UNDP Jobs - 56911- International Consultant: Research consultant for

International Consultant: Research consultant for a chapter on HIV and related inequities and development in the UNDP Regional Human Development Report, Europe and the CIS

Location :

Home based

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

12-Jun-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Estimated June- December 2015

Languages Required :

English Russian

Expected Duration of Assignment :

Approximately 50 working days

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

Health, determinants of health and health inequities are factors that affect development worldwide, including in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA). While the situation from country to country differ, overall the EECA region has a rapidly growing HIV epidemic. HIV treatment coverage among adults in need is much lower than the targets set by MDG 6 and the region is not likely to achieve these targets by the end of 2015.

Fifteen countries in the EECA region are among the high burden countries for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). At the same time, less than 50 per cent of the estimated new cases of MDR-TB are diagnosed and only half or less of the patients in need of treatment are actually treated and cured. Malaria continues to affect with region - at least four EECA countries were considered endemic at the end of 2013.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) also seriously affect Eastern Europe and Central Asia countries, and account for almost 86 percent of premature mortality. Responses that go beyond the health sector can help address risk factors such as poor diet, tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol and physical inactivity. The level of integration of the social economic and environmental determinants of health (SEEDs) in national programming and securing a multisectoral approach to health is still quite low.

The region of Eastern Europe and Central Asia has experienced numerous political, economic and social changes since the fall of Communism and the collapse of the Soviet Union; it continues to evolve dynamically. Political processes such as the European integration of some EECA countries or the formation of the Eurasian Economic Union are likely to impact all sectors, including health. It is of critical importance to use these windows of opportunities to address health inequities and ensure that regional and national policy and decision makers are aware of the need to secure a multisectoral approach to health.

UNDP’s regional HIV, Health and Development (HHD) has a mandate to provide policy advice and technical assistance on laws and policies related to HIV and rights of people affected by HIV in these countries. UNDP is part of the UN Task Force on the Prevention and Control of NCDs and the HHD Team is actively cooperating with WHO on promoting investment in health and development to support NCD responses and development of national strategies.
UNDP regional human development reports provide empirically grounded analyses of development issues, trends and policies to help advance human development. 2015 Regional Human Development Report for Europe and Central Asia will build on the UNDP Regional Dialogue on Inequalities (https://undp.unteamworks.org/file/481489/download/524606) that called for deeper understanding of the causes, trends and nature of inequalities and for the design and implementation of appropriate policies, in particular in the context of the emerging post-2015 development agenda. The report will analyze various dimensions of inequalities, including health inequalities and related development challenges.

In this context, UNDP will commission an analytical report to become the chapter on health inequalities in the 2015 UNDP Regional Human Development Report. One component of this analytical report will summarize inequalities related to HIV and AIDS in the region.

The report will focus broadly on the following:

Brief summary of latest HIV epidemiological updates, including the linkage with TB and hepatitis;
Inequalities in relation to HIV exposure, infection risks and access to essential HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services focusing on the particular situation of key populations at higher risk in our region;
Obstacles and drivers for overcoming these inequalities;
Challenges and opportunities for UNDP in this context.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Consultant will work under the supervision of the HHD Team Leader. The Consultant is expected to work in close collaboration with the HHD Team Legal and Programme Specialists, as well as with other consultants such as the consultant on technical documentation. The Consultant will have the following tasks:

Conduct background research:

Review relevant data and literature;
Compile a list with original sources and citation of sources;
If needed, perform additional verification of information.

Draft an analytical report that will analyze:

The development of the HIV epidemic with special emphasis on laws and policies and rights of the key populations. Need to expand access to prevention, treatment care and support, Need to achieve sustainability of national responses.
The situation with co-infections of HIV, specifically TB and hepatitis and the opportunities for policy improvement.
The windows of opportunities to address health inequities in the CIS and emerging regional formations such as the Eurasian Economic Union, as well as actual or prospective influence of the Eastern Partnership.
The windows of opportunities in countries aligning policies with the EU.
Threats in health with specific focus on the economic situation and recommendations for their mitigation.
Links between these issues and the emerging Sustainable Development Goals.
With each sub item of the analytical report the consultant is expected to draft provide policy recommendations and practical guidance for national policy makers arising from the research.

RHDR HIV Chapter

Based on the analytical report draft the Regional Human Development Report Chapter on HIV not to exceed seven pages standard text in length. The chapter should be drafted in the context of the ongoing multidisciplinary discourse associated with the preparation of the Regional Human Development Report.

Finalize the analytical report based on feedback received through virtual comments and inputs.

Generate a blog and a presentation on the main research findings to stimulate debate and dialogue.

Key deliverables

The timeline and deliverables are as follows:

Phase I: 1 July 2015: Compilation of background literature and citations;
Phase II: 1 September 2015: First draft of the analytical report submitted for comments;
Phase III: 15 November 2015: Analytical Report and RHDR Chapter on HIV finalized and accepted by HHD team;
Phase IV: 10 December 2015: Related knowledge products completed and accepted by HHD team.

Location and management

The assignment will begin in June 2015 and it is estimated that the preparation and finalization of the report will take a maximum of 50 working days.
The consultant will keep the supervisor regularly informed of the progress made. The deliverables will be developed in the order described above with proper coordination for input and feedback and approval on completion of each of them.

Payments

The consultant will be paid a lump sum agreed with the UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub.

The payment will be made in three instalments: 30 % in Phase I, 50% (Phase III) and 20 % (Phase IV) – upon timely submission of deliverables and their acceptance by the supervisor.

It is noted that due to the nature of the project, there will be periods of time when no actual writing or research will occur because the writer will be waiting for text clearances from UNDP.

Competencies

Strong interpersonal skills and communications skills;
Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities;
Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback;
Ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines;
Strong results orientation, strategic thinking, flexibility and a client-oriented approach;
Excellent analytical, writing and communications skills in English.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications/Education:

Master’s Degree or PhD in a development-related field (e.g., development studies, public health, sociology, public policy and management, economics, international affairs, political science, quantitative social research) or related discipline is a requirement.

Experience:

Minimum seven years of relevant professional experience;
Five or more years of proven research experience in the areas of economic inequalities, labour market segregation, public provisioning of social care services, and social inequalities in developing or developed countries;
Excellent knowledge of substantive and policy issues related to SEEDs, health and health inequities;
Knowledge of key health inequality issues in the Europe and CIS countries, in particular related to HIV and NCDs;
Advanced quantitative data analysis skills;
Proven ability to produce clear and cogently written research reports.

Language skills:

Excellent writing skills in English and Russian, as evidenced by list of publications in P11 form.

Evaluation of applicants

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on a cumulative analysis taking into consideration the combination of their 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 (P11 desk reviews) and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Evaluation criteria:
Technical Criteria: 70% of total evaluation (max. 35 points)

Criteria A: Educational and related background (max. 5 points);
Criteria B: Proven experience (through track record in P11) in conducting research in the areas of health inequities and health policy (max. 10 points);
Criteria C: Expertise in issues related to health impact of economic and development theories (max. 10 points);
Criteria D: Proven ability to produce clear and cogently written research reports, as evidenced by list of publications in P11 (max. 10 points).

Financial Criteria: 30% of total evaluation (max. 15 points)

Only the highest ranked candidates who would be found qualified for the job will be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

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 including past experience in similar projects, list of relevant publications, and contact details of referees (blank form can be downloaded from http://europeandcis.undp.org/files/hrforms/P11_modified_for_SCs_and_ICs.doc ); please upload the P11 instead of your CV;
Financial Proposal* - specifying a total lump sum amount in USD for the tasks specified in this announcement. The financial proposal shall include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (number of anticipated working days, and any other possible costs);

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials. Please combine all your documents into one (1) single PDF document as the system only allows to upload maximum one document.

*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, health insurance, vaccination and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services).

Payments will be made upon confirmation by UNDP of satisfactory delivery of the contract obligations.

Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director. Consultants are also required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under dss.un.org.

General Terms and conditions as well as other related documents can be found under: http://on.undp.org/t7fJs.