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 work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), 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.

Within the GPN, the Crisis Bureau guides UNDP’s corporate crisis and fragility related strategies and vision for crisis prevention, response and recovery. The Bureau has the responsibility for support to prevention, crisis response, resilience, recovery and peacebuilding work under the auspices of UNDP’s Strategic Plan, which articulates the need to adopt a risk-informed development approach. The Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive Institutions (CPPRI) Team covers the following thematic/programming areas as part of the Global Policy Network (GPN):

1. Conflict prevention and Peacebuilding;
2. Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE);
3. Core government functions, including local governance
4. Climate Security.

To support system wide efforts of conflict risk management and further the risk-informed development approach, the Crisis Bureau continually invests in developing capacities for forward looking and data-driven conflict analysis and conflict sensitivity that can inform policy, programmatic and operational decision making across country, regional and global levels.

As part of these efforts, UNDP Crisis Risk Dashboard (CRD), acts as a dynamic tool that supports effective monitoring and understanding of contextual risks, to provide an evidence base to inform key decisions by UNDP and the broader UN system. The CRD facilitates regular data gathering and management, and subsequently visualizes information to communicate insights on the nature and potential impact of crisis-related risks. The CRD exists in three different configurations, at the global level, at the country-level or at regional/issue-based levels.

Objective:  

In support of UNDP’s Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive Institutions team and broader Crisis Bureau efforts for expanding data-driven and risk-informed decision making, the objective of this consultancy is to develop a data driven digital application for conflict risk monitoring for use mainly within UNDP, but also along sister UN agencies.

Concretely, the consultant is expected to design a mobile app based on the UNDP Crisis Risk Dashboard to contribute to prompt data-driven decision making and early warning efforts by UNDP management at country, regional and HQ levels.

The data driven digital application for conflict risk monitoring will be tailored to reflect the needs of UNDP. It will specifically:

1. Collate real-time conflict and fragility risk-related analysis, data, news and information relevant for UNDP operations as reflected in the Crisis Risk Dashboard.
2. Collate existing data and indices to ensure end users have state of art current data
3. Provide a customizable platform for internal users to be able to access timely and relevant information based on their operational context.
4. Allow ease of access for users with varying access to digital technologies, be able to operate with limited functionalities in contexts with limited internet access.
5. Ensure data protection, integrity, and confidentiality.

The work will be conducted in close dialogue with UNDP’s Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding team and the Crisis Risks and Early Warning team and will be informed by a Crisis Bureau cross team reference group.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of work:

• Undertake internal consultations with select target audience members across UNDP offices to understand needs and demands to inform the product. These consultations will be a combination of virtual focused group discussions, one on one meetings, and surveys
• Develop options for interfaces that would be relevant for different UNDP audiences, including through articulating the most relevant data sources and proposing options for their visualization.
• Develop a pilot mobile application and related digital solutions based on Tableau software to harness real-time conflict and fragility-related data collected by UNDP and external sources.
• Finalize the application based on user feedback and in close consultation with UNDP’s Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding team and the Crisis Risks and Early Warning team.
• Support the roll-out of the application and contribute to troubleshooting.

Expected results and payments:

Responsibility:

The Consultant will report directly to the Team Leader- Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding/ UNDP’s Crisis Bureau.

Competencies

Professional Skills:

• Analytic capacity and demonstrated ability to process, analyze and synthesize complex, technical information
• Continuously updates one’s own knowledge about new technologies and product modifications
• Identifies and addresses potential challenges quickly and innovatively
• Develops detailed understanding of the clients’ needs, issues, and priorities through routinely seeking clients’ feedback

Interpersonal and communication skills:

• Strong communication skills and proven ability to collaborate between different actors and high

level of internal and external relationship management

• Uses tact and sensitivity when delivering sensitive information or resolving delicate issues
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

A minimum of a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Economics, Quantitative Social Sciences, or related field is required.

Experience:

1. At least 5 years of professional experience in the development of software applications, with knowledge/expertise in data science, information management, information systems, geographic information systems (GIS), database development, web management, visualization, UX/UI or other related areas; required
2. Prior experience in developing similar applications; required
3. Demonstrated proficiency in the use of information management tools, particularly Tableau/Tableau Mobile (preferably with a Tableau Public Gallery profile and portfolio), as well as Microsoft Power BI, Microsoft SharePoint, GIS cartographic platforms, and big data platforms; required
4. Professional experience related to quantitative social sciences is an asset
5. Professional experience with A/B Testing for Product Design is an asset
6. Understanding of the United Nations system, and UNDP, its expertise, practices, and procedures; particularly in conflict-affected and fragile areas is an asset

Language:

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required

Evaluation of applications

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on a cumulative analysis taking into consideration the combination of the applicant's qualifications and financial proposal as follows:

• Technical Criteria weight: 70%
• Financial Criteria weight: 30%

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.

Criteria

Technical Evaluation: 70% of total evaluation (maximum 70 points):

• Criteria 1: Relevance of education, Maximum 5 points;
• Criteria 2: Relevance of work experience in the development of software applications and experience related to quantitative social sciences, Maximum 8 points
• Criteria 3: Relevance of experience using information management tools, particularly Tableau/Tableau Mobile (preferable with a Tableau Public Gallery profile and portfolio); 7 points
• Criteria 4: Relevance of experience with A/B Testing for Product Design; 5 points
• Criteria 5: Experience in working for/with UNDP and/or other international organizations, 5 points

Having reviewed applications received, Candidates scoring a minimum of 70% (35) in criteria 1-5 will be invited for interview. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

• Criteria 6: Interview; 40 points

Note: only the highest ranked candidates who have obtained a minimum of 49 points (70%) on the technical evaluation will be considered for the financial evaluation.

Financial Evaluation: 30% of total evaluation (maximum 30 points).

Please submit an all-inclusive daily fee.

Financial proposals must be all inclusive and must be expressed on the basis of a daily fee. The term "all inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, communications, utilities, consumables, insurance) that could possibly be incurred by the Contractor are already factored into the daily fee. Please also indicate any travel related cost to join duty station in the financial proposal cost break down form.

In the case of unforeseeable mission travel, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses will be agreed upon, between UNDP and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed. In general, UNDP will 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.  Note: UNDP will provide access to internet and a printer during the assignment (the cost of these facilities should not be included in the financial proposals). The cost of any official missions should not be factored in the financial proposal of the applicants either.  

The Consultant will not be expected to travel on mission in the context of this assignment.

Criteria for financial evaluation (30 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