Background

There is broad consensus that local and regional governments (LRGs) and, in general, local governance stakeholders must be involved in the process of implementation, monitoring and reporting of the new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This involvement will only be possible if local governance stakeholders and in particular LRGs representatives are fully aware of the Agenda, its goals and its targets. Furthermore, they need to understand why and how the Agenda must be localized. As highlighted in the GTF-UCLG/UNDP/UN-HABITAT Roadmap for localizing the SDGs, localization means putting the territories and their people’s priorities, needs and resources at the center of sustainable development on the road towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. It refers particularly to:

• Raise awareness amongst the population: make the Agenda known amongst the citizenship and actors operating at local level (CSOs, private sector, academia etc.);
• Establish and/or strengthen participatory mechanisms and structures to ensure the alignment of sustainable development plans to the needs and priorities of citizens, especially vulnerable groups;
• Advocate for national and regional strategies to include the interests, needs and aspirations of LRGs and the territorial stakeholders;
• Align both strategic and sectoral development plans with the new Agenda;
• Identify, formulate and implement integrated cross sectoral project and policies;
• Monitor the implementation of the Agenda in the different territories through indicators that are aligned with the SDG indicators;
• Report on the progress of the different territories towards the achievement of the SDGs and include it into national reporting processes.

One of the biggest paradigm changes introduced by the 2030 agenda is its new emphasis on the promotion of coherent approaches and integrated solutions to complex development challenges at the local level, which cuts across the whole 2030 Agenda. This entails the challenge of moving from purely sectorial to integrated development policies and necessarily also the need for different government levels (vertically as well as horizontally) to better cooperate and synchronise policies and actual implementation of development.

SDG localisation - relevant tools and methodologies:

UNDP has been working on local governance and local development programming since its inception in the 1960s and has over 80 separate countries working on this issue. Following its mandate, UNDP works to support developing countries in designing and implementing national policies for sustainable human development with a focus on poverty reduction and the Sustainable Development Goals. UNDP is the only UN development agency with a specific mandate to promote democratic governance. It supports governments to establish responsive and independent institutions and methods, with a special focus on women and marginalized groups. It is the fundamental interaction between security, inclusion (in decision-making, in enjoying public goods, and in accessing opportunities) and capacity (of the state, of civil institutions and of the private sector) to create economic and social well-being for all. Governance remains at the centre of this interaction. This combination of a governance mandate and a wider poverty reduction mandate means UNDP has the experience of addressing the systems needed for local development. Over the last four years UNDP is applying its local governance local development knowledge, experience and tools towards supporting countries in implementing the SDGs, including at the local level.

Several new tools and methodologies have been developed to further SDG localisation, in some cases existing tools and methodologies have been adapted. At the same time, there are still many tools and methodologies that have been developed and implemented by UNDP in the past to promote local governance and local development (centrally as well as in COs) that might be very relevant to localising the SDGs. Some of them might be applicable as they are, others might need some adaption to the current context (Local Government capacity assment tools, Institutional and Contextual analysis, Local Government self-assessment, LED related methodologies, Gender related tools, climate change methodologies, etc.). Other agencies have also produced similar tools and methodologies that might still be very relevant for localising the SDGs but are currently not considered (for example UN Habitat on planning and measuring, ILO on LED, etc.). 

Another big reservoir of knowledge, tools and methodologies is the UCLG, UN Habitat and UNDP www.localizingthesdgs.org web site, which is currently being transformed in the UN-wide platform for SDGs localization. The concept of this widely accepted site was to provide a platform where all actors can share their concrete experiences, tools and methodologies developed for the localisation of the SDGs.  Today, the site counts with hundreds of documents, many of them with the potential to serve as key tools for SDG localisation. However, an effort is needed to map and analyse the different documents in order to facilitate their wider usage within the localising community.  

The objective of the consultancy is henceforth to valorise and map tools and methodologies that have been developed before the SDG period, as well as map and analyse the most relevant tools and methodologies posted on the online platform.

Duties and Responsibilities

The objective of the consultancy is to conduct a mapping, and then a selection, of the local governance and local development related tools and methodologies developed by UNDP before the adoption of the SDG (2015) that could still be relevant to promote SDG localization. This mapping should also include a scanning of other agencies’ work as to include also key tools and methodologies from other relevant partner agencies or development partners. And finally, the mapping will include the documents posted on the localising web site.

Secondly, the consultant will conduct a comparative analysis of the tools and methodologies that might be more relevant for SDG implementation at local level. The study shall analyse the diverse methodologies and tools along different possible elements such as i) category of tool (capacity building, guidelines, etc. – a complete system for categorisation to be suggested by the consultant) and identify the ii) targeted actors (is the tool addressing LRGs, private sector entities, civil society, development cooperation partners, UNDP internally, etc.).

Thirdly, the study will identify several most relevant tools that have been not been specifically elaborated for SDG localisation and suggest areas and possible ways on how to adapt them to the current SDG context.

And fourth, the study will elaborate a tool map or roadmap that places the most relevant tools and methodologies in a conceptual framework (related to the different phases of SDG localisation, from the awareness raising to the evaluation) easily understandable and applicable also by internal (UNDP colleagues in COs) as well as external (LRGs, local government stakeholders, development cooperation partners, etc.) actors.   

The study will be used as a working document to advance knowledge of concrete tools and to recover and valorise past efforts that might well be perfectly well applicable also in an SDG localisation context. The final aim is to contribute to closing the knowledge gap around concrete localising tools and methodologies and provide a comprehensive set of tools to all interested actors.  If adaptation of tools is needed, the consultant shall detect and advise on the nature of such adaptations and in cases where small changes are required, he/she will effect the necessary changes.

Proposed content of the work:

1. Mapping and overview of localising SDG relevant tools and methodologies.
2. Comparative analysis on tools and methodologies based on the SDG localising conceptual framework (sensibilisation, prioritisation, planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting), underlying principles (universality, integrated nature, leave no one behind, etc.) and related categories identified by the consultant.
3. Analytical work aiming at identifying how best to adapt older tools and methodologies to today’s SDG context.
4. Carry out such changes on a few agreed upon tools and methodologies.
5. Integrate the different selected tools and methodologies in an easy to use conceptual framework and visual presentation.

Deliverables:

1. Inception report outlining proposed methodology and time line of the work – first week after assignment start;
2. Draft mapping report – three weeks after assignment start;
3. Draft comparative analysis on selected tools (six weeks after assignment starts)
4. Analytical recommendations on identified tools – eight weeks after assignment start;
5. Draft revised tools/methodologies – twelve weeks after assignment start;
6. Draft framework and visualisation of selected tools – twelve weeks after assignment start;
7. First draft of complete study report including all above elements - fourteen weeks after assignment start;
8. Final study – sixteen weeks after assignment start.

The inception report shall be limited to fifteen (15) pages. The final scope of the study will be determined by the research and the richness of the documents encountered in the mapping exercise. As approximation it is however envisioned that the main text of the study will be not more than fifty (50) pages, including an executive summary of about three (3) pages. Annexes might be added as considered relevant and necessary by the consultant.

Related activities:

ad. 1.     i) Kick off meeting with UNDP;

              ii) elaboration of inception report;

ad. 2.     i) mapping exercise of existing initiatives;

              ii) conversations with selected key stakeholders (colleagues from UNDP or other agencies);

ad.3.      i) elaboration of comparative model;

ad. 4/5.  i) discuss recommended tools with UNDP and propose possible adaptions;

               ii) effect changes/revisions to jointly identified and agreed upon tools;

ad. 6.     i) elaborate and present the final framework for the presentation of the results/tools (including possible ways of visualisation);

ad. 7/8.  i) final meetings with UNDP;

               ii) elaboration of final report                     

Implementation arrangements:

UNDP will designate a focal point who will be in constant contact with the consultant and facilitate access to UNDP colleagues or partner agencies if needed. Two in person meetings with the UNDP ART team in Brussels (kick off; review meeting) are foreseen, hence travel of the consultant to the meeting venue will be paid and organised by UNDP. 

Competencies

Corporate competences:

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP and UCLG;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional competences:

• Professional in social, political, economic or administrative sciences;
• Solid knowledge of the SDG related monitoring framework;
• Solid knowledge and experience in working with LRGs and their associations;
• Solid knowledge and experience in local governance and local development;
• Solid knowledge of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and SDGs implementation frameworks at different levels;
• Capacity to work in multidisciplinary teams;
• Openness to change and ability to receive / integrate feedback;
• Ability to work under pressure and stressful situations;
• Excellent communication and writing skills;

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced Degree (or equivalent degree/experience) in Political Science, Development Studies, Development Cooperation, Development Economics, International Relations, Urban Planning or a related field;

Experience:

• Minimum 7 years of relevant work experience.
• Experience in Local Governance/SDG localization.
• Previous work experience with UNDP is highly desired.

Language:

• Excellent spoken and writing skills in English and Spanish are required. 

Application Submission Process

The application submission is a two-step process. Failing to comply with the submission process may result in disqualifying the applications:

Step 1: Interested individual consultants must include the following documents when submitting the applications in UNDP job website (please note that only 1 (one) file can be uploaded therefore please include all documents in a single file).

• Personal History Form (P11), indicating all past experience of similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional referees (the template can be downloaded from this link): http://sas.undp.org/Documents/P11_Personal_history_form.doc
• An updated curriculum vitae
• Letter of interest
• Short methodological approach on how the consultant envisions the study elaboration process (max. three pages)

Step 2: Submission of Financial Proposal

Applicants are instructed to submit their financial proposals in US Dollars for this consultancy to procurement.be@undp.org using the financial proposal template available here: http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_file.cfm?doc_id=45780.

The proposals should be sent via email with the following subject heading: “Financial Proposal/ART Initiative – comparative study on concrete tools and methodologies relevant for SDG implementation at local level  - deadline 30th July 2019. Proposals received after the deadline will be rejected. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal should be all-inclusive and include a breakdown. The term ‘all-inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, communications, utilities, consumables, insurance, etc.) that could possibly be incurred by the Contractor are already factored into the financial proposal. No travel expenses, except the one (or two) mission mentioned in the ToRs, will be involved as this is a home-based assignment.

Application Evaluation Process

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the cumulative analysis methodology (weighted scoring method), where the award of the contract will 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 technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Technical Criteria weight: [70%]

Financial Criteria weight: [30%]

Only Individual Consultants obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70%) on the Technical evaluation will be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Technical Criteria - 70% of total evaluation – max. 100 points:

• In his/her short methodological approach and other submitted documents, candidate demonstrates full understanding of ToR - 20 points
• Candidate has relevant experience in conducting other relevant studies and/or analysis – 20 points
• Candidate has relevant experience in monitoring and evaluation, specifically related to local governance and local development – 30 points
• Candidate’s knowledge of and experience in working with LRGs and their associations - 20 points
• Candidate’s experience in working with the United Nations system on SDGs implementation - 10 points

Financial Criteria – 30% of total evaluation – maximum 30 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

UNDP will apply a fair and transparent selection process that will take into account both the technical qualification of Individual Consultants as well as their price proposals. The contract will be awarded to the candidate obtaining the highest combined technical and financial scores. Please go the following link for the General Conditions of Individual Contracts:

http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/documents/procurement/documents/IC%20-%20General%20Conditions.pdf

UNDP retains the right to contact references directly.

Payments will be made only upon confirmation by UNDP that contract obligations have been delivered in a satisfactory manner.

Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director. Consultants are also required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under dss.un.org.

Accessibility

Due to large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process.

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.