Historique

In his December 2017 report,[1] the Secretary-General (SG) presented his vision and proposals to reposition the UN development system to better respond to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  While the focus was firmly placed on improving the overall effectiveness, accountability and cohesion of the UN development system’s collective results on the ground, the SG further anticipated that the proposed change measures would have the potential to also achieve cost savings that could be redeployed into development activities. 

This aspect of the reform – which later came to be known as “the efficiency agenda” - aims to realize cost avoidance and performance improvement by harmonizing, centralizing and consolidating the use of resources to generate efficiencies in financial and quality terms, to be redeployed as part of programmes to better support the 2030 Agenda.[2]  Both the overall reform process and the efficiency agenda were adopted in General Assembly resolution 72/279 on the repositioning of the UN development system.

Based on estimates of potential efficiency gains from various sources [3], the Secretary General had requested external management consultancies to apply external benchmarking to estimate the potential for efficiencies. These benchmarks – applied to operational data gathered from surveys and data collected from UN development – led to a broad projection of savings of around US$ 310 million [4] a year by 2022, across the UN system. The Secretary-General also outlined several necessary conditions and variables that would ultimately influence these estimates.

Specifically, the SG report cited six initial but non-exhaustive potential areas [5] for consolidation of business operations:

1. “…establish common back offices for all UN country teams by 2022…”;
2. “…ensure compliance with an improved Business Operations Strategy by 2021…”:
3. “…increase the proportion of UN common premises to 50 per cent by 2021…”;
4. “explore various options, including the possible consolidation of location-independent business operations into six or seven networks of shared service centers”;
5. A new generation of UN Country Teams; and
6. Integrating UN Information Centers into Resident Coordinator’s Offices.[6]

The leaders of the Business Innovations Group recently retained the ambition of the commitments and the intent to achieve 310M in savings annually through a variety of inter-agency, agency, and bilateral initiatives and has extended the timeline to meet these targets until end 2024. At the same time, the implementation experience and evidence over the last years suggests that course corrections are needed of the above business operational initiatives if implementation is to be expedited to realize efficiency gains.

Given the limited resources available and little expectation that the resource level will increase to achieve Common Premises targets, efforts to form Common Premises were re-prioritized to focus on locations from which the greatest return on investment can be achieved with limited up-front investment. As such, expansion of Common Premises has been prioritized in the 66 highest cost locations, which would generate approximately 7.7M USD per year in savings providing funding is mobilized to support the effort.

Under the direct supervision of the Common Premises Lead/CBS, the Common Premises Consultant will work with the UN DCO Country Business Strategy Section (CBSS) for the implementation of deliverables to support the roll out the common premises methodology and platform globally. This consultancy will assist in rolling out the Common Premises methodology and database in 131 countries. The methodology focuses on each country establishing a Country Common Premises Plan as a blueprint towards increasing the respective Common Premises percentage.

[1] Secretary General’s report, Repositioning the United Nations development system to deliver on the 2030 Agenda: our promise for dignity, prosperity and peace on a healthy planet, A/72/684-E/2018/7, December 2017.

[2] Id., Ops 11 and 43.

 [4]UNDS Repositioning- Explanatory Note #10, 29 March 2019

[5] To facilitate achievement of the targets, the Secretary General’s report also describes two enablers, mutual recognition and client satisfaction principles, which are necessary to achieve the back-office reforms. A third enabler has also been added, costing and pricing principles, to ensure transparency underpins the system.

[6] Secretary General’s report December 2017 report, OPs 32, 33, 44, 45 and 47.

Devoirs et responsabilités

• The incumbent will be assigned a set list of countries (20- 25 countries maximum).

• For each assigned country, the incumbent will coordinate with the common premises working group in the country to technically support and coordinate the establishment of common premise project package ( space planning calculations, project design brief, cost benefit analysis )in line with the Country Common Premises Plan.

• Review the project package prior to submission to the TTCP+FS for review. Follow up with each country for the implementations of TTCP+FS recommendations.

• Support the countries to record and monitor the project on the Common Premises Platform

• Assist the TTCP+FS in project monitoring.

• Assist in Capacity building of common premises working groups and Operations management teams mostly for assigned countries

• Contribute to Branch’s communication on internal communication platforms, such as the UNSDG website updates, Yammer groups, and SharePoint and other means of community engagement.  

Expected outputs and deliverables

The consultant will deliver the above support in five tranches, the first one being an initial consultation in all the countries and each remaining 4 tranches consisting of a minimum of 6 distinct countries of the total 25 countries identified for this project that will be essential to moving forward targets on Common Premises in 2022-2023. This project will be implemented over six-month period. Progress reports outlining how the consultant met the above responsibilities for each tranche must be submitted and approved by DCO and UNDP prior to the issuance of payment as outlined below: 

The specific responsibility areas for the Consultant and the associated deliverables will include:

Indicators for Evaluation of Deliverables

• Timeliness in delivery of documents, training / knowledge sharing and response to clients as specified above
• Accuracy of Technical support
• Ability to work constructively with internal and external partners

Work implies frequent interaction with the following:

Internal DCO colleagues, and various UN system partners, as well as for members of the client group.

Compétences

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UN DCO;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Treats all people fairly without favoritism.

Technical Competencies:

Ability to analyze and review architectural and engineering plans;
Analytic capacity and demonstrated ability to process, analyses and synthesize complex, technical information;

Knowledge of space planning, environmental sustainability related to buildings, Construction and Real estate;

Communication:

Communicate effectively in writing to a varied and broad audience in a simple and concise manner.

Professionalism:
Capable of working in a high-pressure environment with sharp and frequent deadlines, managing many tasks simultaneously;
Excellent analytical and organizational skills.

Teamwork:

Projects a positive image and is ready to take on a wide range of tasks;
Focuses on results for the client;
Welcomes constructive feedback 

Qualifications et expériences requises

Academic qualifications:

Minimum: University Degree (Bachelor’s degree) in architecture, engineering, real estate or related fields.  

Experience:

Minimum of 5 years of experience in the construction industry (space planning or architecture or engineering or real estate) or related field;   

Working knowledge on platform development is an asset;

Experiences in the development and implementation of space programing and environment sustainability initiatives is an asset;

Experience in delivering training is an asset.

Language:

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required;

• Working knowledge of another UN language would be an asset

Application Procedure

The application package containing the following (to be uploaded as one file):

• A cover letter with a brief description of why the Offer considers her/himself the most suitable for the assignment;

• Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects and specifying the relevant assignment period (from/to), as well as the email and telephone contacts of at least three (3) professional references;

Note: The above documents need to be scanned in one file and uploaded to the online application as one document.

Shortlisted candidates (ONLY) will be requested to submit a Financial Proposal.

• The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around the specific and measurable deliverables of the TOR. Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR, and deliverables accepted and certified by the technical manager.

• The financial proposal must be all-inclusive and take into account various expenses that will be incurred during the contract, including: the daily professional fee; (excluding mission travel); living allowances at the duty station; communications, utilities and consumables; life, health and any other insurance; risks and inconveniences related to work under hardship and hazardous conditions (e.g., personal security needs, etc.), when applicable; and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services under the contract.

• This consultancy is a home-based assignment, therefore, there is no envisaged travel cost to join duty station/repatriation travel.

• In the case of unforeseeable travel requested by UNDP, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between UNDP and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed. In general, UNDP should not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources.

• If the 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 UNDP under a 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 UNDP.

  The Financial Proposal is to be emailed as per the instruction in the separate email that will be sent to shortlisted candidates.

• Evaluation process

  Applicants are reviewed based on Required Skills and Experience stated above and based on the technical evaluation criteria outlined below.  Applicants will be evaluated based on cumulative scoring.  When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

• Being responsive/compliant/acceptable; and
• Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation where technical criteria weighs 70% and Financial criteria/ Proposal weighs 30%.

• Technical evaluation - Total 70% (70 points):

• Criterion 1: Relevance of the work experience in space planning or architecture or engineering or real estate work; Maximum Points: 28;
• Criterion 3. Working knowledge on platform development; Maximum Points: 14;
• Criterion 4. Experiences in the development and implementation of space programing, accessibility and environment sustainability initiatives; Maximum Points: 14;
• Criterion 5. Experience in delivering training; Maximum points: 14

• Candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% (49 points) of the maximum obtainable points for the technical criteria (70 points) shall be considered for the financial evaluation.

  Financial evaluation - Total 30% (30 points)

  The following formula will be used to evaluate financial proposal:

  p = y (µ/z), where

  p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated

  y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal

  µ = price of the lowest priced proposal

  z = price of the proposal being evaluated

  The maximum points that can be achieved in the desk review is 100 points

   

  Contract Award

Candidate obtaining the highest combined scores in the combined score of Technical and Financial evaluation will be considered technically qualified and will be offered to enter into contract with UNDP, issued on behalf of UNDCO.

Institutional arrangement

The consultant will work under the guidance and direct supervision of the Common Premises Lead within the UN DCO Country Business Strategy Section (CBSS) and will be responsible for the fulfilment of the deliverables as specified above.

The Consultant will be responsible for providing her/his own laptop.

Payment modality

• Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified above and deliverables accepted and upon certification of satisfactory completion by the manager.

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

  Annex 1 - UNDP P-11 Form for ICs

  Annex 2 - IC Contract Template

  Annex 3 – IC General Terms and Conditions

  Annex 4 – RLA Template

   

  Any request for clarification must be sent by email to cpu.bids@undp.org 

  The UNDP Central Procurement Unit will respond by email and will send written copies of the response, including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry, to all applicants.

  The work week will be based on 35 hours, i.e. on a 7 hour working day, with core hours being between 9h00 and 18h00 daily.