UNDP Jobs - 50001- Re-advertisement - National Consultant on Human Re

Re-advertisement - National Consultant on Human Resource Development

Location :

Amman, JORDAN

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

12-Nov-14 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

National Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

5 weeks

Languages Required :

Arabic English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

5 weeks

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 re-apply.

In March of this year, King Abdullah II ordered the government to prepare a ten-year economic development plan followed by an implementation roadmap that will address the developmental and economic challenges the Kingdom is facing. The King’s letter requested that the preparation process maintain a participatory and consultative approach towards all stakeholders, namely governmental institutions, Parliament, the private sector, civil society organizations and local communities. The vision’s framework addresses five main pillars: human resource development, social development, economic development, decentralization and governorate development, and infrastructure. In addition, sixteen technical committees have been formed with members from public, private and civil society partners. The technical committees are led by a high-level steering committee that reports to the Jordanian Royal Court. The plan will be constantly reviewed and updated year after year to remain a reference for officials during these 10 years. The final 10 year economic blueprint will be presented at the end of the year.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objectives and Scope of Work

Acknowledging the unique challenges that Jordan faces in educating and creating enough decent jobs for its citizens, the objective of this assignment is to identify challenges related to human resource development, and to develop mechanisms and policy options to resolve these issues. This assignment focuses on the supply side of the labor market; the aim is to address the skills mismatch that is widely perceived in an institutional approach. The consultant is expected to provide recommendations on how the different levels of education can be reformed in order to create competitive and employable graduates.

In particular, special attention must be given to:

Suggest a mechanism that would enhance cooperation among all institutions operating this sector, by centralizing the management through an entity that specializes in human resource management and development in the Kingdom;
Suggest ways in which career development would play a larger role in schools and universities. This could be through the establishment of career development centers within education institutions;
Providing recommendations on the different aspects of curriculum improvements and teaching pedagogy to make teaching interactive. The goal is to produce a workforce that possesses the necessary analytical and problem solving skills to compete in today’s labor market;
Retool school to labor market transition at different levels of skill and education:
Revise the way Tawjihi is organized, and the role this general exam plays in the students’ career.
Reform the way students are streamed into academic and vocational education.
Reform the way students are streamed into academic majors at university.
Propose a mechanism that would incorporate impact evaluation of the different programs and interventions that the Ministry of Education oversees. Ideally, this will be the first step towards establishing evidence-based policies in education that provide tailored and properly understood programs that best fit the needs and circumstance of the population it serves;
Develop a mechanism that would incorporate the role of business associations and trade unions (such as the Contractor’s Union) in the creation of decent jobs for Jordanians. The goal here is to establish clear guidelines for the responsibility that the private sector and civil society institutions should have towards hiring Jordanians in jobs of all skill levels.

The report will feed directly into the preparation of the BP and must be tailored to propose a set of actionable recommendations. Importantly, the consultant is expected to identify a set of quick wins that when implemented will develop the appropriate momentum – and encouragement – to carry out the remaining recommendations.

Outputs and tasks

The consultant is expected to deliver a report with a diagnostic portion, and a more detailed portion specifying recommendations and policy options;
The consultant is expected to develop a diagnostic research based on consultations with relevant stakeholders when possible;
The diagnostic portion of the study should specify the different challenges based on their severity and importance;
Policy recommendations and action plans must be categorized into short-term, medium term, and long term plans based on importance and achievability;
Closely coordinate with other sector consultants to avoid contradictory planning proposals and indicators;
Revise the previous working plans of the country;
Participate in EBP’s technical and steering committee meetings as deemed necessary.

Competencies

Ability to work under pressure against strict deadlines;
Ability to think out-of-the-box;
Ability to present complex issues persuasively and simply;
Ability to contextualize global trends in accordance with the dynamics of the operating (working) environment;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Highest standards of integrity, discretion and loyalty.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

Graduate degree in Human Resources, Management, Social Science or any other relevant field.

Experience

A minimum of ten years’ experience, and importantly, demonstrated knowledge and experience in the sector and region.

Language:

Fluency in both written and spoken English;
Arabic will be an asset.

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals

2-3 page proposal: (i) Explaining why they are the most suitable for the work; (ii) Provide a brief methodology on how they will approach and conduct the work (if applicable)
Financial proposal (which includes a breakdown of consultancy fees)
Personal CV including past experience in similar projects and at least 3 references

Noting that, only applications which include the above, will be considered.