Senior and Junior Consultants/Environmental Law Experts, Supporting Review of the Environment Act (2000) and Associated Activities, USAID-PNG Sustainable Landscapes, Papua New Guinea
Background:
USAID’s Papua New Guinea Sustainable Landscapes (PNGSL) program is a five-year activity that aims to transform Papua New Guinea’s forests and peatlands into a key pillar of the country’s future low-carbon economy and support the efforts to improve forest governance, increase the environmental sustainability of the forest industry, and protect the land and resource rights of communities to reduce GHG emissions, enhance carbon sequestration and increase the sustainability of natural resource management (NRM). This will be accomplished by strengthening national, provincial, and local governments, and resource users to better manage their customary lands in high carbon stock (HCS) areas; increasing the environmental sustainability of the forestry and infrastructure sectors; and building community-level capacity to apply their rights to land and improve their livelihoods through sustainable use of natural resources. All of these workstreams align with PNG’s recent focus on reforming its policies, legislative and regulatory frameworks, and institutional restructuring to enhance NRM, and shift from its current emissions-intensive growth strategy to a low-carbon, resource-efficient and socially inclusive investment, moving to the green economy.
These visions are clearly featured in the country’s Constitutional goals to its overarching development vision (Vision 2050), development policies, laws, and regulations to guide ecologically sustainable development as reflected in Pillar 5 of Vision 2050. Pillar 5 is dedicated to Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change which specifically focuses on emissions reduction and biodiversity protection while enhancing sustainable development. Achieving these goals requires appropriate environmental governance frameworks and effective law enforcement machinery through improvement and reform in the environment and natural resources law sector where PNG can safeguard and enhance both ecological and human well-being. In this context, PNGSL is inviting two Legal Experts/Consultant to review the Environment Act, 2000, and other Associated Activities such as the development of the “Administrative Order” to operationalise CEPA as an “Authority”.
About the Review of the Environment Act
PNGSL is supporting the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA) to review the Environment Act (2000) and other operational instruments as the Administrative Order as required under the CEPA Act (2014) to fully operationalize CEPA as an ‘Authority’. The Environment Act (2000) is the primary legislation for environmental control and management on development activities and the Act is supported with several subordinate legislations. CEPA being the mandated state agency responsible for all matters relating to environment protection, conservation, and managing environmental control actions for development through its environment permitting process (EIS/EIA), plays an important role in safeguarding the social and environmental concerns of the society. With the recent changing circumstances and policy change such as the National Sustainable Land-use Policy, REDD+ Safeguards, National Road Strategy (economic corridors/Connect PNG), and the infrastructure Environment Social Safeguard (ESS); it requires the 23-year-old Environment Act (2000) to be reviewed to ensure consistency with these policies and statutes.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
PNGSL is seeking two suitable and qualified Legal Experts/Consultants to work under the leadership and guidance of the CEPA management, and in consultation with PNGSL and key agencies and stakeholders in the context of reviewing the Environment Act. The multi-stakeholder approach to the review of the Environment Act will provide for engagement with national and sub-national stakeholders through national and regional consultation workshops. The Senior Legal Expert/Consultant will lead the development of technical strategies and recommendations while the junior will support the work by providing inputs and coordinating tasks as needed.
The Legal Experts/Consultants will report to, and be directly supervised by the Deputy Managing Director, CEPA and working closely with PNGSL through the Policy, Planning and Governance Advisor (PPGA) under the oversight of the Chief of Party. The Legal Experts/Consultants, in consultation with the PPGA, will also be expected to work with other PNGSL Implementing Partners, collaborating stakeholders and other key state agencies. The Legal Experts/Consultants will be responsible for the review, finalization, and presentation of the revised Environment Act for the ministry of Environment, Conservation and Climate Change to take it through the law review or law-making process in Parliament.
The Legal Expert/Consultant will undertake the following:
In consultation with CEPA and other relevant agencies, develop an Administrative Order as required under the CEPA Act, 2014 to operationalize CEPA as an ‘Authority’.Other activities as required.
The expected period of performance of this scope of work is from February 20, 2025, to September 30, 2025, with a possibility of extension depending on the progress of the review of the Environment Act. The budgeted level of effort (LOE) for the work is up to 100 days per consultant; additional LOE may be added to the scope of work if work on the review is deemed necessary by the Chief of Party or Policy, Planning and Governance Advisor.
Application Requirements:
The consultants will submit applications clearly labeling their desired position (Senior or Junior) and including the following:
Submissions that do not cover these requirements will not be considered. The deadline for submission is 17th January, 2025.
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