Objectives/purpose of consulting:
Support the DIDTPS of the MADR to continue its contribution to the agricultural sector goals of the National Development Plan 2018 – 2022 and the Joint Declaration of Intent, formulating and adopting the Sustainable Livestock Policy establishing areas and allocate resources in livestock systems, adopting public policy guidelines. Besides, structuring and consolidating agroclimatic tables, incorporating sustainable and resilient production systems.

Scope of work
Objectives Activity 1:

Within the Joint Declaration of Intent – JDI, the MADR must report progress in managing and meeting the milestones associated with the Sustainable Livestock and Zero Deforestation component. In this sense, the consultant will carry out the following activities:

• Develop a work plan that incorporates a schedule precisely defining the deadlines and estimated budget for the fulfillment of the targets scheduled by the MADR for the 2021 term, concerning the formulation, validation, and socialization of the Sustainable Livestock Policy, as well as the number of hectares to be implemented in productive, sustainable livestock systems.
• Support the adjustment and consolidation of the current Guidelines for the Development of the National Sustainable Livestock Strategy (LENGBS for its acronym in Spanish) to upgrade it as the Sustainable Livestock Policy.
• Support the Administrative Act’s construction to adopt the Sustainable Livestock Policy jointly with The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR for its acronym in Spanish) and The Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MADS for its acronym in Spanish).
• Develop an action plan’s proposal to adopt the Sustainable Livestock Policy Guidelines considering other strategies and concertation spaces such as the Regional Sustainable Livestock Roundtables (MRGS for its acronym in Spanish) and the Zero Deforestation Agreements, identifying strategic lines, actions, targets, indicators, stakeholders, managers, and estimated budget for its implementation.
• Support the articulation between the MADR and the MADS agendas to consolidate the animal and deforestation traceability national system in livestock systems promoted by MADR within the JDI framework, following the MADR’s actions in the Non-Deforestation Conpes.
• Support the agenda of MADR with the Colombian Federation of Livestock (FEDEGAN for its acronym in Spanish) to join forces that reflect the implementation of new hectares in Sustainable Livestock that links the territorial actors of the MRGS.
• Support the MADR on the Zero Deforestation beef Agreement agenda, articulating this space of concertation and participation with the JDI milestones linked to the MADR.

Objectives Activity 2:

The development of experience sharing and capacity building processes intended to support DIDTPS in the technical-scientific aspects of reducing deforestation and contributing to agricultural extension plans with environmental sustainability criteria. The following activities will, therefore, carry out:

• Develop a detailed document with a proposal to improve the PDEA and be included as mandatory in four years, considering other tools used in other plans, to develop and adopt sustainability and zero-deforestation criteria in the PDEA. As established by deforestation control CONPES in one of its proposed actions for MADR, a component associated with deforestation’s control should be incorporated.
• Accompany and verify the inclusion of environmental sustainability, emissions reduction and deforestation criteria, and adaptation to climate change in those PDEA that are in the structuring stage.
• Support the National agroclimatic Roundtable activities led by IDEAM and the established and functioning regional roundtables: Caldas, Córdoba, Sucre, Magdalena, Tolima, Cauca, Nariño, Santander, Boyacá, and Putumayo.
• Manage through DIDTPS – MADR and CONSA the implementation and operation of agroclimatic roundtables in the remaining departments individually or in neighborhood grouping and homogeneous climate supply characteristics, following the successful experiences of the working roundtables and promoting the inclusion of resilient and sustainable agricultural productive alternatives in partnership with forest systems.
• Attend the accompaniment and management activities designated by the Director of the DIDTPS of MADR.

Supervision and reporting relation

This assignment requires the selected consultant to work closely with DIDTPS of the MADR, with supervision provided by the Project Leader from GGGI, the Senior Associate of Sustainable Agriculture of the Colombian Office, and the Director of DIDTPS of MADR.

Products/Reporting Requirements/Deliverables:

1) Workplan

• To develop a document that details the implementation mechanism and activities with which the consultancy will be carried out, including a GANTT diagram and the proposal to deliver the products for the consultancy’s duration.

2) First Report on Progress in Meeting JDI Milestones:

A document that includes the following elements:

• A section that summarizes the Sustainable Livestock Policy, the Legal Mechanism for its adoption, and the proposal for the corresponding action plan
• A section that develops the articulation strategy with FEDEGAN to establish areas in sustainable livestock and financing alternatives.

3) Inclusion of sustainability control criteria in the PDEAs:

A document that includes the following elements:

• A proposal to improve the PDEAs, articulated with other plan’s tools, should be included, ensuring sustainability and zero-deforestation criteria to incorporate and adopt in the PDEA. As established by deforestation control CONPES in one of its proposed actions for MADR, a component associated with deforestation’s control should be incorporated.
• A section with contributions within the PDEAs under construction, incorporating environmental sustainability, emissions reduction, deforestation reduction, and adaptation to climate change criteria.
• The accompaniment’s activities, results of agroclimatic roundtables constituted and active, and the advances in managing those roundtables in the constitution process.

4) Second Report on progress in meeting JDI milestones:

A document that includes the following elements:

• A section that includes progress on the inter-ministerial schedule for the consolidation of the animal traceability system and monitoring the deforestation of productive, sustainable livestock systems following the actions in the Conpes for deforestation control.
• A section that includes progress on the schedule with the Zero Deforestation Beef Agreement, incorporating a pilot’s structuring that facilitates the animal traceability system and monitoring deforestation.

Reporting and Coordination Arrangements
The consultant´s work progress will be monitored and coordinated primarily through meetings on the periodic review and planning. The precise schedule will be determined based on the Project Leader´s requirements. These review meetings will address subjects such as the overview of the project, the development of project activities, detailed information on project objectives and milestones, actual achievements made against the initially proposed timeline as well as any other relevant details related to progress. The assessments will be developed under the GGGI staff’s guidance and the director of the DIDTPS – MADR.

All reports or outputs must be written in Spanish, apart from the work plan and final consultancy summary, which must be delivered in English and Spanish, following GGGI’s formatting requirements, and submitted in soft copy along with complete sets of raw data, research materials, and meeting notes. The legal drafts must be written in a legal framework according to Colombian regulations.

Suggested Methodology and Competence Requirements
The consultant will use both primary and secondary sources of information to prepare the required outputs. Face-to-face consultation through interviews, workshops, group discussions with relevant stakeholders and authorities are necessary to validate and prioritize the actions to be included. This methodology may be adapted to occur in a virtual setting* upon consultation and agreement with the Project Leader and the director of the DIDTPS-MADR.

Teamwork and integrated technical work are crucial aspects of this consultancy. It is the responsibility of the consultant to attend all the events and technical meetings required.

*Note: Due to the current situation associated with COVID-19, it may be necessary in some cases to adjust the defined methodology. Any such measures must be reflected in the corresponding work plan.

Qualifications/Experience/Expertise

• (REQUIRED) Must be Colombian Citizen or foreign resident in Colombia with a current work visa.
• (REQUIRED) At least fifteen years of professional experience in leading agricultural projects related to climate change and/or food security of national relevance.
• (REQUIRED) Extensive knowledge of the Joint Declaration of Intent and its milestones and the National Agricultural Innovation System (SNIA for its acronym in Spanish) and the Departmental Agricultural Extension Plans (PDEAs for its acronym in Spanish).
• (REQUIRED) Ph.D. degree in Science, Chemistry, Biology or in areas related to the subject matter of consulting.
• Excellent command of the spoken and written Spanish language and proficiency in the English language are desirable.
• Excellent skills in the writing and preparation of reports related to research projects.
• Previous working experiences working with the GoC, international organizations, development partners, and other upper-level authorities is desirable.

Additional Information

• Preferred start date: February 1, 2021
• GGGI evaluates applications based on eligibility requirements, the relevance of the academic study, work experience, and the level of interest and motivation to contribute to GGGI’s goals. If your application is successful, you will be asked to participate in a competency-based interview.
• The date to close is Korean Standard Time (KST). Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.