Background

CONTEXT/BACKGROUND

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP works through 136 country offices to provide development advocacy, advice and assistance to 166 countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Arab States, Eastern Europe, CIS, Latin America and the Caribbean, working to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  SDG Integration and delivery of integrated development solutions is at the core of UNDP’s new Strategic Plan 2022-2025, and to be implemented through the Global Policy Network (GPN), which is leveraged and engaged in the delivery of integrated support to countries on implementation and monitoring of the 2030 Agenda.

The Regional Hub is part of the Regional Bureau for Arab States (RBAS) with a presence in Amman (Jordan) and Beirut (Lebanon, for the execution of the Regional Programme functions). The Hub expands and revitalizes UNDP’s presence in the Arab region. It provides policy advice and programmatic support to country offices (COs) in the region to be more responsive to increasing needs across the region. It also comes as part of UNDP’s global effort to become a more effective and efficient organization, fit for its purpose – to help countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and leave no one behind.

Under the guidance and supervision of the Regional Policy Adviser and Team Leader on SDG Integration, the consultant is responsible of helping refine SDG integration portfolio from COs demands in the Integrated Workplans (IWPs) and piloting new SDG localization approaches for delivering integrated support to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in Arab States; and supporting research and briefs on a broad range of sustainable development issues, including climate change, urbanization, crisis governance, inclusive growth, gender and innovative opportunities to drive SDG integration in complex contexts in the Arab region.

Duties and Responsibilities

SCOPE OF WORK AND DELIVERABLES

Under the direct supervision of the regional policy advisor on SDG Integration the contractor will work on the following:

SDG Integration

Global SDG Integration Tasks:

• Develop and deliver web content for the SDG Acceleration Diagnostic process to be published online (website currently under development). The web content must ensure that the integration of the acceleration of SDGs program and its accessibility and effectiveness to a larger audience.  Web content must include a prior desk research on SDG acceleration published materials such as reports, policy papers, concept notes, and similar documents, especially on MAPS.
• Deliver the background chapter for SDG Acceleration program in Iraq.

Regional SDG Integration Tasks: 

• Prepare and submit the final Digital Landscape Assessment of Iraq, focusing on the SDG mainstreaming aspects, namely the rollout of the RIA and ABA SDG tools. The report must include a presentation to be shared with counterparts.
• In consultation with the SDG Integration Advisor, and in collaboration with the Global SDG Integration team and the Innovation team, deliver an SDG Integration Offer for the Development of CPDs for integrated support to countries in Arab States"
• Deliver a mapping of SDG integration support in the CO IWPs and thematic linkages against the SDGs including an assessment of their impact on the SDGs implementation at CO level.

UNDP 2030 Urban Agenda

• In close consultation with the Regional SDG Advisor, the contractor will deliver the 2030 Urban Agenda Offer for the Arab States. This must include a mapping exercise of the current RBAS programmatic work on urban issues, and a joint regional workplan of UNDP-UNHabitat.
• Organize and deliver two webinars to present Arab Contribution to NUA in preparation to the World Cities Day, and two webinars with Arab Contribution to NUA in preparation to the World Urban Forum.
• Prepare and deliver three collaborative brief reports related to sustainable urban development, borderlands towns profiles, urbanization, and resilience on a regional and local levels.

EXPECTED OUTPUTS AND DELIVERABLES

Competencies

Corporate

• Demonstrates integrity and fairness, by modelling the UN/UNDP’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.

Functional

• Excellent time management and organizational skills, with the ability to undertake multiple tasks and deliver under pressure;
• Ability to produce clear and concise written reports.
• Strong analytical and synthesis skills;
• Ability to work independently and achieve quality results with limited supervision and within tight schedules; 
• Strong quantitative and qualitative research skills;
• Experience in reports production;
• Good teamwork and interpersonal skills;
• Flexibility and ability to handle multiple tasks and work under pressure;
• Excellent computer skills especially Word, Excel and Power Point.

Knowledge Management and Learning

• Ability to strongly promote and build knowledge products;
• Promotes knowledge management in UNDP and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example;
• Seeks and applies knowledge, information and best practices from within and outside of UNDP;
• Demonstrates a strong capacity for innovation and creativity in providing strategic policy advice and direction.

Leadership

• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and to provide credible leadership;
• Demonstrated flexibility in leadership by performing and/or overseeing the analysis/resolution of complex issues;

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree related to urban development/urban planning/sustainability or other relevant experience discipline.

Work experience:

• Previous working with the UN and/or international organization, familiarity with its mandate and work preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in regional or local urban development projects.
• 2 years of research experience in urban issues especially in the Arab region 
• Proficiency in the use of computers and office software packages (ERP, MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).
• Background development materials on urban development projects, SDG integration portfolio for CO support and prototyping of UNDP’s SDG localization for integrated support to countries in Arab States.
• Background development materials on sustainable urbanism and urban agenda.

Language Requirements

• Proficiency in English and Arabic are required.

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT

• The individual is required to exhibit his or her full-time commitment with UNDP Regional Hub;
• He/She shall perform tasks under the general guidance and direct supervision of the Regional Policy Advisor on SDG Integration.
• The supervision will include approvals/acceptance of the outputs as identified in the previous section.
• There will be an initial briefing for the consultant with the advisor and the broader SDG integration team and RBAS Team.
• The consultant will be based in UNDP Regional Hub – Amman and will be given access to relevant information necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment by the UNDP Regional Hub.

DURATION OF THE WORK

The contract is expected to require a commitment of 11 months.

DUTY STATION AND TRAVEL PLAN

The contractor will be office-based at UNDP Regional Hub in Amman, Jordan.

SCOPE OF PRICE PROPOSAL AND SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS

The contractor will be paid an all-inclusive Deliverables/Outputs based lump sum amounts over  the assignment period, subject to the submission of Certification of Payment (CoP) duly certified and confirmation of satisfactory performance of achieved work (deliverables/outputs) in line with the schedule of payments table hereunder, noting that the maximum number of working days for this assignment shouldn’t exceed three (11) calendar months.

RECOMMENDED PRESENTATION OF OFFER

Interested individual consultants must submit documents under points 1-3 to demonstrate their qualifications. Candidates that fail to submit these documents, the application will not be considered.

1. Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
2. Personal CV or P11, 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. Brief Description of why you consider yourself as the most suitable candidate for this assignment;
4. Financial Proposal: Please do not submit financial proposal in this stage. Financial proposal shall be requested from Candidates who are considered technically responsive. When the financial proposal is requested it should indicate the all-inclusive Deliverables/Outputs based total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided. The terms “all-inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, travel costs, living allowances, communications, consumables, etc.) that could possibly be incurred are already factored into the final amounts submitted in the proposal. 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.

Please do not submit financial proposal in this stage. Financial proposal shall be requested from Candidates who are considered technically responsive

Interested candidates shall submit required documents to Job Advertisement Website (https://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_jobs.cfm) as one document not later than 07th of December 2021

Interested candidates can find Procurement Notice, Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability and P11 templates on the following link: http://procurement-notices.undp.org/

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF THE BEST OFFERS

Only those applicants who meet the minimum level of education, relevant years of experience requirements and provide sound methodology for the assignment will be considered for the technical evaluation. The technical evaluation will include a desk review and may also include interviews with shortlisted applicants.

Candidates will be compared using a combined scoring method with the qualifications weighted at 70% and the price offer weighted at 30%.

Step I: Screening and desk review:

Applications will be first screened and only candidates meeting the following minimum requirements will progress to the pool for shortlisting:

• Criteria A: Master’s degree related to urban development/urban planning/sustainability or other relevant experience discipline.  
• Criteria B:  5 years of experience in regional or local urban development projects and 2 years of research experience in urban issues especially in the Arab region. 
• Criteria C: Fluency in English and Arabic required.

Step II: Technical Review

Shortlisted candidates will undergo a technical evaluation and a submission of a proposal to tackle the assignment.

Technical evaluation Criteria max 100 points (Weighted 70):

• Master’s degree related to urban development/urban planning/sustainability or other relevant experience discipline. (30 points)
• Five years of experience in regional or local urban development projects and 2 years of research experience in urban issues especially in the Arab region. (20 Points) 
• Previous working with the UN and/or international organization, familiarity with its mandate and work preferred. (20 point) 
• Background development materials on urban development projects, SDG integration portfolio for CO support and prototyping of UNDP’s SDG localization for integrated support to countries in Arab States; (20 points)
• Proficient in English and Arabic are required. Proficiency in French is an asset (10 points)

Financial Criteria - 30% of total evaluation

For those offers considered in the financial evaluation, the lowest price offer will receive 30 points. The other offers will receive points in relation to the lowest offer, based on the following formula: (PI / Pn) * 30 where Pn is the financial offer being evaluated and Pl is the lowest financial offer received.

Step II: Final evaluation

The final evaluation will combine the scores of the desk review and the financial proposal with the following weights assigned to each:

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.

“responsive/compliant/acceptable” can be defined as fully meeting the TOR provided.

Technical Criteria weight: [70%]

Financial Criteria weight: [30%]

Only Individual Consultants obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70%) on the technical evaluation would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.