UNDP Jobs - 70527- Crisis Response Systems Consultant

Crisis Response Systems Consultant

Location :

New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

27-Feb-2017

Application Deadline :

17-Feb-17 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

1 year

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

1 year

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 Experts Roster for Rapid Response (ExpRes) is a recruitment and deployment mechanism which maintains pre-vetted consultants on a roster and contracts them quickly for country office support. The primary purpose of this roster has been to deploy Crisis Prevention and Recovery (CPR) technical experts to UNDP Country Offices on short notice. These consultants are deployed in the aftermath of a crisis and for CPR Programming.

SURGE Advisors are UNDP staff with extensive crisis experience in at least one of 18 generic UNDP profiles who are deployed to fill capacity gaps within CO units facing unexpected workload/portfolio requirements due to a crisis. Duration of SURGE assignments usually range from 1 week to 3 months.

UNDP over the years has entered into a number of third-party agreements with bilateral organizations, including the Norwegian and Danish Refugee Councils, Canada’s Civilian Reserve, and the Swedish Rescue Committee to provide support to COs or United Nations Country Teams in areas where UNDP does not have in-house expertise available, such as logistics and camp management. These Stand by Partners provide experts to UNDP for post crisis assignments.

The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) established the Cluster Working Group on Early Recovery (CWGER) in 2005 with the aim of enhancing the global capacity for developing humanitarian and recovery-related interventions, accelerating the impact of development interventions, and integrating risk reduction and preparedness measures at the very early stages of emergencies and beyond. The CWGER is chaired by UNDP and comprises of over thirty UN and non-UN active global partners from the humanitarian and development communities, including representatives of NGO consortia and cross-cutting issue Focal Points.

The Crisis Response Unit facilitates the deployment of experts to support both the HC/RC and the UNDP Country Offices through its various rosters.

The deployment of technical and operations experts through the SURGE (UNDP Staff), ExpRes (Consultants), Early Recovery Coordination deployments and Stand By Partnerships mechanisms are a key component of UNDP’s response to the immediate crisis and technical support to Country Offices.

Under the overall supervision of the Team Leader, Rapid Response and Preparedness Team, and the day to day management of the Programme Specialist (Deployments), the Consultant will be responsible for the effective and efficient functioning of the CRU’s Deployment mechanisms and maintain the various roster in coordination with the UNDPs Bureau's, Country Offices and hubs in support of the selection, recruitment, deployment and support of field personnel in emergency situations.

Duties and Responsibilities

The responsibility of the Crisis response Unit (CRU) primarily focuses on two specific typologies of crisis listed below. CRU support for these crises is to be provided for limited duration.

Sudden onset crisis:

This would include countries that have been affected by natural disasters or sudden outbreak of armed conflicts;
Complex protracted crisis: Examples include countries that are impacted by protracted conflicts, often with regional implications.

The corporate responsibilities of the Crisis Response Unit (CRU) include the coordination of fast deployments and the mobilization of capacity, expertise, and emergency funding to ensure rapid, sufficient, and efficient response to crisis. The CRU focuses primarily upon sudden onset crisis, including natural disasters or sudden outbreak of armed conflict, and complex protracted crisis, often with regional implications. Some of the core activities of the CRU include coordination of the provision of emergency support to Country Offices (COs) facing crisis through the immediate coordination, mobilization, and deployment of needed human resources (technical, operational, managerial) and management of UNDP’s corporate crisis response systems and tools (e.g. the Experts Roster for Rapid Response - ExpRes; SURGE Advisor roster, deployment for early recovery coordination, deployment via Stand By Partners), among other functions.

Under the direct supervision of the Programme Specialist (Deployments) the Consultant will:

Provide technical support for the For ExpRes consultant’s roster:

Support the development and maintenance of the crisis deployment architecture;
Review new CVs received and send to relevant vetting committee for clearance; acquire reference checks; and invite new consultant to register on ExpRes
Follow up with the registration of new vetted consultants and ensure all documents are uploaded in the consultants database (CV, P11, Advanced and Basic Security in the Field certificates, vendor form, and passport/UNLP scans);
Ensure all documents are up to date for vetted consultants on ExpRes (updated CVs/P11s, passport scans are still valid; security certificates are still valid as they expire after 3 years);
Update the database to reflect added profiles/sub-profiles on ExpRes
Support with global internal and external calls for new applicants for UNDP rosters
In collaboration with IT colleagues ensure all technical components of databases are kept up to date and new technology is incorporated.
Support the deployment of ExpRes consultants

Technical support for the internal UNDP Staff SURGE roster:

Reach out to SURGE participants informing them of their acceptance to the SURGE roster; acquire basic information (Contract type, name of RR/RC, etc.) to proceed with SURGE training
Draft letters and release agreements for Country Offices and track the signed Release Agreements
Support the deployment of SURGE Advisors
Provide support to experts and country office during deployments including travel, logistics, and contracting; and also provide troubleshooting as required;
Ensure that Country Offices provide ToRs, signed contracts, evaluations of assignments and these evaluations are institutionalized within the rosters

Assist with the development of business process and policies for deployments:

Support the RRPT in ensuring that these business processes are shared with and adhered to by all parts of UNDP;
Provide guidance on the application of the business processes to all parts of UNDP.

Assist CRU with capacity building of roster experts:

Support the Rapid Response and Preparedness Team with trainings including operations and logistics support;
Support with the preparation of training materials and identification of resource persons.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

ExpRes consultants and SURGE Advisors are included on the CRU rosters following the business processes in place, with all supporting documents attached;
Region specific support is provided for the deployment of experts from CRU Rosters
Relevant documents (ToRs, signed contracts, evaluations of assignments) are collected and are institutionalized within the rosters (stored in both Max Hire and the Deployment Tracking System).
MaxHire system reflects and is updated to reflect all current ExpRes profiles and sub-profiles;
All technical components of rosters databases are kept up to date and new technology is incorporated;
Support is provided for the preparation of training materials for the workshops and trainings organized by the RRPT.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies

Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
Diplomacy and tact.

Development and Operational Effectiveness

Ability to use sound judgment to ensure the effective and timely completion of tasks, including the ability to prioritize
Ability to write accurately, and concisely
Excellent ‘soft skills’ required to facilitate the development of relations with the stakeholders of concern

Management

Builds strong relationships with partners
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
Demonstrates good oral and written communication skills
Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities
Sound political judgment, impartiality, diplomacy and discretion;
Proven ability to establish priorities and to plan, organize, coordinate and monitor own work plan and provide advice and guidance to others;
Resourcefulness, sound judgment and decision-making skills;
Excellent and effective communication (verbal and written) skills, including ability to prepare reports and conduct presentations by clearly formulating positions on issues, articulating options concisely conveying maximum necessary information, making and defending recommendations;
Excellent interpersonal skills;
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with people in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity;
Effective negotiating skills and ability to work with others to reach mutually benefiting and lasting understandings;
Ability to apply UNDP rules, regulations, policies and guidelines in work situations;

Required Skills and Experience

Required education

Advanced University degree (Master’s degree or equivalent), preferably in the substantive area(s) of economics, international relations, development or equivalent.

Required substantial experience

· Minimum 3-5 years of post-Masters work experience.

The candidate should have experience with UNDP, specifically in the area of Crisis Response or Humanitarian Coordination.
Project management, good IT skills, database management and human resources experience is also an advantage;
Flexibility, organization and enthusiasm as well as good sense of humor are highly preferred;
Computer proficient and well versed in the use of the HR databases Internet, Excel and Word.
Familiarity with development and humanitarian policies, practices and norms
Ability to engage with authority with senior management

Language requirements

Fluency (written / oral) in English

· Fluency in another UN language would be desirable

Application Procedure

The application package containing the following (to be uploaded as one file):
Online application with brief description of why the Offeror considers her/himself the most suitable for the assignment;•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 shall specify a monthly lump sum amount. Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR, and deliverables accepted and certified by the technical manager.
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; air travel and living allowances in NY 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.
In the case of unforeseeable travel 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 should not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the Consultant 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%.

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

Technical evaluation - Total 70% (70 points):

Relevance of education to the position; Weight=10%; maximum points:10 points;
Proven and adequate expertise in work with humanitarian and development contexts, crisis and post-crisis contexts; Weight=20%; maximum points:20 points;
Proven work experience in project management, IT skills and/or human resources experience; Weight=40%; maximum points:40 points;
Having reviewed applications received, UNDP will invite the top five shortlisted candidates for interview. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

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

Financial evaluation - Total 30% (30 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 overall supervision of the Team Leader, Rapid Response and Preparedness Team, and the day to day management of the Programme Specialist (Deployments) Programme Specialist on Deployments. The deliverables will be validated by the Programme Specialist (Deployments) Programme Specialist on Deployments.

Payment modality

Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified above and deliverables accepted and upon certification of satisfactory completion by the manager;
The work week will be based on 40 hours, i.e. on an 8 hour working day, with core hours being between 9h00 and 18h00 daily