UNDP Jobs - 49130- International Consultant to Assist in Developing t

International Consultant to Assist in Developing the New Social Housing Policy in Albania

Location :

Home-based with two missions in Tirana, ALBANIA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

06-Oct-2014

Application Deadline :

15-Sep-14 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

30 workdays over a period of 6 months

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

In the broader framework of the joint United Nations’ initiative on social inclusion in Albania, social exclusion is defined as the process whereby certain individuals and groups are pushed to the edge of society and prevented from fully participating in it by virtue of their poverty, lack of access to basic services and opportunities, lack of capabilities, and/or as a result of discrimination. Albania experienced remarkable economic growth in the past decade. Reforms have been launched in all sectors of the economy as well as in basic services such as education, health and increasingly for social care, insurance and other protection systems. Nevertheless, government structures cannot respond adequately to the needs of marginalized and vulnerable groups due to limited financial and human resources as well as inefficient institutional capacities.

The United Nations Support to Social Inclusion in Albania Programme (UNSSIA) seeks to support the development of capacities of Albanian institutions at central and local levels for advancing the national social inclusion agenda with a view to ensure that government policies and programmes are consistent and coherent in achieving the maximum possible effect for the social inclusion of people at risk; and, to enhance civil society and citizens’ participation as rights holders in national social inclusion processes.

Key partners of the UNSSIA Programme include the Ministry of Social Welfare and Youth and Ministry of Urban Development and Tourism. Naturally the Programme has active interaction with central and local level stakeholders in all areas of work.

Vulnerable groups face multiple barriers to social inclusion and often suffer the worst housing conditions. Their housing needs may be addressed through government housing programs targeted to families with very low incomes and also for vulnerable populations.

The amendment of Law no. 9232, "On Programs for Social Housing”, dated 05.13.2004 among other changes/revisions, considers a few measurements which include:

addressing housing problems of population based on their economic and social status;
definition of the role and competencies of the local government in relation to the housing administration as one of their functions;
introduction of new housing programs for addressing the needs of the population based on their income such as rental social housing, low-cost housing and land development for housing purposes;
Introduction of various legal and financial instruments to address affordable housing problems such as: (i) housing allowances for those who cannot afford the social housing rent; (ii) housing bonus for those who are renting houses in the private market; interest rate subsidy for families that cannot afford mortgage market rates; (iii) lump-sum subsidy for disabled and orphans, and small grants for improving the living conditions of Roma communities.

During 2006-2007 the Government requested a draft on sectorial strategies, which later were included in The National Strategy for Development and Integration (NSDI). Housing strategy is considered as part of the urban strategic planning; however it was not sufficiently detailed. From 2007 on, new procedures for budgeting of funds were implemented, which have marked a fundamental reform moving from an ad-hoc into a medium-term plan, based on NSDI and/or sectorial strategies and the criteria for the integration in the EU. Budgeting funds requires short and long term goals, objectives, activities, outputs, monitoring indicators and policy standards. Housing is seen as part of the “Urban Planning and Housing” budgetary program and is based on the budget of the last three years. Due to its importance, housing was the program with the third highest budget after Road Infrastructure, Sewage and Water supply.

The allocated funds have supported the implementation of three projects:

Construction of Social Housing - financed by a combination of resources from the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), state budget and 8 participating local governments;
Interest rate subsidy for buying low-cost housing in the market (soft loans by several Albanian banks);
Small grant program for improving living conditions of Roma communities.

Purpose of the assignment

In line with the goals of the Government of Albania in the field of social housing and in close collaboration with key stakeholders, UNSSIA programme aims to support the MUDT to develop Social Housing policies based on comprehensive analysis of the situation and of the needs from social inclusion perspective.

Thus, within the structure of the UNSSIA, UNDP will be recruiting an international expert, to assist the Ministry of Urban Development and Tourism (MUDT) in developing the new Social Housing policies.

In addition the selected consultant, in coordination with MUDT and UNSSIA team, will be tasked with developing a set of appropriate tools for the implementation and monitoring.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the UNDP Programme Analyst for Social Inclusion, and the direct supervision of the National Programme Coordinator for the UNSSIA Programme and with the overall guidance of the Department of Urban Services and Housing at the MUDT, the international consultant will be responsible for developing the new National Housing Strategy.

This assignment will build on prior studies and examinations of the housing sector in Albania, in particular the situation analysis and the needs assessment of social housing conducted in 2014. Both studies are funded by the United Nations Support to Social Inclusion in Albania Programme (UNSSIA).

The UNSSIA Programme team and the Department of Urban Services and Housing at the MUDT will work closely with the consultant, to assist and offer support through providing guidance, monitoring and leading the strategy development process.

The international consultant will perform the following tasks:

Develop the new Housing Strategy:

Become familiar with the existing legal framework and housing analysis; review research findings, policy documents, and other materials produced by MUDT and housing organizations. Identify all issues that need to be reflected on the new Strategy;
Under the leadership of the Ministry of Urban Development and Tourism and in close cooperation with all relevant stakeholders, draft the new strategy, including the vision, goals, objectives, anticipated results, objectively verifiable indicators, costs, and timeframe;
Present the draft of the strategy to MUDT staff and other key stakeholders, such as the Ministry of Social Welfare and Youth, the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Justice, the National Housing Agency, and the Minister of State for Local Government etc. In addition, present the draft to local authorities and representatives of civil society organizations (Municipalities’ association, the associations of PWD, roma associations, etc.). Hold consultations both at the central and local level. Integrate the feedback to the proposed draft;
Draft a plan of action that need to be undertaken to implement the strategy; include areas and ways of intervention, activities, partners, timeframe, and anticipated results;
Establish a monitoring framework with measurable indicators and means of verification for the strategy implementation.
Develop a communication strategy that will be used to inform stakeholders on the progress of the housing strategy.
Estimate the cost of implementing the housing strategy;
Advise the Ministry of Urban Development and Tourism and the Ministry of Finance on appropriate funding schemes to implement the housing strategy;
Elaborate on the criteria that should be used for municipalities to qualify for social housing funds from the state budget.
Identify ways of integrating the housing strategy into the new decentralization reform and vice versa.

Develop appropriate methodologies and tools for implementation:

Develop tools for monitoring the implementation of the housing strategy and evaluating its social and economic impact;
Based on socio-economic profile of the families in need for social housing, define a methodology to classify the municipalities for budget allocation;
Identify and prioritize housing initiatives that are tailored to the needs and capacities of local governments including scheduling, costing and responsibility for implementation; Describe how these initiatives will be monitored and evaluated;
Develop a methodology for planning, estimating, and monitoring the housing budget;
Propose a central data base system for collecting and analyzing social housing evidences

Deliverables:

The housing strategy with all agreed components: vision, goals, objectives, anticipated results, indicators, costs, and timeframe.
A methodological paper that focuses on monitoring and evaluation tools to assess the implementation of the housing strategy and its social and economic impact.
A communication strategy to inform stakeholders on the progress of the housing strategy.
A list of funding schemes for the Ministry of Urban Development and Tourism and the Ministry of Finance to implement the housing strategy.
Submission of the final housing strategy in English incorporating reviewers' comments

The consultant would need to take into account the following documents but not only:

Law nr. 9232, date 13.05.2004 “On Social Programs for Housing in Urban Areas”, revised;
National Strategy for Development and Integration;
National Profile on the housing sector (UNECE edition 2002);
Mid-term budget for the “Housing & Urbanism” program;
Social housing in Albania: A needs assessment;
A situation analysis of the social housing sector in Albania;
The document with recommendations by TAIEX expert mission.

Timeframe

The expected duration of the assignment is maximum 30 days between October 2014 – March 2015.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity and fairness by modelling UN values and ethical standards;
Demonstrates professional competence and is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results;
Display cultural, gender, nationality, religion and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional Competencies:

Analytical thinking and strategic planning skills, ability to facilitate, consult and negotiate with a broad range of government and non-government partners;
Willing and capable to work and collaborate with other donor-funded advisors;
Strong inter-personal and communication (oral and written) skills, efficiency in a multi-tasking and multi-cultural environment;
Ability to work and adapt to a dynamic working environment, judgment, results-orientation, and ability to perform under pressure.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced postgraduate degree in Urban planning, Urban management, Public administration, Public policies, Statistics, Social policies or closely related field of studies.

Experience:

Minimum 10 years of professional experience as social policy/social development advisory functions;
Strong knowledge and understanding of policy issues related to housing and urban development;
Substantial experience in strategy formulation and in drafting documents based on extensive consultations;
Familiarity with EU accession requirements and European social agenda.

Language:

Full working knowledge of English, including excellent report writing and presentation skills.

Evaluation of Applicants
Individual consultant 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:

Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and
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 points: 70;
Criteria A: Professional Experience including research skills – max points: 35;
Criteria B: Educational Background– max points: 15;
Criteria C: Writing and presentation skills in English – max points: 20;
Financial Criteria - 30% of total evaluation – max points: 30.

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. Please paste the letter into the "Resume and Motivation" section of the electronic application;
Filled P11 form for Service Contracts (SCs) and Individual Contracts (ICs) – Blank form download here; please upload the P11 instead of your CV;
Financial Proposal* - The financial proposal shall include the total lump sum and a breakdown of this lump sum amount (consultancy daily rate expressed in USD, travel cost, per diems and any other possible costs).

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 estimate based on man-days, health insurance, vaccination and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services). All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal in USD. This includes all travel to join duty station/repatriation travel.
Payments will be made only upon confirmation of UNDP on delivering on the contract obligations in a satisfactory manner.

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.