KI07 Specialist Advisor Sustainable Procurement Kiribati

INTRODUCTION

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is an intergovernmental organization founded to support and promote a model of economic growth known as green growth, which targets key aspects of economic performance such a poverty reduction, job creation, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability. GGGI works with countries around the world, building their capacity and working collaboratively on green growth policies that can impact the lives of millions. The organization partners with countries, multilateral institutions, government bodies, and the private sector to help build strong economies that are more efficient and sustainable in the use of natural resources, less carbon intensive, and more resilient to climate change. GGGI supports stakeholders through complementary and integrated workstreams that deliver comprehensive products designed to assist in developing, financing, and mainstreaming green growth in national economic development plans.

In August 2020, GGGI signed a funding agreement with New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) for the development and delivery of the Low Emission, Climate Resilient Development (LECRD) Project in the Pacific. In Kiribati the LECRD has successfully implemented an activity in the Agriculture sector and is now supporting implementation of the Nationally Determined Contribution Implementation Roadmap for the Transport and Energy Efficiency Sectors in Kiribati (NDC Roadmap) 2021.  There are a few other inter-related projects currently being implemented by GGGI and other partners in Kiribati.  These include the Minimum Energy Performance Standards being implemented by Ministry of Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy (MISE).  Wherever it adds value, GGGI supports collaboration and alignment, and these projects, along with programs and projects funded from other sources should be considered during implementation of the LECRD Project in Kiribati.

JOB DESCRIPTION

 The objectives of this assignment are to survey, write and deliver training on the introduction of Sustainable Procurement in Kiribati.  The deliverables are to be undertaken in a participatory approach through the Central Procurement Unit (CPU) of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MFED) and in coordination with a Sustainable Procurement Promotion and Training Officer (national counsultant).  Training will be conducted on the sustainable procurement of lighting and cooling appliances.  This will include lighting and space cooling appliances for energy efficiency as an essential component of the training. Training participants are expected to be, but not limited to, public service employees responsible for procurement at the ministry level, Island Council finance officers and clerks, and senior leadership from state-owned enterprises.  There is also the opportunity through this activity to “set a standard” in sustainable procurement and influence procurement in the private sector as well by promoting affordable sustainable products. 

 The idea of cooperative procurement within the public procurement system will be also tested.  The possibility of doing the same with some state-owned enterprises and larger private organizations can also be explored.  The viability of delivering qualifications through regional tertiary institutions such as the University of the South Pacific shall be assessed.  The feasibility to include sub-regional or bilateral cooperative public procurement with public procurement entities located in other PICs will be explored.  

The following deliverables are planned toward delivery of this Promoting Sustainable Procurement Activity through the LECRD Project in Kiribati:

Deliverable 1: Submission of Individual Work Plan. Upon the signing of the contract, the selected Specialist Advisor will develop an individual work plan, in a clear and easy-to-follow format, including a schedule for their work with target dates for submissions. The Work Plan will provide explicit detail on how the assignment will be undertaken to directly address gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) at relevant stages of the assignment, along with recommendations on how to support long-term treatment of GESI in procurement processes, and particularly addressing inclusive measures for a diversified approach to the capacity building workshops.  Readily recorded indicators to measure achievement of targets in gender equity and social inclusion will be included in the Work Plan consistent with the project´s related indicators.  Appropriate treatment of likely risks should also be included in a Risk Management Plan. 

The Work Plan shall be reviewed and agreed upon by GGGI and MFED before commencement of work.  It will also include a very brief consideration of the risks, and risk management strategies, that could occur during this assignment.  The work plan will allow for deliverables to be completed within a total of 30 days which can be distributed as required over the full timeframe of this activity (targeted at 48 weeks).  Proposals that also demonstrate how the deliverables could be developed satisfactorily in a condensed time frame maximizing in-person delivery and face-to-face mentoring would also be considered. 

Deliverable 2: Analysis and Prioritization of Outcomes.  The Specialist Advisor will work collaboratively with a national consultant to review the current Procurement Act, Regulations and Manual, alongside the CPU and in close consultation with other relevant stakeholders, against universal sustainable procurement principles and general effectiveness.  The review will include a rapid survey of recent procurement events and the public procurement system measuring the volume of public procurement in terms of products and product categories and identification of high-volume product categories that have higher carbon intensities and prioritizing them.  Other survey criteria such as general effectiveness, timeliness, efficiency and scope for simplification of public procurement may be provided by the CPU and GGGI.  A basic analysis will be undertaken, and reporting of findings will be conducted in a participatory manner, particularly and actively considering realistic and applicable measures in the national context.

Components of this deliverable include drawing upon information and data collated by the national consultant to complete a:

1. Summary of recent training workshops conducted by the CPU and the number of public procurement events recording the Procuring Entity, timeframe and outcomes;
2. Set of recommendations for addressing GESI in procurement training programs generally and the number of survey responses pre and post Sustainable Procurement Training; and
3. Analysis of the current human and financial resources in the delivery of training programs by the CPU. 

 Alongside the national consultant, undertake in-person consultations with Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MFED), Ministry of Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy (MISE), and Office of the President (OB) and other stakeholders leading to prioritization of outcomes.  Survey findings, constraints, opportunities, and targets for delivery of the top priorities for Sustainable Procurement in Kiribati will be presented in a short report format including a summary table or infographic of key findings, risks and opportunities.

In developing the core principles of Sustainable Procurement the Specialist Advisor will consider as appropriate, inclusion of marginalized, vulnerable, underserved and-or excluded populations based on gender, race and-or income to the extent that such may be applied in public procurement. 

Deliverable 3: Integration of Sustainable Procurement of lighting and cooling appliances into the Procurement Manual 

The Specialist Advisor will review the Procurement Manual against the top and relevant Sustainable Procurement Principles priorities identified in the survey and consultation process above, and write concise content for treatment of the sustainable procurement of cooling and lighting appliances into the Procurement Manual, if appropriate as an Addendum.  The content should be specific towards procurement that will have the long-term outcome of a reduction in CO₂ emissions and also be easily expanded to include other sectors such as transport, construction, and services.

The new content will be presented in an information paper to activity stakeholders and for acceptance by the Central Procurement Unit, MFED.

Deliverable 4: Development of Sustainable Procurement Guidelines.  The Specialist Advisor will write Sustainable Procurement Guidelines for lighting and cooling appliances in connection with the Public Procurement Manual.  The Guidelines will be sufficiently detailed, and clearly presented, to align with the current Procurement Regulation and Public Procurement Manual. 

The Guidelines will be completed to the stage where it may be submitted to the Secretary of MFED for approval, professionally formatted and printed as a hard-copy tool to support procuring entities during regular procurement events. 

Deliverable 5:  Capacity Building Training.  An integral component of this activity is the building up of CPU capacity to undertake effective training of Procuring Entities in the public procurement process broadly and specifically on the newly developed Sustainable Procurement Principles and Guidelines.   A training program for implementation by the Specialist Advisor alongside the CPU in initial training events and then subsequently by the CPU independently, will be designed with gender equality and social inclusive values in mind.  A basic Training Survey written by the Specialist Advisor alongside the national consultant will collect data on gender sensitive and inclusive indicators before and after training events.   The actual Training Survey will be undertaken by the national consultant with support for analysis from the Specialist Advisor.  Results from the Training Survey will be presented in a short report provided by the Specialist Advisor for this assignment. 

The training program to be developed will include:

• Familiarity with the public procurement system in Kiribati.
• Principles of Sustainable Procurement.
• Using the Procurement Manual and new Sustainable Procurement Guideline to practice sustainable public procurement.

The training program will equip the CPU to undertake a long-term program of Sustainable Procurement training that can be expanded in the future to accommodate a wide variety of sectors from sectors including transportation, hospitality, and construction for example. In summary this deliverable requires the Specialist Advisor to:

1)      Deliver training to the Central Procurement Unit and other key stakeholders to apply sustainable procurement core principles to the existing Public Procurement Manual

2)      Support the CPU to undertake training workshops with Procuring Entities in using the Guidelines targeting people in roles who regularly undertake public procurement

3)      As a capacity building activity, provide advisory support to procuring entities to regularly implement sustainable procurement in procurement actions   

For the removal of doubt, the Specialist Advisor will not have to deliver the full training program.  The services in this assignment require only the design of the training program, demonstration of training events to the national consultant and CPU staff, and support to the national consultant and CPU in delivery of the long-term training materials as described above. 

Deliverable 6:  Extension Activities.  This activity presents the opportunity for two unique extension activities as well, building on the foundation of the activities above: 

1)      The idea of Cooperative Sustainable Procurement within the public procurement system, where there are multiple public procuring entities that benefit from procuring at scale and with fewer procurement efforts.    There is also the possibility of doing the same for suitable state-owned enterprises or between larger private organizations.  That extension work could also include sub-regional or bilateral cooperative public procurement with public procurement entities located in other PICs; and

 2)      Development of a module on Sustainable Procurement for delivery by the University of the South Pacific (USP) in regular academic courses.  An online course on the topic, for regional delivery, could also be developed. 

 The Specialist Advisor will write and present to the MFED and GGGI a series of short concept notes for the extension of this activity in Kiribati and neighboring countries.  The Concept Notes to cover at a minimum;

• Next steps in Sustainable Procurement in Kiribati for multiple public procuring entities;
• A draft charter or policy note for Sustainable Procurement Principles targeted toward State-owned Enterprises and larger private companies
• The feasibility of sub-regional or bilateral cooperative public procurement in other PICs; and
• The viability of development of a module on Sustainable Procurement for delivery by the University of the South Pacific (USP) in regular academic courses and/or online course work.

 Combined these extension activities would essentially be an activity on sharing the lessons of the Promoting Sustainable Promotion Activity and broaden the impact through addressing Pacific regional approaches to Sustainable Procurement for reduced CO2 emissions. This deliverable will form the Completion Report for this assignment and should include a cover note, along with any key findings, recommendations and guidance, including budget estimates where practical, for expanding the impact of Sustainable Procurement in Kiribati with respect to lowering GHG emissions and mitigating the impacts of climate change in Kiribati.

Outputs and Products to be delivered. 

Throughout delivery of these services the Specialist Advisor will, to the best of their ability if working remotely, identify synergies and opportunities for collaboration with other initiatives or programs, particularly the Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) activity under implementation by the Energy Planning Unit (EPU), MISE.  The Specialist Advisor will also be mindful of known challenges in developing long-term programs, work collegially with Government of Kiribati and be sensitive to fatigue that projects can create by mitigating duplication.

The Specialist Advisor may be requested to participate in a variety of digital forms, including online meetings, online training workshops and other digital events throughout the consultancy.  When not working in-person alongside counterparts, this assignment requires particular emphasis on being able to deliver results remotely whilst maintaining a high degree of participation and engagement with counterparts and stakeholders in Kiribati.

The Specialist Advisor will provide e-copies of the deliverables 1-5 above in files of commonly used Microsoft suite applications.  The Work Plan will be submitted within 1 week of accepting the consultancy and will be a stand-alone document.  Deliverables 2-5 will be presented in separate documents with the findings of Deliverable 6 attached as an Annex to a short Completion Report.  During implementation input into the composition of basic awareness raising materials such as a poster-sized info-graphic summary of the Procurement Pathway will be required.  All deliverables are to be produced in English using clear and plain language. 

Reporting and Methodology  

The Specialist Advisor will report to the GGGI Program Officer in Kiribati.  To the greatest extent possible, this assignment is intended to be undertaken alongside staff of the Central Procurement Unit, MFED, in South Tarawa, Kiribati.  If a proposal can be demonstrated to achieve the deliverables in a blend of time working in South Tarawa and out-of-country, this should be clearly described in the proposal and subsequent work plan showing which deliverables will be achieved remotely and how eg virtual workshops and training, scheduled programs for online mentoring etc.

The timeframes provided in this Terms of Reference is a guide.  If the Specialist Advisor believes the timeframes can be contracted to achieve earlier completion of the deliverables, to the same high quality, this should be set out in the applicant’s cover letter.  

All products (such as guidelines, reports and training materials) must be in English, prepared in accordance with GGGI’s publication and formatting requirements, and submitted in accessible electronic formats along with complete sets of any raw data, research materials, interview notes, meeting minutes and any other related information gathered during the assignment.  The Sustainable Procurement Guidelines will be presented by the Specialist Advisor to GGGI and MFED whilst in draft form.  MFED and GGGI will provide comments and the products will be finalised considering any feedback received.  The Addendum to the Procurement Manual and Sustainable Procurement Guidelines will be prepared in a format ready for uploading on the Government of Kiribati Procurement Portal available at https://procurement.gov.ki/ .

The successful Specialist Advisor will possess the following, recently demonstrated, expertise:

• Advanced degree (Masters level or equivalent) in public procurement, policy and planning, or related field
• At least 5 years practical experience relevant to public procurement and administration, preferably with recent experience in the Republic of Kiribati and/or the Pacific Islands. 
• Demonstrated experience in project planning, preparation of training materials and delivery of training, and writing of public policy documents.
• Experience in procurement processes and systems is required, familiarity with sustainable (or green) procurement an advantage.
• Demonstrated experience in delivery of projects and training considering Gender Equality and Social Inclusion is required.
• Strong planning skills, as well as an ability to convey information concisely and plainly both remotely and in person, are a requirement.
• Ability to work across time zones and coordinate with a global team is required.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.

Child protection – GGGI is committed to child protection, irrespective of whether any specific area of work involves direct contact with children. GGGI’s Child Protection Policy is written in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child.