Background

In September 2015, 193 Member States of the United Nations adopted a historic resolution committing themselves to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to be achieved by 2030. This coincided with the end of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) era that was geared to achieve 8 goals and 21 targets. The progress towards these goals and targets were assessed by tracking 61 indicators nationally, regionally and globally. In contrast, the 2030 Agenda has 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 169 targets and 231 proposed indicators for assessing progress. Thus, the SDGs are much more ambitious – they are universal, applicable for both developed and developing countries and transformational. They are driven by the moral and ethical principle of “leaving no-one behind” – both within and across countries.

To monitor the achievement of such an ambitious agenda, the importance of high-quality, timely, easily accessible, reliable and disaggregated data cannot be overemphasized. In recognition of this vital requirement, the 2030 Agenda itself includes explicit targets on data under Goal 17 pertaining to the means of implementation. Furthermore, the Agenda recognizes that the foundation for follow up and review of progress at all levels will be data derived from national sources.

Transformative actions are needed to respond to the demands of monitoring a complex development agenda such as the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs. These include: improving how data are produced and used; closing data gaps to prevent discrimination; building capacity and data literacy; modernizing systems of data collection; liberating data to promote transparency and accountability; engaging in innovative partnerships to leverage alternative data sources and technological advances; and developing statistical methodologies, norms and standards for new areas of measurement such as governance, peace and security.

Given the huge number of indicators and the stretched capacities of many national statistical offices (NSOs), indicators without significant support from the development community to set up systems at the country level and to support capacity building risk dropping out of national and global measurement frameworks. In particular for SDG16, which is new to the agenda, measurement frameworks are not overall sufficiently developed yet, some indicators lack substantive support by UN agencies.

Building on the strength of its 15 years of experience in supporting national MDG reporting, UNDP has been called on by the United Nations Secretary-General to play a similar leading role for the SDGs. UNDP and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) co-lead an inter-agency group mandated to support countries in producing national SDG reports. The quality, relevance and impact of these reports depend to a large extent on the quality and availability of development data from national statistical systems.

Furthermore, as a leading development agency in many strategic priority areas such as multi-dimensional poverty, development effectiveness, governance and peacebuilding, UNDP is widely expected to play a significant and even leading role in supporting the statistical development of related indicators in the SDG framework, as well as the effective use of data in the implementation of sustainable development policies at national, regional and global levels.

Given the scale of the data requirements for implementation and monitoring of the SDGs, partnerships will be necessary at all levels with other development agencies and stakeholders, in order to maximize synergies, avoid duplication of efforts, maximize the multiplier effect and added value of shared data, and increase the return on investment in sustainable development.

At the national level, UNDP will support inclusive and participatory data ecosystems, in which all data stakeholders, official and non-official are capacitated to contribute to and benefit from an integrated and coherent national statistical system, citizens are empowered to use data to hold development stakeholders accountable, and national statistical offices are well resourced to meet the demands of the 2030 Agenda follow-up and review framework and inform the production of national SDG reports. UNDP will particularly support national statistical systems to improve availability of SDG indicators data, and strengthening the capacities of development stakeholders and policy-makers to effectively access and use relevant data sources, tools and methodologies. The data ecosystems approach will be critical in ensuring that proper linkages are established and strengthened between the data producers and the development practitioners and policy-makers who use the data. UNDP will mobilize multi-stakeholder partnerships and leverage third party data sources and innovative technologies such as big data, in order to plug SDG data gaps and strengthen national statistical systems. UNDP will strengthen people’s voice and participation by supporting timely collection of citizen-generated data on their perception of progress, through the SDG Action Campaign.

At the global level, UNDP will support the statistical development and reporting of strategic SDG indicators for which it will assume a leading role. UNDP will contribute to global SDG indicator processes and help ensure that data and national SDG reports inform the High-Level Political Forum. UNDP will strengthen its own internal capacity to use data to support its policy advisory functions; support inter-agency collaboration on data and explore innovative partnerships to support the data revolution for sustainable development.

Duties and Responsibilities

Working under the guidance of the Co-Chairs of BPPS-SDGs Technical Support Team (TST) and the supervision of the Policy Specialist on Data for Development, Strategic Policy Unit (SP), Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS), the International Consultants will undertake the following duties and responsibilities and produce agreed deliverables:

Technical support for UNDP Country Offices and UNDP programme countries

• Develop and apply guidance for assessing SDG data availability and gaps.
• Support the alignment of SDG indicator framework with M&E framework of national development plans.
• Liaise with UN SDG Action Campaign to support citizen-generated data on SDG progress and contribution to national reporting processes.
• Support the production of national SDG reports.
• Support the assessment of national data ecosystems, to identify the specific needs of policy-makers and development stakeholders.
• Support capacity building for policy-makers and other development stakeholders to use analytical tools and methodologies that leverage data and statistics for sustainable development.

SDG indicators development

• Support methodological development and norm setting for selected SDG indicators, under the guidance of relevant thematic clusters and in line with existing working mechanisms.
• Support national data collection and reporting of selected SDG indicators at regional and global levels.

Research and analysis

• Support the application of approved SDG tools and initiatives such as the Rapid Integrated Assessment (RIA) and others at the country level.
• Explore cutting-edge approaches and emerging trends in the field of statistics for development, data innovations and inclusive data ecosystems.
• Support development of knowledge products and advocacy (internal and external).

Deliverables

• Participate in at least 3 integrated technical support missions for SDG implementation and monitoring at country level.
• Lead at least 1 capacity building workshop at national and/or regional levels.
• Produce at least 1 training module on assessment of data availability and gaps, statistical and analytical tools for policy-makers and development practitioners, and on integrated M&E frameworks.
• Develop at least 1 analytical tool for designing and implementing integrated M&E systems for national development plans and SDGs.
• Prepare at least 2 knowledge products (research papers, guidance notes, issue briefs) on data and statistics for SDG implementation and monitoring.

Competencies

• Excellent communications skills (written and oral).
• Strong computer skills and experience in the use of web based communication and information tools.
• Self-starter with excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills.
• Proven ability to work in a multi-cultural setting and geographically dispersed teams with diversity of background and skills, while at the same time being capable of working independently to agreed work plans.
• Flexibility and availability to travel to multiple countries.
• Demonstrated organizational and planning skills, and ability to meet deadlines and to manage multiple tasks effectively and efficiently.
• Understanding of the evolving 2030 Agenda implementation and monitoring issues.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications:

• Master’s degree (or equivalent degree/experience) in statistics, development economics or a relevant discipline is mandatory.

Experience:

• Minimum of six years of relevant work experience in development monitoring, evaluation or measurement is required.
• Experience in providing technical assistance and supporting statistical capacity development for both data producers and data users such as policy-makers and development practitioners is required.
• Knowledge of international standards for official statistics, e.g. the General Data Dissemination System (GDDS), the Special Data Dissemination System (SDDS) and Enhanced Data Dissemination Initiative (EDDI), the UN Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, and the African Charter on Statistics, etc., is required.
• Familiarity with the most common frameworks for quality assessment and assurance, e.g. IMF’s Data Quality Assessment Framework (DQAF), etc., is desirable.
• Knowledge of analytical tools and methods in one or more domains of economic and social statistics is desirable.
• Work experience in a developing country context is desirable.
• Experience in institutional/organizational reform and capacity building is desirable.
• Experience in design/implementation of M&E systems for national development plans is desirable.

Language:

• Proficiency in English is a requirement;
• Working knowledge of at least one other UN official language is desirable.

Application Procedure:

Qualified and interested individual consultants are hereby requested to apply.

The submission of application is a two-step process. Failing to comply with the submission process may result in disqualifying the applications.

Step 1: Technical proposal

Interested applicants must include the following documents when submitting the application in the UNDP Jobs website (Please note that only 1 (one) file can be uploaded, therefore please include all required documents in one file):

• Personal History Form (P11), indicating all past experience from similar projects and specifying the relevant assignment period (from/to), as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of at least three (3) professional references the template attached in Annex 1.  Alternatively, an updated CV indicating 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 can be submitted however UNDP may later request a P11 form to be completed.
• Brief description (cover letter) of why you consider yourself as the most suitable for the assignment.
• Brief description of the methodology you will use to conduct the assignment (2 pages).

Step 2: Financial Proposal

Applicants that pass the technical evaluation will be contacted and asked to submit their financial proposals indicating an all-inclusive daily fee in US Dollars for this consultancy using a specific template to be provided later.

In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal should be all-inclusive and include a breakdown. The term ‘all-inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, travel related expenses, communications, utilities, consumables, insurance, etc.) that could possibly be incurred by the Contractor are already factored into the financial proposal.

This consultancy is a home-based assignment, therefore, there is no envisaged travel cost to join duty station/repatriation travel.  However, this assignment will require intensive official mission/international travel. Related travel costs will be covered separately by UNDP. Costs for official mission/travel should NOT be included in the financial proposal. For travels requested by UNDP, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between UNDP and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed. 

In general, UNDP will not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the applicant wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using her//his own resources and proceed with their own arrangements.

The General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Individual Contractors is attached in Annex 3.

If the 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.

Applicants are shortlisted based on Required Skills and Experience stated in the TOR. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interview.

The selection of the best offer from the shortlisted candidates will be based on a Combined Scoring method – where the qualifications and experienced will be weighted a maximum of 70 points and combined with the price offer which will be weighted a max of 30 points out of 100 points.

Method: Cumulative analysis method will be used to evaluate proposals.

When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

• Responsive, compliant, acceptable.
• 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%.

Technical Evaluation (70 Points, 70% weight):

Only those candidates that meet the minimum level of education, relevant years of experience and language requirements will be considered for the technical evaluation. The technical evaluation will conducted by a desk reviews. The technical evaluation may also include interviews with shortlisted candidate(s).

Technical evaluation will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Experience in policy research and methodological development  on data, statistics and indicators for implementation and monitoring of development goals – Weight: 15%; Maximum Points: 15;
• Experience in technical assistance at national level on development of statistical systems, and/or monitoring and evaluation of national development plans and policies – Weight: 15%; Maximum Points: 15;
• Knowledge and experience of UN policies on data and statistics for sustainable development – Weight: 5%; Maximum Points: 5;
• Demonstrated excellent analytical, writing and editing skills – Weight: 15%; Maximum Points: 15;
• Previous working experience with national or international development agencies would be an asset – Weight: 5%; Maximum Points: 5; and
• Interview – Weight: 15%; Maximum Points: 15.

Only applicants obtaining a minimum of 70% (49 points) of the maximum obtainable points for the technical criteria (70 points) will be considered for the financial evaluation.

Financial evaluation (30 points, Weight 30%)

The following formula will be used to evaluate financial proposal:
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

Payment modalities:

• Payments will follow monthly installments for the duration of the contract, based on the actual number of days worked using the agreed daily rate, after certification of compliance with the terms and services agreed in the contract.
• Office space and access to internet and a printer will not be provided to the consultant during the assignment. The consultant is expected to have his/her own laptop. These costs should be included in the financial proposal if required.
• The work week will be based on 40 hours, i.e. on 8 hour working day, with core hours being between 9h00 and 18h00 daily.

Contract award:

• The candidate obtaining the highest combined scores in the combined score of Technical and Financial evaluation will be considered technically qualified and will be offered to enter into contract with UNDP.

Annexes:

Annex 1 - UNDP P-11 Form for ICs
Annex 2 - IC Contract Template
Annex 3 – IC General Terms and Conditions

These templates and forms can be found on the procurement notice at the following link: Procurement Notice # 31614

Any request for clarification must be sent by email to cpu.bids@undp.org.

The UNDP Central Procurement Unit will respond by email and will send written copies of the response, including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry, to all applicants.