Background

The ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine has had a direct and highly negative impact on social cohesion, resilience, livelihoods, community security, and the rule of law. Recognizing the need to urgently address reconstruction, economic recovery and peacebuilding needs in areas affected both directly and indirectly by the conflict, in late 2014 the Government of Ukraine requested technical assistance and financial support from the international community to assess priority recovery needs. In late 2014, the United Nations (UN), the World Bank (WB) and the European Union (EU) conducted a Recovery and Peacebuilding Assessment, which was endorsed by the Cabinet of Ministers in mid-2015.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been active and present in eastern Ukraine for the past decade, prior to the conflict, with a focus on community development, civil society development, and environmental protection. Work on addressing the specific conflict-related development challenges discussed above built on this earlier engagement, established partnerships, and started in 2015 through the Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme (RPP). The RPP is a multi-donor funded framework programme formulated and led by the UNDP in collaboration with the Government of Ukraine and in cooperation with a number of partnering UN agencies (UN Women, FAO, UNFPA).

The RPP was designed to respond to, and mitigate, the causes and effects of the conflict. It is based on findings of the Recovery and Peacebuilding Assessment (RPA) and is aligned to the State Target Programme for Recovery as well as to the two oblast development strategies up to 2020. It takes into account, the opportunities that have arisen from the Minsk Protocol of September 2014 and the renewal of its cease-fire provisions (the latest cease-fire having been agreed in March 2018) and is also fully adjusted to the humanitarian-development nexus. It is an integral component of the UNDP Country Programme and is, therefore, fully aligned with the United Nations Partnership Framework (UNPF). It is closely interlinked with the Democratic Governance and Reform Programme, operating nationally and in all of Ukraine’s regions, and is consistent with the SDGs, in particular SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong institutions).

The Programme’s interventions are grouped under the following key Programme components, which reflect the region’s priority needs:

Component 1: Economic Recovery and Restoration of Critical Infrastructure

Component 2: Local Governance and Decentralization Reform

Component 3: Community Security and Social Cohesion.

The Programme, which operates on the basis of a pooled funding arrangement, follows a multi-sectoral programme-based approach and is implemented using an area-based methodology. It is a unifying interventions framework for 16 projects funded by 10 international partners and is worth about 52 million USD.

In October 2018, four UN agencies (UNDP, UN Women, FAO and the UNFPA) have countersigned a new joint project document, funded by the EU. The overall objective of the project is to restore effective governance and promote reconciliation in the crisis-affected communities of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, thereby enhancing the credibility and legitimacy of local governments in the government-controlled areas (GCAs) of the regions. It will contribute to peace build and prevent further escalation of conflict in Ukraine through effective and accountable decentralization, gender-responsive recovery planning and equal access to services, as well as enhanced community security and social cohesion.

This endeavour will be achieved through the pursuit of the following specific objectives:

1. To enhance local capacity for gender-responsive decentralisation and administrative reforms to improve governance, local development and the delivery of services.

2. To stimulate employment and economic growth by providing assistance to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) development through demand-driven business development services and professional skills training.

3. To enhance social cohesion and reconciliation through promotion of civic initiatives.

4. To support sector reforms and structural adjustments in health, education and critical public infrastructure to mitigate direct impacts of the conflict.

One of the priority of the Objective 4 is to enhance local capacity for gender responsive decentralization and administrative reforms to improve governance, local development and the delivery of services. On 19 of October 2017, Ukraine’s Parliament approved the draft law No. 6327 “On state financial guarantees for the provision of medical services and medicines,” which gave a start to an important and long-awaited health reform in Ukraine. The law introduces changes to the entire financing model of the healthcare system, switching to payments for services provided by individual doctors or medical facilities and replacing the old, input-based financing system (for infrastructure, number of beds etc.). It also aims at the provision of higher quality care for patients, with a stronger emphasis on prevention and primary care, rather than specialized treatment.

Duties and Responsibilities

Main objectives of the assignment

With respect to the aforementioned, the UNDP is looking to contract a National Consultant to develop two training guidelines to patient-centred approach. The guidelines will be designed for a one-day training event with 1) guideline tailored specifically to family doctors and managers, and 2) guideline tailored to nurses and nursing personnel.

The guideline must adopt the best international approaches, be practically oriented and be complimented with assessment and M&E tools.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Health Governance Specialists in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts the National Consultant will be responsible for the following key tasks:

• Develop a workplan and submit to the supervisors for consideration and approval;
• Draft a desk review report on internationally applied modalities of health care provision, advantages and disadvantages of patient-centered and friendly approach, and submit the report to the supervisors for clearance;
• Draft two step-by-step guidelines for trainers, with all respective annexes, handouts, pre- and post-training assessment forms, equipment lists and a template of trainer’s reports. Submit to the supervisors for consideration and approval;
• Draft two training guidelines and any necessary working materials for participants. Those two guidelines should include assessment and M&E tools to track the progress at the facility level, and demonstrate how the patient-centered approach will help to achieve national SDGs targets, health indicator and outcomes (i.e. SDG Goal 3), and submit all materials, drafts and guidelines in electronic versions to the supervisors for consideration and approval; 
• Provide written advice to UNDP’s RPP on a sustainability strategy on patient-centered approach for next 5 years;
• Present the guidelines to the Health Task Force Groups and other experts (designated by the UNDP) for feedback and update any required alterations to the guidelines;
• Prepare a written final report about the process, its successes and failures, challenges, bottle necks, lessons learned, etc;
• Submit final versions of the guidelines and a final report to the supervisors for approval;
• All reports and guidelines should be drafted in Ukrainian.

Deliverables

In view of the above, the Consultant’s responsibilities will be to provide the following deliverables:

Monitoring/Reporting requirements\

The Consultant will work under the overall guidance of the Programme Coordinator and direct supervision of the Health Governance Specialists in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. The Consultant will directly report to the UNDP Specialists on weekly basis and will also report to the Programme Coordinator on a monthly basis through meetings.

The Consultant will regularly participate in the Project meetings (by Skype) and will share his/her work progress.

PROPOSED PAYMENT SCHEDULE

20% - upon submission and approval of report according to Deliverables 1 and 2;

40% - upon submission and approval of report according to Deliverables 3,4, and 5;

20% - upon submission and approval of report according to Deliverable 6;

20% - upon submission and approval of report according to Deliverable 7.

The payments will be paid out upon the full completion and acceptance of deliverables in accordance with certificate of payments provided by Health Governance Specialists.

Competencies

• Ability for desk research and analytical work,
• Sound knowledge and proved experience in training guideline development, patient/people centered health care approach.
• Familiarity with national legislation and structure in a health care sphere;
• Deliver outputs in a timely manner;
• Good interpersonal communication skills;
• Ability to handle politically sensitive issues with authorities, CSO’s, and within UNDP;
• Sound judgment and maturity to foster a positive work environment;
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team;
• Demonstrated strong analytical, coordination and facilitation skills;
• Strong user of computers and office software packages.

Required Skills and Experience

• At least Specialists/Masters’ degree or equivalent in health management, medicine, international health, public health management, social sciences or another relevant field;
• At least 5 years of relevant experience in the field of training provision, training guideline development, public health policy analysis, development and implementation, local or national level health care management, social policy, or similar fields;
• Experience in carrying out of trainings, analytical work, research, guidelines development, reporting and contributing to reports is required;
• Fluency in Ukrainian is required, fluency in English will be an asset;
• Teaching/tutoring experience will be considered as an advantage.

DOCUMENTS TO BE INCLUDED WHEN SUBMITTING THE PROPOSALS

Applicants shall submit the following documents:

FINANCIAL PROPOSAL

 Lump sum contract

The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables (i.e. whether payments fall in instalments or upon completion of the entire contract). Payments are based on output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount.

The Expert will be responsible for all personal administrative expenses associated with undertaking this assignment, including office accommodation, printing, stationary, telephone and electronic communications, and report copying.

Travel costs

All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. This includes all travel to join duty station/repatriation travel. In general, the UNDP shall not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel in a higher class, he/she should do so using their own resources. In the case of unforeseeable travel, payment of travel costs, including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon between the respective business unit and Individual Consultant prior to travel, and will be reimbursed.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials.

Evaluation of Applicants

• At least Specialist/Masters’ degree or equivalent in health management, medicine, international health, public health management, social sciences or another relevant field, etc. – Specialist/Masters’ degree -9 points, PhD – 14 points;
• At least 5 years of relevant experience in the field of training provision, training guideline development, public health policy analysis, development and implementation, local or national level health care management, social policy, or similar fields – 5 years - 14 points, 6-7 years – 15 points, 8-9 years – 18 points, over 9 years – 21 points;
• Experience in carrying out of trainings, analytical work, research, guidelines development, reporting and contributing to reports - 2 years – 14 points, 3-4 years – 16 points, 5 and more years - 20 points;
• Fluency in Ukrainian – Ukrainian – 12 points, Ukrainian/English – 15 points.

EVALUATION METHOD

Cumulative analysis

Contract award shall be made to the incumbent whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and

b) having received the cumulative 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 70% from the maximum available technical score (49 points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation

The maximum number of points assigned to the financial proposal is allocated to the lowest price proposal and will equal to 30. All other price proposals will be evaluated and assigned points, as per below formula:

30 points [max points available for financial part] x [lowest of all evaluated offered prices among responsive offers] / [evaluated price].

The proposal obtaining the overall cumulatively highest score after adding the score of the technical proposal and the financial proposal will be considered as the most compliant offer and will be awarded a contract.

Maximum available technical score - 70 points.