Background
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the United Nation’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP works through 125 country offices to provide development advocacy, advice and assistance to 170 countries globally.
The Effectiveness Group of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) focuses on assisting 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. It seeks to do so by enabling UNDP and others to be more innovative, and to make more evidence and data driven decisions by identifying, testing, sharing, learning from and institutionalizing what works. It acts as a hub on all aspects of results-based management, development performance monitoring and analysis, as well as identifying, collecting, and sharing ideas on new and better ways of working across the UNDP network, social innovators, and the development community.
Given its mandate, the Effectiveness Group leads and coordinates UNDP’s transparency initiative. UNDP began publishing its project and financial data in accordance with the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) standard in 2011. UNDP’s Transparency Portal (open.undp.org) allows open and comprehensive public access to data on over 5,000 projects and US$ 5 billion in project data.
The Data Science Analyst will be part of the Transparency Team of the Effectiveness Group and support the UNDP’s implementation of the transparency initiative and data publication. UNDP has conducted a major exercise to ensure data quality both by the country offices and by the headquarters units. He/she will assist the team in streamlining data flow processes to improve data quality, accuracy and validity. The Consultant is expected to analyze the quality and quantity of UNDP’s published project and financial data and support country offices and headquarters units to maintain the data integrity. The Consultant will work closely with the Results Team of the Effectiveness Group, Office of Finance and Resource Management, Information and Technology Management (IMT) team, regional bureaux and country offices to ensure timely dissemination of quality data.
In addition, the Consultant is expected to develop machine learning algorithms for critical analytics required for various reporting and incorporate the analytics in the various monitoring tools (e.g. dashboards).
Duties and Responsibilities
Scope of Work:
Under the supervision of the Policy Specialist, the Consultant will perform the following tasks:
1. Identify and define new processes for improving and streamlining data flow and data quality;
2. Improve the existing data quality procedures to support data quality management activities such as,
- Validation of UNDP project and financial datasets for quality, completion and accuracy;
- Monitoring of UNDP Transparency Dashboard to identify and resolve data quality issues in timely and accurate manner;
- Implementation of automated Data Quality Pipeline to ensure UNDP publishes high quality up-to-date project related documents to public;
- Coordinate with the IMT team to correct data quality errors; and
- Ensure full compliance to data reporting standards such as IATI and OECD CRS;
3. Support the delivery of analytics and reporting solutions using data visualization tools;
4. Develop algorithms for supervised and unsupervised machine learning for project analytics;
5. Maintain and improve the functionality of the Data Quality Dashboard and incorporate machine learning analytics to the dashboard;
6. Prepare a conceptual data model for data platform to facilitate IATI data use by extracting data from IATI datastore; and
7. Support the development and maintenance of UNDP’s Transparency Portal (open.undp.org), including:
- Review data analytics of the portal to ensure the accuracy of data presentation and functions;
- Support data automation to ensure regular data updates are done to present most up-to-date information on the portal;
- Assist UNDP in rectifying existing bugs and test project portal service to identify system issues and possible inconsistencies;
- Develop machine learning algorithms required for portal analytics; and
- Contribute to the next phase of the portal enhancements and support quality assurance for data accuracy and validity
Key Deliverables, timeline:
- Deployment of enhanced Data Quality Dashboard with machine learning analytics. – by 31 August 2020;
- Submit conceptual data model to provide easy access to IATI data – by 31 October 2020;
- Complete process review and incorporate required new process improvements – by 30 November 2020;
- Implementation of improved data quality procedures and automated monthly feedback mechanism – by 30 November 2020;
- Contribute to next phase of portal enhancements and quality assurance for enhanced transparency portal – by 31 December 2020;
- Machine learning algorithms for supervised and unsupervised machine learning for project analytics – by 31 December 2020;
- Share all relevant source codes and documentation in GitHub and submit hand over note of the completed consultancy work. – by 31 December 2020.
Duration of Work/Contracting Arrangements:
- The Consultant is expected to be available full-time for the period of 5 months (with possible extension).
- The Consultant will be given access to relevant information and data necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment.
- The Consultant will be responsible for providing her/his own laptop to conduct the work.
- This assignment will be office based but if the Consultant will be required to work remotely, the consultant will engage with the Supervisor by email and Skype regularly.
- Payment to the Individual Contractor will be made monthly based on the actual number of days worked, deliverables accepted and upon certification of satisfactory completion by the manager. Payments to the consultant will be based on the all-inclusive home-based professional daily fee while telecommuting. Effective from the first day of deployment in New York City offices, payments to the consultant will be based on the all-inclusive office-based professional daily fee. Should the deployment not be carried out to adjust to potential recommendations made by New York authorities regarding COVID-19, the all-inclusive home-based professional daily fee will be considered during the entire assignment;
- The work week will be based on 35 hours, i.e. on a 7-hour working day, with core hours being between 9h00 and 18h00 daily. While the telecommuting arrangements are in place, the consultant is expected to work during New York City business hours unless otherwise indicated by the Supervisor.
Competencies
Corporate Competencies:
- Demonstrates integrity by modeling the United Nations’ 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 favoritism.
- Demonstrated interest and motivation in the field of development.
Functional Competencies:
- Strong data analytics and coding skills with the ability to collect, organize, analyze, and disseminate significant amounts of data with attention to detail and accuracy.
- Strong understanding of databases, data collection systems, data analytics and other strategies that optimize statistical efficiency and quality.
- Strong data visualization skills with Power BI and/or other business intelligence systems.
- Ability to learn new technologies quickly. Demonstrated willingness to keep technical skills and knowledge up-to-date.
- Ability to think logically and analytically in a problem-solving environment.
- Ability to evaluate, transform and model data to derive relevant findings.
- Ability to analyze problems and present clear options for solution.
- Knowledge of methodologies, tools, systems and apply practical experience in planning, monitoring, evaluating and reporting and ability to apply to practical situations.
- Ability to multi-task.
- Ability to work independently.
- Responsible, responsive and enthusiastic.
Communication:
- Client-service attitude and sensitivity in communicating with clients.
- Ability to explain complex and abstract concepts in simple terms and adapt language and content to different target audiences.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree or above in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Data Science, Management Information Systems, Business Administration or a related field required.
Experience:
- Minimum 3 years of working experience in Information Systems, Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, statistics or any other analytical field, required;
- Experience in creating/maintaining dashboard and report using corporate BI tools, such as Power BI (preferred), Tableau, Qlik sense or similar tools, required;
- Demonstrated experience in handling databases, data collection systems and other strategies that optimize statistical efficiency and quality, required;
- Experience (work or project) of machine learning algorithms is required;
- Knowledge of programming language (Python, R, SQL, JavaScript, etc.) and/or any other analytical tools is required;
- Working experience with Microsoft Azure is an asset.
Language Requirements:
- Fluency in English language required (Oral and written).
Application Procedure:
Application is a two-step process:
STEP 1: The application should contain the following documents, ALL IN ONE FILE:
- Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references.
- Brief description of why the individual considers her/himself suitable for the assignment. Please submit this information in the same file as Document 1.
All the information requested above must be submitted in the same file. Candidates who fail to submit all the information requested above will be disqualified.
Do not include your financial proposal at this stage. Only shortlisted candidates (technically qualified) will be invited to submit a financial proposal.
STEP 2: Financial Proposal
- In response to the announcement by the Governor of New York that all United Nations non-essential workforce must stay home in an effort to combat the spread of COVID-19, the consultant is expected to telecommute (from the country of residence at the moment of application) until the situation allows for the deployment in New York HQ Offices. As such, shortlisted candidates will be asked to submit two different all-inclusive professional daily fees: home-based and office-based (based on a 7-hour working day - lunch time is not included - and estimated 21.75 days per month).
- The financial proposal must be all-inclusive and take into account various expenses that will be incurred during the contract, including: the daily professional fee; cost of travel from the home base to the duty station and vice versa, where required; living allowances at the duty station; communications, utilities and consumables; life, health and any other insurance; risks and inconveniences related to work under hardship and hazardous conditions (e.g., personal security needs, etc.), when applicable; and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services under the contract.
- In the case of unforeseeable travel requested by UNDP, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between UNDP and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed. In general, UNDP should not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources.
- If the Offeror is employed by an organization/company/institution, and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNDP under a Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the Offeror must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP.
- The Financial Proposal is to be emailed as per the instruction in the separate email that will be sent to responsive and qualified candidates.
Evaluation process:
Applicants are reviewed based on Required Skills and Experience stated above and based on the technical evaluation criteria outlined below. Applicants will be evaluated based on cumulative scoring. 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:
- Being 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 where technical criteria weighs 70% and Financial criteria/ Proposal weighs 30%.
Technical Evaluation (70 points, Weight 70%)
- Criteria 1: Relevance of experience in creating/maintaining dashboard and report using corporate BI tools, such as Power BI (preferred), Tableau, Qlik sense or similar tools; Maximum 10 points;
- Criteria 2: Relevance of the experience in handling databases, data collection systems and other strategies that optimize statistical efficiency and quality; Maximum 12 points;
- Criteria 3: Relevance of the experience in developing machine learning algorithms Maximum 10 points;
- Criteria 4: Relevance of knowledge on programming language (Python, R, SQL, etc.) and/or any other analytical tools; Maximum 10 points;
- Criteria 5: Working experience with Microsoft Azure (an asset); Maximum 3 points;
- Criteria 6. Interview; Maximum 25 points;
Only the top three candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% (17.5 points) of the maximum obtainable points for the CV technical criteria (Criteria 1-5) (45 points) shall be considered for the interview.
Candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% (21 points) of the maximum obtainable points for the interview (25 points, Criteria 6) shall be considered for the financial evaluation.
Financial evaluation (30 points, Weight 30%)
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
Contract Award
Candidate obtaining the highest combined scores in the combined score of Technical and Financial evaluation will be considered technically qualified and will be offered to enter into contract with UNDP.
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
Annex 4 – RLA Template
Any request for clarification must be sent by email to cpu.bids@undp.org
The UNDP Central Procurement Unit will respond by email and will send written copies of the response, including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry, to all applicants.