Background

Saudi Arabia has realised and sustained, for the last four decades, remarkable progress along the socio-economic development path. As a result of this, the Kingdom has been able to move to a high-income country.
The ongoing transformation of Saudi Arabia beneath the Vision 2030 plan is unlocking new possibilities at an extraordinary pace.
The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) is the statistical reference for Saudi Arabia's socio-economic development. GASTAT provide comprehensive, reliable, up-to-date statistics and value-added services in line with international standards and take the lead in developing a modern statistical sector in order to support decision- making.
Business statistics department is currently working on building the Statistical Business Register, and that’s through using multiple sources of administrative data and statistical products which are conducted by GASTAT. The SBR aims to provide the frame of most of the business statistics surveys, and it is the source of business demography statistics and other statistics which directly derive their indicators from the SBR. In addition to the SBR business statistics department is also working on developing and enhancing business statistics surveys.

Duties and Responsibilities

The business statistics expert will provide technical assistance on SBR and the entire value chain of business statistics surveys, including reviewing the surveys, surveys’ methodology, and indicators. In addition to evaluating, validating and analyzing the collected data.

The Expert will also implement capacity strengthening activities, including training and mentoring the staff. Specifically, the responsibilities under this assignment include the following:

• Technical  support
  • Evaluating the Quality and coverage of the current frame (Business frame).
  • Building the structure of SBR.
  • Identifying the data sources to build the Statistical Business Register (SBR).
  • Studying and reviewing a sample of the priority data sources to come up with the basic data requirements to build the SBR.
  • Reviewing and developing surveys methodologies, questionnaires, and data collection methods.
  • Reviewing and strengthening the coverage of the surveys.
  • Reviewing and validating the collected data.
  • Counselling and assisting in treating and analysing the data.
  • Counselling and assisting in visualizing survey data.
  • Reviewing the indicators prior to dissemination.
  • Identifying the targeted data fields for calculating the indicators of each survey.
  • Specifying the sources for each data field.
  • Assisting in the preparation of charts, graphs and other outputs for reporting and presentations.
  • Advise in conducting new surveys, providing a guidance & check list.
  • Support and provide guidance on data processing, treatment, preparation (data analysis).
  • Support and provide guidance on the statistical process.
  • Performing any other relevant tasks requested by the supervisor.

• Capacity Development

1. In addition to delivering the above-mentioned technical support, the expert will advise the team on the best practices in relation to methodologies and frameworks.
2. Delivering training to the staff in treating, analysing and visualizing survey data.
3. Providing coaching and on-the-job-training for the staff as needed.

• A.Expected Deliverables and Outputs

Institutional Arrangement

• The expert will be supervised by the Director of the Digital Economy Statistics Department within the Economic Statistics General Department at GASTAT., The Digital Economy Statistics will directly responsible clear/approve/accept the final outputs.
• Reporting and follow-up Mechanism: The Expert will report on a monthly basis to his/her supervisor and to the Chief Technical Advisor, as well as, the focal point at UNDP project. The expert will submit monthly reports to his/her supervisor, including activities, outputs, performance indicators, challenges, lessons learned, and recommendations.

Duration of the Work

• The expected duration of work is 3 Months, with the possibility of an extension.
• The anticipated starting date of the assignment is 15th of January 2023. And the expected date of full completion of all tasks under this assignment is 14th of April of 2023.

Duty Station

• The assignment will be In Country Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He/ She will be embedded within the Digital Economy Statistics Department within the Economic Statistics General Department at GASTAT.
• If unforeseen travel outside the consultant’s 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).

• Note: A written approval from UNDP and relevant authorities will be required to facilitate the consultant's travel to any locations than stated on this TOR on official missions where necessary.

Working Arrangements:

• All mission travels must be approved in advance and in writing by the Supervisor.
• United Nations Development of Safe and Security – BSAFE course must be successfully completed prior to the commencement of travel.
• The Consultant is responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director.
• The consultant is also required to comply with the UN security directives.
• The consultant is responsible for obtaining any visas needed in connection with travel with the necessary support from UNDP.
• The consultant will be responsible for submitting his/her own mission travel arrangements in line with UNDP travel policies.
• The consultant is responsible for required health and life insurance related to work or travel.
• The consultant is expected to have his/her own Laptop/Computer.

Competencies

• Full understanding of economic and business concepts, indicators, and frameworks.
• The ability to validate, analyse, and treat data.
• The ability to conduct research.
• Ability to provide statistical technical advice on different sectors.
• Ability to work on own initiative as well as a member of a team and to work under pressure.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work on any of the statistical packages to analyse data.
• Good understanding and practice of capacity development.

• Written and oral communication skills.
• Critical thinking skills.
• Detail-oriented.

Required Skills and Experience

Min. Academic Education

• Master’s Degree in statistics, economics, or other related fields.

Min. years of relevant Work experience

• Minimum of 7 years relevant professional experience. 
• Proven working experience and understanding of economic and business concepts, indicators, and frameworks.

Required Language(s) (at working level)

• Excellent command of English oral and written. Arabic working language is desirable skills

A.Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments:

All proposals must be expressed in a lump sum amount. This amount must be “all-inclusive”. Please note that the terms “all-inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, living allowances, communications, consumables, etc.) that could possibly be incurred are already factored into the final amounts submitted in the proposal.

Payments shall be made to the individual contractor upon successful completion and certification by UNDP that services have been satisfactorily performed, based upon the actual number of working days and accomplishments of each deliverable.

Payment shall be made as a deliverables-based lump upon the receipt of the deliverables and certification of satisfactory performance by UNDP.

The Expert will share a Certificate of Payment (CoP) where he/he needs to indicate achieved outputs. Then the certificate of payment must be verified by the UNDP Team and certified by UNDP top management. The Expert is advised to keep a detailed timesheet of the days worked and tasks performed throughout the consultancy assignment. A bi-weekly update of the timesheet will be requested, and such documentation will support the payment process as deemed needful.

Technical Criteria for Evaluation (Maximum 70 points)

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% of the points would be considered for the Financial Evaluation

B.Recommended Presentation of Offer

For purposes of generating Offers whose contents are uniformly presented and to facilitate their comparative analysis, it is best to recommend the preferred contents and presentation of the offer to be submitted, as well as the format/sequencing of their presentation.  The following documents may be requested:

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, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the candidate and at least three (3) professional references.
3. Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per the 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 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. 

C.Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer

Applicants are shortlisted based on the Required Skills and Experience stated in the TOR.

The selection of the best offer from the shortlisted candidates will be based on a 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%.

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology:

Step I: Screening and Desk Review

Technical Criteria (CV review and Desk Review/Interview optional) – maximum 70 points. Only candidates who obtained at least 70% of points from the CV desk review (who will score at least 49 points) will be considered for the next evaluation stage, i.e., financial evaluation.

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

Technical Evaluation (70 Points, 70% weight)

D.The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

1. Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.
2. A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.
3. The Professional Certificates mentioned above, as appalicable.

E.Instructions for online submissions

Step 1:  Please prepare all required documents electronically.

Step 2: Combine all documents in ONE SINGLE FILE (preferably in PDF however, Word format can also be accepted) and upload to the UNDP Jobs links

Step 3: After that, you will receive an auto-reply from the UNDP jobs if your offer is received successfully.

Interested applicants are advised to carefully review this advertisement and ensure that they meet the requirements and qualifications described. 

Given the volume of applications that UNDP receives, only shortlisted offerors will be notified.

UNDP reserves the right to reject any incomplete applications.

Please be informed that we don’t accept applications submitted via email.

Interested Offerors are required to submit an application via UNDP Jobsite system as the application screening and evaluation will be done through UNDP Jobsite system. Please note that UNDP Jobsite system allows only one uploading of application documents, so please make sure that you merge all your documents into a single file. Your online application submission will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an email acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. In such cases, please resubmit the application if necessary. Please combine all your documents into one (1) single PDF document as the system only allows you to upload a maximum of one document.

Any request for clarification/additional information on this procurement notice shall be communicated in writing to UNDP office or send to email mohammed.abbas@undp.org  with a copy to huda.alsaud@undp.org the Procurement Unit would endeavor to provide information expeditiously, only requests receiving at least 3 working days prior to the submission deadline will be entertained. Any delay in providing such information will not be considered as a reason for extending the submission deadline. The UNDP's response (including an explanation of the query but without identifying the source of inquiry) will be posted on the Individual Consultant (IC) Procurement Notice page as provided above. Therefore, all prospective Offerors are advised to visit the page regularly to make obtain updates related to this Individual Consultant (IC) Procurement Notice.

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.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Interested applicants are advised to carefully review this advertisement and ensure that they meet the requirements and qualifications described. 

The interested offeror must read the Individual Consultant (IC) Procurement Notice, which can be viewed at https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=97317  for more detailed information about terms of references, instructions for the offeror, and to download the documents to be submitted in the offer online.

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.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

F.APPROVAL

This ToR is certified by:

Signature:                                                                                                                    

Name:                                                                                                                          

Designation:                                                                                                               

Date of Signing:                                                                                          

This ToR is approved by:

Signature:                                                                                                                    

Name:                                                                                                                          

Designation:                                                                                                               

Date of Signing: