Background

UNDP works in eight countries[1] in the Horn of Africa to address governance, economic, social, environment and climate related challenges. Support is provided to enhance sustainable development, improve resilience and reduce risks or vulnerability in keeping with global, regional and national commitments. Priority areas of intervention include cross-border and regional cooperation; governance, peace and security; inclusive and environmentally sustainable growth, climate resilience; women and youth empowerment. UNDP also contributes to the Horn of Africa Regional Initiative launched by the UN Secretary-General in 2018 that supports stronger coordination across the UN system, and with its partners on the ground, for joint delivery of complementary mandates, sustaining peace resolutions, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Africa’s Agenda 2063. 

This Sub regional human development report (HDR) for the Horn of Africa intends to provide intellectually independent, empirically grounded analysis of development issues, trends, progress and targeted policies required to help advance human development. HDRs are based on the premise that “people are the real wealth of a nation” using empirical data to impact policies that enlarge people's choices and create an enabling environment for people to enjoy long, healthy and creative lives or simply to “advance the richness of human life, rather than the richness of the economy in which human beings live” (Amartya Sen). 

Today, more people in the Horn of Africa are healthier, live longer, are more educated, have more access to goods and services and more power to select leaders, influence public decisions and share knowledge. Yet much more remains to be done in expanding choices and improving well-being for all people in all countries and communities, and for generations yet to come. 

The planned Sub-Regional Human Development Report is the first of its kind. It builds on the success several Regional and National Human Development Reports and extends the analysis in UNDP’s recent Sub regional assessment on the Horn of Africa. The assessment highlighted the importance of adopting resilience as a core goal across the sub-region and working collaboratively across borders to improve coherence in targeting vulnerable people and communities.   It also stressed the need to resolve the tensions and dilemmas in addressing resilience to economic, social, environment and political shocks and stressors through research, partnerships and conflict resolution. 

UNDP has made borderlands a major focus of programming, to reduce vulnerability in borderlands by improving collaboration between states and strengthening institutions to implement more collaborative approaches to human security. This calls for better resilience programmes using gendered and participatory approaches to target well-being, economic participation, security, justice, and local governance. This includes early warning and emergency services, disaster risk reduction, social protection, health, education and economic empowerment.                                                  

The purpose of this consultancy is to support the conceptualisation of the Horn of Africa Sub Regional Human Development report process including contributing to the development of a concept note on the nexus between peace and stability, employment and climate resilience as well as the Report’s outreach and engagement strategy.

[1] Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda

Duties and Responsibilities

Objectives of the report

This Horn of Africa Sub Regional Human Development Report aims:

• To establish the links between sustainable human development, peace and stability, employment and climate resilience in the Horn of Africa
• To use existing and newly generated research, to provide evidence and demonstrate the intrinsic value of a systems approach to dealing with the nexus of peace, employment and climate resilience beyond economic aspects to social and environmental gains.
• To explore political, social and structural constraints to globally and nationally identified goals and targets while showcasing lessons learned from successes and failures in the African context. 
• To provide policy recommendations that would lead to fundamental changes in policies, institutions, incentives, ideas and social processes to achieve Africa’s transformative vision.

Partnership

The Report will be prepared over a period of 12 months through a consultative process, using new and existing empirical research produced by a team of UNDP in-house experts led by UNDP Africa working in close collaboration with the Policy Bureau, leading scholars and development practitioners.

Timeline of the report preparation and finalisation

Given the scope and dimensions of the report, the preparation and finalisation of the report is expected to take place over a period of 12 months. The research analyst will be engaged for an initial period of one month to kickstart the development of a draft concept note and consultation/outreach strategy.  Subject to performance and availability of funding this contract could be extended. During this period, the consultant will be based at the UNDP RBA offices in New York and will be required to work with the SrHDR team including regional and country level representatives.

Duties and Responsibilities

The consultant will work under the supervision of the Strategic Advisor on the SRHDR. The consultant is responsible for

1. Supporting the development of a draft concept note to be validated by an advisory group
2. Contributing to the development and implementation of an outreach strategy for SrHDR (including stakeholder analysis)
3. Supporting consultations with key experts and internal and external stakeholders

The consultant will therefore contribute to initializing the process for the development of the SrHDR following standards and deadlines set by UNDP. 

 Task: 

• Carry out research and analysis for the development of a draft concept note for the SrHDR drawing on UNDP’s Sub regional assessment on the Horn of Africa and various assessments and strategies by the UN, regional actors and institutions.
• Contribute to the preparation of a draft consultation and outreach strategy based on in-depth stakeholder analysis with clear timelines and deliverables
• Contribute to communication and outreach material for internal and external stakeholders

Deliverables and Timelines

• Begin Consultancy (15 April 2020);
• Draft concept note completed (30 April 2020);
• Finalised concept note (20 May 2020);
• Inputs to draft consultation and outreach strategy provided (20 May 2020).

Competencies

Corporate Competencies

• Demonstrated commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values including working in a culturally diverse environment;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Demonstrates ability to function in a team environment and shares knowledge and experience.

Functional Competencies

• Excellent verbal and writing skills with strong academic and policy experience;
• Cognate experience in academic research with particular focus the nexus between peace, humanitarian and development issues in Africa and in the Horn of Africa;
• Outstanding analytical and statistical skills. Ability to present coherent and convincing positions both in writing and orally. There must be evidence of similar works done in the past;
• Personal organization and ability for multi-tasking, the consultant must also possess ability to work under pressure and to accommodate change; and 
• Demonstrable networking capability, interpersonal skills and strong ability to promote team work.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Masters in economics, social sciences or relevant field.

Work experience:

• At least 5 years of work experience in research, project planning, implementation and reporting
• Familiarity with the Human Development/capability approach including previous research and analytical work on poverty and inequality analysis and SDGs
• Good communication and writing skills.

Languages:

• Knowledge of English. Working knowledge of French is an asset.

Application procedure:

The application package containing the following (to be uploaded as one file):

Documents to be included when submitting the proposal:

Interested individual consultant must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

A technical proposal

• Provide brief information on similar tasks implemented over the past 5 years with concrete experience from Africa and other regions - a maximum 500 words-long.  Evidence of key deliverables and results could be attached to the document;
•  Filled the P11 form including past experience in similar projects and contact details of referees (Blank form can be downloaded from here);

A financial proposal

• Indicate the daily fee expected.
• The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around specific and measurable deliverables as indicated below:
  1. The assignments will be delivered by one consultant within 1 month. All individual consultants must follow this schedule when submitting their financial proposal. All financial proposals should be submitted by. The template for the Financial Proposal can be downloaded from here. Please Note: The total working days per month are estimated to be 21.75 days. The financial proposal must be all-inclusive and shall take into account various expenses incurred by the consultant/contractor during the contract period (e.g. professional fee, and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services.)
  2. Payment Modality:
• Monthly upon satisfactory submission of monthly progress reports
• Please submit your full CV along with other documents listed above.

Travel

Successful consultants must be able to travel to facilitate consultations in countries based on demand if required. When such a request comes, the organization shall bear the cost of travel including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses based on extant policies and rules.

Should the Individual Consultant (IC) wish to travel on 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.

Evaluation Criteria
Candidates will be assessed based on the following technical criteria:
Technical Evaluation (70%):

• Evaluation of the P11 and CV including educational attainment, relevance of past working experiences, sound knowledge of poverty and inequality analyses and African development issues in the Horn of Africa (35 points);
• Quality and relevance of similar tasks undertaken in the past with concrete results (35 points);
• Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70 per cent of the total technical scores will be considered for the Financial Evaluation; and
• Financial Evaluation (30%): (if the professional fee should be based on the understanding that there are 21.75 working days in a month. The fee should be quoted in US dollar only.

The following formula will be used to evaluate financial proposal: p = y (µ/z),

• 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

The final evaluation method will be based on a cumulative analysis of both the technical and financial proposals. 
When using this weighted scoring method, 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 weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.
• Technical Criteria weight: 70 per cent 
  Financial Criteria weight: 30 per cent

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.

Others:

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials. Payments will be made only upon confirmation of UNDP on delivering on the contract obligations 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.
Qualified women and members of minorities are encouraged to apply.

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.

Annexes (click on the hyperlink to access the documents):

Annex 1 - UNDP P-11 Form for ICs

Annex 2 - IC Contract Template

Annex 3 – IC General Terms and Conditions