Background

The purpose of this procurement exercise is to contract an individual consultant who will support the organization in conducting the multi-stakeholder workshop for NWOW regional New York Crisis Interface Team for workshop for West/Central Africa under the UNDP’s Crisis Response Unit.Over the past few years, the UN and the wider multilateral system have been undergoing various processes of review, reform, strategy- and goal-setting across the spectrum of their collective mandates, spanning the areas of peace and security, human rights, humanitarian assistance and development. These included, chiefly, the development and adoption, in September 2015, of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a comprehensive, strategic foundation that commits Member States and the Organization to an ambitious set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and that covers the parallel and often interrelated strands of multilateral engagement across the UN’s collective mandate.

The outcomes of the May 2016 World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) further built on the premise of coherence. Most stakeholders agreed on the urgent need to strengthen collaboration and synergies across the “Humanitarian-Development Nexus” (Hum-Dev Nexus) by working to overcome long-standing attitudinal, institutional, and funding obstacles. The WHS reinforced the commitment to establish a ‘New Way of Working’ that can transcend humanitarian and development divides by working over multiple years towards collective outcomes that reduce risk and vulnerability and build towards achievement of the SDGs, based on the comparative advantages of a diverse range of actors, including those outside the UN system.

The New Way of Working (NWOW) can be described as a context-specific approach of working towards collective outcomes, over multiple years based on respective comparative advantages of a diverse set of actors. The approach blends short-term humanitarian tools that respond to shocks and sudden critical developments with longer-term development interventions that systematically tackle vulnerability and risk.

Its key areas include: (1) predicable, joint situation and problem analysis, (2) better joined up planningand programming, (3) empowered leadership and coordination, and (4) financing modalities that support collective outcomes. This will require shifts in the way all actors work, as outlined in the Commitment to Action signed by former Secretary-General Ban and eight UN Principals (including UNDP) and endorsed by the World Bank and IOM at the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit, as well as in other commitments made by a wide range of stakeholders on financing and operational changes. Progressing the NWOW is a priority for the new Secretary-General in the context of the system coherence agenda. UNDP is supporting the operationalization of the NWOW through working with a broad group of stakeholders that have committed to the NWOW. This includes developing guidance and tools at the global level and supporting countries who have self-selected to advance this approach, as well as joint advocacy and supporting capacity-building at regional and country levels, including through workshops. A multi-stakeholder regional NWOW workshop was organized for East/Southern Africa in November 2017 in Entebbe, Uganda. Building thereon, and on a number of high-level meetings and workshops held throughout 2017, the next multi-stakeholder workshop for West/Central Africa is planned for May/June in Dakar, Senegal.

The workshop will bring together a broad range of stakeholders including Member States, UNCTs and HCTs, UN field missions where present, international and national NGOs, the World Bank, and other interested organizations, with a view to:

  • Ensure a collective understanding and deepened knowledge of the key elements of the NWOW, encompassing (a) analysis, (b) planning and programming, (c) coordination and leadership and (d) financing;
  • Enhance clarity on what collective outcomes mean in different contexts;
  • Foster peer-to-peer exchange among current and prospective implementing countries on how to operationalize the NWOW, identifying operational solutions, tools and modus operandi in a contextualized way;
  • Building on the barriers and enablers identified in Entebbe, the evidence collected by an ongoing NYU study and other relevant events, further identify (a) gaps and bottlenecks that hinder NWOW implementation and achievement of collective outcomes on the ground, and (b) tools, guidance and support needed;
  • Feed field experiences into the ongoing evidence collection work as well as repositories of good practices being compiled with a view to issuing more detailed guidance as needed.

Duties and Responsibilities

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

Reporting to the Team Leader of the New York Crisis Interface Team in UNDP’s Crisis Response Unit, the consultant will support the organization in the conduct of the multi-stakeholder NWOW regional workshop for West/Central Africa through the following:

  • Support the elaboration of the substantive content and agenda for the Dakar NWOW workshop in close coordination with relevant teams from CRU, Regional Bureaus, BPPS, OCHA and other key stakeholders.
  • Support strategic interagency engagement around the New Way of Working through liaison with relevant partners on the objectives, scope and agenda of the workshops.
  • Draft and collate background documentation for the workshop in collaboration with relevant teams.
  • Lead on developing and conducting a survey with participants as part of the preparations of the workshop.
  • Oversee the operational arrangements of the workshops in close collaboration with CRU and OCHA.
  • Support the conduct and facilitation of the workshop.
  • Design a workshop evaluation survey and collate and analyze the results.
  • Summarize the key findings and recommendations emerging from the workshop through a workshop report.
  • Any other activities upon the request of the Team Leader of the New York Crisis Interface Team.

Expected Deliverables

  • Background documentation for the workshop;
  • Survey with participants as part of the preparations of the workshop;
  • Evaluation survey following the workshop;
  • Draft report summarizing the workshop discussions and findings;
  • Final workshop report

Duration of the Work

The consultancy is for a total of 30 working days, starting on 23 April 2018. All deliverables are to be completed by no later than 16 July 2018.

Duty Station

The duty station of this consultancy is New York. Short-term travel outside the duty station will be required during the workshop itself (Dakar, Senegal) and will be covered by the Crisis Response Unit.

Competencies

Core Competencies

Leadership

  • Takes responsibility for and ensures high quality of own work

Communication and Relationship Management

  • Synthesizes information to communicate independent analysis

Innovation

  • Interprets policies and guidance within context and applies with judgment

People Management

  • Identifies and nurtures collaborations between diverse professions

Delivery

  • Ensures high quality of work in terms of both substantive depth and adaptive relevance to client needs

Functional Competencies

UN System & Organizational Awareness

  • Knowledge of the UN System and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations

Working in Teams

  • Acting as a team player and facilitating team work;
  • Works collaboratively with colleagues across the UN system at field level and HQ.

Communicating Information and Ideas

  • Delivers verbal/written information in a timely, clear, organized and easily understood manner;
  • Excellent oral and written skills to develop knowledge products in relevant areas

Required Skills and Experience

Academic qualifications:

  • Advanced University degree (Master’s Degree or equivalent) in Political Science, International Affairs, Management, Economics, Organizational Studies, Development Studies and/or Regional Studies, Sociology, or other relevant fields, required.

Experience:

  • At least seven years of relevant experience providing advisory support and technical advice in

crisis response, programming, partnerships, and coordination, required.

  • Proven experience in supporting United Nations inter-agency coherence, strategic planning, and

Coordination, required.

  • Proven experience in facilitating complex UN inter-agency collaboration across humanitarian and

development programmes at field and HQ level and in developing creative, innovative solutions, required.

  • Experience working in the different pillars of the UN system is highly desirable.
  • Experience working with Governments, NGOs, World Bank, bilateral donors and other key stakeholders, required.  
  • Prior knowledge of the ‘New Way of Working’, highly desirable.
  • Proven ability to deliver in a timely manner within cost and quality standards.
  • Proven ability to work in a multicultural setting.

Language:

  • Fluency in written and spoken English is required;
  • Working knowledge of another UN language (e.g., French) 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 shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around the specific and measurable deliverables of the TOR. 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; 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.
  • 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: Advanced University degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Political Science, International Affairs, Management, Economics, Organizational Studies, Development Studies and/or Regional Studies, Sociology, or other relevant fields  Weight 10%=; Maximum Points = 100
  • Criteria 2:  At least seven years of relevant experience providing advisory support and technical advice in crisis response, programming, partnerships, and coordination – Weight =25%; Maximum Points = 250 points
  • Criteria 3: Proven experience in supporting United Nations inter-agency coherence, strategic planning, and coordination – Weight = 15%; Maximum Points = 150 points
  • Criteria 4: Proven experience in facilitating complex UN inter-agency collaboration across humanitarian and development programmes at field and HQ level and in developing creative, innovative solutions– Weight = 15%; Maximum Points: 150
  • Criteria 5: Experience working with Governments, NGOs, World Bank, bilateral donors and other key stakeholders is highly desirable – Weight = 5%; Maximum Points = 50 points

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 to the Team Leader in the Crisis Interface Team, UNDP Crisis Response Unit, New York. A work station will be provided to the consultant in the UNDP Crisis Response Unit. The consultant is expected to bring a laptop. Frequent interactions and consultations with a variety of UN stakeholders will form an integral part of the consultant’s duties.

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):

Annex 1 - UNDP P-11 Form for ICs

Annex 2 - IC Contract Template

Annex 3 – IC General Terms and Conditions

Annex 4 – RLA Template

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.