Project Management Arrangements

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Practice Area:Environment and Energy

Title: Project Manager (PM)

Project: UNDP/GEF/SCEPLR "Supporting climate resilient livelihoods in agricultural communities in drought-prone areas of Turkmenistan" (CRL)

Duty Station:Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Type of contract: Service Contract

Level: SB – 5/ step 4 (USD 2,146)

Duration: until 31 December 2016 (with possibility of extension)

Background

Turkmenistan is a water stressed country and has one of the harshest climates in the Central Asian region. Climate change modeling indicates significant increases in temperature and reduction in rainfall. Temperatures are expected to increase by 2⁰C by 2040, with precipitation declining across all agro-ecological zones by 8-17 percent between 2040 and 2100, which coupled with increase in temperature, will lead to a decrease in total volume of water availability that is likely to have a profound impact on agricultural production systems and local farmers. The long-term solution envisaged by the Government of Turkmenistan is to mainstream climate change adaptation at the community, district, provincial and national levels in order to secure climate resilient livelihoods in agricultural communities. To help the Government meet these outcomes, the project will support three inter-related components, namely (i) improving climate related socio-economic outcomes in targeted agricultural communities in Lebap and Dashoguz velayats through the implementation of community-based adaptation solutions; (ii) Mainstreaming climate adaptation measures in agricultural and water sector development strategy and policy; and (iii) Strengthening national capacity for iterative climate change adaptation planning, implementation and monitoring in the country.

The project will directly strengthen the adaptive capacity and reduce the vulnerability of around 40,000 to 50,000 persons in the Lebap and Dashoguz velayets by helping them improve the productivity of farm operations, be better prepared for increasing water scarcity and by introducing alternative income sources. Improved water efficiency and crop production systems will bring approximately 20,000 ha of agricultural and 500,000 ha of pastoral lands under climate resilient technologies resulting in a real net household income increase of at least 15­­­% for participating households. The replication potential of successful efficient water management and climate resilient practices and of new climate-friendly sectoral planning, legislative and capacity development measures would indirectly benefit around 500,000 people in Turkmenistan.

For more detailed information about this project as well as other UNDP Turkmenistan environmental projects please visit: www.undptkm.org.

Project strategy

The objectiveof the proposed project is to support climate resilient livelihoods in agricultural communities in the Lebap and Dashoguz velayats in Turkmenistan. The project’s incremental value lies in enabling farmers in one of the driest regions of the country to overcome the critical barriers described above that prevent them from reducing the vulnerability to climate change induced water stress and other environmental hazards in the agricultural sector. It will develop and demonstrate a matrix of climate adaptation solutions for further replication outside of the two velayats. The experience will be shared and replicated beyond project boundaries through a serious of lesson sharing events. The project will attempt to achieve this objective through the design of the following three inter-related outcomes and their respective outputs and activities:

· Outcome 1: Improved climate related socio-economic outcomes in the targeted agricultural communities in Lebap and Dashoguz velayats through the implementation of community-based adaptation solutions;

· Outcome 2: Mainstreamed climate adaptation measures in agricultural and water sector development strategy and policy; and

· Outcome 3: Strengthened national capacity for iterative climate change adaptation planning, implementation and monitoring

To achieve outcome 1, the project will work in two etraps (districts) of two different velayats (provinces) of Turkmenistan. These are the Gerogly etrap of Dashoguz velayat and Galkenesh etrap of Lepab velayat. The etraps were identified at the recommendation of the Government. The project has selected three pilot daikhan associations and a livestock farm in the two velayats and will start working with these daikhan associations and farms, including individual farmers/households and private farms, in the initial phase of the project to demonstrate adaptation options for various types of agricultural activities (crop production, horticulture and livestock). The pilots are the Yagtylyk daikhan association and Garagum livestock (cattle ranch) farm in the Gerogly etrap of Dashoguz velayat and the Vatan and Parakhat daikhan associations in the Galkenesh etrap of Lapab velayat. The criteria that was applied for the selection of the daikhan associations were climate vulnerability, availability of financing from the government, ability to demonstrate a range of demonstrative and replicable adaptation options, good management and etrap/velayat support, accessibility, etc. In year 3 of the project, three additional daikhan associations and a livestock farm would be selected from the two pilot etraps for project support based on the same criteria discussed above. This would bring a total of six diakhan associations and two livestock farms under the project pilot effort.

The Outcome 2 will support the government in the integration of climate resilient policies and measures into the water and agriculture sectors. The project will do it in the following ways: (i) by developing legal, structural and institutional capabilities; (ii) by including adaptation considerations in sector’s strategies and plans; and (iii) by making adjustments in etrap planning and investments. This will build on the proposed measures of the NEPAAM for Turkmenistan. A guidelines will be developed for the water and agriculture sector ministries on identifying and addressing gender specific vulnerabilities and needs and including these in agriculture sector adaptation planning and budgeting processes. Relevant changes in legislation on land and water and institutional structures of relevant ministries and departments will be investigated and addressed to the degree these are found relevant.

Outcome 3 is specifically designed to facilitate the operationalization of the National Economic Program of Action on Adaptation and Mitigation to Climate Change (NEPAAM) that is the main vehicle/framework for implementation of the adaptation (and mitigation) priorities identified in the National Climate Change Strategy (NCCS) of Turkmenistan. To achieve this alternative, the component will provide hardware (physical set-up) and software to build capacity for operationalization of NEPAAM at different layers of government (national, provincial, district and local levels) in particular for monitoring, verification and reporting, development of statistical systems for data management, enhancing the evidence base for decision-making and enhancing communication and outreach in support of adaptation planning.

Project Management Arrangements

The project will be implemented over a period of five years. The State Committee on Environment Protection and Land Resources (SCEPLR)is the government institution responsible for the implementation of the project and acts as the Executing Agency (EA). UNDP is the Implementing Agency (IA) for the project. A Project Board (PB)will be established and serves as the project’s coordination and decision-making body. The PB is responsible for ensuring that the project remains on course to deliver products of the required quality to meet the outcomes defined in the project document.

The SCEPLR will appoint a National Project Coordinator (NPC) for the project implementation. The NPC will chair the Project Board (PB), and is responsible for providing government oversight and guidance to the project implementation.

UNDP Programme Specialist on Environment is assigned with the responsibility for the day-to-day quality assurance of the project implementation.

The day-to-day administration of the project is to be carried out by a Project Manager (PM) and Project Implementation Unit (PIU). The PM, with the support of the PIU, manages the implementation of all project activities.The PM is accountable to the SCEPLR and the PB for the quality, timeliness and effectiveness of the activities carried out, as well as for the use of funds.

Date: 2016-04-22; view: 466