UNDP Jobs - 83363- International Consultant on Regional Development A

International Consultant on Regional Development Authorities (RDAs), UNDP-LoGo Project, Afghanistan

Location :

Kabul, with a possible travel to the regions, AFGHANISTAN

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

21-Feb-19 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

2 months with maximum 40 working days, based in Kabul with a possible travel to the regions

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

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

UNDP Global Mission Statement:

UNDP is the UN’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build better lives. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working with national counterparts on their own solutions to global and national development challenges.

UNDP Afghanistan Mission Statement:

UNDP supports stabilization, state-building, governance and development priorities in Afghanistan. UNDP support, in partnership with the Government, the United Nations system, the donor community and other development stakeholders, has contributed to institutional development efforts leading to positive impact on the lives of Afghan citizens. Over the years UNDP support has spanned such milestone efforts as the adoption of the Afghan National Constitution; Presidential, Parliamentary and Provincial Council Elections; institutional development through capacity-building to the legislative, the judicial and executive arms of the state, and key ministries, Government agencies and commissions at the national and subnational levels. UNDP has played a key role in the management of the Law and Order Trust Fund, which supports the Government in developing and maintaining the national police force and in efforts to stabilize the internal security environment. Major demobilization, disarmament and rehabilitation and area-based livelihoods and reconstruction programmes have taken place nationwide. UNDP Programmes in Afghanistan have benefited from the very active support of donors. UNDP Afghanistan is committed to the highest standards of transparency and accountability and works in close coordination with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and the UN system to maximize the impact of its development efforts on the ground.

Organizational context:

The Local Governance Project – Afghanistan (LoGo-Afghanistan), is a multi-year, multi-donor project funded by the European Union (EU), Italy, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The project which was initiated in October 2015, builds on the lessons learned from a previous project, the Afghanistan Sub-National Governance Programme (ASGP) and aims to improve service delivery by enhancing the accountability and transparency of the local government. LoGo-Afghanistan provides

support to the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG), 13 Provincial Governors Offices (PGOs) and Provincial Councils (PCs), 22 Provincial and District Municipalities and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in 17 provinces. The revised output results are:

Output 1: Capacities of PGOs and Provincial Councils improved for inclusive, accountable and transparent service delivery;
Output 2: Municipalities are able to generate more revenues and deliver improved services in a transparent, accountable and participatory manner;
Output 3: Civil Society and citizens have improved oversight capacity of local governance;
Output 4: IDLG is able to develop and implement policies to improve local government accountability and service delivery.

One of the overreaching goals of the Roadmap for Subnational Reform of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GoIRA) is creation of geographically balanced regional economic development. The Roadmap further states that in addition to the Capital Region Independent Development Authority (CRIDA), additional seven regional authorities (RDAs) will be established, whose mandate will be to design, plan, implement and monitor development projects. These RDAs will be established as State-Owned Corporations (SOCs).

The formation of the RDAs comes in the middle of the sub-national reform process, where one of the main focuses is to separate the policy making functions from the operational ones and to shift the implementation of the policies at the sub-national and regional level. Thus, the Roadmap gives the broader mission of the RDAs, and that is to increase the economic growth, while working in cooperation with the subnational entities.

However, there is a large menu of things that the Development Agencies can do. Some of them are established in response to a crisis, or to a problem of under-development, whilst others are established simply to promote competitiveness in all contexts (both for ‘successful’ and ‘unsuccessful’ places). Some are established ‘bottom-up’ by local actors, and others ‘top-down’ by Governments and donors, some are wholly private sector sponsored and some are bi-lateral with a focus on enabling neighbouring entities to work together. (OECD Study on Regional Development Agencies, 2009).

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work and Deliverables:

Objective of the Assignment

In this context, UNDP LoGo-Afghanistan intends to conduct a comprehensive review of Afghanistan and global experience of establishing Regional Development Authorities (RDAs) such as Tennessee Valley Authority, Lahore Development Authority and Regional Development Authorities in Colombia, to define their governance, interaction with administrative authorities and elected bodies, function and funding modalities. The RDA International Consultant will be expected to provide recommendations on the establishment of the RDAs in eight regional economic zones as stipulated in the Roadmap for Subnational Reform approved by the GoIRA.

The RDA International Consultant will, therefore, be expected to undertake the following specific tasks to complete this assignment:

Task 1: Conduct a comprehensive desk review of RDAs practices such as Tennessee Valley Authority, Lahore Development Authority and Regional Development Authorities in Colombia, in order to identify their functions, governance structure and processes, funding modalities, coordination, and interaction with administrative authorities and elected bodies.

Task 2: Carry out a deck research on the relevant practices on regional economic activities in Afghanistan.

such as the Capital Region Independent Development Authority (CRIDA), Helmand Development Authority (HDA) and the Nangahar Valley Development Authority (NVDA). In addition, the consultant will study the sub-national governance policies, national/sub-national regional economic development strategies and the overall system of national and subnational governance system in relation to the establishment of the RDAs.

Task 3: Hold meetings with IDLG, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Economy, CRIDA and other relevant stakeholders in Afghanistan to discuss expectations in relation to the establishment of Regional Development Authorities in Afghanistan.

Task 4: Based on the desk review of Afghanistan and the comparative overview of RDAs, the consultant will develop a concept which will include implications and recommendations for the establishment of the RDAs in Afghanistan in line with the Roadmap. The proposed concept of RDA will include recommendations on the (best) model of RDA for Afghanistan, including recommendations on the RDAs’ mission, the functions, governance structure, and financing, and relations with the sub-national actors, while linking them with the socio-economic and capacity requirements of the Afghan Government.

Task 5: The consultant will be required to deliver presentations of the findings and recommendations to LoGo and the Afghan government authorities including but not limited to the IDLG, MoF, MoEc and other relevant stakeholders

Expected Outputs and Deliverables; Estimated duration to complete and Payment percentage:

First Deliverable: 30 working days, 75%

Meetings held with IDLG, MoF and MoEc and other relevant stakeholders, major expectations discussed related to review of international RDA practices and implications for establishment of RDAs in Afghanistan.
A comprehensive desk review of RDAs practices such as Tennessee Valley Authority, Lahore Development Authority and Regional Development Authorities in Colombia conducted, findings, implications and recommendations for establishment of RDAs in Afghanistan developed and presented.
A detailed and comprehensive Study Report of RDA global practices, highlight the major findings, and recommendations for Afghanistan proposed.

Second Deliverable: 10 working days, 25%

A concept on RDA model for Afghanistan is presented to LoGo and government authorities;
Conduct follow-up meetings with IDLG, MoF, MoEc and other authorities, to advise on the way ahead for the establishment of RDAs in Afghanistan.

Payment Modality:

Payments under the contract shall be delivery based and be made on receipt of the specific milestones indicated above and including a timesheet according to UNDP procurement formats for individual contractors. These shall be as indicated above and shall be made upon certification of IDLG, verification of LoGo-Afghanistan Sub-National Governance Component Lead and approval by the LoGo-Afghanistan Project Manager.

Working Arrangements

Institutional Arrangements:

The International consultant will work under the supervision of the LoGo-Afghanistan Subnational Governance Component Lead and overall guidance of IDLG and LoGo-Afghanistan Project Manager.

Duration of the Work:

The contract duration will be for a total of 40 working days. The contract may be extended based on results, performance, and changes in deliverables, and subject to approval from the LoGo-Afghanistan Project Manager.

Duty Station

The duty station for the consultant is Kabul, Afghanistan for the entire duration of the contract. The consultant will be required to report regularly and be present at ILDG and/or LoGo-Afghanistan Project Office during the official working hours. The consultant will follow the working hours and weekends as applicable to LoGo-Afghanistan Project Staff. The consultant’s movements for meetings and consultations shall be coordinated by LoGo-Afghanistan Project Office. The consultant is always required to adhere to and observe UNDP’s Security Rules and Regulations. The consultant is required to bring his/hers own computer/laptop.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Treats all people fairly without favouritism.

Functional Competencies:

Knowledge Management and Learning;
In-depth practical knowledge of inter-disciplinary development issues;
Seeks and applies knowledge, information, and best practices from within and outside of UNDP.

Management and Leadership:

Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
Ability to lead effectively, mentoring as well as conflict resolution skills;
Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills;
Remains calm, in control and good humoured even under pressure;
Proven networking, team-building, organizational and communication skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications:

Master’s degree in Social Sciences specifically in Local Development, Public Policy, Governance, Public Administration and Research

Years of experience:

At least 10 years of relevant and practical experience in the regional development area;
At least 5 years of experience in RDAs, governance and development sector;
Experience in research and conducting impact evaluation and feasibility studies with sustainability components;
Previous experience in similar assignments for UNDP or other UN agency is an advantage;

Other requirements:

Excellent time management and organizational skills;
Accuracy and attention to details;
An understanding of governance reforms and good governance agendas;
Professional approach to time, costs and deadlines.

Language Proficiency:

The consultant must be proficient in English. Knowledge of Dari and/or Pasto will be considered as an asset

Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments:

The contractor shall submit a price proposal as below:

Daily Fee – The contractor shall propose a daily fee, which should be inclusive of the consultant’s professional fee, local communication and transportation costs. The number of working days for which the daily fee shall be payable under the contract is 40 working days;
The total professional fee, shall be converted into a lump-sum contract and payments under the contract shall be made on submission and acceptance of deliverables under the contract in accordance with the schedule of payment linked with deliverables.

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:

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.

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 70 points

Technical Proposal (30 marks)

Technical Approach & Methodology (20 marks) – This 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;

Work Plan (10 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 (40 marks) [evaluation of CV, shortlisting]

Relevant education (15 marks);
Experience relevant to the assignment (25 marks);

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals:

Interested national 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);
Personal CV or P11, indicating all 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:

Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment;
A methodology, on how they will approach and complete the assignment and work plan as indicated above;
Comprehensive work plan for entire consultancy period.