Background

The National Resilience Programme (NRP) is a unique partnership between the Bangladesh government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UN Women, and United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), that provides strategic support to develop national capacity to keep pace with the changing nature of disasters. The programme has been designed with financing from the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO, UK previously known as DFID) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

The past decade has seen a paradigm shift in Bangladesh from disaster management to disaster risk reduction, achieved with the ownership of the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) and significant support from development partners and the UN system. However, while disaster risk management is a major feature of the country’s 7th and 8th Five Year Plans and a national disaster risk governance system has been established, addressing disability & gender responsiveness in DRR and capacity gaps remain to ensure effective implementation. Taking into account growing government annual development budgets, its extensive portfolio of social safety nets, and the likelihood of declining international aid, the National Resilience Programme does not aim to implement local risk reduction activities at scale but is providing strategic support to enhance government capacity to do so through its structures and programmes. The joint programme focuses on developing replicable, cost-efficient, and gender-responsive models for disaster risk reduction and resilience-building, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The programme is expected to contribute the following resilience dividends to human development in the country: (a) reduced impacts of disaster events in terms of loss of lives, affected population, economic loss, and damage to infrastructure, (b) inclusive, faster and resilient recovery of social and community functions, key services, and businesses, and (c) ensuring that development opportunities continue by reducing drivers of vulnerability and responding to changes and uncertainty.

National Resilience Program (NRP) has the following sponsoring ministries- Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development & Cooperatives, and Ministry of Women and Children Affairs. This is a joint programme being implemented by four Government agencies of Bangladesh: Department of Disaster Management, Programming Division of Bangladesh Planning Commission, Department of Women Affairs and Local Government Engineering Department. The NRP’s goal is to sustain the resilience of human and economic development in Bangladesh through inclusive, gender responsive disaster risk management and risk informed development. The objective of the programme is to increase disaster resilience and reduction of disaster risks, loss of lives and livelihoods, and protection of persons, businesses, and communities in Bangladesh. They work in collaboration with NRP to achieve the following outputs:

• Improved capacities for risk informed and gender responsive development planning.
• Strengthened gender-responsive national capacities to address recurrent and mega disasters.
• Improved capacity of GoB to achieve resilience through designing and constructing risk informed and gender responsive infrastructure system.
• Enhanced women leadership capacities for gender responsive disaster management decisions, investments, and policies at national and local levels.
• Strengthened disability inclusive, gender responsive community preparedness, response, and recovery capacities for recurrent and mega disasters.

In this context, disaster management is playing a vital role in protecting growth and preventing disaster led damage. Over the years Bangladesh’s disaster caused mortality rate has significantly reduced and the country showed its leadership in the successful management of high impact disasters and developing related strategies, policies, plans and laws. However, with the incremental impact of climate change, rapid and unplanned urbanization and industrialization, the economic loss due to disasters is increasing very significantly and threatening Bangladesh’s sustainable development.

As Bangladesh hopes to graduate Least Developed Country (LDC) category by 2024, disaster risk reduction still remains a key priority of the Government of Bangladesh, which is also reflected in its 7th Five Year Plan and various national policies. Bangladesh has also adopted global frameworks like SDGs, Sendai Framework, and the Paris Agreement etc. Based on past achievements and lessons, Bangladesh is committed to maintaining a holistic and mainstream approach.

The programme coordination and monitoring team leader has decided to document the evidence of the project result, reports to governance unit and Donor’s, planning the for the next phase of NRP and socialization of the results with wider audiences. To support in this, an individual consultant having expertise in result, communication and knowledge management will be hired.

Duties and Responsibilities

Key Functions of the Programme M&E Expert are:

1. Compiling subprojects monitoring results and preparing joint narrative reports;
2. Monitoring progress towards programme outcomes;
3. Assisting in scheduled mid-term and final evaluations;
4. Preparing a programme communication and visibility plan;
5. Support programme-level advocacy and communication of results and impact   
6. Support the PCMT in evidence-based project management and decision-making   
7. Support the PCMT in overall programme planning and implementation.

Under the supervision of the Programme Coordinator, the Programme Results Officer has the following duties and responsibilities:

1. Monitor and report on the joint programme progress and implementation:

• Lead the gathering of programme level results (from the subprojects) for the implementation of the joint programme result  framework
• Work with the Government subprojects to fulfill the requirements of the Joint Programme Monitoring Framework, Joint Programme Monitoring & Evaluation Strategy, and relevant guidelines for tracking National Resilience Programme achievements and outcomes;
• Guide and coordinate the review of the subprojects’ M&E plan, including providing technical advice for the revision of performance indicators, points distribution, and collect subproject wise progress with proper evidence;
• Ensure that the reporting requirements to development partners are met through consolidation of subprojects reports into coherent joint programme reports,
• Facilitate the midterm review and final evaluation;
• Develop data collection/management strategies and plans to strengthen M&E system and oversee the whole processes of data collection/management, including data quality control, guiding subprojects and partner ministries;
• Develop quarterly progress reports, six-monthly and annual reports that outline progress against log frame and work plan, based on inputs from the subprojects;
• Consolidate the reporting requirements by the subprojects. Subproject reports are to be prepared by the subproject implementation units in consultation with the responsible UN organization and submitted to the Programme Coordination and Monitoring Team for consolidation. The information from the reports will be tallied against the joint programme result framework as well as the UNDAF results framework and reporting modalities. The Programme Coordination and Monitoring Team will consolidate the subproject reports into a joint programme-level report.
• Liaise with the Administrative Agent to ensure that narrative and financial reports are harmonized;

2. Support programme-level advocacy and communication of results and impact   

• Design programme level reviews and evaluation studies (including quantitative evaluation), develop ToRs for hiring survey firms and evaluation consultants, and provide guidance and direction to the firms hired for baseline, midterm review, final evaluation, and other studies/evaluations;
• Lead to develop programme-level stories of change & lessons learned based on the interventions of NRP subproject parts to be shared via internal and external mechanisms and advocacy.
• Lead to prepare programme-level communication materials, knowledge products, and electronic media to include websites, press releases, newsletters, presentations, tradeshow presence, all manners of collateral, and other tools to ensure appropriate messaging and brand strategy are effectively executed. Also, support NRP subprojects parts to handle public relations, information output, press releases and media requests, social media, and/or advertising efforts.?

3. Support for evidence-based project management and decision-making:    

• Guide and coordinate the progress of the programme result framework periodically using valid data in both qualitative and quantitative manner and tracking the expected change produced considering the proposed Theory of Change (ToC) of NRP.
• Lead to generate subproject evidence base knowledge product and innovation like photo book, success stories, Best practices, Participatory Video, and Most Significant Change stories collection and sharing for taking strategic decision making.
• Provide technical support to conduct research/study/action/piloting/modeling-based knowledge on innovation adoption and implementation in resilience building.
• Support subproject personnel to increase capacity for evidencing their project achievement and provide peer-to-peer learning and sharing mechanisms within and beyond programme.

4. Overall programme planning, monitoring, and implementation support:

• Support to develop next phase Programme Documments (ProDOC) within the hired consultant and facilitate several consultation meeting with UN agencies, GoB officials and Development Partners.
• Support to organize programme-level joint events, meetings, workshops, and seminars within the supervision of Programme Coordinator and National Programme Coordinator of NRP as well as the suggestion of UN agencies.
• Support the Programme Coordinator and National Programme Coordinator, in a timely manner to answer ad hoc information requests from development partners, UN and GoB;
• Identify and participate in additional networks, for example, scientific or policy-based networks that may also yield lessons that can benefit project implementation;

Any other related activities as assigned by NRP Programme Coordinator and UNDP Cluster.

Documents

The Consultant will prepare and submit the documents mentioned above in the assignment deadline dates.  Further work, or revision of the documents, may be required if is considered that the report does not meet the UNDP and the government’s standards, TOR, there are errors of fact or the document is incomplete or not of an acceptable standard.

Inputs

The NRP  will provide office space for desk works and the consultant is expected to bring his/her own required computer and accessories. S/he is also expected to spend of his/her full time of the assignment at NRP Office. NRP will facilitate meetings and access to key stakeholders.

Travel and DSA

No DSA will be paid for IC in this assignment, the contract agreement is all inclusive. If unforeseen travel outside the duty station not required by the Terms of Reference is requested by UNDP, and upon prior agreement/approval the Consultant may plan for the visit. In such cases daily subsistence allowance will be given as per standard rate of UNDP.

Competencies

Corporate competencies: 

• Demonstrated understanding of effective outreach and monitoring; 
• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards; 
• Advocates and promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP; 
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;

Functional competencies:

Leadership

• Identifies opportunities and challenges and recommends options
• Checks assumptions against facts
• Assumes responsibility for decisions and outcomes
• Shares information proactively, also when not required to do so
• Innovation
• Analyzes complex technical materials (including data) and makes concise, relevant recommendations
• Contributes reliable production of knowledge services and transactions
• Identifies and addresses potential challenges quickly and develop action plans
• Sees specific opportunities for immediate improvement within own field

People Management

• Demonstrates behaviours such as teamwork, knowledge sharing, maintaining relationships
• Recognizes potential road blocks to completing tasks and seeks guidance from supervisors to address issues.
• Based on formal and informal feedback received, takes action to address areas for growth and improvement
• Encourages team engagement
• Expresses encouragement to those who try to develop or who show improvement
• Involves team in different steps of the process;
• Seeks and values other’s initiatives and expertise

Communication:

• Learns to relate constructive knowledge to others
• Presents coherent analysis
• Adds rigor and technical expertise to discussions
• Represents self and work with appropriate professional standards
• Eager to voice new ideas
• Productive in challenging situations
• Demonstrates a desire to support colleagues by actively helping others

Delivery:

• Takes responsibility for addressing critical situations
• Demonstrates commitment to clients and quality
• Works to agreed goals dealing with challenges constructively
• Takes responsibility and works towards planning targets, overcoming obstacles, setbacks  and uncertainty
• Always acts in a compliant manner and uses resources responsibly

Others skills and knowledge: 

• Editing and writing materials in Bengali and English
• Skills in documentation

Language Requirements:

English and Bengali

Required Skills and Experience

Academic qualifications:

Education:

Minimum Bachelor's degree in Monitoring and Evaluation, Statistics, Economics, or relevant subject.

Experience:

A minimum of (three) 3 years of progressively responsible and relevant professional work experience in results evaluation, communication, and reporting;

Applicants will get added advantage if they have experience in the following areas: 

• Experience in journalism as an English language copy editor
• Experience in audio-visual production
• Experience in using different media like social, print and electric and, etc. and have a great understanding of new tools and innovative ideas for sharing the communication and knowledge materials with the niche community. 

Payment Schedule:

?EVALUATION

Evaluation of the Candidates:

 Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology.

Cumulative analysis

 When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should 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 weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

* Technical Criteria weight; 70%

* Financial Criteria weight; 30%

Only candidates obtaining a minimum 70% mark in technical evaluation will be considered eligible for financial evaluation.

Technical Evaluation Criteria (Total 70 marks):

Financial Evaluation (Total 30 marks):

All technical qualified proposals will be scored out 30 based on the formula provided below. The maximum points (30) will be assigned to the lowest financial proposal. All other proposals received points according to the following formula:

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

Documentation Required

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Please group them into one (1) single PDF document as the application only allows to upload maximum one document: Maximum size per email is 7 MB.

• Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided in Annex II.
• Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references.
• Financial proposal: Financial Proposal has to be submitted through a standard interest and availability template which can be downloaded from the link:  Procurement | United Nations Development Programme (undp.org)

       Note: National consultants must quote prices in BDT