Assistant to the Advisor to the Secretariat of the Innovation and Smart Specialization Council of Montenegro

Background

Background and Objectives 

The strategic vision of development of Montenegro is in line with EU defined priorities based on the increase of competitiveness of the economy, innovation and technology development. Additionally, Montenegro’s economy should be built on the assets and resources available to the country and on specific socio-economic challenges in order to identify unique opportunities for development and growth. 

A developed and competitive economy is based on knowledge and resources that are utilised through related priorities set in the Smart Specialization Strategy of Montenegro (S3), which is an innovation policy concept that aims to boost regional innovation (within EU), contributing to growth and prosperity by helping and enabling countries and regions to focus on their strengths. Smart Specialisation is also based on partnerships between businesses, public entities and knowledge institutions.

Government of Montenegro adopted the Smart Specialisation Strategy of Montenegro (S3) on 20 June 2019. Future investments are focused on domains and areas identified by the Strategy as the ones in which a country can be competitive on a broader scale. 

In this regard, Montenegro has identified the following priority areas: 

• sustainable agriculture and food value chain, 
• sustainable and health tourism,
• energy and sustainable environment

with technological support of information and communication technologies as a horizontal priority.

A S3 strategy is one of the requirements for using the EU funds and will be a strict prerequisite for the use of structural funds once they become available to the country.

In light of this perception, the Government established the Innovation and Smart Specialization Council (Government Decision on formation of Innovation and Smart Specialization Council, number 80/08, 14/17 and 28/18 dated 1 August 2019.) It brings together representatives from the academia, private sector and government on a quarterly basis to discuss and agree on the economic and structural reform priorities and investment opportunities that are in line with S3 that matter to stakeholders from all the three sectors. 

The ‘Technical Secretariat’ function for the ISS Council is currently performed by the Ministry of Science’s Directorate for Innovation and Technology Development and the Office of the Prime Minister. 

However, servicing the ISSC is only one of many important functions carried out by these institutions, which has stretched their resources. The Government has therefore requested UNDP to provide a support to Secretariat to the ISSC, in order to implement specific activities in line with ISSC Secretariat mandate, duties and responsibilities. This refers to the activities detailly described on the point 4 (Secretariat) of the document. More specifically UNDP will support ISSC Secretariat by providing advisory and consultancy service engaging two experts: for analytical and advisory support and expert for administrative support.

Based on UNDP’s experience with establishing effective innovation ecosystem trough UNDP Accelerator labs network globally and recognizing both the Government’s genuine commitment to enforce the Innovation potential in the Country as well as the Council’s strong foundations, the UNDP has committed to supporting an independent, professional Secretariat to assume functions within its mandate.  

Mandate 

The mandate of the ISS Council, chaired by the Prime Minister, is defined in accordance with the Government Decision on formation of Innovation and Smart Specialization Council, number 80/08, 14/17 and 28/18 dated 1 August 2019.  As per this decision, the mandate of the CC is to:

• Coordinate key activities of public administration bodies and other authorities and institutions in charge for implementation of defined priorities and measures drafted in the Smart Specialization Strategy of Montenegro (2019-2024), first of all, budgeting and donor planning.
• Coordinates the activities of state administration bodies and other competent bodies and institutions in the field of establishing investment priorities and implementation of measures defined by strategic development documents in the field of innovation. 
• Propose to the Government a plan for implementation of the Smart Specialization Strategy (S3) of Montenegro (2019-2024), with possibility of establishment of a new implementation body. 
• Analyse existing regulations and their impact on business environment for promotion and development of innovation; proposing changes in regulations in order to simplify and/or remove procedures that are barriers to innovation and innovative entrepreneurship. 
• Propose new regulations in regard to innovation.
• Approve annual reports on realized activities on the Strategy for Smart Specialization (2019-2024) and deliver opinion to the Government for consideration;
• Promote importance of innovation and Smart Specialization Strategy for social-economic development of Montenegro and the quality of life of its citizens. 
• Establish international cooperation with relevant organizations and institutions and exchange experiences and good practices in terms of improving innovation capacity of the country and promoting sustainable development. 

Members 

The Prime Minister chairs the ISS Council, and determines the membership of the Council.  The members of the ISS council include state representatives (Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Policy and Financial System, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Minister of Finance, Minister of Science, Minister of Economy, Minister of Education, Minister of Health, Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism, Minister of Culture, Deputy Minister of Public Administration, representative of the European Integration Office and representatives from the relevant governmental institutions) and representatives of domestic institutions (Mayor of Podgorica, President of the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts, Rector of the University of Montenegro, Rector of the University Donja Gorica (UDG), Director of the Institute “Dr Simo Milosevic”, representative of Montenegro Electricity Market Operator (COTEE), representative of the Union of Municipalities and international experts in the field of sustainable development, new technologies and diplomacy.

The members of the ISS Council are appointed by the Government. Changes in the nominal composition of the ISS Council shall be approved by the Government.

In addition to the permanent members, depending on the ISS Council’s meeting agenda and topics/sectors discussed, ministers, specialised state institutions, experts, other business associations or sector associations, or other representatives of the business community, etc. can be invited to participate in specific discussions of the ISS Council or its Working Groups.At the invitation of the Chair, the ISS Council shall convene Working Groups to discuss and make recommendations on specific thematic or sectoral issues to the meetings of the Council.

The Working Groups will be comprised of any interested parties, academic or private business representatives with an established reputation of expertise in the Working Group’s focus area. The activities of the Working Groups shall be coordinated by the ISS Council Secretariat, which shall ensure that the final findings, conclusions and recommendations of the Working Groups are included in the main Council agenda for discussion and decision. Working Group meetings shall be focused on preparing agenda items for discussion at the meetings of the ISS Council or on supporting the state institutions in the productive implementation of the Council’s decisions.

Secretariat 

The daily activity of the ISS Council shall be coordinated by the Secretariat of the ISS Council. The Secretariat must have no political affiliation.

The Secretariat of the Innovation and Smart Specialization Council:

• Coordinates the everyday activity of the ISS Council: preparation of the meetings, drafting proposals for discussion, consultation with the businesses, academia, technical training sessions; 
• Based on the members’ proposals, but also on the Government’s priorities, develops the agenda of the meetings of the ISS Council and submits the agenda for approval by the Chair;
• Provides to the Chair and the Council’s members summary views and suggestions on the subjects from the ISS Council’s agenda, in order to ensure high quality of decisions made within the Council; 
• Steers the Council’s decisions implementation process, monitors/evaluates the results and assesses their impact and effectiveness on the innovation environment. Reports to the members of the ISS Council and to the Prime Minister about the progress made; 
• Maintains close communication with the members of the ISS Council, state institutions and the innovation community; 
• In collaboration with the press service of the Government, informs the public about the activity of the ISS Council. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Objectives of the assignment:

UNDP office to Montenegro, will support ISS Council to enhance the impact and effectiveness of the Council as a platform for innovation development through quadruple-helix cooperation model and the improvement of the innovation-oriented business sector in Montenegro.

Job content:

The tasks of the Consultant will include the following:

• In collaboration with the Consultant for Advisory support to ISSC, prepare the full-year meetings’ agenda, including ensuring that appropriate documentation is provided, to be discussed at the Innovation and Smart Specialization Council meetings and its Working Groups; 
• Support logistically the Secretariat to steer the process and manage the day to day operations of the Secretariat and activities of the Council;
• Support the work of the Secretariat in preparing and presenting the analytical background in innovation areas identified by the Council to support its deliberations, including recommendations to be submitted to the relevant government bodies;
• Under the direction of Secretary of ISSC, coordinate and support the specific working groups established to follow up and feed to the Council discussions. Coordinate with other stakeholders involved in working groups and provide relevant expertise and background;
• Establish and maintain a database at the Secretariat with data/concerns from business and update as necessary with the new surveys and analysis, and perform the necessary processing of the data using statistical tools, to feed to the analytical work of the Secretariat;
• Prepare and update information on Council’s activities with regards to innovation, to be published on its website or other media;
• Contribute to drafting news bulletins, press releases and other relevant information of the Secretariat to be published on the Council’s website;
• Assist, if necessary, in arrangement of round tables, seminars and other events concerning the improvement of innovation climate;
• Draft relevant parts of the quarterly reports for the Secretariat and UNDP summarising the achievements of the assignment to the relevant government bodies;
• Report to the Secretariat on fulfilment of tasks and responsibilities;
• Perform any other tasks instructed by the UNDP or the Secretariat for the fulfilment of the tasks of the Secretariat.

The expected results/deliverables:

Under the guidance of the International consultant and Secretariat of the ISS Council, it is expected to deliver the following results:

• Working groups coordination, as well as coordination with other stakeholders involved in working groups and provide relevant expertise and background;
• A database at the Secretariat maintenance with data/concerns from business and update, as necessary, with the new surveys and analysis, and perform the necessary processing of the data using statistical tools, to feed to the analytical work of the Secretariat;
• Preparing and updating of information on the Council’s activities with regards to innovation, to be published on its website or other media;
• Preparing news bulletins, press releases and other relevant information of the Secretariat to be published;
• Prepare reports and analysis, including recommendations to be submitted to ISS Council and UNDP;
• In cooperation with ISS Secretariat representative and UNDP International Consultant, support the promotion of UNDP Accelerator lab establishment in Montenegro; 
• Quarterly reporting to UNDP.

Timing and reporting: 

• The assignment will start in February 2020;
• The consultant shall report to the Secretary of the Secretariat and to UNDP regularly on an ad-hoc basis, and formally quarterly on the activities and recommendations. The reports will include minutes of ISS Council meetings;
• The annual report to be submitted in January 2021 shall include the description of the achievements of the assignment.

Time duration and travel:  

The duration of the total assignment is expected to be for 239 days within the period of eleven months. The UNDP will closely review the progress, and adjustments will be made, where possible, to ensure the effective functioning of the Innovation and Smart Specialization Council.  

Competencies

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UN/UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting;
• Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Demonstrates good oral and written communication skills;
• Strong teamwork and interpersonal skills;
• Proven written and oral communication skills;
• Demonstrates ability to manage complexities and work under pressure, as well as conflict resolution skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• University degree in social or natural sciences;
• An advanced degree would be an asset.

Exeperience:

• At least 7 years of relevant professional experience; 
• Broad expertise in open innovation methodologies and social innovation;
• Expertise in areas of innovation development, business administration, and social scientific research;
• Good understanding of the process of Smart specialization Strategy development in Montenegro;
• Strong experience in policy analysis and formulation in areas relevant to innovation environment;  
• Knowledge of international good practice on innovation development (innovation strategy in EU, UNDP innovation accelerator labs);
• Experience in designing and testing innovative models and implementing new systems;
• Proven capacity to carry out high quality research and to design or produce knowledge products;
• Experience in coordinating large projects within institutions, including working with multiple internal and external stakeholders; 
• Ability to interface effectively with government and private sector.

Languages:

• Fluency in local language;
• Excellent knowledge of English language. 

Other:

• Excellent computer skills.

Criteria for selection:

Combined Scoring method will be used. When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should be made to the inidividual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as: (i) responsive, compliant, acceptable, and (ii) having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

• Technical criteria weight - 70% (Background and education 10%; Relevant previous experience 20%; Substantial knowledge/Required competencies 30%; Required language 10%);
• Financial criteria weight - 30%.

Only offerors obtaining a minimum 490 points for technical criteria will be considered for the financial evaluation. For more information on procurement methodology for Individual Contractors, please refer to Procurement Notice.

Application procedure:

Interested applicants are requested to submit their applications by December 24, 2019 by using the Apply now button. The application should contain a duly completed Personal History Form (P11) that can be downloaded from http://www.me.undp.org/content/montenegro/en/home/operations/jobs.html. Please note that UNDP jobsite system allows only one uploading of application document, so please make sure that you merge all your documents into a single file.

Only the short-listed applicants will be contacted and requested to submit a letter of interest including a price quotation indicating the lump sum (in EUR) requested for the work envisaged in the section "Description of Responsibilities".