Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with whom the OECD runs a joint secretariat for the Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB) project, works in more than 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. It helps countries to implement projects, develop policies, leadership skills, share experiences, develop institutional capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results.

The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) is a global economic forum working with 35 member countries and more than 100 emerging and developing economies to make better policies for better lives. Its mission is to promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. The Organisation provides a unique forum in which governments work together to share experiences on what drives economic, social and environmental change, seeking solutions to common problems.

Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB) is a joint initiative of the OECD and UNDP designed to support developing countries to strengthen national tax administrations through building tax audit capacity and through sharing this knowledge with other countries. Under TIWB, tax audit experts work alongside local officials of developing country tax administrations on tax audit related issues. TIWB aims to strengthen tax administrations by transferring technical know-how and skills to developing countries’ tax auditors, and through the sharing of tax audit practices and dissemination of knowledge products.

For further information on TIWB and the partnership between the OECD and UNDP, please visit the TIWB website TWIB.

The core objectives of TIWB are to:

  • Transfer knowledge and skills to tax administrations on tax audits;
  • Strengthen the institutional capacities of tax administrations in tax audits;
  • Support South-South Cooperation;
  • Promote best practices and peer learning;
  • Help to strengthen tax compliance in developing countries;

TIWB is being managed by the Strategic Policy Unit (SPU) in UNDP’s Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS). The Bureau for Policy and Programme Support has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan and help countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, South-South and Triangular cooperation initiatives, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas.

UNDP’s Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) is seeking a consultant to assist it to roll-out TIWB more actively to developing countries, build knowledge about TIWB and ultimately build demand for TIWB-type assistance, with a particular focus on developing communications and outreach strategies and tools, creating knowledge products (e.g. case studies and reports), supporting resource mobilization efforts, reporting results and organizing key TIWB meetings.

The purpose of this procurement exercise is to contract an individual consultant who will assist to roll-out TIWB more actively to developing countries, build knowledge about TIWB and ultimately build demand for TIWB-type assistance, with a particular focus on developing communications and outreach strategies and tools, creating knowledge products (e.g. case studies and reports), supporting resource mobilization efforts, reporting results and organizing key TIWB meetings. The consultant will report directly to, and will seek approval of outputs from, the Director of the Strategic Policy Team and will work closely with other UNDP staff, the TIWB Secretariat and OECD staff. The consultancy is office-based and the consultant will work full time on-site in BPPS located at 304 East 45th Street, New York, New York, USA.

Duties and Responsibilities

SCOPE OF WORK, RESPONSIBILITIES AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ANALYTICAL WORK

Under the supervision of the Director of the Strategic Policy team, the consultant will:

  • Develop a communications and outreach strategy for engagement of UNDP country offices, regional hubs and regional bureaus in TIWB;
  • Organize a series of webinars for developing countries and supply administrations on TIWB;
  • Collect evidence and lessons-learned from countries’ experiences with TIWB and use these to inform improvements in TIWB design and to communicate successes to other countries and development partners;
  • Develop guidebooks, primers and other knowledge products for developing countries on TIWB;
  • Help prepare technical workshops/seminars and other events on TIWB, and participate/report-back as needed;
  • Develop strategic UNDP policy position papers and internal briefing notes on TIWB;
  • Keep UNDP informed of ongoing progress and developments on TIWB;
  • Develop background briefing materials for tax experts and UNDP managers on TIWB in collaboration with the TIWB Secretariat;
  • Support the TIWB Secretariat to respond effectively to developing countries’ requests for assistance;
  • Support UNDP country offices to engage substantively in expert deployments and in any appropriate follow-up;
  • Support effective knowledge management, including through building new databases/updating existing ones in collaboration with the TIWB Secretariat;
  • Assist with regularly updating the TIWB website and other communications tools, including the TIWB newsletter;
  • Assist with reporting and evaluation duties related to TIWB.

Expected outputs and deliverables:

  • Draft written communications and outreach strategy on UNDP country and region-level engagement in TIWB (by end-August 2017)
  • Develop guidebook on TIWB for UNDP country teams (by December 2017)
  • Write Policy Brief on TIWB (by October 2017)
  • Support organization of technical TIWB workshop (exact timing TBD)
  • Facilitate webinars for country offices and develop user-friendly and informative presentations on TIWB in English and French for circulation to country teams (by October 2017)
  • Support development of new databases and knowledge management systems for TIWB, in collaboration with the TIWB Secretariat (ongoing deliverable)
  • Collect evidence and lessons-learned from countries’ experiences with TIWB and draft at least three (3) case studies that outline successes achieved with TIWB (timing for each case study deliverable TBD in agreement with the supervisor)
  • Support the TIWB Secretariat to respond effectively to developing countries’ requests for assistance, including through liaising with UNDP country offices (ongoing deliverable)
  • Support UNDP country teams to engage substantively in TIWB, including through providing expert advice, helping to formulate appropriate requests for assistance, analyzing local context and assessing suitability for TIWB-type assistance, and assisting with briefing of experts before, during and after deployment, including through written briefings (ongoing deliverable)
  • Assist with regularly updating the TIWB website and other communications tools, including TIWB newsletter (ongoing deliverable);
  • Drafting internal briefing notes and talking points (ongoing deliverable);
  • Support UNDP and TIWB Secretariat with other tasks as required, including reporting and organizing events (ongoing deliverable).

Competencies

Functional/Technical

  • Excellent knowledge of current trends and debates regarding development financing and taxation issues;
  • Strong record in advising international institutions and/or governments on public expenditure management, taxation and financing for development;
  • Strong publications and writing record;
  • Fluent in English and French;
  • Excellent analytical skills;
  • Excellent writing and presentation skills; and
  • Good team player and ability to work within tight deadlines and under pressure.

Corporate

  • Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UNDP; and
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, and age sensitivity

Required Skills and Experience

Academic qualifications:

  • A Master’s degree in economics, development studies, public administration or related field is required.

Years of experience:

  • Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible work experience in a position directly related to public expenditure management, taxation or financing for development is required;
  • Experience of UNDP or UN-system highly desirable;
  • Experience of working in or with developing countries in a related field is required;
  • Experience in policy research; and
  • Strong writing skills in relevant thematic areas is required. Please provide writing samples or links but no longer than 2000 words.

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.

  • The consultant is expected to travel to Paris occasionally to work with the TIWB secretariat for up to 5 days each time. The consultant is expected to arrange her/his own travel, visa and accommodation arrangements, although UNDP and the OECD can advise on appropriate accommodation options.

  • The fare will always be “most direct, most economical, and changeable” at no additional cost to UNDP and any difference in price with the preferred route will be paid for by the consultant.

  • 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 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):

  • Criteria 1. At least 5 years of progressively responsible work experience in a position directly related to public expenditure management, taxation or financing for development. Weight = 15%; Maximum Points: 150;
  • Criteria 2: At least 5 years professional experience in advising international institutions and/or governments on financing for development and on small island developing states Weight = 15%; Maximum Points: 150;
  • Criteria 3. At least 3 years Work experience of current trends and debates regarding development financing Weight = 10 %; Maximum Points: 100;
  • Criteria 4. Strong publications and writing records on economic development and financing for development Weight– 10 points %; Maximum Points: 100; and
  • Criteria 5. Relevant experience working with UNDP or UN system – 10 points %; Maximum Points: 100

Having reviewed applications received, UNDP will invite the top three/four shortlisted candidates for interview. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

  • Interview: Weight = 10 %; Maximum Points: 100.

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 report directly to, and will seek approval of outputs from, the Director of the Strategic Policy Team and will work closely with other UNDP staff, the TIWB Secretariat and OECD staff;
  • The consultant will be given access to relevant information and data necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment;
  • Payments will be made on submission of a detailed time sheet and certification of payment form, and approval and confirmation by the Policy Specialist of the Sustainable Development Team that the work has been carried out satisfactorily. Each deliverable will be agreed upon with the Policy Specialist of the Sustainable Development Team.
  • The Consultant will be expected to have her/his own laptop and software, and have access to communication facilities (emails, telephone, access to internet, etc.); and
  • While the consultancy is New York-based, the consultant is expected to travel to Paris approximately once per month for up to 5 days each time and be available for regular teleconferences with the TIWB and OECD teams.

Travel:

  • The consultant is expected to travel to Paris occasionally to work with the TIWB secretariat for up to 5 days each time. The consultant is expected to arrange her/his own travel, visa and accommodation arrangements, although UNDP and the OECD can advise on appropriate accommodation options. The travel cost will be reimbursed by UNDP at the end of each travel.

  • The fare will always be “most direct, most economical, and changeable” at no additional cost to UNDP and any difference in price with the preferred route will be paid for by the consultant.

Travel costs for above related travel should NOT be included in the financial proposals of applicants since exact details are still to be determined. For more information, please read the below Application Procedure.

Payment modality

  • Payment to the Individual Contractor will be made based on the actual number of days worked, deliverables accepted and upon certification of satisfactory completion by the manager.
  • The work week will be based on 35 hours, i.e. on a 7 hour working day, with core hours being between 9h00 and 18h00 daily.

Annexes (click on the hyperlink to access the documents):

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.