Background

UNDP and the State of Kuwait, represented by the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council of Planning and Development (GSSCPD), strive to enhance institutional capacities at various government agencies by providing them with necessary technical support to strengthen their capacities and skills to perform their expected duties.

Under the framework of the Institutional Capacity Development for Implementation of the Kuwait National Development Plan (ICDI/KNDP) project, UNDP and GSSCPD attempt to support public entities to increase technical expertise and institutional capacities for strategic planning and implementation of Kuwait National Development Plan.

GSSCPD is responsible for elaborating, coordinating and overseeing the Kuwait National Development Plan (KNDP) which addresses the challenges of economic development, human and social development, the efficiency of the state institutions and administration and combating corruption, in accordance with H.H. the Amir’s State Vision “Kuwait 2035”.

Knowledge Economy is a programme within a KNDP pillar (Sustainable and Diversified Economy), the programme aims at strengthening the knowledge structures in the public sector and raising the institutional and societal awareness on the importance of knowledge for
the economy, and development. The programme also aim at enhancing productivity and efficiency of government institutions, and support the enabling environment for knowledge based investments and the development of knowledge structures. the National Center for Knowledge Economy which is part of GSSCPD and mandated with overseeing the programme implementation is seeking to support the development of educational structures with the focus on  the concepts of creative education and support innovation through the development of a Knowledge Management Curriculum in coordination with the Ministry of Education.

Within this context, GSSCPD is seeking to contract a Consultant to support the process of curriculum development in Knowledge Management through the design of conceptual framework and provision of technical guidance to the curriculum development process for high school, where knowledge management will be integrated. This activity will directly support the efforts coordinated by Knowledge Economy Center under the GSSCPD with Ministry of Education.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Secretary General at GSSCPD and with close coordination with the ICDI/KNDP Project Management, and directly supporting the Curriculum Developer, the Consultant for Curriculum Development in Knowledge Management will undertake the following tasks:

• Develop clear and rigorous analysis of other countries’ experiences and research in relation to integrating knowledge economy and knowledge management to education programs in public schools, particularly secondary schools (age group 16-18),
• Bring Knowledge Management best practices and international experience in the design of a curriculum for high school classes;
• Continuously liaise with the Curriculum Developer to have the input from different national stakeholders and review all relevant reports and documents provided by the curriculum developed to get a better understanding of the status, challenges and bottlenecks;
• Conduct an initial diagnosis of the education system in Kuwait about innovation, information technology, and knowledge management related curriculum and teaching methods;
• Provide technical advice to the Curriculum Developer to enable swift adaptation of the new curriculum based on the assessment conducted; identify gaps, and suggest actions to bridge them.
• Draft conceptual and content framework with a clear roadmap to guide the curriculum developer in the design of the content of the curriculum for Knowledge Management for high school classes;
• Incorporate the recommendations and comments from curriculum developer into the draft conceptual and content framework, and present it for final approval.
• In consultation with the curriculum developer, review developed curriculum vis-à-vis the approved draft conceptual and content framework and submit a final report with comments and recommendations to finalize the developed curriculum. This would also include recommendations on what is required to implement the curriculum in terms of labs, equipment, software and materials;
• Organize a Train the Trainer (TOT) workshop for Ministry of Education to enable training of teachers on the new curriculum.
• Provide hands-on training and knowledge transfer to staff working at the Knowledge Economy Center by engaging them with all the tasks related to the project.

The duration and timeline of the deliverables is indicated in the below table:

Institutional Arrangement

1. The consultant will work under the supervision of the Secretary General of the GSSCPD and will coordinate his/her work directly with the ICDI/KNDP Project Management.
2. The GSSCPD is responsible for provision of available information and access to any related information that is essential to complete the assignment.
3. Consultant’s deliverables mentioned above to be certified by and approved by the GSSCPD and UNDP Authorized Officer. Approval of these deliverables will serve as a justification for payment.

Duration of the Work

The overall duration of this consultancy will be 10 months.

Duty Station

The consultant will be required to be present in the State of Kuwait as follows:

at the beginning of the assignment (for 10 working days), at the end of the assignment (10 working days), and 2 visits during the assignment (10 working days each).

Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

Lump Sum Amount

1.  the lump sum amount must be “all-inclusive
2. contract price is fixed regardless of changes in the cost components;
3. Include actual cost of the IC’s travel to arrive at the designated Duty Station.

Competencies

Core Competencies

• Reliably delivers on promises and honours commitments, holding himself/herself accountable for actions taken. ?
• Gains cooperation from others through understanding of the political and organizational culture.
• Works collaboratively with team members sharing information openly and displaying cultural awareness and sensitivity.
• Synthesizes multiple/complex messages, identifies appropriate key points for different audiences and communicates concepts in a manner that influences the perceptions/behaviours of others. ?
• Expresses own point of view in a neutral manner rather than in an argumentative tone, avoiding unproductive conflict.

Functional Competencies

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise

• Understands more advanced aspects of social development as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines. ?
• Continues to seek new and improved methods and systems for social planning.
• Keeps abreast of new developments in area of public policy development and international organisations and seeks to develop him/herself professionally.

Required Skills and Experience

I. Academic Qualifications:

• Master Degree in Education, Knowledge Economy, knowledge management or any related field, PhD is preferred.

II. Years of experience:

• Minimum 7 years of experience in applied development of education programs, knowledge management curriculums;
• Proven ability to draft papers and assessments, reports and publications on knowledge management;
• Experience in completing similar assignments is a high advantage;
• Excellent communication, drafting, presentation and reporting skills;
• Proven oral and written communication skills;
• Fluency in English is a must; Knowledge of Arabic Language is an advantage.

Evaluation Selection process:

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:

a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and

b) Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation:

Total score=Technical Score + Financial Score.

Technical Criteria weight - 70%, 700 scores maximum 

Financial Criteria weight - 30%. 300 scores maximum

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 490 from 700 point in the Technical part of evaluation would be considered for the Financial Evaluation

The lowest technically qualified proposal receives 300 points and all the other technically qualified proposals receive points in inverse proportion according to the formula:

P=Y*(L/Z), where

P=points for the financial proposal being evaluated

Y=maximum number of points for the financial proposal

L= price of the lowest price proposal

Z=price of the proposal being evaluated

The selection of candidates will be done in 3 stages:

1st stage: Prior to detailed evaluation, all applications will be thoroughly screened against eligibility criteria (minimum qualification requirements) as set in the TOR in order to determine whether they are compliant/non-compliant.

2nd  stage: Evaluation of technical proposals

Short-listed candidates will be evaluated based on the following criteria. Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 490 points (70%) at the Technical Evaluation would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

3rd stage: Financial evaluation

Cumulative analysis will be used based on the following methodology: All the offers of individual consultants who scored 490 (70% from 700) and more points during the desk review are acceptable for financial evaluation. The lowest financial qualified proposal receives 300 points and all the other technically qualified proposals receive points in inverse proportion according to the formula:

The candidate achieving the highest cumulative score for both Technical and Financial evaluations will be recommended by the Evaluation Committee for contracting.

DOCUMENTS TO BE INCLUDED WHEN SUBMITTING THE PROPOSALS

1. Duly accomplished and signed Offeror’s letter/filled-in template to UNDP confirming interest and Breakdown of Costs Supporting the Final All-Inclusive Price as per Template. If an 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 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;
2. Complete and signed P11 form, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate;
3. At least three (3) professional references;
4. Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment.
5. Technical Proposal of how the consultant will carry out the required assignment, with a clear Methodology.
6. Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided.  If an 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 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. 
7. Copy of diploma/s
8. Copy of ID card (passport)

Links for the documents to be submitted:

• P11  http://www.kw.undp.org/content/dam/kuwait/documents/Procurmenet/P11%20modified%20for%20SCs%20and%20ICs.doc
• Template for Confirmation of Interest and Submission of Financial Proposal; http://www.kw.undp.org/content/dam/kuwait/documents/Procurmenet/Template%20for%20Confirmation%20of%20Interest%20and%20Submission%20of%20Financial%20Proposal.docx
• UNDP / Kuwait JPO Evaluation consultant - Terms of Reference