International consultant on climate change and cultural heritage

Background

Climate change over the next 100 years will likely have a range of direct and indirect effects on the natural and material environment, including the historic built environment. Important changes will include alterations in temperature, precipitation, extreme climatic events, soil conditions, and groundwater level. The analyses done in the past as part of the preparation of the national reports to the UNFCCC show the same negative effect of the climate change in the country.

UNDP and the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning (MoEPP) are implementing the project “Third National Communication to UNFCCC”. The main aim of the project is to strengthen the information base, analytical and institutional capacity of the key national institutions to integrate climate change priorities into country development strategies and relevant sector programs by providing financial and technical support to prepare its Third National Communication (TNC) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Linking global changes to the response of material surfaces of archaeological and historic structures is a challenge in our country, because there are no previous studies/researches that assess climate change impact on cultural heritage. For example, some processes of building decay will be accelerated or worsened by climate change, while others will be delayed. Therefore, vulnerability of the cultural heritage on climate change is a new area that will be assessed within this project.

The Ministry of Culture is the responsible institution for protection of cultural heritage. Beside the Ministry there are several administrative institutions in the country:

• The Cultural Heritage Protection Office is an independent governmental administrative body, operating as a legal entity as a constituent part of the Ministry of Culture.
• National Conservation Center
• Eight regional offices for protection of culture monuments and museums

The Law on protection of cultural heritage specifies the types, categories, identification, manners of settling under protection and other instruments of the cultural heritage protection, the regime of protection and use of cultural heritage, rights and obligations of holders and limitations of the property right on the cultural heritage of public interest, the organisation, co-ordination and supervision, professional titles and other issues significant for the unity and the functioning of the cultural heritage protection system in the country.
Types and categories of cultural heritage are defined in the law i.e. Immovable cultural heritage (Monuments, Monumental entireties, Cultural landscapes) and Movable cultural heritage (Archaeological items, Ethnological items, Historical items, Items of art).

Special categories of protected goods are: Goods under temporary protection, Reserved archaeological zone and Cultural heritage in danger.

In close collaboration with the key national institutions, the consultant shall assess the potential impact of climate change on cultural heritage, provide recommendation how to mitigate the impact and how to adapt having in mind specifics of the cultural heritage in the country.

The outputs of the assignment should serve as guidance for integration of climate change into relevant policies and plans for protection and management of the cultural heritage in the country .

Duties and responsibilities

The objective of this assignment is to create an enabling environment for incorporation of climate change considerations into relevant sectoral policies and plans for protection of the cultural heritage on national and local level.

Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager, and in close collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and The Cultural Heritage Protection Office the Consultant shall be responsible for following:

• Familiarization with the institutional and legal set up related to protection of cultural heritage in the country
• Familiarization with the climate scenarios till 2100 for the country
• Familiarization with the national inventory for cultural heritage
• Carry out a rapid vulnerability assessment to climate change impact on Macedonian cultural heritage that should comprise categories as specified in the Law on cultural heritage. In consultation with the Ministry of Culture and The Cultural Heritage Protection Office three most vulnerable sites for each relevant category will be selected. The consultant will be responsible to prepare vulnerability assessment report and recommend the best approach and steps for specific adaptation measures for each of them.
• Prepare recommendations for adaptation of cultural heritage to climate change, including an Action Plan: planning time-scale, monitoring, management and maintenance, funding, research and education

Examples:

(Sites)
- Climate change damaging the architecture structures leading to greater humidity in the lower parts of the buildings and, consequently, to an increase in salt contamination of the structures and to the growth of vegetation (variations of precipitation and temperature, modification in precipitation regimes, increased soil temperature in response to increased atmospheric temperature, changes in sediment moisture, erosion, ground slumping)
(Cities)
- direct physical effects on the buildings or structures (stability, corrosion or salt weathering, moisture, damaging crystallization on decorated surface, heavy rainfall, flooding and post flooding drying, Shocks (extreme and sudden variations) or changes in the amplitude of the diurnal or seasonal variation of temperature and humidity, migration of pests and their influence on timber and other organic building (biological infestation), storminess and wind gusts, Desertification, salt weathering and erosion)

• Carry out rapid assessment of the capacities of national institutions responsible for cultural heritage protection and management in regards to climate change adaptation/mitigation
• Provide recommendations for short, medium and long term capacity building activities for the relevant national institutions
• Prepare guidelines for targeted group how to make rapid assessment of climate change impact over the cultural heritage sites and cities, how to mitigate the climate change impact and how to take into consideration climate change in the planning and policy process
• Conduct a workshop for relevant counterparts to present the vulnerability and adaptation report and the guidelines
All relevant documents will be provided to the consultant by the project office and focal points from the Ministry of Culture

Duration of assignment:

• The assignment is estimate to be completed in 25 (twenty five) working days in period of 3 (three) months starting in October 2012 and ending in 7 December 2012.
• 2 Field missions are expected: Fact finding mission (4 days) in the beginning of the assignment and second mission for presentation of the vulnerability and adaptation assessment and the guidelines (2 days)

Deliverables:

The main deliverables of the assignment are following:

• Draft vulnerability assessment and adaptation report
• Final Report that will elaborate the key findings, recommendations and steps to be undertaken for minimizing climate change impact on cultural heritage, including an Action Plan;
• Guidelines for targeted group (employees of the Ministry of Culture and other relevant institutions) how to mitigate the climate change impact over the cultural heritage sites and cities and take into considerations climate change impact on the cultural heritage in relevant sectoral policies and plans for protection of the cultural heritage on national and local level;
• Workshop to present the report and the guidelines

The documents should be prepared in English.

Impartiality and confidentiality:

• The incumbent shall execute agreed consultancy services honestly and fairly
• The consultant shall be independent of all parties, which stand to gain from the outcome of the evaluation processes conducted in the course of consultancy
• The consultant shall agree to hold in trust and confidence any information or documents (“confidential information”) disclosed to him/her, discovered or prepared by him/her in the course of or as a result of the consultancy services. He/she shall agree that it shall be only used for the purposes of project implementation and shall not be disclosed to any party

Ownership:

The produced materials will be property of UNDP, meaning that UNDP will hold the copyrights of the developed document. It will be used by UNDP and the Ministry of Culture in accordance with their needs and viewpoints and without consulting and approval of the Consultant.

Reporting:

• First fact finding mission to Skopje (4 days)after contract signing in October 2012
• The draft vulnerability assessment and adaptation report shall be submitted not later than 23 November 2012
• The final vulnerability assessment and adaptation report shall be submitted not later than 30 November 2012
• The Guidelines shall be submitted not later than 30 November 2012
• Second mission to Skopje (2 days) for presentation of the findings and training in beginning of December 2012

Travel:

The consultant shall have two field visits in the country:

• First in the beginning of the assignment (4 days, 3 nights in Skopje, one in Ohrid) to Skopje and other local areas in the country to visit several sites of cultural heritage. The local transport outside of the Skopje will be provided by the project. All other expenses will be covered by the consultant
• Second in the end of the assignment (2 days in Skopje).

Competencies

• Good presentation and communication skills, sense of initiative;
• Excellent analytical and writing skills;
• Full working knowledge of English.

Required skills and experience

Education:

• University degree in the thematic areas relevant to the assignment (archaeology, architecture, environmental sciences, natural sciences). Advanced degree is an asset

Experience:

• At least 5 years professional experience in areas relevant for the assignment (climate change and cultural heritage); Previous experience in projects in the SEE region shall be an asset
• At least 3 (three) similar assignments in nature and scope (vulnerability assessments and/or adaptation in relation with climate change and cultural heritage)

Evaluation of offers:

Best value for money principle takes into account a combination of the applicants’ qualification and financial proposal (70% technical and 30% financial offer). When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should be made to the consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

• Responsive/compliant/acceptable, and
• Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Only the highest ranked candidates who would be found qualified for the job will be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Technical 70%:

• Education: University degree in the thematic areas relevant to the assignment (archaeology, architecture, environmental sciences, natural sciences). Advanced degree is an asset 10%
• Years of professional experience: Minimum 5 years professional experience in areas relevant for the assignment (climate change and cultural heritage). Previous experience in projects in the SEE region shall be an asset 20%
• Number of relevant projects: Record of participation in at least 3 (three) similar assignments in nature and scope (vulnerability assessments and/or adaptation in relation with climate change and cultural heritage) 20%
• Methodology: Brief methodology and approach on how the assignment will be carried out included detailed timetable of the proposed activities 20%

Financial 30%