Background

Iraq faces a large-scale crisis. Over two million Iraqis remain internally displaced, with over 3.7 million having already returned to their towns and villages of origin. The country also hosts over 248,000 Syrian refugees, primarily in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Such enormous levels of displacement have impacted Iraq's economy and society. It also threatens the major efforts underway to build national reconciliation and protect the country's development gains accumulated in the last decade.

Under the Stabilization Pillar of UNDP/Iraq two sister programs work to promote stabilization and resilience in Iraq including the KRI.  The Funding Facility for  Stabilization (FFS)  and the Iraqi Resilience and Response Program (ICRRP).  FFS was established in June 2015 at the request of the Government of Iraq focusing on strategically important newly liberated areas as determined by the Government of Iraq. The Iraqi Crisis Response and Resilience Programme (ICRRP) supports areas under huge stress due to the crisis caused by large displacement of people fleeing from ISIL and the protracted stay of Syrian refugees in Iraq.

From the onset of the crisis ICRRP has focused on longer-term recovery to meet the immediate needs of people and promote early socio-economic recovery and social cohesion. The lack of resilience may perpetuate the humanitarian crisis, and may lead to secondary crisis caused by recurrent conflicts and violence. This makes all - refugees, IDPs and host communities - dangerously vulnerable to future negative shocks, either natural or man-made.

The volatility in Iraq requires urgent interventions to build self-reliance of the affected

populations and self-sustainability of the government institutions, which has been ICRRP's core

focus. ICRRP aims to enhance the resilience of the affected populations through strengthening social infrastructure to provide sustainable and cost-effective basic services, prompting socio-economic recovery to secure economic self-reliance of the affected population, and establishing social cohesion mechanisms to promote peaceful co-existence of citizens in the communities.

Currently, ICRPP is programming Cash for Work(CfW) projects under the basic services and livelihoods components of the Programme, to respond to stabilization and early recovery needs in Iraq and KRI. UNDP is planning to scale-up its Cash for Work activities across multiple governorates. The current geographic focus for current CfW Germany support under this grant will be the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), which hosts most Syrian refugees and displaced people in Iraq. ICRRP's initial CFW activities will be implemented specifically in Erbil, Dohuk, and Sulaymaniyah, Halabja and Kirkuk. Additional areas may also be considered.

ICRRP activities may include:

• Rehabilitation of key service delivery infrastructure using a labor-intensive approach, as.prioritized by local authorities and IDPs/refugees and their host communities;
• Cash for work for street cleaning/garbage collection and light repair of public spaces and community infrastructures, such as community centers, schools, and camps);
• Waste management activities (collection and dumping of solid waste);
• Housing repairs and rehabilitation.

ICRRP is seeking a Cash Based Intervention Specialist to provide relevant expertise to finalise the below listed deliverables aimed at enhancing CBI programming strategy and operational plans.

For more information on the approach to CFW adopted by the Emergency Livelihood Cluster please refer to the guidelines at the following link - Cash for Work Standard Operating Procedures

Duties and Responsibilities

This assignment is focused on preparing a strategy and operational procedures for the delivery of cash based interventions in Iraq and conducting a training with key partners (government and non-government) on the modalities of delivering such assistance. Thus, the consultant shall conduct a range of activities and consultations to produce the deliverables listed below. Accordingly, the consultant will:

1. Advise the Programme Manager and Component Leads on integrating CBIs into programme plans and operational strategies to efficiently meet programme objectives.
2. Provide technical support and guidance on all aspects related to CBIs, including assessments, planning and budgeting, as well as, technical specifications, and legal and regulatory frameworks.
3. Review and provide technical inputs on reports and programme proposals and design, implementation modalities.
4. Laision and connect with a network of strategic partnerships (e.g. Government agencies, UN partners, INGOs, research institutions, private sector entities) to ensure complementarity in the assessment, design and implementation of CBIs. Use this information to help select and design optimal solutions for UNDP Case Based Interventions.
5. Facilitate capacity building and training of ICRRP amd FFS staff, ICT, finance/admin, supply/procurement personnel on various aspects of CBIs as needed.
6. Training of Implementation Partners on the day to day oversight and management of all CBI modalities planned under UNDP operations in Iraq, including facilitating implementation and monitoring of CBI based programmes.
7. Liaison closely with the Funding Facility for Stabilization (FFS) to ascertain lessons learned from the implementation of CFW in Newly Liberated Areas; with particular attention paid to gender considerations and environmentally friendly practices for CBIs.
8. Liaison with the Service Center regarding operational requirements for the delivery of CBI and specifically Cash For Work (CFW) e.g. Finance, Procurement and IT.
9. Facilitate and support communication and discussions, including with NGOs and the private sector, who may be contractually engaged for the management and delivery of CBIs to beneficiaries. Private sector may include financial institutions, telecommunication companies and data management firms.
10. Periodically review the appropriateness for CBI responses in accordance with the current concept of operations for the ICRRP. This may include reviewing transfer modalities for provision of business grants, training allowances, job placement allowances and identifying and promoting an integrated vision of providing assistance which incorporates in-kind and cash and/or voucher modalities to meet ICRRP objectives.
11. Draw up plans for timely delivery of CBI in coordination with implementation partners, under Responsible Party Agreements with UNDP, including NGOs and commercially contracted companies, and monitor their implementation;
12. Prepare a monitoring and evaluation framework for to ensure that relevant output and outcome indicators for CBI are systematically collected and analyzed in a manner that will help the Programme determine efficiency and effectiveness in CBI delivery.
13. Undertake visits to view project sites and meet beneficiaries to ensure that progress is made in the achievement of project objectives.
14. Ensure, in coordination with implementation partners, including Government, NGO, and commercial entities, all operational and reporting obligations as stipulated in any Letters of Agreement or contracts.
15. Ensure compliance with UNDP policies and procedures for CBI based programming.

The consultant shall submit the outline of each report for review and approval of the Programme Manager before its writing and take the feedback of UNDP and relevant partners into account to finalize the report.

A.Expected Outputs and Delivery Timeframe

Institutional Arrangements:

WORKING ARRANGEMENTS

• The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the UNDP Programme Manager – ICRRP and in close coordination with the Component Leads;
• The consultant is expected to work closely with implementation partners, including Government Counterparts, NGOs and private sector partners;
• The consultant will operate under the UNDSS security regulations applicable to Iraq;

Duration of the Work:

Four (4) months 17th July 2018 till 17th November 2018

Duty Station:

Erbil, Iraq with expected travel to other governorates within Iraq

(Note for any official travel outside of duty station UNDP facilitate the travel)

Competencies

• Fully abide by the policies, laws and regulations of UNDP and Iraq; 
• Demonstrates a strong work ethic and professional integrity;
• Promotes the aim and objectives of UNDP in general and the project in particular;
• Is respectful of the mandates and roles of different UN and Government of Iraq partners and is able to build and sustain productive and mutually beneficial partnerships;
• Displays gender, religion, ethnic, age and cultural sensitivity and adaptability;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude; 
• Is a team player with strong sense of initiative and responsibility;
• Safeguards and serves the principles of accountability and transparency;
• Is able to navigate and produce results within a complex and challenging environment and under time-pressure.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications:

An advanced university degree (Master) in a relevant field of study such as economics, social science, public administration and other similar fields of study. Additional trainings relevant to the assignment are an asset

Years of experience:

• Minimum seven (7) years of professional experience in a relevant field such as humanitarian assistance, early recovery, with specific technical expertise in cash based interventions, including cash for work;
• Experience in developing CBI strategies, SOPs and conducting training in CBI;
• Experience in conflict-prone and volatile environments;
• Previous work experience in the Middle East is an asse

Skills: 

• Fluency in English, with Arabic being an asset;
• Strong analytical skills and capacities;
• Strong verbal and written communication skills;
• A pragmatic mind-set able to identify effective solutions;
• Strong interpersonal skills;
• Has the ability to independently plan and execute assigned tasks and duties.

PRICE PROPOSAL AND SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS  

The contractor shall submit a price proposal as below:

Interested professionals are invited to submit their Application consisting of a financial and technical proposal for completion of this assignment.  The technical proposal shall include:

1. CV of the applicant;
2. A description of approach and methodology for completion of the assignment;
3. An indicative work plan placing the planned activities of point (b) above along a time-line;
4. Any other information that the applicant finds relevant.

The financial proposal shall indicate the total amount required for covering all aspects of the assignment broken down into the following categories:

• Professional fees presented as daily, weekly or monthly units, as relevant.
• Expenses including local living cost; insurance, communication; transportation,Visa, other.

The full contracted amount will be disbursed as per the below payment plan unless otherwise agreed between UNDP and the consultant, upon completion of the Deliverables and approval and endorsement of same by UNDP.

Payment Schedule

EVALUATION METHOD AND CRITERIA:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology:

Cumulative analysis

The award of the contract shall 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.

* Technical Criteria: weight 70%

* Financial Criteria weight 30%

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation

Technical Criteria – Maximum 70 points

Technical Proposal (35 marks)

• Technical Approach & Methodology (20 marks) – Explain the understanding of the objectives of the assignment, approach to the services, methodology for carrying out the activities and obtaining the expected output, and the degree of detail of such output. The Applicant should also explain the methodologies proposed to adopt and highlight the compatibility of those methodologies with the proposed approach.
• Understanding the ToR  (15 marks) – The Applicant should propose the main activities of the assignment, their content and duration, phasing and interrelations, milestones (including interim approvals by the Client), and delivery dates. The proposed work plan should be consistent with the technical approach and methodology, showing understanding of the TOR and ability to translate them into a feasible working plan.

Qualification and Experience (35 marks) [evaluation of CV]:

• Academic qualifications (5 marks);
• Past Experience (20 marks);
• UN Experience  (5 Marks);
• Languages  (5 Marks)

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals:

Interested international  individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications in one single PDF document:

• Duly accomplished Confirmation of Interest and Submission of Financial Proposal Template using the template provided by UNDP (Annex II); pleae find below link for documents
• http://www.iq.undp.org/content/iraq/en/home/operations/jobs.html
• Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references.

Technical proposal:

• An indicative work plan placing the planned activities of point (b) above along a time-line;
• A methodology, on how they will approach and complete the assignment
• Any other information that the applicant finds relevant.

Financial proposal, as per template provided in UNDP jobsite (Annex II);

Incomplete proposals may not be considered