Background

United Nations Development Programme (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 Hubs and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge 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.

The 2030 Agenda for SDGs and the pledge to leave no one behind reflect the interconnectedness of health and sustainable development, including widening economic and social inequalities, the climate crisis, rapid urbanization, the continuing burden of HIV and other infectious diseases (e.g., malaria, tuberculosis), the growing burden of non-communicable diseases and the emergence of health threats. The scope and scale of delivering health and well-being for all demands innovative partnerships and financing. As affirmed in the Political Declaration of the 2019 High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) and others are critical partners for delivering on the health-related goals of the 2030 Agenda.  Stronger Collaboration, Better Health: Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Well-being for All outlines how a dozen multilateral health, development and humanitarian agencies, including UNDP, the Global Fund, Gavi and others will collaborate to be more efficient and effective in supporting countries to deliver UHC and achieve the health-related SDG targets. 

UNDP’s partnership with the Global Fund, in line with UNDP’s HIV, Health and Development Strategy 2016-2021: Connecting the Dots, makes a vital contribution to UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2018-2021, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the SDGs and the pledge to leave no one behind. 

As a long-standing partner of the Global Fund, UNDP’s value proposition lies in providing an integrated package of development solutions to strengthen institutions to deliver health services. Through its contributions as interim Principal Recipient (PR) and provider of technical assistance to Global Fund grants in 53 countries since 2003, UNDP’s provision of integrated policy, implementation and capacity development support to countries has yielded significant health and development results in challenging operating environments. Proactive risk management and investing in sustainability are the cornerstones of UNDP’s portfolio management approach in supporting to countries with significant national capacity constraints to manage large-scale health programmes. By providing technical assistance to national counterparts during all phases of implementation, strengthening legislation, policies and regulatory frameworks, and building capacities across key functional areas, including financial management, health information systems, procurement and supply chain management, UNDP is able to deliver results whilst sustainably transitioning to national entities.

UNDP’s track record as PR over the last 17 years and capacity to deliver in challenging operating environments has been critical for strengthening its positioning as a health implementation support partner. Based on demand from Country Offices, and building on the relationships, expertise, systems, partnerships, including across the UN family, and comparative advantage established through the Global Fund partnership, the GPN/BPPS/Global Fund Partnership/Health Implementation Support Team (GF/HIST, Global Fund Partnership Team) is providing support to Country Offices through three overarching modalities: 1) the Global Fund portfolio, 2) health procurement and supply chain management support, and 3) other health implementation support beyond the Global Fund, including Gavi-funded activities and Solar for Health. The GF/HIST provides its support through a country team approach to strengthen and integrate the different functional capacities (e.g., programmatic, procurement/SCM strengthening, finance, capacity development), leveraging technical assistance and policy support from the HHD Group and other GPN teams.

Objective of the assignment

Under the guidance and supervision of the Programme Associate, GFHIST, the Consultant will provide HR and Roster services ensuring high quality, accuracy and consistency of work.

Duties and Responsibilities

The scope of work will vary depending on the individual assignments but will include one or several of the below activities in Sub-group 1. Implementation of Human Resources (HR) services or Sub-group 2. Maintaining and expanding the GPN/HHD Roster or Experts:

Implementation of HR services:

1. Provide support throughout the recruitment processes and for the selection including FTAs, TAs and ICs (Personnel) positions;
2. Assist with drafting of job descriptions, recruitment strategies and compiling tracking matrixes;  
3. Support with the screening of candidates in E-recruit;
4. Assist in all recruitment-related documentation for contract management including receiving mandatory certificates, medical and reference checks and other types of documents in compliance with UNDP rules, processes and procedures;
5. Collection of background information for submissions to the Compliance Review Board (CRB);
6. Assist in administering intern recruitment processes;
7. Follow up with all Personnel for compliance with Mandatory trainings, support to travel and security clearances, PMDs and leave recording;
8. Organization and facilitation of trainings, workshops and meetings and knowledge management activities;
9. Any other HR duties assigned.

Provide Support in maintaining and expanding the GPN/HHD Roster of Expert

1. Respond to Roster requests from Requisitioning Units and submit through GPN ExPres Roster platform and ensure all supporting documentation are provided;
2. Assist in the vetting of new experts including screening of CVs and coordinate evaluation process;
3. Maintain and update the Roster as and when required; 
4. Draft Individual Contracts (ICs)and Amendments when required; 
5. Maintain and update the consultant deployments’ master file;
6. Any other Roster duties assigned.

Deliverables:

• Timely and accurate HR administration;
• Timely and accurate organization of recruitments;
• Timely and accurate delivery of trainings;
• Timely and accurate knowledge management processes;
• Timely administrative service delivery to the GFHIST;
• Up-to-date and secure databases, files and records.

Competencies

Corporate

• Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s vision, mission and values;
• 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;
• Fulfils all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Functional

• Development and Operational Effectiveness
• Results-driven and initiative-taking;
• Ability to work under pressure and to meet deadlines;
• Ability to plan and organize work and establish priorities;
• Remains calm and in control even under pressure, and consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Thoroughly and methodically collects, verifies and records data, demonstrating attention to detail and identifying and correcting errors on own initiative.

Client Orientation and Communication

• Effective written and oral communication skills;
• Good interpersonal and networking skills;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations;
• Ability to work under minimum supervision;
• Ability to work with multiple stakeholders from a wide range of disciplines and fields, from both developed and developing countries, and having diverse and competing worldviews and interests.

Institutional arrangements:

• The overall objective of setting up this Framework Agreement is to facilitate and expedite the process by which UNDP/GFHIST will hire its HR/Roster support services once there are specific assignments over the next 3 years;
• Estimated volume of services: maximum of 95 days per year up to a maximum of 285 days over the 3-year duration of the Framework Agreement; 
• UNDP/GFHIST does not warrant that any quantity of services will be purchased during the term of the Framework Agreement as this will depend on forthcoming needs;
• The initial Framework Agreement would be for one year with an option for renewal in subsequent years dependent on demand for services and satisfactory performance evaluation;

The Framework Agreements to be signed with 3 consultants will be for a fixed all-inclusive daily fee:

• Once the Framework Agreement is signed, if there is a specific assignment, the focal person for UNDP/GFHIST will contact the Consultant by email informing them of the assignment, specific deliverables, and timeline;
• Assignments will be assigned based on availability and specific expertise for the assignment;
• The Consultant must advise within 48 hours whether they are available to deliver the requested service;
• Thereafter, a Purchase Order will be raised. Financial commitments will only be established each time the services are requested within the scope of the Framework Agreement through the transmitted email and Purchase Order;
• An Individual Contract (IC) as a Framework Agreement is non-exclusive (i.e. it does not prohibit UNDP from entering into another such framework agreement with another individuals or entities);
• The Consultant will be given access to relevant information necessary for execution of the activities under the assignment;
• The Consultant will be responsible for providing their own working station (e.g. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to a reliable internet connection;
• Payments will be made upon submission of a timesheet and a certification of payment form, and acceptance and confirmation by the Supervisor of outputs delivered.

Travel:

No travel is envisaged to deliver this work. If the need arises, travel will be arranged according to the UNDP travel policies.

Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments:

• Daily Fee. Consultant shall quote an all-inclusive Daily Fee in USD for the contract period. The term “all-inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, communications, consumables, etc.) that could be incurred by the IC in completing the assignment are already factored into the daily fee submitted in the proposal
•  Payments shall be made based on approved invoices indicating number of working days spent for each specific assignment, upon verification of completion of deliverables and approval by the IC’s supervisor

Evaluation method:

• Only those applications which are responsive and compliant will be evaluated;
• Offers will be evaluated according to the Combined Scoring method – where the qualifications will be weighted at 70% and the financial offer (based on a quoted all-inclusive daily fee) will be weighted at 30%;
• The technical criteria (education, experience, language) will be based on maximum 70 points. Only the candidates that have achieved a minimum of 49 points of the technical criteria will be deemed technically qualified and be requested to submit a financial proposal;
• Financial score shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal received by UNDP;
• The top 3 Applicants receiving the Highest Combined Scores and that have accepted UNDP’s General Terms and Conditions will be awarded the Framework Agreements.

Technical Evaluation Criteria (70 points):

Criteria 1: Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in HR, administration, or relevant field (10 points);

Criteria 2: Demonstrated knowledge and experience of UN or UNDP operational processes and procedures (15 points);

Criteria 3: Human Resources experience in recruitment processes (10 points);

Criteria 4: Experience in management of IC Contract administration (10 points);

Criteria 5: Experience in organization of workshops and trainings (10 points);

Criteria 6: Demonstrated accurate record keeping and report preparation (10 points);

Criteria 7: A second UN language (5 points).

The following formula will be used to evaluate financial proposal (30 points):

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

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Secondary education is required;
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in HR, administration, or relevant field is an asset. 

Experience:

• At least seven years of progressive relevant experience in HR, administration, and/or programme support;
• Knowledge and experience of UN or UNDP operational processes and procedures;
• Human Resources experience in contract administration, recruitment and selection processes;
• Experience in organization of workshops and trainings is an asset;
• Experience in accurate record keeping and report preparation.

Languages:

• Fluency in English;
• An additional UN language is an asset.

Recommended Presentation of Offer:

• Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP. The Financial Proposal should specify an all-inclusive daily fee in USD. The Financial Proposal should be all-inclusive and take into account various expenses that will be incurred during the contract and supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided.
• 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;
• 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.

Note: The above documents need to be scanned in one file and uploaded to the online application as one document.

• This consultancy is a home-based assignment, therefore, there is no envisaged travel cost to join duty station/repatriation travel. 
• 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.

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

Annex 5 –Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability