Background

The UN Reform Resolution tasks UNDP to provide countries with an “integrator function” to accelerate progress towards the SDGs by tackling multiple interlinked and interdependent development challenges. The UNDP Global Policy Network (GPN) draws on expertise globally to provide more effective responses to the complex development challenges countries face in achieving the SDGs and responding to crisis in an integrated and coherent manner. Anchored in the Crisis Bureau (CB) and the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS), the GPN has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan, which is aligned with the 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

An SDG Integration Team located with UNDP’s Global Policy Network (GPN) offers a menu of services emphasizing direct short- to medium-term engagements to respond rapidly to requests from country offices for support on national implementation and monitoring of integrated policy solutions, qualitative and evidence-driven analysis for accelerated progress, and knowledge sharing and upscaling of innovative approaches to sustainable development. The team’s work emphasizes the application of evidence-driven data and analytics for SDG implementation and reporting.

In this regard, advances in digital technology are creating data at unprecedented levels of detail and speed, turning the stories of people’s lives into numbers every minute of every day, across the globe. An important focus of the integration work is to complement traditional data (eg. national statistics, NHDR like analysis) with new and alternative sources including digital ‘breadcrumbs,’ satellite data, social media to identify emerging trends and gain new perspectives on issues in development.

The GIS Junior Consultants (2) will support the SDG Integration Team’s efforts linked with the development of GeoHub, a complex stack of open-source GIS services and applications intended to provide the UNDP policy makers, stakeholders and partners with intuitive geospatial tools and interfaces to support their activities and help them make data driven informed decisions. One of the Consultants will participate exclusively in the software development activities and tasks. The second Consultant will contribute to the development and maintenance of the GeoHub’s data repository, data quality and assurance as well as support the roll-out phase.

Duties and Responsibilities

The purpose of this procurement exercise is to contract two individual consultants who will support the SDG Integration Team’s efforts linked with the development of GeoHub, a complex stack of open-source GIS services and applications intended to provide the UNDP policy makers, stakeholders and partners with intuitive geospatial tools and interfaces to support their activities and help them make data driven informed decisions. One of the Consultants will participate in software development activities while the second Consultant will contribute to the development and maintenance of the GeoHub’s data repository, data quality and assurance as well as support the roll-out phase.

Consultant I

• Design, build, and deploy web-based geospatial applications using specific JavaScript libraries and frameworks

• Recommend approaches to tackle a diverse set of end user needs through the integration of interactive maps and GIS-based capabilities into web interfaces

• Support development of custom widgets and data visualization techniques to support policy makers and other stakeholders make informed decisions

 Consultant 2

• Ingest geospatial data into GeoHub spatial database/repository (raster and vector)

• Develop/design/apply quality control methods and procedures to ensure the quality control of ingested data

• Design cartographic materials (maps/layouts) using standard tools

• Develop presentations and other documents related to geospatial data and system

• Design and develop virtual trainings on the use of geospatial data and systems

• Organize and manage roll-out events for geospatial systems

Expected Outputs and deliverables

Competencies

Functional Competencies: 

• Professionalism- In-depth understanding of Statistical Science theories, principles and application; demonstrated technical knowledge and proven research and analytical skills on issues related to regional integration, macroeconomic convergence, financial and monetary integration, social protection, sectoral policies; ability to interpret qualitative and quantitative data and assessment and apply results to develop national household surveys survey system assessment 

  Technological Awareness- Ability to use relevant computer technology 

• Teamwork- Good interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds. 
• Communication- Good interpersonal skills; excellent drafting ability and communication skills, ability to present complex concepts in a concise and accurate manner, ability to prepare written reports and papers that are clear, concise and meaningful. 

  Planning and Organizing -?ability to prioritize, plan and organize own work and ability to integrate work into the work of the unit; ability to monitor and adjust plan and priorities as necessary and to work according to deadline 

Corporate Competencies: 

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s 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; 

• Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment. 

Required Skills and Experience

Academic qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Geography, Environmental Science or Natural Sciences. Students in last year close to graduation can be considered upon presenting relevant documents

Experience:

Language:

• Fluency in written and spoken is required;

Application Procedure

The application package containing the following (to be uploaded as one file):

• A cover letter with a brief description of why the Offer considers her/himself the most suitable for the assignment;

• Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects and specifying the relevant assignment period (from/to), as well as the email and telephone contacts of at least three (3) professional references;

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

Shortlisted candidates (ONLY) will be requested to submit a Financial Proposal.

• The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around the specific and measurable deliverables of the TOR. Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR, and deliverables accepted and certified by the technical manager.

• 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; (excluding mission travel); 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.

• 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.

• 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 shortlisted 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 - Total 70% (70 points):

• Criteria 1. 1 year experience and knowledge of Azure environment; Maximum Points: 20;

• Criteria 2. 1 year experience with managing vector and raster datasets; Maximum Points: 20;

• Criteria 3. 1 year experience with Azure blob storage; Maximum Points: 10;

• Criteria 4. Ability to present outputs using contemporary methods and communicate effectively with a range of audiences to transfer the knowledge gained; Maximum Points: 20

Candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% (49 points) of the maximum obtainable points for the technical criteria (70 points) shall be considered for the financial evaluation.

Financial evaluation - Total 30% (30 points)

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.

Institutional arrangement

• The Consultants will work under the guidance and direct supervision of the GIS Specialist and will be responsible for the fulfilment of the deliverables as specified above, and reporting to the Global Policy Advisor of the SDG Integration, Bureau for Policy and Programme Support/Global Policy Network.

• The Consultants will be given access to relevant information necessary for the execution of the tasks under this assignment.

• The Consultants will work primarily home-based.

• The Consultants will be responsible for providing their own workstation (i.e., laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to reliable internet connection.

• Given the global consultations to be undertaken during this assignment, the Consultants are expected to be reasonably flexible with their availability for such consultations taking into consideration different time zones.

• The Consultant will be responsible for providing her/his own laptop.

Payment modality

• Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified above and deliverables accepted and upon certification of satisfactory completion by the manager.

• 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.

  Duration of the work

  This assignment is expected to cover 80 working days from 17 October to 28 February 2023.

  Duty Station

This assignment will be home-based, working under the guidance and direct supervision of the GIS Specialist, and reporting to the Global Policy Advisor of the SDG Integration, in the SDG Integration Team, NY/HQ.