Background
South-South Co-operation
The structural dynamics of international development co-operation have changed significantly in recent decades. Many countries have begun the transition away from receiving Official Development Assistance (ODA), while some, such as the Republic of Korea, have ‘graduated’ to become donors themselves. Such progress has led to the conceptual differentiation between traditional ‘Northern’ donors and emerging ‘Southern’ providers.
This gradual transformation in the development landscape has been underpinned by the steady rise of ‘South-South Co-operation (SSC)’, which the UN Office for South-South Co-operation defines as “A broad framework of collaborations among southern countries in the political, economic, social, cultural, environmental, and technical domains.”[1] As such, the scope of SSC is conceptually much broader than ODA, which is clearly defined and primarily incorporates grants and concessional loans. In fact, the definition is so comprehensive that it hinders uniform understanding, as there is still much disagreement pertaining to the inclusion of certain components such as policy formulation, the activities of private actors, commercial finance, and military operations[2]. Nonetheless, these differences in conceptual composition only substantiate the ubiquitous understanding that SSC has mobilized a broader array of resources and expertise from a more diverse group of actors.
In this regard, SSC has without a doubt evolved into an increasingly important driver of international
development. Recognizing the holistic importance of SSC to the international development co-operation system, the United Nations organized the High-Level Conference on South-South Co-operation in 2009 to highlight the role that various organizations could play in implementing and scaling SSC. Other processes such as the Busan High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness held in 2011, where the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation (GPEDC) was born, also sought to further strengthen the effectiveness of development co-operation with and in southern countries. Finally, in 2019, the BAPA+40 Conference was organized in order to take stock of progress in South-South and Triangular Co-operation (SSTC), including on strengthening its effectiveness. In a world where leading SSC providers, such as China and India, and emerging providers, such as Rwanda and Bangladesh, are increasingly scaling up their participation in SSC, it is evident that SSC will continue to play an increasingly important role in international development cooperation.
However, unlike traditional forms of development co-operation, southern providers have not
reached a consensus on principles of effective development co-operation.
Background on GPEDC Action Area 2.3 on Country-led Development Effectiveness of SSC
The Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation (the Global Partnership or GPEDC) is the primary multi-stakeholder platform for driving development effectiveness to “maximize the effectiveness of all forms of co-operation for development for the shared benefits of people, planet, prosperity and peace.”
It does so by promoting four effectiveness principles – country ownership, focus on results, inclusive
partnerships and transparency and mutual accountability. As a member of the GPEDC Steering Committee, Colombia has decided to lead an “Action Area” that explores development effectiveness of SSC and how it can be monitored and assessed. Under the direct leadership of the Colombian Presidential Agency of International Co-operation (APC Colombia), and building on a previous initiative by Mexico (former Co-chair and Steering Committee Member of the GPEDC), ‘Action Area 2.3’ brings together relevant stakeholders from the Global South to examine how the GPEDC effectiveness principles and indicator framework could potentially be useful and adjusted to the context of SSC (see also here). This includes piloting work with El Salvador, Mexico, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, Cape Verde, and Rwanda.
The overall objective of this Action Area is to support country-led efforts to enhance the effectiveness of SSC (for more detailed information, see here). Like all forms of co-operation, it is vital that SSC is delivered effectively to maximize its development impact. This sentiment was echoed in paragraph 11 of the Report of the second High-level United Nations Conference on South- South Co-operation (BAPA+40), which calls for enhanced development effectiveness of this modality of co-operation. It was also reconfirmed in recent discussions at the 20th Session of the High-level Committee on SSC.
UNDP’s Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) at the UNDP Headquarters in New York supports the GPEDC, as well as Colombia in its leading role in carrying out the work outlined above. Moreover, UNDP Seoul Policy Centre (USPC) has been very active in supporting the follow-up programmes of the GPEDC; mainly the Busan Global Partnership Forum and KOICA’s Learning and Accelerating Programme. As such, BPPS and USPC have joined forces to support APC Colombia in developing the research paper that this consultancy is expected to deliver. This research paper is part of the Action Area work plan (see output 1.1) that Colombia has agreed with its Action Area Members.
Non-comprehensive Overview of Relevant Papers
Title of the paper/document | Date | Author(s) |
2019 | Amanda Lucey, Orria Goni |
Co-operation Beyond Convention: SSTC in a Changing Global Landscape | 2019 | UN Office for SSC |
2019 | Neissan A. Besharati, Steve MacFeely | |
2019 | Neissan A. Besharati | |
2011 | Task Team on SSC, OECD | |
2015 | Anthea Mulakala | |
Monitoring and Evaluation in SSC: The Case of CPEC in Pakistan | 2020 | Murad Ali |
“The Asian Century”: The Transformational Potential of Asian-Led Development Co-operation | 2020 | Anthea Mulakala |
Diffusion, Fusion, and Confusion: Development Co-operation in a Multiplex World Order | 2020 | Sebastian Paulo |
2018 | GPEDC | |
2017 | Neissan A. Besharati, Carmel Rawhani, Ornella Garelli Rios | |
Methodological Pluralities in Impact Assessment of SSC | 2021 | UNOSSC and UNDP |
Institutional frameworks for SSC in Latin America: Lessons from Argentina, Brazil and Mexico | 2021 | UNOSSC and UNDP |
The Role of Institutional Arrangements for SSC: Experiences from Ecuador and Sri Lanka | 2021 | UNOSSC and UNDP |
Designing a Survey of the Institutional Architecture of SSC | 2021 | UNOSSC and UNDP |
Synergies to Increase Impact: SSC and the Effectiveness Agenda | 2020 | Luis Roa, APC Colombia |
2019 | Research and Information System for Developing Countries | |
2020 | Islamic Development Bank | |
Assessing Impact of South-South Cooperation – Variations in Perspectives | 2019 | UNOSSC |
Evolving Debates on the Effectiveness of Official Development Assistance | 2019 | Southern Voice |
2019 | UNOSSC | |
Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) in South – South Cooperation: The need for standardized principles | 2018 | NeST Africa |
Duties and Responsibilities
SCOPE OF WORK:
The purpose of the assignment is to produce a paper (approximately 10,000 words) assessing how the
effectiveness, which includes aspects of impact and results assessment, of SSC is currently being measured by southern actors. While these countries often identify themselves as both providers and
recipients of SSC, the focus of this paper will be on the perspective of the latter. Accordingly, the paper will achieve the following objectives:
Recap the state of research on existing SSC assessment frameworks and their relation to academic and grey literature on principles proposed to enhance the impact of SSC
Present the findings of a minimum of fifteen planned interviews with major recipients of SSC[1] in order to identify insights such as but not limited to:
How these countries define SSC (if any official definition) and think about/track the effectiveness of SSC that they receive
The existing mechanisms in place (if any) to measure SSC inflows and results (e.g. as
opposed to mechanisms tracking ODA/traditional North – South Co-operation)
The framework(s)/indicators being used to assess these SSC inflows and their effectiveness
in achieving concrete and lasting results for the SDGs
The reasons for using such framework(s)/indicators over other alternatives
Advantages and disadvantages of certain assessment methodologies
Conclude by proposing critical issues to consider when selecting a framework to assess the effectiveness of SSC.
Proposed Outline of Paper
Executive summary
Background on SSC and effectiveness
Literature review on the evaluation of SSC effectiveness and proposed approaches for assessing it
Analysis of interviews with recipients of SSC on evaluation frameworks and indicators
Conclusions and recommendations
References
Annexes (with suggested framework with elements for measuring the effectiveness of SSC from
recipient perspective)
Expected Key Deliverables, Duration of the Work and Payment Scheme
The expected duration of this consultancy is 24 working days. The target starting date is 1st of October 2021, whereas the expected completion date is January 15th, 2022. For each deliverable, UNDP BPPS, USPC, and relevant implementing partners will have a period of two weeks to review outputs, provide comments, and certify approval/acceptance of outputs. As the paper produced by this consultancy will need to be used at specific events that are due to take place on non-negotiable dates, it is imperative that high-quality deliverables are provided prior to the stipulated deadlines. Failure to meet these target due dates may result in deducted or postponed payment.
Deliverables / Outputs | Estimated # of work days | Target Due Dates | Review and Approvals Required from |
1. Conduct literature review and scoping (15%) | 5 | 22 October |
BPPS Programme Specialist and USPC Programme Analyst |
2. Create an interview questionnaire based on the research questions of the paper (10%) | 1 | 26 October | |
3. Conduct interviews and/or panel discussions with a minimum of 15 relevant interview partners (selection of interview partners to be completed in co-operation with UNDP BPPS and USPC) (25%) | 6 | Interviews to start on 8 November and to be concluded by 22 November | |
4. Draft a paper based on collected data and reviewed literature (25%) | 8 | 15 December | |
5. Collect and fully integrate all feedback from relevant stakeholders, such as but not limited to APC Colombia, UNDP BPPS/the Joint Support Team of the GPEDC, USPC and select members of the Action Area and submit the final version of the paper (15%) | 3 | 13 January 2022 | |
6. Present the main outcomes/preliminary findings of the paper to key stakeholders that form part of the Action Area and at external events such as but not limited to the South-South Expo (tentatively scheduled for November 2021) (10%) | 1 | 15 January 2022 |
This will be a lump-sum contract, and the payment will be based upon delivery of all the services specified in this TOR, as listed in the table above.
Competencies
Competencies
Excellent qualitative research skills, particularly with interview-based methods, is required.
Ability to concisely convey substantial amounts of content in written form is required.
Clear understanding and display of UNDP corporate values and standards is required.
Excellent display of functional competencies such as inter-personal skills, communication,
professionalism, teamwork, as well as knowledge management and learning are required.
Ability to prioritize multiple tasks and to adhere to strict deadlines is required.
Ability to establish and maintain good relationship with stakeholders is required.
Experience in the usage of office and online meeting software packages is required.
Knowledge of relevant UNDP corporate processes is an asset.
Excellent command of written and oral English is required. Knowledge
Required Skills and Experience
Academic qualifications
At least Master’s degree in development studies, economics, political science, public policy, or related discipline required. Doctorate degree in relevant discipline is an asset.
Experience
At least 7 years of relevant work experience in providing policy analysis or support towards
international development co-operation initiatives are required.
Demonstrated knowledge on the topic of South-South and Triangular Co-operation as a development co-operation modality, based on a recent understanding of relevant academic and official discussions, is required.
Familiarity with the GPEDC as well as the BAPA+40 follow up process is an asset.
Experience with published papers on topics related to SSC is a strong asset.
Language
Fluency in written and spoken English is required
Good working knowledge of another official UN language, especially Spanish or French is an asset
Application Package
The application package containing the following (to be uploaded as one file):
A cover letter with a brief description of why the Offeror considers her/himself the most suitable for the assignment;
Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects and specifying the relevant assignment period (from/to), as well as the email and telephone contacts of at least three (3) professional references; and
A one-page methodology on how the Offeror will conduct the work including a Work Plan and approach in delivering the required outputs within the assignment period; and
One to two examples of previous written work on a topic related to international development cooperation (paper, policy brief etc.).
Note: The above documents need to be scanned in one file and uploaded to the online application as one document.
Shortlisted candidates (ONLY) will be requested to submit a Financial Proposal.
Financial proposal
The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around the specific and measurable deliverables of the TOR. Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR, and deliverables accepted and certified by the technical manager.
The financial proposal must be all-inclusive and take into account various expenses that will be incurred during the contract, including: the daily professional fee; (excluding mission travel); living allowances at the duty station; communications, utilities and consumables; life, health and any other insurance; risks and inconveniences related to work under hardship and hazardous conditions (e.g., personal security needs, etc.), when applicable; and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services under the contract.
This consultancy is a home-based assignment, therefore, there is no envisaged travel cost to join duty station/repatriation travel.
In the case of unforeseeable travel requested by UNDP, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between UNDP and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed. In general, UNDP should 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.
If the 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 under a Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the Offeror must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP.
The Financial Proposal is to be emailed as per the instruction in the separate email that will be sent to shortlisted candidates.
Evaluation
Evaluation process
Applicants are reviewed based on Required Skills and Experience stated above and based on the technical evaluation criteria outlined below.
Applicants will be evaluated based on cumulative scoring. When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:
Being 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 where technical criteria weigh 70% and Financial criteria/ Proposal weighs 30%.
Technical evaluation - Total 70% (70 points):
Criteria
Max Pts
1
A minimum of 7 years of professional working experience in providing policy analysis or support towards international development co-operation initiatives
10 points
2
Previous experience working with international, multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives on the topic of South-South and/or Triangular Co-operation as a development co-operation modality, based on a recent understanding of relevant academic and official discussions.
15 points
3
Familiarity with the GPEDC and effective development cooperation discourse as well as BAPA +40 follow up process.
10 points
4
Previous experience in policy analysis with published papers on topics related to international development / South-South and/or Triangular Co-operation
5 points
5
Interview
30 points
Having reviewed applications received, UNDP will invite the top 3-4 shortlisted candidates for interviews. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% (49 points) of the maximum obtainable points for the technical criteria (70 points) shall be considered for the financial evaluation.
Financial evaluation - Total 30% (30 points)
The following formula will be used to evaluate financial proposal:
p = y (µ/z), where
p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated
y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal
µ = price of the lowest priced proposal
z = price of the proposal being evaluated
Contract Award, Institutional Arrangement, Payment Details
Contract Award Candidate obtaining the highest combined scores in the combined score of Technical and Financial evaluation will be considered technically qualified and will be offered to enter into contract with UNDP. Institutional Arrangement
The Consultant will be responsible for providing her/his own laptop. Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments All proposals must be expressed in the form of ‘all-inclusive’ lumpsum amount. Payments will be based upon deliverables/outputs accepted and upon certification of satisfactory completion by the supervisors. Payment is therefore estimated at two weeks after each target due date as specified below:
Payment Modality
Annexes (click on the hyperlink to access the documents): Annex 1 - UNDP P-11 Form for ICs Annex 2 - IC Contract Template Annex 3 – IC General Terms and Conditions Annex 4 – RLA Template Any request for clarification must be sent by email to cpu.bids@undp.org The UNDP Central Procurement Unit will respond by email and will send written copies of the response, including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry, to all applicants. |