Background

Albania has made important steps towards establishing a democratic state, functioning market economy, maintaining a stable economic growth, and achieving human development. Over the recent years the Government has adopted a range of significant strategies and national action plans in regard to delivering social protection reform and boosting social inclusion, and it has built the legal framework of the social protection and social inclusion system with the vision of providing integrated social services at local level capable to ensure the inclusion of all vulnerable groups and persons in Albania. However, poverty in Albania is still high hence there is significant needs for social protection services for specific segments of society, particularly for Roma and Egyptian communities and persons with disabilities, as well as vulnerable women, households with children, older persons, people with intermittent employment, and those living in rural areas and from excluded groups. In order to support improved social services, UN Agencies have engaged in implementing “Leave No-One Behind” Joint Programme, second phase /LNB2 (2021 – 2025). The improvement of social inclusion will be supported by interventions at macro level (central authorities), at meso level (municipalities and civil society organisations) and at micro level, actively involving the target groups into the programme’s implementation.

 The LNB second phase programme goal is: “Vulnerable persons and groups have improved access to gender responsive public services that support their social rights, social inclusion and well-being, and are empowered to have a voice in public policy decision-making affecting their lives, and to hold decision-makers accountable for policy implementation”. In order to achieve this, the programme pursues three objectives:

• to empower beneficiaries in need of measures for their social protection to access and to contribute themselves to their social inclusion;
• to capacitate municipalities/ regions and service providers to provide services and to promote social inclusion;
• to capacitate state authorities in the further development and implementation of policies relevant for social inclusion and to further operationalize/ develop social inclusion funding mechanisms, including scaling up of the Social Fund.

While the programme will cover all of Albania, by empowering vulnerable people and by promoting systemic reform of social service and inclusion provision countrywide, the programme adopts geographic foci to ensure that 30 (of a total of 61) municipalities are suitably capacitated to provide a system of integrated social services to cover the needs of the vulnerable population. The programme will primarily use instruments for capacity building and organizational development. Sustainability of the programme investments and effects and scaling up of successful practices will be a constant concern of the programme.

The Leave No One Behind Joint Programme (second phase) will be implemented through the Delivering as One (DaO) mechanism, within the Government of Albania-UN   Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2022-2026, with the joint participation of four UN agencies of UNDP, UNICEF, UNWOMEN and UNFPA and in close partnership with relevant governmental bodies at central and local level.

Scope of assignment

Local Self-Government Units (LSGUs) in Albania are engaged in the implementation of the Law on “Social Care Services” (Law 121/2016) which establishes an integrated system of services offered by public and non-public service providers to individuals and families in need. These include pre-social care, community-based, residential, family-based, specialized and online services. According to the above-mentioned law, LSGUs become the main actors in charge of planning and managing the public social care services.

The building of municipal capacities to manage their newly acquired responsibilities in social care service provision started in 2016, with multiple capacity gaps still to be filled in the years to come.

It is in this context that UNDP, in the frame of two previous UN Joint Programmes, UN Support on Social Inclusion in Albania  (UNSSIA), and Leave No One Behind (LNB) first phase,  supported, during 2014 -2021, 16 LSGUs to design and establish community-based services for persons with disabilities.

Building on the results of its previous work, UNDP, in the frame of LNB second phase programme, will be supporting selected municipalities to improve their capacities to deliver adequate (social) services as a requirement for improving social inclusion in Albania.

Thus, in the coming four years, the programme envisages assisting with building or strengthening the capacities of the professional staff of 16 existing and 4 forthcoming municipal community-based centres (service providers) for people with disabilities, enabling them either to further develop and consolidate or start social care service delivery.

A community-based centre for persons with disabilities is designed to provide a range of individual and group therapies, such as development, speech, occupational, psycho-social and physical therapies with the aim to maintain and develop the potentials of people with disabilities for autonomy, independent living and social inclusion.

The UNDP/LNB support for building capacities of these 20 service providers employing around 120 professional staff shall comprise traditional (formal) training, coaching, mentoring, monitoring, professionals’ forums, peer to peer experiences’ exchange and exchange visits, keeping in mind that learning by doing and showcasing successful pilot models of social services is key in operationalising the “abstract” legal framework.

To carry out these capacity building interventions, the programme is looking for national consultants/experts whose tasks, responsibilities and deliverables are described below. The consultants might be required to work jointly, in team of two or three of them.

It should be noted that the programme will take care of all arrangements regarding the organization and logistics of the capacity building activities. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the UNDP Programme Coordinator for “Leave No One Behind” and in cooperation with the selected municipalities and the SSS, the consultant(s) on capacity building for service providers for persons with disabilities will carry out the following tasks:

• Assess the capacities and training needs of professional staff assigned to work with persons with disabilities in the existing centres located in Bulqize, Diber, Korce, Lushnje, Maliq, Permet, Pogradec, Puke, Roskovec, Sarande, Shijak, Shkoder, Ure Vajgurore and Vlore.
• Based on training needs assessment results, design and deliver capacity building programmes in the format of continuous formal training, coaching, forum meetings and exchange visits for the professional staff with a view to update and upgrade their technical knowledge and skills and provide them with opportunities to exchange and benefit from each-other’s experience.
• Assist in making operational the community-based centres for people with disabilities in Kruja, Kamza and 4 other municipalities ( where new centres will be established), which implies:

• Establish, jointly with the staff of municipality, the eligibility criteria for the admission of beneficiaries in the centre and the selection of professional staff - reference shall be made to the figures of professionals described in the State Social Service manuals and guidelines; assist the centre with establishing an internal regulation including the institution’s structure and organization, professionals’ job-descriptions and the code of conduct.
• Design and deliver a capacity building programme for the professional staff comprising: i) a formal training, i.e. an induction training to the national legislation, policy and standards on social services for persons with disabilities - it will be important to demonstrate flexibility and adaptability to the needs and requests of participants; ii) a coaching/mentoring part to take place in the centre upon admission of beneficiaries - it shall consist in accompanying the staff in the initial steps/processes of the service delivery and helping them to establish individual development plans for the beneficiaries; and iii) a peer-to-peer training to take place in successful service providers, as identified by the Programme or suggested from the State Social Service.

• Conduct monitoring visits to the development centres for people with disabilities with a view to examine and appraise delivered services, identify shortcomings, bring these shortcomings to the attention of municipalities’ and State Social Service’s managements, and propose solutions.  
• Document the work done through submission of training modules/programs/agendas and materials and preparation of assignment reports including lessons learned and recommendations for training follow-up.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables:                                                                Working days

The preparatory work for the training activities and report writing (approx. 30 working days) does not require travelling out of the main duty station while the training activities and monitoring visits (approx. 170 working days) are expected to take place in the various project sites (Bulqize, Diber, Kruje, Lushnje,

Permet, Pogradec, Sarande, Shijak, Ure Vajgurore, Maliq, Korce, Vlore, Roskovec, Puke, Shkoder, Kamez, and 4 other municipalities to be decided) as per a travel plan closely agreed with and monitored by UNDP. 

Competencies

Corporate:

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards
• Commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values; 
• Sensitivity to cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age differences;
• Treats all people fairly without favouritism

Functional Competencies:

• Ability to work collaboratively with other LNB professionals;
• Full understanding of disability issues, human rights, social inclusion and social care services;
• Creativity;
• Excellent teamwork skills, networking attitude;
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills including the ability to pose questions, listen, evaluate and capture opinions, suggestions and comments;
• Strong ability to design and deliver training;
• Excellent presentation and reporting skills;
• Very good monitoring and evaluation skills;
• Capacity to deliver as per the deadlines.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic qualifications:

• Master degree in social sciences, education or other related fields;

Relevant Experience:

• Minimum ten years work experience in providing social care services for people with disabilities;
• Proven direct experience in designing and delivering training for professionals working with persons with disabilities;
• Experience in providing consultancy services on promoting disability rights;
• Relevant experience with UN Agencies or other international organizations

Language

• Fluency in written and spoken Albanian and English.

Evaluation Procedure

UNDP applies a fair and transparent selection process that would consider both the technical qualification of Individual Consultants as well as their financial proposals. The contract will be awarded to the candidate whose offer:

• Is deemed technically responsive / compliant / acceptable (only technically responsive applications / candidates will be considered for the financial evaluation)
• And has obtained the highest combined technical and financial scores.

Technical Criteria - 70% of total evaluation – max points: 70

Criteria A: Professional experience in providing social care services for people with disabilities – max points: 25

Criteria B: Educational background – max points: 15

Criteria C: Evidence of experience in delivering capacity building interventions – max points: 20

Criteria D: Relevant experience in providing consultancy / with international organizations – max points: 10

Financial Criteria - 30% of total evaluation – max points: 30

Candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% (49 points) of the maximum obtainable points for the technical criteria (700 points) shall be considered for the financial evaluation.

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.

Application Procedure 

Interested applicants are advised to carefully study all sections of this ToRs and ensure that they meet the general requirements as well as specific qualifications described. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials. 

The application should contain: 

• Cover letter explaining why you are the most suitable candidate for the advertised position. Please paste the letter into the "Resume and Motivation" section of the electronic application. 
• Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability & Detailed Financial Proposal - please fill in the attached form. Download Here (kindly use Firefox browser)
• Filled P11 form including past experience in similar projects and contact details of referees, please upload the P11 instead of your CV. Download Here (kindly use Firefox browser)

• Financial Proposal in ALL*- Specify a Total Lump Sum in Albanian Lek for the tasks specified in this announcement. The attached template may be used - Download Here (kindly use Firefox browser) Please note that the financial proposal is all-inclusive and shall consider various expenses incurred by the consultant during the contract period (e.g. fee and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services). 

• Copy of Diplomas and copy of Passport. 
• Technical proposal – specifying the methodology which the consultant will employ to conduct this assignment.

*Kindly note that Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability and Financial Proposal are two separate documents and should be both part of your application. 

How to Submit the Application: 

To submit your application online, please follow the steps below: 

• Download and complete the UN Personal History Form (P11) for Service Contracts (SCs) and Individual Contracts (ICs); In the P11 Form make sure to include Email Addresses of the Persons who are willing to provide References on your past experience in working with them.
• Merge your UN Personal History Form (P11) for Service Contracts (SCs) and Individual Contracts (ICs), Financial Proposal Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability and cover letter into a single file. The system does not allow for more than one attachment to be uploaded; 
• Click on the Job Title (job vacancy announcement); 
• Click “Apply Now” button, fill in necessary information on the first page, and then click “Submit Application;” 
• Upload your application/single file as indicated above with the merged documents (underlined above); 

• You will receive an automatic response to your email confirming receipt of your application by the system. 

Due to large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process. 

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.