UNDP Jobs - 71979- Urban Expert - International Consultant

Urban Expert - International Consultant

Location :

Bangkok, THAILAND

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

25-May-2017

Application Deadline :

10-May-17 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Up to 10 days

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

25 May 2017- 30 June 2017

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. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

The UNDP Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development Team in the Bangkok Regional Hub works with developing countries in Asia Pacific to improve how inclusive development policies and programmes are designed and implemented. It provides policy advice and tools to fight exclusion and marginalization in areas such as social protection strategies, job creation and livelihoods, and sustainable urbanization. The team helps develop the capacity of governments to formulate strategies and public policies that promote human development, reduce poverty and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The team responds to requests from countries to adapt the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with a set of SDGs at its core to national, sub-national and local conditions and realities, incorporating regional and global perspectives. It offers support to both UNDP Country Offices and to local governments in localizing, mainstreaming and accelerating the SDGs implementation as well as works to influence national policy-making with a view to creating an enabling environment for action at local and regional levels.

As part of its core work, the team uses UNDP’s comparative advantage and experience to support countries and cities to address pressing and complex urban issues, its interrelated development choices and consequences for sustainable development. The UNDP Sustainable Urbanization Strategy outlines our unique offers of approaches, mechanisms and tools that have been successful in defining and addressing gaps for the promotion of more inclusive cities, focusing on factors such as migration and informal and vulnerable livelihoods.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work:

Under the overall supervision of the Asia Pacific Regional Team Leader, Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development, the consultant will provide a set of succinct analytical inputs to strengthen existing products/programmes and specific stand-alone outputs on urban development. The scope of work is detailed below.

Based on consultations and a critical review of existing documents, bring an economic lens to the strategy/approach contained in the Regional Urban Climate Resilience Initiative- RUCRI.
In consultation with the Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development Team, develop a framework to incorporate an urban lens to the on-going products, services, analytical tools and frameworks.
Based on wider consultations with colleagues in UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub, strengthen the narrative and approach to urban development (including service offerings) as contained in the most current draft of the regional programme document.
Develop a guidance note and related presentation that draws upon existing and past UNDP experience on urban development. The guidance note should aim to tie together the governance, environmental, resilience, climate change and poverty and inequality dimensions of urbanization.

Actively engage and offer critical inputs on issues of urban development at the regional experts group meeting in Bangkok, Thailand (1-2 June 2017).

Expected Outputs and Deliverables:

The expected outputs from this assignment are

Deliverable 1: Active participation to the 2-day Expert Group Meeting (2 days), submission on 1-2 June 2017

Deliverable 2: Analytical inputs to existing SDG products and tools, and an economic lens and framing for the existing Regional Urban Climate Resilience Initiative (4 working days), submission on 30 June 2017

Deliverable 3: A guidance note that reflects integrated approach to urban development and its powerpoint/prezi (4 working days), submission on 30 June 2017.

Institutional Arrangement:

The international consultant with report to the Regional Team Leader – Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development Team, and in close collaboration with Urban Task Team colleagues.

Duration of the Work:

25 May 2017- 30 June 2017 (Up to 10 working days)

Duty Station:

Home-based with one travel to Bangkok, Thailand for 5 working days.

Travel will be during 29 May to 2 June 2017. Total 5 working days in Bangkok, Thailand include the participation to the 2-day Expert Group Meeting and internal consultations/meetings with UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub colleagues which outputs will feed into the deliverables as indicated in this TOR.

Competencies

Strong analytical, reporting and writing skills;
A strong grounding in economics and urban development;
A good grasp of the multi-lateral set-up as it relates international development
A understanding of the donor/stakeholder landscape
A good understanding of urban issues and the SDGs, especially in the Asia Pacific context
Ability to plan, organize, implement and report on work;
Ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines;
Proficiency in the use of office IT applications and internet in conducting research;
Good presentation and facilitation skills.
Demonstrates integrity and ethical standards;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced degree in urban planning and design, development studies and/or economics. A doctorate degree is considered an advantage;

Experience:

At least 7 years of experience working on urban issues in the context of international development
Professional experience in conducting research and producing policy papers on urban issues with integration of economic lens into the products
Experience working with United Nations organs on urban development and economic issues will be an advantage

Language:

Fluency of English language is required

Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments:

The contract will be based on Lump Sum Amount.

The total amount quoted shall be all-inclusive and include all costs components required to perform the deliverables identified in the TOR, including professional fee, travel costs, living allowance (if any work is to be done outside the IC´s duty station) and any other applicable cost to be incurred by the IC in completing the assignment. The contract price will be fixed output-based price regardless of extension of the herein specified duration. Payments will be done upon completion of the deliverables/outputs and as per below percentages:

Deliverable 1- The participation to the 2-day Expert Group Meeting: 20% of total contract amount
Deliverable 2 and 3- The Analytical inputs to existing SDG products and tools, and an economic lens and framing for the existing Regional Urban Climate Resilience Initiative and A guidance note that reflects integrated approach to urban development and its PowerPoint/Prezi: 80% of total contract amount
Travel cost- One travel to Bangkok, Thailand tentatively during 29 May to 2 June 2017

In general, UNDP shall 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 event of unforeseeable travel not anticipated in this TOR, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and the Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.

Travel costs shall be reimbursed at actual but not exceeding the quotation from UNDP approved travel agent. The provided living allowance will not be exceeding UNDP DSA rates. Repatriation travel cost from home to duty station in Bangkok and return shall not be covered by UNDP.

Evaluation Method and Criteria:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology;

Cumulative analysis

The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as a) responsive/compliant/acceptable; and b) having received the highest score out of set of weighted technical criteria (70%). and financial criteria (30%). Financial score shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal received by UNDP for the assignment.

Technical Criteria for Evaluation (Maximum 70 points)

Criteria 1 Relevance of Education – Max 20 points
Criteria 2 Relevance of experience in area of specialization (urban) – Max 20 points
Criteria 3 Experience in conducting research and producing policy papers on relevant areas (urban and economics) – Max 20 points
Criteria 4 Experience working with United Nations organs – Max 10 points

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Documentation required:

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Please group them into one (1) single PDF document as the application only allows to upload maximum one document:

Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided in Annex II.
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.
Financial proposal, as per template provided in Annex 2.

*Incomplete proposals may not be considered*

Please click on the link below to apply:

http://procurement-notices-admin.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=37231&view=admin