DEVELOPMENT OF 5 YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN 2025-2029 FOR MECCNAR

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (REOI)

Consultancy for The Development of MECCNAR Strategic Plan 2025-2029

Project: West Africa Coastal Areas Resilience Investment Project 2

Grant No.: E1400-GM

Assignment Title: Development Of MECCNAR Strategic Plan 2025-2029

Reference No.: GM-CPCU-411736-CS-INDV

Category : This consultancy is only for National (Local) consultants in The Gambia.

Background:

The Government of The Gambia through the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources (MECCNAR) is seeking financial support from the World Bank to develop and implement the West Africa Coastal Areas Resilience Investment Project 2. The Project Development Objective (PDO) is to strengthen the resilience of targeted communities and areas in coastal Western Africa. Project activities are expected to include interventions on policy and institutions, site investments, social development, and a project management unit.

In The Gambia, five priority areas for intervention – or hotspots – were identified through a coastal risk assessment of Greater Banjul Area that was conducted over the period of 2019-2021, supported by the ACP EU NDRR program and as part of the Integrated Urban and Coastal Resilience Technical Assistance Program to The Gambia. For each of the identified hotspots, an investment scenario was developed to reduce the risks, combining structural and non-structural measures, and hybrid infrastructure solutions promoting nature-based solutions. From this technical assistance, the Government selected the Kotu stream intervention (area extent of ~1,881 hectares) to be supported under the proposed Project (US$45 million IDA) based on the high social and economic impacts expected.

Environment, climate change, and natural resources management in The Gambia is the responsibility of a network of institutions, with MECCNAR serving as the lead institution. In discharging its mandate as the lead ministry for environment, climate change, and natural resources, MECCNAR has two technical departments and one agency under its purview that are charged with specific mandates related to environment and natural resources management - Department of Forestry (DOF), Department of Parks and Wildlife Management (DPWM) and National Environment Agency (NEA). It is also the focal point for Climate change in The Gambia through its Climate Change Secretariat.

Presently, there are numerous projects being implemented by the different technical Departments and the Central Projects Coordinating Unit under the Ministry.

For the Ministry to effectively function, there is a need for a detailed Strategic Plan to guide its operations. The Strategic Plan will provide a detailed description of MECCNAR’s mandate, objectives, goals, and scope of work. It will also identify the resource requirements for its effective performance in terms of financial, technical, and human resources needs. Overall, the plan will clearly define the operational, management and administration structures of the Ministry. To do this, the Ministry is seeking to engage the services of an individual consultant to develop its 5-year Strategic Plan 2025-2029.

Objectives of the consultancy

The overall objective of this consultancy is to develop a Five-year Strategic Plan to ensure that the Ministry fulfills its mandate.

Professional Experience

• At least Fifteen years (for BSc/BA) or Ten Years (For MSc/MA/MBA), professional postgraduate experience in research, strategic planning, policy formulation and/or project management

• Prior working experience in Environmental Science, Natural Resources,

• Demonstrated work experience with Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies; and other stakeholders in public sector development programs, especially in the areas of institutional capacity development and reform is required.

Skills and Competencies:

• Excellent and proven analytical skills

• Excellent organizational and communication skills and ability to prioritize

• Understanding of participatory approaches to management and operations

• Ability to work with minimal supervision;

• High level of written and oral communications skills in English;

• Must be result-oriented, a team player, exhibiting high levels of enthusiasm, tact, diplomacy and integrity;

• Demonstrate excellent interpersonal and professional skills in interacting with Government and development partners;

• Skills in facilitation of stakeholder engagements/workshops;

• Evidence of having undertaken similar assignments within the last 10 years.

Deliverables