Historique

UNDP partners with national governments and people at all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. Active in more than 170 countries and territories, UNDP offers a global perspective and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations. UNDP helps countries to build and share development solutions in the following three main areas:

  1. Sustainable Inclusive Development;
  2. Democratic Governance and Peacebuilding;
  3. Climate and Disaster Resilience.

The European Commission (EC), together with the member states of the European Union represent an important strategic partner of UNDP in terms of development policy dialogue and programmatic partnerships. Furthermore the EU counts amongst the largest non-core contributors to UNDP. In the Latin America and Caribbean region UNDP has gradually developed high-level dialogue with the EC on policy and program perspectives in the region. The recently-revamped EU development cooperation policy labeled the ‘European Consensus’ as well as the instruments for development cooperation, coupled with the important bi-regional political dialogue between the EU and the LAC region, represents landmarks that require close monitoring in Brussels. The EU is the largest donor in the LAC region and the most important trade and investment partner for most countries in the region. Under its financial perspectives 2014-2020, the EU has reserved for the external assistance budget a global amount of EUR 86bn, which is distributed in geographical and thematic financial instruments.

UNDP also maintains an active policy and programmatic exchange with the African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States (ACP) Secretariat in Brussels with a number of initiatives being currently discussed through the Intra-ACP programme.

Looking at new partnerships, UNDP currently seeks to catalyze action that will help governments take advantage of multilateral funding for development. In this context UNDP is exploring potential innovative partnerships with IFIs (such as the EIB in Europe), among others.

The UN/UNDP Brussels Office has played a pivotal role in nurturing the partnership with the European Commission and the EU institutions more broadly, and it acts as key institutional anchor in efforts to sustain and maximize emerging opportunities with the EC. The UN/UNDP office represents UNDP vis-à-vis both the EU and the Government of Belgium and plays an active role in facilitating a unified and coherent action of more than 20 UN agencies represented in Brussels.

I this context UNDP/Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean (RBLAC) is currently seeking to reinforce its capacity through the recruitment of a junior policy and programming consultant, to deepen the policy and programmatic engagement with the EU and leverage additional resources over the medium-term. The Junior Programme and Policy Consultant will work under the supervision of the Director of the Brussels Representation Office and Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Devoirs et responsabilités

The over-arching remit of the junior programme and policy consultant would be to support policy, strategic and analytic advisory and corporate initiatives targeting partnership with the European Commission, European Parliament, the ACP Group Secretariat, and the EIB, in support of the LAC development agenda. The consultant will be instrumental in advancing concrete aspects on 3 inter-related areas:

Strategic partnerships and development of programmes

  • Supporting a regular policy and programme dialogue between UNDP and the EU institutions on Latin America and the Caribbean
  • Provide support to ongoing and future proposals/initiatives for future EU-UNDP and ACP-UNDP cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean based on shared regional and country priorities;
  • On the relation with the European Investment Bank, support the engagement of RBLAC with the EIB with high-level meetings and workshops between RBLAC and EIB’s Operations Directorate.

Knowledge management and policy

  • Conduct research and write briefings on EU institutions and relevant policies for the Director of the Brussels Representation Office, RBLAC leaders, RCs, and Panama Hub on EU policy developments, including briefing notes, monthly reports on Latin America and the Caribbean related policy developments in Brussels as agreed and discussed with management;
  • Periodically analyze the state of the EU-RBLAC partnership and identify opportunities for new areas of engagement with new partners and production of strategic background mapping and analysis documents to be delivered on EC and ACP;
  • Support the strengthening of RBLAC’s visibility through information and advocacy materials in consultation with UNDP RO Brussels and RBLAC Communications Specialists, including (1) the production of EU-targeted fast facts one-pagers for regional initiatives and Country Offices, (2) mapping of existing cooperation with communication material and (3) development of joint products between RBLAC and EU institutions;
  • Ensure the organization and follow-up of successful RBLAC missions in Brussels and joint EU-UNDP events on LAC (i.e. compile and prepare briefings, presentation materials and background information for identified RBLAC missions, coordinating mission itinerary and logistics, etc).

Support to UNDP Country Offices

  • Support the mobilization of resources from the EC/ACP for RBLAC’s COs as well as UNDP regional and country programmes/projects in LAC, with production of EU-funded projects mapping in RBLAC;
  • Review and track the EC-funded programmatic portfolio in the RBLAC region, proactively follow-up on progress achieved and advise country offices in trouble shooting.

Expected Deliverables:

1.  Produce progress reports outlining the progress achieved according to ToR at the end of each calendar month;

2.  One final report outlining the achievements for the entire duration of the assignment at the end of the contract.

Compétences

Core competencies:

  • Demonstrates integrity by modelling 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;
  • Demonstrates sound judgment and initiative-taking; 
  • Facilitates and encourages open communication in the team, communicating effectively; 
  • Practices informed and transparent decision making.

Functional Competencies:

  • Possesses knowledge of EU external relations trends and policy initiatives in the RBLAC region. Knowledge of EP, ACP and EIB initiatives in the region an asset;
  • Possesses understanding of organizational policies, procedures and priorities relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks;
  • Ability to analyse and select material for strengthening strategic alliances with partners and stakeholders;
  • Ability to establish and nurture positive communication with partners and stakeholders to promote a better understanding of UNDP’s mandate in the RBLAC region and to support advocacy efforts;
  • Maintains a network of contacts to facilitate institutional partnerships, remaining up-to-date on partnership related issues;
  • Generates new ideas and approaches, researches best practices and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things;
  • Displays strong analytical and research skills;
  • Possesses excellent drafting and verbal communication skills in English;
  • Displays excellent interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills;
  • Ability to work within tight deadlines and under pressure.

Qualifications et expériences requises

Education:

  • University degree (Bachelor) in development studies, economics, political science, social science or related field.

Experience:

  • One (1) year of work experience in related discipline;
  • Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc);
  • Knowledge of UNDP and/or EU policies and instruments highly desirable.

Languages:

  • Fluency in both written and spoken English. French and/or Spanish as asset.

 

APPLICATION SUBMISSION PROCESS

The application submission is a two-step process. Failing to comply with the submission process may result in disqualifying the applications:

Step 1: Interested individual consultants must include the following documents when submitting the applications in UNDP job website (Please note that only 1 (one) file can be uploaded therefore please include all documents in one file)):

Step 2: Submission of Financial Proposal

Applicants are instructed to submit their financial proposals in US Dollars for this consultancy to procurement.be@undp.org using the financial proposal template available here: http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_file.cfm?doc_id=45780. The proposals should be sent via email with the following subject heading: “Financial Proposal - Junior Programme and Policy Consultant” latest by August 25th 2017." Proposals to be received after the deadline will be rejected. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal should be all-inclusive and include a breakdown. The term ‘all-inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, insurance, etc.) that could possibly be incurred by the Contractor are already factored into the financial proposal. No travel expenses will be involved, as this is a home-based assignment.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested information.

Application 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 Individual Consultants obtaining a minimum of 70% on the Technical evaluation would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Technical Criteria - 70% of total evaluation – max. 100 points:

  • Criteria A – Relevant knowledge and work experience with supporting external partnerships/resource mobilisation. – max points: 25;
  • Criteria B – Experience in research and analysis of policy documents, drafting of proposals, substantive documents, etc, organization of events/meetings - max points: 25;
  • Criteria C – Interview Assessment -  max points: 50.

Financial Criteria - 30% of total evaluation – max. 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.

Payments will be made only upon confirmation of UNDP on delivering on the contract obligations in a satisfactory manner.

UNDP will apply a fair and transparent selection process that will take into account both the technical qualification of Individual Consultants as well as their price proposals. The contract will be awarded to the candidate obtaining the highest combined technical and financial scores. Please go the following link for the General Conditions of Individual Contracts:  http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/documents/procurement/documents/IC%20-%20General%20Conditions.pdf    

UNDP retains the right to contact references directly.

Payments will be made only upon confirmation by UNDP that contract obligations have been delivered in a satisfactory manner. Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director. Consultants are also required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under dss.un.org.

Due to large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process.