Background

1. Background Information on the Project:

The ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine has had a direct and highly negative impact on social cohesion, resilience, livelihoods, community security, and the rule of law. Recognizing the need to urgently address reconstruction, economic recovery and peacebuilding needs in areas affected both directly and indirectly by the conflict, in late 2014 the Government of Ukraine requested technical assistance and financial support from the international community to assess priority recovery needs. In late 2014, the United Nations (UN), the World Bank (WB) and the European Union (EU) conducted a Recovery and Peacebuilding Assessment, which was endorsed by the Cabinet of Ministers in mid-2015.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been active and present in eastern Ukraine for the past decade, prior to the conflict, with a focus on community development, civil society development, and environmental protection. Work on addressing the specific conflict-related development challenges discussed above built on this earlier engagement, established partnerships, and started in 2015 through the Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme (RPP). The RPP is a multi-donor funded framework programme formulated and led by the UNDP in collaboration with the Government of Ukraine and in cooperation with a number of partnering UN agencies (UN Women, FAO, UNFPA).

The RPP was designed to respond to, and mitigate, the causes and effects of the conflict. It is based on findings of the Recovery and Peacebuilding Assessment (RPA) and is aligned to the State Target Programme for Recovery as well as to the two oblast development strategies up to 2020. It takes into account the opportunities that have arisen from the Minsk Protocol of September 2014 and the renewal of its cease-fire provisions (the latest cease-fire having been agreed in March 2018) and is also fully adjusted to the humanitarian-development nexus. It is an integral component of the UNDP Country Programme and is therefore fully aligned with the United Nations Partnership Framework (UNPF). It is closely interlinked with the Democratic Governance and Reform Programme, operating nationally and in all of Ukraine’s regions, and is consistent with the SDGs, in particular SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong institutions).

The Programme’s interventions are grouped under the following key Programme components, which reflect the region’s priority needs:

Component 1: Economic Recovery and Restoration of Critical Infrastructure

Component 2: Local Governance and Decentralization Reform

Component 3: Community Security and Social Cohesion.

The Programme, which operates on the basis of a pooled funding arrangement, follows a multi-sectoral programme-based approach and is implemented using an area-based methodology. It is a unifying interventions framework for 16 projects funded by 10 international partners and is worth about 52 million USD.

RPP recognizes importance of mediation and non-conflict problem solving skills for promoting social cohesion in Eastern Ukraine, and aims to involve a competent expert to address the following outputs of the project:

Output 1 – Strengthened mechanisms for conflict transformation through the provision of offective and innovative services.

Output 1.1 – Early Warning Mechanisms are enhanced;

Output 1.2 – Alternative conflict resolution mechanisms strengthened

2. Main objectives of the assignment 

The overall objectives of this assignment are: 

• Support the introduction and/or strengthening of alternative conflict resolution mechanisms 
• Contribute to the building and strengthening early warning systems in target locations
• Pilot Insider Mediation in selected locations
• Advisory services on mechanisms of conflict transformation

Duties and Responsibilities

3. Description of Responsibilities/Scope of work

The International Consultant on Alternative Dispute Resolution, under the overall supervision of the Community Security and Social Cohesion Specialist, will be responsible for:

a) Alternative Conflict Resolution Mechanisms

• Strategizing and streamlining of the programmatic support for ADR - conduct desk-review and assessment of the alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in Ukraine – overview of the current status, identification of the needs, priorities and possible niche for UN RPP
• Strengthen UNDP partnerships – identify key partners and build a roadmap for systematic engagement with such partners, strengthening the relations, seeking for possible synergies with UN agencies and other organizations

b) Early Warning system

• Support capacities at the national, regional and local level for early warning – capacity development of relevant actors for active and conflict-sensitive engagement in early warning systems
• Enhance existing conflict prevention and crisis management capacities for early warning and early response - support the development of analytical tools, including situation reviews, research reports and policy briefs
• Strategies and roadmaps - develop medium and long-term action plans for early warning system

c) Insider mediation

• Understanding the context and its sensitivity – support identification of the possible processes and relevant actors for insider mediation, assess their capacities and outline long-term plan for enabling actions
• Strategy and engagement with national, regional and local actors – based on lessons learned, context and local needs to support the development of the strategies, aligned with the national and regional priorities and plans 
• Support Mediators and Networks at local and regional level – provide capacity development support for individual mediators and the networks of insider mediators

d) Advisory Services

• Collect data and prepare updates and briefs for UN RPP and UNDP on developments in conflict transformation practice (conduct research, make analysis, process statistical data, draft conclusions and recommendations) including changes in legislation and national or regional strategies or action plans;
• Support amplification of the results and lessons from the pilots and policy advocacy with relevant bodies at the national/central level.
• Carry out other specific research and studies as required;

Competencies

4. Required skills and experience

• Extensive experience in post-conflict environments, especially with social resilience, peacebuilding and community security that facilitate the conception and implementation of nationally-generated initiatives that can be supported by external actors (methodologically, financially).
• Experience in and understanding of the design of projects, preparation of proposal for funding.
• Both policy and on-the-ground implementation experience.
• Experience in recovery and development needs assessment and planning is desirable.
• Strategic vision, strong analytical capacities, sound judgment.
• Excellent written and spoken proficiency in English, working knowledge of Russian/Ukrainian.

Required Skills and Experience

5. Deliverables

Total number of working days - 100 days spanning throughout 12 months from the date of signing the contract. The requested services will be provided according to the agreed action plan and paid as per the daily rate agreed upon prior to the contract issuance and signature. The consultant is to submit a monthly report for delivered services. Number of working days to be used for each service is to be agreed with the supervisor prior to the rendering of the service.

6. Financial Proposal

 Contract based on daily fee.

The financial proposal shall specify the daily fee. Payments are made to the Consultant based on the number of days worked.

The Consultant will be responsible for all personal administrative expenses associated with undertaking this assignment including office accommodation, printing, stationary, telephone and electronic communications, and report copies incurred in this assignment.

Travel costs

All envisaged travel costs will be covered by UNDP. In general, UNDP shall not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel in a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources. In the case of unforeseeable travel, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon between the respective business unit and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.

7. Evaluation criteria

• Educational background (5 pts max):

5pts - PhD or Master’s/Specialist in  Social Science, International Relations, Civil Communications, Regional Studies or other related field;

0pts – Bachelor’s degree on Social Science, International Relations, Civil Communications, Regional Studies or other related field;

• Extensive experience in conflict and post-conflict environments for conflict transformation work of inter-governmental organizations (15pts max):

15pts – 10 years and more of such experience in more than 2 conflict environments;

7pts – 4-9 years of such experience;

• Experience in and understanding of the preparation of proposal for funding (5pts max):

5pts – 4 and more proposals for funding projects prepared;

0pts – less than 4 proposals for funding prepared;

• Both policy and on-the-ground implementation experience (15pts max):

15pts – at least 10 years of experience in policy making/analysis level and at least 7 years of experience in on-the-ground implementation level;

7pts – at least 5 years of experience in policy making/analysis level and at least 3 years of experience in on-the-ground implementation level;

• Experience in recovery and development needs assessment and planning (5pts max):

5pts - at least 2 years of relevant experience;

0pts – less than 2 years of relevant experience;

• Extensive experience with the UNDP or other UN agency (20pts max):

20pts - 10 years and more of such experience;

10pts – 7-9 years of such experience;

5pts – 5-8 years of such experience;

• Language Skills (5pts max):

5pts - professional fluency in English and Ukrainian/Russian;

0 pts – professional fluency in English or Ukrainian/Russian only.

8. Evaluation method:

Cumulative analysis

Contract award shall be made to the incumbent whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and

b) having received the cumulative 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 70% from the maximum available technical score (49 points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation

The maximum number of points assigned to the financial proposal is allocated to the lowest price proposal and will equal to 30. All other price proposals will be evaluated and assigned points, as per below formula:

30 points [max points available for financial part] x [lowest of all evaluated offered prices among responsive offers] / [evaluated price].

The proposal obtaining the overall cumulatively highest score after adding the score of the technical proposal and the financial proposal will be considered as the most compliant offer and will be awarded a contract.

Maximum available technical score - 70 points.