Background

The Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), signed in September 2018, stipulated the formation of a Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU), entrusted with the task of implementing the agreement. After over 9 months delays in the formation of the RTGoNU, the President after consultation returned the country to 10 state and three administrative areas.  This paved the way to the formation of in February 2020, which has brought renewed hope of setting South Sudan on the path towards peace and development. Even so, South Sudan remains highly fragile and the risks of relapsing into conflict are present, persistent as the country continues to face political, institutional, social, and economic challenges. The Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) and Jonglei State are entwined in protract inter and intracommunal violence often perpetrated by youths. Three major violent conflicts have been witnessed between GPAA and Greater Jonglei since February 2020, resulting in loss of many lives, abduction of children and women, huge displacement, loss of sources of livelihoods and destruction of shelters.

The President, in response, has established a High Leve Committee to investigate the cause of conflict with a view to providing the President with recommendations on how to resolve it. UNDP is supporting this committee to visit GPAA to assess the effects of the violence as well as conduct consultations with local communities, to collect the views on how the conflict can be transformed peacefully. On the other hand, GPAA Chief Administrator has expressed the immediate needs of the area, being one of the most underdeveloped areas in the country.

The protracted conflict in Greater Pibor Administrative Area is resource driven, as it is characterized by cattle raids, child abduction, competition over water points & pastures, highway robberies and ambushes. Thus, the sustainable peace and development cannot be achieved in the region without strategic community development of GPAA to address development deficit that form the basis and root causes of the structural violence. Thus, UNDP is seeking to engage a consultant to guide the process for the development of: 1) the Greater Pibor Administrative Area Strategic Community Development Plan with an implementation matrix/plan and budget; 2) GPAA Strategic Community Development Monitoring and Evaluation framework. These documents will be informed by a conflict assessment on GPAA

Duties and Responsibilities

Purpose of the Consultancy

The purpose of the consultancy is to support and provide expertise to administration of Greater Pibor Administrative Area in conducting conflict assessment and developing a 3-year strategic Community development plan as well as a monitoring framework.

Objective of the Consultancy

To conduct conflict assessment and develop a 3-year strategic community development plan as well as a monitoring framework. 

Duties and Responsibilities

In close collaboration with the administration of Greater Pibor Administrative Area, the Consultant is expected to:

• Draft and present an inception report to the administration of Greater Pibor Administrative Area, including key issues arising for consideration in the strategic community Development Plan.
• Develop and present a work plan (including methodology) to the Government of Greater Pibor Administrative Area and strictly follow the agreed work plan.
• Carry out a desk review of documents relevant to understanding of the existing sectors (Education, health, water, roads, law enforcement etc) investments in GPAA, functional state institutions, revenue collection and reallocation, and financial linkages between national government and Greater Pibor Administrative Area, to ascertain community development financing.
• In partnership with Administration of Greater Pibor Administrative Area, conduct conflict assessment of greater Pibor to identify and suggest mitigating measures of structural and non-structural conflict drivers that impede community sustainable development.
• Develop a consultation plan. The consultations should be inclusive and participatory, and the plan should include consultation with a broad range of actors. The plan must consider COVID-19 related social distancing requirements and travel restrictions that may exist.
• Compile the community development strategy. The Strategy should be informed by consultations and be linked to state priorities. The strategy will be presented to the Greater Pibor Administrative Area government.
• Facilitate stakeholder consultations and workshops in accordance with the work plan and consultation strategy;
• Develop the GPAA Strategic Community Development Monitoring and Evaluation framework; and
• Presents the final 3-year community development strategy that clearly outline programmatic priories of Greater Pibor Administrative Area with clear budget and an implementation matrix/plan.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies

• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, and age sensitivity and adaptability
• Demonstrates diplomacy and tact in dealing with sensitive and complex situations
• Strong communication, team building, interpersonal, analysis, and planning skills

Professionalism

• Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of the subject matter
• Demonstrates experience in subject matter
• Demonstrates ability to negotiate and apply good judgment
• Shows pride in work and in achievements
• Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results

Planning & Organizing

• Organizes and accurately completes multiple tasks by establishing priorities while taking into consideration special assignments, frequent interruptions, deadlines, available resources and multiple reporting relationships
• Plans, coordinates and organizes workload while remaining aware of changing priorities and competing deadlines
• Establishes, builds and maintains effective working relationships with staff, partners and beneficiaries to achieve the planned results

Communicating Information and Ideas:

• Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively;
• Delivers verbal/written information in a timely, clear, organised and easily understood manner;
• Strong communication skills and the ability to listen and take direction and leadership from others.

Self-Management & Emotional Intelligence:

• Creating synergies through self-control, and tolerates conditions of stress, uncertainty or ambiguity and continues to maintain a positive outlook to work productively.

Other Corporate competencies:

• Ability to establish effective working relations in a multicultural team environment.
• Excellent supervisory, team building, diplomatic and interpersonal skills.
• Resourcefulness, initiative and maturity of judgement.
• Strong communication and advocacy skills.
• Ability to work in a complex environment requiring liaison and collaboration with multiple factors.
• Ability to demonstrate sensitivity, tact and diplomacy.
• Excellent analytical, organizational and negotiation skills, especially resource management systems.
• Excellent networking skills

Required Skills and Experience

Education

Advanced University Degree, political science, sociology, law, diplomacy, international relations, anthropology, community development, public administration, International development studies. Other relevant Qualifications in peace building and conflict management is desirable.

Experience

• At least 10 years of professional experience, expertise and knowledge, in the field of peacebuilding and conflict analysis, inclusive participation, community development, gender mainstreaming and community cohesion interventions;
• Extensive experience of providing policy advice at international level
• Direct experience working with government institutions
• Excellent writing and analytical skills with a strong background in strategy development.
• Demonstrated ability and willingness to work with people of different cultural, ethnic and religious background, different gender, and diverse political views
• Ability to use critical thinking, conceptualize ideas, and articulate relevant subject matter concisely
• Substantive and technical expertise in one or more of the following issues:
  • Community Development
  • Peacebuilding programming in both peacekeeping and non-peacekeeping contexts
  • Inter-agency policy processes for peacebuilding
  • Small arms control, and community violence reduction
  • Security sector reform
  • Conflict sensitive programming (conflict analysis) and gender mainstreaming
  • Excellent computer/information skills

Language

• Fluency in spoken and written English.
• Knowledge of Arabic is an advantage.

Methodology

The Consultant will be a process facilitator and draw on the technical knowledge of the South Sudanese stakeholders. S/he will facilitate the input of relevant development actors and aspiration of the GPAA communities, rather than draw on his/her existing expertise to draft the strategy. S/he will therefore combine a technical background in community development with an understanding of the GPAA context to structure the process to work appropriately. The consultant will be required to submit request for proposal which explains the methodology of conducting the assignment.

Thus, working under the leadership of Office of Chief Administrator, the consultant will engage a range of stakeholders in a consultative process to refine and crystallise the development vision of Greater Pibor Administrative Area with shared understanding and shared ownership. Relevant stakeholders to be engaged in consultations include:

• Local Communities
• Greater Pibor Administrative Area parliament
• GPAA Council of Ministers
• NGOs/ CSOs
• Academic / Research and think tanks
• Developmental partners /International partners
• Representative of communities

 The strategic framework aims to be:

• Responsive to the local development priorities in the context of Greater Pibor Administrative Area that rely heavily on their input
• Provide clear guidance to the Greater Pibor Administrative Area regarding the tasks that need to be accomplished to ensure a shared understanding of the office of Chief Administrator’s coordinating role
• Promote collaboration and coordination among governmental and developmental actors during the process and after the completion of the strategic plans
• Set developmental priorities in accordance with the local needs and aspiration
• Through a participatory and inclusive process, align peace and development partners intervening in Greater Pibor Administrative Area to the strategic development goal and objectives.

Thus, the consultant will work with:

A Core Reference Group chaired by the Greater Pibor Chief Administrator and comprised of representatives from administration of Greater Pibor Administrative Area and UNDP representatives and experts. The Group will convene periodically throughout the process to assess the progress of the strategic development and guide its refinement, giving further directions to the Implementation Team. The Consultant will provide the team with research to support the process draft the final strategy document and budget.

Time Frame

Institutional arrangements

The consultant can make use of the UNDP offices in South Sudan and is expected to use their own computer/laptop and cell phone.

The consultant will be contracted for 90 full-time working days.

The consultant will report to the Project Manager of the Peace and Community Cohesion Project and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, Office of Administrator who will review and approve delivery of outputs.

Technical proposal comprising of the following:

• Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP
• Personal CV or P11, indicating all prior experience with similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and three (3) professional references
• Brief description (max. 1 page) of why you consider yourself as the most suitable for the assignment, and a methodology (max. 1 page) for how you will approach and complete the assignment

Financial proposal: Indicating the all-inclusive, fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs.

Consultancy Evaluation Criteria

Offers received will be evaluated using a Combined Scoring method, where the qualifications and proposed methodology will be weighted 70%, and combined with the price offer, which will be weighted 30%.

Criteria to be used for rating the qualifications and methodology:

Technical evaluation criteria (total 70 points)

• Experience in working in the areas of community development; international relations, regional development, gender equality and social services [25 marks].
• Experience in strategy development on peacebuilding, experience in Africa and especially South Sudan is an added advantage [30 marks].
• Experience in engaging with institutions at community and at national level [5 marks].
• Proposed methodology [5 marks].
• Relevant Academic Background [5 marks].

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points in the Technical Evaluation will be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Financial evaluation (total 30 points)

All technically qualified proposals will be scored out 30 based on the formula provided below. The maximum points (30) will be assigned to the lowest financial proposal. All other proposals receive points according to the following formula: p y (/z)

Where:

• p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated
• y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal price of the lowest priced proposal
• z = price of the proposal being evaluated.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.