Antecedentes

NOTE: Signed Offeror’s Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and availability - https://www.ba.undp.org/content/dam/bosnia_and_herzegovina/docs/Operations/Jobs/Offerors%20Letter%20to%20UNDP%20Confirming%20Interest%20and%20Availability.docx - Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability.docx - to be sent to e-mail ba.shared.hr@undp.org with Subject: Job ID 100560.

The consultancy is planned under the umbrella of the Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) for Newly Elected Local Government Leaders (the Facility), an intervention co-funded by the Government of Sweden and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and administered by UNDP.

As part of the Project for Improving Performance of Local Services (PIPLS) in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), UNDP BiH’s Local Development Program, and the Rural and Regional Development Sector’s portfolio, the Facility aims to inject speed and purpose to the implementation of the newly elected local government leaders’ reform agenda through the provision of expert technical assistance across several priority sectors.  Working with newly elected mayors and legislatures, the Facility will offer specialized expert assistance across four principle thematic areas: digital governance, service delivery and infrastructure, financial management and local economic development. 

The purpose of the consultancy is to contribute to the development of a more effective, strategy-based and results-oriented model for disbursement of public funding in support of economic development and employment targets in Ilidza municipality.

The main objective of the consultancy is to help improve economic development programs in partner local government through ensuring i) their linkage with up-to-date strategic priorities and promising industry sector needs; ii) their ability to influence economic and employment prospects actively and effectively in the LG; and iii) the measurability of their impact in the community. This objective will be pursued through a comprehensive review of the current economic incentive system, support to effective grant scheme development, and the creation of a mechanism to measure the grants’ tangible impact. In this regard, an Economic Development Consultant (hereinafter the Consultant) will be engaged.

Deberes y responsabilidades

The Consultant will be expected to review the existing grant programs in partner local government over a back-period of three years (current fiscal year included) to establish linkages with development strategy priorities as well as other policy and planning frameworks that govern this area. 

Once the review has been completed, a report will be drafted assessing the effectiveness of programs reviewed with recommendations for future programming. The Consultant will also lead the design of a grant scheme that will help responsible employees develop their capacities to design future economic incentive programs. This task will be based on the existing guidelines for the design of publicly funded grant schemes.  Finally, the Consultant will help develop a guide for the verification, monitoring and evaluation of projects funded through the economic incentive programs.

The expected timeframe for the service is August - end of October 2021.

Key Tasks and Deliverables

Task 1: Conduct review of grant programs implemented and assess their effectiveness

As a first step, the Consultant will have a discussion with the UNDP project team to agree on a timeline for the process. The LG will provide all the relevant documentation for the review process as well as any information needed not available in document form.

The Consultant will screen all the grant programs delivered over the past three years, focusing on those with the largest monetary value supporting entrepreneurship, private sector development, job creation, and tourism assessing their relevance to LG targets and their effectiveness in reaching their stated goals. A methodology for the review process will be discussed with the project team and endorsed as part of the workplan for the overall assignment, to be approved before the start of activities.

Once the review has been completed, the Consultant will prepare a brief report outlining findings on relevance and effectiveness of grant schemes as well as recommendations for future programming that will set out critical priorities as well as suggested methods on how to implement them. The report will be sent to the UNDP project team and local government representatives for approval.

Task 2: Help design economic incentive grant program

Within this task, the Consultant is expected to help partner local government develop a single grant scheme that will be based on their economic development priorities in line with their local development strategies and other relevant policy documents.

The design of the grant scheme will be preceded by the familiarization of both the Consultant and the local government employees with the existing guidelines and best practices for design of publicly funded grant schemes. In delivering this task, the Consultant will engage the LG employees throughout the main stages and steps of the grant scheme design process, offering technical assistance and training to contribute to upgrading of their capacities. Having in mind their comprehensiveness, the Consultant will use the guidelines to prepare a checklist for the responsible local government team, enabling transfer of experience and standardized approach to design of other grant schemes.

Task 3: Adjustment of the guide for verification, monitoring and evaluation of grant funded projects

Finally, the Consultant will adjust the existing guide for the verification, monitoring and evaluation of projects   funded through the grant programs and will provide a one-day training to the local government team with focus on monitoring and evaluation of grant scheme support.

UNDP PIPLS Project Team will closely oversee service provision and work in close and continuous cooperation and coordination with the Consultant.

The service deliverables, including all materials, will be available for future use within the PIPLS Project and by the relevant stakeholders, as well as by UNDP and other projects in the field of local governance.

The entire service will be delivered in in one of the BiH languages. The expected timeframe for the service is from August 2021 to October 2021.

The Consultants are responsible for the following deliverables:

Deliverables/outputs

Competencias

Core values

• Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Plans, prioritizes and delivers tasks on time;
• Strives for and promotes excellence in performance continually;
• Participates effectively in a team-based, information-sharing environment, collaborating and cooperating with others;

Results-Orientation:

• Uses resources, methods, partners, and information effectively;
• Analyses complex technical materials (including data) and makes concise, relevant recommendations;
• Plans and procedures quality results to meet established goals.

Communication:

• Technical writing skills, formulates written information clearly and persuasively;
• Strong communication and presentation skills.

Job Knowledge and Expertise:

• Expertise and knowledge in the economic development, entrepreneurship, technical assistance to local governments;
• Solid knowledge of the governance structure and public administration reform processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

Academic Qualifications/Education:

• University degree in economics, public administration or a relevant field.
• Master’s degree will be considered an asset.

Experience:

• At least 10 years of extensive experience in economic development or delivery of technical assistance to government authorities;
• Extensive knowledge of and previous experience in the domain of public policy management;
• Previous experience and knowledge of the public administration in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
• Excellent drafting and writing skills.

Languages Requirements:

• Excellent writing and oral communication skills in the official languages of peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian)

Other Requirements:

• Excellent computer skills (MS Office applications) and ability to use information technologies as a tool and resource, including for data visualisation.

Longlisting/Shortlisting Criteria

Qualifications as stated in the ToR

Technical Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation

Individual  will be evaluated based on the following methodology:

Cumulative analysis

When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should be made to the candidate whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:
a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and
b) Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

• * Technical Criteria weight-70%
• * Financial Criteria weight- 30%

Interested candidated must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

• Explaining why they are the most suitable for the work ;

Please scan all above mentioned documents and upload as one attachment only online through this website.

Note:

• For an assignment requiring travel, consultants of 65 years or more require full medical examination and statement of fitness to work to engage in the consultancy.
• Due to large number of potential applicants, only competitively selected candidates will be contacted for remaining steps of the service procurement process.