Deadline: 09-Oct-20
As part of a project to design and help implement a Multidimensional Biodiversity Index (MBI) for countries aiming to measure biodiversity health, the Luc Hoffmann Institute at WWF-World Wide Fund For Nature (formerly World Wildlife Fund), hereafter “the Institute”, in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), is seeking proposals to carry out a pilot project in Switzerland.
The MBI project aims to develop a policy-focused index for biodiversity as a tool for decision-makers to monitor if we are living within the regenerative capacity of nature or eroding own opportunities to achieve sustainable development.
The pilot must include a broad range of stakeholders from not only environmental disciplines and practices (example: non-profit conservation organizations, state or local administrative departments) but ideally from other sectors such as economics, law, national statistics offices, or agriculture.
Furthermore, the pilot should be cross-sectoral in nature and facilitate collaboration from a variety of stakeholders, including the private sector and the general public in order to gauge and integrate the aspirations, concerns, and needs of the broader population into the MBI Swiss pilot. The aim is to co-create the Swiss MBI pilot for greater ownership and buy-in from important stakeholders.
To achieve global relevance alongside the numerous existing biodiversity indicator initiatives such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the implementation of the MBI framework needs to be feasible in all countries, at different stages of development. Work is required to road-test the MBI framework in national contexts to understand its potential utility.
Objectives
The objectives of the MBI pilot in Switzerland are to:
- Road test the MBI framework;
- Contribute to the methodology development of the index;
- Provide input into other MBI pilots being conducted in other countries around the world as well as the overall MBI project;
- Leverage in-country ownership and policy usage of the MBI in Switzerland;
- Provide findings, lessons, and best practices to the global MBI project and team.
Funding Information
- An important criterion for selection will be value for money. Applications with a total budget in excess of 200’000 CHF (including, if it applies, VAT) over the said period will not be considered.
Outcomes
The MBI global project outcomes are:
- The MBI framework is taken up by national governments to develop tailored national biodiversity measures that monitor the state of biodiversity and its contributions to people.
- A community of engaged experts is built and agreement on how to develop an MBI that monitors the ‘health’ of biodiversity and its contributions to people to inform policymaking.
- National government decision-makers consider evidence and recommendations from the MBI initiative to target resources and design biodiversity policies and measures that have a better technical design, greater focus, and are more effective in reducing biodiversity loss in all its dimensions.
- Intergovernmental and multilateral agencies incorporate recommendations and outputs from the MBI Initiative and use the global MBI to compare biodiversity state across nations.
- Increased global and in-country attention to research recommendations and outputs from the MBI initiative through engagement with media and civil society.
- A growing global community of countries and organizations that focuses on multidimensional biodiversity is created, which promotes dialogue, provides peer-to-peer technical, statistical, and policy support, and that distills experiences and lessons learned about measuring and using multidimensional biodiversity for policy purposes.
Competencies
The successful applicant organization must be able to demonstrate:
- Influential relationships with relevant research organizations, government departments related to the environment, local and national NGOs, and a broad range of stakeholders related to biodiversity issues;
- Working relationships with national environmental data producers and consumers, including the national office of statistics and local environmental and development NGOs as well as relevant research institutes;
- Experience conducting environmental data analysis and producing comprehensive synthetic reports;
- A strong track record in convening a diverse range of actors and facilitating discussions in open dialogue as a neutral convenor;
- Good understanding and track record of co-creation and co-learning;
- Familiarity with main issues and political dynamics of relevant international bodies and conventions such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, and relevant UN bodies.
Application Procedure
The application can be in Microsoft Word or pdf form. The application should include:
- An overall statement of interest and suitability for the project (max 250 words);
- A narrative of overall approach and methodology to implement the MBI pilot in Switzerland, including the geographic scope (max 1000 words);
- A description of how the pilot will contribute to the overall outcomes of the MBI project;
- A list of proposed stakeholders confirmed or planned;
- A demonstrated know-how of the Swiss political and economic system, as well as a track record of cross-sectoral research, co-learning, and complex socio-political processes.
- A detailed budget;
- Confirmation of acceptance of the general terms and conditions.
Evaluation
Proposals will be evaluated by the Institute against the following criteria:
- Suitability, including geographic connection to Switzerland or a Swiss Canton;
- General understanding and alignment to the MBI approach and methodology;
- Strong understanding of the Swiss political system;
- Established networks with relevant actors in Switzerland, including government offices and civil society; links to environmental actors is a must; links to actors beyond environment, such as industry and agriculture is an added advantage;
- Ability and track record to conduct research and producing comprehensive reports;
- Ability and track record in convening a diverse group of stakeholder.
Price.
For more information, visit https://bit.ly/33QRZob