Vetted Experts Roster: Sustainable Development: Poverty and Inequality

Background

The Istanbul Regional Hub (IRH) is UNDP’s main knowledge and advisory hub for the Europe and CIS Region (ECIS). It aims to connect the region to a global network of development experts, to build knowledge and capacity, and to forge partnerships to meet the development challenges of a large and diverse region. IRH also aims to capture and spread development successes and best practices in the region and to improve the impact of UNDP’s work through effective communications and advocacy.In order to achieve these aims, the IRH employs a team of in-house policy advisers and specialists, backed by an extensive roster of outside experts. Regional programme advisers and specialists provide demand-driven advisory services, access to knowledge, and technical backstopping to RBEC country offices. Their specific services include diagnostic missions, on-site support to UNDP Country offices principally in programme identification and preparation, evaluations, expert referrals, capacity development, training and applied research. They may also be responsible for leading and managing the regional practice work through communities of practice (COP) in their respective areas of expertise.The Sustainable Development Team provides support to the process of nationalizing, implementing and monitoring the global 2030 sustainable development agenda. UNDP IRH invites applications from qualified experts to establish a roster of consultants to work on various consultancy assignments in the region.  The SDT launches a competitive process to create a pool of qualified experts/consultants in following areas: 

• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 
• Poverty and Inequality, 
• Employment and Inclusive Growth, 
• Private Sector and Trade, 
• Social Protection and Social Inclusion
• Roma Inclusion
• Green economy
• Human Development

Poverty and Inequality in Agenda 2030

Two key challenges of our time are poverty and inequality. With the theme of “leaving no one behind”, we need to move from framework set by the millennium development goals towards considering a whole range of new considerations on the environment, sustainability and gender. Ending poverty and reducing inequalities are central to it.  The SDGs need to ensure that all sub-groups – be they at country level, or disadvantaged or marginalized groups within the country – experience the same kind of progress. The goals around equality are about having a more equal growth path for all groups of society. Every country needs to think about how to implement them so that they can show progress.Indeed, within Europe and Central Asia, extreme poverty (if measured as USD 1.90 a day per capita pertinent to SDG 1.1.1. Proportion of population below the international poverty line by sex, age, employment status and geographical location) is the lowest in world, but there are things that can wipe achieved progress away: many families and individuals may become “trapped” in poverty due to failures in economic policy and weak institutions and governance, as well as low levels of income, education and health. Despite the progress made, a large proportion of people living in poverty have limited access to social protection and basic services. Natural hazards and extreme weather compound poverty and structural inequalities, producing a vicious cycle of risk and fragility. Increasingly, climate change will begin to impact on development in multiple ways and the burden of movement of people is felt most acutely in this region and so focusing on resilience must form part of UNDPs work.Ending poverty and reducing inequalities in the region is also complicated by labour market conditions such as the lack of sufficient productive and remunerative jobs, labour mobility and female labour force participation; demographic changes including, for example, shrinking population in Europe, increasing population in Central Asia, migrating flows and growing conflicts and insecurity. This can hinder progress on human development which is a critical imperative for achieving sustainable development goals for all.Over the years, various approaches and measures of human well-being have emerged, more data are available, innovative approaches to data gathering are taking place (e.g. real time data and big data), the adoption of the SDGs is expected to lead to greater availability of standardized measures, the use of micro level data (instead of aggregate data) that allows identifying overlapping deprivations, and creative ways of data presentation (e.g. dashboards) are being pursued.What UNDP  does on the ground? Work of UNDP on poverty eradication and inequality reduction is strongly aligned with the proposed Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1 on ending poverty in all its forms everywhere and SDG 10 on reducing inequalities between and within countries, as well as the relevant dimensions of all the other goals. In partnership with a wide range of actors (see section on partnerships), UNDP offers the following services to countries:

• Assist in the formulation of development planning strategies that promote inclusive sustainable development, including special measures to meet the needs of the poor and marginalized, promote gender equality;
• Strengthen institutional capacity to design, coordinate, implement and monitor national vision documents and development plans;
• Offer policy advice and tools to government decision makers to promote pro-poor development in areas such as social protection, green economy, job creation, sustainable urbanization, support policies that stimulate inclusive growth;
• Foster strong partnerships to engage the private sector in inclusive growth, business and market development and support fair trade for inclusive growth, job creation, green economy and social protection;
• Advocate for enhanced public investment and economic governance to ensure that the poor have access to vital public services;
• Advocate for a more favorable international policy environment in areas such as international trade, foreign direct investment, and protection of the natural environment;
• Work with countries to develop solutions and enhance capacity, remove policy and regulatory barriers, and expand/transform green markets to increase resilience, and reduce poverty and inequalities;
• Help governments to set up comprehensive poverty and inequality monitoring and assessment systems to inform the design and targeting of effective poverty reduction and sustainable development policies;
• In the run-up to the SDG deadline of 2030, SDG progress acceleration an important part of UNDP work from the very start. Through the Monitoring, Acceleration and Policy Support Framework (MAPS), a UN-wide initiative, UNDP supports countries to systematically identify and analyze the bottlenecks that are slowing progress towards the SDGs, rolling out proven-interventions and developing MAPS roadmaps and action plans.

Duties and Responsibilities

Consultants selected for the Roster will work with UNDP Country Offices and/or Istanbul Regional Hub on various assignments. The range of tasks can include:

• Supports Country Offices in the region in developing and implementing projects in multidimensional poverty and inequality reduction for achieving the SDGs, SDG 1 and SDG 10 in particular;
• Provides input for the preparation, review and analysis of various policy documents, training materials and initiatives at the regional, national and local levels that affects sustainable development in the RBEC region;
• Contributes to analytical and thematic research within the subject areas, including for the development of relevant strategies, plans, programs/projects.
• Contributes to the development of toolkits, guidelines, publications in the area of poverty and inequality;
• Contributes to the development of cross-sectoral and sectoral poverty and inequality eradication strategies, policies and measures, bearing in mind SDG national and local priorities;
• As required, provides support to implementation of MAPS—Mapping, Acceleration, and Policy Support—framework in countries of region;
• Analyzes complexity of SDG 1 and 10 goals, targets and indicators; relationships between targets and indicators with other SDGs, and SDG priorities in countries of region;
• Compiles relevant SDG databases for countries of region using international and national data sources;
• Prepares terms of reference and methodological guidance for collection of additional/alternative data on poverty and inequality;
• Collects and systematizes information regarding SDG-related policy measures undertaken, as well as programs implemented by Governments, UNDP and other development organizations. Collects and systematizes country case studies, drafts analytical materials on the basis of information collected;
• Depending on qualification, consultants might require to have technical skills in (i) constructing national Multidimensional Poverty indices, (ii) conducting poverty risk analysis, (iii) performing SDG modeling for testing poverty/inequality accelerators.

Competencies

Corporate competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
• Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment

Functional competencies:

• Strong interpersonal skills, communication and diplomatic skills, ability to work in a team
• Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback
• Ability to work under pressure and stressful situations
• Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities
• Excellent public speaking and presentation skills

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Minimum Master’s degree at least in one of the following fields: macro/micro economics, Public administration, Business Administration, Public Policy, Social Science, Political Science, Development Studies or related fields.
• Relevant training on SDG modeling, Poverty Risk analysis and/or construct of multidimensional poverty and inequality composite indices or dashboards is preferred.

Experience:

• At least 5 years of proven work experience in development work with emphasis on poverty and inequality related initiatives (work, research, teaching, consultancy), including proven experience in any of the following areas:  policy advice, capacity assessment, capacity development, training – in-class and on-the-job training, policy development, methodology drafting, institutional development, functional review, research and analytical work, programming, comparative research, peer review, negotiation with the public/private stakeholders, monitoring and evaluation; 
• Experience with development and implementation of the poverty and inequality reform initiatives on central and local levels, including sector-specific reforms is an asset.
• Experience with liaising and cooperating with government officials, civil society organizations, universities, research institutes or economic think tanks is an asset.
• Proven existence of knowledge products such as books, articles, research papers, toolkits, guides, methodologies, analytical documents, policy papers and notes, project and program documents, baseline studies, desk reviews, comparative studies, reports etc. developed and/or published by the candidate is an asset.
• Previous relevant experience of working in/for ECIS countries (Central Asia, the Commonwealth of Independent States and Caucasus, European Union (EU) Accession Countries and Western Balkan) is an asset. 

Language skills:

• Fluency in English is required
• Fluency in Russian or any other language spoken in the region is an asset

Computer and application skills:

• Full IT literacy is a must.
• Proficiency in STATA or SPSS is an asset

Evaluation of Applicants

All applicants will be screened against qualifications and the competencies set above. Candidates fully meeting the requirements will be further evaluated based on the criteria below. The inclusion into the Vetted Roster of Experts will be offered to those individual consultants whose offers have been evaluated and determined as (a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and (b) having received high scores specific to the solicitation.Technical Criteria – 70 % of total evaluation– max. 70 points:P11 review: 60 points Only highest ranked candidates who would be found qualified for the job based on the CV desk review (who will score at least 70%) will be considered for drafting and formulation skills evaluation.

• Relevance of education – 5 points;
• Years of professional experience in poverty and inequality initiatives – max. 15 points
• Relevance of proven professional and technical experience (skills) in poverty and inequality initiatives, especially relevant to Agenda 2030 and MAPS - max. 15 points;
• Relevance of experience with development and implementation of the poverty and inequality reform initiatives on central and local levels, including sector-specific reforms – max. 10 points;
• Relevance of experience with liaising and cooperating with government officials, civil society organizations, universities, research institutes or economic think tanks is an asset – max. 5 points;
• Relevant regional knowledge and experience in the ECIS – max. 5 points;
• Fluency in English; Fluency in Russian or other language spoken in the region is an asset– max. 3 points;
• Proficiency in STATA or SPSS – max. 2 points;
• Proven drafting and formulation skills (based on the record of existing publications focused on poverty and inequality related areas) – max. 10 points (candidates can provide links to written samples of their work in relevant areas or send as attachment  together with the P11 form, preferably in English. Publications in Russian language will also be accepted).

Only candidates who will receive at least 70% of points in technical evaluation (desk review and evaluation of written samples) will be considered for financial evaluation.Financial Criteria – 30 % of total evaluation – max. 30 points.Contracting Arrangements:Successful candidates will be included into UNDP RBEC Vetted Experts Roster for Area of poverty and inequality for the period of 3 years. Entry into the expert roster system does not necessarily mean that contract with UNDP is guaranteed. This will depend on forthcoming needs. During this period, IRH which manages the roster, can regularly follow up with consultants as well as UNDP offices in ECIS on their assignments. Financial proposal (daily fee in USD) provided by the consultant is the all-inclusive maximum daily fee payable and is bound to the period of 3 years (unless the consultant applies to the roster during its re-opening). Profiles of roster members will be published at UNDP internal platform and accessible to UNDP IRH and Country Offices.Where a request for services arises, the UNDP IRH or UNDP office will share a specific Terms of Reference (TOR) outlining specific services, outputs and timeline for that assignment with consultant(s) matching the requested profile and consultants will be requested to provide a price offer. A consultant offering a best value for money will be contracted.Payments:Payments will be made as specified in the actual contract upon confirmation of UNDP on delivering on the contract obligations in a satisfactory manner.Application procedures

Qualified candidates are requested to apply online via this website. The application should contain:

• Cover letter explaining why you are the most suitable candidate for the advertised position. Please paste the letter into the "Resume and Motivation" section of the electronic application. 
• Filled P11 form including past experience in similar projects and contact details of referees (blank form can be downloaded from http://www.eurasia.undp.org/content/dam/rbec/docs/P11_modified_for_SCs_and_ICs.doc); please upload the P11 instead of your CV. 
• Financial Proposal* in USD – specifying all-inclusive maximum daily fee

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials*Please note that the financial proposal is all-inclusive and shall take into account various expenses incurred by the consultant/contractor (e.g. fee, health insurance, office supplies, communications, vaccination, personal security needs and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services...). Payments will be made only upon confirmation of UNDP on delivering on the contract obligations in a satisfactory manner. Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director. Consultants are also required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under dss.un.orgGeneral Terms and conditions as well as other related documents can be found under: http://on.undp.org/t7fJs.Qualified women and members of minorities are encouraged to apply.Due to large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process.