Empleos en el PNUD - 94154- International Consultant for support in drafting t

International Consultant for support in drafting the Common Country Analysis

Localidad :

Home based, Montenegro

Tipo de contrato :

Individual Contract

Fecha de comienzo del contrato :

05-Oct-2020

Fecha límite de postulación :

28-Sep-20 (Medianoche Nueva York, Estados Unidos)

Nivel de puesto :

International Consultant

Duración del contrato inicial :

20 working days

Idiomas requeridos :

Inglés

Duración esperada del puesto :

October 2020 - December 2020

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Antecedentes

The Government of Montenegro and the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in Montenegro have launched the process for drafting the new United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for Montenegro (previously known as United Nations Development Assistance Framework - UNDAF) as the most important instrument for planning and implementation of UN development programmes. This document will serve as the next partnership framework between Montenegro and the UN Sustainable Development System towards achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The UNSDCF will cover the period 2022-2026 and will be prepared in close partnership with the state authorities of Montenegro, international partners, private sector, civil society organizations and other relevant stakeholders.

In line with the standard UN planning procedures, the process requires preparation of a Common Country Analysis (CCA), with the main objective to analyze the development and human rights context in Montenegro and provide the analytical ground for further deliberation on UN strategic positioning in the host country. As such, the CCA represents UN’s independent, impartial and collective assessment and analysis of the host country that examines progress, gaps, opportunities and bottlenecks vis-à-vis country’s commitment to achieving the 2030 Agenda, UN norms and standards and the principles of the UN Charter.

One of the novelties introduced through the UN Reform, as defined through the UN General Assembly resolution 72/279 on the UN development system repositioning, is that the CCA is not a one-off exercise prepared once during the 5-year programming cycle. Instead, CCA becomes the UN’s real time and core analytical think-piece that offers robust evidence-based analytics to inform the UN’s development support to the country. This only stresses the importance of the current exercise of drafting the first CCA, as it will not only provide evidence basis for strategic programming but also set the ground for tracking of Montenegro’s progress vis-à-vis the 2030 Agenda.

The UN Country Team in Montenegro has already put in place the structure that will carry-out the process and draft the content of the CCA. The consultant is expected to provide expert support, to serve as an impartial peer-reviewer of the document and to advise the UNCT on increasing the quality of the analysis and conclusions. The consultant is also expected to support the process of consultations within and beyond the UNCT, as well as to provide support with compiling the inputs from various sources.

The UN Development Coordination Office has provided guidance and a provisional structure for the CCA. These documents will be made available to the consultant upon acceptance of the offer.

N.B. The current strategic framework of the UN System in Montenegro is the Integrated UN Programme for Montenegro 2017-2021. This document is aligned with the national priorities of joining the EU and implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and outlines UN support in four strategic areas: social inclusion, democratic governance, environmental sustainability and economic governance. Progress on implementation of relevant programmes has been tracked on an annual basis by the Joint Country Steering Committee (co-chaired by the UN Resident Coordinator and the Minister of Foreign Affairs) and evaluated.

Deberes y responsabilidades

Objective of the Common Country Analysis

The overall objective of the CCA is to analyze and assess the overall country context against the 2030 Agenda and provide the analytical evidence for generating consensus around the strategic development priorities, structural challenges and the capacity needs for the next UNSDCF. It delivers an integrated, forward-looking and evidence-based joint analysis and assessment of the context for sustainable development in the country.

The CCA is guided by the analytical methodology (causal analysis) and the key programming principles of the UN (human rights based approach, gender equality, risk-informed programming, environmental sustainability, leaving no one behind).

The CCA should resolve around the assessment and the analysis – (i) the assessment focuses on dimensions such as progress towards the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, the SDG financing landscape, leaving no one behind and regarding multi-dimensional risks; while (ii) the analysis will focus on economic transformation, social exclusion, the environment and climate change, governance and institutional gaps and humanitarian-development-peace collaboration.

Objective of the Assignment

The main purpose of this consultancy is to support the UNCT in Montenegro to develop a high quality and evidence-based Common Country Analysis which examines the progress, gaps, opportunities and bottlenecks vis-à-vis the country’s commitment to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda, human rights and UN norms and standards and the principles of the UN Charter.

The consultant is expected to provide (i) facilitation, (ii) compilation and (iii) advisory support to the UN Country team in Montenegro in drafting, developing and finalisation of the first edition of the Common Country Analysis.

Job content

During this assignment a consultant is expected to:

Facilitate the discussion among UN agencies and CCA Task team to ensure that CCA chapters are drafted in coherent manner and with common logical flow and provide quality assurance of the inputs prepared by drafting teams.
Provide support in compiling the document and knowledge pieces drafted and developed by the UN System, as well as addressing comments and suggestions gathered through the consultation process with partners and from across the UN System.
Provide advisory support to the CCA Task Team in drafting the Common Country Analysis. The advisory support should consist of review, suggesting possible broadening of the existing analysis and taking into account the broad development context beyond the mandate of the UN System in the country. Moreover, the consultant is expected to have a ‘challenge function’ to ensure the robustness of the analysis and evidence used. The overall aim should be to broaden and deepen the analysis and, thus, increase its value as the main information and analytical piece for the strategic programming and prioritisation exercise.

Methodology

The preparation of the Common Country Analysis is primarily an internal UN process, but with an extroverted approach that assumes wide consultations and drawing upon the data from diverse sources including official statistics, findings of UN entities, and other key stakeholders (private sector, academia, international financial institutions, OECD, etc).

The process of CCA development shall employ comprehensive and systemic approaches and tools for integrated, forward-looking analysis. The methodology shall rely on secondary data, evidence and information. Country-specific findings and recommendations from the Universal Periodic Review and other human rights mechanisms will provide an important basis for the analysis, highlighting relevant gaps and corresponding obligations, while the analysis of available datasets will provide substantive analytical ground for assessing the country’s progress towards the 2030 Agenda.

The CCA process will also be cognisant of the overall development context in the country and its national strategic priority to become a member of the European Union. Having said this, the CCA will rely on findings of the Unravelling Connections report that established links between the process of EU accession and the 2030 Agenda, and most recent EU Reports on the country’s progress towards EU accession.

It is expected that the CCA exercise should build on the evaluation, lessons-learnt and results of the current Integrated UN Programme 2017-2021.

The team of experts will ensure that the human rights-based approach and gender mainstreaming as well as all other UN programming principles are taken into consideration.

In terms of the structure, the CCA should revolve around the: (i) analysis of country context through the political analysis and economic transformation, governance and institutional analysis, environment and climate change and social exclusion analysis; (ii) assessment of progress towards SDGs through linking national response to 2030 Agenda with the regional and global frameworks, analysis of SDG financing, analysis of compliance with the international human rights norms and standards and analysis of development-humanitarian-peace nexus. The document should also emphasise key gaps in achieving SDGs in Montenegro as well as to portray UN comparative advantage to deliver on these gaps in the country context together with key national and international partners.

Duties and responsibilities

United Nations Country Team
In line with the adopted Roadmap for preparation of the 2022-2026 UNSDCF, the UNCT, under the leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator, provides the overall strategic oversight and guidance for entire process, including the conduct of the CCA. The UNCT will also serve as the final instance to review/endorse the CCA.

CCA Task Team
The UNCT established a CCA Task Team that consists of representatives of UN agencies. The CCA Task team is supported by the relevant results and thematic groups of the UNCT (SDG Working Groups, Gender and Human Rights Working Group, Social Inclusion Results Group, Democratic Governance Results Group, Environmental Sustainability Results Group and Economic Governance Results Group).
This team is tasked to:
Conduct desk review of available and relevant evidence and analyses, considering also regional and cross-border dimensions;
Draft and finalise Common Country Analysis in line with the up-to-date global guidance;
Take part in consultations and discussions over document findings with relevant stakeholders, both within and outside of the UN System;
Provide annual CCA updates.

Office of the UN Resident Coordinator (RCO)
The RCO will be responsible for the overall coordination and daily management of the assignment. It will also provide guidance, data and analytical support as well as quality assurance in consultation and coordination with the UNCT and the CCA Task Team. RCO members delegated to the CCA Task Team also take full responsibilities for the content of the relevant CCA chapters.

Consultant
Duties of the consultant are enlisted under the Job content chapter.

N.B. Other UN structures such as the Peer Support Group (PSG), Regional Issue Based Coalitions (IBCs) and the Regional Development Coordination Office will also take part in the process for quality assurance and peer-review. Their comments are essential for finalization of a high-quality product.

Expected results/deliverables and payment dynamics

The consultant is expected to provide advisory support to the UN Country Team in drafting and finalisation of the Common Country Analysis. As needed, he/she is also expected to support the process of consultations and acquiring data and evidence for building up the evidence repository.

Anticipated deliverables:

Draft of the Common Country Analysis;
Final draft of the Common Country Analysis;
Presentation of findings (as needed) to the relevant UN staff and partners;
Final Common Country Analysis (responding to comments of the wider UN System – participating UN Organisations, Peer Support Group and Regional Development Coordination Office).

The proposed dynamics of payment instalments:

30% upon submission of draft CCA, and;
70% upon submission of the final CCA.

Short-listed consultants are required to submit financial proposals for the conduct of assignment which will include all the costs associated with the assignment.

Timing of the work
The assignment will last for up to 20 working days, from 5th October 2020 to 31st December 2020.

Travel
Consultancy services will be performed as a combination of (i) home-based work (desk research, compilation of inputs, peer-review of the document, and similar), (ii) facilitation of discussion and consultations in an online setting, as needed and (iii) support in presentation of findings to relevant UN staff and, potentially, partners.

No travel is envisaged for this consultancy. All the tasks can be performed in an online setting due to the current Covid-19 restrictions.

Reporting
The consultant will be accountable to the Office of the Resident Coordinator.

Competencias

Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting;
Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
Demonstrates good oral and written communication skills;
Demonstrates ability to manage complexities and work under pressure, as well as conflict resolution skills;
Ability to synthesize complex issues drawing synergies and linkages between development issues (governance, inclusive growth, human rights, poverty, financing, social inclusion, environment, etc.);
Ability to work with, and analyse data, using appropriate tools/computer programs (Excel, SPSS, STATA, online survey tools or similar) to present findings.

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

Education:

BSc in economics, social sciences, socioeconomics, international development or related fields.

Experience:

At least 10 years of relevant professional experience in public and development policy analysis and formulation. Experience from in Western Balkans and the region of Europe and Central Asia will be considered as an asset;
Prior demonstrated experience in analytical modelling, complex systems and integrated analysis;
Previous experience in conducting CCAs is a distinct advantage;
Extensive knowledge of, and experience in applying, qualitative and quantitative analytical methods and in a wide range of analytical approaches;
Knowledge of the UN position and the UN programming at the country level is significant advantage;
Strong understanding of the development, economic, institutional, socio-economic and human rights situation in Montenegro;
Solid understanding of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as process and the nature of sustainable development in Montenegro.

Language skills:

Native level proficiency in English, both written and spoken;
Knowledge of local language is an advantage.

Criteria for selection:

Combined Scoring method will be used. When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should be made to the inidividual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as: (i) responsive, compliant, acceptable, and (ii) 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% (Background and education 10%; Relevant previous experience 20%; Substantial knowledge/Required competencies 30%; Required language 10%);

Financial criteria weight - 30%.

Only offerors obtaining a minimum 490 points for technical criteria will be considered for the financial evaluation. For more information on procurement methodology for Individual Contractors, please refer to Procurement Notice.

Application procedure:

Interested applicants are requested to submit their applications by September 28, 2020 by using the Apply now button. The application should contain a duly completed CV or Personal History Form (P11) that can be downloaded from https://www.me.undp.org/content/montenegro/sr/home/jobs.html

Please note that UNDP jobsite system allows only one uploading of application document, so please make sure that you merge all your documents into a single file.

Only the short-listed applicants will be contacted and requested to submit a letter of interest including a price quotation indicating the lump sum (in EUR) requested for the work envisaged in the section "Description of Responsibilities".