Jobs - 103870- Consultant to support Sri Lanka’s Second Voluntary

Consultant to support Sri Lanka’s Second Voluntary National Review (VNR) of SDG Progress - Reference No. IC/RCO/2021/83 (for Sri Lankans only)

Location :

Colombo, SRI LANKA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

16-Jan-22 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

National Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

60 days within 6 months period

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

60 days

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

At the 70th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly held on 25 September 2015, the Members States adopted the post-2015 sustainable development agenda together with a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Sri Lanka was among the Member States committed to implement this action plan by acting through collaborative partnership with all stakeholders to deliver inclusive and sustainable development.

The annual High-level Political Forum (HLPF) plays a central role in sharing the experiences of Member States and reviewing progress towards the 2030 Agenda.

The Voluntary National Review (VNR) is key to the activities of the HLPF, whereby member states are requested to periodically report on progress on the SDG agenda. This includes reviewing Sri Lanka’s SDG performance, mainstreaming and implementation within existing national development and planning frameworks, including institutional arrangements, service delivery, enabling partnerships, data, monitoring and evaluation and financing. VNRs also take stock of the opportunities and challenges related to achieving the 2030 Agenda, and reflects on best practices, lessons learned, and highlights areas in need of further support in the context of the 2030 Agenda.

Sri Lanka has committed to submit its second VNR to the 2022 HLPF [1], which will be held from Tuesday, 5 July, to Friday, 15 July 2022, under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council.

The 2022 VNR development process will be guided by a National Steering Committee whose members include:

Sustainable Development Council
Department of National Planning
Prime Minister’s Office
Presidential Secretariat
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Institute of Policy Studies
Finance Commission
Institute of Policy Studies (IPS)
Ministry of Environment
Department of Census and Statistics
Department of Project Management and Monitoring

The UN in Sri Lanka, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank serve as observers to the activities of the National Steering Committee.

[1] https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/hlpf#hlpf2022

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work

In accordance with the Handbook for the Preparation of Voluntary National Reviews, 2022 and the Practical Guidance Tool for 2nd VNRs, the purpose of the consultancy is to support Sri Lanka’s VNR process and develop a suite of final products that meet the expectations of the National Steering Committee to be presented at HLPF 2022.

The consultant shall be accountable to the National Steering Committee for developing a VNR that meets their expectations and that can be presented at the HLPF. The Consultant will report to the Director General of the Sustainable Development Council, with key deliverables/milestones endorsed by the Director General – Sustainable Development Council (SD Council) and the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO).

The Consultant will:

Support the Director General of the SD Council and the UN RCO in identifying the opportunities and challenges facing Sri Lanka relevant to the VNR and Sri Lanka’s progress towards the 2030 Agenda.
Work with the core team engaged in the development of the VNR to frame the analysis by reviewing key policy documents relevant to the VNR, and compiling, analysing and interpreting relevant qualitative and quantitative data sources.
Under the direction of the VNR Steering Committee and the Director General of the Sustainable Development Council, lead the drafting process of the VNR’s Key Messages and Final Report, including:
- A 700-word statement of key messages underpinning Sri Lanka’s VNR. This represents a summary/ foreword to the VNR
- A 60-100 page VNR Report that outlines: i) Progress since Sri Lanka’s 1st VNR and consideration of follow-up elements from previous report ii) An evaluation of Sri Lanka’s progress against the 2030 Agenda according to in-depth analysis of qualitative and quantitative sources and stakeholder consultations, and iii) A comprehensive analysis of implementation capacity, gaps and remaining challenges, inter-linkages between the SDGs and key risks or opportunities in relation to achieving the 2030 Agenda in Sri Lanka.
Assist the Director General of the SD Council and the UN RCO with strategic advice and specialist technical input into stakeholder engagements related to the VNR, including with government, civil society, private sector, bilateral and multilateral partners as required.
Develop PowerPoint presentations/summaries on findings and key parts of the report for government meetings, and to ensure appropriate design, layout, infographics and pictures for the final VNR Report for print and electronic distribution to UN member states, policy makers and other key stakeholders.
Upon request of the Director General of the SD Council, provide strategic support on any other matters pertinent to the development of the VNR.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

The consultant is expected carry out the activities over a period of 6 months, taking into consideration time required for review of deliverables by the National Steering Committee and relevant partners.

Key Deliverables:

Structure and Outline of VNR Report and Key Messages documents
First draft of VNR Key Messages for review by National Steering Committee
First draft of VNR Report: to include key components based on the UN guidelines and areas agreed with stakeholders, draft statistical annex, analysis and consolidated reports of stakeholder consultations.
Interim draft of VNR Report incorporating feedback submitted by Government
Final Key Messages endorsed by the National Steering Committee for HLPF submission
Final VNR Report endorsed by the National Steering Committee for HLPF submission

The deliverables and outputs are expected to be:

Evidence-based and high-quality analysis and text, in technical/policy level English.
Consistent with UN and government standards and following all relevant formats, guidelines and requirements.
Inclusive of all references and data used in preparing the required analysis.

The consultant is expected to:

Maintain confidentiality of the project findings and outputs at all times.
Present the reports/findings as requested.
Work closely and in consultation with the SD Council, NPD, ESCAP and UN agencies, as directed.
Participate and follow-up on requests for clarification and additional information about the findings.
Ensure that the format of the text of the reports, tables, footnotes and presentation of data are of expected standards and follow necessary guidelines.
Work closely with the editor(s), peer reviewers (if any), and publishers involved in the assignment.
To review previous VNR Reports for HLPF 2021 as reference, particularly those from countries that have been identified as strong reports by UN HQ.

Duration of the Work

The project is based in Colombo and is expected to commence on 17 January 2022 and will end on 15 July 2022. The expected duration of the consultancy is 60 days, with possibility of extension.

Duty Station

Colombo

Competencies

Deep knowledge of Sri Lanka’s development context is desirable
Strong interpersonal and communication skills;
Strong and proven skills in qualitative and quantitative analysis methods
Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities skills;
Strong capacity in designing and writing reports, using a wide range of evaluation approaches and toolsets.
Strong management, facilitation, interview skills and demonstrated ability to deliver quality results within strict deadlines.
Demonstrates integrity and ethical standards;
Positive, constructive attitude to work;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Required Skills and Experience

Educational Qualifications:

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent degree) in social sciences, development studies public policy, business or public administration or related area. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience

At least 10 years of relevant professional experience in carrying out research, complex policy and analytical work, evaluations on development policy / programme analysis and in multiple areas relevant to the SDGs

Language requirements

Excellent knowledge of the English language (both written and oral) is required;
Fluency in Sinhala and/or Tamil is desirable.

Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

Consultant must send a financial proposal based on Lump Sum Amount. The total amount quoted shall be all-inclusive and include all costs components required to perform the deliverables identified in the TOR, including professional fee, travel costs, living allowance (if any work is to be done outside the IC´s duty station) and any other applicable cost to be incurred by the IC in completing the assignment. The contract price will be fixed output-based price regardless of extension of the herein specified duration. Payments will be done upon completion of the deliverables/outputs and as per below percentages:

Deliverable 1 - Structure and Outline of VNR Report and Key Messages documents: 5% of total contract amount
Deliverable 2 - First draft of VNR Key Messages for review by National Steering Committee: 5% of total contract amount
Deliverable 3 - First draft of VNR Report: to include key components based on the UN guidelines and areas agreed with stakeholders, draft statistical annex, analysis and consolidated reports of stakeholder consultations: 30% of total contract amount
Deliverable 4 - Interim draft of VNR Report incorporating feedback submitted by Government: 20% of total contract amount
Deliverable 5 - Final Key Messages endorsed by the National Steering Committee for HLPF submission: 20% of total contract amount
Deliverable 6 - Final VNR Report endorsed by the National Steering Committee for HLPF submission: 20% of total contract amount

In the event of unforeseeable travel not anticipated in this TOR, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and the Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.

Evaluation Method and Criteria

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology

Cumulative analysis

The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as a) responsive/compliant/acceptable; and b) having received the highest score out of set of weighted technical criteria (70%). and financial criteria (30%). Financial score shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal received by UNDP for the assignment.

Technical Criteria for Evaluation (Maximum 70 points)

Criteria 1 Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent degree) in social sciences, development studies public policy, business or public administration or related area. – Max 15 points
Criteria 2 At least 10 years of relevant professional experience in carrying out research, complex policy and analytical work, evaluations on development policy / programme analysis and in multiple areas relevant to the SDGs..- Max 20 Points
Criteria 3 Strong and proven skills in qualitative and quantitative analysis methods- Max 15 points
Criteria 4 Excellent knowledge of the English language with strong capacity in designing and writing reports, using a wide range of evaluation approaches and toolsets– Max 10 points
Criteria 5 Strong management, facilitation, interview skills and demonstrated ability to deliver quality results within strict deadlines – Max 10 Points

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Note: Payments will be based on invoices on achievement of agreed milestones i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR and certification of acceptance by the UNDP. The applicant must factor in all possible costs in his/her “All Inclusive Lump Sum Fee” including his/her consultancy and professional fee, travel (economy class flights is required to and from the Duty Station) honorarium, board and lodging, and any other foreseeable costs in this exercise. No costs other than what has been indicated in the financial proposal will be paid or reimbursed to the consultant. UNDP will only pay for any unplanned travel outside of this TOR and Duty Station on actual basis and on submission of original bills/invoices and on prior agreement with UNDP officials. Daily perdiums and costs for accommodation/meals/incidental expenses for such travel shall not exceed established local UNDP DSA rates.

For an Individual Contractor who is 65 years of age or older, and on an assignment requiring travel, be it for the purpose of arriving at the duty station or as an integral duty required travel under the TOR, a full medical examination and statement of fitness to work must be provided. Such medical examination costs must be factored into the financial proposal above. Medical examination is not a requirement for individuals on RLA contracts.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply please access UNDP Jobs site http://jobs.undp.org.

Documentation required

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Please group them into one (1) single PDF document as the application only allows to upload maximum one document:

Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided in Annex II.
Personal CV, 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.
Technical proposal, including a) a brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment; and b) a methodology, on how they will approach and complete the assignment.
Financial proposal, as per template provided in Annex II. Note: National consultants must quote prices in Sri Lankan Rupees. Please send the Financial Proposal separately to the e-mail address: consultants.lk@undp.org stating the vacancy number/position in the subject line

Incomplete proposals may not be considered.

Annexes

UNDP is committed to achieving diversity within its workplace, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence and qualified women are encouraged to apply.