Background

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge linked to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan.  BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices, advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora, including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas.  BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response.  BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working.  BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts.

UNDP is committed to Small Island Developing States (SIDS), working to connect the UN global processes to regionally and locally owned development priorities for SIDS, and supporting and advocating for SIDS-specific development solutions. One of the outcomes in the UNDP Strategic Plan 2018-2021 is tailored to give special attention to “capacities developed across the whole of government to integrate the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement and other international agreements (including the SAMOA Pathway) in development plans and budgets, and to analyze progress towards the SDGs, using innovative and data-driven solutions”. UNDP provides support to SIDS through policy and programme development, and implementation that builds on international, national and local priorities. UNDP is committed to support SIDS through a global framework, consisting of three main pillars: Climate Action, Blue Economy and Digital Transformation.

The Government of Sweden, through Sida, has agreed to fund a four-year, USD$40m global Strategic Collaboration Programme designed to strengthen UNDP capacities to achieve its overall SD vision for poverty eradication through a more integrated, coherent approach to the environmental and climate dimensions of the UNDP Strategic Plan. Sida funds will be used to augment the delivery of programming and policy support to countries in ways that leverage synergies across UNDP’s technical service delivery options, including Climate Action, Blue Economy and Digital Transformation in SIDS.

In view to this, UNDP is seeking to hire a junior consultant to provide crucial support in the process of implementing UNDP’s enhanced offer to SIDS. The junior consultant will assist and report to the Senior Principle Advisor at HQ as GPN expands and deepens its efforts on SIDS including strengthened coordination across all country offices and multi-country offices to improve capacity to provide substantial and rapid demand-driven support   

Duties and Responsibilities

Under this contract, the Consultant is expected to carry out following duties and responsibilities.

Research:

• Provide extensive research assistance for the small island developing states’ team especially in relation to climate change, blue economy and digital transformation in SIDS.
• Develop a library with UNDP resources and external resources on issues of relevance to small island developing states.

Strategic Communication and Knowledge Management: 

• Support the Thematic Advisor that leads the Small Island Developing States Yammer Group, including hosting regular webinars, engaging with members, curating relevant content, facilitating thematic discussions etc.

• Continually update and manage relevant information on a curated, easy to use, on Yammer group.

• Support the publication of biweekly/monthly newsletters including gathering content from country offices, engaging with colleagues to receive input for newsletter, researching relevant content, drafting input and curating content.

Support in implementing and monitoring of UNDP’s SIDS offer:  

• Develop and continually maintain database to track the progress of key indicators of UNDP’s enhanced SIDS offer.
• Detect and capture any relevant issue/best practice from one or more networks that could be scaled up, shared across SIDS to support the implementation of the SIDS offer.

Based on the detailed list of duties and responsibilities outlined above, the Consultant is expected to deliver the following outputs:
 

Information on Working Arrangements:

• Estimated level of effort: 135 days through 31 December 2020;
• The consultant will report to, and be directly supervised by the Senior Principal Advisor for SIDS
• The Consultant will be given access to relevant information necessary for the execution of the tasks under this assignment;
• The Consultant will be responsible for providing her/his own laptop, and mobile phone and service plan.  UNDP-BPPS will provide a working station, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.;
• Given the global consultations to be undertaken during this assignment, the consultant is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability for such consultations taking into consideration different time zones;
• Payments will be made upon submission of a detailed time sheet and certification of payment form, and acceptance and confirmation by the Supervisor on days worked (with a “day” calculated as 8 hours of work) and outputs delivered. If the quality does not meet standards or requirements, the consultant will be asked to rewrite or revise (as necessary) the document before proceeding to payment.  

Competencies

Corporate Competencies

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly without favouritism.

Technical:

• Good computer skills, including use of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint;
• Experience in handling data;

Functional Competencies

• Development and operational effectiveness
• Ability to perform a variety of specialized tasks related to results management, including support to design, planning and implementation of programme, managing data, reporting.
• Ability to provide input to business processes re-engineering, implementation of new system, including new IT based systems
• Good knowledge of results-based management and performance indicators

Leadership and Self-Management

• Focuses on result for the client and responds positively to feedback 
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
• Remains calm, in control even under pressure
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities.

Knowledge Management and Learning

• Shares knowledge and experience

Required Skills and Experience

Education

• Masters in International Affairs, International Development or related field (10 Points).

Experience

• Two years of relevant experience including internship and/or fellowship experience(s) in organization of events and coordination of multiple initiatives in an international development and/or project management field (10 Points);
• In-depth knowledge of the SAMOA Pathway, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals required (10 points);
• Experience in facilitating the management of knowledge platforms, design and production of knowledge products using different software tools (such as MailChimp, Canva and Adobe Suite -Adobe InDesign, PhotoShop Acrobat), dissemination of information among others required.(15 points)
• Good knowledge of SIDS and their specific challenges and development opportunities including knowledge of topics related to digital transformation/GIS (ArcGIS) and development issues (10 points)
• In-depth knowledge of Istanbul plan of action, and good experience with HIPIC (10 points)

Language

• Excellent professional English writing skills (pass/fail)
• Knowledge of another UN language(s) is an asset (5 points)

Evaluation Method:

• Only those applications which are responsive and compliant will be evaluated.  Incomplete applications will not be considered;
• Offers will be evaluated according to the Combined Scoring method – where the technical criteria will be weighted at 70% and the financial offer will be weighted at 30%;
• The technical criteria (education, experience, language [max.70 points] and will be based on a maximum 70 points. Only the top 3 candidates that have achieved a minimum of 49 points from the review of education, experience and language will be a) deemed technically compliant and considered for financial evaluation;
• Financial score (max 100 points) shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal of those technically qualified;
• The financial proposal shall specify an all-inclusive lump sum fee. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal must additionally include a breakdown of this daily fee (including all foreseeable expenses to carry out the assignment);
• Applicant receiving the Highest Combined Score and has accepted UNDP’s General Terms and Conditions will be awarded the contract.

Documentation to be submitted:

• Applicants must submit a duly completed and signed UNDP Personal History form (P11) and/or CV including Education/Qualification, Professional Certification, Employment Records /Experience;
• Applicants must reply to the mandatory questions asked by the system when submitting the application.
• Applicants must submit a duly completed and signed Annex II Offeror´s letter to UNDP confirming interest and availability for the Individual Contractor (IC) assignment to be downloaded from the UNDP procurement site.

Kindly note you can upload only ONE document to this application (scan all documents in one single PDF file to attach).

UNDP Personal History form (P11) required of all applicants: P11 link .

General Conditions of Contract for the ICs: IC General Terms and Conditions

Annex II Offeror´s letter to UNDP confirming interest and availability for the Individual Contractor (IC) assignment: https://procurement-notices.undp.org/search.cfm (Reference number 65506)