Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 170 countries and territories, working with governments and people on their own solutions to global and national development challenges to help empower lives and build resilient nations.

The Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan.  BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, South-South and Triangular cooperation initiatives, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas.  BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Response Unit (CRU) to support emergency and crisis response.  BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working.  BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts.

BPPS supports UNDP’s 2014-2017 Strategic Plan, focusing on 7 outcomes including strengthening institutions to progressively deliver universal access to basic services (outcome 3). The HIV Health and Sustainable development team, within BPPS, is helping to contribute towards this outcome.

HIV, Health and Development Approach

UNDP is a founding cosponsor of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), a partner of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and a co-sponsor of several other international health partnerships. UNDP’s work on HIV, health and development leverages the organization’s core strengths and mandates in human development, governance and capacity development to complement the efforts of specialist health-focused UN agencies. UNDP delivers three types of support to countries in HIV, health and development.

First, UNDP helps countries to mainstream attention to HIV and health into action on gender, poverty and the broader effort to achieve and sustain the Millennium Development Goals.  For example, UNDP works with countries to understand the social and economic factors that play a crucial role in driving health and disease, and to respond to such dynamics with appropriate policies and programmes outside the health sector. UNDP also promotes specific action on the needs and rights of women and girls as they relate to HIV.

Second, UNDP works with partners to address the interactions between governance, human rights and health responses. Sometimes this is done through focused or specialized programmes, such as promoting attention to the role of legal environments (law and access to justice) in facilitating stronger HIV responses, including the use of flexibilities in intellectual property and human rights law to lower the cost of drugs and diagnostics and to increase access to HIV-related treatment.  UNDP also works to empower and include people living with HIV and marginalized populations who are disproportionately affected by HIV - also known as key populations - such as sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender people.  Beyond these focused efforts, UNDP plays a key role in ensuring attention to HIV and health within broader governance and rights initiatives, including support to district and municipal action on MDGs, strengthening of national human rights institutions and increasing access to justice for marginalized populations.

Third, as a trusted, long-term partner with extensive operational experience, UNDP supports countries in effective implementation of complex, multilateral and multisectoral health projects, while simultaneously investing in capacity development so that national and local partners can assume these responsibilities over time. The UNDP/Global Fund partnership is an important part of this work, facilitating access to resources for action on MDG 6 by countries that face constraints in directly receiving and managing such funding. UNDP partners with countries in crisis/post-crisis situations, those with weak institutional capacity or governance challenges, and countries under sanctions. When requested, UNDP acts as interim Principal Recipient in these settings, working with national partners and the Global Fund to improve management, implementation and oversight of Global Fund grants, while simultaneously developing national capacity for governments or local entities to be able to assume the Principal Recipient role over time.

UNDP is the UN’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working with national counterparts on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. UNDP is a founding cosponsor of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), a partner of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, and a co-sponsor of several other international health partnerships. UNDP’s work on HIV, health and development leverages UNDP’s core strengths and mandates in human development, governance and capacity development to complement the efforts of specialist health-focused UN agencies. UNDP delivers three types of support to countries in HIV, health and development.

UNDP – Global Fund Partnership

In late 2002, UNDP began its partnership with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund) to address the three epidemics. UNDP’s primary objective in the partnership is to support the local entity legally responsible for the management of grant proceeds in a recipient country (the Principal Recipient). In exceptional circumstances or special emergencies, national counterparts may request UNDP to assume the responsibility for managing the grant. With the exception of donor-constrained countries, such an arrangement is time-bound, while UNDP provides the necessary capacity building support to one, or more, national candidates with the view that they will be phased-in as Principal Recipients (PRs).

To date, UNDP has successfully transferred one or more grants to a national PR in twelve countries: Angola, Argentina, Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, El Salvador, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Liberia and Zimbabwe. In 25 other countries where UNDP is still PR, UNDP Country Offices are providing a wide range of capacity development support in a variety of areas (project planning and management, procurement and supply chain management, finance, monitoring and evaluation, human resources management and contract administration). UNDP also supports Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCMs) by serving as the CCM Funding Recipient in several countries in order to enhance the effectiveness of the CCM’s oversight role and implementation of the Global Fund grants.

Strategic objective: Increasing focus on, and support to, Capacity Development:

Capacity development is an integral part of the Global Fund partnership, with UNDP providing an essential service to National Programs for the three diseases, current, nominated and prospective national Principal Recipients and Sub Recipients to strengthen their capacity to implement Global Fund grants. This work is highly specialized and closely linked to the specificities of Global Fund requirements, as well as to the unique challenges of health systems strengthening (HSS) and drug procurement and supply chain management. It also contributes to improved effectiveness of management of the national disease responses through increased coordination of national stakeholders and development partners, and overall strengthening of management of both domestic and international funding sources. The introduction of the minimum capacity requirements for PRs and CCMs as part of the NFM application process, provides a greater focus and clarity on capacity development.

UNDP Global Fund Capacity Development Toolkit:

The Capacity Development Toolkit http://www.undp-globalfund-capacitydevelopment.org/ provides a platform to further respond to the growing opportunities to strengthen national disease responses for HIV, TB and Malaria.

Bolivia:

In the Latin America region, the most recent WHO report in 2014 on trends in malaria cases and deaths recorded a total of 427,000 cases during 2013, with a total of 82 deaths. This figure is much lower than the one reported in 2000, a period which saw one million cases of malaria and 390 deaths. In Bolivia, in recent years the incidence of malaria has fallen (2000: 30,126 cases and 2013: 7,342) and the country has not recorded any deaths from malaria since 2004. In Bolivia, malaria is analyzed in terms of the concentration of cases and with respect to proximity to the Amazon basin. For this purpose, two regions are identified: (1) Amazon region and (2) extra-Amazonian region.

The Bolivian health system has four management levels:

• Fourth management level: Ministry of Health, responsible for issuing health policies and guidelines, and for ensuring implementation.;
• Third management level: Departmental health services, responsible for implementing policies and guidelines in health networks for their region;
• Second management level: Health network coordinators, responsible for monitoring and supporting implementation of health programs in the network of health care facilities for which they are responsible;
• First management level: Health care facilities (hospitals, health centers, health posts), responsible for implementing health programs within the framework of ministry policies.

National Malaria Control Program (NMCP)

In 2003 the Ministry of Health and Sport created the National Program to Control Vector-Borne Diseases (PNCETV). The NMCP is operationally decentralized in eight offices and two regional programs (Riberalta and Guayaramerín, due to the high incidence of cases), each of which is directed by a departmental or regional manager who has to work in coordination with the epidemiologist(s) and those responsible for the information system and the laboratory network. They must also work with the health service network coordinators and the local health directorates (DILOS) to plan, monitor, evaluate and control the actions implemented, including monitoring and oversight of volunteers and community health workers (CHWs).

Entry Points for Capacity Development and Transition – Malaria

The Global Fund  New Funding Model grant for malaria of USD $10 million is due to commence in March 2016 until the end of 2018. The grant making will take place in November 2015 and a draft Capacity Development and Transition Plan will be prepared following stakeholder participation, so it can be considered during the grant making process.

The entry points and the scope of work will be determined by the stakeholder during the capacity development planning process in October 2015. These will consider; i) the MoH taking an increasing role in the management of the Global Fund grant; ii) implementation in the Amazon region being carried out by Municipalities; iii) the functional capacities needed to meet national and Global Fund requirements; iv) NGOs providing a technical assistance role where required; and v) the sustainability of service delivery.

Objective

The overall objective of this consultancy is to provide capacity development outreach support to the countries where UNDP is acting as Interim PR for Global Fund grants specifically:

• To facilitate a Capacity Development Planning and Transition Process in Bolivia.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the Senior Capacity Development Adviser the Consultant will be responsible for:

Country Level Capacity Development and Transition Planning

Provide capacity development outreach support to Bolivia where UNDP is acting as Interim PR for Global Fund malaria grant, including:

• To provide remote and mission-based advice and support together with relevant knowledge resources and tools to support Capacity Development processes closely coordinated with the Senior Capacity Development Advisor and the UNDP country office;
• To support the adapting, developing utilizing capacity development templates and tools;
• To conduct a desk review of existing diagnostics including previous capacity development work and LFA assessments;
• To facilitate a rapid Capacity Development participatory planning process with national stakeholders and partners;
• To prepare a draft Capacity Development Plan with Action Plan and Budgets based on the participatory planning process;
• To facilitate a review of the draft Capacity Development Plan with stakeholders, identifying priorities, who will be responsible and the implementation work plan.

Following feedback on the Draft Capacity Development Plan make final revisions to the document:

• To ensure that Key Affected Populations needs are represented in the above process and reflected in the capacity development actions;
• To develop and produce priority TORs to enable the implementation of the capacity development plan;
• To produce a Blog documenting and communicating the approach used to develop and finalize the Capacity Development Plan.

Expected Deliverables

Country level Capacity Development Support Deliverables:

• A short report on the in country Capacity Development planning process;
• A Draft Capacity Development Plan by 6 November 2015;
• Final Capacity Development Plan with activities, time lines, budget and milestones;
• Short report on the preparation arrangements for the implementation of the Capacity Development Plan;
• Short final report on the Capacity Development planning process.

Summary of Activities

Country level Capacity Support: 30 days

Reporting: The consultant shall report to the Senior Capacity Development Adviser, Global Fund Partnership team, HHD, BPPS. All expected deliverables will be submitted to the Senior Capacity Development Adviser for final approval.

Travel:  Country - Bolivia: Two missions of average of 10 working days. The remainder will be home based.

All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. In general, UNDP should 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 should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and Individual Consultant, prior to travel.

Evaluation: Applicants will be screened against qualifications and competencies specified below through a desk review. Those selected for the next stage of the selection process will be reviewed based on: Cumulative analysis based on a combination of the Technical (70%) and Financial Scores (30%).

Payment:  Lump sum payment based on deliverables.

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:

• Strong analytical, negotiation and communication skills, including ability to produce high quality practical advisory reports and knowledge products;
• Professional and/or academic experience in one or more of the areas of international development, public health or related field.

Project and Resource Management:

• Ability to produce high quality outputs in a timely manner while understanding and anticipating the evolving client needs;
• Strong organizational skills;
• Ability to work independently, produce high quality outputs.

Communications and Advocacy:

• Strong ability to write clearly and convincingly, adapting style and content to different audiences and speak clearly and convincingly;
• Strong analytical, research and writing skills with demonstrated ability to think strategically;
• Strong inter-personal, negotiation and liaison skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Degree or equivalent in Political Science, Public Policy, Public Administration, Business Administration, Social Sciences or a related field is required.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of working experience on issues related to organizational development or institutional strengthening for the public sector;
• Relevant work experience in capacity development of institutions in the context of strengthening national systems is required;
• Work experience in a development context is essential;
• Written and verbal fluency in English and Spanish is essential;
• Experience in working for an international organization and/or UNDP is required.Experience of working and/or knowledge of the Global Fund for HIV, TB and Malaria, is an asset.

Language:

• Fluency in written and spoken English and Spanish.

Guidelines for application

Filled P11 form including past experience in similar projects and contact details of references (blank form can be downloaded from http://europeandcis.undp.org/files/hrforms/P11_modified_for_SCs_and_ICs.doc); please upload this P11 instead of your CV.

Financial Proposal - specifying a lump sum amount in USD to include daily fees and travel costs for two missions of 10 working days to Bolivia including tickets and lodging.  Submission of a Financial Proposal is mandatory.Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials.  As it is only possible to upload one document please include the financial proposal at the end of your P11.

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.

Annex1- individual consultant general terms and conditions is provided here: http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/documents/procurement/documents/IC%20-%20General%20Conditions.pdf