UNDP Jobs

As Russia’s official development assistance matures, Russia’s activities and plans as donor in the CIS countries are growing in scale and complexity.  Central Asia remains one of the top geographical priorities but assistance to other neighboring countries will be growing too.   With time, Russia is aiming to build a more involved and capacitated development cooperation presence in the respective countries, pending decisions on the strategy and design of its official development assistance (ODA) architecture. 

At the same time globally UN agencies, including UNDP, remain an important channel of development cooperation and assistance on the ground, working directly with beneficiaries at the national and sub-national levels.  UNDP’s involvement may be especially relevant when there are political sensitivities (e.g. inter-ethnic or post-conflict tensions); complex problems that require an inter-ministerial or cross –sector coordination or long-term and sustainable solutions that require capacity development of local officials; community mobilization or private sector public partnerships.  UNDP also offers a global platform for inter-governmental cooperation as well as knowledge and best practice sharing among countries.  

These conditions were there when Russia gave its first ever development assistance grant to the UN in Kyrgyzstan in 2010.  Based on this first experience, several UN agencies, including UNDP, are now discussing with Russia new opportunities for cooperation in the future.  

The key task will be to contribute, via information collection, analysis and presentation of aggregated results, to the discussion on the trends and prospects of Russia’s ODA to the CIS and on the role cooperation with UN, including UNDP can play. Specifically, the consultant will be expected to produce the following deliverables:

• 15-20 page report (“Background Note”) in Russian (UNDP will provide an English translation and the Consultant will be expected to provide an editorial review of the English version)  which will include:
  an overview of the volume, recipients and thematic priorities of various forms of Russia’s development assistance to the CIS countries in 2005-2011.
  analysis of key trends in Russia’s development assistance to CIS countries, and basic benchmarking analysis against other major bi-lateral donors, e.g. EC, USAID, TIKA, GIZ.
  overview of Russia’s cooperation with UNDP and other UN agencies in the CIS, including key figures, based on inputs from the UN in the respective countries.
• Presentation (in Russian or English with  bi-lingual slides) of the findings of the Background Note in the form of a PowerPoint (or Prezi) at the workshop in Moscow to be held in the fall 2012.
• Summary report in Russian1 (up to 10 pages) of discussion at the workshop.

Estimated Timeline:

• First draft of the Background Note: 15 July 2012
• Final draft of the Background Note: 31 August 2012
• Presentation at the workshop: Date tbc
• Summary of the workshop’s discussion: 10 days after the workshop
  

• Ability to work under pressure and stressful situations;
• Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities;
• Excellent public speaking and presentation skills.
  

Academic Qualifications/Education: 

• Minimum Master Degree in Economics, International Relations, Public Administration or related field.

Experience: 

• At least 5 years of proven consultancy experience and proven track record of research on ODA and development cooperation issues, especially on Russia’s role as donor, with a track record of publishing on ODA related issues in Russian.
• Knowledge of CIS especially Central Asia development context. Experience of performing ODA related research for UNDP is a strong advantage.

Language skills: 

• Excellent writing, editing, and oral communication skills in both English and Russian is a must. 
  

Evaluation of Applicants:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on a cumulative analysis taking into consideration the combination of the applicants’ qualifications and financial proposal.

The award of the contract should be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:
a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and
b) 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 Criteria - 70% of total evaluation – max. 35 points:

• Academic qualifications – max points: 5
• Proven consultancy experience and proven track record of research on Russian ODA – max points: 10
• Proven knowledge of CIS, especially Central Asia, development context – max points 10
• Track record of publishing on ODA related issues in Russian. – max points: 5
• Experience of performing ODA related research for UNDP – max points: 5

Financial Criteria - 30% of total evaluation – max. 15 points

Application procedures:

Qualified candidates are requested to apply online via this website. The application should contain:

• Cover letter explaining why you are the most suitable candidate for the advertised position and a brief methodology on how you will approach and conduct the work (e.g. proposals for government and other counterparts to contact and for countries to visit). Please paste the letter into the "Resume and Motivation" section of the electronic application.
• Filled P11 form including past experience in similar projects and contact details of referees
  (blank form can be downloaded from http://europeandcis.undp.org/files/hrforms/P11_modified_for_SCs_and_ICs.doc ); please upload the P11 instead of your CV.
• Financial Proposal* - specifying a total lump sum amount for the tasks specified in this announcement. The financial proposal shall include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (number of anticipated working days and any other possible costs). Travel costs will be covered separately according to UNDP rules and regulations.
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials

*Please note that the financial proposal is all-inclusive and shall take into account various expenses incurred by the consultant/contractor during the contract period (e.g. fee, health insurance, vaccination and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services...). Travel costs will be covered separately according to UNDP rules and regulations.

Payments will be made only upon confirmation of UNDP on delivering on the contract obligations in a satisfactory manner.
Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director. Consultants are also required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under dss.un.org

General Terms and conditions as well as other related documents can be found under: http://europeandcis.undp.org/home/jobs

Qualified women and members of minorities are encouraged to apply.

Due to large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process.