Historique

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP supports over 132 countries around the globe in the areas of Poverty Reduction, Democratic Governance, Environment and Energy, Capacity Development, Gender, HIV/AIDS and Crisis Prevention and Recovery. The Bureau for Development Policy (BDP) is UNDP’s policy bureau. BDP plays a key role in helping country offices accelerate human development through UNDP’s programmes and initiatives.
 
The Democratic Governance Practice (DGP) is the largest practice area in UNDP/BDP. It works on building effective and capable states that are accountable and transparent. The principal areas of work are organized around 3 clusters: Inclusive Participation, Responsive Governing Institutions, and International Norms and Principles.
 
  • The Inclusive Participation cluster supports efforts for expanding opportunities for civic engagement – particularly of the poor, women, youth, indigenous people, and other marginalized groups – in the channels of interaction with the state, at national, regional and local levels.
  • The Responsive Institutions cluster promotes the development of institutional capacity, and accountability, in the area of access to justice, rule of law and security, public administration and local governance at the national, regional and local level to ensure these institutions reflect and serve the needs, priorities, and interests of all people. Programme priority is given to strengthening the mechanisms of responsiveness and public accountability to the concerns and interests of poor people, women, and other vulnerable or excluded groups.
  • The International Norms and Principles cluster promotes integration of UN principles, policies, practices, and strategies (on human rights, anti-corruption and gender) within and outside the UN family
Political Economy Analysis in UNDP:

Over the past years, UNDP has developed rigorous analysis and assessment frameworks implemented by different parts of the organization to ensure that programming is based on solid and realistic evidence. There is, however, a growing recognition that as development practitioners, we lack tools to help us navigate the ‘enabling environment’, which plays a fundamental role in the success or failure of our efforts to support our national partners. Indeed, aid effectiveness and impact of the UN development assistance depends on a solid analysis and understanding of the underlying incentives that influence the behaviour of people working within formal institutions. These incentive structures are made up of a complex mix of context specific factors, including access to economic resources, political power relationships, cultural understandings, religion and identity. Formal institutions function according to the underlying political settlement and a complex mix of factors of the societal scaffolding that supports it.
This was also a key message stressed at the last Democratic Governance Community of Practice Meeting (Dakar, 15-19 February 2010): the need for thorough understanding of the context that UNDP works in, whether it is at the regional, national, or sub-national level. As stated in the meeting, regular and high quality political economy analysis is required for this so that the strategic support that UNDP provides is relevant and realistic.
 
In 2010 a UNDP working group was convened by the Democratic Governance Group (DGG) / Bureau for Development Policy to explore ways in which political economy analyses could be applied to support UNDP’s mandate and interventions. Since then, the Oslo Governance Centre (OGC) has coordinated a series of working group consultations and meetings geared towards the production of a UNDP Political Economy Analysis Practitioner’s Guide and development of learning opportunities for UNDP staff at countries offices, regional centres and headquarters.  Against this background, UNDP is soliciting applications from highly qualified experts in order to expand the DG experts roster and enhance our capacity to respond quickly to demand for additional expertise from regional and country offices.

Devoirs et responsabilités

The range of tasks that would typically be expected from a consultant includes:

  • Conduct customized political economy analyses in order to assess the enabling environment for programming based on demand from various country offices and/or Regional Service Centers
  • Provide input to UNDAF/CCA processes, as requested
  • Develop capacities of Regional Service Centers and/or country offices on PEA methodologies.
  • Assist OGC/DGG, the regional center, the country office in the preparation of training events, publications or meetings
  • Support BDP/DGG in strengthening their knowledge base for PEA.

Compétences

  • Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN's values and ethical standards
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
  • Ability to work in a team
  • Ability to structure a task in terms of the analytic/investigative process and to produce a well-structured output.
  • Strong interpersonal skills, communication and diplomatic skills
  • Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback
  • Ability to work under pressure and stressful situations
  • Ability to manage workload with minimum supervision
  • Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities

Qualifications et expériences requises

Education:
  • Minimum Master’s degree in Economics, Sociology, Public Policy, Political Analysis, Political Science, International Affairs, Development Studies, Investigative Journalism or Law.
Experience:
  • Minimum 7 years of proving relevant work experience, with a minimum of 5 years of experience in carrying out political economy analyses or similar types of analyses for national governments and /or bilateral and multilateral donors.
  • Experience in planning processes (e.g. UNDAF, PCNA, PRSP, etc) and UNDP analytical frameworks is an asset.
  • Extensive experience applying qualitative and quantitative methods of social research.
  • Expertise in designing, facilitating and managing participatory processes.
  • Experience with the drafting  of user-friendly knowledge products such as books, articles, research papers, toolkits, guides, methodologies, analytical documents, policy papers and notes, project and program documents, baseline studies, desk reviews, comparative studies, etc. is an asset.
  • Experience with working in crisis-affected/fragile contexts is an asset.
  • Experience with capacity development theory and practical application is an asset.
  • Knowledge of analytical tools employed in crisis-affected/fragile contexts is an asset.
Languages:
  • Fluency in spoken and written English is a must.
  • French, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese and/or Arabic an asset.
Computer skills:
  •  IT literacy and ability to operate with on-line web-based applications.
Evaluation of Applicants
 
  • Applicants will be screened against qualifications and the competencies specified above.
  • Short listed candidates will be invited to participate in an interview and/or assessment.
  • Candidates’ references –including past employers- will be verified and confirmed.
  • Selected candidates will be invited to create a profile in the roster; where they can be considered for consultancy opportunities as needs arise.
Contracting Arrangements
  • Successful candidates will be included in UNDP’s Democratic Governance Vetted Experts Roster for a period of 2 years. Inclusion in the expert roster does not guarantee a contract with UNDP.

When a request for services arises, the hiring unit/office shall:

  • Contact the roster manager or search the roster to select at least three qualified experts
  • Send the procurement notice and ToRs for the assignment to the selected experts with a request to confirm availability and submit a financial proposal for the assignment within 3-5 business days
  • Review the submissions and financial proposals
  • Select an expert for the assignment based on the ‘Best value for money’ approach.
  • Issue an Individual Contract to the expert
  • Notify the roster manager of the decision and of the duration of the contract issued to the expert.
  • Submit an evaluation of the expert to the roster manager once the assignment is completed; and before the final payment is issued.
  • The contracting unit/office will provide a specific Term of Reference (ToR) outlining the outputs for each assignment and issue an Individual Contract (IC) to the consultant, detailing the time frame, and frequency/modality of payments.
  • Conditions of a particular assignment may be negotiable. 
 
Payment
Payment/s shall be made following certification by UNDP that the services related to each deliverable, as specified in the contract, have been satisfactorily performed and the deliverables have been achieved by or before the due dates specified, if any.
Please note that an evaluation of the expert must be submitted by the hiring unit before issuance of the last payment on the assignment.
 
Application Procedure
Qualified candidates are requested to apply online via the UNDP website.
This call for applications is specifically directed at Political Economy Analysis Experts. Interested candidates are advised to carefully review this ToR and ensure that they meet the requirements and qualifications described above.
Experts can apply to more than one expert roster. Candidates interested in being considered for other thematic rosters should submit a separate application, in response to the specific vacancy announcement for that thematic area.
 
All Democratic Governance Vetted Experts Roster announcements are accessible below:
 
Experts must submit all materials requested for each thematic area of interest.  Applications (for each roster) should contain:
  • A brief cover letter, clearly identifying the sub-area(s) of interest and expertise for which the applicant wishes to be considered. Please paste the letter into the "Resume and Motivation" section of the electronic application.
  • A current completed and signed P11 form/ UN Personal History Form in English (blank form can be downloaded from www.sas.undp.org/documents/p11_personal_history_form.doc); please upload the P11 instead of your CV. ); please upload the P11 instead of your CV.
  • Contact details for 3 references. Please note that your previous employers could also be contacted.
  • Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you provide all requested materials
  • The deadline for submission of applications is 14 October 2011.
Qualified women and members of social minorities are encouraged to apply. 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.