UNDP Jobs - 69421- Academic Partnership Consultant (part-time)

Academic Partnership Consultant (part-time)

Location :

Home Based

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

01-Dec-2016

Application Deadline :

18-Nov-16 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

12 months (105 working days)

Languages Required :

English Spanish

Expected Duration of Assignment :

Possbile extension for 12 months, subject to availability of funds and satisfactory performance

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.

Background

The Sustainable Development Goals Fund (www.sdgfund.org, SDG-F) is an international multi-agency and multi-donor development mechanism created in 2014 by UNDP on behalf of the UN System to support sustainable development activities through integrated and multidimensional joint programmes. The main objective of the SDG-F is to bring together UN agencies, national governments, academia, civil society and business to address the challenges of poverty.

The SDG-F Secretariat is the operational coordination unit for the Fund and services the SDG-F Steering Committee. The Secretariat sits in the Bureau for External Relations and Advocacy (BERA) of UNDP headquarters. The Secretariat is delegated by the Steering Committee to ensure policies and strategies decided by the Steering Committee are implemented and adhered to.

As established in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development universities are central to achieve the SDGs. In that regard, the SDG Fund is exploring how to further its engagement with universities with at least the following three objectives: expand human capital, provide cutting-edge research and active role in implementing the agenda as development actors. With this in mind the SDG Fund established the Academic Chair on Development and Poverty Eradication in order to advance engagement of universities in SDGs.

Under the general direction and overall guidance of SDG Fund’s Director and in close coordination with the SDG-F team, Academic Partnership Consultant will contribute to advance the SDG-F partnerships with universities and provide technical support to the Academic Chair.

Duties and Responsibilities

Academic partnership management

Prospect potential university partners and SDG-F initiatives for collaboration with universities;
Identify leading scholars, academic departments and research centers across the different world regions on matters related with SDGs and particularly with the SDG Fund priorities of work;
Provide support and technical advice to the SDG Fund in academic engagement, particularly formalizing partnership cooperation agreements with university partners;
Support resource mobilization for public-private partnerships where universities play a key role;
Conduct research on potential new partners and maintain global partner prospect list;
Maintain a map of partnerships and engagements, conduct research and screening on potential new partners and maintain a global corporate partner prospect list.

Technical support

Draft, review and analyze partnerships proposals with universities;
Devise training opportunities, particularly in the form of course, MOOCs and other training modalities;
Assess ongoing opportunities and offers of support received from institutions, faculty, and students including for long-term research projects;
Assist in drafting relevant partnership documentation, including collaboration agreements, TORs, and monitoring and evaluation plans to assess the outcomes of new partnership modalities;
Provide inputs to and update of communication and advocacy material geared towards academic partners, including updating content on the Academic Chair’s website and support communication efforts including the organization of dialogues, events, brochures, fact sheets, videos or social media contents;
Dissemination of results and sharing in the form of lessons learned and best practices;
Contribute to relevant academic knowledge networks and communities of practice.

Other tasks that might be required.

The consultant is expected to work a maximum of 2 days a week (up to 105 working days during the period of 12 months). Payments will be made on a monthly basis calculated on the basis of a maximum of 2 working days per 4.35 weeks per month.

Deliverables and Timelines:

Expected Deliverables:

Provide coordination with partners for the work of the Chair for SDGs located in the SDGF Secretariat;
Provide partnerships and agreements with Universities according with the SDGF mandate on it;
Provide an action plan with academia to promote the SDGs and the work and experience of the SDGF.

The deliverables will be on a monthly basis, upon approval by the supervisor.

Competencies

Partnerships skills. Demonstrated ability to engage with universities and forge productive working relationships;
Experience working with international development organiztions and proved experience in academic initiatives;
Familiarity with SDGs;
Superior written and oral communication skills, with the ability to convey complex development concepts and recommendations in a clear and persuasive manner that is tailored to a range of audiences;
Experience in UN-academic engagement, and particularly understanding of the SDG Fund.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications:

Master's degree in social policy, public policy, international relations, politics, economics, development studies or a related area.

Years of experience:

Minimum of 10 years of knowledge and experience working in academic partnerships
7 years of experience in international development working with and for academic sector
A track record of working on developing innovative solutions/partnerships and initiatives involving universities
Experience in coordinating research projects in the area of international development.

Language:

Fluency in written and spoken is required;
Working knowledge of another UN language would be an asset

Application Procedure

The application package containing the following (to be uploaded as one file):

Online application with brief description of why the Offer considers her/himself the most suitable for the assignment; and
Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects and specifying the relevant assignment period (from/to), as well as the email and telephone contacts of at least three (3) professional references.

Note: The above documents need to be scanned in one file and uploaded to the online application as one document.

Shortlisted candidates (ONLY) will be requested to submit a Financial Proposal.

The financial proposal should specify an all-inclusive daily fee (based on a 7 hour working day - lunch time is not included - and estimated 21.75 days per month).
The financial proposal must be all-inclusive and take into account various expenses that will be incurred during the contract, including: the daily professional fee; cost of travel from the home base to the duty station and vice versa, where required; living allowances at the duty station; communications, utilities and consumables; life, health and any other insurance; risks and inconveniences related to work under hardship and hazardous conditions (e.g., personal security needs, etc.), when applicable; and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services under the contract.
This consultancy is a home-based assignment. However, this consultancy will require periodic interaction with the SDG-F Secretariat. The candidate does not need to be based in New York but does need to be available for these interactions.
The cost of any travel (including DSA/lump sum) will be borne by the SDG-F Secretariat upon previous approval. Ticket cost will be based on economy class. Boarding passes are required to be presented along with F10s after returning from each mission/trip.
Payments will be made on the satisfactory delivery of the products and the appropriate management of associated processes needed to achieve the above-mentioned tasks and objectives.
In general, UNDP should not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources.
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.
The Financial Proposal is to be emailed as per the instruction in the separate email that will be sent to shortlisted candidates.

Evaluation process

Applicants are reviewed based on Required Skills and Experience stated above and based on the technical evaluation criteria outlined below. Applicants will be evaluated based on cumulative scoring. 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:

Being 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 where technical criteria weighs 70% and Financial criteria/ Proposal weighs 30%.

Technical evaluation - Total 70% (700 points):

Demonstrated relevant knowledge and experience working in academic partnerships. Weight = 20%; Maximum Points: 200;
Relevant Experience forging research and training partnerships with the academic sector in the area of international development. Weight = 20 %; Maximum Points: 200;
Relevance of academic background and language skills Weight = 10 %; Maximum Points: 100; and
Experience working on developing innovative solutions/partnerships and initiatives, particularly in the context of sustainable development, including with the UN: Weight = 20 %; Maximum Points: 200.

Candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% (490 points) of the maximum obtainable points for the technical criteria (700 points) shall be considered for the financial evaluation.

Financial evaluation - Total 30% (300 points)

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

Contract Award

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.

Institutional arrangement

The consultant will work under the guidance and direct supervision of SDG Fund’s Director and in close coordination with the SDG-F team and will be responsible for the fulfilment of the deliverables as specified above.

Payment modality

Payments will be made upon certification by UNDP of the satisfactory delivery of the products related to the TOR and the appropriate management of associated processes needed to achieve the above-mentioned tasks and objectives.