Background

UNDP is the UN's global development network advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. As a founding cosponsor of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), and guided by the health-related SDGs, responding to HIV is one of the organisation’s priorities. Under the UNAIDS division of labour, UNDP is responsible for leading the response in addressing aspects of AIDS related to development, planning and mainstreaming; governance; and human rights, gender and sexual diversity. UNDP is also responsible for providing support to governments in their implementation of policies and programmes that protect the human rights of people living and affected by HIV.

Ukraine has the second-highest HIV incidence in Eastern Europe and accounts for 8 per cent of new infections per year, 25 per cent of AIDS deaths and 19 per cent of persons living with HIV (PLHIV) in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA). Ukraine carries a high burden of tuberculosis (the second largest in Europe) and ranks fourth in the world for its multidrug resistant tuberculosis burden. Ukraine’s HIV epidemic remains geographically concentrated with a belt of regions in the south and east disproportionately affected; seven regions, six of which are located in the south and east, account for approximately 50 per cent of the estimated cases but only 31 per cent of the population. In 2016, the highest cumulative number of HIV cases was registered in the following regions and cities: Dnipropetrovsk region – 26,338 (19.8 per cent), Odessa region – 19,731 (14.8 per cent), Donetsk region – 13,305 (10 per cent), Kyiv city – 11,738 (8.8 per cent), Mykolaiv region – 8,381 (6.3 per cent), Kyiv region – 6,453 (4.9 per cent). Altogether they account for 64.6 per cent of all registered cases of HIV in Ukraine. The HIV situation significantly contributes to the TB epidemic in Ukraine.

To address this complicated epidemiological situation, UNDP conducted a legal environment assessment (LEA) of Ukraine that concerns TB in 2017-2018 years. The LEA reviewed TB, HIV, health and any other related laws, regulations and policies and practices to identify which laws, policies and practices are relevant and have an impact in the national response to TB. As an outcome of TB LEA, UNDP and Stop TB Partnership developed actionable, evidence-informed and human-rights-based recommendations for an effective TB and HIV response. A set of recommendations was prepared to strengthen the legal environment, including through law review and reform, programmes to increase awareness of rights and access to legal services and improve law enforcement.

UNDP sustains the work of the National Judges Platform on HIV, TB and Health Rights (established by UNDP in 2018) and responds to the requests of judicial members. The organisation works to scale up the dialogue among stakeholders within HIV and Law Commission recommendations implementation in Ukraine. For this, UNDP has prepared a Compendium of law cases relevant to HIV and TB in Ukraine to elucidate the developing roles of the law and judiciary practice in the response to HIV, within the context of legal framework development.

UNDP works along with the recently elected members of the Ukrainian parliament on establishment of all-party parliamentary platform on human rights and socially dangerous diseases and develops capacities of the newly elected parliament members on HIV, TB and human rights related topics. The Platform was registered in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine after consultations with civil society and patients organisations. During the first meeting of the Platform participants including members of parliament, community leaders and CBO representatives discussed the goals and objectives as well as the modus operandi of the newly established Platform.

UNDP started the work on a National web solution for mapping of HIV/TB medical and human rights counselling services (HIV/TB DIGITAL CONNECTOR) which foresees the development of a mapping tool for HIV/TB medical and human rights counselling and other services, its integration to the HIV-related portal of the Public Health Center (PHC) and its further validation and promotion among local stakeholders throughout Ukraine. The ownership of the final product will be vested with the PHC.

UNDP continued to provide technical assistance and support to fast-track cities progress in Dnipro on implementation of previously prepared Human Right and Healthy City Action Plan. Dnipro has recently signed the Paris Declaration to end the AIDS epidemic. A training for the senior management of health facilities that provide medical care to pregnant women and newborns on Prevention of mother-to-child transmission was conducted.

In line with the aforementioned, UNDP seeks the services of a National HIV and TB response in Ukraine consultant to provide advice and expertise on the UNDP HIV/TB activities in Ukraine.

Duties and Responsibilities

MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The main objective of the assignment is to provide advice and expertise on scaling up the HIV and TB responses nationally and in line with UNAIDS fast track strategy, SDGs agenda and most importantly with the UNDP HIV/TB mandate and planned activities.

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES / SCOPE OF WORK

• Raise awareness and promote the Global Commission on HIV and the Law recommendations among key stakeholders by conducting meetings with local administration representatives, decision-makers, law enforcement representatives and local CSOs;
• Promote the newly developed compendium of HIV legal cases in Ukraine and the international policies and organise an event where the compendium will be presented to key stakeholders;
• Support the work of the judges platform by developing an HIV/TB-related agenda and identifying speakers and participants for the regular meeting of the platform;
• Support the work of the all-party parliamentary platform on human rights and socially dangerous diseases by providing expert advice to MPs and other participants of the platform upon request. In addition, support the platform by providing background information for each meeting;
• Develop a methodology for information collection, conduct the process and create a repository of friendly medical professionals who are willing to work with PLHIV, with a special emphasis on primary care providers and dentists. After that support a web developer to create a website ((HIV/TB DIGITAL CONNECTOR)) where the information will be published;
• Provide inputs to the Human Right and Healthy City Action Plans for Dnipro and Kryvyi Rih and other related documents based on the feedbacks received from the key stakeholders;
• Support the implementation of the Fast-Track City initiative for Dnipro and Kryvyi Rih;
• Prepare interim and final reports/briefs, articles for the corporate social media and contribute to the interim and final UNDP reports related to the activities performed in HIV and TB spheres;
• Support and cooperate with other national and international consultants on HIV/TB with whom UNDP works;
• Supports the Project with preparing materials for audits.
• Supports the Project with programmatic and financial reporting of activities under `Enabling environment to empower human rights of the HIV/TB vulnerable populations strengthened` (UBRAF).
• Helps Project to coordinate the work of Consultants, supports with quality assurance of their reports.
• Provide other consultations to UNDP Ukraine upon request.

Deliverables

The expected duration of the assignment is up to 6 months. The target date for the start of work is 15 February 2021. The Consultant shall coordinate the list of deliverables and the timeframe of their implementation with the Chief Technical Advisor.

Copyright

The reports should be submitted in English. The title rights, copyrights and all other rights whatsoever nature in any material produced under the provisions of this ToR will be vested exclusively in UNDP.

monitoring/REPORTING requirements

Work-progress reporting/monitoring meetings will be held with the Chief Technical Advisor and the Health Programme Specialist regularly. UNDP will be responsible for all quality control and evaluation of work-progress of the performance of National Consultant on HIV and TB response in Ukraine. No reports or documents should be published or distributed to third parties without prior approval by UNDP.

6. PROPOSED PAYMENT SCHEDULE

 MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS

The Consultant will report to Health Programme Specialist with cross-functional reporting responsibilities to Chief Technical Advisor.

Competencies

• Demonstrate/safeguard ethics and integrity;  

• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment;

• Self-development, initiative-taking;

• Act as a team player;

• Encourage and participate in open communication in the team, communicate effectively;

• Create synergies through self-control;

• Manage conflict;

• Informed and transparent decision-making.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree in Public Health, Social Policy or other relevant area.

Experience: 

• At least 3 years of relevant experience in working in HIV and TB areas;

• National experience of promoting health rights will be considered an asset;
• Previous experience with working with UN or other international organisations is an asset;

• Fluency in Ukrainian, Russian and English.

DOCUMENTS TO BE INCLUDED WHEN SUBMITTING THE PROPOSALS

Applicants shall submit the following documents:

• Personal CV, including information about previous experience in similar projects/assignments and contact details for referees;
• Financial proposal;
• Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;

EVALUATION CRITERIA

• Advanced university degree in Public Health, Social Policy or other relevant area (Master`s degree- 15 pts, PhD - 20 pts)
• At least 3 years of relevant experience in working in HIV and TB areas (3 years of experience - 24 pts, 4 -5 years - 27 pts, 6 years and more - 30 pts)
• National experience of promoting health rights  - 5 pts
• Previous experience with working with UN or other international organisations - 5 pts
• Fluency in Ukrainian, Russian and English - 10 pts

EVALUATION METHOD

Cumulative analysis

Contract award shall be made to the incumbent whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and

b) having received the cumulative highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

* Technical Criteria weight: 70%

* Financial Criteria weight: 30%

Only candidates obtaining a minimum 70% from the maximum available technical score (49 points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation

The maximum number of points assigned to the financial proposal is allocated to the lowest price proposal and will equal to 30. All other price proposals will be evaluated and assigned points, as per below formula:

30 points [max points available for financial part] x [lowest of all evaluated offered prices among responsive offers] / [evaluated price].

The proposal obtaining the overall cumulatively highest score after adding the score of the technical proposal and the financial proposal will be considered as the most compliant offer and will be awarded a contract

Travel

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 the 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 at their own expense.