Background

Cognisance of the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan (2011), article 40 and the 2019 South Sudan National Youth Development policy which respectively provide that all levels of government shall empower the youth to develop their potentials and invest in the development of the young men and women who are the bedrock of establishing the Country and pivotal in peace building and sustainable development; the National Ministry of youth with support from UNDP seeks to develop a framework for a National Youth Service.

South Sudan’s population is estimated at 11.6 million; 80% of this population is living below the absolute poverty line, and 73% are comprised of young people. Just like many other African countries, South Sudan is seriously challenged by the youth bulge which presents both opportunities and challenges. The South Sudanese youth are characterised as agile, flexible, dynamic, and creative. If nurtured and empowered, the youth have fresh energy, benevolent power and determination and can serve as a robust productive force. They are patriotic with the spirit of nationalism and are not only the future but also the present and can contribute to building South Sudan, the newest nation in the world. The Government of South Sudan believes the youth, can make a positive influence on the nation’s political, social, and economic dynamics and development. Establishing a National Youth Service is an opportunity the Country can give to its youth to gain practical work experience by serving in programmes of development value to the Country.

The process of developing the necessary framework and program document of the National Youth Service will be spearheaded by the Ministry of Youth and Sports with support from UNDP. The National Youth Service is expected to create opportunities for young people to:

• Acquire work experience and employment opportunities;
• Develop skills; and
• Contribute to nation building, peace consolidation, and community cohesion;

It is also expected to support national development efforts through:

• Provision of trained manpower to supplement and improve existing levels of manpower in mainly the public sector;
• Deployment of personnel for rural development and community action; - Instilling sense of discipline, spirit of nation building and integration in youth

Currently, UNDP is implementing the Youth Empowerment and Employment through Private Sector and Value Chain Development project in close coordination and partnership with the Ministry of Youth and five states in the country – Western Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, Jonglei, Lakes, and Central Equatoria. The project provides for technical assistance to be extended to government line agencies at national and state level through the development of appropriate policies and frameworks that will accelerate result-based programming and sustainability. Upon the request from the Government of South Sudan, Ministry of Youth, UNDP agreed to provide technical assistance in developing the first National Youth service framework and programme for South Sudan.

It is in this context that UNDP South Sudan is seeking to engage the services of a qualified national consultant to provide technical support in drafting two documents; South Sudan’s National Youth Service Framework and Programme Document.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the general supervision of the International Consultant on the National Youth Service and guidance from the Under Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and the Chief Programme Advisor of UNDP, the national consultant will undertake the following:

• Conduct desk study of policies, legal framework, and guidelines related to the development of a national youth service;
• Lead in the organization of stakeholder consultations with MDAs, youth service agencies, local councils, development partners, etc. and maintain and provide documentation to the International Consultant on the National Youth Service;
• Support the documentation of appropriate practices, schemes, frameworks, etc. on the National Youth Service and provide technical inputs in the development and design of the framework appropriate to South Sudan;
• Draft a technical report articulating the advocacy, engagement, and implementation strategy for a National Youth Service;
• Analyze and ensure the alignment of the National Youth Service to the laws, policies, and plans of South Sudan;
• Ensure that the draft National Youth Service is inclusive, gender responsive and both young men, women and the physically disabled can participate and benefit;
• Provide technical support in the formulation of the Programme Document on the NYS;
• Act as focal point/contact for the Ministry and other stakeholders and coordinate activities on the development of the National Youth Service under the guidance of the International Consultant;
• Perform other related duties as may be deemed appropriate in the course of producing the required deliverables. 

Deliverables 

Inception Report with detailed workplan approved by the International Consultant, MoYS, and UNDP

• Summary report on stakeholder consultations and meetings on the “National Youth Service of South Sudan”, incorporating the following elements:  
  • Stakeholders’ consultation, mapping, and analysis report
  • Review and analysis of related policy and legal framework
  • The management structure at national and local level
  • Strategy for recruitment, selection, and training of volunteers in specified categories
  • Support package for volunteers in the field (transport, stipend, medical etc)
  • Monitoring and Evaluation system
  • Comprehensive review of the employment and education and skills training market and corresponding policy recommendation for the development of skilled workforce in South Sudan to achieve the country’s development agenda.
  • Strategy for implementation and engagement at national and state level.
• Technical inputs on the Programme Document on the National Youth Service
• A final assignment report including appendix(s) and knowledge products produced in the process of preparing the key policy document.

As part of the consultancy, the consultant will also be expected to:

• Attend consultative meetings with key stakeholders during the design phase.
• Provide necessary technical support in presenting the draft framework report at a multistakeholder validation workshop and coordinate the input of stakeholders to the draft.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates professional competence and expertise on the subject matter
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
• Able to work in team environment
• Treats all people fairly without favouritism

Functional Competencies:

• Excellent critical reasoning and problem-solving skills
• Excellent skills in the use of computer software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.)

Development and Operational Effectiveness:

• Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills
• Builds strong relationships with stakeholders, clients, and external actors
• Remains calm, in control and good humoured even under pressure
• High degree of self-motivation and initiative
• Willingness to learn and apply new analytical approaches

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications for the National Consultant

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, Public Administration, Economics, Political Sciences, or related field relevant from a recognized University or institution, a master’s degree would be an added advantage.
• A proven successful track record in writing national strategies or national policies
• Proven experience in the employment/youth employment sector; particularly at the policy level.
• Excellent skills in English and Arabic.

Technical proposal comprising of the following:

• Articulation of technical approach to the assignment/tasks, including the methodology and indicative workplan/timeline
• Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP
• Personal CV or P11, indicating all prior experience with similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and three (3) professional references
• Brief description (max. 1 page) of why you consider yourself as the most suitable for the assignment, and a methodology (max. 1 page) for how you will approach and complete the assignment

Financial proposal: Indicating the all-inclusive, fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs.

Consultancy Evaluation Criteria

Offers received will be evaluated using a Combined Scoring method, where the qualifications and Required Skills and Experience will be weighted 70%, and combined with the price offer, which will be weighted 30%.

National Consultant technical evaluation criteria

Criteria to be used for rating the qualifications and Required Skills and Experience is outlined below:

• Qualifications of the candidate in the required area or course applied for: Advanced University Degree in Education, Public Policy, development planning, management and business administration, or other relevant fields (20%).
• At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience working on ICRS, DREAM and similar issues. (20%).
• Substantive and technical expertise in the areas mentioned in the criteria (20%).
• Extensive experience of providing policy advice (including report writing) at international level (10%).

NOTE: Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points in the Technical Evaluation will be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Financial evaluation (total 30 points)

All technically qualified proposals will be scored up to 30 based on the formula provided below. The maximum points (30) will be assigned to the lowest financial proposal. All other proposals receive points according to the following formula: p y (/z)

Where:

• p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated
• y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal price of the lowest priced proposal
• z = price of the proposal being evaluated.

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.