Background

Project Title

Policy and Programme Development for Accelerating Pro-poor Urbanization (PPDU).

Project Description

The aim of the Policy and Programme Development for Accelerating Pro-poor Urbanization (PPDU) Initiation Plan (IP) is three-fold. Firstly, it will continue UNDP’s promotion of an enabled urban policy environment where key stakeholders can participate and build consensus on what actions need to be taken in order to improve urban governance, guide the urbanisation process and reduce urban poverty.

Secondly, PPDU will help to further strengthen UNDP’s urban portfolio by finalizing the development and readying for the launching of the new urban programme, National Urban Poverty Reduction Programme (NUPRP), coordinating UNDP’s urban sector work and help UNDP to lead urban sector consultation and advocacy. This includes a comprehensive review of the recently closed Government of Bangladesh/DFID/UNDP Urban Partnerships for Poverty Reduction Project (2008-2015).

Thirdly, PPDU will administer UPPR’s existing nutrition component up to March 31 2016. Support will include retaining critical staff to support ongoing activities of the Nutrition component. The aim is to accelerate the reduction of malnutrition of the extreme urban poor; the target groups: pregnant and lactating women, children from 0-59 months of age and adolescents.

The UPPR Project

Urban Partnerships for Poverty Reduction (UPPR) was the single largest multi-component integrated urban poverty reduction programme in Bangladesh. It was implemented in 23 cities and towns for 7 years (2008-2015) and aimed to improve the living conditions and livelihoods of three million poor and extreme poor, especially women and girls. UPPR was a USD 120 million project funded by DFID and implemented jointly by the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) under the Ministry of Local Government and Cooperatives (MoLGRD&C) and UNDP in collaboration with Local Government Institutions (Pourashavas/City Corporations), UN-Habitat and poor communities of the project towns.

The key outputs of UPPR include:

  • Poor urban communities mobilized to form representative and inclusive groups and prepare community action plans;
  • Provide urban communities with a healthy, secure and liveable environment;
  • Poor and destitute people provided with resources, knowledge and skills to increase their income and assets;
  • Pro-poor urban policies and partnerships are supported at the national and local levels.

To achieve these outcomes UPPR worked with over 2,500 Community Development Committees (CDCs) as the core community structure, the CDCs are supported by around 250 cluster CDCs as higher level community structure and finally the 23 CDC Town Federations, one in each town elected by the votes of CDCs and Cluster CDCs. More than 90% of the members of the community organisations are female including the leadership positions. Participatory processes are followed at all level of identification of needs and their implementation. (see http://upprbd.org/whatwedo.aspx for more details).

In 2013, while UPPR was in full swing of implementation, a nutrition component was added.  The Nutrition Component has been promoting awareness and supplying nutrition commodities to the pregnant mothers, breastfeeding mothers, adolescent girls and under 5-years of age children from extreme poor households of UPPR project beneficiaries to improve nutrition status and to reduce child and mother mortality. Although UPPR closed in August 2015, DFID and UNDP have continued activities of the Nutrition Component up to March 2016.  Since 2013, the Nutrition Component has provided support to about 210,000 households, 45,000 mothers, 111,000 children and 69,700 adolescent girls in all 23 UPPR towns.

Based on the experiences and successes of UPPR, a new National Urban Poverty Reduction Programme (NUPRP) is under preparation to be led by the government and be supported by DFID, UNDP and other development partners. The first phase of NUPRP is planned to be start in the last quarter of 2016.

Duties and Responsibilities

Description of the Assignment

The several outcome studies of UPPR (please see www.upprbd.org for details) revealed that the project has made significant improvement in the areas of urban poverty reduction in Bangladesh.

In this context and considering that the new National Urban programme, the focus area of this assignment is:

  • To document the main experiences and lessons learned of nutrition interventions within UPPR project;
  • To analyse the nutrition policies, management arrangements and implementation realities of the Government of Bangladesh, in particular MoHFW and MoLGD as well as the implementation methodologies of the different stakeholders operating particularly in an urban setting;
  • To provide recommendations and propose specific approach and framework for the urban nutrition component of the new National Urban Programme that takes into account nutrition governance in urban areas and nutrition service delivery.

Scope of Work

Under the direct guidance of the International Project Manager for PPDU/NUPRP, the Consultancy will entail the following scope of work:

The consultant will be responsible to carry out the following, but not limited to these duties:

  • Identify and review relevant documents of UPPR;
  • Visit selected towns and conduct interviews with key informants (beneficiaries and key stakeholders);
  • Analyse the process and its effectiveness of the nutrition interventions those have contributed in the Urban Poverty Reduction Project (UPPR);
  • Analyse the nutrition policies  the nutrition policies, management arrangements and implementation realities of the Government of Bangladesh, 
  • Identify the different stakeholders operating particularly in an urban setting and analyse their operations;
  • Design specific approach and framework relevant, innovative and sustainable to the urban nutrition context and that can be adopted as the nutrition strategy of the urban component of the new National Urban Programme. Particular consideration should be given to designing a strategy that supports and mobilises GoB nutrition services in urban settings, linked to the future implementation of the National Nutrition Services and the administrative mandate of the LGD;
  • Produce materials such as Power Point Presentations, photographs and report.

Expected Results and Deliverables

The main expected results of this Consultancy will be the following:

An inception report:

  • Estimated duration to complete - 2 days;
  • Target due date - 29 February 2016.

Documents presenting the main experiences of nutrition interventions within UPPR project (report, case studies and photos). After field mission:

  • Estimated duration to complete - 15 days;
  • Target due date: 17 March 2016

A report analysing the nutrition policies and strategies of the government of Bangladesh and operational realities as well as the implementation methodologies of the different stakeholders operating particularly in an urban setting (narrative and visuals as graphs). After field mission:

  • Estimated duration to complete - 15 days;
  • Target due date - 17 March 2016.

A report providing recommendations and proposing specific approach and framework for the urban nutrition component of the new National Urban Programme:

  • Estimated duration to complete - 5 days;
  • Target due date - 23 March 2016.

A final report and a PowerPoint presentation presenting the findings of the consultancy:

  • Estimated duration to complete - 3 days;
  • Target due date - 30 March 2016.

Note that, payment will be made upon confirm acceptance by the International Project Manager and need approval of work plan to be prepared and submitted with inception report.

Methodology

The Consultancy will undertake the following tasks to achieve the objective of this assignment and submissions are strongly encouraged to support proposed approaches with examples of how the consultant has successfully met such requirements in the past:

  • Desk top/literature review: The analysis of the UPPR secondary data and documents such as project reports, outcomes studies, databases and consult other important sources of information, including project documents, progress reports, mid-term review and final evaluation reports and other documentation. Analysis of nutrition policies and strategies of the government of Bangladesh and operational realities as well as the implementation methodologies of the different stakeholders operating particularly in an urban setting in order to identify and analyse key policy, thematic and current conditions linked to urban nutrition context in Bangladesh;
  • Key informants interview: the Consultant will undertake consultations and interviews at country level with UNDP Country Office, relevant programme officers and other pertinent stakeholders, implementing and contributing partners and beneficiaries to identify, collate, analyze, synthesize and document the experiences of the implementation of the Nutrition Component;
  • Field Visits: Field visits will be organized to towns. The Consultant will select the towns with the support of the PPDU team.

Institutional Arrangement

The consultancy will be overseen by the International Project Manager (IPM) of PPDU. UNDP shall provide office space and necessary logistic supports to the consultant. The contractual oversight will be done by UNDP Operations Manager.

Duration of the Work and Duty Station

This assignment will take place over 1.25 month and require 25 working days inclusive of travel days. The requirement for the consultant is to work from home, except for a ten day field trip to relevant locations in Bangladesh. Local travel will be organized by UNDP.

Final Products

The assignment should result in a report that should be formatted to A4 size paper, and be in a condition that can be published without any need for further work. All data sets and analysis must be shared and handed over to the project.

Tentative payment schedule:

  • 1st Payment – 20% of total contract value will be paid after submitting project inception document;
  • 2nd Payment – 40% of total contract value will be paid after meeting with project management and key stakeholders and submission of presentation with emerging findings (2 and 3 outputs); and
  • 3rd Payment – 40% of total contract value will be paid after acceptance of Final Report and Documents (4 and 5 outputs).

Impact of Results

The result will improve the understanding on nutrition programming of UPPR and its stakeholders as well as develop strategies for future programme on nutrition that may fit well with National Urban Poverty Reduction Programme (NUPRP) and in policy implementation.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

  • Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards (human rights, peace,
  • understanding between peoples and nations, tolerance, integrity, respect, and impartiality;
  • Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional Competencies:

  • Demonstrates openness to change, flexibility, and ability to manage complexities;
  • Proven strong written, analytical and communication skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Masters in Nutrition/Public Health/ Social Sciences or relevant subjects.

Experience:

  • At least ten years of experience in undertaking research and evaluation, of which at least 1 assignment in past 2 years for similar analysis and strategy design work in international development organisation;
  • Extensive working experience in public health nutrition, including programme design and management and building capacity of government services;
  • Previous professional experience in UNDP and South Asia would be an advantage.

Language:

  • Must have excellent skills in written and spoken English and capacity to provide high quality reports in a professional and timely manner.

Application procedure:

Financial Proposal will be prepared on lump sum basis and would include:

The financial proposal shall specify the total lump sum amount must be all inclusive (professional fees, travel costs, living allowances, medical allowances, communications costs etc.)

The contract price is fixed regardless of changes in the cost components.

Evaluation of the Candidates:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology.

Cumulative analysis:

The award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant up on Cumulative Analysis/evaluation 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.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum 70% mark in technical evaluation will be considered eligible for financial evaluation.

Technical Evaluation Criteria (Total 70 marks):

  • At least ten years of experience in undertaking research, evaluation of international development projects focused on urban health and nutrition (15 marks);
  • Experience in strategy design for urban health and nutrition projects with extensive working experience in public health nutrition, including programme design and management and building capacity of government services (15 marks);
  • Experience in urban poverty context (10 marks);
  • Quality and relevance of proposed approach (15 marks);
  • Quality of proposed analytical framework (15 marks).

Financial Evaluation (Total 30 marks):

All technical qualified proposals will be scored out 30 based on the formula provided below. The maximum points (30) will be assigned to the lowest financial proposal. All other proposals received points according to the following formula:

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 pric%d proposal;
  • z = price of the proposal being evaluated.

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Proposers who shall not submit below mentioned documents will not be considered for further evaluation

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