Background

The purpose of this procurement exercise is to contract individual consultant who will support the implementation of two areas of the UNDP Responsive and Accountable Institutions Team’s work: (1) the Crisis Response Package on Core Government Functions; and (2) Integrating Gender Equality in Public Administration (GEPA) into the work of the RAI team.

As a trusted multilateral partner serving 177 countries and territories around the world, UNDP is uniquely positioned to help advocate for change, connect countries to the knowledge and resources they need to develop and to coordinate the efforts of the United Nations at the country level.

The Responsive and Accountable Institutions Team (RAI), in the Governance and Peacebuilding Cluster of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, contributes to UNDP’s integrated work on rebuilding the basic functionality of government at the national and subnational level, strengthening local governance systems, and promoting responsiveness and accountability of institutions, with a particular focus on fragile and conflict-affected setting. In order to deliver faster and more consistently in the aftermath of crises, together with the Crisis Response Unit (CRU), a Crisis Response Package on the Restoration of Core Government Functions is being developed.

Another core area of the RAI Team’s work is the Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in Public Administration Global Initiative (GEPA), focusing on women’s equal participation, including in decision-making positions, within public administrations. This initiative is intended to provide the basis for UNDP to adapt, scale up, share lessons learned and advocate with national partners for informed policy and programmatic actions. The Global GEPA Report, released in June 2014, included analyses of the approaches undertaken by a wide range of governments in promoting women’s participation, particularly in leadership positions, in public institutions. It reflects on the strengths, constraints, specificities, lessons learned and implementation challenges at different levels of government, as well as diverse geographic and governance contexts and public administration traditions. Drawing on thirteen case studies, and a broader desk review/mapping, the Global GEPA Report proposes a comprehensive analysis of trends and challenges and provides recommendations to support strengthened policies and programming.

Duties and Responsibilities

The consultant will, under the supervision and guidance of the RAI Team Leader and in collaboration with other RAI team members, assume the following role and responsibilities:

• Consolidate elements of the Crisis Response Package on Core Government Functions, including operations, communications, and stand-by partnerships.

• Develop concepts for the roll-out of trainings on the Crisis Response Package on Core Government Functions.

• Contribute to the methodological development of SDG Indicator 16.7.1 on proportional representation in public institutions.

• Provide support to UNDP programme countries carrying out GEPA country case studies and recommendations.

• Develop concepts and support the roll-out of research on the impact of GEPA on (i) public service delivery and Access to Information; and (ii) sustaining peace.

• Support the continuous expansion of a global GEPA coalition of development partners, including through the mainstreaming of results into larger bodies of work on women’s leadership.

• Contribute to reporting, talking points, briefs and speeches on the GEPA initiative.

Deliverables:

Competencies

• Strong interpersonal skills, resourcefulness, initiative, maturity of judgment;

• Creativity, innovation and entrepreneurial drive towards making meaningful global change through multi-stakeholder partnerships;

• Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback;

• Integrity, modelled by the UN's values and ethical standards;

• Sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age;

• Ability to work under pressure and stressful situations;

• Ability to manage heavy workloads and solve complex problems.

   

Required Skills and Experience

Academic qualifications:

• Masters’ degree in relevant area such as Public Administration, Public Policy, Social and Political Sciences, Gender Studies, Development Studies, or equivalent.

Years of experience:

• Minimum 4 years of experience including in the following areas:

  • Researching legislative and policy frameworks;

  • Supporting projects promoting women’s participation and leadership, including in public administration;

  • Preparing high-quality presentations, infographics, concept notes, project documents, proposals;

  • Supporting the development of knowledge and advocacy products;

  • High-quality reporting on gender equality in development.

• Knowledge of UNDP’s architecture, strategies, approaches, policy development and/or programming activities.

• Strong research background and proven coordination, analytical, reporting, drafting and communication skills.

Language:

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required;

Computer Skills:

• IT literacy and ability to operate with on-line web-based applications and tools.

Application Procedure

The application package containing the following (to be uploaded as one file):

• Online application with brief description of why the Offer considers her/himself the most suitable for the assignment; and

• Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects and specifying the relevant assignment period (from/to), as well as the email and telephone contacts of at least three (3) professional references.

Note: The above documents need to be scanned in one file and uploaded to the online application as one document.

Shortlisted candidates (ONLY) will be requested to submit a Financial Proposal.

• The financial proposal should specify an all-inclusive daily fee in US Dollars (based on a 7-hour working day - lunch time is not included - and estimated 21.75 days per month).

• The financial proposal must be all-inclusive and take into account various expenses that will be incurred during the contract, including: the daily professional fee; cost of travel from the home base to the duty station and vice versa, where required; living allowances at the duty station; communications, utilities and consumables; life, health and any other insurance; risks and inconveniences related to work under hardship and hazardous conditions (e.g., personal security needs, etc.), when applicable; and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services under the contract.

• In the case of unforeseeable travel requested by UNDP, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between UNDP and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed. In general, UNDP should not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources.

• If the 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 a 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.

The Financial Proposal is to be emailed as per the instruction in the separate email that will be sent to shortlisted candidates.

Evaluation process

Applicants are reviewed based on Required Skills and Experience stated above and based on the technical evaluation criteria outlined below.  Applicants will be evaluated based on cumulative scoring.  When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

• Being responsive/compliant/acceptable; and

• Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation where technical criteria weighs 70% and Financial criteria/ Proposal weighs 30%.

Technical evaluation - Total 70% (700 points):

• Criteria 1. Strong research background, including on legal and policy frameworks, and proven experience with coordination, analysis and reporting, including proven excellent drafting skills, on women’s participation and leadership in public service; Maximum Points: 300;

• Criteria 2. Demonstrated knowledge of UNDP’s architecture, strategies, approaches, policy development, programming activities and familiarity with reporting frameworks; Maximum Points: 200; and

• Criteria 3. Proven knowledge management, communications and advocacy skills; Maximum Points: 200

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% (490 points) of the maximum obtainable points for the technical criteria (700 points) shall be considered for the financial evaluation.

Financial evaluation - Total 30% (300 points)

The following formula will be used to evaluate financial proposal:

p = y (µ/z), where

p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated

y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal

µ = price of the lowest priced proposal

z = price of the proposal being evaluated

Contract Award

Candidate obtaining the highest combined scores in the combined score of Technical and Financial evaluation will be considered technically qualified and will be offered to enter into contract with UNDP.

Institutional arrangement

The consultant will work under the guidance and direct supervision of RAI Team Leader and will be responsible for the fulfilment of the deliverables as specified above.

Payment modality

• Payment to the Individual Contractor will be made based on the actual number of days worked, deliverables accepted and upon certification of satisfactory completion by the manager. 

The work week will be based on 35 hours, i.e. on a 7-hour working day, with core hours being between 9h00 and 18h00 daily.