Country: Pakistan

Duty Station: Home-based

Description of the assignment/Job Title: Lead Researcher on Stability and Land Registration & Administration

Reporting to: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager with quality assurance from Chief Technical Specialist

Project name: Merged Areas Governance Project (MAGP)

Period of assignment/services: 30 Working Days Spread over 5 months

Location: Work from home.

Background:

• Over the last decade, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Merged Areas (MAs) have experienced security challenges and large-scale population displacements. The merger, one of the most significant political reforms in Pakistan’s 70-year history, is an unprecedented extension of constitutional rights and governance structures to 5 million of the poorest people in Pakistan.
• In its broadest sense, the reform process involves the rolling out of constitutional rights to these districts, which includes elections for local governments, the extension of rule of law institutions, and empowered legislature. However, this path is by no ways certain.  Recent research undertaken through this project has underlined some of the risks, including the danger of seeing reforms as a merely technical and mechanistic process. 
• The integration agenda includes new projects which may have the potential to introduce new conflict or exacerbate existing tensions between the state and ex-FATA residents. The tribal decade strategy and accelerated implementation plan which underpin the reform process include extraction of minerals, “land settlement” and the roll out of rule of law systems. While these may be essential aspects for economic, legal and cultural integration, researchers have associated similar initiatives with conflict elsewhere, including within Pakistan itself. There is a risk that these reforms could contribute to further instability in the region if poorly handled. 
• UNDP with support from FCDO is recruiting a lead researcher to research stability implications of land settlement in the merged areas. A field researcher based in Pakistan and contracted through a third-party will support the lead researcher, as well as a team working with the board of revenue.

Objective

This strand of research seeks to better understand the potential contribution of land tenure regularisation to peace and (in)stability in the Merged Areas, and how its impact might vary between districts in order to inform policymakers on the potential adverse effects of this process, how to capitalise or maximise potential opportunities and make well-evidenced recommendations on whether mitigation measures should be adopted and if so, what type.  

• Scope & Methodology

The focus of this research is the registration and digitization process of land ownership rights (referred to as the “land settlement process.”) – and is also known as land tenure regularization. The research should align the typologies used in global land studies and focus on the following in the scope:

a. The risks that a land tenure regularization process could contribute to:

i. (in)stability and conflict in the Merged Districts based on the basis of current trajectory and approach, and the threat posed by those risks;

ii. Extinguishing the rights of women and vulnerable groups

b. Potential opportunities to nudge a land tenure regularisation process in a manner that will contribute to peacebuilding and longer-term stability based on the application of global lesson learning.

c. Practical recommendations and options for risk mitigation measures, disaggregated by district

• Methodological framework development and clarification.

The lead researcher is expected to design and present a proposed methodological framework for an assessment of the dynamics in the Merged Areas. The approach should be a combination of primary and secondary research techniques. Limitations to the research should be identified at the outset. Two supporting evidence assessments are required on:

1. What does the evidence say about the link between the process of land registration and conflict?  How strong is the evidence underpinning individual causes of conflict and instability, as well as the relationship between them, resulting from land registration processes? 
2. Synthesis of the literature on overarching lessons learned from elsewhere as well as an evidence assessment on the relative success/failure of interventions in delivering an improved land management system whilst minimising violence and instability.

• District analysis to include:

With support from the field researcher, the lead researcher will utilize primary data collected at the district level to determine:

1. The extent to which the risks and drivers identified from global evidence exist at the district and/or sub-district level.
2. Potential opportunities to nudge a land tenure regularisation process in a manner that will contribute to peacebuilding and longer-term stability based on the application of global lesson learning
3. An assessment on the severity of risk, drawing on a wider understanding of conflict fault-lines and the political economy for each district/sub-district.
4. This should include recommendation or options on different approaches to LTR that are likely to drive key risks Identify some early warning indicators for monitoring. ???

• Final report. The report should summarise findings ensuring that all the areas above are covered and should make recommendations on potential mitigation measures or policy responses, potential risks and assumptions to be monitored, and to which part of the land process the recommendations apply. Recommendations should be framed in terms of actor responsible – e.g. Government of KP, private sector and investors, and the international community

Outputs

1. Synthesised evidence assessments on the linkages between the process of land tenure regularization and conflict, and on the relative effectiveness of interventions aimed at mitigating risk and promoting opportunities to build peace and stability.
2. Methodological approach
3. Draft structure for final report
4. Final report – to be no longer than 30 pages. 
5. 3 - 5 page policy brief or executive summary.

• Duties and Responsibilities

The lead researcher shall be the primary author of the report with the field researcher as well as providing overall guidance, quality assurance, and critical analysis. This will be done off-site through the exchange of documents and daily communication with the project team and the field researcher.

1. Deliverables, Scope, and Schedule of Payments

    

   Deliverables/ Outputs	Schedule of Payments	Level of Effort	Review and Approvals Required
   Deliverable 1 Approved research design	17%	5 days	MEL Manager Chief Technical Specialist
   Deliverable 2 Submission of draft report.	50%	15 days	MEL Manager Chief Technical Specialist
   Deliverable 3 Final report.	33%	10 days	MEL Manager Chief Technical Specialist

Competencies

Building Strategic Partnerships

• Makes effective use of UNDP’s resources and comparative advantage to strengthen partnerships
• Creates networks and promotes initiatives with partner organizations

Innovation and New Approaches

• Creates an environment that fosters innovation and innovative thinking, especially for Fata reforms contexts
• Conceptualizes more effective approaches to program development and implementation

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing

• Participating in the development of policies and innovative approaches and promoting their application throughout the organization
• Promotes UNDP as a learning/knowledge sharing organization, with a focus on Fata reforms

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise

• Possesses expert knowledge of advanced concepts in primary discipline, a broad knowledge of related disciplines, as well as an in-depth knowledge of relevant organizational policies and procedures, with expertise in reforms contexts
• Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself personally
• Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments

Client Orientation

• Anticipates constraints in the delivery of services and identifies solutions
• Proactively identifies, develops and discusses solutions for clients

Core Competencies

• Promoting ethics and integrity, creating organizational precedents
• Staff competence, creating an environment of creativity and innovation
• Promoting effective teams 
• Very good communication skills. Ability to express clearly and concisely in both written and oral forms
• Transparent decision making; calculated risk-taking
• Ability to be flexible and react to changing circumstances, e.g. security situation

1. QUALIFICATIONS – EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND LANGUAGE:
   1. Minimum 7 years’ of relevant experience in related field such as economics, conflict studies, land tenure.
   2. Significant peer-reviewed published work related to the task.
   3. Active research in the field is an asset. Expertise in south Asia is an asset.
   4. Excellent communication skills, flawless writing, and editing in English.

1. APPLICATION PROCESS AND SELECTION CRITERIA

The following documents must be submitted by interested persons to become an eligible candidate. Failing to comply with the requirements will result in disqualifying the applicant.  Due to the large number of applications we receive, only the successful candidate will be informed about the outcome or status of the selection process.

Interested individual consultants must include the following documents when submitting the applications:

• CV 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 - UNDP retains the right to contact references directly
• One or more analytical pieces demonstrating expertise (may be linked in CV or annexed)
• Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability and Financial Proposal, Applicants are instructed to submit their financial proposals in US Dollars for this consultancy using the annex to the Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability template available here: http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_file.cfm?doc_id=45780.

1. FINANCIAL PROPOSAL

The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount and payment terms around specific and measurable deliverable. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal should include only the daily fee and number of days. Nothing else will be reimbursed.

1. TRAVEL

All travel costs shall be born directly be the consultant and should be included in the financial proposal. Any unexpected approval travel would be reimbursed by UNDP in accordance with policies and procedures.

1. EVALUATION PROCESS

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the cumulative analysis methodology (weighted scoring method), where the award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

• Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and
• Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Technical Criteria weight: 70%

Financial Criteria weight:  30%

Only consultants obtaining a minimum of 70% on the Technical evaluation will be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Copyright

The above assignment will have UNDP sole ownership and copyright.

• Institutional Arrangement and Duty Station:

The Consultant will be working under the direct supervision of the MEL Manager with close coordination with the Chief Technical Specialist.  The consultant will be based off-site.

The lead researcher will be responsible for organizing sufficient access to academic publications and research.