Background

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy and programme work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office (CO) levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep, local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. Within this context, UNDP invests in a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.

From the climate crisis and global pandemic, to rising inequalities and protracted conflicts – the systemic socioeconomic failures exposed by these challenges, cannot be resolved by linear and fragmented approaches.  Solutions must respond to deep systemic drivers of inequality and unsustainability and be delivered in integrated fashion. It also means that delivering the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development must be underpinned in the acknowledgement that the seventeen SDGs are complexly intertwined, and cannot be considered in piecemeal fashion, nor without considering the possible implications of positive or negative in one SDG area for another. The SDGs must be implemented in an integrated way to help countries tackle complex challenges and lay out a more sustainable future.

SDG Integration is the team that influences, shapes, and activates platforms for intersectional collaboration for complex, multi-faceted, and ‘frontier’ issues in sustainable development, enabling a network of expertise and actors across the SDGs, within and beyond UNDP. As such, the SDG Integration team is at the heart of UNDP’s Global Policy Network (GPN). In collaboration with the Regional Innovation Centre, and other relevant Regional, CO and HQ units, and whilst ensuring alignment with Strategic and Regional workplans, UNDP SDG Integration Strategy, as well as quality and coherent policy and program advisory services, the SDG Integration team in BRH curates and coordinates evidence-based support on SDG implementation to Country Offices. Implementation experiences, innovation research and piloting of new tools and approaches are all captured to act as a type of “toolkit” for GPN and COs to draw upon to help promote and spread systems-driven, integrated solutions for delivery of the SDGs.

The SDG Integration Strategic Planning & Innovation Consultant is home-based, though ideally would be able to live and work in Bangkok,  and reports to the Regional SDGi Team Lead in the Bangkok Regional Hub. S/he will support the analytical inputs to support shaping of regional planning and implementation of the SDG Integration strategy through coordinated effort with BRH GPN and the Country Offices in the Asia and Pacific region. S/he will, inter alia: (i)  provide the analysis and evidence needed to inform strategy, design, guidance and technical support, on innovative, integrated solutions for complex and multi-faceted issues for UNDP in the Asia Pacific region; (ii) working closely with the SDGi Lead and Team, the Regional Innovation Centre and other relevant parts of UNDP GPN, provide input to evidence-based design that shall support piloting of implementation of innovative integrated solutions by the GPN and COs, ensuring alignment with the UNDP SDG Integration strategy; (iii) working closely with SDGi Lead and team, , and the Regional Innovation Centre, help to analyze and capture pilot implementation experiences, innovative tools and approaches for curation within a “toolkit” for transformative interventions that can be drawn upon for the long term by GPN and COs; (iv) engage in wider innovation and sustainable development discourse and knowledge sharing in the Asia-Pacific region, within the UN system and among bilateral partners, expert partners, governments, private sector etc., to help support partnerships and gain input and cooperation for solutions design, and to promote SDG Integration; (v) provide back-up support to the SDGi Lead Advisor in ensuring the continuous workflow and quality of the regional SDG Integration team outputs. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Main Scope of Work for the Consultant:

In collaboration with the programme and policy teams in the Regional Hub, including the Regional Innovation Centre, Country Accelerator Labs, SDG Finance Team, UNDP SDG Integration Team (global and country levels), and UNDP’s wider Global Policy Network (GPN) s/he is responsible for supporting the provision of technical expertise and policy and programme advisory services to COs, by lending, inter alia, their analytical expertise that support complex development problem analysis, and provide input to solutions design support to GPN and CO implementation and delivery of the SDGs, whilst also providing rationale for, and  promoting integrated delivery as the preferred modality for implementing solutions. The consultant also ensures alignment with SDG Integration Strategy and other global/regional corporate priorities, policies and workplans, and advances the credibility and recognition of UNDP’s capabilities in this knowledge domain and associated community of practice.

The services and expertise of the Strategic Planning & Innovation Consultant of the SDG Integration team include:

• Support UNDP COs with research and analysis assistance on integrated development issues, and opportunities and need for integrated solutions for complex, large scale development challenges at the regional, country, and local levels.  The support provision focuses on complex requests/problems that relate to multiple thematic/SDG areas in defining their complexity, scalability, entry points as well as the integration of policy and programming, data and analytics, innovation and learning, and financing; 
• Supporting the Regional SDG Integration Team Lead, the Strategic Planning & Innovation Consultant will work as a connector to fulfill the support which include, inter alia: providing the evidence-base for integrated strategies that influence GPN’s programming, streamline monitoring and evaluation; that closes both positive feedback loop and lessons-learned; and also assistance in acquisition of expert consultants/contractors;
• Support the Regional SDG Integration Team Lead in coordinating multi-disciplinary engagement and collaboration across the SDGs, including the provision of a common Secretariat capability for UNDP pilot initiatives, as well as an in-house coordination platform for scoping, analyzing and deploying technical engagements that draw from UNDP’s network of SDG advisory expertise;
• Direct provision, working closely with SDGi Lead and Team, the Regional Innovation Centre, and relevant GPN colleagues, of technical advice on comprehensive SDG themes and/or processes to national and regional leaders/counterparts and external industry leaders, which include strategic development planning, specific technical support on various complex challenges, inputs to collaborative design, research/data analysis, facilitating ‘sense making’ of development trends, sensitization/stakeholder engagement, advisory support on establishment of country platforms, etc; 
• In an autonomous manner, facilitate joint planning and design work to advancing a coherent narrative and operational platform for integrated development approaches within the SDG Framework, as well as information management of UNDP’s integration offers and Inter-Agency investments in collaborative SDG engagement; 
• This shall include working closely with the Regional Innovation Centre and GPN, towards curating the innovative engagements, and implementation experiences of new tools and innovations into a “toolkit” of approaches and other knowledge management products that can be accessed in the long term by COs and GPN Thematic areas to further SDG Integration and Innovation;
• Apply corporate’s integrated strategies to regional projects managed by UNDP’s development experts and consistently provide thought-provoking perspectives and approaches to ensure the coherency of the corporate’s strategy and projects being implemented on the ground.

Duties and Responsibilities

In all areas, SDGi Lead may also indicate need for direct collaboration with SDGi New York specialists, Digital Transformation Specialists, and others, as appropriate, to ensure strategic continuity and alignment of all activities. In addition, the consultant shall work across SDG Integration priorities, bringing their skills of strategic and technical design to all outputs.

1. Strategic Planning and Diagnosis of complex challenges in need of Integrated SDG offers
   • In collaboration with the SDG Integration Team Lead, the Bureau and Hub’s senior management, the Regional Innovation Centre and other relevant teams, serve as a strategic planner and analyst to flag and inform need for development of coherent and integrated strategies and storylines. The support provision may, inter alia, focus on complex requests/problems that relate to multiple thematic/SDG areas, and defining their complexity, scalability, entry points as well as opportunities for the integration of policy, data and analytics, innovation, and finance; 
   • Ensure effective responses to complex, multi-sectoral and integrated development solutions by providing coordinated, evidence-based advice to inform planning and design of modalities that help make sense of the UNDP’s unique integrator role within and beyond the UN system and external partners, including government partners and the private sector;
   • Fit-for-purpose planning and analysis on requests for any integrated SDG support from UNDP COs, and sub-regional requests, working closely with the CO Desk Officers and BRH Teams;
   • Help the SDG Integration team grasp the complexity of requests by analyzing and breaking down the different layers and categories of the challenges and proactively engage in planning and giving input to the SDGiteam in designing integrated offers;
   • Maintain high-quality collaborative networks with UNDP and non-UNDP experts across knowledge domains through regular and episodic substantive work, as required, during information and data mining, and advising on delivery of integrated SDG services;
   • Support the SDG Integration Team Lead in assuring the quality of the delivery of integrated SDG advisory engagements;
   • Engage with service requestors to drive demand and collectively define the scope of anticipated technical support and define the detailed service offer on behalf of the UNDP SDG Integrator, including through the Country Support Platform;
   • Support the Regional SDG Integration Team Lead, in developing integrated offers in emerging areas/requests while jointly working with the Regional Innovation Centre, SDG Finance Team Leader, the Sustainable Development Advisor in Bangkok, and UNDP’s wider GPN, including the Strategy and Systems Management team and help identify valuable expertise from across the GPN’s capacity network/roster to coordinate the release and deployment of experts within SDG integration engagements;
2. Provision of Technical Foundational Research and Pilot Support on Complex Development Challenges
   • Based on a systems and holistic approach, provide technical analysis and design advice and other support on complex and multi-faceted development challenges for the regional bureau and country offices as they emerge, including those  attached to employment, environmental and spatial challenges such as future of work, air pollution, waste and plastic pollution, hydrological services, climate induced disasters, land-use planning and conflicts, etc;
   • Promote UNDP’s SDG integration offer contextualized for the country(ies) and provide coordinated technical evidence to support and advise the design and pilot implementation, leveraging experience from across the organization as they emerge from the Accelerator Labs Network, the SDG Impact and the Country Support Platforms; 
   • Working closely with SDGi Team,  Regional Innovation Centre, and other relevant personnel,  provide evidence-based advice on incorporation and acceleration of digital transformation across the region, looking at areas such as: access to digital literacy, digital services, digital infrastructure, digital identity and digital payments, and investigation of the cost of exclusion for digital citizenship. This work shall complement other BRH efforts associated with Digital Transformation Principles and safeguards;
   • Support the SDG Integration Team, in providing analytical input and advice on SDG planning, monitoring, campaigning, and coordination, and contributing to quality assurance of SDGi advisory engagements;
   • In tandem with the SDG Integration Team Lead, deliver UNDP’s SDG integration services in collaboration with technical experts from across UNDP’s GPN network of capacity and in-house resources across knowledge domains (including the Accelerator Labs Network, SDG Impact, and the Country Support Platforms) to demonstrate intersectional policy advice and integration capabilities;
   • Coordinate with the SDG Integration Team, and UNDP’s wider GPN, to identify valuable expertise from across the GPN’s capacity network / roster that could support country initiatives;
   • Advance joint programming and facilitate inter-agency coordination, across all thematic lines;
   • Foster policy innovation in the specific thematic areas to enhance programme delivery;
3. Advocacy and Partner Engagement for Effective Institutional Positioning of UNDP’s SDG Integration Offer
   • Jointly collaborate with the UNDP Global SDG Integration team, country offices and GPN to advocate the work of UNDP in leading SDG Integration efforts on social media and UNDP SDG Integration global webpage; 
   • Provide technical support to SDGi Team Lead, if requested, to support efforts of SDGi BRH to engage with, mobilize and foster external partnerships (UN and non-UN) behind large scale and integrated SDG solutions;
   • Support the SDGi Team Lead in maintaining high-quality collaborative networks with UNDP and non-UNDP experts across knowledge domains through regular and episodic substantive work, as required in the delivery of integrated SDG services;
   • Support the Regional SDG Integration Team Lead in guiding the continuous refinement of UNDP’s roadmap and engage proactively with funding partners to influence the global discourse on the 2030 Agenda by feeding the outcomes of UNDP work into other UN and non-UN processes;
   • Participate in UNDP engagement in UN interagency coordination as well as in other fora with the aim to advance UNDP’s strategic agenda in the thematic area, as assigned by the SDGi Team Lead;
   • Support the SDGi Team Lead in advocate policy and positioning of this thematic area in various fora and through programme efforts, including academia, private sector, and civil society;
   • Help the SDGi Lead develop the building of strategic alliances and partnerships, especially with key think tanks, governmental organizations (or funders) and non-governmental organizations;
4. Contribution to knowledge management, community of practice networking, content development and curation of tools and resources to build capacity around integrated SDG engagement for governments and national counterparts
   • Under guidance of SDGi Lead, provide technical expertise in knowledge codification, content development and repository for regional/CO knowledge products, identifying tools, developing methodologies and programmatic solutions and producing knowledge to facilitate and advance innovation in driving and accelerating SDG achievement in close collaboration with the Regional Innovation Centre and SDG Accelerator Lab network team; 
   • Work with the SDGi Team Lead and the Regional Innovation Centre, to promote knowledge extraction, analysis, documentation, codification of results/lessons learned in the specific thematic area, ensuring that knowledge sharing, and content management is in line with guidelines and performed using corporate tools;
   • Where appropriate (eg arising out of piloting experiencing and establishment of proof of concept), and coordinating with the SDGi Team and Regional Innovation Centre in particular, design and deliver training on programming tools including by developing training packs for COs (and GPN)  to facilitate innovation learning, foster and encourage policy and technical innovation and continuous improvement to enhance programme delivery;
   • Support to showcase UNDP knowledge on integrated SDG solutions and engagement processes at internal or external fora, as required by SDG Lead, and ensure that UNDP’s SDG integration capability is contextualized in relevant and impactful ways in multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral arenas;
   • Work closely with SDGi Team Lead to develop and strengthen linkages with the global SDGs Community of Practice and across regions.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables:

The successful Contractor will be on a full-time assignment and will provide continuous support to the Asia Pacific SDGi Lead to deliver the following outputs throughout the assignment:

• Support effective responses to complex, multi-sectoral and integrated development solutions by coordinated, evidence-based advice to inform planning and design of modalities that help make sense of the UNDP’s unique integrator role within and beyond the UN system and external partners, including government partners and the private sector;
• Fit-for-purpose planning and analysis on requests for any integrated SDG support from UNDP COs, and sub-regional requests;
• Analysis of the different layers and categories of development challenges and active engagement in designing integrated offers;
• Identification of valuable expertise from across the GPN’s capacity network/roster to coordinate the release and deployment of experts within SDG integration engagements;
• Technical design and other support on complex and multi-faceted development challenges;
• Analytical input and advice on SDG planning, monitoring, campaigning, and coordination, and contributing to quality assurance of SDGi advisory engagements;
• Contribution to UNDP’s advocacy efforts via social media and UNDP SDG Integration global webpage and in conferences and meetings on the 2030 Agenda and SDGs; 
• Continuous refinement of UNDP’s roadmap and engage proactively with funding partners to influence the global discourse on the 2030 Agenda by feeding the outcomes of UNDP work into other UN and non-UN processes;
• Technical support in knowledge codification, content development and repository for regional/CO knowledge products, identifying tools, developing methodologies and programmatic solutions and producing knowledge to facilitate and advance innovation in driving and accelerating SDG achievement;
• Knowledge extraction, analysis, documentation, codification of results/lessons learned in the specific thematic area, ensuring that knowledge sharing, and content management is in line with guidelines and performed using corporate tools.

Duration of the Assignment, Duty Station and Expected Places of Travel:

This will be a full-time assignment from 1 January to 31 December 2021 for a maximum of 261 working days.

The consultant will home-based with possible travel to countries in Asia Pacific. Duty travel will be agreed in advance as the need arises. Travel expenses and reimbursements will be administered in compliance with UNDP Duty Travel Policy under Administrative Section and Individual Contractor Policy under Procurement Section of UNDP Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures.

Institutional Arrangement:

The consultant will be given access to relevant information necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment. She/he will be responsible for providing her/his own laptop.

The consultant will report to the Asia Pacific SDG Integration Lead in Bangkok Regional Hub, and will work closely with colleagues in the Asia Pacific Global Policy Network (GPN).

Payment Terms:

The consultant must send a financial proposal based on a Daily Fee. Consultant shall quote an all-inclusive Daily Fee for the contract period. The term “all-inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, communications, consumables, etc.) that could be incurred by the IC in completing the assignment are already factored into the daily fee submitted in the proposal. If applicable, travel or daily allowance cost (if any work is to be done outside the IC’s duty station) should be identified separately. Payments shall be done on a monthly basis based on actual days worked, upon verification of completion of deliverables and approval by the IC’s supervisor of a Time Sheet indicating the days worked in the period.

In general, UNDP shall 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

In the event of unforeseeable travel not anticipated in this TOR, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and the Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

• Innovation: Ability to make new and useful ideas work;
• Leadership: Ability to persuade others to follow;
• People Management: Ability to improve performance and satisfaction;
• Communication: Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform;
• Delivery: Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement;
• Initiative: Displays initiative, sets challenging outputs for her/himself and willingly accepts new work assignments.

Functional/Technical Competencies:

• Strong interpersonal skills, communication and diplomatic skills, ability to work in a team;
• Excellent analytical skills and the capacity to research and comprehend technical and strategic documentation and prepare policy and strategy papers;
• Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback;
• Ability to work under pressure and stressful situations, and to meet tight deadlines;
• Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities;
• Capacity to establish and maintain excellent relationships with key partners;
• Good presentation skills;
• Good computer skills (Advanced skills of office computer systems (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook);
• Strong command of English with an ability to communicate verbally and in writing with a wide range of partners persuasively and collaboratively;
• Sustainable Development Goals: Knowledge of the Sustainable Development Goals and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations;
• Strong Analytical Skills: Ability to deconstruct complexity of issues and find strategic opportunities for integrated solutions that help to accelerate delivery of the SDGs;
• Technical Knowledge of issues around complex social, economic and environmental  development challenges – and a good understanding of cross-cutting issues that require integrated solutions;
• Substantive Networking: Ability to substantively engage and foster networks with governments, academia, research institutions, and think tanks;
• Collaboration & Partnerships: Ability to develop, maintain, and strengthen partnerships with others inside (Programmes/projects) or outside the organization who can provide information, assistance, and support.  Sets overall direction for the formation and management of strategic relationships contributing to the overall positioning of UNDP;
• Planning & Coordination: evidence of ability to plan and coordinate campaigns and people with inspiration.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree of social science, economics, policy/political science, international development, or other relevant field.

Experience:

• A minimum of 7 years of cross sectoral, cross functional and multi-disciplinary relevant work experience in strategic and/or management roles across diverse sectors, including international development;  
• At least 2 years prior experience of working with one or more UN agencies. Previous experience of integrated programming development and/or programme management for accelerating the SDGs would be an asset;
• At least 5 years of work experience with socioeconomic focus in the Asia Pacific region, working across sectors (public and private), preferably with some experience in innovation-oriented or digital forward roles aligned with 4IR;
• At least 3 years of demonstrated experience in communications, advocacy and/or stakeholder engagement.

Language:

• English

EVALUATION OF CANDIDATES:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology:

Cumulative Analysis: The candidates will be evaluated through Cumulative Analysis method. When using the weighted scoring method, 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 set of weighted combine technical evaluation of desk review and interview (70%), and financial criteria (30%). Financial score shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal received by UNDP for the assignment. 

**Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% marks in the Technical evaluation would be considered for Financial evaluation.

Technical Evaluation Criteria (70%):

Financial Evaluation (30%)

Financial proposals from all technically qualified candidates will be scored out 30 marks based on the formula provided below. The maximum marks (30) will be assigned to the lowest financial proposal.

All other proposals will receive points according to the following formula:

• 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.

DOCUMENTS TO BE INCLUDED WHEN SUBMITTING THE PROPOSAL:

Interested individual consultant must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Please group them into one (1) single PDF document as the application system only allows to upload maximum one document:

• Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability and financial proposal using the template provided in Annex III.
• Personal CV and 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.
• A cover letter, including  a brief description of why the individual considers him/herself/themselves as the most suitable for the assignment

Incomplete proposals may not be considered. The short listed candidates may be contacted and the successful candidate will be notified.

ANNEXES:

Annex I - TOR
Annex II - General Terms and Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Individual Contractors
Annex III - Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability and financial proposal
Annex IV - P11 Form for ICs
 

All documents can also be be downloaded from: https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=70444 

For any clarification regarding this assignment please write to procurement.th@undp.org under Subject: 94159 - International Consultant - Strategic Planning & Innovation