Background
The Crisis Bureau (CB) is responsible for UNDP’s corporate crisis response strategy and capability. It develops and drives UNDP’s vision and priorities for crisis response, coordinates and facilitates UNDP’s crisis response with a whole-of-UNDP approach, provides oversight for all UNDP crisis response actions and ensures high quality engagement of the organization in crisis in general. The responsibility of CB focuses primarily upon and is confined to the two specific typologies of crisis listed below, to which CB provides support for limited duration:
- Sudden onset crisis: This would include countries that have been affected by natural disasters or sudden outbreak of armed conflicts;
- Complex protracted crisis: Examples include countries that are impacted by protracted conflicts, often with regional implications.
CB’s key functions, include: i) advising UNDP on identifying the level of a particular crisis or on scaling up or down a particular response; ii) leading timely and informed decision-making and management actions, particularly on high level crises; iii) supporting early warning and guiding corporate preparedness for crisis response; iv) managing UNDP’s crisis response tools (including Standard Operating Procedures for Crisis Response and the Crisis Response Packages); and v) managing deployments for crisis response through the SURGE and ExpRes rosters. The deployment of technical and operations experts through the SURGE (UNDP Staff), ExpRes (Consultants), and Standby Partnerships mechanisms are a key component of UNDP’s response to the immediate crisis and technical support to Country Offices.
SURGE Advisors are UNDP staff with extensive crisis experience in at least one of 18 generic UNDP profiles who are deployed to fill capacity gaps within CO units facing unexpected workload/portfolio requirements due to a crisis.
The Experts Roster for Rapid Response (ExpRes) is a recruitment and deployment mechanism which maintains pre-vetted consultants on a roster and contracts them quickly for country office support. The primary purpose of this roster has been to deploy Crisis Prevention and Recovery (CPR) technical experts to UNDP Country Offices on short notice in the aftermath of a crisis and for CPR Programming.
UNDP has Memorandums of Understanding with eight Stand by Partners who provide in-kind support to the UN through the deployment of technical expertise for crisis preparedness and response.
The RRPT is also responsible for managing deployment infrastructure and this includes expert databases, deployment tracking systems (DTS), automated communication tools, trainings and communications materials. The experts database allow for collating of all information related to the experts such as qualifications, availability etc. and also serves as the search engine for identifying experts for specific assignments.
Under the overall supervision of the Team Leader, Rapid Response and Preparedness Team, and the day to day management of the Programme Specialist (Deployments), the Consultant will be responsible for the effective and efficient functioning of the CB’s Deployment mechanisms, support region specific deployments and maintain the various rosters in coordination with the UNDPs Bureau's, Country Offices and hubs in support of the selection, recruitment, deployment and support of field personnel in emergency situations
Duties and Responsibilities
Conduct deployment of experts from CB Rosters to country offices for all UNDP Regions:
- Provide support for the deployment of experts from CB Rosters to UNDP Country Offices;
- Attend CSMT and other crisis response meetings to take minutes and provide updates on deployments
- Conduct searches in CB databases, contact, interview, shortlist and submit candidates for various positions in a timely and efficient manner, including liaison with country offices, experts and other parts of UNDP as required;
- Liaise with technical counterparts in UNDP with regard to identifying experts for deployments
- Support Programme Specialist (Deployments) in ensuring business processes for deployments are adhered to including components of the UNDP’s Standard Operating Procedures for Immediate Crisis Response;
- Provide support to experts and country office during deployments including travel, logistics, and contracting; and also provide troubleshooting as required;
- Ensure that Country Offices provide evaluations of assignments and these evaluations are institutionalized within the rosters;
Provide technical support for CBs roster and deployment systems infrastructure, including databases and vetting systems:
- Support the development and maintenance of CB databases and the crisis deployment infrastructure;
- Review new CVs received and send to relevant vetting committee for clearance; acquire reference checks; and invite new consultant to register on ExpRes
- Follow up with the registration of new vetted consultants and ensure all documents are uploaded in the consultant’s database (CV, P11, Advanced and Basic Security in the Field certificates, vendor form, and passport/UNLP scans);
- Ensure all documents are up to date for vetted consultants on ExpRes (updated CVs/P11s, passport scans are still valid; security certificates are still valid as they expire after 3 years);
- Update the database to reflect added profiles/sub-profiles on ExpRes
- Support with global internal and external calls for new applicants for UNDP rosters
- In collaboration with IT colleagues ensure all technical components of databases are kept up to date and new technology is incorporated.
- Reach out to SURGE participants informing them of their acceptance to the SURGE roster; acquire basic information (Contract type, name of RR/RC, etc.) to proceed with SURGE training
- Draft letters and release agreements for Country Offices and track the signed Release Agreements
Assist with the development and enhancement of business process, information packages and material for distribution, and trainings:
- Support the RRPT in ensuring that deployment business processes are shared with and adhered to by all parts of UNDP;
- Support the Rapid Response and Preparedness Team with trainings including operations and logistics support;
- Develop/enhance the current methodology for vetting of new experts, including guidance for vetting committees
- Support the integration of rosters across UNDP
Expected Outputs and Deliverables:
- Deployment of experts from CB Rosters to country offices undertaken - ongoing, monthly
- Deployment infrastructure and databases enhanced and kept up to date - ongoing, monthly
- Vetting systems for new experts enhanced - 31st May 2019
- Support provided for capacity building initiatives and trainings - 30th April and 30th September 2019
- Support provided for the integration of UNDP rosters across the Crisis Bureau and Development Policy Bureau. - ongoing, monthly
Competencies
Core Competencies:
- Innovation - Ability to make new and useful ideas work.
- Communication - Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.
- Delivery - Ability to get things done and adhere to deadlines
- Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member.
Technical Competencies:
- Emergency Response and Coordination - Ability to provide operational support for organizational response to emergency situations. This includes consultant, roster management, deployment, fast track, operational aspects of SURGE RESPONSE.
- Data Management - Ability to develop and execute architectures, policies, practices and procedures in order to manage the deployment information/dataset of CRU.
- Knowledge Management - Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge.
- Operational Efficiency - Ability to identify and execute opportunities to improve operational efficiency.
- Priority Setting - Ability to scan and synthesize diverse sets of information to arrive at strategic priorities and positioning recommendations.
Required Skills and Experience
Academic Qualifications:
- Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in international Relations and/or Regional Studies, Project Management, Human Resources or Information Technology is required.
Experience:
- Minimum of 2 years of relevant post Master’s Work experience, in roster management, operations and crisis response is required;
- The candidate should be familiar with matters pertaining to UN/UNDPs technical work, crisis response and humanitarian field work in general;
- Project management, good IT skills and human resources experience is also an advantage;
- Experience with databases and online/offline HR/roster platforms/recruitment tools
- Flexibility and organization and are highly preferred;
- Computer proficient and well versed in the use of the HR databases, online portals, Excel and Word required.
Language:
- Fluency in written and spoken English 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;
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 should specify an all-inclusive daily fee (based on a 7 hour working day - lunch time is not included - and estimated 21.75 days per month).
- 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.
- 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: Proven and relevant experience in working on deployment mechanisms, databases, rosters and/or human resources: Maximum Points: 15;
- Criteria 2: Experience working in the different pillars of the UN system: Maximum Points: 15;
- Criteria 3: Proven ability to deliver in a timely manner within cost and quality standards: Maximum Points: 5;
- Criteria 4: Proven ability to work in a multicultural setting: Maximum Points: 15
- Criteria 5: Proven networking skills: Maximum Points: 5
- Criteria 6: Proven knowledge of organizations and institutions providing the technical knowledge that CRU seeks: Maximum Points: 15
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 consultant will work under the guidance and direct supervision of Programme Specialist (Deployments) and will be responsible for the fulfilment of the deliverables as specified above.
Payment Modality:
• Payment to the Individual Contractor will be made based on the actual number of days worked, 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-hours working day, with core hours being between 9h00 and 18h00 daily.
Annexes (click on the hyperlink to access the documents):
Annex 1 - IC Contract Template
Annex 2 - IC General Terms and Conditions
Annex 3 - RLA Template
Any request for clarification must be sent by email to cpu.bids@undp.org