Project Development Specialist
Procurement Process
IC - Individual contractor
Office
UNDP-PHL - PHILIPPINES
Deadline
05-Mar-25 @ 11:59 PM (New York time)
Published on
19-Feb-25 @ 12:00 AM (New York time)
Reference Number
UNDP-PHL-00662
Contact
UNDP Philippines Procurement Unit - procurement.ph@undp.org This specific tender is managed via the new supplier portal system of UNDP Quantum. If you are interested in submitting a bid for this tender, you must subscribe following the instructions in the user guide. If you have not registered a profile with this system, you can do so by following the link for Supplier Registration.
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Introduction
Country: PHILIPPINES
Description of the Assignment:
In the Philippines, Indigenous Peoples, particularly women, endure significant economic and social disparities, despite the countryโs adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Barriers such as limited access to education, health care, electricity, and financial services, as well as tenurial insecurity and lack of or limited investments both public and private, persist in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) where ancestral domains are situated. These challenges, compounded by cultural and gender norms, hinder meaningful participation, leadership, and economic opportunities for Indigenous women and girls. Notably, 60% of the IPs in the country resides in Mindanao, a conflict-affected region that has been a focal point of international development efforts, including support from Aotearoa New Zealand over the past two decades.
Gender equality and womenโs empowerment are central to the New Zealand Government Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tradeโs (NZ MFAT) international development agenda, as outlined in the Ministryโs Gender Action Plan (GAP) and its broader commitment to human rights. To address these issues, a targeted intervention in Mindanao is proposed, focusing on (i) enhancing employment and livelihood opportunities for indigenous women and girls through investments in entrepreneurial skills and leadership training; (ii) raising awareness of the rights of indigenous women and girls; and (iii) addressing formal and informal customs that perpetuate gender-based social exclusion.
The proposed initiative, named the Indigenous Women and Girls โ Leadership and Empowerment in Ancestral Domains (I-LEAD) Project, aims to bolster intergenerational socio-economic development of indigenous women and girls in Mindanao. It targets two key barriers: weak participation of Indigenous women and girls in governance and management of ancestral domains, and their constrained access to education and livelihood services hindering their economic participation.
To address these barriers, the Project will carry out interventions that will result in the following: (i) IP women and girls benefiting from improved accountability and transparency of ancestral domain management and governance; (ii) IP women and girls with increased income and improved livelihoods; and (iii) improved gender and human rights-responsive policy and institutional support for IP women and girls at national and regional levels. With these targets, the I-LEAD Project will undertake three interrelated and mutually reinforcing project components:
1. Ancestral domain governance is strengthened with a human rights and gender perspective
2. Gender-equitable and culturally appropriate economic empowerment
3. Support to NCIP and stakeholders on gender and human rights-responsive policy and knowledge management
The Project will operate in select ancestral domains in Regions XI and XII, and will prioritize gender and human rights perspectives, ensuring the full enjoyment of rights by diverse gender identities, especially women, and empowering individuals to claim and advocate for their rights.
Scope of Work
Under the supervision of the I-LEAD Project Manager and the Programme Analyst of the Climate Action Programme Team, the Project Development Specialist will serve as the Team Leader of the Project Development Team1 . S/he will provide strategic leadership and technical expertise in the development and formulation of the projectโs Inception Report2 for submission to the New Zealand Government Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (NZ MFAT), ensuring relevance of the document to the needs of selected communities and alignment with relevant NZ MFAT programming directions. Specifically, the Project Development Specialist will:
๏ท Lead the Project Development Team by: - Leading the development of the detailed methodology and work plan for the preparation of the Inception Report; - Ensure that project development is participatory, gender-responsive and based on extensive stakeholder engagements; - Verify and ensure that project components are technically sound and cost effective; and - Ensure that inputs from the Project Development Team are consolidated and provided on a timely manner.
๏ท Conduct baseline situational analysis, including: - Together with the Project Coordinators based in NCIP Central Office, NCIP Region XI and Region XII, research and analyze existing relevant information, interventions and policies on rights of Indigenous Peoples for economic empowerment and basic service delivery, ancestral domain management, sustainable community resource use and management, Indigenous Peoples Knowledge, Systems and Practices (IKSP), equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms, private sector participation in resource use within ancestral domains, and gender mainstreaming in IKSPs, among others; - Conduct assessment of emerging global practices and, recommended approach or menu, and feasibility of implementation of improving economic opportunities among IP women and girls; - Conduct organizational assessment of NCIP to identify management arrangements for the I-LEAD Project; and - Ensure timely submission of draft documentation as agreed with UNDP Country Office and NZ MFAT.
๏ท Review and finalize the site selection criteria and project sites:
- Ensure human rights- and gender-specific factors relevant to Indigenous Peoples, especially women and girls, are considered;
- Ensure documentation of the site selection criteria and making sure that geo-referenced data and maps are clearly presented and concise information collected for target IP communities as target sites to enable more detailed documentation of site profiles and situational analysis; and
๏ท Complete the drafting of the Inception Report and all related Annexes, including: - Lead the development, presentation and articulation of the Projectโs theory of change; - Lead the development of the Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Framework in line with the NZ MFATโs policy; - Lead the development of detailed Monitoring and Evaluation Plan and budget; - Support the UNDP Country Office on the development of an updated governance and management plan; - Support the Gender and Stakeholder Engagement Specialist, i.e., provide quality assurance review on the finalization of the Gender Action Plan, Stakeholder Engagement Plan, collaborative framework with partners, and the Communication and Knowledge Management Plan; - Support the Community Economic Development Specialist, i.e., provide quality assurance review, on finalization of the Livelihood Process Framework; - Support the Safeguards Specialist, i.e., provide quality assurance review, on finalization of safeguards management plans and risk management framework; - Support the preparation of the indicative annual work and procurement plan.
๏ท Participate and provide inputs to the development and implementation of Project Preparation Stakeholder Engagement Plan, including the conduct of the Detailed Work Planning and Validation Workshops.
๏ท Work closely with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) as the lead government partner of the project, selected ancestral domains as project sites, and other relevant stakeholders.
๏ท Provide recommendations for project implementation and support the formulation of the Project Initiation Plan and relevant annexes.
Qualifications:
Period of assignment/services (if applicable): April 2025 to November 2025
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