Background

UNDP is collaborating with L&T CSR and Sampada Trusts in Karanji cluster of Pathardi Taluka of Ahmednagar district in Maharashtra to increase the income of 2,000 vulnerable families through farm and allied intervention, enabling skills ecosystem and micro enterprise formation by focusing on creation of community cadres and collective enterprises. The project will synergies with the interventions of state, particularly with Umed-MSLRM, MAVIM, government ITI, RSETIs, agricultural universities, Directorate of Vocational Studies and Training and private sector partnerships. This project will be one of a kind multi stake holder engagement, which will build upon the global experiences that UNDP brings while drawing upon the technical capabilities of nongovernmental organizations with substantial technical expertise as well as those already active in the district. The intervention builds upon and is an extension and expansion of the existing intervention of L& T in Karanji cluster of the district.

The project will follow following field specific strategies.

• Creating community cadres for agricultural and horticultural crops, dairy, poultry and goatery, SHG and micro enterprise development, career counseling and guidance and job linkages.
• Creation and strengthening the community institutions network (SHG-VDC/VO and producer organizations) to take part in the project and achieve its result.
• Strengthening technical support cadre at the local level to implement and sustain intervention.
• Support institutions and create mechanism for backward and forward marketing linkages to strengthen farm and allied production systems.
• Capacity building of community members, local government, government departments, agencies and other stakeholders.
• Creating project management and monitoring system that allow for transparent monitoring, avoid duplication of efforts, and synergizing the capabilities of the community, local governments, government department and agencies, civil society organizations and the UN.

Salient Features of Integrated Livelihood Development Intervention

The proposed integrated livelihood development intervention will focus on three specific groups

• Men and women engaged in farm and allied production- food crops, fruits and vegetables, sheep/goat, dairy and poultry.
• Women, wanting to diversify out of agriculture, but unable to travel beyond village/cluster.
• Younger men and women with higher mobility, to learn new better skills to get jobs outside the area.

Accordingly, the integrated livelihood development intervention in Karanji will focus on these three areas.

• Building capacities and mechanisms for effective farm linkages in the farm and allied sectors.
• Developing eco system based approach to promotion of micro enterprise of women.
• Building capacities and mechanism for enhanced employability and increased access to jobs requiring higher skills level.

Project Location:

The assignment will be home as well as field based. It will include travel to districts in Maharashtra and may require to UNDP Country Office in New Delhi to meet with project team members. 15-25 days field visit and 15 days of offsite support, per year, is expected for this assignment.

Duties and Responsibilities

Expected outcomes of Project:

The expected outcome of the project is to enable the families and vulnerable communities in Karanji cluster of Pathardi taluka of Ahmednagar to experience transformational impacts in their lives. The project outcome will be enhanced income for the targeted families.

Scope of Assignment

UNDP has identified five thrust areas in which this project will make sustained intervention over the period of project life cycle to help create sustainable livelihoods. These five areas are 1) SHG and Institution building 2) Dairy 3) Agriculture including Horticulture & Micro-Enterprises related interventions 4) Backyard poultry & Goatery and 5) Skills & Re-schooling. The project envisages a strong partnership between implementing NGO, project team of UNDP and a strong cadre of community workers who would help achieves the goals of the project. The selected individual consultant is expected to closely work with project team, partner NGO and community cadre to help achieve the goals of the project. He is also expected to provide technical oversight functions to all the interventions in his domain area and regularly interact with UNDP value chain specialist in New Delhi office to ensure that the activities being undertaken in the field are in congruence with the envisaged overall goal.  

Scope of Work

To ensure program’s strategic objectives and results are fully accomplished on time and expected technical quality standards, the Individual consultant must

General Responsibilities:

• Provide technical assistance on various SHG/SMS/Institution Building practices to the PMU and NGO partners on need basis
• Conduct Quarterly and monthly (as needed) planning sessions to meet project targets with PMU.
• Build the network of project stakeholders, facilitating relationship-building and cooperative participation among agricultural research, extension and other actors
• Provide supportive supervision to project and partner staff, including mentoring for the growth and development of supervisees
• Provide technical oversight and input, and draw on CSR and industry best practices in SHG/SMS/VO etc.
• Monitoring of milestones set and donor reporting.
• Monitor implementation of initiatives for increasing beneficiary accountability and ensuring gender sensitive programming
• Track progress and ensure robust M&E, intelligent analysis and use of information, strong organizational and sectoral learning.

Specific Responsibilities

Domain Leadership

1. Under the guidance of Value Chain Expert, UNDP, New Delhi,provide support to the PMU in leadership, supervision and oversight of all project activities that seek to improve the performance of SHG, SMS/Village Organisation strengthening and other Institution Building activities in the project, ensuring efficient and effective project implementation including the timely completion of high quality work plans, accurate reports, and other mandated deliverables.
2. Work with the PMU and NGO partners in preparing domain related project work plans with clear objectives and achievable benchmarks, reflecting strategic long term and short term priorities.
3. Help design and Implement a capacity building program of women through training, exposures, mentoring and meetings involving promoters of Self Help Group Approach especially their project officers and community facilitators.
4. Training on SHG Concept and Management- By-laws, leadership selection, their roles and responsibilities, meeting processes, Panchsutra, basic books of records etc.
5. Actively participate in the review and updating Self help Group Approach process and tools initiated under the project.
6. Support PMU and field staff in strengthening women village level organizations and further evolution of FPO etc.
7. Perform documentation as required.

Program Quality and Management

1. Collaborate with UNDP project team, NGO partner and community cadre to support capacity building training sessions of SHG members and higher tier community institutions.
2. Provide technical leadership to program activities related to SHG building and institution building activities resulting in strong and vibrant SHG groups and community institutions which adheres to best practices of SHG and higher tier community owned and led intuitions in the country including capacity building on basic concepts like meetings, savings, lending & repayment, member responsibilities, book keeping, accounting, fund management, bank and credit linkages.
3. Review the work of the PMU and of the field team.
4. Monitor the quality and appropriateness of activities to achieve the target indicators in a cost effective timely and sustainable manner.
5. Provide accompaniment and handholding support to the implementing partners to link with the technical agencies
6. Help ingrain the concepts of self help, responsibility taking, negotiation with external stakeholders including government and community action for social good among the members.
7. Perform any other task as assigned by Value Chain Expert, UNDP New Delhi.

Provide Technical Expertise, Oversight & Capacity Building of PMU & NGO Partner Staff:

1. Assist with the orientation and training of key staff and community coordinators to help build a technically strong, well supported motivated team.
2. Provide direction and technical advice through quarterly coaching sessions.
3. Provide oversight function to ensure that the activities being undertaken are in congruence with achievement of domain goal as well as overall goal of the project.

Documentation & Communication

1. Preparing progress report, briefs and supervision notes as and when required.
2. Providing technical advice and direction in preparation of communication material for internal and external stakeholders
3. Develop a plan for the development and dissemination of lessons learnt.
4. Conduct regular supervisory/technical assistance visits to the field
5. Coordinate with the M&E Officer to document success stories

Duration of the Contract

The Long-Term Agreements under the Individual Contract modlity, are expected to have a duration of 3 years. The
consultants selected for the LTAs will be awarded one year contracts with an option for renewal in subsequent years upon
satisfactory performance and availability of budget. These contracts will be based on a specific requirement (Terms of
reference) and corresponding number of days required to complete these tasks. Contract values will be based on the p er
day fee rates and number of expected days for completion of assignment.

Competencies

Corporate competencies:

• Promotes the mission and values of the UN;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity;
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
• Ability to work under pressure and stressful situations;
• Effective interpersonal and communication skills

Functional competencies:

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills;
• Strong analytical, research, reporting and writing abilities;
• Ability to plan, organize, implement and report on work;
• Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback;
• Positive, constructive attitude to work. 

Required Skills and Experience

Required Academic Qualifications and Professional Experience: 

• Masters degree in Social Work, Social Sciences or Rural Management
• 7 years of project implementation and management experience with progressive responsibility
• Experience in nurturing self-help groups and implementing self-help group based livelihood projects is important
• Experience managing staff and partner organizations as well as managing relationships and interactions between government officials, SHG members and other stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to provide leadership in strategic planning initiatives
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Experience in monitoring and evaluation, especially in software for data management
• Strong computer skills (MS Word, Excel, Outlook and Power Point)

Evaluation Method and Criteria

Individual Consultants will be evaluated based on the Cumulative Evaluation (technical + financial) methodology.

Cumulative analysis:

The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

Responsive and having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria
specific to the solicitation.

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

• Technical Criteria weight - 70%;
• Financial Criteria weight – 30 %

Technical Criteria weight – 70 Marks

Education – 30 Marks
Work Experience and Knowledge – 40 Marks

Financial Criteria weight - 30 Marks.

Documents to be submitted

Detailed CV with contact details of three references;
Financial proposal specifying per day consultancy fee. Prior approved travel expenses will be reimbursed as per actuals in
line with UNDP rules or would be arranged by UNDP.

Note: Application will not be accepted, if all the above listed documents are not submitted.

For any clarification, please write to ic.india@undp.org