Background
UNDP Global Mission Statement
UNDP is the UN’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working with national counterparts on their own solutions to global and national development challenges.
UNDP Afghanistan Mission Statement
UNDP helps countries to achieve sustainable development by eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, accelerating structural transformations for sustainable development and building resilience to crises and shock. In Afghanistan, a country in conflict, UNDP works for development and recovery choices that reduce vulnerability and contribute a development perspective to strengthen humanitarian and peace-building responses, to strengthen the continuum from relief to rehabilitation and development.
UNDP Livelihoods and Resilience Unit:
The focus of the UNDP Livelihoods and Resilience programme in Afghanistan is on reducing poverty and creating mechanisms that help the country to cope with socioeconomic stresses resulting from limited human development, the humanitarian crisis and climate change. The unit provides quality assurance for the Support Afghanistan Livelihoods and Mobility (SALAM) Project implemented by the Ministry of Labor Social Affairs, Martyred and Displaced (MoLSAMD).
Project Background:
The Support to Afghanistan Livelihoods and Mobility is a joint program of UNDP, ILO and UNHCR implemented by the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled), to support the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GOIRA) in developing comprehensive, coherent and integrated national and sub-national policy and institutional approaches for enhancing livelihoods in a time of crisis and protracted conflict. SALAM brings together the Government and three UN Agencies along with the private sector, and other partners to seek durable solutions for Afghans in line with the government’s vision and strategies for employment generation and labour migration. This new technical cooperation initiative includes a special focus on the needs of the internally displaced and migrant returnees.
In this context, the project’s main interventions promote the creation of an enabling environment for generating livelihood alternatives in Nangarhar province. Customized support will also be provided to address the specialized needs of various groups, including IDPs, migrant returnees, young people, and women. SALAM also targets safer and more productive international labour migration for those who choose to leave Afghanistan through initiatives that help identify regular opportunities for international migration, provisions to help Afghans make informed decisions, and protections for those who do migrate. SALAM`s expected outputs are: (a) formalized institutional structures in support of regular labour migration for Afghan women and men are established; and (b) national and international employment opportunities for women and men, especially IDPs and returnees, in Nangarhar province is increased.
The Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled has 46 vocational training centres across 22 provinces operating under the government’s development budget and donor funding. The centres funded from the development budget usually operate for some 6 months per year because of shortage of financing.
Overall objective of the consultancy:
Internationally, governments often contract out provision of vocational training to private training schools, with these schools paid a per capita fee, often with an additional obligation to place training participants in work after completion of the training. This increases training provision and enables rapid response to changing training needs. Private training schools may be required to obtain accreditation and will typically be required to ensure that the training responds to national occupational standards and uses a uniform curriculum. Participants’ employment status will often be tracked for up to 6 months after they graduate.
The objective of the support is to assess the scope for contracting out vocational training to the private sector and, having done so, to specify actions required to implement training provision in this way.
Duties and Responsibilities
Scope of work and Deliverable:
Overall Scope:
The assignment, which will be of three month’s duration overall, will have the following tasks:
Review TVET-related policies, strategies, plans, current and recent interventions in Afghanistan, as well as national legislation related to public-private partnerships;
Review current vocational training policies, regulations and practice, distinguishing long and short-term training, as well as the framework for vocational training provision including, variously, organisational responsibilities, training needs analysis, occupational standards, training of trainers, vocational training financing, certification, national qualifications frameworks, recognition of prior learning, re-training and vocational training management information systems;
Review and assessment of regional best practices, PPP models in vocational training;
Assess how training needs could be met through contracting-out, taking account of the location and capability of private training providers and financial resources likely to be available for contracting private provision;
Make proposals for the introduction of private provision of vocational training in partnership with the Government.
Expected Outputs and Deliverable; Time Frame and payment percentage:
Deliverable 1: Inception Report. This should outline the objectives, methodology, tools, outline and framework of the final report, and workplan of the remaining work for the assignment (estimated 10 working days, payment of 25% of the professional fee after completion and approval of the Inception Report);
Deliverable 2: (a) report on current approaches, policy, regulations and practice in Afghanistan in the field of vocational trainng; (b) report on regional best practices in the field of PPP for vocational training, (c) comparison analysis report for current framework and practices against identified best practices (estimated 15 working days, payment of 25% of the professional fee after completion and approval of both reports);
Deliverable 3: options for contracting out provision of vocational training (estimated 10 working days, payment of 25% of the professional fee after completion and approval of the Options Report);
Deliverable 4. draft Final Report and presentation of findings to stakeholders (5 working days 25% of the professional fee after completion and approval of the Final Report).
Payment Modality:
Payments under the contract shall be delivery based and be made on receipt of the specific milestone reports indicated above and including a timesheet according to UNDP procurement formats for individual contractors. These shall be as indicated in the table above and shall be made upon approval and certification of the Head of the Livelihood and Resilience Unit in consultation with the General Directorate for Skills Development in MoLSAMD. Upon receipt of final comments, the consultant shall finalize the sustainability report for formal acceptance by UNDP (see final deliverables above) at which point the final payment shall be released.
Competencies
Competencies
Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting;
High analytical skills oriented towards problem-solving;
Leadership and self-management;
Focuses on results and responds positively to feedback;
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive attitude;
Demonstrates openness for approaches to manage complexity;
Team spirit and excellent interpersonal skills;
Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN's values and ethical standards;
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP and the UN;
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
Special skills requirements
- Professional background in vocational training provision, ideally with international experience in several countries;
Experience in vocational training policy analysis and development;
Experience in developing public private partnerships;
- Experience of contracting-out organizations to deliver vocational training.
Functional Competencies:
Experience in developing private provision of vocational training in partnership with the government;
Ability to build strategic partnerships with relevant stakeholders;
Ability to identify needs and interventions for capacity building of counterparts, clients and potential partners;
Analytical skills, communications abilities, teamwork.
Results Orientation
Ability to take responsibility for achieving agreed outputs within set deadlines until successful outputs are achieved.
Team Work and Communication skills
Excellent time management skills;
Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback;
Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication;
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing
Identifies new approaches and strategies that promote the use of tools and mechanisms;
- Knowledge of inter-disciplinary development issues.
Required Skills and Experience
Requirements for Experience and Qualifications:
- At least Master’s degree in education, law, economy or other related field;
- A minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in public private partnerships of which at least 4 years are at international level;
The ability to live and travel, and work closely with counterpart staff and related agency staff;
The ability to work effectively in a challenging, developing-country environment, and to be self-motivated; Effective communication, IT and interpersonal skills.
Language requirements:
Fluency in written and oral and English required;
Superior English drafting skills.
Work Arrangement:
Institutional Arrangements
Under the overall guidance of the Head of the UNDP Livelihoods and Resilience Unit and in close cooperation with the General Directorate for Skills Development/MoLSAMD, the Consultant will undertake Public Private Partnership modelling for Technical and Vocational Education and Training;
UNDP/ Country Office and/or MoLSAMD will provide office space and internet facility, logistical and other support service. The Consultant however is expected to bring his/her own laptop and mobile phone and meet local communications costs (UNDP will provide a local pre-paid SIM card). Costs to arrange meetings, workshops, travel costs to and DSA during field visits (if any), etc. shall be covered by UNDP.
Duration of the Work
Duration of the contract: 3 months, 40 working days in total, not less than 30 days in the field (Kabul and Ningarhar) for the entire project time frame. At least 2 missions to Afghanistan within the contract time frame. The authorization for each respective payment will be made by UNDP Programme Officer after the acceptance and certification of each deliverable by the Head of the Livelihoods and Resilience Unit.
Duty Station:
UNDP Country Office and Project Office of the Support Afghanistan Livelihoods and Mobility project in the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs & Disabled (MOLSAMD), Head Office, Kabul.
Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments:
The contractor shall submit a price proposal as below:
Daily Fee – The contractor shall propose a daily fee, which should be inclusive of his/her professional fee, local communication cost and insurance (inclusive of medical health insurance and evacuation). The number of working days for which the daily fee shall be payable under the contract is 40 working days;
UNDP/SALAM will provide accommodation free of charge to the Consultant in UNOCA compound. The contractor is NOT allowed to stay in a place of his choice other than the UNDSS approved places. UNDP will provide MORSS compliant accommodation to the contractor. The payment of UNOCA accommodation shall be made directly by the contractor;
Travel & Visa – The contractor shall propose two estimated lump-sum for home-Kabul-home travels (two round trips only) (economy most direct route) and Afghanistan visa expenses.
The total Professional fee, shall be converted into a lump-sum contract and payments under the contract shall be made on submission and acceptance of deliverables under the contract in accordance with the schedule of payment linked with deliverables.
Evaluation Method and Criteria:
Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology:
Cumulative analysis
The award of the contract shall 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 weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.
* Technical Criteria weight 70%
* Financial Criteria weight 30%
Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.
Technical Criteria for Evaluation (70 points)
Technical Proposal (50 Marks)
Technical Approach & Methodology (20 marks) – Explain the understanding of the objectives of the assignment, approach to the services, methodology for carrying out the activities and obtaining the expected output, and the degree of detail of such output. The Applicant should also explain the methodologies proposed to adopt and highlight the compatibility of those methodologies with the proposed approach;
Work Plan (10 marks) – The Applicant should propose the main activities of the assignment, their content and duration, phasing and interrelations, milestones (including interim approvals by the Client), and delivery dates. The proposed work plan should be consistent with the technical approach and methodology, showing understanding of the TOR and ability to translate them into a feasible working plan;
Interview (20 Marks).
Qualification and Experience (20 marks) [evaluation of CV for shortlisting]:
General Qualification (5 marks);
Experience relevant to the assignment (15 marks).
Documents to be included when submitting the proposals:
Interested international consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Please group them into one (1) single PDF document as the application only allows to upload maximum one document:
Duly accomplished Confirmation of Interest and Submission of Financial Proposal Template using the template provided by UNDP (Annex II); as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references.
Personal CV, indicating all experience from similar projects.
Technical proposal:
A brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment; and
A methodology, on how they will approach and complete the assignment.
Incomplete proposals may not be considered.