Research Consultant (National Consultancy Contract) for Country Environmental Profile

Purpose of Project and Background

The Global Shelter Cluster (GSC) is an open platform for the coordination of the humanitarian shelter and settlements sector, with more than 45 partners participating consistently at the global level. In 2018 the GSC adopted its Strategy 2018-2022. The GSC Strategy recognizes the environment as a cross-cutting issue for effective shelter and settlements response. It also acknowledges that humanitarian operations can have a dire environmental impact. The GSC seeks to increase understanding of environmental issues that operational teams face, so as to minimise the impact of response activities and maximize shelter risk reduction potential.

The GSC has received funding from USAID to enhance the capacity and quality of the humanitarian shelter and settlements response. As part of the activities funded by this grant, the GSC will develop a series of Environmental Country Profiles to support the integration of environmental considerations in shelter and settlements programming and the Philippines has been selected as one of these countries.

The Philippine Shelter Cluster (PSC) sees great value in developing an Environmental Country Profile to provide up-to-date, context-specific guidance to humanitarian shelter agencies. The main objective of the Environmental Country Profile is to inform environmentally sustainable shelter and settlements programming by making key information about environmental considerations, impacts, concerns, and opportunities relevant to shelter and settlements programming available and accessible to agencies working in the shelter and settlement sector. This resource will support agencies to minimize any negative program impact on the natural environment, in accordance with Sphere Shelter and Settlement Standard 7: Environmental Sustainability.

Alignment to the IFRC’s objectives and strategy

IFRC’s Global Shelter Cluster leadership role contributes to Strategy 2030 Goal 1: People anticipate, respond to and quickly recover from crises. It also promotes the Agenda for Renewal effective global coordination and leadership ambitions. IFRC’s GSC role sits within Strategic Priority 2: Evolving Crises and Disasters and Enabler: 1 Engaged – with renewed influence, innovative and digitally transformed with greater emphasis on National Society Development of the IFRC Plan and Budget 2021 – 2025.

Project objectives

The main objective of developing the Environmental Country Profile is to inform environmentally sustainable shelter and settlements programming by making key information about environmental considerations, impacts, concerns, and opportunities relevant to shelter and settlements programming available and accessible to agencies working in the shelter and settlement sector. This resource will support agencies to minimize any negative program impact on the natural environment, in accordance with Sphere Shelter and Settlement Standard 7: Environmental Sustainability.

Desired outcomes

The main outcome of the consultancy will be the production of an Environmental Country Profile for shelter and settlement programming for Philippines.

• Methodology and content requirements: In order to ensure consistency in the approach to the development of Environmental Country Profiles irrespective of the agency leading the process, the GSC has designed a common framework outlining minimum methodology and content requirements while providing flexibility for the specific priorities, contexts and characteristics of different countries. This framework is to be used as the basis for the development of the Environmental Country Profile.
• The consultant and writing team are required to possess relevant qualifications, skills and experience.

Consultancy outputs

The consultancy will include, but not be limited to, the following activities.:

• Submission of proposed work plan with inception reportoutlining proposed dates for each activity, and list of proposed key stakeholders.
• Desktop research/literature review: review of available documentation including national strategies, policies, plans, any other relevant secondary sources and documentation of other similar activities (shelter response profiles, environmental profiles developed by other actors, etc.).
• Initial draft: The development of the Environmental Country Profile is to be guided by a Technical Working Group (TWG) under the National Shelter Cluster, which is formed by the Philippine Shelter Cluster Coordinator specifically for this purpose. The consultant is to recommend any additional key stakeholders to be included in the TWG.
• • Technical Working Group (TWG): Ample time should be allowed to populate each annex of the harmonised profile document with country-specific content, with maximum participation of the TWG members. The TWG shall be determining the areas and region where the FDGs will be conducted. This may require between 2-3 technical working group meetings.
    – Key informant interviews: as required, with key stakeholders who are not a part of the TWG. Inputs of key informants should be incorporated into the working draft, for consideration of TWG members.
    – Focus Group Discussion: as required, with key stakeholders who are not a part of the TWG. Inputs of focus group discussion should be incorporated into the working draft, for consideration of TWG members.
• Final draft: each annex to be reviewed by TWG members and key informants. Any final feedback to be addressed and incorporated. Final draft to then be submitted to the Steering Committee for consideration and endorsement.

Deliverables

Proposed work plan and Inception report

• Copy of work plan and inception report highlighting the purpose, scope of work, methodologies, timeline and quality assurance of the final product

Initial Draft Environmental Country Profile

• Copy of draft Environmental Country Profile (1 copy hard copy and 1 copy soft copy) including Technical Working Group meeting minutes and records of key informant interviews

Final documents

• Copy of final Environmental Country Profile (1 copy hard copy and 1 copy soft copy)
• Copy of presentation slides presented in final sharing workshop (soft copy)
• Copy of work completion report (1 copy hard copy and 1 copy soft copy)
• Copy of attendance sheet noting all stakeholders engaged in this process

Method of delivery and reasons for selecting that method

The consultancy is expected to complete the proposed task in a timeframe, no later than March 31, 2023. In the submission of the application; the consultant will propose an alternative breakdown of time required for each of the key activities, for consideration by the steering committee/TWG. The consultant may reference the Sample Guide: Timeframe Activity Breakdown, linked here, for the development of the work plan and timeframe.

A copy of the full Terms of Reference (ToR) is available through this link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ir1u99metjvychf/PUBLIC%2012192022%20Consultant%20Terms%20of%20Reference%20Template%5BCountry%20Environmental%20Profile%20Philippines%20%5D.pdf?dl=0

Qualifications

A successful candidate for this position would have:

1. Filipino citizenship holder
2. A strong background in environmental issues in the Philippines.
3. A strong familiarity with disaster related humanitarian assistance, and particularly shelter operations, in the Philippines.
4. Good research and English language writing skills (sample of research and writing may be requested).
5. A familiarity with the construction sector in the Philippines.
6. Demonstrated skills in managing technical groups to achieve defined outputs on set schedules.
7. Excellent in English writing skills, with relevant writing samples of similar reports.
8. Demonstrated capacity to work both independently and as part of a team.
9. Strong analytical skills and ability to clearly synthesize and present findings, draw practical conclusions, make recommendations and to prepare well-written reports in a timely manner.
10. Immediate availability for the period indicated in time frame section.

In addition, a candidate with experience in following areas is preferred:

1. Involvement in disaster relief operations in the Philippines field assessments, environmental assessments, GIS, logistics, humanitarian program cycle, household energy options and use, familiarity with participatory approaches
2. Knowledge and experience working with the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement