Project Title

Enhanced Manufacturing of Protective Wear for COVID-19 Response in the Philippines (EMPOWER PH)

Project Description

The unprecedented spread of COVID-19 in the Philippines has resulted in a shortage of medical PPEs across the healthcare system. Hospitals have begun publicly requesting for donations to help solve this problem. While several individuals and organizations have responded to the call to help, there is a pressing need to coordinate these actions to ensure that the supplies are delivered to the right hospital at the right time, quantity, and quality. 

UNDP Philippines, in line with of UNDP’s global offer on COVID-19 response, aims to support local and volunteer manufacturers of health and medical supplies to strengthen the national health system through a business matching digital solution. This initiative aims to provide a collaboration platform to accelerate production and distribution of essential items in order to meet increasing demand for personal protective equipment (PPE), ensure product quality standards, and provide livelihood opportunities for low-skilled and vulnerable groups.? 

Methods for addressing medical supply chain issues will not be possible simply by redirecting government resources and logistics or through public and private donors, but by more effectively linking demand to potential informal sector and small-scale suppliers. The Bangsamoro ARMM’s Ministry of Health could benefit from a “supply management” platform given its very basic capabilities in this regard. 

Together with government partners, this initiative will fast track a matchmaking and accreditation process for local manufacturers, ensuring the quality goods reach the hospitals low on stock on time. The system will involve an online platform for tracking supply related information that could be accessed by contracted suppliers, national and local governments, for both making new entries as well as accessing supply related information. 

UNDP will serve as a resource center for business and/or grant opportunities, matching the sources as well as the beneficiaries. It will take on challenges to address bottlenecks and chokepoints as well as inclusion of unmapped suppliers onboard in order to ensure that no one gets left behind. Shifts in models and narratives that emerge out of these disruptions will be captured to support institutionalization of best practices in the transition towards a more sustainable and inclusive business environment.

The engagement of a Local Supply Development Consultant is needed to contribute to the initiative of UNDP in enhancing local PPE manufacturing in response to COVID-19.

Institutional Arrangements

1. The consultant will work under the overall guidance of the Programme Analyst of Institutions and Partnershiops.  The consultant will  closely coordinate with the Project Coordinator, the Technical and Quality Assessment Consultant, the Data Platform Consultant, the UX/UI Design Consultant and the Communications Consultant;
2. UNDP Philippines shall be entitled to intellectual property and other proprietary rights over all materials that have direct relation to the project.
3. Considering the COVID-19 pandemic and declaration of State of Public Health Emergency in the Philippines, all work of the Individual consultant shall be done within the guidelines and protocols set by the local and national government.
4. This consultancy shall be performed remotely and will be a home-based assignment. The Consultant is expected to have his/her own equipment, office space, and internet connectivity. Coordination/meetings shall be done through phone or online communication until such time that the quarantine is lifted.

Duration of Work

The Contractor will be engaged from September 17 to October 30, 2020, unless revised in a mutually agreed-upon timetable by UNDP and the Contractor. Changes in the duration of the contract will be implemented through the issuance of a contract amendment. The consultant is expected to render a total of 20 person-days spread over one and a half (1.5) month from September to October 2020.

Duty Station   

The Contractor can work remotely during the contract, but is required to attend meetings if needed and as scheduled.

Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

            The financial proposals from possible candidates should be expressed in lump sum amount (please indicate daily fee X number of person-days) inclusive of all financial costs related to this engagement (communications, etc.).

Medical/health insurance must be purchased by the individual at his/her own expense, and upon award of contract, the consultant must be ready to submit proof of insurance valid during contract duration.

Payments will be made when specific outputs have been submitted, as outlined below:

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Programme Analyst and close coordination with Project Coordinator, the Technical and Quality Assessment Consultant, the Data Platform Consultant, the UX/UI Design Consultant and the Communications Consultant, the Consultant shall deliver the following scope of work:

• Perform status review of the platform architecture based on the post-pilot learnings, in preparation for the public soft-launch and handover to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI);
• Conduct peer review of the technical packs, manufacturing best practices and vetting process to ensure alignment with practical requirements of garments manufacturers;
• Provide guidance to the Data Platform and UX/UI Design Consultant in developing the vetting mechanism in the EMPOWER-PH platform according to the criteria and procedures signed off by the DTI, and in finalizing the platform based on the feedback gathered from the pilot test in preparation for public soft launch;
• Conduct review of the platform resource center materials (i.e., simplified content and visuals of the technical packs and manufacturing best practices) to ensure comprehensibility of content for the use of garments manufacturers;
• Participation in discussions with government agency, private sector and/or non-profit organization partners (e.g., DTI and its affiliate bureaus, DOH, FDA, PDRF, etc.) with regard to the preparation of the platform’s various components for the public soft launch.

Expected Output and Deliverables                                     

The Individual Consultant is expected to accomplish the following activities with corresponding deliverables:

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.

Functional and technical competencies

• Ability to work in a diverse and multi-cultural environment;
• Self-motivated and ability to work under pressure and to meet strict and competing deadlines;
• Displays analytical judgment and demonstrated ability to handle confidential and politically sensitive issues in a responsible and mature manner;
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;

Offers will be evaluated based on the combined scoring method :

• Technical qualifications = 70%
• Financial Proposal =    30%

For the evaluation of the Technical Proposal, the selection of the successful consultant must be based on the following qualifications (with the appropriate obtainable points): 

Applicants who will only receive 70 points from the assessment of the CV will be qualified for the assessment of the Financial Proposal.

Recommended Presentation of Offer

Interested applicants 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. 

1. Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
2. Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate
3. Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment, and a methodology, if applicable, on how they will approach and complete the assignment.
4. Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided.  Medical/health insurance must be purchased by the individual at his/her own expense, and upon award of contract, the consultant must be ready to submit proof of insurance valid during contract duration.

Interested applicants to note that personal Medical/health insurance (to be purchased by the individual at his/her own expense) is mandatory for the issuance of contracts. Upon award of the contract, the consultant must be ready to submit proof of insurance valid during the contract duration.

The following templates / Annexes and IC General Terms & Conditions can be downloaded from http://gofile.me/6xdJm/bE9TCw8fU:

• General Terms and Conditions for Individual Contract
• Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability
• P-11 form

In view of the volume of applications, UNDP receives, only shortlisted offerors will be notified.