Background

The Government of The State of Kuwait and UNDP is keen to enhance the strategic planning function of the State in order to ensure the optimal use and best distribution of available resources to support social and economic progress thereby leading to improved economic growth and enhanced quality of life of its citizens.

The General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development (GSSCPD) as part of its mandate are responsible for the design, coordination and oversight of Kuwait National Development Plan (KNDP) implementation.

UNDP and GSSCPD are partnering for the implementation of a project focusing on developing the institutional capacities of GSSCPD as well as other Government entities in strategic planning. In line with the vision for Kuwait and strategic objectives (2035) and the 4-year Kuwait national development plan (KNDP).

The project supports the SCPD and Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) to achieve the following:

  • Improved human capacity and organizational effectiveness of the GSSCPD for development planning;
  • Enhanced institutional and human capacities of the CSB for evidence-based plans and policies on sustainable development;             
  • Increased technical expertise and institutional capacities for strategic planning and implementation of KNDP projects by public entities.

Within this context, UNDP and GSSCPD are seeking to recruit a Project Management Specialist to ensure the set-up of project management arrangement for implementation, in close collaboration with project counterparts, and other entities as appropriate. The Project Management Specialist will be responsible for the overall management of the project consistently with UNDP rules and regulations.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of UNDP and the GSSCPD, the Project Management Specialist will assume the day-to-day implementation of the project starting with the preparation of the annual work plans and ensuring their timely implementation as well as the following tasks:

Task 1 : Project Management to Improve GSSCPD policy advisory services to support decision making:

  • Organize initiation workshop to raise the understanding of the project among GSSCPD decisions and project beneficiary entities.
  • Oversee the support to GSSCPD Project team (project staff and consultants) and works closely with the GSSCPD for the implementation of the project planned activities;
  • Undertake the preparation of annual work plan to reflect the realistic picture of the activities that will be implemented during the quarter;
  • Provide leadership and an overall strategic vision with a view to building national capacities, for strategic planning to support the overarching objectives of the GSSCPD;
  • Ensures systematic and effective analysis, monitoring and evaluation, including the preparation and participation in Project Board and/or other related meetings;
  • Manage and monitor the project risks initially identified, submit new risks to the project board for consideration, provide advice on mitigation strategies if required and update the status of these risks by maintaining the project risks log;
  • Prepare all required project reports (quarterly, annual, and other specific requested reports);
  • Perform additional related tasks as requested by UNDP and GSSCPD.

Task 2: Performance Management and Provision of demand-based recruitment of technical experts for public entities, with a monitoring and reporting mechanism in place:

  • Develop template to support conducting the capacity needs assessment and implement substantive capacity development strategy;
  • Develop template for the consultants’ productivity assessment that shall indicate whether the consultants’ work is aligned with the KNDP and CPD;
  • Develop a ToR guideline that shall help entities to create the ToR easily and train them on it;
  • Develop a filtering mechanism for SCPD and other public entities consultancy services aligned with KNDP and CDP and support the establishment of a consultancy roster for functional and technical advisory services that applies an on-going assessment productivity for service delivery;
  • Create and implement a new monitoring and reporting mechanism for GSSCPD linked with the request system for efficient and effective service deliver;
  • Develop a satisfaction survey template to measure the satisfaction of beneficiaries against the consultants’ progress and services.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

The duration of the assignment will be for three months or 13 working weeks. It is envisaged that the output and deliverables are to be ordered and ranked as follows:

  • Deliverable/Output 1:Task 1 -Target Due Dates 30 Dec 2015 -Payment schedule in percentage 30%;
  • Deliverables/ Output 2: Tasks 2.Target Due Dates: 30 Jan 2015 Payment schedule in percentage: 40%;
  • Deliverables/ Output 3:  Final Reports, Handover Report -Target Due Dates: 28 Feb 2015- Payment schedule in percentage: 30%;
  • The consultant will solely be responsible for the timely delivery and professional quality of his assignment;
  • The consultant will not publish the product of assignment in any form without prior written consent of UNDP;
  • Potential assignment of training after this assignment exists and depends on the approval of the GSSCPD.

Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments:

Lump Sum Amount

  • The lump sum amount must be “all-inclusive";
  • contract price is fixed regardless of changes in the cost components;
  • Include in its initial payment the actual cost of the IC’s travel to arrive at the designated Duty Station.   Such cases therefore imply that the completion of the journey can be considered as one of the deliverables payable upon arrival.

Evaluation:

Cumulative analysis

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 and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Technical Criteria weight; 70%. covering the following:

  • Relevance of Education/ Degree -15%;
  • Years of Relevant Experience - 20%;
  • Regional Experience - 15%;
  • Adequacy of Competencies for the Assignment:35%;
  • Language - 15%.

Financial Criteria weight; 30%.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70 point would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Evaluation will be based on desk review, oral interview might be requested for additional clarification.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

Promoting Ethics and Integrity / Creating Organizational Precedents:

  • Ensures that programmes and projects are consistent with UN/UNDP values Intentionally acts as a role model, setting an example for the highest standard of integrity for all staff through his/her personal behavior;
  • Creates a culture that fosters the highest sense of integrity by actively promoting UN/UNDP values within the organization and with all stakeholders and holding staff accountable for abuse of power and inappropriate behavior.

Building support and political acumen:

  • Uses understanding of the organizational culture and key players to gain support for initiatives and to determine optimum timing to launch initiatives and address issues;
  • Adopts a corporate approach to complex situations, focusing on process of change and interrelationships.

Developing and Empowering People/Coaching and Mentoring:

  • Helps staff to identify their unique strengths and weaknesses, training and development needs, tying those to their personal and career aspirationsEncourages staff to establish long-term development and career goals, and facilitates development activities in support of those goals Delegates appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making to staff and respects delegated authority.

Communicating information and ideas:

  • Makes effective use of existing communication tools and creates new ones to ensure effective internal and external communication;
  • Communicates UN/UNDP’s vision and strategic direction to staff and external stakeholders effectively;
  • Effectively communicates to audiences in challenging and adversarial situations.

Conflict management/negotiating and resoulving disagreements:

  • In cases of competition for organizational resources, systematically adopts a win-win approach to meeting needs;
  • Intervenes promptly in cases of unproductive conflict among colleagues, settling them equitably;
  • Creates an organizational climate of respect for others.

Functional Competencies:

Achieving results through programme design and innovative resourcing strategies:

  • Identifies country needs and strategies using a fact-based approach;
  • Sets performance standards, monitors progress and intervenes at an early stage to ensure results are in accordance with agreed-upon quality and timeframes and reports on it.

Influencing the public policy agenda:

  • Brings visibility and sensitizes decision makers to relevant emerging issues;
  • Builds consensus concerning UN’s strategic agenda with partners on joint initiatives;
  • Demonstrates political/cultural acumen in proposing technically sound, fact based approaches/solutions.

Influencing organizational change and development:

  • Identifies problems central to the organization’s success, assesses their impact;
  • Provides change and development advice, including the design and implementation of change strategies / processes to enable staff/the organization to deal with change effectively;
  • Drives process definition, simplification, and integration efforts throughout the organization.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Minimum requirement is a Masters’ degree in project management and/or business administration;
  • Prince2, Project Management Professional (PMP).

Experience:

  • Minimum of 10  years of proven practical experience in Project Management of similar projects, experience with international organizations is an asset;
  • Experience in working with government institutions in GCC countries/Arab region and UN, is an added advantage;
  • Excellent management, negotiation and communication and interpersonal skills;
  • Experience in administrating budgets, train and work effectively with counterpart staff at all levels and with all groups involved in the project;
  • Strong communication, drafting, presentation and reporting skills; 
  • Strong computer skills (Word, Excel, Power Point, Statistical Packages, etc.);
  • Written and spoken proficiency in both Arabic and English are required.

Langauge:

  • Written and spoken proficiency in both Arabic and English are required.

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals:

  • Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
  • Personal CV or P11, indicating all 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;
  • Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment.

Links to the documents to be submitted:

Combine group all your documents into one (1) single PDF document as the system only allows to upload maximum one document.