UNDP Jobs - 52402- Individual Consultant Procurement Notice: Provisio

Individual Consultant Procurement Notice: Provision of Individual Services of a Mine Action Expert - LEB/CO IC/141/14

Location :

Beirut, LEBANON

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

06-Jan-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Ten (10) Months

Languages Required :

Arabic English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

Ten (10) 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

International standards for humanitarian demining programmes were first proposed by working groups at an international technical conference in Denmark, in July 1996. Criteria were prescribed for all aspects of demining, standards were recommended and a new universal definition of ‘clearance’ was agreed upon. In late 1996, the principles proposed in Denmark were developed by a UN-led working group and the International Standards for Humanitarian Mine Clearance Operations were developed. A first edition was issued by the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in March 1997.

The scope of these original standards has since been expanded to include the other components of mine action and to reflect changes to operational procedures, practices and norms. The standards were re-developed and renamed as International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) with the first edition produced in October 2001.

The preparation and application of IMAS are shaped by five guiding principles, the first of which is the right of national governments to apply national standards to national programmes. The IMAS assist National Mine Action Authorities (NMAA) to establish national standards and national Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) by establishing a frame of reference, which can be used, or adapted for use, as a national standard. The IMAS have been translated into a number of languages, including Arabic, with the active participation of Lebanon and in coordination with the Geneva International center for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD). The latest version of the IMAS contains around 14 chapters divided into 42 sections. The length of each section varies between a minimum of 11 pages and a maximum of 44 pages.

Lebanon National Mine Action Standards

The National Mine Action Standards (NMAS) for Mine Action in Lebanon were developed to enable the Lebanon Mine Action Center (LMAC) to control and coordinate safe and effective Mine Action Operations carried out within Lebanon. The NMAS was developed in 2008, containing 26 chapters and 34 annexes. However, since 2010, several amendments have been introduced to the IMAS and have not been updated and reflected in the NMAS. Moreover, after issuing the National Mine Action Strategy for the period 2011-2020 and revising the first milestone 2013, it has become evident that certain chapters need to be added to the NMAS to ensure that it supports Lebanon’s strategic goals.

Regional School for Humanitarian Demining in Lebanon

For some time now, Lebanon has been acting as a Mine Action focal point, sharing its expertise and supporting the transfer of experience, especially to Arabic speaking countries. After due consideration and assessments, the Lebanon Mine Action Center (LMAC) has initiated the process of establishing a Regional School for Humanitarian Demining in Lebanon (RSHDL) that would provide training related to mine action management in coordination with GICHD. The need for such a school has been noted in several discussions, especially through the Arabic Outreach Programme (AOP) meetings. The school has already started providing some courses, such as training of trainers, adopting a curriculum that was developed by the French army advisor. Nevertheless, such courses are not yet being provided at the school’s premises in Hammana since the premises is currently under construction.

Duties and Responsibilities

Within the framework of UNDP’s Support to the Lebanon Mine Action Programme (Phase III) and under the supervision of the UNDP Mine Action Advisor and in close coordination with the Lebanon Mine Action Center’s Head Section Officers, the consultant will provide the following services:

Review and update the National Mine Action Standards (NMAS) to comply with the latest version of the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS):

The Consultant will start with a desk study to review relevant documents (such as the IMAS, the NMAS, the National Mine Action Strategy, the Mid-Term Review 2013 to the Mine Action Strategy, etc.). Following the desk review, the consultant shall hold meetings with the relevant stakeholders and initiate the process to update and develop all NMAS chapters. In addition to relevant annexes, the NMAS must include at least the following chapters:

Guide for the application of NMAS;
Establishment of Mine Action Programmes;
Glossary of Terms and Definitions;
Procurement, Equipment Testing, and Evaluation;
Information Management;
Management of Training;
Management, Accreditation, and Monitoring;
Survey;
Mine and ERW Clearance;
Mine Action Safety and Occupational Health;
Mine and ERW Risk Education;
Mine Victim Assistance;
Evaluation of Mine Action Programmes.

The consultant will add new chapters to the NMAS as needed to ensure that standards are available matching all outputs outlined in the National Mine Action Strategy 2011-2020.

The consultant will also have to update the NMAS annexes and forms, as needed.

The consultant will have to translate the newly developed NMAS to Arabic.

Develop a five-year strategy for the Regional School of Humanitarian Demining in Lebanon (RSHDL) in compliance with the NMAS standards, especially those related to the “Management of Training”:

The Consultant will start with a desk study to review relevant documents (results of needs assessments conducted by the Arabic Outreach Programme, the National Mine Action Strategy, the Mid-Term Review 2013 to the Mine Action Strategy, the IMAS related to the management of training, etc…).

Following the desk review, the consultant shall hold meetings with the relevant stakeholders and initiate the process to develop a five-year strategy for the RSHDL. The strategy document must answer and present the following:

A verification of the relevance of the proposed RSHDL in addressing Lebanon’s and the region’s mine action management needs as well as the relevance to stakeholders;
A detailed assessment of potential sustainability of the school after its establishment;
The Vision and the Mission of the RSHDL;
The core values that guide the RSHDL;
The key constituencies and stakeholders for the RSHDL, including target group and beneficiaries as well as the role of the French Military Engineering School;
The external and internal factors that will guide the RSHDL’s operations and the factors noted in the SWOT analysis;
The outcomes the RSHDL will seek to achieve;
The RSHDL approach to implementation and the operational plan, including objectives results, activities, and assumptions;
The RSHDL linkage with the GICHD and the Arabic Outreach Programme;
The RSHDL funding plan;
Recommendations for the next steps and any further actions necessary to secure school development financing and implementation.

The consultant will have to translate the RSHDL strategy to Arabic.

For detailed information, please Refer to Annex I – Terms of Reference.

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;
Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Functional Competencies:

Good knowledge of the International Mine Action Standards;
Fluency in Arabic and English;
Excellent analytical and report writing skills;
Ability to work independently;
Strong planning, organization, and communication skills;
Deep knowledge of Lebanon and the socio-political dynamics at the community level;
Knowledge of UNDP’s approach and experiences in conflict assessments is an asset.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

An advanced degree in Political Sciences, International Relations, Project Management, Business Administration, Management, or any social sciences.

Experience:

A minimum of 6 years of experience in Strategic Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation, with a minimum of 2 years of experience in the field of Humanitarian Mine Action;
Proven experience in leading similar scale and level of complex projects.

Language:

Fluency in Arabic and English.

Application:

Kindly refer to the Individual Consultant Procurement Notice and all related Annexes by visiting the below link:

http://www.lb.undp.org/content/lebanon/en/home/operations/procurement/.

Please make sure to submit all the requested documents/information; otherwise, your application will be considered incomplete.

Please note that UNDP jobsite system allows only one uploading of application document, so please make sure that you merge all your documents into a single file.