handle confidential and politically sensitive issues in a responsible and mature manner.

Teamwork

• Works well in a team;
• Projects a positive image and is ready to take on a wide range of tasks;
• Focuses on results for the client;
• Welcomes constructive feedback.

• Master´s degree or higher in environmental economics, environmental science, health or another closely related field (maximum 20 points).

Experience:

• Minimum of 10 years’ experience working with developing countries in climate change adaptation, health or another closely related field (maximum 20 points);
• Experience with project development and managing multidisciplinary project development team s(maximum 10 points);
• At least 5 years of experience working in vertical fund programming (GEF or GCF in particular) (maximum 5 points);
• Experience in design and implementation of multi-sectoral and multi-country programmes and projects at different scales (maximum 15 points);
• Experience working in EECCA region would be an asset (maximum 5 points);
• Working experience in an international organization is an advantage as is knowledge of UNDP policies, procedures and practices (maximum 5 points);

Languages:

• Fluency in English, both written and oral is required for this position.

Evaluation Method:

• Only those applications which are responsive and compliant will be evaluated.  Incomplete applications will not be considered;
• Offers will be evaluated according to the Combined Scoring method – where the technical criteria will be weighted at 70% and the financial offer will be weighted at 30%;
• The technical criteria (education, experience, language [max. 60 points] and interview [max. 40 points]) will be based on a maximum 100 points
• Only the top 3 candidates that have achieved a minimum of 70 points from the review of education, experience and language will be considered for the interview;
• Candidates obtaining 28 points or higher in the interview will be deemed technically qualified and considered for financial evaluation;
• Financial score (max 100 points) shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal of those technically qualified;
• The financial proposal shall specify an all-inclusive daily fee. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal must additionally include a breakdown of this daily fee (including all foreseeable expenses to carry out the assignment);
• An applicant receiving the Highest Combined Score and has accepted UNDP’s General Terms and Conditions will be awarded the contract.

Documentation to be submitted:

• Applicants must submit a duly completed and signed UNDP Personal History Form (P11) and/or CV including Education/Qualification, Professional Certification, Employment Records /Experience;
• Applicants must reply to the mandatory questions asked by the system when submitting the application.
• Applicants must submit a duly completed and signed Annex II Offeror´s letter to UNDP confirming interest and availability for the Individual Contractor (IC) assignment to be downloaded from the UNDP procurement site.

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