Background

The UN system in Georgia has elaborated and jointly with the Government of Georgia endorsed the new UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2021-2025 in October 2020. The purpose of the UNSDCF is acceleration of progress towards achievement of the national Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), through UN collective response to support Georgia in addressing national priorities and gaps on its way towards implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The preparatory process was carried out in full consultation with the Government of Georgia, civil society and other relevant stakeholders. The new five-year cycle starts in January 2021. 

The UNSDCF was informed by the Common Country Analysis (CCA), made available in the beginning of 2020. The CCA represents the UN’s collective analysis of the development situation and provided the essential evidence-base from which the theory of change underpinning the UNSDCF was developed. CCA has identified the types of transformational changes needed and achievable in the country as of the period till the end of 2019.  

The main objective of the UN CCA was to provide an independent, impartial and collective assessment and analysis of the situation in Georgia in order to inform the development of the UNSDCF. The CCA has provided a comprehensive overview of Georgia’s standing in each dimension of sustainable development - economic, social and environmental, reflecting on national development priorities and needs, existing gaps and challenges in achieving them, while taking into account the groups left behind or at risk of being left behind. The CCA also dealt with the root causes for inequalities - highlighting Georgia’s implementation of human rights, gender equality and women’s empowerment commitments; the regional context and the priorities of regional and continental frameworks and strategies; as well as the potential risks and bottlenecks that might affect the country’s ability to achieve the SDGs.

The unexpected and rapidly changing situation triggered by the COVID19 pandemic, resulted in modification of priorities and ad-hoc needs for support, entailing reprograming within UNCT ongoing programs. In order to facilitate effectiveness of the UN Country Team’s (UNCT) response to emergency, assure proper and in-depth understanding of the overall changed situation and maintain synergy and coherence in efforts by the UN system in Georgia, the UNRCO initiated review and update the current CCA document, so that it embraces comprehensive update of the situation analysis, including gaps in substance and accompanying risks.

Duties and Responsibilities

With the support from RCO and UNCT in Georgia and under the overall supervision of the UN Resident Coordinator the selected Consultant will prepare the complete update of the Common Country Analysis for Georgia. The consultant will be directly supervised and guided by the Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) Team Leader and work closely with the RCO Team until successful completion of the assignment and acceptance of the updated CCA by the UNCT. The RCO Team as well as all resident and non-resident agencies will provide required support to the process as needed.

The Consultant is expected to: 

  • Undertake detailed review of the current CCA document, identify and prepare suggestions for enriching each section of the document, in full compliance with the guidance for the CCA preparation;
  • Ensure that the revised CCA document includes:
    • updated sections that fully respond to requirements for modification outlined in comments by Peer Support Group (PSG) and UNECE;
    • The financial landscape analysis helping inform the UN development system’s support to governments to advance financing the SDGs.
    • Assessments of financing needs - costing exercise [subject to availability of data] to achieve the SDGs.
    • situation analysis with regards to COVID19;
    • updated sections on Risk analysis, Opportunities, Gaps and challenges towards achieving the 2030 Agenda with specific emphasis on impact by COVID19 pandemic;
  • Undertake desk review of documents, and conceptual and analytical secondary research based on existing data and analytical outputs; 
  • Explore and propose new sources of data as necessary; 
  • Conduct additional data collection, as required;
  • Prepare a draft for updated CCA in consultation with the RCO Team;
  • Facilitate discussion within the UNCT and larger stakeholders’ community, as required
  • Present the draft updated CCA to the UNCT;
  • Obtain and revise the report in line with feedback received from the RCO and the UNCT;
  • Submit a finalized updated CCA report

The scope of the issues to be updated and reflected in the CCA Report:

  • Updated country context, including Georgia’s progress with regard to the SDGs and towards achieving the 2030 Agenda including Georgia’s voluntary national review 2020;
  • The financial landscape analysis should be conducted as an integral part of the Common Country Analysis (CCA). This will allow the UNCT to (a) analyze the linkages between the financial landscape and the other elements of the CCA, particularly the Guiding Principles, and (b) allow informing the Cooperation Framework.
  • Assessments of financing needs (costing exercise) to achieve the SDGs, combined with an analysis of existing resource flows to create a baseline understanding of the financing gap. This is exercise is subject to availability of data and could be adjusted accordingly. It also includes risk assessments and a diagnostic to identify gaps in financing data and national statistical systems and other policy, institutional and capacity-building constraints.
  • Country situation analysis focused on COVID19 impact, including current challenges and potential risks;
  • National vision for sustainable development, key national priorities and main challenges in achieving the SDGs.
  • Leave No One Behind Principle: situation of groups left behind or at risk of being left behind, as well as the root causes for this situation and the legal barriers that exclude them. Also looking at key issues related to human rights (in particular rights of marginalized groups), gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Georgia's implementation of its commitments under all relevant internationally agreed norms and standards (including the ones for Human Rights Gender Equality and environmental sustainability), UN Charter values, as instrumental to achieving Agenda 2030.

  • Regional, sub-regional and cross-boundary factors affecting Georgia's progress with regard to the 2030 Agenda, as well as the synergies and complementarities with regional and continental strategies and frameworks.
  • Various multi-dimensional risks and threats that could potentially impact Georgia's development trajectory across the political, development, humanitarian, peacebuilding and human rights spectrum.
  • Potential risks, gaps and challenges that may set back Georgia's progress on the 2030 Agenda and prevent resilience, stability, long-term inclusive development, human rights and peace.

Expected Deliverables and Deadlines:

  • Present initial findings and recommendations for CCA update to the RCO Team in the form of Initial Report;
  • Prepare draft of the Updated CCA report for comments and recommendations from the RC/RCO and UNCT for validation and quality assurance;
  • Ensure that feedback from all counterparts is duly reflected in the pre-Final updated CCA report; and
  • Present final Updated CCA report to the RC/RCO/UNCT.

The tentative framework and the amount of working days should be seen as a guidance. Payment will be made based on delivery of satisfactory results.

Activities:

  • Preparation of the Initial Report, that includes findings as a result of current CCA report review and recommendations for updating – due by 15 February 2021
  • First Draft of Updated CCA – due by March 10
  • Final Updated CCA and Presentation – due by March 25

Duration of work and payment modality:

The duration of the assignment for the Consultant is estimated as 25 working days of home-based work. The consultancy will start on February 1, 2021 and complete before the end of March 2021 with the submission of a final report by 20 March 2021.

  • Submission of Initial Report - 10% of the consultancy fee; 20 February 2021
  • First draft of the CCA report - 50% of the consultancy fee; 15 March 2021
  • Final CCA report - 40% of the consultancy fee; 1 April 2021

The output should be submitted by the Consultant to the RC and will be considered as accepted upon written confirmation from the UN Resident Coordinator. 

This is a lump sum contract that should include costs of consultancy; payment will be released upon satisfactory provision of respective outputs and acceptance by the Resident Coordinator. The USD lump sum amount will be paid in three installments upon completion and acceptance by the UN Resident Coordinator of the above indicated outputs by the due dates.

Monitoring and Control:

Activities and progress will be monitored through regular contacts and review of the deliverable by the RC/RCO and the UNCT. The Consultant is requested to inform on progress on a weekly basis. In case the deliverable is deemed to have been completed to a standard that does not fully satisfy UN performance criteria, the UN reserves the right to withhold the payment in part or in full. No interim payments will be executed.

Competencies

  • Shares knowledge and experience and provides helpful feedback and advice;
  • Conceptualizes and analyzes problems to identify key issues, underlying problems, and how they relate;
  • Ability to identify beneficiaries’ needs, and to match them with appropriate solutions;
  • Excellent communication and interview skills;
  • Excellent report writing skills;
  • Ability to handle a large volume of work possibly under time constraints;
  • Robust technical competence in undertaking complex analysis which involve use of mixed methods
  • Focuses on result for the UNCT Georgia and responds positively to feedback

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Advanced University degree (Master’s or equivalent) in social sciences, preferably economics, political science, international development, public or business administration, human rights or other relevant disciplines (Minimum Qualification Requirement: Master's degree - 8 points)

Experience:

  • A minimum of 7 years of professional experience specifically in the area of international development initiatives and development organizations (Minimum Qualification Requirement: 7 years - 10 points, more than seven years - additinal 2 points)
  • Experience in preparing strategic and analytical reports (e.g. CCA), development strategies, policies and/or development programmes and projects or similar analytical documents (Minimum Qualification Requirement: 10 points, experience of CCA preparation - 4 additional points)
  • Working experience in Georgia or Caucasus region desirable, for the assignments/positions that require strong understanding of the development and political context (3 points)
  • Experience in undertaking financial landscape analysis and assessments of financing needs (costing exercise) to achieve the SDGs, combined with an analysis of existing resource flows is a strong advantage (3 points)
  • Extensive knowledge of, and experience in applying, qualitative and quantitative analytical methods and in a wide range of analytical approaches
  • Strong comprehension of the sustainable development concept and knowledge of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs
  • Knowledge of relevant UNSDG Guidance on the CCA process and CCA structure 
  • Knowledge of UN role, UN reform process and UN programming at the country level a significant advantage
  • Grounded familiarity with and application of participatory and innovative methods of data gathering and UN Guiding/Programming Principles: i) Leave no one behind; (ii) Human rights-based approach; iii) gender equality and women’s empowerment; iv) resilience; v) accountability; and vi) sustainability.

Language Requirements:

  • Excellent written and spoken English

Evaluation:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the cumulative analysis method: Offerors will be evaluated against combination of technical and financial criteria. Maximum obtainable score is 100, out of which the total score for technical criteria equals to 70 and for financial criteria – to 30. Offerors that do not meet Minimum Qualification Criteria will be automatically rejected, while the rest will form up the long list. The offerors who obtain minimum 28 points as a result of the desk review will be invited for the interview. Offerors who pass 70% threshold, i.e. obtain minimum 21 points, as a result of the interview will be requested the financial proposal.

Financial Proposal:

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 upon 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. Maximum 30 points will be assigned to the lowest price offer. All other price offers will be scored using the formula (inverse proportion):  Financial score X = 30* the lowest price offer/suggested price offer. All envisaged costs must be included in the financial proposal.

The UN is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified female candidates, people with disabilities, and minorities are highly encouraged to apply.