Background
Since resuming democratic governance in 1999, Nigeria has sought to make advancements in the areas of economic development, good governance and the achievement of the MDGs under the overall umbrella of poverty reduction and employment generation. Currently, almost 90% of Nigeria’s export earnings and 80% of public revenues flow from the sale of oil and gas, are extracted from the Niger Delta.
The Niger Delta, however, illustrates a development paradox: endemic poverty in the midst of abundant human and natural resources. This poverty is reflected in a low level of human development, measured in terms of maternal deaths, child mortality, a heavy disease burden (including the increasing prevalence of malaria and HIV/AIDs), a highly polluted environment (caused by canalization, oil spills, gas leaks, gas flares, and subsidence), limited access to potable water, dilapidated schools, and health facilities and deplorable communication networks especially in the water-logged areas that constitute more than one-half of the region’s total landmass. The region has, in addition, a pervasive unemployment problem, especially among the youth and women. This high level of unemployment together with a strongly felt sense of exclusion and neglect has, in turn, contributed to significant conflict in the region.
Evidence from the UNDP Human Development Report for the Niger Delta (2006) confirms that perceptions of neglect and exclusion are a major factor increasing the level of conflict and insecurity in the region. The HDR also shows that a majority of people in the region are dissatisfied with and alienated from their local and State governments, finding them unresponsive to their felt needs as well as lacking in transparency and accountability, especially in the use of resources, including those obtained from the derivation of oil revenues. Poverty, unemployment and conflict have also taken their toll on social cohesion, eroding local cultures, traditions, authority structures and spirituality that have been central to the lives of the inhabitants of the Niger Delta. Social cohesion has been impaired further by conflicting interests and tensions between and within communities as well as the increasing criminalization of what might otherwise have been characterized as acts of social protest. The Niger Delta, in summary, poses a major challenge to national security and a complex development challenge for Nigeria.
The Government has taken significant steps towards reinvigorating the resolution of issues that have precipitated violence in the Niger Delta region. Dialogue with leaders of key militant factions and ethnic groups in the region has been initiated; concrete measures have been taken to separate groups with legitimate grievances from criminal elements capitalizing on a lawless environment; and efforts increased towards interdiction of illicit weaponry. Furthermore, privatization contracts awarded without due process have been reversed, key leaders of the militancy have been released, and a comprehensive process of dialogue and amnesty has been launched.
To crown these stabilization and peace building measures, the Federal Government, in September 2008, announced the establishment of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs (MNDA) to serve as a vehicle for formulating, coordinating and executing the federal government’s development initiates and programmes in the region. The mandate of the Ministry is to manage and co-ordinate, promote and initiate development policies and processes in the Niger Delta. The Ministry is expected to provide a focal point for coordinating and mobilizing concerted domestic and international assistance in resolving key security and development challenges in the Niger Delta region.
In response to the effort to support stabilization, recovery and development in the Niger Delta, the Ministry in close collaboration with the development partners inaugurated a technical working group to help it develop a concept paper setting out the broad outlines for the design of a comprehensive short and medium term programme framework for the Niger Delta region. The collaborative effort was co-ordinated by UNDP together with other development partners such as the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the World Bank, the European Union, and the Netherlands Mission. The output of this collaborative effort is the paper “Proposed Niger Delta Collaborative Development framework”. The document outlines the vision of the MNDA for the Niger Delta as well as delineates a broad roadmap for concerted national and international assistance and engagement for the Niger Delta under the leadership of the Ministry. It also spells out key guiding principles to drive development initiatives in the region. This project is being implemented.
It is against this background that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Nigeria seeks to hire Individual Consultants to design an Infrastructure and Social Sector Investment Action plan for the Niger Delta.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Infrastructure/public sector investment plan
- Social sector investment plan for the Niger Delta states
- Institutional development and capacity building framework to support the implementation of the programme including the establishment of a Multi-stakeholder trust fund mechanism for the programme.
- Public Sector Investment Plan
- Social Sector Investment
- Institutional Capacity Development and Multi Stakeholder Trust Fund Sectors.
Institutional development and capacity-building process.
- Assess and establish institutional capacity support and needs of the MNDA to manage and co-ordinate the implementation of the envisaged programme.
- Assess and assist in the establishment of the governance structure for the management and co-ordination of the implementation process for the programme including the role to the NPC, NNDC, relevant sector ministries at federal and state levels and the LGAs as well as the oil sector actors and civil society groups.
- Assess and assist in the establishment of a multi-stakeholder trust fund mechanism for the Niger delta initiatives
- Design and propose a programme for governance and institutional arrangement to co-ordinate and manage the implementation process. The structure will seek to draw on substantial stakeholder involvement in the decision making process as well as emphasizing strong collaboration at state and community levels to promote ownership, accountability and coordinated response to the development challenges in the Niger Delta.
- Design the modality for the establishment of a Trust Fund including the composition of the Board of Trustees and the independent structure for the management of the TF. The proposed arrangement will promote effective resource mobilization and accountability as well as broad stakeholder financing of the programme through the participation of the government and oil companies and multi-lateral and bilateral agencies such as the EC, UN, World Bank, USAID, DFID, and others.
- Propose a coherent and transparent system of contracting for the programme. This must be in line with existing procurement guidelines of the government of Nigeria and in concert with international guidelines and best practices for procurement of works, services and goods.
- Propose a broad strategy for mobilizing international development assistance for the Niger Delta including possible establishment of an international contact group for the Niger Delta as an effective means to secure development assistance and international goodwill for the programme.
- Financial and procurement Management expertise with experience in the establishment and management of multi-stakeholder trust fund
- Organizational development and programme management institutional framework
- Contract Management
Note: This assignment will involve the Institutional Development and Multi-Stakeholder Trust Fund Team Leader to work with other consultants and Team Leaders in the Public Sector/Infrastructure plan and Social Sectors.
- Inception Report submitted not later than 2 weeks after commencement of the assignment. The report will outline understanding of the Terms of Reference, overview of methodology and data analysis that are planned to be used along with interview questions or questionnaire as well as work plan, describing how work will be scheduled and providing milestones for completion of key activities.
- Draft Final Report submitted within the time frame of the assignment and not later than one week of the assignment ending. The report will describe work carried out and results obtained. The Consultant will present findings at a stakeholders’ workshop. Based on feedback from the workshop and from UNDP and the development partners, the Consultant will provide a final report.
Final Action Plan
- The final action plan should cover detailed technical elaboration of the three pillars of the programme, Provide a general background and introduction for the action plan, description of the overall strategy for the action plan, detailed description of strategy for each of the three pillars, and overarching objective, goal and purpose for the programme, methodology, instruments and procedures for implementation as well as key activities to be carried out, a logical framework for the programme, key performance benchmarks and indicators, implementation framework and governance structure for the programme including staffing requirement and TORs for key expertise for the programme, indicative TA requirement for implementation, illustrative organogram and definition of the roles of various decision making bodies at Federal, state and local community levels under the programme – policy committees, steering committees, technical committees, coordination and partnership framework with agencies and links with relevant sector Ministries and national agencies etc. In addition the action plan would indicate a global programme budget disaggregated on the basis of the three pillars and implementation work-plan.
- Final Report within 2 (two) weeks after receiving comments on the draft final report. The final report will describe the overall work carried out and results answering to the objectives stated above.
Competencies
- Past experience in handling similar assignment
- At least 10 years of comparative experience at progressively senior levels in the design, implementation and monitoring of government development projects, especially community-based development projects of rehabilitation, reconstruction and reintegration, small enterprise development, environmental management, urban and town planning, agriculture and agro-business, civil and engineering works, water and marine transportation, employment creation .
- Proven experience with the logical framework approach and other strategic planning approaches, M&E methods and approaches (including quantitative, qualitative and participatory), information analysis and report writing;
- Have experience in conducting formulation mission on development and governance issues in developing countries;
- Verifiable experiences in working with UN Agencies/bi-lateral development Agencies;
- Geographical knowledge of Nigeria and its cultures in particular the complexity of the Niger Delta Crisis, the knowledge of the political terrain, the legal and regulatory framework governing management of public resources
- Explaining why you are the most suitable for the work
- Provide a detailed methodology on how you will approach and conduct the work.
- Implementation Plan and Timelines
- Past experience in carrying out similar assignment with verifiable evidence i.e. reference with detail contacts
- All proposals must be submitted alongside signed cover letter.
- Responsive/compliant/acceptable
- Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.
Description | Weight | Max Point | Points Obtained | |
1. | Minimum of 12 years advanced university degree in Development Economics, Development Management, Social Sciences, Engineering/Civil Works Construction, financial and contract Management | 15 | 15 | |
2 | Past experience in handling similar assignment | 15 | 15 | |
3 | At least 10 years of comparative experience at progressively senior levels in the design, implementation and monitoring of government development projects, especially community-based development projects of rehabilitation, reconstruction and reintegration, small enterprise development, environmental management, urban and town planning, agriculture and agro-business, civil and engineering works, water and marine transportation, employment creation . | 25 | 25 | |
4 | Proven experience with the logical framework approach and other strategic planning approaches, M&E methods and approaches (including quantitative, qualitative and participatory), information analysis and report writing; | 15 | 15 | |
5 | Have experience in conducting formulation mission on development and governance issues in developing countries; | 15 | 15 | |
6 | Verifiable experiences in working with UN Agencies/bi-lateral development Agencies; | 5 | 5 | |
7 | Geographical knowledge of Nigeria and its cultures in particular the complexity of the Niger Delta Crisis, the knowledge of the political terrain, the legal and regulatory framework governing management of public resources | 10 | 10 | |
Description of Activities | Unit Cost (USD) | Total Cost(USD | |
1. | Lump sum Cost for the entire Assignment as Stated on the TOR (You may provide detailed breakdown) | | |
2. | Any Other Cost (Please Provide full details) | | |
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Required Skills and Experience
- Advanced university degree in Development Economics, Development Management, Social Sciences, Engineering/Civil Works Construction, financial and contract Management
Experience:
- Minimum of 12 years relevant work experience.
Language:
- Fluency in written and spoken English.