[newdevjobsindo] Job Vacancy: Coastal Climate and Livelihood Specialist - GAC funded FSS Project
JOB POSTING
COASTAL CLIMATE AND LIVELIHOOD SPECIALIST
1. Summary about the Project
Field Support Services Project (FSSP) is a five-year project (October 2019 – October 2024) funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and managed by Cowater International. FSSP provides administrative, financial, procurement, and logistical services as well as support to the in-country development programming for the Government of Canada through the provision of technical specialists in gender equality, governance and human rights, and environment and climate action and assisting GAC in procuring and managing local development initiatives. These programs will take place in Indonesia and the ASEAN regions.
2. Background
As the biggest archipelago located in one of the world’s richest regions in terms of ocean resources, the Indonesian Ocean is rich in natural resources to support national development and people's prosperity. Ocean-based sectors including fisheries and marine aquaculture have contributed to the country’s economic dynamism over the past two decades (OECD, 2021). In addition, marine and blue carbon ecosystem has an important role to play in combatting climate change as it can store up to four times as much carbon per hectare than tropical forests. Indonesia has the most mangroves of any country in the world, but also has the highest rate of mangrove degradation/ conversion in the world.
Indonesia is also very affected from increasing pollution and degradation of marine ecosystems. Multiple factors, including unsustainable practices, pollution (particularly from plastics), inadequate coordination and data management as well as the impacts of climate change are adding pressure towards marine ecosystem degradation, affecting the health of marine ecosystems and affecting key economic sectors. Mangrove loss in Indonesia is mostly due to development of brackish water shrimp aquaculture (tambak) and logging and land conversion to agriculture or salt pans. The degradation of such blue carbon sinks contributes to GHG emissions, or at least the loss of carbon sequestration capacity, thus contributing to higher warming. At the same time, the ocean ecosystems (tropical coral reefs for example) are very climate-vulnerable. Indonesian coral reefs, which are the habitat for most of Indonesia’s inshore fisheries, are currently facing substantial impacts from climate induced bleaching. This bleaching acts as a threat multiplier to other reef damaging practices, such as destructive fishing (e.g. dynamite, cyanide) and reef mining for building materials.
Nature-Based Climate Solutions (NbCS) are an approach to climate mitigation/adaptation that simultaneously support nature and societies. Specifically, NbCS is emerging as an important approach to address the causes (i.e. GHG emissions) and/ or the effects of climate change (e.g. greater spatial and temporal variability in temperature and precipitation, greater intensity and frequency in extreme weather events, ocean acidification). Associated with NbCS are a range of potential co-benefits, including sustainable livelihood benefits, biodiversity benefits etc.
In the context of coastal areas, the effects of climate change are often most felt through:
- Increased vulnerability to climate exacerbated extreme wind and precipitation surges, for which mangroves can act as an important village protective buffer solution;
- Increased vulnerability to increased temperature induced coral bleaching, for which coral reef restoration solutions – potentially including more temperature resilient reef species - can help to bring back healthy fisheries
- Ocean acidification, resulting in marine life declines
In the context of coastal areas, the causes of climate change are often most exacerbated through:
- Increased carbon emissions and/ or loss of carbon sequestration due to High Carbon Stock (HCS) conversion/ degradation. The most important coastal HCS are mangroves, and potentially seagrass. Mangrove restoration, protection, management, and potentially direct payments (to compensate for conversion) can be important solutions.
NbCS present an important opportunity to fully engage indigenous communities (masyarakat adat), and potentially build upon such successful adat systems such as sasi in Maluku.
Indonesia is committed to healthy and productive marine and coastal ecosystems, which is translated into ambitious target and subsequent programs on marine ecosystem conservation and marine plastic pollution reduction. This notably includes 600,000 ha mangrove restoration program in the next five years. As well, the mandate of BRG (Badan Rehabilitasi Gambut) has been expanded to include mangroves.
To support Indonesia’s priorities, Canada is looking to strengthen its sectorial knowledge as it builds a new coastal NbCS portfolio that provides solutions to either the effects of climate change and/ or the causes of climate change. Canada is looking for a Coastal Climate and Livelihood specialist for its operations in Indonesia. The Coastal Climate and Livelihood specialist will help Canada better understand the climate exacerbated pressures on coastal-ocean ecosystem and community livelihoods in Indonesia, as well as how Indonesian coastal HCS degradation further contributes to Indonesia’s GHG emissions. The specialist will also help Canada identify livelihood opportunities and options.
Canada’s current programming in Indonesia in the Ocean sector
Canada has been spearheading the Ocean Plastics Charter to tackle Marine plastic litter since its adoption in 2018. Canada has since committed CAD$ 100 million to achieve the objectives of the Charter, including the below programs that are implemented in Indonesia:
- the World Bank’s PROBLUE Fund which promotes the transition towards a blue economy in developing countries;
- innovative private-public partnerships through the World Economic Forum’s Global Plastics Action Partnership to support national action plans in developing countries on marine litter and public waste.
In addition, in 2020 Canada completed a multi-country program called INVEST[1] to improve small producers' livelihoods by increasing their production, productivity, and access to markets and financial services through integrated production, financing, and marketing cooperatives. For Indonesia, the program focuses on aquaculture market in South Sulawesi.
Going forward, Canada envisions that its programming would seek to promote the restoration, protection, and conservation of coastal ecosystems including through the application of sustainable management approaches for marine landscapes.
3. Objective
GAC requires the services of a Coastal Climate and Livelihood Specialist (the Consultant) to lead a coastal NbCS scoping study that focuses on either the effects and/ or causes of climate change, while also providing important livelihoods co-benefits. The work will cover relevant sectors such as blue carbon (particularly mangroves), climate-smart aquaculture (including silvofishery as an alternative to intensive aquaculture), and coral reef restoration. The consultant will work with all GAC staff within Indonesia Program and HQ.
The Consultant will report to GAC Sector Lead in Environment and Climate Change in Jakarta.
The Coastal Climate and Livelihood Specialist will be expected to:
a. Provide analysis and strategic guidance. Specifically, the Specialist is expected to provide, among others: 1) analysis on situation and challenges on climate change impacts to coastal-ocean ecosystem and community livelihoods in Indonesia, as well as how coastal-HCS degradation in Indonesia is increasing Indonesia’s already substantial GHG emissions; 2) identification of the highest coastal HCS/ climate vulnerability in Indonesia for which there are likely to be viable NbCS; 3) recommendations for 3-4 strategic areas/program ideas/options for Canada’s NbCS interventions that will provide significant livelihood impacts, 4) donor mapping of the key actors in the sector and identification of strong potential partner institutions that possess the necessary scientific, policy, community development, and managerial capacity.
For the 3-4 NbCS Options, the Specialist is required to clearly identify if the proposed solution will significantly reduce the impacts of climate change (e.g., increased ocean temperatures, increased intensity and frequency of storm events) and/ or significantly reduce the causes of climate change (i.e. GHG emissions through HCS loss).
b. Providing oral and written briefings on the above services
c. Any other relevant tasks as assigned by the GAC.
Lessons learned from INVEST project have been drawn that highlighted challenges around aquaculture market sustainability and farmers’ access to microfinancing. These lessons learned should be reflected and inform the recommendations for improving coastal livelihood for the new scoping study as relevant. In addition, the Specialist is expected to gather relevant information of GAC’s and other donors (particularly the GCF, WB, ADB, USAid, JICA, Norway, and UK) prior/ planned work in aquaculture, mangroves, coral work in Indonesia.
5. Deliverables/Outputs
The Coastal Climate and Livelihood Specialist is expected to work in close cooperation with GAC Sector Lead on Environment and Climate Change in Jakarta to produce deliverables as follows:
- Prepare a Work Plan for the duration of the contract to be reviewed and approved by the Canadian Embassy in Jakarta; the Work Plan will include the methodology to be used.
- Prepare a draft scoping study report, with the format to be consulted with GAC Sector Lead on Environment and Climate Change. The scoping study will address the tasks as in 3.a., and be based on desk studies (study results, reports, data sets, lessons learned from GAC and other related projects), gap analysis (i.e. mapping of existing coastal climate projects, analyzing emerging new areas, and exploring barriers, challenges/gaps) as well as consultations with stakeholders. For the consultations, it is expected that the Specialist lead a half-day virtual round table discussion with like-minded organizations/donors and implementing partners involved in coastal climate projects in Indonesia. The roundtable discussion could be complemented by meetings with government officials and line ministries and institutions currently involved in the coastal climate programming.
- Prepare a presentation summary and present the report to GAC for further discussions and improvements; and
- Prepare the final scoping study report. All of the reports and supporting documentations will be filed onto shared folder provided by the FSSP.
The consultant will be supported by GAC’s existing Field Support Service consultants, including: 1) Environment and Climate Change specialist for climate change angle and GAC's climate change marker, 2) Plastic and Waste for ocean plastics angle, 3) Innovative Financing specialist for financing and investment angle, and 4) Gender specialist, for gender equality integration.
The key aspects in the development of these deliverables are:
§ Clear climate change (mitigation and/or adaptation) objectives in the framework of NbCS, with livelihoods co-benefits, gender equality integration and a feminist approach, as per Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy. The report recommendations should be designed to meet the PRINCIPAL scoring of Climate Change Mitigation and/or Adaptation Policy Marker(s) –GAC Methodological Guidance on Mitigation and GAC Methodological Guidance on Adaptation[2]. The recommendations should include consideration of areas of greatest blue climate mitigation and/ or adaptation potential/ opportunity in Indonesia. Also, the report recommendations must be designed to advance gender equality.
§ The economy-wide approach of assessment carried out, taking into consideration institutional capacity of the country and coordination with other initiatives;
§ A strategic role for Canada given available budget, policy frameworks (Canada and Indonesia) and donor landscape.
Unless otherwise stated, the Consultant will, to the extent possible:
· Use both sides of the page when producing documents, reports, etc;
· Use recycled paper to print and produce reports and other documents.
6. Description of the Consultant’s Profile
GAC requires the services of a national coastal climate expert with solid knowledge on coastal livelihood, climate change, ocean/marine management, nature-based climate solutions, circular economy, strong relationship with Government partners, and experience working with international development partners.
Competencies
- Prior work experience in Indonesia on climate change, coastal ecosystems (coastal livelihood; coastal ecosystem improvement; climate-smart aquaculture, blue carbon capture including mangrove restoration; nature-based climate solutions; ocean pollution; and other related areas); Ability to quantify carbon mitigation potential from coastal/ocean sector is an advantage.
- Experience in working on policy and programmatic issues with national and local governments and civil society;
- Excellent analytical, writing, and communications skills;
- Ability to deliver quality reports/analysis/assessments in a short time.
Required skills and experience
The Consultant is expected to possess skills and experience in the following areas:
- Minimum 10 years experience on climate change and coastal ecosystems (coastal livelihood; climate-smart aquaculture, blue carbon capture including mangrove restoration; nature-based climate solutions, ocean pollution; and other related areas);
- Strategic thinking for understanding and identifying the gaps and needs;
- Strong analytical skill to develop partners, stakeholders and beneficiaries mapping on coastal climate projects;
- Good knowledge of other donors’ coastal & mangroves programs, of Government of Indonesia’s coastal programs, of Indonesia’s climate change ambition;
- Experience on leading/supporting a project proposal development related to restoring Indonesian coastal ecosystems will be an advantage;
- Experience working with local Government on ocean/marine/coastal sector will be an advantage.
Educational background
Master’s degree or higher in or related to climate change, marine resource management, marine resource economics, environmental sciences.
Language Requirements
The Consultant must possess the following levels in English:
Oral = 4 – Advanced Professional Proficiency
Reading = 4 – Advanced Professional Proficiency
Writing = 4 – Advanced Professional Proficiency
7. Working Arrangements
The Consultant will work from his/her home base with virtual meetings/interviews with GAC colleagues and relevant partners. As necessary, in producing analysis/report/briefs, the Consultant may need to do his/her own literature review and perform triangulation by interviewing experts.
The Consultant will submit deliverables to GAC Sector Lead on Environment and Climate Change in Jakarta. A consultant evaluation will be completed in order for regular payment to be released upon satisfactory delivery of the assignments. In the event that travel to other regions or cities is necessary, support will be provided via the Indonesia/ASEAN Field Support Services Project (FSSP).
8. Duration of the Contract
The total expected duration of the assignment is up to 40 days and the contract ends on September 31, 2021. All reports must be finalized and submitted within this period. The Consultant is expected to start in July 2021.
Payments will be processed against the report (deliverables) therefore a financial report is requested versus each deliverable, giving the opportunity for the Consultant to manage the number of days to spend on each deliverable within the defined timeframe.
How to apply:
Interested individual consultants must include the following documents when submitting the applications to admin@fssproject.com latest by 16 June 2021:
- CV indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references.
2. Brief statement as to why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment.
3. Financial Proposal shall be submitted in the following format:
- The financial proposal should specify an all-inclusive daily rate for up to 40 working days;
- The financial proposal must be all-inclusive and take into account various expenses that will be incurred during the contract, including: the daily professional fee and when applicable any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services under the contract, not including travel expenses.
Qualified women are encouraged to apply.
Due to the large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidate(s) about the outcome or status of the selection process.
The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as: a) responsive/compliant/acceptable; and b) having received the highest score out of the weighted criteria (70% technical score (comprising of 15% technical qualifications desk review, 25% written test, and 30% interview) and 30% financial score.
The proposals that achieve a minimum of 70% for the technical qualifications desk review shall be further considered for an interview and written test. The financial score shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal received for the assignment.
| Technical Score (70%) | Financial Score (30%) |
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Technical Qualifications Desk Review
The evaluation of the Technical criteria will be as follows:
| St No | Criteria | Points |
| 1 | Academic qualifications of the Consultant. | 10 points |
| 2 | Minimum 10 years experience on climate change and coastal ecosystems (coastal livelihood; climate-smart aquaculture, blue carbon capture including mangrove restoration; nature-based climate solutions, ocean pollution; and other related areas). | 30 points |
| 3 | Strong experience in developing partners, stakeholders and beneficiaries mapping on coastal climate projects. | 20 points |
| 4 | Good knowledge of other donors’ coastal & mangroves programs, of Government of Indonesia’s coastal programs, of Indonesia’s climate change ambition. | 20 points |
| 5 | Experience on leading/supporting a project proposal development related to restoring Indonesian coastal ecosystems will be an advantage. | 10 points |
| 6 | Experience working with local Government on ocean/marine/coastal sector will be an advantage. | 10 points |
| | Total points | 100 points |
ABOUT US
With more than 34 years’ experience, Cowater International is Canada’s global leader in management consulting services specializing in international development and has managed the implementation of over 800 projects in more than 80 countries around the globe. We work with governments, partner organizations, communities and civil society to design and implement sustainable solutions that generate lasting social, financial and environmental impacts. Our adaptive approach to management has led to our award-winning work and recognition as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies in 2017 and 2018. Headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, Cowater International also has corporate offices in Montreal, Quebec, Paris, France, Pretoria, South Africa, and London, United Kingdom, Nairobi, Kenya in addition to project offices in a wide variety of other locations across Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.
We thank you for your interest in building a better tomorrow with Cowater International.
[1]The program’s full title is Increasing Wealth and Food Security through the Integrated Cooperative Business Model Project which run in four countries: Peru, Mongolia, Malawi, and Indonesia.
[2] For further references see OECD-DAC Rio Markers for Climate Handbook. The OECD-DAC is monitoring external development finance targeting environmental objectives through its Creditor Reporting System using “policy markers”: donors are requested to indicate for each development co-operation activity they report to the OECD whether or not it targets environmental objectives.
