Background

Within the context of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Country Programme Document and Action Plan (2015-2018), UNDP and The General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development (GSSCPD) are partnering with Ministry of Interior’s Drug Control General Department (MOI-DCGD) to implement the “National Drug Use Prevention Policy and Management”.

UNDP Kuwait’s Country Programme focuses on institutional and capacity development as well as incorporating cross-cutting development matters such as gender equality, human rights and environmental sustainability to respond to the challenges facing the State of Kuwait.

The Kuwait country programme for 2015-2018 uses the experience of UNDP as a knowledge and partnership executive to foster inclusive, sustainable and successful multidimensional development objectives. Human development is accelerated through increased social empowerment and high-caliber human capital; whereby emphasis will also be placed on promoting healthy lifestyles.

One of the CPAP outcomes, intended to address vulnerable populations and reflect issue-based achievements in line with the strategic plans of UNDP and other United Nations organizations whereby drugs prevention is considered a vital concern that needs to be addressed.

The project aims to help reducing the extent and effects of the drug use problem and death from drug use overdose in Kuwait, guided by the Kuwait National Development Plan and responding to the identified drug use issues, gaps, and needs, situation appropriate actions will be advanced. Actions towards improving drug use prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and community reintegration services will be effected. Policies and services will be developed, streamlined, and decentralized. Capacity building will be provided to support the implementation of the services. Awareness raising performed.

Project Outcome Statement: National Drug Use Prevention Policy and Management Program instituted, customized to local problems and needs, to help ensure a healthy, productive, satisfied population, decreasing prevalence of drug use and death due to overdose

The overarching outcome will be reached through the following three specific outputs:

Output 1: Improved in depth knowledge of drug use prevention related services and national situation, and establishment of national policy and management body for national streamlined efforts.

Output 2: Increased streamlining of needed services by working within an agreed upon Drug Use Prevention Policy and Management Strategy, Operational Plan, and proposed legislation, integrating gender equality and sensitivity, and human rights issues, for efficient provision of services.

Output 3: Enhanced institutional services, human capacities, and implementation of targeted services and interventions, to reinforce national awareness of problem and to reach drug use affected individuals and families

Duties and Responsibilities

The purpose of the assignment is to undertake studies on prevalence of predisposing factors, and the extended impact of drug use on individuals, families and society. The research studies should be customized to local problems and needs, to help ensure a healthy, productive, satisfied population, decreasing prevalence of drug use, and death due to overdose.

The consultant is expected to develop a mechanism, guidelines, and criteria to conduct a research based on clear measures to cover three research topics:

I.             A study on the new drugs, psychotropic substances, and the abuse of the non-illicit medical drugs.

II.           A study on the therapeutic and the anti-relapse medications for the drug users and the drug addicts.

III.          A study on the economic dimensions and the national security impact of drugs, i.e. the financial cost of the competent bodies such as control, prisons, courts, customs, therapy, prevention, etc.

Under the direct supervision of Drugs Control General Department (DCGD), Project Manager, UNDP Programme Analyst and in close collaboration, and coordination with other relevant national institutions, the Research Analyst Consultant will:

Develop a methodology and work plan for the assignment:

• Submit an inception report, along with a brief description of how the work will be conducted and finalize it through discussion with DCGD management and UNDP.
• Submit a research proposal with clear reflection and understanding of the nature of the work being undertaken and on how the project is to be organized.

Conduct three researches in the three specialized areas:

• Conduct three researches in a systematic process that focuses on being objective and gathering a multitude of information for analysis to conclude by following the eight steps of the research process as they apply to conducting the two studies: 1) Identify the Problem, 2) Review the Literature, 3) Clarify the Problem, 4) Clearly Define Terms and Concepts, 5) Define the Population, 6) Develop the Instrumentation Plan, 7) Collect Data, 8) Analyze the Data.
• The minimum number of applicants to be covered in frames of three researches collectively are 7,000. (6,000 applications to be dedicated for the educational institutes and 1,000 applications for the others).   

Presenting research results:

• Submit detailed narrative on his/her work to the UNDP which benefitted from desk research, university/schools surveys from a select number of educational institutions, and broad consultations with representatives of respective public authorities and non-governmental organizations on the subject.
• Prepare a consolidated draft reports of the complete researches using the technical inputs from the (zero) draft reports, survey reports, and any other available data collected on the subject to produce a more streamlined, coherent and policy-oriented report.
• Submit and present the completed studies in accordance with the approved plan no later than eight months from the date of the acceptance of the research proposal to consider the validity of its submission.

Study closure and final report:

• Revise the final report to ensure the report responds well to the guidance provided by the UNDP, Drugs Control General Department, and the General Securitate of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development. Upon approval, the researcher must complete all the observations and make all required amendments.
• Create key messages and policy notes as tools to aid in report dissemination, advocacy and policy dialogue.
• The volume of the final study should not be less than 40 thousand words (200 pages) and not more than 60 thousand words (300) pages of which supplementary pages (contents, references and supplements), and include five basic chapters, namely:

Chapter One: The problem of the study and its dimensions (Introduction of the study, problems, questions, hypotheses, objectives, importance, boundaries, concepts and terminologies).

Chapter Two: The theoretical background of the study (theoretical framework and previous studies).

Chapter Three:  Methodological procedures for the study (Study methodology, society, sample, study tools, design processes and application procedures for data collection and statistical methods).

Chapter Four: Presenting and analyzing the study data and discussing results.

Chapter Five: Summary of the study in Arabic and English, recommendations and proposals. 

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

Institutional Arrangement

• The consultant will be based in Kuwait for the whole assignment duration and will work closely under the supervision of (MOI-DCGD), Project Manager, UNDP Programme Analyst.
• The consultant will report on a day to day implementation of the project to the UNDP Project Manager.
• All reports submitted are subject to endorsement/approval by MOI - DCGD focal point and UNDP Programme Analyst.

Duration of the Work

• 12 Months/ 150 working days
• The Consultancy is expected to start at 15 February 2018

Duty Station

1. Kuwait - UNDP Office Kuwait
2. Kuwait – Ministry of Interior’s Drug Control General Department (MOI-DCGD)

Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

The financial proposal submitted shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables (i.e. whether payments fall in installments or upon completion of the entire contract). Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR. The financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (number of anticipated working days).

Travel: No travels are envisaged under this assignment.

EVALUATION

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on cumulative analysis. The technical evaluation will be based on a desk review and an interview.

Total score=Technical Score + Financial Score.

Technical Criteria weight - 70%, 700 scores maximum 

Financial Criteria weight - 30%. 300 scores maximum

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 490 from 700 point in the Technical Evaluation would be considered for the Financial Evaluation

The lowest qualified financial proposal receives 300 points and all the other financially qualified proposals receive points in inverse proportion, according to the formula:

P=Y*(L/Z), where

P=points for the financial proposal being evaluated

Y=maximum number of points for the financial proposal

L= price of the lowest price proposal

Z=price of the proposal being evaluated

Competencies

Core Competencies:

• Flexibility and adaptability to uncertain environments
• Ability to work independently and find solutions
• Political and cultural sensitivity
• Promoting ethics and integrity
• Gender sensitivity
• Team work and cooperation with colleagues
• Creating and promoting an enabling environment for open communication
• Sharing knowledge and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning

Research Management Skills:

• Contributes into results through primary research and analysis.

• Assesses research performance to identify success factors and incorporates best practices into research work.
• Researches linkages across the assignment activities to identify critical points of integration.
• Monitor specific stages of research/ studies implementation.
• Analyzes country situation to identify opportunities for the research development.

Building Strategic Partnerships:  

• Maintains an established network of contacts for general information sharing and to remain up-to-date on partnership related issues.
• Analyzes and selects materials for strengthening strategic alliances with partners and stakeholders.

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise:

• Fundamental knowledge of own discipline

• Understands and applies fundamental concepts and principles of a professional discipline or technical specialty relating to the position.
• Possesses basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks.
• Strives to keep job knowledge up-to-date through self-directed study and other means of learning.
• Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments.
• Demonstrates in-depth understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments

Required Skills and Experience

The candidate must have the following:

I. Academic Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in the social sciences field: social policy, public administration, public policy, public health, sociology, development studies.

II. Years of experience:

Required

• Minimum of 8 years’ research experience in research institutes, government entities or international organizations.
• Experience in one or more countries in the Arab Region (at least 3 years)
• Fluency in oral and written Arabic and English is a must.
• Excellent communication, drafting, presentation and reporting skills (2 copies of previous researches to be submitted);

Desirable

• Demonstrated experience in drugs related issues.
• Experience in GCC countries and Kuwait specifically 

DOCUMENTS TO BE INCLUDED WHEN SUBMITTING THE PROPOSALS.

Candidates wishing to be considered for this assignment are required to submit the following documents to demonstrate their qualifications. Please group them into one (1) single PDF document as the application only allows to upload maximum one document:

1. Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
2. Personal CV OR P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects that shows how the candidate meets the above requirements, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional referees;
3. Copies of diploma, copies of Project management related certificates (if any)
4. A proposed methodology for conducting the assignment including timeframe
5. Signed Financial Proposal that indicates an all-inclusive Lump Sum Amount with a fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided.  If an Offeror 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, the Offeror must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP.  The consultant should be aware that the contract price is fixed regardless of changes in the cost components.