Historique
The Crisis Bureau (CB) is responsible for UNDP’s corporate crisis response strategy and capability. It develops and drives UNDP’s vision and priorities for crisis response, coordinates and facilitates UNDP’s crisis response with a whole-of-UNDP approach, provides oversight for all UNDP crisis response actions and ensures high quality engagement of the organization in crisis in general. The responsibility of CB focuses primarily upon and is confined to the two specific typologies of crisis listed below, to which CB provides support for limited duration:
• Sudden onset crisis: This would include countries that have been affected by natural disasters or sudden outbreak of armed conflicts;
• Complex protracted crisis: Examples include countries that are impacted by protracted conflicts, often with regional implications.
CB’s key functions, include: i) advising UNDP on identifying the level of a particular crisis or on scaling up or down a particular response; ii) leading timely and informed decision-making and management actions, particularly on high level crises; iii) supporting early warning and guiding corporate preparedness for crisis response; iv) managing UNDP’s crisis response tools (including Standard Operating Procedures for Crisis Response and the Crisis Response Packages); and v) managing deployments for crisis response through the SURGE and ExpRes rosters. The deployment of technical and operations experts through the SURGE (UNDP Staff), ExpRes (Consultants), and Standby Partnerships mechanisms are a key component of UNDP’s response to the immediate crisis and technical support to Country Offices.
SURGE Advisors are UNDP staff with extensive crisis experience in at least one of 18 generic UNDP profiles who are deployed to fill capacity gaps within CO units facing unexpected workload/portfolio requirements due to a crisis.
The Experts Roster for Rapid Response (ExpRes) is a recruitment and deployment mechanism which maintains pre-vetted consultants on a roster and contracts them quickly for country office support. The primary purpose of this roster has been to deploy Crisis Prevention and Recovery (CPR) technical experts to UNDP Country Offices on short notice in the aftermath of a crisis and for CPR Programming.
UNDP has Memorandums of Understanding with eight Stand by Partners who provide in-kind support to the UN through the deployment of technical expertise for crisis preparedness and response.
The RRPT is also responsible for managing deployment infrastructure and this includes expert databases, deployment tracking systems (DTS), automated communication tools, trainings and communications materials. The experts database allow for collating of all information related to the experts such as qualifications, avaibality etc. and also serves as the search engine for identifying experts for specific assignments.
Under the overall supervision of the Team Leader, Rapid Response and Preparedness Team, and the day to day management of the Programme Specialist (Deployments), the Consultant will be responsible for the effective and efficient functioning of the ICT aspects of the CB’s Deployment mechanisms, support region specific deployments and maintain the various rosters in coordination with the UNDPs Bureau's, Country Offices and hubs in support of the selection, recruitment, deployment and support of field personnel in emergency situations.
Devoirs et responsabilités
Under the direct supervision of the Programme Specialist (Deployments) the Consultant will:
Conduct deployment of experts from CB Rosters to country offices globally
- Provide support for the deployment of experts from CB Rosters to COs globally
- Attend CSMT and other crisis response meetings to provide updates on deployments
- Conduct searches in CB databases, contact, shortlist and submit candidates for various positions in a timely and efficient manner, including liaison with country offices, experts and other parts of UNDP as required;
- Liaise with technical counterparts in UNDP with regard to identifying experts for deployments;
- Support Programme Specialist (Deployments) in ensuring business processes for deployments are adhered to including components of the UNDP’s Standard Operating Procedures for Immediate Crisis Response;
- Provide support to experts and country offices during deployments including travel, logistics, and contracting; and also provide troubleshooting as required;
- Ensure that Country Offices provide evaluations of assignments and these evaluations are institutionalized within the rosters;
Provide technical support for CB rosters and the deployment tracking system:
- Support the development and maintenance of the Deployment Tracking System (DTS) on SharePoint;
- Work with IT experts to ensure that the DTS remains fully operational and all ‘bugs’ are taken care of;
- Provide reports on deployments when required and ensure that weekly updates of deployments go to all concerned parties
- Follow up to ensure that pre and post mission briefings are generated and conducted by colleagues responsible for their respective regions. Provide monthly update on briefings conducted;
- Follow up to ensure that back to office reports are generated and completed by relevant colleagues on completion of assignment;
- Ensure that evaluation of assignments are captured within the DTS and taken into consideration during recommendation of experts for new assignments;
- Ensure that the DTS captures all relevant information with regard to deployments such as contracts, ToRs, back to office reports, evaluations, mission briefings etc.;
- Monitor flow of automated emails to ensure timely dispatch of information related to deployments
- Review existing profiles on CB Rosters and identify gaps on the rosters. Use the information to conduct ‘gap-analyses’, develop a roster enhancement plan and support the process of recruitment of new experts for the rosters;
Assist with the development/enhancements of business process, guidelines for deployments, vetting and trainings:
- Support the RRPT in ensuring that deployment business processes are shared with and adhered to by all parts of UNDP;
- Build on existing guidelines on the usage of CB rosters by country offices to ensure new measures and changes are reflected
- Support the Rapid Response and Preparedness Team with trainings including operations and logistics support;
- Develop and enhance guidelines to map the roles and responsibilities of deployments within CB – identification of expert to final evaluation – to ensure complementarity with the relevant business processes
- Support the UNDP wide integration of rosters
Support Phase 1 of the Consolidation of GPN Rosters - Digital Lighthouse Initiative
- Support the review and mapping of existing UNDP rostersas well as the business processes Support the mapping of all rosters within UNDP, being considered for GPN consolidation
- Assist in the development of SoPs, business processes/SoPs for deployments, vetting, evaluations etc. that will be relevant across the GPN.
- Work on the taxonomy for the GPN Roster in collaboration with technical teams
- Give updates on the progress of the DLI
- Assist with the creation and maintenance of the DLI intranet page
- Liaise with roster managers on new business processes under the consolidation of rosters
- Provide updates and reports on the DLI/Consolidation of rosters to senior management as needed
Deliverables:
The following deliverables/actions will be provided on an ongoing basis:
- Deployment of experts from CB Rosters to country offices
- Ongoing development and maintenance of the Deployment Tracking System (DTS) on SharePoint
- Provision of deployment reports
- Oversee evaluation of assignments
- Provide gap analysis of ExpRes and SURGE Profiles
- Support provided to the DLI and Roster Consolidation
Compétences
Corporate 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;
- Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
- Diplomacy and tact.
Development and Operational Effectiveness
- Ability to use sound judgment to ensure the effective and timely completion of tasks, including the ability to prioritize
- Ability to write accurately, and concisely
- Excellent ‘soft skills’ required to facilitate the development of relations with the stakeholders of concern
Management
- Builds strong relationships with partners
- Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
- Demonstrates good oral and written communication skills
- Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities
Qualifications et expériences requises
Qualifications:
Education:
- Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in international Relations and/or Regional Studies, Project Management, Human Resources or Information Technology, required.
Experience:
- Minimum of 2 years of relevant post Masters Work experience, preferably in roster management, with some experience HR or operations;
- The candidate should be familiar with matters pertaining to UN/UNDPs technical work, crisis response and humanitarian field work in general; desirable.
- Project management, good IT skills and human resources experience is also an advantage;
- Experience with databases and online/offline HR/roster platforms/recruitment tools, required.
- Flexibility and organization and are highly preferred;
- Computer proficient and well versed in the use of the HR databases, online portals, Excel and Word required
Language Requirements:
- Proficiency in English both written and oral is a must;
Application Procedure
An application package containing the following (to be uploaded as one file):
- Online application with brief description of why the applicant considers her/himself the most suitable candidate for the assignment; and
- 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 needed to be scanned into one file and uploaded to the online application as a single document.
Shortlisted candidates (ONLY) will be requested to submit a Financial Proposal.
- The financial proposal should specify an all-inclusive daily fee (based on a 7 hour working day - lunch time is not included - and estimated 21.75 days per month).
- 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; cost of travel from the home base to the duty station and vice versa, where required; 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.
- 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 applicant 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 into the financial proposal submitted to UNDP.
- The Financial Proposal is to be emailed as per the instructions in the separate email that will be sent to shortlisted candidates.
Evaluation process
Applicants are reviewed based on the 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% (700 points)
- Criteria 1: Relevance of the experience in working on deployment mechanisms, databases, rosters and/or human resources – 200 points (2 years to 3 years of roster management experience, 100 points. From 3 to 4 years of roster management experience, 150 points. More than 4 years of experience, up to 200 points)
- Criteria 2: Experience working in the different pillars of the UN system (and/or experience with organizations working on issues similar to that of the crisis bureau) – 100 points
- Criteria 3: Proven ability to deliver in a timely manner within cost and quality standards – 100 points
- Criteria 4: Proven ability to work in a multicultural setting – 100 points
- Criteria 5: Interview with the Crisis Bureau – 200 points (only the top four candidates resulting from the evaluation of criteria 1-5 will be invited for the interview, conditioned to obtaining at least 70% of the total obtainable points (350/500 points)).
Candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% (490 points) of the maximum obtainable points for the technical criteria (700 points) shall be considered for the financial evaluation.
Financial Evaluation - Total 30% (30 points)
- The following formula will be used to evaluate financial proposals:
- 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
Contract Award
The 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.
Institutional Arrangement
The consultant will report to the SURGE Deployment Coordinator/Deployment Specialist in the Crisis Interface Team, UNDP CB, New York. A work station will be provided to the consultant in the UNDP CB. The consultant is expected to bring a laptop. Frequent interactions and consultations with a variety of UN stakeholders will form an integral part of the consultant’s duties.
Payment modality
- Payment to the Individual Contractor will be made based on the actual number of days worked, deliverables accepted, and upon certification of satisfactory completion by the manager.
- 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.