Background

The UNDP Global Centre for Public Service Excellence (GCPSE) seeks to recruit a senior advisor on foresight to support the establishment, management and expansion of its new Empowered Futures Initiative (EFI). In its endeavour to promote the use of strategic foresight, the GCPSE collaborates with a wide range of partners, such as the Astana Civil Service Hub (ACSH), UNDP Regional Hubs and Headquarters, Governments as well as partners from the non-profit and private sectors.

The aim of the assignment is to enable the Centre to consolidate, widen and diversify its work of the previous years on introducing and institutionalizing foresight in public sector institutions in developing countries.

An additional responsibility of the senior advisor is to further research and expatiate on the application of foresight-related methods and politically-informed approaches within policy pathways and the UN system.

Globally, governments are looking for new strategic planning and policy tools to identify and realize strategic opportunities and mitigate risks in an increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world. ‘Foresight’ is rapidly emerging as an essential addition to conventional strategic thinking. Foresight takes uncertainty, unpredictability and interdependency as given and explores alternative futures, identifying emerging strategic opportunities and risks in different scenarios, testing the resilience of existing strategies, and prototyping innovative policy responses.

Foresight cultivates crucial skills such as cross impact analysis, synthesis, systems thinking, wind tunneling, and planning for long term uncertainties. It is based upon a range of skills: situational awareness to possible, probable and preferable futures; a pro-active scanning of the horizon; an ability to sort, sift through and combine open, real-time data and the creation of tight feedback loops. It entails the exploration of possible scenarios and pathways, the identification of future risks and opportunities and the systematic rehearsal of potential responses.

EFI aims to assist governments and societies in development countries adopt foresight methods to strategize and plan better today for an uncertain future. The ‘Empowered Futures’ version of foresight addresses the needs and capacities of developing countries. The approach is developed in response to a growing demand by governments and regional bodies in developing countries for additional strategy, planning and policy tools that are more appropriate to the environment in which national development strategies and SDGs have to be realized. 95 countries to date have asked UNDP for help in addressing the realization of the SDGs, requiring a strategic engagement with Governments and other stakeholders at the most senior level, including strong linkages to participatory processes of visioning and strategy development.

EFI will focus on the application of foresight on the following key areas:

  1. SDG prioritization and implementation (at various levels of National and Subnational Development strategy, policy and planning;
  2. Urbanization;
  3. Technological innovation in developing contexts;
  4. Citizen-state relations and its impact on development; and
  5. The planning and decision-making processes of UN agencies.

It is becoming increasingly clear that the participatory and exploratory elements of foresight-related methods (as propagated by EFI) also touch upon the ‘political’ aspects of change. There is growing awareness (supported by a growing body of evidence) that development is a fundamental political process in which different actors, including public service organisations, compete over power and contest the allocation and distribution of rents generated by growth.

These political aspects of development surface in the policy pathway, creating serious and stubborn issues in terms of strategy, coherence, coordination, planning and implementation. New approaches to thinking and working politically are needed, and EFI intends to scrutinize policy pathways for opportunities for foresight and similar innovative approaches which can help foster an environment that is more conducive for future-oriented policy, programme and service design.

Duties and Responsibilities

The senior advisor will support the establishment, management and expansion of the Empowered Futures Initiative (EFI), consolidate and diversify UNDP’s work of the previous years on introducing and institutionalizing foresight in public sector institutions in developing countries.

The senior advisor will support the establishment, management and expansion of the Empowered Futures Initiative (EFI), holding the following responsibilities:

Advisory and Programme Development:

  • Provide strategic leadership and vision on the application of (strategic) foresight to the implementation of the SDGs, urbanization, technological innovation and changing state-citizen relationships, and other topics EFI might decide on.
  • Establish a recognisable EFI “foresight for development” brand, including vision, approach, application and activities and expand the current GCPSE “foresight for development” portfolio.
  • Advise on and conceptualise strategy, pipeline development, partnerships, resource mobilisation, work plans, reporting, etc.
  • Manage the network of consultants engaged on an ad-hoc basis and partners with whom GCPSE enters into partnerships.
  • Oversee and contribute to the production of knowledge products that will promote the vision, approaches and practices of EFI and the GCPSE.
  • Design, manage and co-facilitate foresight capacity development trajectories with partner governments and non-state actors in developing countries.
  • Initiate, facilitate and promote local, regional and global discussions and the production of knowledge products on the importance of strategic state capacity for SDGs implementation and the relevance of strategic foresight.
  • Explore the use of foresight-related and other innovative approaches to ‘think and work politically’ in development, especially with regards to the ‘political settlement’ and public sector institutions.
  • Design, develop and implement, in partnership with collaborating organisations, innovative solutions to deal with politically informed issues in the policy pathway in developing countries.
  • Contribute to the efforts of the UN Development Group in strengthening strategic foresight capacities and applications within the UN System.

Partnership Building, Communication and Outreach:

  • Outreach and link to the global ecosystem of practitioners on foresight, thinking and working politically and related themes relevant for the performance of public services. 
  • Establish EFI as an important partner in the global “foresight for development” ecosystem, especially in the global South.
  • Establish GCPSE as a convener of foresight practitioners, innovators, resource persons, and thought leaders from across public, private, civil society and academic actors.
  • Support the deepening of a professional network among EFI stakeholders.
  • Initiate and build for GCPSE partnerships with relevant organisations for the establishment of “foresight for development” related products as global public goods.
  • Liaise closely with the relevant departments and offices of UNDP with the aim of making the organisation an effective thought-leader in foresight, “thinking and working politically” and related themes.
  • Support the community of practice among UNDP practitioners with relevant contributions to the network by providing technical inputs into the network discussions.
  • Initiate and help build on behalf of EFI partnerships with conventional and emerging partners, think tanks, NGOs, universities, other government or semi-government institutions.
  • Build innovative partnerships on both content development and resource mobilisation.
  • Produce content for external and internal communications (digital) and regularly provide updates on activities under EFI through the GCPSE communication channels (including social media). 

 

Key Deliverables and Expected Timelines (ETL)

  • Empowered Futures Initiative (EFI) established as a prominent player in the global “foresight for development” community (ETL: End June 2017);
  • Management services provided satisfactorily for the above functions (ETL: continuous);
  • Advice and substantive inputs provided to UNDP / GCPSE and partners (ETL: continuous);
  • Specific EFI knowledge product package on “foresight for development” comprehensively developed and produced for dissemination and implementation (ETL: End June 2017);
  • Revised GCPSE Foresight Manual produced (ETL: February 2017);
  • Global-level publication on “foresight for development” co-produced with relevant partner organisations (ETL: May 2017);
  • Presentations on EFI, foresight in public service, foresight for development and the use of innovative approaches to ‘think and work politically’ prepared and delivered at relevant fora (ETL: on demand);
  • Events, capacity development interventions and peer-to-peer learning engagements conceptualised, designed and facilitated (ETL: on demand);
  • Applications of innovative approaches to ‘think and work politically’ prototyped and prepared for wider application and/or scaling (ETL: May 2017);
  • GCPSE service line on “political pathway solution labs” developed, field-tested and produced (ETL: April 2017);
  • Resources mobilised, to cover direct costs for EFI country-level engagements and generate additional revenue to contribute to EFI overhead costs (ETL: continuous);
  • Resources mobilised, to partially fund EFI establishment and core expenditures (ETL June 2017);
  • Relevant knowledge product developed for EFI quarterly series (ETL: (a) March 2017 and (b) June 2017).
  • Content for external and internal communications (digital) produced (ETL: continuous).

Competencies

The incumbent will have experience in and capacity to institutionalise foresight in public service organisations to strengthen strategic state capacity. He/she is expected to have expertise in providing advice in the formulation of more adaptive and responsive public policy.

The incumbent must have the technical and general skills to interact effectively with the typical stakeholders in governance processes (e.g. officials, elected representatives, and citizens), foresight thinker-practitioners, as well as experts on complexity, political economy and international development. He/she needs to be experienced and comfortable with interactions at the highest political and administrative levels (e.g. Prime Minister, Ministers and Permanent Secretaries) as well as grassroots stakeholders of governance processes.

He/she needs to have the intellectual capacities and diplomatic skills to spur government officials into action by acting in support of and collaboration with UNDP country offices and partners in designing and developing programmes that support the institutionalisation of futures thinking, foresight and political economy analysis in public service.

Corporate Competencies:

  • Demonstrates integrity by modelling 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.

Leadership:

  • Demonstrated ability to think strategically and provide leadership.
  • Strong decision-making skills with proven track record of mature judgments.
  • Ability to conceptualize and convey strategic visions.

Functional:

  • Strong analytical and communication skills, including ability to connect with and contribute to global knowledge ecosystems and networks.
  • Proven professional and/or academic experience in applying foresight-related technical skills to Public Service Reform, Public Governance, International Development or closely related fields.
  • Proven professional and/or academic experience with political economy analysis, political settlements and their impact on public service performance.
  • Capacity to interact with senior officials and credibly influence senior decision makers.   

Management:

  • Ability to produce high quality outputs in a timely manner while understanding and anticipating evolving client needs.
  • Ability to focus on impact and results for the client, promoting and demonstrating an ethic of client service.
  • Strong ability to manage teams; creating an enabling environment, mentoring and developing staff.  

Partnership building and team work:

  • Excellent negotiating and networking skills.
  • Demonstrated flexibility to excel in a multi-cultural environment.
  • Constructive approach to feedback and conflict resolution.

Communications and Advocacy:

  • Strong ability to write clearly and convincingly, adapting style and content to different audiences and speak clearly and convincingly.
  • Strong presentation skills in meetings with the ability to adapt for different audiences.

Strong capacity to communicate clearly and quickly

Required Skills and Experience

  • Master’s Degree or equivalent in Public Administration, Political Science, Development Studies, Organisational Development, or related field. 

 

Experience:

  • Minimum of 15 years of relevant experience inclusive of extensive national and international working experience in the development arena with a particular focus on public administration reform, public sector capacity development, public service innovation and the political economy of public service organisations;
  • Demonstrated experience in working with the public service in developing countries on issues of public administration reform or change management, public sector capacity development, and/or public service innovation is required;
  • Relevant experience in leadership positions in recognized development or other relevant organizations;
  • Proven management experience and demonstrated leadership ability in applying foresightmethodogies and tools to development issues;
  • Experience in leading/managing knowledge product development and dissemination;
  • Professional experience in working in developing countries in the following regions is an added advantage: Africa, Arab States, Asia (Central, South, Southeast) and the South Pacific;   
  • Experience in working with UNDP or other UN agencies;
  • Excellent written and oral English communications skills are mandatory; knowledge of other languages desirable;
  • Willingness to travel, especially to developing countries. 

 

How to Apply:

  • Kindly download the Letter of Confirmation of interest and availability, Financial Proposal Template, P11 form and General Terms & Conditions mentioned below;
  • Completed Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability;
  • Personal CV or a P11 Personal History Form, 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;
  • Read and agree to the General Terms & Conditions;
  • Click the ‘apply’ icon and complete what is required;
  • Technical Proposal - provide brief information on the experience gained with concrete experience from developing countries - a maximum 500 words-long.  Evidence of key deliverables and results could be attached to the document;
  • Financial Proposal (Annex II)
    • Indicate the all-inclusive daily fee. 
    • The financial proposal must be all-inclusive and shall take into account various expenses incurred by the consultant/contractor during the contract period (e.g. professional fee, and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services). The fee should be quoted in US dollar only. 
    • Payment Modality: Monthly upon satisfactory submission of monthly progress reports / time sheets.
    • Travel: Successful consultants must be able to travel to facilitate consultations in countries based on demand if required. When such a request comes, the organization shall bear the cost of travel including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses based on extant policies and rules. Should the Individual Consultant (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 and will be reimbursed. 
  • If an applicant is employed by an organization/company/institution, and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNDP under Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the applicant must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP.
  • Scan all documents into 1 pdf folder and then upload;
  • For clarification question, please email to procurement.my@undp.org. The clarification question deadline is three (3) days before the closing. When emailing for clarification questions, please put "MyIC/2017/002" as the subject matter.
  • Incomplete applications will be excluded from further consideration.

 

Forms and General terms & conditions to be downloaded:

  • The UN Personal History Form (P11) is available at:http://www.my.undp.org/content/dam/malaysia/docs/Procurement/P11%20for%20SC%20&%20IC.doc?download
  • Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability at: http://www.my.undp.org/content/dam/malaysia/docs/Procurement/Letter%20of%20Interest%20_Annex%201.docx?download
  • The Financial Proposal Template at: http://www.my.undp.org/content/dam/malaysia/docs/Procurement/Financial%20Proposal%20Template.doc?download
  • The General Terms & Conditions for Individual contract is available at:http://www.my.undp.org/content/dam/malaysia/docs/Procurement/General%20Conditions%20of%20Contract%20for%20IC.pdf?download
  • The General Terms & Conditions for Reimbursement Loan Agreement is available at:http://www.my.undp.org/content/dam/malaysia/docs/Procurement/Reimbursable%20Loan%20Agreement%20_%20Terms%20&%20Conditions.pdf?download 

 

Important Note:

  • This Consultancy position is only accepted online. Email submission is not valid;
  • Applicant must READ and ACCEPT the General Terms and Conditions;
  • The system DOES NOT accept multiple document upload. Please scan all the documents and save into one (1) PDF file and upload.

The final evaluation method will be based on a cumulative analysis of both the technical and financial proposals. An interview will be conducted as part of the selection process. When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract will be made to the individual consultants 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 percent
  • Financial Criteria weight:  30 percent

Candidates will be assessed based on the following technical criteria:

  • Technical Evaluation (70%): evaluation of the P11 and technical proposal, including:
    • Experience in similar and relevant field, skill or expertise; relevant projects for similar international organisations and previous relevant UNDP/UN projects  (20 points);
    • Qualifications in terms of education, consultancy, specialisations and other relevant requirement; key technical skills related to project scope; availability (30 points);
    • Interview (20 points).

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70 per cent of the total technical scores will be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

  • Financial Evaluation (30%):

The following formula will be used to evaluate financial proposal: p = y (µ/z):

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

 

Others:

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials. Payments will be made only upon confirmation by UNDP on delivering on the contract obligations in a satisfactory manner.

Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when traveling 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.

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.

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.