The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide. Volunteerism is a powerful means of engaging people in tackling development challenges, and it can transform the pace and nature of development. Volunteerism benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer by strengthening trust, solidarity and reciprocity among citizens, and by purposefully creating opportunities for participation. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for recognition of volunteers, working with partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing an increasing number and diversity of volunteers, including experienced UN Volunteers, throughout the world. UNV embraces volunteerism as universal and inclusive, and recognizes volunteerism in its diversity, as well as the values that sustain it: free will, commitment, engagement and solidarity. UNV is headquartered in Bonn, Germany with an office in New York and has five regional offices in Amman, Bangkok, Dakar, Nairobi and Panama.
The Volunteer Advisory Services Section (VASS) enhances UNV’s proactive capacity to mainstream volunteerism into peace and development initiatives through research, the generation of knowledge and evidence and the provision of technical advisory services to UN member states on research, measurement and volunteer infrastructure.  VASS also hosts the Plan of Action Secretariat.
The Plan of Action to Integrate Volunteering into the 2030 Agenda (Plan of Action) is a framework under the auspices of the UN through which governments, volunteer-involving organizations, UN agencies, private sector, civil society, and academia come together to strengthen people’s ownership of the 2030 Agenda, integrate volunteering in national strategies and policies, and measure the contribution of volunteering to the SDGs.

One focus under the Plan of Action is the generation of data and evidence on volunteering under a number of workstreams:

i. Workstream 1: Mapping trends and evidence: Stocktake of volunteer contributions to the SDGs from 2015-2020. As part of the SDG stocktacking, a global survey on volunteering and a call for good practice be implemented with the view to highlight examples of good practices of volunteering and supporting volunteering from a broad range of stakeholders and to share approaches that can be replicated or scaled-up.
ii. Workstream 2: Volunteering as SDG accelerator: applying volunteering to the pressing issues of our time – inequality, climate change and youth empowerment
iii. Workstream 3: Next generation volunteering support: designing an enabling environment for volunteering in the 21st Century
iv. Workstream 4: Measurement of the economic and social contributions of volunteer work

The Plan of Action recognizes that evidence-building must be global and inclusive: “A collective and shared global volunteerism research agenda will allow for greater resourcing, collecting and dissemination of key evidence. Strengthening the evidence of the impact of volunteerism and sharing related knowledge within and beyond the volunteer community is a prerequisite for effectively influencing policies, programming and joint action” (Plan of Action, para 95). 

As part of the Plan of Action and as requested by United Nations General Assembly (GA) Resolutions A/RES/70/129 and A/RES/73/140, UNV and the International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies will chair a Global Technical Meeting (GTM2020) at the 2020 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) on the topic of “Reimagining volunteering for the 2030 Agenda.”

Knowledge portal on volunteering for the SDGs
At the same time, VASS is also leading the development of a knowledge portal which will serve as a go-to space for accessing up-to-date global, regional, and national data related to volunteerism. Launching during the first week of the High-Level Political Forum on the SDGs, the portal’s main features include a global Volunteering Database - UNV’s unique offer which will sketch the global volunteering landscape, including data on national legislation, policies and strategies relevant to volunteering; measurement activities; and other relevant data. In addition to data and statistics, the portal will feature an Evidence Library, which will consolidate knowledge products such as publications, think pieces, academic researches from different regions focusing initially on cross cutting thematic areas such as measurement, gender, climate change, youth and inequality and other on demand topics that will help enhance our understanding of the contribution of volunteering to a specific development topic.

Under the overall guidance of the VASS Programme Specialist (Knowledge), the Consultant will be responsible for evidence gathering on the contribution of volunteerism to the SDGs and on cross-cutting thematic areas in the Arab region. Specific responsibilities include the following:

1. Dissemination and visibility of Plan of Action calls for evidence in the Arab region: Building and maintaining a network of contacts (policy, research, practitioners) and disseminating the various calls for inputs; including translating the calls from English to Arabic to increase outreach. No of days 3. Deadline; 8 February 2020

Publications for knowledge portal: Developing a regional evidence map / list  of knowledge products based on academic research and programme evaluations on volunteering and civic action from the Arab region; From these, select ten most important knowledge products; and for each of the ten, develop a 1-page summary in English, provide a 1 paragraph synthesis and meta data for the knowledge portal. No of days ; 10. Deadline 31 March 2020

1. Think pieces for the knowledge portal:  Identify at least two subject matter experts from the region, and in collaboration with the Programme Specialist Knowledge, coordinate the writing and editing of 2 x 500-word think pieces that will help position volunteering in regional discussions around gender, youth, climate change, peacebuilding or any other relevant thematic area; Translate the think piece to English if necessary. No of days ; 3, Deadline 30 April 2020
2. Good practice database: Support the gathering and selecting good practices of volunteering for the SDGs from the region, including coordinating with regional actors to submit information, as well as supporting quality assurance, fact checking, translation and selection. No of days: 6.  Ongoing to 30 April 2020
3. Support and Quality Assurance of the results of the SDG Action Campaign’s Global MyWorld Volunteering survey to Arabic and related communications, including translation of dissemination materials, and analysis. No of days 2;  30 April 2020

          Total number of days: 24 

• Strong research and analytical skills, with demonstrated ability to synthesise evidence;
• Excellent knowledge of the 2030 Agenda and sustainable development;
• Strong knowledge of volunteering, citizen action and/or participatory development;
• Networks and contacts within the volunteerism and civic action for development field
• Ability to work independently.
• Fluency in English and Arabic essential

Education: Advanced university degree (Master’s and above) in social, political, or economic sciences.
Experience: At least 5 years’ relevant experience in research and policy on sustainable development, including within the framework of Agenda 2030 and the SDGs; Experience of research and policy engagement on related issues (volunteerism, enabling environment for volunteering and citizen engagement) is an asset;

Strong knowledge of the Arab region 
Language requirements:  English and Arabic.  Other UN languages are asset.

Applicants have to provide a technical and financial proposal. 

The technical proposal shall describe the methodology and the approach how to fulfill the required deliverables as well as outline the major components of its implementation.
The financial proposal shall consist of all-inclusive lump sum for the whole duration of the contract period, which shall include the consultancy fee, costs of living, costs for insurance, etc. The financial proposal shall contain a breakdown of these costs and indicate the number of off-days the consultant wants to take during the contract period (if any).
The lump sum/contract price is fixed regardless of subsequent changes in the cost components.

Criteria for Selection of the Best offer:

The selection of the best offer will be based on the combined scoring method – where the qualifications and methodology will be weighted – 70% , and combined with the price offer which will be weighted 30%.

Key selection criteria are

1. Demonstrated track record in researching and writing to an academic standard on sustainable development and/or volunteerism and related issues (participation, engagement, civic action) in the Arab States region in both English and Arabic based on CV/P11 and listed examples of previous work in this area (40%)
2. Technical proposal expresses clearly how expertise and prior experience will enable completion of deliverables to the high standard (30%)
3. Financial proposal (30%)

Application procedure:
Qualified candidates must apply online via the UNDP Jobshop. Interested candidates are advised to carefully review these terms of reference and ensure that they meet the requirements and qualifications described above.

Applications should contain:
a) Cover Letter, including a summary of your experience and expertise and why you are the most suitable for the job

b) the Technical Proposal which includes the  methodology on how the consultant will approach and conduct the work,
c) Financial Proposal using the duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability (COI) link to COI template ; https://popp.undp.org/_layouts/15/WopiFrame.aspx?sourcedoc=/UNDP_POPP_DOCUMENT_LIBRARY/Public/PSU_%20Individual%20Contract_Offerors%20Letter%20to%20UNDP%20Confirming%20Interest%20and%20Availability.docx&action=default

Your Financial Proposal must indicate  the total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided.  If an 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 UNV under 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 UNV

d) 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;

Please paste the cover letter into the "Resume and Motivation" section of the electronic application and ensure you have provided all requested materials. All supporting documents should be scanned and attached into one PDF format document. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Queries should be sent to: procurement@unv.org, att Marc Wharton clearly marking – 94348-Consultant for regional evidence gathering -Arab Region.

Terms and conditions, as well as contract samples can be found at this link:
http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/documents/procurement/documents/IC%20-%20General%20Conditions.pdf
as well as  contract samples can be found at this link: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/procurement/business/how-we-buy.html

Due to the large number of applications we receive, we are only able to inform the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process.

Please make sure you provide all requested materials. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applications sent by email will not be considered.

Note: UNDP/UNV reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this procurement notice.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP/UNV with similar terms of reference, experience and educational requirements.