UNDP Jobs

Social Card - Social Welfare Information System (SWIS) project is part of the overall social reform process in Montenegro and it should enhance further reform of social welfare sector by development of more efficient and effective system of social protection and quality of service upgrading. This project is more than a reform in information technology and cross-referencing between the administrative system’s registries and data-bases which generates a ‘social’ profile of a person who is already a beneficiary or is applying for the social protection schemes. Its main goal is to advance social welfare reform, to enable more efficient and effective administration of social protection payments and services; and over time, to support the entire business process and policymaking in this area. 

 

Social Card - SWIS is an electronic, information system for processing, approval, record-keeping and monitoring and audit of social benefits/transfers as well as record-keeping of social welfare centre services beneficiaries. It improves capacities of social welfare centres in terms of their current work/business processes and greatly improves access to and quality of service for the poor and vulnerable. Generally speaking, the project is composed of two major components: (a.) SWIS - building of new social protection system integrated information system both at level of social welfare centres and the line ministry; (b.) Social Card component that implies real time data cross-referencing of administrative data bases i.e. of SWIS with line institutions: Real Estate Agency of Montenegro, Ministry of Interior (registry of population), the Employment Agency of Montenegro, Tax Revenue Office, Pension Fund, etc.).  In this manner social welfare centre becomes one-stop shop where all documents necessary for eligibility determination becomes electronically available and generates so called e-social card of a beneficiary.
 
SWIS processes and improves case management not only of beneficiaries of the social protection system but also of those who apply but are rejected based on the eligibility criteria. Therefore, at the same time SWIS serves as an analytical database that disaggregates data by demographic characteristics of social protection beneficiaries, property ownership, income/employment status, social and family situation, benefits breakdowns, and etc. thus generating data evidence for defining national and local social policies, data reporting and line programming, for monitoring implementation, and for assessing the social impact. Better targeting and public expenditures savings are expected in terms of inclusion error reduction and in administrative expenditures. By filtering out ineligible applicants and by providing the better insight who is the beneficiary, by paying fewer multiple benefits and savings in administrative costs could possibly reduce the funds needed for supporting applicants the law defines as eligible; and thus provide fiscal room for extending coverage to encompass more from among the truly needy.

 

On the other hand, social workers will significantly be relieved form the administrative burden and now on they can dedicate more of their time and effort directly to their beneficiaries. On the other hand, the beneficiaries and the new applicants will not any longer experience difficulties and be exposed to expenses associated with collection of documentation necessary for access to social assistance.

 

Under the supervision of Social Card-SWIS Programme Manager, the Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) will be responsible for ensuring that the project: Social Card–SWIS is identifying optimal information system (IS) strategies and solutions related to the design and implementation of a Social Card - Social Welfare Information System in Montenegro.

The CTA would support the Social Card-SWIS Programme Manager and Social Card-SWIS Technical Team in project implementation through:

• Support to the Project Manager in working with the Government in periodic management and organizational reviews and in providing guidance to the Government in strategic planning of Social Card-SWIS information systems development;
• As per the ProDoc set deliverables and timeframes, s/he provides assistance and guidance to the Government and Technical Team in producing necessary business process reengineering studies needed for introduction of design and implementation of a functional Social Card - Social Welfare Information System in Montenegro;
• S/he should deliver clarification of scope of work to be completed, envisaged under the Project, with relative suggestions for extension under other Government/UNDP supported or differently financed projects. He/she would be tasked to develop ToRs (scope) of the system assessments envisaged under the Project; to assess the quality of the undertaken assessments and to provide operational recommendations for further systems’ integration and development including identification of other target databases, institutional strengthening and hardware procurement investments etc.;
• As per request, he/she should provide timely reviews and quality assurance of project documents related to project implementation plans, such as manpower, services and products delivery plans, procurement plans, and budgets - ensuring consistency;
• On matters related to the implementation of project activities associated with the sophisticated IT issues (including addressing/management of newly identified issues, risks), s/he should timely provide technical guidance to the Social Card-SWIS Programme Manager and Technical Team;
• Expert review and quality assurance of technical specifications/requirements and bidding documents for procurement of information system packages (both hardware and software) as well as follow-up communications such as requests for clarification responses, bid evaluation report reviews, etc. for quality and transparent procurement processes;
• Expert review of the progress that has been achieved by the Government counterparts, negotiating and providing recommendations on potential enhancements;
• Participate, as required, in missions in Montenegro and support the Programme manager with recommendations regarding capacity building aspect of the project.
  

Reporting:
The CTA will report to Social Card-SWIS Programme Manager.

 

Time duration and travel: 
The CTA is a home based international consultant and he/she will be engaged for total 80 work days (20 days in 2012; 30 days in 2013 and 30 work days in 2014) during the period: July 2012 – November 2014. The Consultant is expected to conduct 9 (approx. 3 work-days) missions in Montenegro, as per envisaged project’s deliverables and activities and eventually as per Programme Manager ad hoc requests.

 

The short-listed candidates only will be requested to submit a letter of interest including a price quotation indicating the lump sum (in EUR) requested for the work and travel envisaged in the section "Duties and Responsibilities".