UNDP Jobs - 43926- Re-advertisement - International Consultant (New D

Re-advertisement - International Consultant (New Deal Team Leader)

Location :

Kabul with travel to other provinces, AFGHANISTAN

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

27-Apr-14 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

2.5 months

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

Candidates who previously applied need not apply again.

UNDP supports stabilization, state-building, and governance and development priorities in Afghanistan. UNDP support, in partnership with the Government, the United Nations system, the donor community and other development stakeholders, has contributed to institutional development efforts leading to positive impact on the lives of Afghan citizens. Over the years UNDP support has spanned such milestone efforts as the adoption of the Constitution; Presidential, Parliamentary and Provincial Council elections; institutional development through capacity-building to the legislative, the judicial and executive arms of the state, and key ministries, Government agencies and commissions at the national and subnational levels. UNDP Programmes in Afghanistan have benefited from the very active support of donors. UNDP Afghanistan is committed to the highest standards of transparency and accountability and works in close coordination with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and the UN system as a whole to maximize the impact of its development efforts on the ground.

Under the direct supervision of Ministry of Finance, Director of Aid Management Directorate and Manager of Aid Effectiveness and Policy Unit, MOF and with support from the UNDP New Deal Project Manager, the Team Leader will:

Lead and manage a team of national and international consultants to undertake an in depth study to assess the progress of Afghanistan against the principles and goals of the New Deal;
Deliver an assessment report: ‘Afghanistan’s Pathway towards Resilience and Stability’ that is based on comprehensive primary and secondary research through inclusive and participatory processes. Three drafts of the report to be presented – including first draft for internal consultation within the government, second draft for approval by the Advisory Board and peer review and a final draft as agreed by stakeholders;
Provide oversight and guidance to National Research officer on the New Deal Survey implementation and completion and ensure quality control and data credibility;
Manage all study team members and coordinate key activities including engagement with stakeholders, meetings and workshops as necessary;
Undertake regular liaison with stakeholders including the Aid Management Directorate, Study Advisory Board and UNDP Project Manager and ensuring timely reporting of issues and progress;
Ensure New Deal PSGs for Afghanistan and relevant reporting framework is agreed with stakeholders;
Prepare a detailed work plan for the study, ensuring that outputs are delivered in a timely fashion;
In collaboration with the team, prepare the most appropriate methodology and identify techniques for implementing the research;
In collaboration with the team, produce the research plan, design research questionnaires and provide trainings/guidance to the research team for effective implementation of research tools;
Identify stakeholders, coordinate field work and prepare relevant report for consideration by the Advisory board;
Participate in peer-reviews of the report including the PSG indicators;
Deliver briefings to the Study Advisory Board and ensure that the decisions of the board are implemented and followed up on;
Quality control of translation of the report into Dari and Pashto.

Deliverables and Timeframe:

The final New Deal Report (Mid March 2014 submit first draft of report and Mid April 2014 submit final draft of report).

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
Maturity combined with tact and diplomacy;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Treats all people fairly without favoritism.

Functional Competencies:

Knowledge Management and Learning

Promotes a knowledge sharing and learning culture in the office;
Ability to conduct required research, analyze and produce proposals and reports;
Excellent analytical aptitude, communication, writing and presentation skill;
Commitment and enthusiasm for development work;
In-depth knowledge on development issues;
Ability to advocate and provide policy advice;
Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more Practice areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills.

Management and Leadership:

Focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
Leads teams effectively and shows conflict resolution skills;
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues in a multi-cultural and multiethnic environment;
Builds strong relationships with clients and external actors;
Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure;
Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
Demonstrated ability to speak and write professionally in English;
Excellent writing skills;
Ability to work independently with strong sense of initiative, discipline and self-motivation;

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master degree Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Sciences or related field.

Experience:

At least 5 years of relevant work experience;
Excellent computer skills (word processing and statistical data analysis);
Knowledge and research experience in poverty, socio-economic development of Afghanistan;
Understanding of Afghanistan’s socio-economic and political context is highly desirable;
Prior experience in working with Government of Afghanistan’s key Line Ministries on socio-economic and political issues highly desirable.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of local languages is desirable but it is not requirement.

Evaluation criteria:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology:

Cumulative analysis

The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

Evaluation:

The selection shall be made on a combined scoring method, based on a 70%-30% distribution on the technical and financial offers, respectively.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (=70 % of the technical score weight) on technical evaluation only would be considered for the financial evaluation and further selection process.

Technical Criteria – Maximum 70 points

Criteria A: Relevance of Education – Max 5 points;
Criteria B: Special skills, Language, etc. - Max 5 Points;
Criteria C: Relevance of experience – Max 30 points;
Criteria D: Description of approach/methodology to assignment – Max 30 Points.

Financial: 30 % (Maximum 30 points)

Monitoring and reporting arrangements:

The consultant shall be supervised by an assigned supervisor and s/he will report progress on a periodical basis.

The review and approval of payments will be made by the assigned supervisor (s).

Application Submission:

Interested individuals must upload the following documents/information (in a single PDF or word document) to demonstrate their qualification:

A one page proposal explaining why they are the most suitable for the work;
Personal CV or duly signed P11 including at least 3 references (either current or former supervisors) with their contact details to be provided.

Applicants should apply on-line through the UNDP job site at http://www.undp.org/content/afghanistan/en/home/operations/jobs.html . Please ensure to fill and upload resume or Personal History Form-P.11 which is available at UNDP job site in the relevant field of the on-line application;

The applicant will receive an automated response upon successful submission of the application. Incomplete applications will not be given consideration. Candidates are requested to mention their interested area of expertise (as listed above) with the specific code in subject line of their application.