Background

The “Delivering as One” (DaO) approach follows guidance from Member States provided through the 2001 and 2004 Triennial Comprehensive Policy Reviews of Operational Activities, as well as the 2005 World Summit and the recommendation of the Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on UN System-Wide Coherence that the UN system should “Deliver as One” at country level.

The DaO initiative is a country-led process based on the principle of national ownership and leadership and the premise that “no one-size-fits-all.” It is intended to make the role and contribution of the United Nations development system at the country level more coherent, effective and efficient. It also intends to enhance the relevance of the UN System as a development partner in a changing international landscape.

Objectives of Delivering as One:

Overcome the fragmentation of the United Nations system so that it can deliver as one, in true partnership with and serving the needs of countries.

• Develop approaches to create a more united system for a stronger, more responsive and effective United Nations.
• Reconfigure the system to optimally use its assets and expertise in support of country needs and demands.
• Reduce transaction costs for national partners and lower administrative costs for the UN system.
• Make UN development support more transparent, predictable and accountable.

In the vision of the Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel, this would include the adoption of “Four Ones”, namely one leader, one programme, one budget and, where appropriate, one office.

• One programme: Country owned, responsive to the national development framework, building on joint analysis, strategic, focused and results-based and drawing on all United Nations services and expertise.
• One leader: Resident Coordinator with authority to strategically position and represent the whole UN development system and a clear accountability framework for the Resident Coordinator, UN country team members and national partners.
• One budgetary framework: Implementation of the One Programme through one integrated, consolidated financial framework, joint resource mobilization, un-earmarked and flexible funding and performance-based resource allocation under national leadership.
• One office: Harmonized business processes, common and integrated support services, common premises (where appropriate) and a common security infrastructure.

The “Four Ones” have since been complemented by “One voice” comprising joint communication strategies to strengthen coherent messaging of the UN’s core normative agenda and delivery thereof.  At the end of 2006, eight countries informed the Secretary-General of their intention to pilot the Delivering as One approach: Albania, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Pakistan, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uruguay and Vietnam.   It has since been adopted by 21 other programme countries: Benin, Botswana, Bhutan, Comoros, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Maldives, Montenegro, Namibia, Papua New Guinea, Uganda, Sierra Leone and Zambia. 

Experiences and lessons learned in DaO pilot countries have been extensively monitored and documented both in the individual countries and by the UN Development Operations Coordination Office (DOCO) of the UNDG. Major stocktaking exercises took place in 2007 and 2008.  Representatives of the governments of the eight pilot countries as well as representatives of other countries having also voluntarily adopted the DaO approach met in Maputo (Mozambique) in 2008, in Kigali (Rwanda) in 2009, in Ha Noi (Viet Nam) in 2010 and in Montevideo (Uruguay) in 2011 for exchanges of experiences and lessons learned and discussion of the way forward. The Fifth Intergovernmental High-level Conference on Delivering as One will be held in Tirana (Albania) on 27-29 June 2012.

 The Tirana Conference will build on the spirit of previous DaO intergovernmental conferences to improve the coherence, effectiveness and relevance of the United Nations development system. The Tirana Conference represents an important opportunity to draw on the overall outcomes, achievements, challenges and lesson learned related to the Delivering as One approach, as its 6-year pilot phase is coming to an end.   The conference will be informed by an independent evaluation of lessons learned from Delivering as One, which is being undertaken in accordance with General Assembly resolution 64/289 of 2 July 2010 on system-wide coherence.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objective

“Delivering Development Results as One - Telling the Story” will be a communications product to highlight the key results achieved in the Delivering as One initiative and their contribution to improving development results in the eight pilot countries and the 21 other countries that have since voluntarily adopted the approach.

The publication is intended as a communication piece in "everyday" language avoiding use of UN jargon, and technical content - but aimed at people with some understanding of the UN and its work in development, and citing evaluations and other evidence wherever possible/available.   It will be a key input to the V Intergovernmental High-level Conference on Delivering as One in Tirana, Albania on 27-29 June 2012.   At a later stage, it is envisioned to complement the publication by a video/multi-media presentation highlighting the key messages from the report in a visually appealing way.

• Overview section (about 8 pages): Overview of main principles of DaO and how they are applied in practice and an overview of the main contributions/results observed. This will include a summary of main lessons learned and critical success factors in effectively delivering as one.
• Illustrative country examples (about 4-5 pages each): 4-5 country case studies each focusing on the development impact of DaO in a specific sector or within a specific aspect of DaO (case studies to be identified - ideally to include both pilot and self-starters and including at least one example on transition). 

• Independent Evaluation of Lessons Learned From Delivering as One (forthcoming)
• Delivering as One Country-led Evaluations – Synthesis Report
• Delivering as One Country-led evaluations – Albania, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uruguay, Viet Nam and Malawi
• How Delivering as One Adds Value: Stories and Testimonies from Eight Programme Pilot Countries
• Stories from the Delivering as One Pilot Countries
• Resident Coordinator Annual Reports
• Synthesis of Resident Coordinator Annual Reports
• Expanded Delivering as One Funding Window Annual Reports
• Outcome Documents of Intergovernmental Conferences on Delivering as One in Maputo (2008), Kigali (2009), Hanoi (2010) and Montevideo (2011)

Competencies

• The Contractor must be a reputable writer/editor with prior experience on similar projects and skills at telling a compelling story, writing clearly while taking political sensitivities into account, and clearly articulating development issues with a fresh voice that avoids clichés.
• The Contractor should have a fine sense of political acumen and knowledge of how to handle sensitive and complex topics.
• Proven ability to consolidate and synthesize substantive comments from multiple sources in a balanced and concise manner.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to empathize with the various organizational mandates and cultures of the UN system.
• Prior experience with the United Nations and particularly the Delivering as One initiative is an advantage.
• Ability to produce and provide timely delivery of content.

Required Skills and Experience

Master’s Degree or equivalent in human rights, development, international law, political science, or related fields;

• Fluency in English is essential. Knowledge of French or Spanish is an advantage;
•  Must be computer literate and well versed in the use of Word, Excel;
• Knowledge of United Nations policies and practices is an asset.

Application Documents/Submission*

Interested candidates must include the following documents in their application;

1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Two most recent and relevant samples of written work
3. Two references including name, email and telephone contacts

*Please note that you can only upload one document (your CV) during the online application process. Applicants are therefore advised to attach the samples (No. 2 above) to the CV prior to submission.

Evaluation

A two-step procedure will be utilized in evaluating the candidate’s suitability for the assignment based on the assigned criteria weights. The total score is the weighted sum of both the technical and financial scores. The candidate with highest total score will be recommended for the award of contract. The maximum total score is 100 points.

Step 1:  Technical assessment (Weight 70%): Appraisal of the candidate’s CV and sample work. The minimum score required to pass the technical assessment is 70%. Aspects of the technical evaluation will include but are not limited to the following:

• Experience and expertise relevant to the assignment
• Excellent technical writing and editing skills
• Knowledge of the UN development system
• Ability/availability to complete the assignment within the prescribed timeline.