Historique

Established by a presidential decree as a joint initiative of the Government of Uzbekistan and UNDP in 1999, Center for Economic Research (CER) is one of the leading national think tanks of Uzbekistan.

CER has been mandated to provide economic analyses, assessments, forecasts and policy advice, to facilitate dialogue and build broad consensus over socio-economic reform agenda and development in Uzbekistan. The Decree also specified that the establishment of CER was a joint initiative of UNDP and the Government where UNDP’s role was to provide technical assistance in institutional development of CER with particular focus on elaboration of a new modality for management and financing of applied economic research. 

Over the years the thematic scope of CER research and policy advice has significantly broadened going far beyond purely economic issues and including a broader range of development issues such as governance and spatial development, energy and environment, social protection and food security, civil society and corporate governance development. Nowadays CER serves as a unique platform for broad policy consultations and dialogue involving various development stakeholders on a wide range of complex issues related to social, economic and institutional transformation. It is an inviting platform for scientists, practitioners, economists, sociologists, lawyers, journalists as well as for civil servants, private sector representatives, international experts and consultants.

The Support to Modernization, Accelerated Reform and Transformation (SMART) is a latest joint initiative between the Government of Uzbekistan and UNDP in support of institutional strengthening of CER. The SMART project has aimed to support CER in facilitating economic, social, institutional and spatial transformation in Uzbekistan while expanding research areas thematically and geographically, promoting participatory policy dialogue, issuing wider range of products for various types of audience and facilitating “South-South” knowledge sharing. In particular, the project’s activities were focused on the following three directions: 1) Elaborating policy recommendations with the participation of all stakeholders to facilitate economic, social, institutional and spatial transformation; 2) Building public awareness about the new stage of reform in Uzbekistan as well as promoting the Uzbek development model within “South-South” cooperation modality; and 3) Strengthening institutional and financial sustainability of CER.

In light of the upcoming closure of the project in December 2015, UNDP project implementation procedures require that SMART should undergo an external evaluation to take stock of the project’s progress, its successes and weaknesses. The results of the evaluation will be used to provide the project stakeholders with an unbiased outcome-level assessment of project results, while also providing lessons learned and directions for a possible next-stage cooperation framework between UNDP and the government in the area of evidence-based policy making.

In this regard, UNDP needs the service of an external evaluator to conduct the assessment of the SMART project results and formulate recommendations on exploring the new avenues of cooperation between the government, CER, and UNDP.

Devoirs et responsabilités

The International Consultant will work under the general guidance of the Head of Economic Governance Unit and direct supervision of Programme Coordinator. The Consultant’s main mission will consist of the following duties and responsibilities:

  • To conduct an impartial and expert assessment of the outcome-level results of UNDP’s  cooperation with CER under SMART project
  • Provide a review of achieved results and lessons learned against the expected targets, outputs and indicators laid down in the project document;

Meet with and gather substantive feedback from project stakeholders, including among the SMART/CER’s key beneficiaries both on the project’s impact and SMART/CER’s role and contribution to economic and social research and policy development. The stakeholders’ groups should consist of:

  • Government Agencies (ie, Office of the President, ministries and agencies);
  • Academic and research community (ie, national research institutions, academia);
  • International Community (ie, IFIs, donors, UN agencies, bilateral cooperation agencies, etc.).

 

  • Assess the project’s contribution to the progress made in support of policy analysis and policy formulation to accelerate reform process in Uzbekistan in social, economic, institutional, and spatial transformation
  • Assess the degree to which the policy formulation process has been carried out through participatory dialogue and policy communication with the stakeholders
  • Evaluate the extent to which SMART project has contributed to institutional and financial sustainability of CER
  • Assess the degree to which the resources and funding for the above project directions have been used effectively and efficiently
  • Assess how effectively the knowledge base, information technology, and communication means (ie, social media, web blogs, regular publications, Development Dialogues, etc.) are being used to expand the  outreach and knowledge-sharing by CER
  • Present and discuss the findings and recommendations to UNDP, and beneficiaries
  • Review and elaborate the comments presented with regard to the daft final report
  • Review and incorporate the inputs provided by UNDP and stakeholders into the final report
  • Provide quality assurance and ensure timely submission of the final evaluation report in a format agreed by UNDP

 

Duration of the service:

November – December 2015 (20 working days, including 5-day mission to Tashkent (tentative)

  • 10 w. d. desk work in country of residence (Nov 16 - 27, 2015)
  • 5 w. d. mission to Tashkent (Nov 30-Dec 04, 2015);
  • 5 w. d. desk work in country of residence (Dec 07-12, 2015);

 

Deliverables and Deadlines

The following tentative schedule of deliverables is expected under the current assignment. The Economic Governance Unit of UNDP Uzbekistan reserves the right, if necessary, to amend the terms of reference of an expert upon a written agreement. The final schedule will be agreed upon in the beginning of the assignment. All deliverables should be submitted to UNDP project in electronic form by the Consultant in English.

 

Outputs/Deliverables of Stage I (1st instalment: (50%), Due date: November 27, 2015):

  • Background information on the project results and progress received and reviewed
  • A Skype call held with UNDP CO to discuss the assignment and agree on the evaluation strategy
  • Questionnaires for the meetings with project stakeholders prepared
  • First draft of the evaluation report prepared and submitted to

Outputs/Deliverables of Stage II (2nd  instalment: (50%), Due date: December 10, 2015):

  • Mission to Tashkent completed, with meetings with the project stakeholders;
  • A pre-final draft evaluation report is submitted, presented and discussed in UNDP
  • Evaluation report containing in-depth outcome-level assessment of the project results, including the review and summary of stakeholders’ feedback, lessons learned, and recommendations on the next stage cooperation between the UNDP and Center for Economic Research

This is a lump sum contract that should include costs of consultancy and other related costs, if any, required to produce the above deliverables.

 

Monitoring and control:

Contract will be completed after the submission of final drafts of deliverables defined by the current TOR in two stages and upon acceptance by the Head of Economic Governance Unit, UNDP Uzbekistan.

Compétences

  • Strong data collection, communication, analytical, research, and writing skills;
  • Knowledge and practical application of RBM principles in programme and project evaluation;
  • Client-orientation and excellent interpersonal and cross cultural communication skills;
  • Ability to use information and communication technology as a tool and resource.

Qualifications et expériences requises

Education:

  • Advanced university degree in economics, finance, public or business administration, management or related studies.

Experience:

  • Proved record of solid work experience minimum 3 years (or conducting minimum 5 project evaluations) in evaluating technical assistance projects in the region and/or Uzbekistan;
  • Extensive experience in evaluating technical assistance projects in public finance management area in the Europe and CIS region, and/or in Uzbekistan in particular;
  • Experience in managing, advising, or evaluating technical assistance projects with think tanks and research institutions will be an asset.

Languages:

  • Fluent English;
  • Knowledge of Russian will be an asset.

How to apply:

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

  • P-11 form;
  • Offeror’s letter.

Applicants are required to fill and sign a P11 Form and Offeror’s Letter and apply through UNDP job online system. You will be asked to upload your P11 Form and Offeror’s letter on the second page of the online application form. Please note that the system will not accept the uploading of more than one document so please merge or scan all your documents into one prior to uploading.

Only Shortlisted candidates will be requested to provide financial offer.

Financial Proposal

The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount. Payment will be made in lump sum in two installments upon completion of the tasks/works indicated in the present TOR and their acceptance by the Supervisor as well as submission of payment documents (PEF, CFP etc.). In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (including travel, per diems, and number of anticipated working days).

Travel

All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. This includes all travel to join duty station/repatriation travel.  In general, UNDP does 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 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.

Evaluation of the offers will be arranged according to Cumulative analysis

The award of the contract shall 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: (70%).
Financial Criteria weight: (30%).

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points would be considered for the Financial Evaluation

Individual Consultant General Terms and Conditions (available at http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/documents/procurement/documents/IC%20-%20General%20Conditions.pdf).