UNDP Jobs - 60256- Senior Consultant on Environment and Health and Su

Senior Consultant on Environment and Health and Sustainable Procurement in the Health Sector

Location :

Home-based with 2 Missions to Istanbul

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

05-Oct-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Estimated October 2015 – 31 July 2016

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

Approximately 190 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

The UN’s journey towards their own operational climate neutrality began officially on 5th June 2007 when UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon publicly called on all UN agencies, funds and programmes to ‘go green’ and become climate neutral. Driven initially by the UN initiative “Greening the Blue” (1), with an interest to promote climate neutrality within the UN, the focus was largely on addressing associated greenhouse gas emissions. However, the Sustainable UN facility in collaboration with sustainability focal points in about 60 UN entities and the HLCM procurement network has extended the focus area onto other critically important purchasing categories as well including the focus on resource depletion and eco- and human-toxicity in the procurement in the context of procurements for the health sector.

Linkages between health sector procurement and the environment are still only partially understood despite the fact that the important role of procurements in influencing the environmental impact of health sector operations is well acknowledged. For example, studies show carbon emissions by national health systems and global health programmes are closely linked to procurements, especially with regards to pharmaceuticals and other health products throughout their life cycle including production, use and disposal. (2,3,4)

The informal Interagency Task Team on Sustainable Procurement in the Health Sector (5) (SPHS) was established in May 2012 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Ten SPHS members (UNDP, UNEP, UNFPA, UHNCR, UNICEF, UNOPS, WHO, GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, UNITAID) conduct high volume procurement in the health sector, representing a sizable portion of some segments of the global pharmaceutical and other health products markets. The cumulative purchasing power of SPHS members in the global health aid market is about USD 5 billion annually. The aim for establishing the Task Team was to facilitate and coordinate the introduction of green procurement in the health sector among members and to leverage the standard-setting and joint procurement volumes of member agencies to influence the global health aid market (governments and other international development partners) and beyond. Thereby the SPHS Task Team intend to act as driver for transformational change towards greener health systems and inclusive green economies. (6,7)

The ability of the SPHS to effectively address the challenge of sustainable procurement hinges on its ability to galvanize collective engagement among public, private and non-profit stakeholders. Recently, an engagement strategy with the global supplier and manufacturer network of the SPHS has been developed, which is based on the vision and route map of the SPHS (8) and makes reference to the UN Supplier Code of Conduct. (9) To drive the implementation of this engagement strategy focusing mainly on environmental sustainability in the context of the new Sustainable Development Goals and private sector engagement, the UNDP HIV, Health and Development (HHD) Team at the UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub (IRH) is seeking the services of a senior consultant with track record of sustainability work in/with the private sector, particularly in the global healthcare industry.

This assignment is geared to broaden and deepen awareness of the current and potential UN suppliers and manufacturers from the global health aid market, and engage with them to collaborate on the SPHS projects which focus on 3 key environmental dimensions: greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, resource depletion (water, energy and material consumption) and chemical pollution. With an aim of introducing green procurement in the global health aid market, suppliers and manufacturers will be approached to collaborate on the SPHS projects, link up to the global United Nations structures (e.g. the Global Compact), etc. Lastly, this assignment will strongly focus on identifying and building relationships with various funding organizations, with an aim of securing additional funding for the further development of the SPHS initiative.

Location:

Home-based with 2 missions to Istanbul of 5 working days each.

Notes:

http://www.greeningtheblue.org/
http://www.eurasia.undp.org/content/rbec/en/home/library/hiv_aids/rapid-assessment-healthcare-waste-global-fund
http://www.eurasia.undp.org/content/rbec/en/home/library/hiv_aids/Carbon_footprint_UNDP_Global_Fund_health_initiatives_Montenegro_Tajikistan/
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/hiv-aids/managing-our-climate-change-risk--an-approach-for-environmental-.html
www.iiattsphs.org
https://iiattsphs.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/sphs-6-pager.pdf
https://iiattsphs.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/sphs-annual-report-2014_print_v3.pdf
https://iiattsphs.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/sphs-annual-report-2014_pp_23-e1430219115674.jpg
https://www.un.org/Depts/ptd/sites/www.un.org.Depts.ptd/files/files/attachment/page/2014/February%202014/conduct_english.pdf

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of work

Under the guidance and overall supervision of the SPHS Coordinator, and in close collaboration with the UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub HIV, Health and Development team and the SPHS Secretariat and members, the Senior Consultant on Environment and Health and Sustainable Procurement in the Health Sector will:

Provide regular technical support and capacity-development to the SPHS Secretariat and members and advise and support the efforts of engagement with suppliers and manufacturers on greening procurement in the global health aid market (expected to facilitate their collaboration and willingness to change by finding practical solutions to issues which they encounter; this is expected to result in positive outcomes for the business and also the environment);
Support the UNDP IRH HHD team and the SPHS Secretariat in resource-mobilization efforts related to sustainable procurement in the health sector;
Provide technical support to the SPHS members’ ongoing projects and quick-impact activities, offering guidance and suggestions on the key projects aiming at reducing the environmental burden on the SPHS members’ procurement (e.g. introduction of renewable energies in the production, reduction of product packaging, introduction of recycling systems, etc.);
Develop a supply chain sustainability risk assessment methodology for the SPHS members;
Provide technical support to the SPHS members on the environmental/sustainable assessment of the suppliers and manufacturers and the development of suppliers’ environmental profiles;
Collaborate with suppliers and manufacturers on environmental performance reporting by focusing on three key environmental dimensions: greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, resource depletion (water, energy and material consumption) and chemical pollution (including pharmaceuticals in the environment), and disclosure strategies (in the context with the Global Compact reporting, Carbon Disclosure project, etc.);
Collaborate with UNDP country and regional offices on national and regional engagement processes with suppliers and manufacturers initiating joint projects, providing technical advice and delivering trainings;
Engage in capacity assessments and capacity development of (inter)national stakeholders as required, helping to build up a large pool of experts in each country that possess the basic skills to implement sustainable procurement in the health sector;
Liaise with key internal and external SPHS stakeholders (i.e. SPHS member agencies, UNDP staff at the regional and HQ level, as well as the UNDP Country office staff and project / government counterparts as appropriate, industries associations); Lead and guide the communication with the health sector suppliers and manufacturers and related business associations;
Raise awareness for the SPHS initiative through UNDP’s projects and activities in important venues of engagement with key stakeholders from the health sector (leading, moderating and giving inputs at sessions of global, regional, and national technical workshops and website discussions as required);
Support the continuous improvement of the UNDP and SPHS project activities, methodologies, specific tools and other materials provided and implemented by the SPHS Secretariat and members;
Develop guidance documents and training materials to enhance the SPHS toolkit and implementation packages;
Deliver high quality inputs for annual SPHS reports on progress and impact of the SPHS activities, within given deadlines, and provide other inputs as required for briefing notes, case studies, knowledge management products, press releases and other media products developed by the SPHS Secretariat;
Write up articles, case studies and other materials emerging from the SPHS process, summarizing key experiences and lessons, including delivering content for at least one case study and website article per quarter;
Perform other related duties as required.

Information on Working Arrangements:

Estimated level of effort: 190 days;
The Senior Consultant will be given access to relevant information necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment;
The Senior Consultant will be expected to provide their own working station and reliable internet connection at his/her base;
Payments will be made upon successful submission of a detailed time sheet, consultancy’s deliverables and certification of payment form (with an acceptance and confirmation by the SPHS Coordinator).

Expected Deliverables:

Established relationship with key SPHS suppliers and manufacturers and technically supported them on the introduction of sustainable procurement into their practices (including regular technical support and capacity-development to the SPHS Secretariat and members);
Developed and substantively contributed to the implementation of a resource-mobilization plan for UNDP by targeting key funding partners in global health and sustainable development focusing on private sector engagement (includes highlighting the success rate of built partnerships and obtained funding from key identified funding partners);
Provided guidance and suggestions on the key UNDP projects aiming at reducing the environmental burden on the SPHS members’ procurement;
Developed a supply chain sustainability risk assessment methodology for the UNDP and other SPHS members (10-15 pages);
Developed guidance note for the environmental assessment of healthcare suppliers and the establishment of suppliers’ environmental profiles (10-15 pages);
Supported suppliers’ and manufacturers’ reporting on environmental performance by focusing on three key environmental dimensions: greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, resource depletion (water, energy and material consumption) and chemical pollution (including pharmaceuticals in the environment) and supported suppliers and manufacturers in setting up projects to improve their environmental footprint;
Conducted capacity assessments and capacity development of (inter)national stakeholders as required, helping to build up a pool of experts in each country that possess the basic skills to implement the sustainable procurement in the health sector;
Established relationship with key internal and external SPHS stakeholders (i.e. SPHS member agencies, UNDP staff at the regional and HQ level, as well as the UNDP Country office staff and project / government counterparts as appropriate, industries associations, current and future health sector suppliers and manufacturers);
Representation of the UNDP at important venues of engagement with key stakeholders from the health sector (leading, moderating and giving inputs at sessions of global, regional, and national technical workshops and website discussions as required) – 15-20 interventions at various important venues/events;
Reviewed and improved the implementation of UNDP and SPHS project activities, development of methodologies, specific tools and other materials (5-6 flagship products of approximately 15 pages each) provided and implemented by the SPHS Secretariat and members;
Developed guidance documents and training materials (at least 2 of approximately 10-15 pages) to enhance the SPHS toolkit and implementation packages;
Delivered high quality inputs for annual SPHS report on progress and impact of the SPHS activities (3-4 pages), within given deadlines, and provision of other inputs as required for briefing notes (5-6 notes of approximately 2-3 pages each), case studies (1-2 studies of approximately 5-7 pages each), press releases (3-4 releases of approximately 2-3 pages each) and other media products developed by the SPHS Secretariat;
Developed articles (3-5 of approximately 1-2 pages each), and other materials emerging from the SPHS process, summarizing key experiences and lessons, including delivering content for a website article per quarter (2-3 pages);
Final report (12-15 pages) summing up the work done, the lessons learnt and recommendations on the next organizational development of the SPHS initiative.

Specific deliverables will be agreed upon with the Supervisor at the beginning of each month, in writing. Payments will be made once a month upon submitted satisfactory progress report against deliverables as approved by the Supervisor.

Competencies

Core Values:

Professionalism:

Demonstrated ability and knowledge on sustainability, by working in or with the private sector, particularly in the global healthcare industry;
Is conscientious in observing deadlines and achieving results;
Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter;
Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results;
Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns;
Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges;
Remains calm in stressful situations;
Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

Core Competencies:

Communication:

Speaks and writes clearly and effectively;
Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately;
Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication;
Tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience;
Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Teamwork:

Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals;
Solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise;
Is willing to learn from others;
Places team agenda before personal agenda;
Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position;
Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree in economics, environmental economics, public administration, financial management, development, natural/environmental sciences or other closely related field;
A first-level university degree (Bachelor degree or equivalent) in economics, environmental economics, public administration, financial management, development, natural/environmental sciences or other closely related field, in combination with at least 20 additional years of qualifying experience from the minimum experience requirement stated below, may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

At least 10 years of demonstrated experience in sustainability work with the public or private sector, particularly in the global healthcare industry;
Experience in the implementation of sustainability principles in procurement practices in the health sector;
Proven experience in the engagement with suppliers and manufacturers on sustainable procurement in the health sector, in relevant and internationally recognized institutes or organizations;
Proven experience in the development of high quality knowledge or training materials;
Experience with knowledge exchange platforms would be an advantage;
Proven experience in the developing country context and working in different cultural settings;
Computer proficiency; especially related to professional office software packages (Microsoft Office).

Language skills:

Fluency and ability to communicate and perform complex tasks in English;
Knowledge of another UN official language is desirable. Knowledge of other regional languages would be an asset.

Evaluation of Applicants

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on a cumulative analysis taking into consideration the combination of the applicants’ qualifications and a financial proposal of a lump sum amount in US$.

The award of the contract should be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

Responsive/compliant/acceptable;
Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

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

Technical Criteria -70% of total evaluation: max. 56 points:

Advanced University degree in economics, environmental economics, public administration, financial management, development, natural/environmental sciences or other closely related field: max. 8 points;
At least 10 years of demonstrated experience in sustainability work with the public or private sector, particularly in the global healthcare industry: max. 15 points;
Proven experience in the implementation of sustainability principles in procurement practices in the health sector: max. 10 points;
Proven experience in the engagement with suppliers and manufacturers on sustainable procurement in the health sector, in relevant and internationally recognized institutes or organizations: max. 7 points;
Proven experience in the development of high quality knowledge and/or training materials (as included in P11): max. 3 points;
Experience with knowledge exchange platforms would be an advantage: max. 3 points;
At least 3 years of experience in the developing country context and working in different cultural settings: max. 4 points;
Computer proficiency; especially related to professional office software packages (Microsoft Office): max. 4 points;
Excellent in oral and written communication skills in English language, or other UN languages (as demonstrated by P11): max. 2 points;

Financial Criteria - 30% of total evaluation: max. 24 points

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 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 total lump sum amount including breakdown in USD, including all consultant’s costs for the consultancy;
Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials.

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, travel to join the duty station, vaccination and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services, 2 missions of 5 working days each to Istanbul, Turkey and other). All envisaged costs must be included in the financial proposal.

Payments will be made on a monthly basis upon confirmation of UNDP on delivering on the contract obligations in a satisfactory manner.

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.

Qualified women and members of minorities are encouraged to apply. Due to large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process.