Senior Researcher for An Ageing China_National Consultant

Background

Please Submit your application directly on the UNDP online supplier portal as decribed below:

Link: , Click-View Active Negotiations, Search with Negotiation Number: UNDP-CHN-00108, then Create response.

!!!!!!Please note that only the application submitted in UNDP online supplier portal is accepted!!!!!!

Incomplete applications will be excluded from further consideration.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is currently implementing a project that requires the services of an individual to perform the work described in this document.

Should you be interested and decide to submit an offer for this assignment, kindly submit directly in the online supplier portal no later than the deadline indicated in the system.

Offers must be submitted directly in the system following this link:   using the profile you may have in the portal. In case you have never registered before, you can register a profile using the registration link   and following the instructions in guides available in UNDP website: .  Do not create a new profile if you already have one. Use the forgotten password feature in case you do not remember the password or the username from previous registration. If you are new registered for IC, the company name should be the name of individual.

If any discrepancy between deadline in the system and in deadline indicated elsewhere, deadline in the system prevails.

We look forward to your favourable response and thank you in advance for your interest in working with UNDP.  

Sincerely

1. Background

China's rapidly aging population presents a formidable challenge to its future development. Currently, with nearly 220 million individuals aged 65 and above, constituting 15.4% of the total population, China has entered an aging society. It is projected that by 2050, this proportion will increase to about 30%. In 2022, China's elderly dependency ratio was 21.8%, higher than the global average of 15%.

The fast-growing elderly population is creating multiple and compounding challenges to society, demanding strengthened social welfare, healthcare, and elderly care services. The demographic shift is accelerating the need to find sustainable solutions to the increasing socio-economic cost of elderly care as well as to enhance the empowerment of a growing portion of society to leave no one behind.

In response to the pressing issue of aging, the Chinese government has introduced a series of policies. These include the "Opinions on Strengthening Elderly Work in the New Era" issued by the State Council in 2021, which elaborated on the priority areas for actively responding to the national strategy of population aging. Additionally, in January 2024, the General Office of the State Council of China issued the first dedicated document supporting the development of the silver economy, titled "." This document proposes guidelines and specific measures to better promote industries related to the elderly population, including elderly care, healthcare, culture, and tourism. The issuance of this directive signifies a governmental paradigm shift, recognizing aging as a new driver of economic development rather than solely a societal burden.

Currently, the scale of China's silver economy is estimated to be 7 trillion yuan, compromising roughly 6% of GDP. By 2035, it is projected to reach around 30 trillion yuan, accounting for about 10% of GDP. With a large base of elderly population, the demand for elderly care is rapidly growing. Thus, how government and private sector could work together to provide high-quality and inclusive elderly care services to meet the diverse demands of the population are crucial for China’s sustainable development.

In this context, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) hopes to explore challenges and opportunities in promoting the development of the silver economy from both the supply and demand side, with supply side analysis focusing on elderly care service system. The research aims to provide targeted recommendations for policy makers, while incorporating a gender lens.

https://population.un.org/wpp/

https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.DPND.OL

Duties and Responsibilities

2. Scope of Work

UNDP China is looking for a consultant to:

• Perform detailed analysis on China’s elderly care service system. Through literature review, policy analysis, etc., to gain an in-depth understanding of the evolution and implementation of China’s elderly care service system. Analyse the advantages and disadvantages of the existing policies and the current system.
• Conducting on-site visits to examine diverse elderly care service models across China, summarizing experiences and lessons learned from innovative pilot programs, and assessing challenges encountered by service providers. Insights will be derived from engagements with stakeholders such as government officials, scholars, and industry experts.
• Conduct quantitative analysis to provide an overview of China’s elderly care service provision across region/groups, including service coverage/accessibility, etc.
• Seek avenues to interact with government officials, scholars, experts, and other stakeholders in the field of elderly care to disseminate the results of the study and drive policy advancements related to ageing.

Competencies

3. Expected Output(s) and/or Deliverable(s)

Based on the scope of work outlined above, the consultant is expected to ensure the delivery of the following output(s) and deliverable(s), working in accordance with UNDP’s requirements, guidance, and strategies.

Deliverable 1 – Research inception report

Deliverable 2 – Research Paper

• The consultant is expected to deliver a report (50-60 pages) using quantitative and qualitative methods to explore challenges and opportunities in promoting the development of the silver economy from both the supply and demand side, with supply side analysis focusing on elderly care service system.
• In particular, the paper is expected to review the current stage of the elderly care service system in China and highlight the bottlenecks that the high-quality development of elderly care services in China would encounter. Special attention will be paid to how the government could incentivize private sector participation in the elderly care system.
• A more detailed expectation and structure of the report can be found in the separate concept note document.

Deliverable 3 – One consultation meeting

• The consultant is expected to hold a kickstart / mid-term consultation meeting, engaging variety of stakeholders to enrich the research paper. .
• The target stakeholders include., government agencies, private sector actors, international organizations etc., for them to discuss and provide constructive feedback on the high-quality development of elderly care in China.

Deliverable 4 - Internal policy brief

• Develop internal policy brief ba sed on the research paper and submit to relevant department.

4. Proposed Timeline

5. Institutional Arrangement

The consultant will direct report to the National Economist of UNDP China and work closely with other key partners in government, academia, think tanks, the UN system, NGOs, and philanthropy. The success of the assignment(s) will depend on the timely delivery of each component. The consultant should ensure the timely identification of potential risks and signal any delays in deliverables. The contract will be effective immediately upon signature by UNDP.

The National Economist of UNDP China will provide relevant documents, if any, and hold regular discussions on the background, methodology, and progress with the Consultant to ensure the success of the assignment(s).

The present TOR may be subject to modification, without deviating from the overall objective and scope of work as currently stipulated, based on mutual consultation and acceptance from both parties. UNDP will hold the copyright of the assignment deliverables.

6. Duration of Work and Duty Station

It is envisaged that the Consultant will commit to the deliverables from May 2024 to June 2025. The consultant is expected to work effectively for a period of 110 days. The duty station of the Consultant will be homebased in China. Some travel might be required to project sites, as necessary.

Required Skills and Experience

7. Experience and Qualifications Required

Education

• Master in public policy, public health, biology, or other related field(s) is required. Ph.D in relevant field is preferred.

Experience and Skills

• At least 10 to 15 years of research experience in ageing society, public policy, public health, sustainable development, or related field(s) is required.
• Proven record of research on ageing topics including population dynamics, healthcare systems, and social security is required.
• Professional experience in leading and contributing to government commissioned research and demonstrated strong connection with relevant department on ageing topic is a plus.
• Past collaboration experience with international organizations is preferred.
• Being well-versed on government regulations and policies is preferred.

Language

• Full command of the Chinese language, and basic understanding of English is required.

8. Payment Terms

The Consultant must send a financial proposal based on Lump Sum Amount. The total amount quoted shall be all-inclusive and include all costs required to deliver the output in the TOR, regardless of any exigencies incurred by the IC in the process of completing the assignment.

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 Consultant prior to travel and will be reimbursed.

The payment(s) shall be released upon satisfactory submission of the required deliverables by the due dates, or as otherwise agreed with UNDP.

9. Recommended Presentation of Offer

Interested candidates must submit the following documents to demonstrate their qualifications:

• A proposal for the research conducted, including a brief workplan with actionable points and research methodology.
• Personal CV or P11, indicating all relevant and similar previous experiences, as well as contact details (email and phone number) of the Candidate and at least three (2) professional references (with email address).

Note: Incomplete proposals may not be considered. Shortlisted candidates may be contacted. Successful candidates will be notified.

10. Criteria for Selection of Best Offer

Evaluating offers will be based on Combined Scoring method – where the qualifications and methodology will be weighted at 70% and combined with the price offer which will be weighted at 30%. The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as a) responsive/compliant/acceptable; and b) having received the highest score out of set of weighted technical criteria (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 0.49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Please Submit your application directly on the UNDP online supplier portal as decribed below:

Link: , Click-View Active Negotiations, Search with Negotiation Number: UNDP-CHN-00108, then Create response.

!!!!!!Please note that only the application submitted in UNDP online supplier portal is accepted!!!!!!

Incomplete applications will be excluded from further consideration.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is currently implementing a project that requires the services of an individual to perform the work described in this document.

Should you be interested and decide to submit an offer for this assignment, kindly submit directly in the online supplier portal no later than the deadline indicated in the system.

Offers must be submitted directly in the system following this link:   using the profile you may have in the portal. In case you have never registered before, you can register a profile using the registration link   and following the instructions in guides available in UNDP website: .  Do not create a new profile if you already have one. Use the forgotten password feature in case you do not remember the password or the username from previous registration. If you are new registered for IC, the company name should be the name of individual.

If any discrepancy between deadline in the system and in deadline indicated elsewhere, deadline in the system prevails.

We look forward to your favourable response and thank you in advance for your interest in working with UNDP.  

Sincerely,