Background

The UNDP is seeking a consultant to enhance the labour management and occupational health and safety systems in place under the Yemen Emergency Crisis Response Project (ECRP), implemented by UNDP with World Bank funding.

The ongoing conflict in Yemen has resulted in a catastrophic humanitarian emergency with an increasing toll of civilian deaths and casualties across the country. Over 80 percent of Yemen’s population is estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance and more than 2.5 million Yemenis have become IDPs. The ongoing conflict has destroyed much of the institutional ability of key ministries, governorates and local authorities to deliver essential social services to citizens. Public service restoration is also essential for a smooth transition to recovery, as a political agreement is being negotiated. Combining communities’ own efforts with whatever limited state institutional capacity remains are needed to both curtail further humanitarian deterioration and the political ramifications of total state collapse.

In this context, UNDP, in partnership with the World Bank, developed the Yemen Emergency Crisis Response Project (ECRP) to step up current efforts of the international community to deliver critically needed livelihood support and service delivery to a population hit hard by the conflict. The project consists of 1,700 sub-projects. Two local institutions are the Implementing Parties (IPs): The Social Fund for Development (SFD) and the Public Works Project (PWP). SFD is responsible for implementation of labor intensive cash-for-work interventions (approx. 650) in all governorates of Yemen and small community infrastructure and initiatives (approx. 100); and PWP is responsible for the implementation of small community infrastructure through local contractors (approx. 1,000).

The project aims to mitigate the impact of the current crisis on local households and communities and assist their recovery from the bottom-up using local systems, capacities and institutions to progressively resume and scale-up service delivery. The project will achieve specific results in: 1) Increasing short-term employment and livelihoods opportunities; 2) Reviving the local private sector; 3) Restoring key service delivery through small-scale infrastructure. As such, the project contributes to the livelihoods restoration and service delivery restoration components of UNDP’s Yemen Resilience Programme. The Project’s Theory of Change assumes that if income-generation and livelihoods opportunities are increased for vulnerable households (including IDPs), with essential service delivery restored and key local businesses revived, Yemeni households and communities will be able to better cope with the impact of the current crisis and be strong drivers of the resilience-building and recovery efforts.

-     Rationale

The human, social and economic costs of environmental hazards, occupational accidents, injuries and

diseases have long been cause for concern at all levels from the individual workplace to field interventions. Proper measures and policies prevent, control, reduce or eliminate occupational hazards and risks need to be in place and applied. In High risk contexts, such as Yemen, this is particularly important;

Because the ECRP is a UNDP project, UNDP’s Social and Environmental Standards must be applied (www.undp.org/ses). This includes provisions related to community health, safety and working conditions (see Standard 3), including the need to respect and promote workers rights and that project workers have safe and healthy working conditions to prevent accidents, injuries, and disease. Although the operational manuals of both the IPs have provisions on occupational and worker safety, and security and environmental protection, the increased trends of work related fatalities and injuries call for strengthened OHS guidelines, accountability mechanisms, and capacities within the context of the project. 

Following reporting of a fatality incident in one of the PWP projects, a capacity assessment of PWP was conducted by a Third-Party Monitoring Agent (TPMA) with the support of UNDP. The assessment highlighted the need to strengthen internal capacity and management systems of PWP to handle occupational safety and security issues.  Similarly, alarming work-related fatality incidents have been reporting from SFD calling for revision of the existing policies and guidelines to help reduce the number of workplace accidents, injuries, illnesses and deaths. This will contribute in bringing numerous benefits to IPs, key actors, local communities and the vulnerable people engaged in the projects through improved OSH.

The efforts to strengthen application of labour standards and OHS safeguards is part of a wider effort to elaborate an Environmental and Social Management Framework for the project.

-    Scope of Assignment and Tasks

Due to the nature of the ECRP, responding to the emergency situation in Yemen, this work will be conducted on an accelerated basis focussing on priority risks and recognizing that not all information may be available and that the labour management and OHS framework will need to be revisited in the future.

The objectives of the assignment will be to work closely with the international labour management and OHS home-based consultant contributing inputs and facilitating local discussions and consultations, data collection, initial assessment and consultation with the ECRP partners IPs and relevant authorities. The local consultant and the international consultant will work together to: 1) conduct a gap analysis of the labour management and OHS systems in place in the project, defining the legal boundaries between UNDP, the Government and the IPs in the current crisis context, 2) develop a labour management and  OHS framework for the ECRP that outlines key requirements and accountability mechanisms for all partners, and 3) address gaps by proposing revisions  to the IP operation manuals, checklists, and training IPs and building their institutional capacity to implement labour management and OHS procedures. To achieve this, the consultant will conduct the following activities:

• Collect relevant requirements related to labour management and OHS, including those found in national policies and regulations, guidelines on labour and OHS and related tools;
•  Collect information and organize IPs related policies to identify potential gaps or areas that could be strengthened further in regard to OHS. The information will include key OHS and legal mechanisms including the operational manual and the Labour-Intensive Work Program Operational Manual of SFD and operational manual and safety measures of PWP;
• Conduct rapid assessment on the organizational structures in place at the headquarter and branches levels of the IPs and on the enforcement of OHS practices in particular the different divisions and management levels of the IPs including identifying roles and responsibilities of the IP and third-party contractors on OHS;
• Facilitate consultations with key stakeholders such as contractors, staff, workers and beneficiaries to get inputs on labour management and OHS issues, concerns, gaps in implementation, and solutions based on lessons learned in the field. Provide translations when needed;
• Collect information and document the current grievances and injuries recorded, management responses, reporting mechanisms and systems, roles and responsibilities of relevant actors at all management levels including third-party contractors, branch offices and headquarter levels;

Based on the results of this data collection and consultations the consultant will:

• Contribute and support the international consultant in the development of a Labour Management and OHS Framework for the ECRP, summarizing key labour and OHS requirements and management measures/mechanisms, reporting requirements and accountability mechanisms, and legal provisions related to the division of roles and responsibilities and rights and obligations between UNDP and the IP;
• Provide technical and logistic support in organization of the workshops to conduct capacity building for IPs staff;
• Facilitate the personalized training for key staff/sub-contractors within IPs, Third Party Monitors and UNDP Country Office based on the assessment of key roles and responsibilities within the OHS management system;

-    Methodology

The role of the consultant is to facilitate and support the work of the international home-based consultant include contributing inputs and facilitating discussions and consultations, data collection, initial assessment and consultation with the ECRP partners IPs and relevant authorities. The consultant will also be facilitating and contributing in conducting trainings. The consultant will also provide logistical and technical support in the validation with relevant actors. Teleconferences will be used as needed.?

Duties and Responsibilities

-   Expected outputs and Deliverables:

• Report on data and information collected on IPs labour management and OHS mechanism and structures, recorded grievances, injuries and response mechanisms;
•  IPs and relevant partners consultation and facilitation reports to support elaboration of labour management and OHS Framework for the ECRP;
•  Facilitation of the capacity development of the IPs, UNDP CO, and third-party monitors to implement the Labour Management and OHS Framework;

- Institutional Arrangement:

The Project Manager of the ECRP, is the focal point for the assignment and responsible for overall guidance and day-to-day questions and management of the assignment. The national consultant will work closely and will be guided on day-to-day basis by the International Home-based OHS Consultant.

- Consultancy Duration:

The consultancy will be required to finalize the consultancy services within a period of three months and must include:

• Facilitation of an inception meeting with key stakeholders to present and agree on the consultancy framework, methodology, and roles of the two consultants (4 working days with the first week);
• Facilitation of a validation meeting towards the end of the assignment with the ERRU, ECRP and its IPs, and key stakeholders to present the draft Labour Management and OHS Framework (17 working days within the first month and half);
• Facilitation the training sessions of IPs, UNDP CO, and third-party monitors to implement the Labour Management and OHS Framework (12 working days within the third month);

?- Composition and Competencies of Consultancy Team:

The national consultant will work closely and will be guided by the home-based international consultant.  The roles of the two consultants will be as follows:

- A Lead International Consultant

Provides leadership for the overall consultancy and provide technical guidance and coordinate the work of the national consultant. The lead consultant will be responsible for final production and quality of the assignment deliverables.

- National Consultant

Work under the leadership of the lead consultancy to facilitate local discussions and consultations, undertake the data collection and consultation with the ECRP partners IPs and relevant authorities.

- Payments and Time Schedules:

• Payment shall be provided upon satisfactory completion of the deliverables as per the payment schedules;
• Payment requests submitted by the consultant must be certified by the supervisor;
• 30% first payment upon completion of inception phase, 30 % upon organization of validation consultation and 40% upon submission and clearance of the final deliverables ;

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

• Demonstrated ability of analytical and drafting work;
• Familiarity with computers and word processing (WORD, EXCEL, Power Point)
• Fluency in English language;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
•  Ability to work under pressure and to meet deadlines;
• Demonstrates excellent oral and written communication skills;
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
• Self-reliant and able to work as a part of a multi-cultural team in a stressful environment;

Core Competencies:

• Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity;
• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment;
• Self-development, initiative-taking;
• Acting as a team player and facilitating team work;
• Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively;
• Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member;

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;
• Ability to work with a multi-cultural and diverse team;
•  Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity 

Required Skills and Experience

The consultant should have a master degree in public administration or legal affairs with working experience in relevant disciple for at least 5 years

Education and Experience:

• Advanced University degree (Masters or above) in relevant areas such as public administration, legal studies, development studiesor related social science fields;
• Over 5 years practical experience, knowledge and expertise in labour standards, and occupational health and safety systems;
• Knowledge of latest developments in occupational health and safety;
• Familiarity with social and environmental safeguards procedures and guidelines;
• Related experience with multi-stakeholder initiatives and labour-intensive operations;

Languages :  English and Arabic 

- Recommended Presentation of Offer:

Documents to be included when submitting the Proposal: Interested consultant must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications and interest.

- Technical Proposal: (which will include the following):

•  Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
•   Personal CV including past experience in similar projects and at least 3 references.
•  UN P11 Form (“CV Form”) – Annex
• A brief Methodology on how the candidate will approach and conduct the work. (The consultant is asked in his/her offer submission in the methodologies section to bring the description of the above-mentioned points.

- Financial proposal:

The applicants requested to submit lump-sum and the Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided (please see attached breakdown template).

-  Proposal Evaluation Criteria:

The award will be based on the Combined Scoring method 70% technical evaluation and 30% financial evaluation (highest ranked candidate).

Technical proposal 70%

Financial evaluation: 30 %: