Antecedentes

TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR)

Governance Specialist for the Participatory Governance Cluster (DILG)- Individual Consultant (National)

PROJECT TITLE: Paving the Road to SDGs through Good Local Governance

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Efficient, resilient, and well-planned road networks ensure that no one is left behind in the drive for inclusive growth. This is why roads are considered as an important foundation for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and a prerequisite for bringing communities together.

In partnership with DILG, UNDP has launched a project “Paving the Road to SDGs through Good Governance” (Roads2SDGs) which aims to provide support to quality assurance and the governance reform components of CMGP through the ‘Road to SDGs’ framework in all Provinces in the Philippines. This framework will anchor the prioritization, planning, design, implementation, and maintenance of infrastructure projects to the achievement of the SDGs, incorporating the elements of partnership building, climate change and disaster risk reduction, gender mainstreaming, citizen participation for transparency and accountability, guided by SDGs principle of “leaving no one behind”.

In order to efficiently and effectively lead provincial roads projects to impact on sustainable development, citizen participation is a prerequisite. In recognition of this, the Government of the Philippines, through Executive Order No. 24, created the Participatory Governance Cabinet Cluster (PGC). The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) serves as the Chair of the PGC while the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) as Co-Chair and Cluster Secretariat. Specifically, the PGC is mandated to:

1. Enable public to understand, rationalize and implement national government programs and projects based on area-specific realities;
2. Strengthen consultation mechanisms to ensure effective implementation of programs and projects; and
3. Propose policies, programs and projects that would foster participatory governance and build the capacities of local government units for such purpose.

A key reform area of participatory governance is citizen engagement in the budget process.  Currently, the PGC and Open Government Partnership Secretariat within DBM have aligned efforts with the Fiscal Discipline and Fiscal Openness program of the DBM, which also requires additional technical assistance.

This falls in line with the UNDP Country Programme Document 2019-2023, with participatory governance being emboldened in the first outcome area. To this end, UNDP is currently supporting DILG to strengthen the public procurement system to promote citizen participation, integrity and value for money in the delivery of services. This involves the imminent creation of a Steering Committee on Mitigating Procurement Integrity Risks amongst DBM, DILG, DepEd, DOH and GPPB-TSO. This steering committee is mandated to oversee 1) technical assistance to procurement internal control framework, 2) mobilisation of CSOs to monitor PFM processes, and 3) enhancement of the APCPI.

Furthermore, UNDP is supporting a number of mechanisms that foster citizen participation in local governance processes, including the Governance Hub network with DILG, and Citizens Participating in Governance (CPAG) with the Department of Education, and Development LIVE with a number of line agencies.

In line with this support, UNDP will provide a Governance Specialist that will be lodged in the DILG to assist in mainstreaming participatory governance related policies, mechanisms, and programmes across the whole of government, thus institutionalizing the experience of the Road to SDGs programme.

Deberes y responsabilidades

SCOPE OF WORK

The Governance Specialist shall have the following key functions:

1. Review the policy regimes and implementation practices relative to planning - land use, comprehensive development, sectoral masterplan
2. Assist in developing policy direction in strengthening the tripartite participation mechanism in local governments.
3. Improve people’s participation by means of complying existing legal requirements for CSO accreditation process.
4. Increase CSO demands in government processes such as policy development, service delivery, planning, budgeting, and performance evaluation
5. Assist in developing policy and strategic direction for Participatory Governance Cluster (following the provisions of EO 9 and EO 67).
6. Provide technical support to the Development LIVE project, including the feedback response mechanism, and survey improvements for the Road to SDGs and other programmes.  
7. Provide support in other areas as may be deemed necessary by the supervisor.

EXPECTED OUTPUTS

1. Baseline indicators in relation to assessment of participatory mechanisms in government developed
2. Policy paper on the strategic and operational direction for the Participatory Governance Cluster submitted
3. Assessment report on policies, regimes, practices in relation to local development plans submitted
4. Policy paper on improving the practice of power sharing at the local level (functionality of the local development council) submitted
5. Citizen feedback-government response mechanism and community-based monitoring system designed.

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

The Consultant shall directly report in matrix fashion to DILG, specifically the designated focal of the Support to Local Government Program, and as well as the UNDP Democratic Governance leader.

DURATION

The consultant shall work from 11 March 2019 – 31 December 2019.

DUTY STATION

The Consultant will be required to report to DILG at least once a week, with biweekly meetings held at UNDP (Manila).

Competencias

CORPORATE COMPETENCIES

• Maintains objectivity and impartiality in handling evaluation processes

• Commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision, values and ethical standards
• Sensitivity to cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age differences
• Treat all stakeholders fairly and without prejudice

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum passing score is 70 out of 100 points.

SCOPE OF PRICE PROPOSAL AND SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS

The Consultant shall be paid in tranches linked to deliverables:

Recommended Presentation of Offer

1. Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
2. Personal CV or P11 (using UNDP template), indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references;
3. Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs (professional fees per day, taxes, transportation to and from duty station, etc), as per UNDP template provided.  If an 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 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.

 Aforementioned templates may be accessed through the following link:

http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=53559

Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer

Combined Scoring method – where the qualifications will be weighted 70%, and combined with the price offer which will be weighted 30%

Kindly email your CV, Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability, and Financial Proposal (use attached templates) to

procurement.ph@undp.org by 4 March 2019, 5:00PM, Manila Time.

Please make sure your email does not exceed 10MB per message, and application is uploaded in one file. Incomplete applications may result in disqualification. 

In view of the volume of applications we receive, please note that only shortlisted applicants will be notified.