UNDP Jobs - 50182- Consultant - Advisor on Follow-up to the UNDP Eva

Consultant - Advisor on Follow-up to the UNDP Evaluation Policy Review

Location :

Home-based assignment, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

15-Oct-2014

Application Deadline :

03-Oct-14 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

15 October 2014 – 15 June 2015

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

45 days estimated

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

The first UNDP Evaluation Policy (which also governs evaluation for UN Volunteers and UNCDF) was approved by the UNDP Executive Board during its annual session in 2006. The policy aims to establish a common institutional basis for the UNDP evaluation function and seeks to increase transparency, coherence and efficiency in generating and using evaluative knowledge for organizational learning and managing for results, and to support accountability. To do so, the Evaluation Policy establishes accountabilities and responsibilities for independent and decentralized evaluation within the organization (with roles and responsibilities attributed to both UNDP Management and to the Independent Evaluation Office), and establishes the evaluation compliance standards against which UNDP and the IEO are assessed.

At the request of the Executive Board, the Evaluation Office of UNDP commissioned an independent review of the first evaluation policy, which was presented to the Executive Board in 2010 and led to a consequent updating of the policy, approved by the Executive Board in its first session in 2011.

The Executive Board further requested the (recently renamed) Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) to commission a second review of the evaluation policy, to be reported to the Executive Board in 2014. An independent review team has been contracted by the IEO, acting as administrative agent for the Executive Board, to carry out the second Review. Le Groupe-conseil Baastel (for short, Baastel, www.baastel.com), a Canadian organization, was selected to provide this service; delivered a “draft final report” on August 18th 2014, and is expected to provide a final report by October 20th 2014. The final report will be presented to the Executive Board in January 2015 along with UNDP’s and IEO’s respective management responses. A revised evaluation policy, taking into account findings and recommendations made, is expected to be submitted to the Executive Board in its June 2015 session.

The Evaluation Policy Review (EPR) process has 3 parties involved: (i) the Executive Board; (ii) the IEO; and (iii) UNDP Management. Both UNDP Management and the IEO are expected to present Management Responses and consult with each other in the policy redraft that will follow the EPR. UNDP is also expected to produce an action plan to follow-up on the findings and recommendations of the EPR.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Evaluation Policy Review Advisor is responsible for advising UNDP Management on all issues related to the follow-up to the evaluation policy review. The Advisor will support the UNDP Management policy redraft technical team engaged in the review process, composed of UNDP staff members and consultants designated by UNDP Management. The team will work under the guidance of the Director of UNDP’s Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS).

The tasks for the UNDP Management redraft team will involve an analysis of the findings and recommendations made in the second EPR final report, a scanning of relevant content in existing evaluation policies of peer institutions, drafting proposed edits to the current policy, and advising the UNDP Administrator in her consultations with the Executive Board, UNDP Member States and other relevant partners on proposed changes.

Key tasks for the EPR Advisor include:

Conducts analysis of existing evaluation policies of peer institutions, to identify good practices and common approaches to address critical issues raised in the final report of the second EPR;
Suggests possible actions and policy changes to address critical issues raised in the final report of the second EPR;
Advises senior UNDP Management on consultations with the Executive Board, Member States and other relevant partners (including UNV and UNCDF), on proposed changes to the evaluation policy, on the basis of recommendations made in the final report of the second EPR;
Contributes to production of a final revised evaluation policy draft, taking into consideration best practices from peer institutions policies, as well as comments raised in consultation processes.

Key Deliverables

Deliverable 1: Contributions to the analysis of existing evaluation policies of peer institutions;
Deliverable 2: Contributions to the draft revised evaluation policy, for consultation;
Deliverable 3: Contributions to the final revised evaluation policy, incorporating comments and best practices.

Although it is expected that most of the services can be performed from the consultant’s home base, execution of the envisioned tasks will require two travels to New York. Consultancy services would be needed on a part time basis, during the period between October 2014 and June 2015.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional Competencies:

Knowledge Management and Learning

Promotes a knowledge management, sharing and learning culture in the office;
Ability to advocate and provide advice;
Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills.

Development and Operational effectiveness

Ability to support strategic planning, management and reporting

Management and Leadership

Builds strong relationship with team members and clients
Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure
Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities

Adaptability and flexibility in working in complex and dynamic environment

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced University Degree in business or public administration, development, social sciences or other related field.

Experience:

Minimum 10 years of International expert-level conceptual and technical skills in evaluation, including having carried out major evaluations and conducted teaching and/or research in the field;
Strong written and verbal communication skills, in a multi-cultural setting;
Previous experience with UNDP’s and/or other UN entity’s evaluation processes is highly desirable;
Previous experience in Knowledge Management processes and/or active involvement in thematic evaluation networks is highly desirable.

Language:

Fluency in English.

Financial Proposals:

Contracts will be based on a lump sum amount linked to specific deliverables. Payments are made to the Individual Consultant based achievement of the deliverables as specified below:

Deliverable 1: Contributions to the analysis of existing evaluation policies of peer institutions – 20%;
Deliverable 2: Contributions to the draft revised evaluation policy, for consultation - 40%;
Deliverable 3: Contributions to the final revised evaluation policy, incorporating comments and best practices – 40%.

Evaluation of Applications:

Method: Cumulative analysis method will be used to evaluate proposals.

When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract will 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.

Technical Criteria weight: 70%.

Financial Criteria weight: 30%.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 (70%) points on technical part will be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Criteria for technical evaluation (70 points maximum):

Criteria 1: Advanced University Degree in business or public administration, development, social sciences or other related field (25 points);
Criteria 2: Minimum 10 years of International expert-level conceptual and technical skills and experience in evaluation, including having carried out major evaluations and conducted teaching and/or research in the field (15 points);
Criteria 3: Previous experience in Knowledge Management processes and/or active involvement in thematic evaluation networks is highly desirable (10 points);
Criteria 4: Strong written and verbal communication skills, in a multi-cultural setting (10 points);
Criteria 5: Previous experience with UNDP’s and/or other UN entity’s evaluation processes is highly desirable (10 points).

Criteria for financial evaluation (30 points maximum):

The following formula will be used to evaluate financial proposal:

p = y (µ/z), where

p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated;
y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal;
µ = price of the lowest priced proposal;
z = price of the proposal being evaluated.

Other Important Considerations:

UNDP Personal History Form

In addition, applicants will be requested to fill and sign a PH 11 Form and submit it together with Curriculum Vitae on the online application portal. To note, a completed PH 11 Form will be required at the time a consultant signs an Individual Contract (IC) or his/her employer, if employed, signs a Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA) for work associated with this assignment.

UN Personal History form (UN PH11) can be downloaded from here(http://sas.undp.org/documents/P11_Personal_history_form.doc

Office and equipment:

For short term mission to UNDP HQ, UNDP will provide the following office facilities: a) office space/access to UNDP premise; b) Telephone and internet connection. Consultant is required to have her/his own computer.

Annexes and References:

Individual Consultant's General Terms and Conditions are provided here: http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/documents/procurement/documents/IC%20-%20General%20Conditions.pdf.