UNDP Jobs - 22271- Consultant, Police and Prisons Project

Consultant, Police and Prisons Project

Location :

Juba, SUDAN

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

15-Apr-2011

Application Deadline :

27-Mar-11 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

3 Months

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

3 Months

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 signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in Jan 2005 ushered in a new hope for the people of Sudan. Decades of conflict had rendered dysfunctional almost all public institutions of governance, including the administration of justice, particularly law enforcement. The CPA and passage of the Interim Constitution of South Sudan (ICSS) entrusted the GoSS to maintain internal peace and security within its political and administrative domain covering the 10 southern states. This led to the creation of the Southern Sudan Police Service (SSPS) by amalgamation of the erstwhile GoSS Police and other factions through the promulgation of Presidential Decree No. 37 of May 17, 2006. The SSPS, though entrusted with the onerous task of transforming the existing security set up from a highly militarized structure formed under the SPLA to a civilian-based security service capable of maintaining law and order and ensuring safety and security of the community in all 10 southern states, currently lacks the capacity to undertake this responsibility.

Since 2007, UNDP has supported the Police and Prisons Services in Southern Sudan through the Support to Police and Prisons Project. The project is ending on June 30, 2011. The Annual Work Plan (AWP) for 2011 is attached as Annex A. The project was largely funded through the MDTF, US$ 40,000,000, administered by the World Bank. The project is also funded by Japan for specific activities. The Project has several successes in the areas of infrastructure development and capacity building of the police and prisons services. A detailed progress report is attached as Annex B.

While closing the Police and Prisons Support Project, the UNDP is now supporting further development of the police through support to the Dr. John Garang Unified Training Academy (the Academy), Rajaf. The center is situated about 10 miles from Juba city in scenic Rajaf and encompasses an area of about ten acres. The area is cleared of all mines, and policemen and villagers move freely in the area. UNPOL has commenced training the police recruits on general police work, providing security during the referendum period, the Police Act and other laws, and driving, at the Center. This Facility responds to the pressing need to build capacity among recruits to the Southern Sudan Police Service (SSPS) to transform the service from the current militarized approach to law enforcement and a professionalized Police Service. Through carefully targeted support, the center sets the foundation and a beginning for the SSPS to progress towards a democratically oriented, fully functional police service, sensitive to rule of law, human rights, gender and modern concepts of international policing. The UNDP support to the Academy also takes in to account the urgency for Southern Sudan to have an efficient police service in view of the imminent conclusion of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the conduct of a referendum in January, 2011.

Now that the referendum has been successfully concluded on Jan 9, 2011, and the country is awaiting the confirmation of the results, the post referendum period is critical times for the future of South Sudan. Irrespective of the outcome of the referendum, there is a critical need to provide peace and stability during this period. The orderly completion of the remaining activities under the Police and Prisons Project, and the closeout of the project are essential for the successful design and implementation of the next phase of the Police and Prisons Project.

FUNCTIONS/KEY RESULTS EXPECTED

Project closeout is a critical phase of all the project lifecycle. The key activity in project closeout is gathering project records and disseminating information to formalize acceptance of the product as well as to perform project closure. As such, the consultant will review project documents to make certain they are up-to-date. For example, perhaps some scope change requests were implemented that changed some of the characteristics of the final product. The project information collected during this phase should reflect the characteristics and specifications of the final product.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

Be responsible for the successful implementation of the balance activities of the Support to the Police and Prisons Project during the next six months (except for those relate to the Rajaf Training Center.
Familiarize with the relevant rules and regulations for closing out of UNDP Direct Implementation Projects
Collection and review of all project documents including amendments and reports
Review of resources, contracts, and roles and responsibilities of project personnel
Contract Closure
Fixed Assets
Lessons Learned
Staffing Issues and release of project staff
Preparation of final report

Implementation of the balance project activities

As indicated in the attached AWP, there are a number of activities to be completed within the next two weeks exempting the construction of the Rajaf Training Center. The Consultant will coordinate with the Programme Analyst in the Democratic Governance Unit (DGU) to ensure completion of these activities. The consultant will travel to the states to monitor completion of construction activities.

Familiarization with the relevant rules and regulations

The consultant will familiarize himself with the relevant rules and regulations for closing out of UNDP Direct Implementation Projects as laid out in the ‘Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures’ as well as any rules required under the Multi Donor Trust Fund. The consultant will apply these rules and regulations in conducting the project closeout.

Collection and review of all project documents including amendments and reports

The Consultant will collect and review all project documents including the original agreements, AWPs, project reports and amendments. The consultant will do an analytical review of the quality of the documents. He will also collate all data collected through monitoring and evaluation to facilitate the future evaluation of the project.

Review of resources, contracts, and roles and responsibilities of project personnel during the project period

The consultant will analyze the total resources received by the project, contracts issued, and the organizational structure of the project. He will analyze the terms of reference of the staff, and their contribution to the project outputs. Project outcomes will be documented and project management processes recorded to determine their effectiveness.

Contract Closure

The consultant will ensure closure of all contracts issued under the project with suppliers and stakeholders including ascertainment of completion of activities and settling the terms of the contract. It supports the project closeout process because the contract closure process determines if the work described in the contract was completed accurately and satisfactorily. The consultant will liaise closely with the procurement department in closing of contracts.

Fixed Assets

The Project has a large number of fixed assets that were purchased for the Police and Prisons Departments. The Consultant will collect information on all fixed assets and ensure that transfer documents are signed by the respective recipients.

Staffing issues and release of project team

While this is not a major issue under the current project, the consultant will review the staffing of the project with a view to identifying who should be released and retained, with reasons for the recommendation.

Lessons Learned

Project closeout is also concerned with analyzing the project management processes to determine their effectiveness and to document lessons learned. Lessons learned are used to document the successes and failures of the project. Lessons learned must include the reasons why specific corrective actions were taken, their outcomes, the causes of performance variances, unplanned risks that occurred, mistakes that were made and could have been avoided.

Preparation of Reports

The consultant will prepare all final reports for submission to the MDTF, donors, and for use by UNDP. These reports will support the final evaluation to be carried out. The consultant will prepare draft reports, and present his findings at a meeting of UNDP staff and stakeholders prior to finalization.

DELIVERABLES AND TIMELINES

The consultancy will take place for six months between Feb 1, 2011 and July 31, 2011.
Feb 1, 2011 to June 30, 2011 - Implementation and collection of data
June 30 – July 15, 2011 - Preparation of Draft Report
July 15 – July 31, 2011 - Presentation and submission of Final Report
The consultant will travel outside of Juba to visit police and prisons facilities as necessary.

REPORTING

The Consultant will report to the Team Leader of the Democratic Governance Unit, and maintain collegial relationships with the staff of the Police and Prisons Project. He will also interact with the procurement unit, finance unit, and the business management unit to collect data. The Consultant will also interact closely with UNOPS as the agency for construction activities under the project. He will also have regular meetings with the Government counterparts at the Police and Prisons departments.

Competencies

The selected candidate should have:

Experience in managing UNDP projects and resources including infrastructure and capacity building components
Leading people
Sensitivity to differences, quality and quantity of work, performance stability
Ability to work under pressure
Initiative and independence
Adaptability
Ability to work in teams
Ability to cope with difficult environment where formal institutions of government are at the embryonic stage; and,
Dedication to the United Nations principles, to promotion of equal rights of men and women, and respect for cultural, ethnic and religious diversity.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s degree in development, social sciences, political sciences, management or other relevant fields.

Experience:

Minimum 7 years of relevant work experience including professional experience in programme/project management in the field of development;
Proven management experience, preferably within UNDP or another a UN agency, with sound knowledge and experience in all aspects of project cycle especially close out;
Advanced computer skills and strong knowledge of various software including Excel, PowerPoint and Word;
Previous experience in Southern Sudan an advantage.

Language Requirements:

Excellent knowledge of English and ability to communicate clearly in written and spoken English.

Interested applicants should send their applications to: bids.juba@undp.org, Samer.Hawilih@undp.org, or submit hard copies of applications to UNDP Southern Sudan, Juba Office in a sealed envelope addressed to: Samer Hawilih, UNDP Southern Sudan. Please clearly indicate the job title on the envelope for the position you are applying for. Unmarked envelope will not be considered.