Background
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UNDP’s Strategic Plan (2014-2017) recognizes the importance of preparedness, response, early recovery and effective management of risk as fundamental for resilience building and development. The objective of the Crisis Response Unit (CRU) is to ensure that UNDP is well positioned to respond in the most timely and effective manner to crises, triggered by natural disasters or armed conflicts alike.
CRU is responsible for UNDP’s corporate crisis response strategy and capability. It develops and drives UNDP’s vision and priorities for crisis response, coordinates and facilitates UNDP’s crisis response with a whole-of-UNDP approach, provides oversight for all UNDP crisis response actions, supports early warning, guides corporate preparedness for crisis response, and manages UNDP’s crisis response tools.
UNDP’s new corporate Crisis Response Strategy aims to make the Organization faster, more predictable and effective, and uses a “whole-of-UNDP” approach. As part of this Strategy UNDP is developing a set of Crisis Response Tools, including UNDP’s new Standard Operating Procedures for Immediate Crisis Response (SOP) and new a series of ‘Crisis Response Packages’ that will allow the delivery of quick, effective and predictable interventions on the ground.
CRU is responsible coordinating the development and roll out of these tools in cooperation with UNDP Central Bureaus: Bureau for Programme and Policy Support (BPPS), the Bureau of Management Support (BMS), the Bureau for External Relations and Advocacy (BERA) as well as with the Regional Bureaus and Regional Hubs.
In support of CRU’s development and roll out of the crisis response tools and as a member of CRU’s Rapid Response and Preparedness Team, and in close collaboration with other CRU teams and the Regional/Central Bureaus of UNDP, in particular BPPS and BERA, s/he is responsible for the development of training modules in English. The scope of work (section II) of this Terms of Reference (ToR) gives details on the characteristics and elements of the Crisis Preparedness and Response Tools Training.
Duties and Responsibilities
The objective of the crisis preparedness and response training is to equip UNDP staff and critical partners (e.g. stand-by partners) with the relevant corporate crisis response tools. Depending on the exposure to various training options, for instance online and in person training, UNDP staff and partners will achieve a level of capacity that will range from minimum (familiar with the crisis preparedness and response tools) to advanced (capacity to master the crisis preparedness and response tools in the relevant function/role).
The focus of most of the crisis preparedness and response tools covers a timeline that starts from the preparedness for UNDP to respond to an imminent crisis (i.e. early warning and readiness actions) up to approximately 90 days from the crisis declaration when a recovery programme should be approved and in course of implementation.
The crisis preparedness and response tools cover several areas that are called to action when preparing and responding to a crisis: risk analysis, programme, operations, communications, resource mobilization, security, etc.
The development of a training course will therefore take into consideration three main factors:
- the timeline for crisis preparedness and response,
- the various areas involved,
- the functions and roles of UNDP staff and partners in the CO, regional hub and HQ.
These three factors will guide the development and implementation of the training modules.
The UNDP corporate Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for immediate crisis response will represent the backbone of the training as it provides the directives to be followed as per the three aforementioned factors.
Training structure and approach
The training will be structured as per the following macro-modules:
- Crisis Preparedness and Response Tools:
- Concepts, processes, roles and responsibilities
- Group and individual exercises
- Evaluation and feedback
- Team dynamics in stressful situations (optional but strongly recommended in training of first responders)
- Table top exercise on a realistic scenario using the crisis preparedness and response tools
- Readiness activities for an imminent crisis
- Crisis response (focus on the first two weeks)
- Crisis response and transition (from the end of week two up to three months from crisis declaration)
- Evaluation and feedback
The training approach and methodology will follow the following elements:
Modularity and flexibility: while the UNDP SOP for immediate crisis response provide the backbone and the reference timeline for the training, various modules relevant to the subject/areas involved will be plugged in to meet the training needs of the target audience. This allows the training to be flexible in its duration and in the choice of relevant topics/subjects to be covered.
Two stage learning: online modules for “pre-learning” to familiarize with the crisis preparedness tools and “in person training” in a workshop using a table top exercise to apply the tools in a realistic scenario. The training modules for macro-module 1 on crisis preparedness and response tools will be available to the participants as online training. The objective of the online training is to familiarize the participants with the subject and allow an active participation in the in person training, especially when it comes to carry out group or individual exercises based on the realistic scenario. Participants who successfully took the online trainings will be admitted to the in person training workshop.
Learning options and relevant subjects
This section provides the options to organize the macro modules and includes an extensive list of learning subjects for crisis preparedness and response tools. Each subject does not necessarily require a standolen module development by the consultant. The consultant will collaborate with relevant content owners within UNDP to develop learning content to be included in macro modules 1 and 3.
Macro module 1 crisis preparedness and response tools
Duration:
- minimum half day with presentations only (no exercises), quick evaluation and feedback
- maximum: two days learning modules and group and individual exercise, evaluation and feedback
Subjects to be covered:
- UNDP crisis preparedness measures
i. Early warning and use of the dashboard (exercise)
ii.Business Continuity Plan, prequalification of partners and vendors, other preparedness measures.
2. UNDP Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for immediate crisis response
i.Crisis levels
ii.Key stakeholders
iii.Key steps of crisis response process (i.e. from trigger communication to transition) and roles and responsibilities (exercise)
iv.UNDP funding options for crisis response and key process
v.Communications and resource mobilization for crisis response (exercises on communications and resource mobilization)
3. Humanitarian Programming Cycle and Early Recovery Coordination
i.Overall process and timeline, role of UNDP
ii.ER coordination process, including ER cluster activation, UNDP contribution to other humanitarian clusters
iii.Flash Appeal (exercise)
iv.MIRA process and UNDP inputs (exercise)
v.CERF proposal (exercise)
vi.SRP
4.UNDP Crisis Response Packages (introduction) and dispatch of prepositioned items (SOP)
5.Fast Track 2.0
6.SURGE planning process
7.Deployments of first responders (process and composition) and SURGE advisors
8.Communication and Resource Mobilization (exercise)
9.PDNA/PCNA (Introduction)
10.Early warning and use of the dashboard (exercise)
11.Safety and security and programme criticality (introduction)
Macro module 2 Team dynamics in stressful situations (optional but strongly recommended in training of first responders)
Duration
- One day with group and individual activities
Subjects to be covered (tentative)
- BELBIN tool or similar
- Emotional intelligence
- Leadership skills
- Negotiation skills
- Stress coping mechanisms in humanitarian response
- Safety and Security (practical/simulation, probably led by UNDP Security Office)
Macro module 3 Table top exercise based on realistic scenarios/scripts
Duration
- Minimum: one day (limited set of subject modules) including quick evaluation and feedback
- Maximum: three days (all subject modules) including evaluation and feedback
Subjects to be covered
- Readiness activities for an imminent crisis
i.Early Warning and Dashboard
ii.UNDP and interagency crisis preparedness actions (SOP)
iii.Business continuity plan, prequalification of partners and vendors, other preparedness measures.
2. Crisis response (focus on the first two weeks)
i.SOP for crisis Response
ii.Preliminary Situation Report
iii.Exigency Memo and Crisis Declaration
iv.The Crisis Board, the Crisis Management Support team (CMST), the Crisis Response Team (when applicable)
v.Kick start the UNDP Crisis Response Packages including the SOPs for dispatching prepositioned items at UNHRD or from other locations (e.g. local prequalified vendors), use of existing LTAs, etc.
vi.First Responders (deployments and other relevant processes)
vii.Fast Track 2.0 and operations support to crisis response and kick starting the CRPs,
viii.SURGE planning and SURGE plan development
ix.Key communications messages and resource mobilization actions, including developing RM chapeau resource mobilization document identifying critical response, recovery and resilience building initiatives to inform RM activities, including flash appeal, CERF and donors that are able to allocate funding in the immediate aftermath, resource mobilization action plan, communication action plan.
x.UNDP and the humanitarian cluster system and activation of early recovery cluster
xi.Preliminary Definition, Flash Appeal and CERF Rapid Response Grant
xii.MIRA and other rapid assessments (inputs, participation, use of findings, etc.)
xiii.Security Assessment and Programme Criticality (when relevant)
3.Crisis response and transition (from the end of week two up to three months from crisis declaration)
i.Develop the SURGE plan and the recovery framework
ii.Implementation of the CRPs related projects (programme, operations, communications, resource mobilization, deployments, etc.)
iii.PDNA/PCNA findings and recommendations
iv.Recovery programme development
v.Approval by the CO and endorsement from the Crisis Board of the SURGE plan
vi.Approval by the CO and endorsement from the Crisis Board of the Recovery Plan
- Evaluation and feedback
i.Presentations or discussions on specific session
ii.Evaluation
iii.Feedback from participants
The table top exercise will be organized in various steps based on the evolution of the scenario and critical interjections that will challenge the response from the trainees.
Competencies
EXPECTED OUTPUTS AND DELIVERABLES: The consultant will deliver the following products for the macro-modules 1 and 3:
Macro module 1
- Collect material from UNDP staff involved in the relevant subjects and from other relevant UN and non-UN sources (e.g. portals, websites, consortiums, networks, etc.) that will be used to develop the training modules (see point 2 below) and upload in a dedicated UNDP intranet space.
- Develop training modules that include relevant content arranged in slides for presentation and word format. Training modules will also include handouts for participants, facilitator notes, group and individual exercises (when required), evaluation tests for participants with keys for facilitators, participants feedback forms. Allow for at least two rounds of review of the training modules before finalization.
- Prepare the training modules developed as per point 2 to be utilized to develop an online version of the training.
Macro Module 3
- Develop three different scripts for the table top exercise: the first one is about an earthquake triggered crisis, the second script is about a hurricane/typhoon triggered crisis, and the third one is about a crisis triggered by a large scale outbreak of violence with high level of insecurity.
- The scripts must follow the main structure of the training, include at least 3 interjections that are useful to test the capacity to adapt/adjust among the trainees and add realism to the scenario. The scripts should also feed the subjects to be covered in the training.
- The scripts, receive feedback and make adjustments for at least two rounds of reviews and finalize the scripts.
- Develop templates and content for trainers for each macro module (i.e. handouts, group and individual exercises, interjection updates, evaluation tests/forms with keys, feedback forms, facilitator notes, etc.)
- Identify options for setting the training in order to offer/achieve the minimum and maximum number of modules (days) as per the suggested training structure
- Develop the template for simulation evaluation of performance of participants and a template for simulation feedback from participants
- Development of a template for training feedback and final report with a section with recommendation for further action.
Required Skills and Experience
- A training developer with at least 7 years of experience of similar initiatives.
- Proven working experience in developing training products for UN system organizations or International NGOs engaged in humanitarian response a must.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
- Excellent knowledge of crisis response processes and actors in both disaster and conflict settings.
- Knowledge of UNDP current organizational structure and key corporate processes for crisis response would be an asset.
- Contractor must guarantee timely delivery of requested outputs - payment withheld until delivery.
Technical Competencies
- Skills to consolidate content from different sources and in various formats.
- Proven capacity to develop learning tools for professionals and adult learners
- Familiarity with software to develop training tools/material
- Proven capacity to meet tight deadlines with high quality products.
Corporate Competencies
- Demonstrates integrity and fairness, by modelling the UN/UNDP's values and ethical standards;
- Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UN/UNDP;
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
Important Note:
The Consultant is required to have the following professional and technical qualifications. Only the applicants who hold these qualifications will be shortlisted and contacted.
Individuals who would like to apply through a company/firm are required to indicate the respective company’s name and are required to submit a financial proposal statement through the company’s management office.
Payment Method: Payment will be paid per deliverable items.
Upon the advertisement of the Procurement Notice, qualified Individual Consultants are expected to submit a proposal, a CV and Financial Proposal (upon submitting application please note: only one document will be uploaded). Accordingly; Individual Consultants will be evaluated based on Cumulative Analysis as per the following scenario:
- 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. In this regard, the respective weight of the proposals are:
- Technical Criteria weight is 70%
- Financial Criteria weight is 30%