Background

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are generally credited for raising the profile and importance of data and statistics for development, as they mobilized the international development community around simple, clear and measurable goals. A strong consensus is now emerging on the need for a Post-2015 agenda that is measurable, for effective implementation, monitoring and accountability of development delivery from the sub-national to global levels. The United Nations Secretary General’s Post-2015 High-level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda called for more evidence-based development policy-making and implementation bolstered by enhanced capacity for statistical production, better availability of quality data and statistics and strengthened accountability of development stakeholders, in other words, a “Data Revolution for Sustainable development”. The data revolution and the need to strengthen statistics are among the critical elements of the post-2015 framework. The availability of data plays a decisive role, as it empowers people, arms them with information and allows them to hold governments, businesses and international organizations accountable for their promises.

In December 2014, the UN Secretary General’s Independent Expert Advisory Group on the Data Revolution for Sustainable Development, in its report “A World That Counts”, identified a number of recommendations to ensure that important aspects of people’s lives and the environment are properly measured, and nobody is denied the benefits of sustainable development.

In its engagement in various data revolution efforts, UNDP aims to facilitate solutions that ensure interaction, synergies and partnerships among different stakeholders, governments, civil society, international development organizations and the private sector, and that are grounded in the perspectives and meaningful participation from those in the global South. UNDP can assist in ensuring that development experience from the grassroots informs the Post-2015 data revolution discussions, and that their implementation is actionable at the national level. UNDP believes that the data revolution goes far beyond statistics and that people, as users, producers, beneficiaries and owners of data, must be at the center of accountability and participatory mechanisms for the Post-2015 development agenda.

UNDP will undertake a mapping of the ‘data ecosystem’ in 10 countries, including national statistical capacity (NSOs), legal and policy frameworks on open data, innovation and new technologies for participation, the infrastructure requirements for improved collection, dissemination and use of data, and efforts to support the creation of national and international legislative frameworks for monitoring and accountability of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Policy Specialist for Data for Development, the consultant will assist in the coordination of the Data for Development Ecosystem Mapping initiative, including the arrangements for the initiative's activities at the global and national levels, organization of workshops and events, drafting of briefing notes, background documents and reports and participation in related meetings.

Specific Responsibilities

The consultant will be responsible for producing the following key deliverables and tasks:

• Methodology and workplan and guidelines for undertaking the Data Ecosystem Mapping project in 10 countries (15 August 2015);
• Organization of a global event on Data for Development Ecosystems (mid November 2015), including developing background documentation and agenda, coordinating invitations and logistics, drafting event's report;
• Contribution to the drafting of an interim report synthesizing findings from the projects activities at the national and global levels, and consolidate/integrate comments from stakeholders (mid December 2015);
• Coordination and liaison with country partners and stakeholders as relevant, to ensure proper and timely execution of the project as per agreed workplan;
• Support to effective outreach and advocacy through liaising with the focal point for knowledge management and the technical team in charge of maintaining the World We Want 2015 platform;
• Preparation of briefing notes, background papers, talking points and other documents as required;
• Carry out other related tasks as required.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

• Strong communication and presentation skills in oral and written form;
• Strong computer skills and experience in the use of web based communication and information tools;
• Good interpersonal and teamwork skills and proven ability to work in a multi-cultural setting and teams with diversity of background and skills, while at the same time being capable of working independently to agreed work plans;
• Demonstrated organizational and planning skills, and ability to meet deadlines and to manage multiple tasks effectively and efficiently;
• Understanding of the evolving post-2015 agenda and development monitoring issues is an asset.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Masters’ Degree (or equivalent degree/experience) in international development, economy, international relations or a related field is mandatory.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of experience in international development policy-making and support;
• Experience in research, policy advice or technical assistance on data, statistics and indicators for monitoring and accountability of development goals;
• Knowledge and experience of UN policies on data and statistics for sustainable development;
• Demonstrated excellent analytical, writing and editing skills;
• Proven experience in project management and event coordination;
• Prior working experience with agencies of the UN system or the UN Secretariat would be an asset.

Language:

• Proficiency in English is a requirement;
• A second UN language preferably French or Spanish is highly desirable.

Submission of Application

Recommended Presentation of Offer

The submission of application is a two-step process. Failing to comply with the submission process may result in disqualifying the applications:

Step 1: Interested individual consultants must include the following documents when submitting the applications in UNDP job shop (Please note that only 1 (one) file can be uploaded therefore please include all documents in one file):

• Personal History Form (P11), indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of at least three (3) professional references (the template can be downloaded from this link: http://europeandcis.undp.org/files/hrforms/P11_modified_for_SCs_and_ICs.doc);
  Alternatively, an updated CV indicating past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references can be submitted however UNDP may later request a P11 form to be completed.
• Brief description of why you consider yourself as the most suitable for the assignment.
• Brief description of the methodology you will use to conduct the assignment (2 pages).

Step 2: Submission of Financial Proposal 
Applicants that pass the technical evaluation will be contacted and asked to submit their financial proposals indicating an all-inclusive daily fee in US Dollars for this consultancy using the financial proposal template available here: http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_file.cfm?doc_id=43528;
Applications received after the deadline may be rejected. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal should be all-inclusive and include a breakdown. The term ‘all-inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, travel related expenses, communications, utilities, consumables, insurance, etc.) that could possibly be incurred by the Contractor are already factored into the financial proposal.

Travel

All envisaged travel costs must be included in the daily fee. This includes all travel to join duty station/repatriation travel.  In general, UNDP will not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources. In the case of unforeseeable travel, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses will be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.

Criteria for Selection of Individual Consultant for Awarding of Contract
The selection of the best offer from the shortlisted candidates will be based on a Combined Scoring method – where the qualifications and experienced will be weighted a maximum of 70 points and combined with the price offer which will be weighted a max of 30 points out of 100 points.

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%.

Technical Evaluation

Only those candidates that meet the minimum level of education, relevant years of experience and language requirements will be considered for the technical evaluation. The technical evaluation will conducted by a desk review to select the shortlisted candidates (those that score at least 49 out of total 70 obtainable points). The technical evaluation may also include interviews with shortlisted candidate(s).
Only applicants obtaining a minimum of 49 points on technical evaluation will be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Technical Proposal (70 Points, 70% weight):

Technical proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Number of years of experience in international development policy-making and support - 10 points;
• Experience in research, policy advice or technical assistance on data, statistics and indicators for monitoring and accountability of development goals - 10 points;
• Knowledge and experience of UN policies on data and statistics for sustainable development - 10 points;
• Demonstrated excellent analytical, writing and editing skills - 20 points;
• Proven experience in project management and event coordination - 15 points;
• Previous working experience with national or international development agencies would be an asset - 5 points
• Total: 70 points

Financial Evaluation (Weight 30%)
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.

Payments to Consultant
Payment will be made upon submission of a certificate of payment request, indicating the type of deliverable completed to be verified and cleared for payment by the supervisor.
Office space and access to internet and a printer will be provided to the consultant during the assignment. However the consultant is expected to have his/her own laptop (the cost of this should be included in the financial proposals, if required).