Background
The Bangkok Regional Hub (BRH) of the United Nations Development Programme provides policy expertise and advisory services in the areas of Governance and Peacebuilding, Inclusive Growth and Environment and Energy, and in the cross-cutting areas of Gender, Capacity Development and Knowledge Management. BRH acts as a hub of development knowledge, an advocate for equitable human development and inclusive growth, a promoter of South-South cooperation, a facilitator of regional dialogues on sensitive and emerging development issues, a pioneer of innovative sustainable solutions and a broker of efficient development aid. BRH supports 24 UNDP Country Offices (COs) across the region through tailored policy advisory services, project backstopping, programming, operations, and knowledge management support. We rapidly deploy joint teams in response to emergencies in the region prone to natural disasters and humanitarian crisis. Priority for direct support is given to least Developed Countries, Small Islands States and Landlocked Developing nations as well as to conflict and post-conflict nations.
The unfolding COVID-19 pandemic has presented governments around the world with the biggest challenge since World War II. Governments across Asia Pacific are facing unprecedented challenges to ensure the health, safety, and security of their citizens. The COVID-19 crisis has also brought new needs for digital government services and more demand on existing services. Some countries recorded an increase in the usage of online services such as digital ID and digital signature, due to the spikes in applications for unemployment and other social benefits. Digital tools have also enabled enterprises and communities to mobilize, share ideas and perspectives and create responses to the pandemic, sometimes filling gaps left by governments. Digital transformation is seen as a core system need and is no more a choice. At the same time, digital responses by some governments in the region have exposed the risk of privacy and human rights violations and disproportionate surveillance. The pandemic has also accentuated the digital divide and the need for digital applications to incorporate not only privacy and human rights by design, but also accessibility for all, especially those left furthest behind.
Across the region, UNDP is supporting countries to prepare, respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated economic crisis using its integrator and convening role, its global networks, and its mobilization capacity. This includes supporting governments in their digital transformation journey both in the short term (in response to immediate needs emerging from the crisis) and in in the long term (accelerating the path towards the adoption of accessible, privacy-respecting and rights-based digital services).
In line with #NextGenUNDP approach and UNDP’s Digital Strategy 2019-2021 that builds off UNDP’s extensive range of digital initiatives spanning the country, regional, and global levels, the Regional Innovation Centre (RIC), BRH is seeking the services of an Individual Consultant to support Country Offices in the region towards building digital capacities and support the digitalization of public service delivery systems and other digital platforms which can enhance citizen participation and inclusion.
Scope of Work
Under the direct supervision of Head of Regional Innovation Centre, and in alignment with the Office of the Chief Digital Officer (UNDP Executive Office), the consultant will be responsible for coordinating with stakeholders, vendors and staff and provide strategic, technical and outreach support to COs on behalf of the Regional Innovation Center in consultation with SDG Integration Team and other relevant teams in BRH and Country Offices in Asia and the Pacific to support the service offerings under Digital Transformation Agenda of UNDP in Asia and the Pacific.
Duties and Responsibilities
Expected Outputs and Deliverables
Country Office support
- Support COs in evaluating requests coming from governments, ensuring that both short term, tactical and long term, strategic implications (e.g. sustainability; rights-based issues and inclusion) are considered, and advocating for the same.
- Help COs develop a digital portfolio, that is founded and shaped by data, is human-centered, and can grow in coherent and integrated fashion over time, to respond to changing client and user needs, enhanced inclusion and access, innovative data prototypes etc.
- Support COs in in developing/updating digital transformation strategies, sectoral action plans (e.g. on digital health, digital education, etc.) and capacity building framework matching the demands/needs their government partners. Ensure alignment with UNDP digital strategy and related Global Policy Network priorities
- Supporting COs in developing and executing strategies, roadmaps and prioritization plans (considering post covid19 public services demand) for digitization of public services within respective countries (viz. permissions, licenses, procurement, education, health, mobility, and traceability etc.)
- Owns the process of defining and guiding implementation of lighthouse projects with UNDP Offices in the Asia-Pacific region and/or with the host governments that underpin successful digitization/digitalization efforts.
- Promote and embed agile development principles in digital transformation projects. Support COs/government partners in developing rapid prototypes of digital service redesign
- Working closely with other teams, develop guidelines and protocols to ensure that digital projects and programs adequately account for potential negative systemic effects (e.g. on privacy, human rights, ethics, environmental sustainability), are universally accessible and are aligned with the SDGs
Capacity building
- Actively encourage COs and government counterparts peer-learning across the region, by creating opportunities to share experiences and make sure that digital assets and capabilities are leveraged across the region
- Design, organize, delivering and/or facilitate (virtual) workshops, training, learning opportunities based on the demands from COs for enabling them to strengthen their internal digital systems/strategies/ plans as well as external partnerships with governments, civil society and other stakeholders
- Provide advice and support for digital innovators across the region in frontier technologies and digital innovation processes, and develop community of practice among early adopters
- Support COs and government counterparts in creating an enabling ecosystem and culture of digital innovation and strengthen this competency amongst stakeholders
Partnership and Network development
- Horizon scanning to identify the latest trends, expertise and partners that can bring to bear to UNDP’s digital offering, whether in the sphere of technical support, development of guidance or capacity building, and ensure it is in line with industry next practice
- Identify vendors, digital partners, and relevant expertise to support COs to meet government requests
- Explore knowledge partnerships, resource mobilization and leveraging opportunities to strengthen the existing/build new portfolios of DT interventions across the region; including through liaising with BRH Partnerships, SDG Finance and other global and regional expertise (e.g., UNDP Global Centre for Technology, Innovation and Sustainable Development in Singapore and Digital Office at HQ) to identify opportunities for leveraging private sector partnerships that can support Digital Transformation in the region.
Institutional Arrangement
- The consultant will be based in Bangkok and directly supervised by the Head of Regional Innovation Centre, with a direct link to the Chief Digital Officer. S/he is expected to work closely with program teams to advance the broader innovation agenda in UNDP.
- Working space, facilities, personnel, project information related to UNDP and RIC, as well as logistical support will be provided as needed throughout the assignment of the contract.
Duration of the Assignment: One year from 17 September 2020 to 16 September 2021 with maximum 240 working days
Duty Station: Bangkok, Thailand with possible travel for missions in Asia and the Pacific
The consultant is expected to work at UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub. If there is any travel, the mission would be agreed with supervisor in advance. Travel will be arranged by UNDP or the consultant based on UNDP travel policy.
Competencies
General Competencies:
- Ability to build strong and sustainable relationships and capability to interact at all levels within the organization.
- Ability to handle complex situations and multiple responsibilities simultaneously, mixing long-term projects with the urgency of immediate demands
- Ability to collaborate with and achieve actionable results
- Ability to deliver in a high-pressure environment
- Self-motivated and able to work with a high degree of autonomy
- Fully committed and motivated to achieve the aims of UNDP and the SDGs
Core Competencies:
- Innovation - Ability to make new and useful ideas work
- Leadership - Ability to persuade others to follow
- People Management - Ability to improve performance and satisfaction
- Communication - Ability to listen, adapt, persuade, and transform
- Delivery - Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement
Technical Competencies:
- Demonstrated ability to work with governments/stakeholders on digital transformation
- Demonstrated ability in researching latest trends in digital transformation/innovation
- Proven ability to engage, partner and develop partnerships in a government/Public Private Partnership/digital platform setting
- Proven experience in the developing country context and working in different cultural settings
- Ability to challenge, convince and manage multiple stakeholders
- Ability to effectively drive business, culture, and technology change in a dynamic and complex operating environment
- Strong conceptual thinking to develop new strategies and innovative projects
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Master’s degree or higher in IT, Business Administration, Public Administration, Public Policy, Economics, Social Science, International Relations, International Development, or related fields. Any additional degree in area relevant to digital transformation in public sector is an asset.
Experience:
- Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in e-governance and digital transformation space, such as digital program development, public service and business process re-design, support to design of national or sectoral digital transformation strategies
- Proven track record of working directly with Governments/multilaterals on Digital Transformation/Digital Government/Public Service Delivery systems/projects, preferably in a developing country context
- Demonstrated experience in applying of participative and human-centred design methodologies, as well as ethics, privacy and human rights issues related to digital technology, with experience of working on these issues preferred
- Proven expertise in agile development methodologies
- Proven expertise of building cross-sector partnerships and cross-culture understandings
- Excellent administrative and computer skills, including Microsoft Office, and knowledge of spreadsheet, database packages and ERP system
Language:
- Excellent written and spoken English required
Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments
The consultant must submit a financial proposal based on an ‘all-inclusive’ daily fee. The total amount quoted must be all-inclusive of all costs components required to perform the work and complete deliverables identified in the Terms of Reference (ToR). This includes professional fee, transportation costs (at duty station), living allowance, communications, consumables and any other applicable cost to be incurred by the consultant in completing the assignment. The Individual Contractor (IC) must submit time sheets duly approved by the supervisor, which shall serve as the basis for the payment of fees.
Under the current COVID-19 travel restrictions, in the event any travel costs to be incurred to join the duty station must be excluded in the above ‘all-inclusive’ daily fee. In the event such travel costs are applicable to the applicant, such expenses shall be agreed upon prior between UNDP and applicant and reimbursed or arranged on actual basis and based on UNDP travel policies and guidelines.
In the event of unforeseeable official travel not anticipated in this ToR, either arranged by UNDP or the Individual Contractor, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and the Individual Contractor, prior to travel. Travel will be arranged by UNDP or the Individual Contractor based on UNDP’s travel rules and regulations. UNDP shall not cover repatriation travel cost from home to duty station in Bangkok and return during the assignment period.
In general, UNDP shall not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the Individual Contractor wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using own resources.
In case that the Individual Contractor arranges his/her own travel, travel costs shall be reimbursed at actual but not exceeding the quotation from UNDP approved travel agent. The provided living allowance will not exceed UNDP Daily Subsistence Allowance rates.
Recommended Presentation of Offer
Applicants wishing to be considered for this assignment are required to submit the following documents:
- Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP
- Personal CV, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the applicant and at least three (3) professional references
- Proof of similar assignments undertaken recently and/or any other documents/publications that certify the applicant’s experiences in digital transformation
- Financial Proposal that indicates the ‘all-inclusive’ daily fee as per provided template
All supporting documents mentioned above must be part of the detailed CV and uploaded as ONE SINGLE document. The system only allows for one file uploading.
Incomplete proposals may not be considered. The short-listed applicants may be contacted, and the successful candidate will be notified.
Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer (combined weighting score method)
Individual Contractor will be evaluated based on cumulative analysis (technical 70% and financial 30%) followed by two consecutive rounds of assessment for short-listed candidates at each stage respectively: video/written assessment of response to a problem statement followed by personal interview of the shortlisted candidates
The award of the contract shall be made to the candidate who obtained the Highest Combined Score and has accepted UNDP’s General Terms and Conditions.
The technical criteria will be applied as below:
Technical Criteria for preliminary Evaluation (Maximum 20 points)
- Education (max 5 points)
- Professional experience in development programming on digital transformation (max 15 points)
Video Assessment of response to the problem statement (max 25 points)
- Ability to convey key messages and approaches to respond to problem statement concisely (10 points).
- Ability to demonstrate value add of proposed methodologies (10 points).
- Ability to support statements through relevant international cases/experiences and other types of evidence (5 points)
Personal Interview (Maximum 25 points): The shortlisted applicants shall be interviewed to assess and confirm the applicant’s skill sets on the technical criteria as follows:
- Criteria A: Ability to engage governments and stakeholders and develop partnerships in a government/Public Private Partnership/Digital Platform setting (max 10 points)
- Criteria B: Ability to conceptualize and develop new strategies and innovative projects (max 10 points)
- Criteria C: Ability to blend past experience with current knowledge about trends in digital transformation and ability to drive business, culture, and technology change in developing countries context (max 5 points)
Financial Criteria for Evaluation (Maximum 30 points)
Financial score shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal received by UNDP for the assignment.
For the template of proposal please visit https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=69472
For question regarding this application please write to varisara.anansiribovorn@undp.org