Background

The data revolution is an essential cornerstone of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with data considered to be one of the fundamental pillars of the accountability framework of the 2030 Agenda. However, online access to quality data in the Arab region remains difficult. Data and knowledge resources on development issues in the Arab region are often outdated, unreliable, and fragmented across multiple international, regional and local sources. When available, access to credible and official data is burdensome. By having access to and effectively using data, individuals, firms and communities in the Arab region can become more actively and meaningfully engaged in rethinking development policies, taking fact-based positions, or leading on entrepreneurial initiatives, thereby contributing to the sustainable development of their countries and regions. 

The Arab Development Portal (ADP) is an initiative of the Coordination Group of Arab, National and Regional Development Institutions (CG) to create a knowledge platform to promote timely and high-quality knowledge and advance data-driven analysis and debates, advocacy and policy-making in the Arab region.

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Regional Bureau for Arab States (RBAS) launched the ADP http://arabdevelopmentportal.com online on 25 April 2016, as a bilingual data warehouse and knowledge platform offering data and knowledge on key development topics in the Arab region based on national and international sources. The primary target audiences for the ADP include decision-makers in the public sector, private sector, academia, media and civil society with an active interest in development efforts in the Arab region.

Leveraging on big data technology, the ADP data portal was revamped in March 2018 to enhance the research experience of users enabling them to search for, visualize, extract, share and therefore analyze and create content based on official statistics. The ADP has also expanded its database to enhance its thematic coverage of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and launched the first regional SDGs Tracking Tool in the Arab region, offering a multi-level SDG monitoring framework based on the global indicators, but also on national indicators and targets identified in national development plans of Arab countries. ADP currently offers data users a multi-source and bilingual database hosting 15 thematic topics and more than 13,700 unique indicators accessible through advanced data browsing and visualization options.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, data have been brought to the center of attention of decision makers and the general public. The Arab Development Portal initiated its work on the creation of a policy tracker page that would offer data and highlights on the  much demanded socio-economic impact assessments, but also on other types of support country offices need to respond to the COVID-19 crisis.

Within the scope of this project, UNDP-RBAS is seeking to engage the services of a highly qualified “Web Content Editor and Specialist on the Economies of the Arab region”.

The ADP SDGs Tracking Tool is a regional platform that attempts to simplify the seemingly complex nature of the SDGs monitoring framework, it offers (1) a quantitative analysis facility and data visualization tool that offers multi-country comparison and automatically show benchmark and target values/years (if available) and (2) a report builder that generates two types of automated reports.

Duties and Responsibilities

The individual will be responsible to carry out and deliver the expected outputs below:

• Edit and proof-read the 15 thematic overviews (650-850 words) drafted by the ADP team, including checking spelling, acronyms and other abbreviations, refining the style and structure of the overview and in-depth feedback to improve consistency and cohesion between the sections of the overview. The drafting and editing work may require some additional research and coordination with relevant ADP staff.

• Edit and proof-read the 22 country overviews (750-1050 words) prepared by the ADP team, including checking spelling, acronyms and other abbreviations, refining the style and structure of the overview and in-depth feedback to improve consistency and cohesion between the sections of the overview. The drafting and editing work may require some additional research and coordination with relevant ADP staff.

• Ensure all overviews are appropriately cited and/or referenced.

EXPECTED OUTPUTS AND DELIVERABL

Competencies

Corporate

• Demonstrates integrity and fairness, by modeling the UN/UNDP’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional

• Ability to plan and organize work programme and flow;
• Good teamwork and interpersonal skills;
• Flexibility and ability to handle multiple tasks and work under pressure;
• Excellent writings skills

Knowledge Management and Learning

• Ability to strongly promote and build knowledge products;
• Seeks and applies knowledge, information and best practices from within and outside of UNDP;
• Demonstrates a strong capacity for innovation and creativity in providing strategic policy advice and direction.
• Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills.

Judgment/Decision-Making

• Mature judgment and initiative;
• Proven ability to provide strategic direction to the project implementation process.

Language Requirements:

• Language proficiency in both written and oral English is required.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in economics, social sciences, or journalism.

Work experience:

• Minimum five (05) years of previous working experience in editing and writing socioeconomic and/or development content;
• Knowledge of the socio-economic developments of the Arab region;
• Proof of editing and writing experience in media outlets and web-based content production.

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT

• The individual is required to exhibit his or her full-time commitment with UNDP-RBAS;
• S/He shall perform tasks under the direct supervision of the Arab Development Portal (ADP) Project Manager and Technical Specialist which include approvals/acceptance of the outputs as identified in the previous section;
• The individual is expected to liaise and collaborate in the course of performing the work with other consultants, suppliers and UNDP colleagues;
• The individual is required to provide periodical progress reports on regular and needed basis throughout the assignment in order to monitor progress;
• The individual is required to maintain close communication with UNDP-RBAS on regular and needed basis at any period throughout the assignment in order to monitor progress. In the event of any delay, S/he will inform UNDP promptly so that decisions and remedial action may be taken accordingly;
• Should UNDP deem it necessary, it reserves the right to commission additional inputs, reviews or revisions, as needed to ensure the quality and relevance of the work.

DURATION OF THE WORK

The expected duration of the assignment is expected to be up to fifteen (15) working days over a period of one (01) calendar month from the contract signature date.

DUTY STATION

This is a home-based assignment.

TRAVEL PLAN

If unforeseen travel outside the consultant home-based city is requested by UNDP and not required by the Terms of References (ToR), such travel shall be covered by UNDP in line with applicable rules and regulations and upon prior written agreement. In such cases, the consultant shall receive living allowances not exceeding the United Nations (UN) Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) rate for such other location(s).

SCOPE OF PRICE PROPOSAL AND SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS

Interested candidates should provide lump sum fees for requested services with detailed breakdown (unit cost per word of (1000)) .

The contractor will be paid an all-inclusive Deliverables/Outputs based lump sum amounts over the assignment period, subject to the submission of Certification of Payment (CoP) duly certified and confirmation of satisfactory performance of achieved work (deliverables/outputs) in line with the schedule of payments table hereunder, noting that the maximum number of working days for this assignment shouldn’t exceed one (01) calendar month.

RECOMMENDED PRESENTATION OF OFFER

Interested individual consultants must submit documents under point 1 & 2 to demonstrate their qualifications. Candidates that fail to submit these documents, the application will not be considered.

1. Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
2. Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects.
3. Financial Proposal: Please do not submit financial proposal in this stage. Financial proposal shall be requested from Candidates who are considered technically responsive

When the financial proposal is requested it should indicate the all-inclusive Deliverables/Outputs based total contract price, supported by a breakdown of cost per number of words per (1000), as per template provided.. If an 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 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.

Interested candidates shall submit required documents to Job Advertisement Website (https://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_jobs.cfm) as one document not later than 24 October 2021

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF THE BEST OFFERS

This selection criteria will follow the Combined Scoring method – where the qualifications and methodology will be weighted a max. of 70%, and combined with the price offer which will be weighted a max of 30%; using the following evaluation criteria

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodologies:

Step I: Screening and desk review:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology.

Applications will be first screened and only candidates meeting the following minimum requirements will progress to the pool for shortlisting:

• Criteria A: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in economics, social sciences, or journalism;
• Criteria B: Minimum five (05) years of previous working experience in editing and writing socioeconomic and/or development content; and
• Criteria C: Language proficiency in both written and oral English is required.

Step II : Technical Review

Shortlisted candidates will undergo a technical evaluation and a submission of a proposal to tackle the assignment.

Technical evaluation Criteria max 100 points (Weighted 70):

Financial Criteria - 30% of total evaluation

For those offers considered in the financial evaluation, the lowest price offer will receive 30 points. The other offers will receive points in relation to the lowest offer, based on the following formula: (PI / Pn) * 30 where Pn is the financial offer being evaluated and Pl is the lowest financial offer received.

Step II: Final Evaluation

The final evaluation will combine the scores of the desk review and the financial proposal with the following weights assigned to each:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the cumulative analysis methodology (weighted scoring method), where the award of the contract will 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 technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Technical Criteria weight: [70%]

Financial Criteria weight: [30%]

Only Individual Consultants obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70%) on the Technical evaluation would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.