Background

UNDP Global Mission Statement:

UNDP is the UN’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working with national counterparts on their own solutions to global and national development challenges.

UNDP Afghanistan Mission Statement:

UNDP supports stabilization, state-building, governance and development priorities in Afghanistan. UNDP support, in partnership with the Government, the United Nations system, the donor community and other development stakeholders, has contributed to institutional development efforts leading to positive impact on the lives of Afghan citizens. Over the years UNDP support has spanned such milestone efforts as the adoption of the Constitution; Presidential, Parliamentary and Provincial Council elections; institutional development through capacity-building to the legislative, the judicial and executive arms of the state, and key ministries, Government agencies and commissions at the national and subnational levels. UNDP has played a key role in the management of the Law and Order Trust Fund, which supports the Government in developing and maintaining the national police force and in efforts to stabilize the internal security environment. Major demobilization, disarmament and rehabilitation and area-based livelihoods and reconstruction programmes have taken place nationwide. UNDP Programmes in Afghanistan have benefited from the very active support of donors. UNDP Afghanistan is committed to the highest standards of transparency and accountability and works in close coordination with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and the UN system as a whole to maximize the impact of its development efforts on the ground.

 

Organizational Context:

Local Governance Project-Afghanistan (LoGo) is building upon the lessons learned from UNDP’s Afghanistan Sub-National Governance Programme (ASGP). Through the LoGo project, the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG) and UNDP will jointly address the top three priorities of IDLG which are: 1) service delivery; 2) accountability; and 3) clear functions and mandates. The project builds on a new theory of change aimed at improving service delivery by enhancing the accountability and transparency of the local governments to the women and men of Afghanistan and building the capacity of the local governments to plan, budget and monitor service delivery effectively with the ultimate aim of increasing the legitimacy of the government and the trust between the state and society.

The GIRoA, with UNDP support, will focus on the following areas:

  • Subnational state institutions, (Provincial Governor Offices, District Governor Offices, Provincial Sector and Technical Services department, Provincial Council, Provincial Development Committees, Moustafiats, Department of Economy), enhance their capacities in outreach, planning, monitoring and budgeting for accountable and transparent service delivery;  
  • Municipalities deliver services in a more accountable and participatory manner;
  • Accountability of local governance enhanced through civil society oversight organizations/groups;
  • Central level government institutions develop and implement policy guidelines which improve local government accountability and service delivery.
  • The project will work with the relevant government ministries that cover subnational planning and budgeting, monitoring and evaluation and representative bodies as well as civic society.  These include the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG), the Ministry of Economy (MoEc), and the Ministry of Finance (MoF) and ensuring complimentary with the other programmes, especially USAID, GIZ, UN Habitat and the World Bank

 

Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG)

The Independent Directorate for Local Governance (IDLG) was established through a presidential decree in August 2007. Its mandate is to strengthen local governance, help maintain security and facilitate development. IDLG with support from national and international organizations will take firm collective steps to help strengthen local administrations. In this context, IDLG has initiated four pillars of interventions for sub-national governance: 1) policy development; 2) Institutional building; 3) broader local governance – governance programs; and 4) support regular functions.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work and Deliverables

Objective of the Assignment:

The points below outline some of the guiding and key issues for the consultant to be able to carry out deliverables of this assignment:

  • Conduct situational analysis of DG-HR of IDLG, identify threats and opportunities and recommendations for improvement;
  • Carryout thorough study to identify cases for review for the development of case study;
  • Conduct capacity need analysis to develop capacity building proposal for Deputy Governors.
  • Carry out a thorough overview of IDLG’s capacity building strategy and come up with recommendation on improvement of the strategy.
  • Review local governance HR legal and policy framework and identify areas of improvement.
  • Consult Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission and PGOs for the development of capacity building proposal for deputy governors

The consultant under the direct supervision of IDLG DG-HR, and in consultation with the Sub-national Policy Component Lead of LoGo Project will carry out following specific duties:

The specific tasks shall be the following:

1- Revise and update Strategic Plan of IDLG Directorate General of Human Resources (DG-HR)

  1. Conduct situational analysis of DG-HR;
  2. Present the findings of the situational analysis to DG-HR and UNDP-LoGo Management
  3. Conduct consultations with relevant Directorate of DG-HR on the way forward
  4. Draft the strategic plan and present it for feedback
  5. Collect views and finalize the strategic plan
  6. Develop implementation plan for the Strategic plan

 

2- Handout on Local Governance Case Studies

  1. Identify 20 best case studies from inside Afghanistan in consultation with IDLG Directorates
  2. Design a template for case studies
  3. Interview IDLG Directorates and programs for details of case studies
  4. Write the case studies in two forms
    1. For trainees to see and work on
    2. For trainers with explanatory notes
  5. Package them as handout and finalize

3- Proposal on Capacity Development of Deputy Governors

  1. Conduct assessment and consultation
  2. Identify and collect the structural requirements of the proposals
  3. Consult DG-HR and the team on the needs
  4. Write the proposal, collect feedback, finalize and then submit

4- submit final deliverable report for review and approval of UNDP-LoGo management.

5- Support International technical Consultant in development of sub-national governance academy, provide advice on curriculum development and identifying key challenges/gaps

 

Expected Outputs and Deliverables; Estimated duration to complete and Payment percentage:

First Deliverable: 20 Working Days (40%);

  • Develop and submit final Strategic Plan of DG HR to DG-HR and UNDP-LoGo Management

Second Deliverable: 14 Working Days (30%);

  • Develop and submit final handout on Local Governance Case Studies

Third Deliverable: 10 Working Days (30%)

  •  Develop and submit final Proposal on Capacity Development of Deputy Governors
  •  Submit final/end of assignment report and key recommendations for the way forward

 

Payment Modality: 

Payments under the contract shall be delivery based and be made on receipt of the specific milestone reports indicated above and including a timesheet according to UNDP procurement formats for individual contractors. Indicated payment instalments in the table above shall be made upon approval of deliverables by IDLG DM-Policy Office. The report on deliverables will be reviewed by IDLG DM Policy team and LoGo SNP component. Upon receipt of final approval by DM Policy Office on satisfactory complete of the deliverable, the payment shall be released by UNDP/LoGo.

Working Arrangements

Institutional Arrangements:

The national consultant will work under the overall supervision of IDLG DG-HR and the LoGo Subnational Policy Component (SNP) lead.

Monitoring and reporting arrangements:

The consultant shall work under direct supervision of IDLG-DG-HR and UNDP/LoGo project SNP component lead and in close coordination with other relevant stakeholders.

IDLG DG-HR will provide office space and internet facility to consultant and work closely with the same team. LoGo SNP component will monitor progress in biweekly manner and shall request updates based on internal deadlines of LoGo project. The consultant however is expected to bring his/her own laptop and mobile phone and meet local communications costs. Costs to arrange meetings, workshops, travel costs and DSA during field visits (if any) shall be covered by LoGo project subject to approval by project director and if the cost is already forecasted in the budget document.

Duration of the Work

Contract duration of National Capacity building Consultant will be for 8 weeks with maximum 44 working days. Contract may be extended based on results, performance, and changes in deliverables, and subject to the justified approval from project director within the budget allocation.

 Duty Station

The duty station for the contractor is Kabul, Afghanistan for the entire duration of the contract. The Contractor will be required to report regularly and be present at the IDLG – DG-HR and LoGo project during the working hours. The contractor will follow the working hours and weekends as applicable to LoGo staff. Contractor’s movement for meetings and consultations shall be coordinated by LoGo project office. The contractor is at all times required to observe UNDP security rules and regulations.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

  • Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
  • Treats all people fairly without favoritism.

Functional Competencies:

Knowledge Management and Learning:

  • In-depth practical knowledge of inter-disciplinary development issues;
  • Seeks and applies knowledge, information, and best practices from within and outside of UNDP.

Development and Operational Effectiveness:

  • Ability to lead strategic planning, change processes, results-based management and reporting;
  • Ability to lead formulation, oversight of implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects;
  • Ability to apply development theory to the specific country context to identify creative, practical approaches to overcome challenging situations.

Management and Leadership:

  • Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
  • Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
  • Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
  • Ability to lead effectively, mentoring as well as conflict resolution skills;
  • Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills;
  • Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure;

Proven networking, team-building, organizational and communication skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications:

  • Master’s degree in Human Resources Management, Institutional Management and Leadership, Public Policy, or any other related field.

Years of experience:

  • At least 5 years of work experience in provision of policy advice, governance, capacity building, strategic planning or related field.
  • Experience conducting needs assessment, developing of curriculum and training materials;
  • Good understanding of national and local government processes;
  • Prior working experience with government will be considered as an asset.

Language:

  • Excellent language (English, Pashto and/or Dari) and computer skills.

Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments:

The contractor shall submit a price proposal as below:

  • Daily Fee – The contractor shall propose a daily fee which should be inclusive of his/her professional fee, local communication and transportation costs. The number of working days for which the daily fee shall be payable under the contract is maximum 44 working days.

The total professional fee shall be converted into a lump-sum contract and payments under the contract shall be made on submission and acceptance of deliverables under the contract in accordance with the schedule of payment linked with deliverables.

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:

  1. Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and
  2. Having received the 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 of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Technical Criteria 70 points

Technical Proposal (30 marks)

  1. Technical Approach & Methodology (20 marks) – This Explain the understanding of the objectives of the assignment, approach to the services, methodology for carrying out the activities and obtaining the expected output, and the degree of detail of such output. The Applicant should also explain the methodologies proposed to adopt and highlight the compatibility of those methodologies with the proposed approach.
  2. Work Plan (10 marks) – The Applicant should propose the main activities of the assignment, their content and duration, phasing and interrelations, milestones (including interim approvals by the Client), and delivery dates. The proposed work plan should be consistent with the technical approach and methodology, showing understanding of the TOR and ability to translate them into a feasible working plan.

Qualification and Experience (40 marks) [evaluation of CV for shortlisting]:

  1. General Qualification (15 marks);

Experience relevant to the assignment (25 marks)

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals:

Interested National consultants (Procurement) must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications in one single PDF document:

  • Duly accomplished Confirmation of Interest and Submission of Financial Proposal Template using the template provided by UNDP (Annex II);
  • 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.

Technical Proposal:

  • Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment;
  • A methodology, on how they will approach and complete the assignment and work plan as indicated above;
  • Comprehensive work plan for entire consultancy period.

Annexes (click on the hyperlink to access the documents):

Incomplete application will not be considered, it will be disqualified automatically.