Background
UNDP’s Africa Regional Hub is responsible for supporting the implementation of UNDP’s Strategic Plan at the regional and country level across Africa, working with a network of Country Offices and regional partners. The three key thrusts of the Strategic Plan are sustainable development pathways, inclusive and effective democratic governance, and resilience. The Sustainable Development Goals also neatly map onto the key areas of UNDP’s work.
The SDGs not only build on the MDGs, they will apply universally and not just be meant for developing countries. While countries in Africa have made tremendous progress against the MDGs, gaps remain and several issues that were not part of the MDG framework are taken up by the SDGs. The SDGs are therefore much more comprehensive set of goals (17) and targets (169) with a higher level of ambition than the MDGs.
One sector that has potential to support the achievement of the SDGs is the extractive sector. Development of extractive industries, around oil, gas and minerals, holds the promise of raising incomes and living standards. However, many resource-dependent countries are also unable to fully benefit from their natural wealth.
Poverty can still persist; jobs may be hard to come by; the industry can be an ‘enclave’, with few backward and forward linkages with other industries or enterprises; and the environment can be degraded while livelihoods are destroyed. The wealth pouring into the country can also breed corruption and raise inequalities. All of these unwanted outcomes may create fertile grounds for violence and conflict.
Therefore, it is not surprising that, on average, resource-dependent economies score lower on the human development index than less endowed countries. Out of the 3.5 billion people living in resource-dependent countries, approximately 887 million live below $1.25/day.
But it does not have to be this way. Some countries have managed their extractive industries successfully. They have diversified their economies, ensured backward and forward linkages, tackled corruption and conflict and invested in human and physical capital.
By focusing its development work on extractive industries, UNDP supports countries to reduce the risks and realize the benefits of resource extraction. To this effect, UNDP is looking for experts to contribute to its work.
In order to ensure continued support to our initiatives, UNDP’s Regional Service Centre for Africa (RSCA) invites candidates to send their applications for inclusion in a Vetted Roster of external experts. The process for including candidates in the Expert Roster is described in the later sections of this advertisement.
Duties and Responsibilities
Tasks assigned in each individual assignment may include one or more of the following expertise:
Policy and Strategy Development:
- Preparing research papers, policy briefs, discussion papers based on primary and secondary evidence on extractive industries and development;
- Synthesizing relevant informative into a compelling narrative;
- Carrying out data and econometric analysis;
- Ability to carry out macroeconomic analysis;
- Ability to analyze budgets and national planning documents
Tools:
- Using relevant tools—fiscal, macro modeling;
- Preparing project and programme proposals
Research and Documentation:
- Developing research design, research questions and scope of work for undertaking primary research in new/relevant areas;
- Documenting good practices, case studies, for wider dissemination and sharing;
- Ability to demonstrate results in quantifiable terms as well as in clear, easy to understand language using new as well as traditional forms of media;
Capacity Development/Training:
- Designing training curriculum, conducting and/or coordinating trainings programmes for various stakeholders;
- Training and coaching stakeholders in using relevant tools and rolling out initiatives;
- Developing target specific training tools/tool-kits and manuals based on training needs assessment;
- Carrying out capacity assessments of public institutions and government institutions for development of strategic interventions for institutional strengthening;
- Conducting and/or coordinating trainings and workshops;
- Experience in conducting surveys and tabulating and presenting results to a wider audience
Knowledge Management:
- Preparing easy to understand knowledge and communications products;
- Preparing and publishing featured articles and case studies for an external audience;
- Disseminating knowledge and communications products
Monitoring & Evaluation:
- Using monitoring and evaluation methods;
- Carrying out required independent monitoring and evaluation of projects.
Competencies
To be considered for inclusion in the roster, applications would need to have expertise in one or more of the following areas:
- Macroeconomic analysts;
- Mining and petroleum lawyers;
- Mining and contract drafting and negotiations;
- Community and CSO engagement experts;
- Revenue management and transparency experts;
- Corporate Social Responsibility experts;
- Artisanal and Small-scale mining experts;
- Extractives related industrialization experts
Solid understanding of SDGs and the localization agenda;
Ability to synthesize complex issues drawing synergies and linkages between development issues;
Ability to work with, and analyze data, using relevant tools/computer programs to present findings;
Ability to leverage your personal and the institutional network to achieve greater outreach, share lessons and good practices.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
Degree in economics and/or any other related field
Experience:
Following a vetting process, the successful candidates would be placed in one of the following bands:
- Band 1, Implementation Support: Masters’ Degree in relevant field with minimum 3 years of relevant work experience, or Bachelors’ Degree in relevant field with minimum 5 years of relevant work experience;
- Band 2, Specialist Support: Masters’ Degree in relevant field with minimum 7 years of relevant work experience, out of which minimum 3 years of international experience as a requirement;
- Band 3, Senior Advisory: Masters’ Degree in relevant field with minimum 12 years of relevant work experience, out of which minimum 5 years of international experience as a requirement;
- Hands-on experience working in a development setting;
- Experience in working with state/central Governments and/or an international organization, policy think tank;
Language:
- Oral and written fluency in either of the following languages: English, French, Portuguese and/or Spanish.
Evaluation of Applicants:
Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodologies:
Stage 1:- Establishing a Roster :
- All applicants will be initially screened against the minimum requirements as specified above and those meeting the minimum requirements will be long listed;
- Long-listed applicants will be evaluated through a Desk review and/or interview against the following criteria
- Demonstrated experience in working and/or consulting on issues related to extractive industries – 30 points;
- Demonstrated experience in writing reports and analytical papers – 30 points;
- Demonstrated experience in data analysis – 20 points;
- Demonstrable educational qualifications above a Master’s degree in the social sciences, particularly economics and development studies – 20 points
Only those candidates who obtain a total technical score of 70 and above will be included in the roster
Successful candidates will be included in UNDP RSCA Experts Roster for a period of 5 years, in one of the “bands” indicated above. However, the addition of an individual in the Roster does not guarantee a contract with UNDP.Qualified women are encouraged to apply.
Stage 2:- Evaluation and call off mechanism for specific assignment /Contracting/:
When a request for services arises, the roster manager shall contact the individuals included in the specific area of expertise with ToR, location and dates of the assignment seeking confirmation of availability, as well as other costs such as living allowance, travel cost, etc. The daily fee quoted by the individual during this application process shall remain as the ceiling fee and cannot be increased upwards for any offered individual assignment(s).
Consultants that confirmed their availability for Specific assignment will be evaluated in one of the two evaluation criteria that shall be clearly indicated in the respective assignment ToR
Lowest price and technically compliant offer:
When using this method, the award of a contract should be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as both:
- Responsive/compliant/acceptable, and;
- Offering the lowest price/cost
"Responsive/compliant/acceptable" can be defined as fully meeting the TOR provided.
Cumulative analysis:
When using this weighted scoring method, 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; [To be determined];
- Financial Criteria weight; [To be determined]
- Only candidates obtaining the minimum point on the technical criteria specified on the assignment ToR would be considered for the Financial;;
- The individual selected for the deployment will be contracted as an Individual Contractor to the UNDP;
- The Contract and its terms and conditions are non-negotiable.
Applications should include:
- A cover letter, clearly identifying the “Areas of Expertise” as mentioned in the background section above;
- Updated P11 and Personal CV , 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;
- Daily professional fee.
Payment:
Payment(s) shall be made following certification by the hiring UNDP Office that the services related to each deliverable, as specified in the contract, have been satisfactorily performed and the deliverables have been achieved by or before the due dates specified, if any.
Other information:
- This call for experts is not linked to other UNDP rosters or to a specific UNDP recruitment opportunity;
- Interested individual can submit the above documents (Cover letter including daily Professional fee, CV &?P-11) in one of the following two addresses;
- UNDP Jobs site OR at;
- procurement.rsca@undp.org.
Due to the large number of applications we receive, we are only able to inform the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process.
Interested candidates are stongly advised to carefully review this advertisement, the procurement notice and ToR and ensure that they meet the requirements and qualifications required. All relevant information including ToR & Procurement Notice can be found ( in English and French ) on: http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=35154
Any request for clarification shall be sent to:- rsca.icroster@undp.org