UNDP Jobs - 74641- Consultancy services for the development of SMS Mo

Consultancy services for the development of SMS Mobile System and Citizens Reporting Mechanism and data analysis tool to assess impact of public service delivery to the poor (Mauritius)

Location :

Port Louis, MAURITIUS

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

01-Nov-2017

Application Deadline :

05-Oct-17 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

20 days over a period of one month including one field mission of 10 days

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

20 days over a period of one month including one field mission of 10 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

Project Title

Development of SMS Mobile System and Citizens Reporting Mechanism and data analysis tool to assess impact of public service delivery to the poor

Project Description

Context and Objective of Project

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are becoming increasingly significant in making a difference and improving the impacts of economic development. However, it is being increasingly recognized that for pro-poor development, the type of ICT technology to be used should be context-oriented and more sustainable and relevant to the needs of the intended communities.

Official data shows that, while extreme disparities in access to fixed telephone, computer and internet exist between sub-regions, surprisingly, mobile phones are as common in the least developed as in the most developed regions (93.0% in the least developed region of Mauritius according to last Census data). The perceived attractiveness of mobile telephony for low-income ICT users makes it a commendable solution to the problem of expanding access of information and communication to the poor to improve their situation.

Given the already high penetration of the mobile phone among the poor, UNDP will provide assistance in the form of technical expertise to the government of Mauritius on the use of the mobile technology to reach the most marginalised communities so that they can have fairer access to the social protection system and to opportunities for improving their livelihood. Mobile phones, in providing affordable broadband network access, can also offer a valuable means of delivering e-government services related to pro-poor policies.

The development of an SMS Mobile System and a Citizens Reporting Mechanism and data analysis tool to assess impact of public service delivery refer to two key recommendations of the Marshall Plan against Poverty (MP) – an instrumental framework in Government’s strategy to deal with the root causes of poverty; as well as to two specific deliverable in the context of the "Inclusive Development and Public Sector Efficiency (IDPSE)" project of the 2017-2020 UNDP programme cycle for Mauritius.

The MP has been developed with the technical assistance of a multidisciplinary team from UNDP Regional Service Center for Africa (RSCA) in Addis Ababa, under the leadership of the Ministry of Social Integration and Economic Empowerment (MSIEE), and is aligned on the Government’s vision 2030. It proposes a social inclusion framework anchored in human rights, to assist with the integration of the vulnerable segments of the population into the social, political and economic life of the nation. Innovative solutions, such as the SMS Mobile System and Citizens Reporting Mechanism have been proposed in order to offer new solutions to tackle issues relating to public service delivery and get feedback from the beneficiaries of social services.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of work

The assignment consists of two interrelated components:

The development of an SMS mobile system to improve outreach to poor households;
The introduction of a citizens' reporting mechanism and data analysis tool to assess the impact on public service delivery to the poor.

Reference documents

The International Consultant will refer to the recommendations contained in the following reports:

For SMS mobile system

“International Consultancy for recommending a Mobile Technology platform and content to improve outreach of marginalized households in Mauritius, UNDP, June 2015”; and
The Marshall Plan Against Poverty, UNDP, March 2016 - Proposal 1.7: “Set up a mobile technology to reduce costs, modernize and improve outreach and access to information on social programmes”.

For the citizens’ reporting mechanism and data analysis tool

The Marshall Plan Against Poverty, UNDP, March 2016 – Proposal 8.1: “Introduce a citizens’ reporting mechanism and assess impact on public service delivery in pockets of poverty”

In addition, the consultant will undertake a desk review to identify lessons from other countries and contexts in the design, roll-out, evaluation and effectiveness of similar mobile systems. The findings will be compiled in a short recommendations paper (which can be annexed to the inception report) that will inform the iterative development process of the SMS mobile system.

Target audience

The target audience are eligible applicants registered in the Social Register of Mauritius (SRM) and benefitting from social programmes under the Marshall Plan. The SRM is a tool to register and identify the poor and their socio-economic profile so as to inform policy-makers on the effective demand for pro-poor policies. It uses the Proxy Means Test (PMT) to determine eligibility below a given threshold. The SRM system is hosted at and managed by the Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity and Reform Institutions (MSS). It has been developed by the State Informatics Limited (SIL), using ORACLE. Sub-registries in ASCII format are transmitted to other ministries or institutions for policy formulation and implementation. The Ministry of Social Integration and Economic Empowerment (MSIEE), and its anti-poverty implementing arm – the National Empowerment Foundation (NEF) are among the major users of the SRM data.

International partnerships

The expert will collaborate and build on preliminary consultations already established with the following international institutions:

UNDP Innovation Facility;
UNDP Regional Service Center for Africa (Addis Ababa);
UNDP Pulse Lab (Kampala);
Princeton University (USA);
UNICEF Innovation Team (Nairobi);
Ushahidi (Nairobi);
Other partners identified in the desk review.

Specific tasks

The objective of the assignment is to develop the platform and citizens reporting mechanism as suggested as far as possible in the reports mentioned above. Since the wireless technology is already spatially widely available, development processes which make use of it most efficiently, without having to invest heavily in new infrastructure/equipment, should be considered. This implies that less emphasis should be laid on what might potentially be used (e.g. new offices with internet/intranet and PCs, additional human resources) and more emphasis on adapting and applying what is actually used by the poor (e.g. mobiles), and existing staff (enhancement of capacity through training).

In this sense, the consultant will need to:

Take stock of the pro-poor services which are currently implemented through the SRM at the MSIEE and MSS.
Conduct market research on the current use of mobile phones by the target audience with a focus on assessing different user patterns between women and men, older and younger people.
Undertake an assessment of barriers that currently prevent eligible individuals to take up the pro-poor services available to them.
Assess the telecom operators’ landscape; and decide whether it make sense to deal with them individually or to use an aggregator who will deal with the different operators on Government’s behalf. Decide on whether to use a short code or a dedicated phone number.
Assess whether the existing mobile operators have the capacity to absorb the increase in the number of transactions that will result with the implementation of the mobile technology.
Develop at least one round of prototype testing for the user-interface, convene a user group to gather feedback on the prototype and iterate based on feedback.
Decide on and set up the queries involved at the different stages.
Assess the linkage with the existing SRM system and set up the structure on how to share data.
Set up the Partner Dashboards and assess using UNICEF’s Rapid Pro that allows for one on one interaction with the citizens, for e.g. sharing information on employment or training opportunities, and having feedback.
Establish processes, in partnership with mobile service providers, as well as the appropriate institutional and regulatory framework to permit the capture, storage and exchange of information to improve outreach and feedback from for the most disadvantaged areas and groups.
Demonstrate the use of the system to officials.
Develop success indicators in close consultation with UNDP and partners to assess effectiveness of system within its first 6, 12 and 18 months. Support the development of indicators to monitor the success indicators by the partners involved.

Expected deliverables

With reference to the source documents mentioned above, and following in-depth consultations with relevant local stakeholders, the expert will deliver as follows:

An inception report detailing the approach and methodology for the development of a SMS Mobile System and Citizens Reporting Mechanism and data analysis tool to assess impact of public service delivery to the poor.
User-interface, technological backend specifications, Standard Operating Procedures for the SMS Mobile System for the SRM established as per 2015 UNDP Report.
A first version of a SMS-based citizens reporting system of the type U-Report/LAPOR developed and operational.
MSS, MSIEE and NEF staff trained in the usage of the system.
A user manual for operating the system developed.
Plans to promote the system among poor households with special outreach for women and men developed with clear responsibilities and timelines.

The Consultant shall be remunerated in accordance with the following time schedule and deliverables:

Deliverables/Outputs: Submit an inception report detailing the approach and methodology for the development of a SMS Mobile System and Citizens Reporting Mechanism and data analysis tool to assess impact of public service delivery to the poor;
Tentative Dates: 6th November 2017;
Fee (%): 20%;
Review and Approved by: UNDP/MSIEE.

Deliverables/Outputs: Establish user-interface, technological backend specifications, Standard Operating Procedures for the SMS Mobile System for the SRM, as per 2015 UNDP Report;
Tentative Dates:10th November 2017;
Fee (%): 30%;
Review and Approved by: UNDP/MSIEE.

Deliverables/Outputs: Develop a first version of a SMS-based citizens reporting system of the type U-Report/LAPOR;
Tentative Dates: 17th November 2017;
Fee (%): 30%;
Review and Approved by: UNDP/MSIEE.

Deliverables/Outputs: Develop a user manual and train MSS, MSIEE and NEF staff in the usage of the system. The manual should include plans to promote the system among poor households with special outreach for women and men with clear responsibilities and timelines;
Tentative Dates: 24th November 2017;
Fee (%): 20%;
Review and Approved by: UNDP/MSIEE.

N.B. The Consultant will also be expected to make a presentation to MSIEE and key partners on the system developed during the field mission.

Institutional Arrangements

While the Consultant will be contracted by UNDP in collaboration with MSIEE, the consultancy work will be informed by intensive consultations with other concerned ministries and government institutions, civil society organisations and operators in the telecom landscape.

The Consultant will report to Acting Head of Socio Economic Development Unit (SEDU), UNDP and shall work under the supervision of MSIEE and shall report to it for the achievement of its duties. S/he is expected to liaise/interact/collaborate/meet with the staff of MSIEE, MSS, NEF, UNDP and other stakeholders.

All reports are to be written in English. The Consultant will provide an electronic version of all the required document-type deliverables.

Duration of Work

This assignment is for duration of 20 days, starting no later than 1st November 2017 and ending 30th November 2017 including 5 days for desk review and final report formulation (home based). It is envisioned that this assignment will require one (1) visit (10 days) to the Republic of Mauritius (for a total of 20 working days).

Duty Station

The Consultant will be required to be present in Mauritius, Ministry of Social Integration and Economic Empowerment, Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity & Reform Institutions..

Competencies

Corporate Competencies

Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UNs values and ethical standards;
Advocates and promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UN;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability; and
Treats all people fairly without favouritism.

Functional Competencies

Ability to adapt in new working environment;
Demonstrated strategic technical and intellectual skills in the substantive area;
Excellent communication skills (oral and written); and
Computer adeptness.

Required Skills and Experience

Qualifications of the Successful Individual Contractor

Education

Master’s Degree or equivalent Advanced Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Communications, International Development, Business Administration, Social Sciences or other related disciplines.

Experience

Have proven experience of conducting assignment of similar nature;
At least 10 years working experience in the implementation of social development policies and programmes, public policy assessment - in particular poverty reduction policies;
Proven skills in communication, networking, strategic thinking, advocacy, negotiation, and ability to relate this to new media and marginalized groups;
Experience managing projects with strong technology components;
Familiarity working with quantitative and qualitative data;
Demonstrated experience presenting work to both technical and non-technical audiences;
At least 5 years of experience in interacting and collaborating with Government institutions, private sector and NGOs.

Language

Fluency in spoken and written English.

Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule Payments:

Price Proposal

The financial offer should be quoted as a lump sum amount, ‘all-inclusive ‘. The term “All inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, travel costs, living allowances, communications, consumables, etc.) that could possibly be incurred by the Contractor are already factored into the final amounts submitted in the proposal.
The contract price is fixed regardless of changes in the cost components. Payments will be effected based on deliverables.

Payment Schedule

20% upon submission of an inception report detailing the approach and methodology for the development of a SMS Mobile System and Citizens Reporting Mechanism and data analysis tool to assess impact of public service delivery to the poor;
30% after establishing user-interface, technological backend specifications, Standard Operating Procedures for the SMS Mobile System for the SRM as per 2015 UNDP Report;
30% after developing a first version of a SMS-based citizens reporting system of the type U-Report/LAPOR;
20% after developing a user manual and trained MSS, MSIEE and NEF staff in the usage of the system. The manual should include plans to promote the system among poor households with special outreach for women and men with clear responsibilities and timelines.

Proposed Work Plan and Indicative Time:

It is planned that the consultancy starts no later than 1st November 2017 and ending 30 November 2017.