UNDP Jobs - 70944- International Consultant for Development of Region

International Consultant for Development of Regional Planning Methodologies, tools, systems and mechanisms

Location :

Bissau, GUINEA-BISSAU

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

10-Mar-17 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

55 working days

Languages Required :

English Portuguese

Expected Duration of Assignment :

55 working days

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 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in nearly 170 countries and territories, working with governments and people on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our wide range of partners that can bring about results.

Political instability and human poverty are endemic in Guinea-Bissau. The social situation remains precarious, with one of the lowest scores on the human development index in Africa (177th out of 187 in 2014, with a human development indicator of 0.396). The challenges stem from a series of intertwined factors that reinforce the cycle of human poverty, including impunity and lack of access to justice; unemployment, mostly among youth and women; inequitable access to economic opportunities and livelihoods, both in urban and rural areas; and inefficient public goods and services.

Failure to implement decentralization as foreseen by the Constitution, antiquated management systems, nepotism in the selection of senior civil servants, and dwindling resources, have rendered the public service ineffective. This leaves the State unable to provide high-quality services to citizens, especially at regional and sector levels, where the presence of the state is very week.

The joint UNDP-UNCDF programme in Guinea Bissau aims to create the conditions for decentralization in the country building on lessons learned from other experiences. Although laws and regulations to support the decentralization process are in place little has been done to implement these and the country is currently characterized by a deconcentration of power. The main objective of the Local Economic Development programme is to capacitate local, regional and national state authorities, with a focus on Gabu, Quinara and Cacheu Regions, in participatory and inclusive planning processes, upstream policy making and in technical, institutional and financial management to enhance quality service delivery, and support to local economic development. The proposed approach on Local development in Guinea Bissau seeks to improve food and income security of affected populations, especially youth and women affected by the prolonged political instability.

Duties and Responsibilities

The overall objective of this assignment is to launch the process of local regional development planning using the approved local planning methodology and system related to Output 1 – Capacity of local authorities and civil society (especially women’s associations) strengthened in the delivery of equitable basic services around the values of gender equality, climate change and transparency – and which are part of the LED work-plan 2017. The specific objectives are to:

Establish the local planning structures at region, sector and community level;
Develop training packages on local participatory planning, including curricula, manuals and training methodology;
Train all stakeholders composing the established local planning structures;
Develop the training of trainers;
Support resources mobilization for the local development project;
Support implementation of the PEDS-PEDR in all stages through conduct of seminars, working groups, technical groups workshops, their validation by community councils and approval by the sectoral and regional governments;
Capacitate technical teams, planning cabinets and community councils in the elaboration of the Social and Economic Plans and Budget of the sector and region (PSOS-PESOR);
Produce the Manual for Control and Registration System and local level control of revenues (Sector-Region);
Capacitate staff of sector and regional government in local financial administration and control of revenues;
Support the design of 1 regional plan based on the approved methodology;
Support the curricula development on regional planning in the National School of Administration;

The consultant will work together with the Regional Planning Cabinets, the Regional Planning Delegates and teams to disseminate the tools and instruments that will allow the design of the Regional plans of development; this work will be extensive to the sector and seccão levels of Gabu, and Cacheu and all agents involved in the participatory planning. The consultant will work together with the technical teams to support the creation and training of community councils in the regional, sector, secção levels.

Under the overall supervision of the CTA, the Consultant will be responsible for:

Specific Deliverables and Activities:

Expected Deliverables:

The consultant is expected to deliver the following products:

Inception Report outlining how the consultant will undertake the assignment and the respective work plan, and suggestion for ToRs adjustment if need be;
Approved Project document to be submitted to the Fondo Galego;
Approved fund-raising strategy;
Local planning structures constituted;
Training package - program and materials - for the national technical team and the regional delegates;
Training program and materials for the entities involved in the community councils;
Training curricula for the National School of Administration on regional planning;
Manual of Control and Registration System and local level control of revenues (Sector-Region);
Draft Regional Development Plans in 1 Pilot region produced using the local planning methodology;

In order to deliver the above products, the consultant is expected to perform the following activities:

Design a project proposal for the local economic development component of the program to be submitted to the Fondo Galego and assist the National Coordinator and CTA in the design of a fund raising strategy for the program;
Provide technical advice and guidance for the establishment and composition of local planning structures, including the community councils;
Produce training package including agenda, materials and manuals for the participatory planning methodology;
Produce training package including agenda, manual and materials for the IPPCs (community councils);
Conduct training seminars and workshops involving the teams at secção, sector, regional and national levels
Conduct training seminars for community councils at the secção, sector and regional levels;
Facilitate workshops with the National School of Administration to introduce the planning methodology in the school curricula;
Facilitate workshops with the planning national technical team for the elaboration of the planning manual;
Organizar Atelier de lançamento da elaboração dos PEDS-PESR inicialmente nas Regiões e posteriormente nos Sectores
Provide step by step guidance in preparing the Regional Development Plan in at least 1 pilot region;
Provide support for SMME in articulating with financing institutions, micro-finances and others throught workshops and financing fairs;
Provide guidance and support for the territorial marketing program.

Reporting:

The consultant will work directly with the CTA for Local Development to whom will provide regular updates on the course of his assignment execution. The consultant will discuss any challenges or bottlenecks that he may find in the process with the CTA and find solutions to enable the achievement of defined objectives. He/she will also discuss with the CTA all technical aspects of the assignment, as well as proposed deliverables before formal submission.

The Consultant will report to the UNDP Deputy Resident Representative-Program, to whom he will provide briefings on weakly basis on the progress of the assignment.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional Competencies:

Strong analytical, negotiation and communication skills, including ability to produce high quality practical advisory reports and knowledge products;
Professional and/or academic experience in one or more of the areas of the Development or knowledge management field.

Project and Resource Management:

Ability to produce high quality outputs in a timely manner while understanding and anticipating the evolving client needs;
Ability to focus on impact and results for the client, promoting and demonstrating an ethic of client service;
Strong organizational skills;
Ability to work independently, produce high quality outputs;
Sound judgment, strategic thinking and the ability to manage competing priorities.

Partnership building and team work:

Demonstrated well developed people management skills;
Strong ability to manage teams; creating an enabling environment, mentoring and developing staff;
Excellent negotiating and networking skills;
Demonstrated flexibility to excel in a multi-cultural environment;
Provides constructive coaching and feedback.

Communications and Advocacy:

Strong ability to write clearly and convincingly, adapting style and content to different audiences and speak clearly and convincingly;
Strong presentation skills in meetings with the ability to adapt for different audiences;
Strong analytical, research and writing skills with demonstrated ability to think strategically;
Strong capacity to communicate clearly and quickly;
Strong inter-personal, negotiation and liaison skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s Degree or equivalent in Social Science, Economic, International Development or other related field.

Experience:

Minimum of 10 years of national/international professional experience in the practice area with policy or programme management experience;
Experience working in the field of Knowledge Management and/or organizational management highly desirable;
Work experience from a developing country highly desirable;
Experience in the use of computers and office software packages as well as web based management systems.

Language:

Excellent writing and communication skills in English and Portuguese.

Documents required when submitting proposal for acceptance of application:

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

Proposal;
Explaining why they are the most suitable for the work;
Provide a brief methodology on how they will approach and conduct the work (if applicable);
Financial proposal;
Personal CV including past experience in similar projects and at least 3 references.

The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables (i.e. whether payments fall in installments or upon completion of the entire contract). Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (including travel, per diems, and number of anticipated working days).

are made to the Individual Consultant based on the number of days worked.

Travel;

All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. This includes all travel to join duty station/repatriation travel. 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.

In the case of unforeseeable travel, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodologies:

Cumulative analysis:

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

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;
Technical Criteria weight: 70%;
Financial Criteria weight: 30%;

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

Evaluation criteria:

Criteria A: Education background - 10pts;
Criteria B: Experience as defined in the ToRs - 15pts;
Criteria C: Competences as defined in the ToRs - 10pts;
Criteria D: Understanding of the ToRs - 15pts;
Criteria E: Methodology and overall approach - 30pts;
Criteria F: Overall quality of the proposal (comprehensiveness, structure, language and clarity) -20pts.