National Consultant (National Engineering Advisor) With UNDP Transitional Support to MOIA Project Initiation Plan (TSM PIP)

Background

UNDP Global Mission Statement

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network - an organization connecting people around the world to knowledge, experience and resources to help build a better life. UNDP is on the ground in 166 countries, working with national counterparts to develop in-country solutions to national and global development challenges.

UNDP Afghanistan Mission Statement

UNDP supports stabilization, state-building, governance and development priorities in Afghanistan. In partnership with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIROA), other UN agencies, the donor community and other development stakeholders, UNDP has contributed to institutional development designed to positively impact the daily lives of Afghan citizens;

Over the years, UNDP has impacted on milestone efforts, including: the adoption of the Afghanistan Constitution; Presidential, Parliamentary and Provincial Council elections; and capacity-building for the legislative, judicial and executive arms of the State, including Ministries, Government agencies and commissions at the national and sub-national levels. Moreover, major demobilization, disarmament, rehabilitation (DDR) and area-based livelihoods and reconstruction programmes have been implemented nationwide;

UNDP Afghanistan is committed to the highest standards of transparency and accountability and works in close coordination with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the UN system to maximize the impact of its development efforts on the ground. Based on consultations between UNDP, the GIROA and donors conducted during 2017, a growing view emerged that the scope of LOTFA should be expanded to include the entire justice chain (police, courts, and prisons) and cover all institutions across the entire Rule of Law sector, with an increased focus on anti-corruption. Simultaneously, the LOTFA structure has been revised to bring it more in line with international standards and best practices on Trust Fund management and administration. Consequently, it is proposed that LOTFA will be administered through UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) modalities from the first quarter of 2019 i.e. multi-partner financing instruments that quickly move from commitment to action to results, helping those most in need;

The new Trust Fund Terms of Reference (TOR) and Strategic Framework have been approved by the LOTFA Steering Committee. As the revised LOTFA TOR becomes effective, management arrangements for the Trust Fund will be finalized.

 Organizational context of the position:

UNDP, through the TSM PIP is supporting construction of the DM Support Building. The Ministry of Urban Development (MOUD) is finalizing the construction work, while UNDP and MOIA are providing quality assurance and quality control over the construction process. Throughout this process, close coordination and communication will be maintained between MOIA, MOUD, UNDP and the donor. Working under overall supervision of the TSM PIP Project Manager, direct supervision of the International Engineering Specialist and in close coordination with the DM Support, MOIA Facility Directorate and MOUD, the National Engineering Advisor will assist the international engineering advisor (international consultant) in activities related to the assessment of the structure of the building and providing recommendations how to complete the construction of the building.    

Duties and Responsibilities

Objective of the Assignment:

Working under overall supervision of the TSM PIP Project Manager, direct supervision of the International Engineering Specialist and the international Engineering Advisor and in close coordination with the MOIA DM Support, MOIA Facility Directorate and MOUD, the National Engineering Advisor will

be responsible for the following tasks:

Assist and support the International Engineering Advisor to prepare Terms of Reference (TOR) for the Integrity assessment of the DM Support Building – the TOR, among others, will cover the following critical points:

• The assessment shall include all structural elements of the building, such as foundation, soil, super-structure, columns, beams, slabs, shear walls, etc;
• The assessment should also cover the strength of materials used to construct the building;
• The assessment should identify all the risks and provide recommendations how to overcome them;
• The assessment shall include geotechnical, hydrological and environmental surveys of the building and the site;
• The assessment will define the seismic hazard and carry out rigorous non-linear analyses (push-over etc.) to correctly assess the performance of the structure with well-defined material properties;
• The assessment will recommend the most economical and safe remedial measures based on the most recent codes;
• The assessment implementation company who will perform the assessment shall provide Scope of Work, drawings, Bill of Quantities (BoQs) and specifications of the remedial measures of retrofitting the DM Support building;
• Add additional components if they are necessary;
• The national consultant will ensure that national legal and programmatic requirements with regards to the construction work and seismic (and other hazards) standards are included in preparation of the TOR.

Provides effective technical support throughout all stages of the tendering processes:

• Directly participate in the tendering process;
• Together with the international engineering advisor provide technical guidance to support a successful procurement process for the integrity assessment of the DM Support Building;
• Assist in preparing tender documentation (ToR, tender dossier, etc.) in coordination with the UNDP Procurement Unit and international engineering advisor, to select the best bidder to conduct the integrity assessment;
• Participate in the evaluation team, to assess the bidders;
• Attend pre-bid meeting for the bidders to provide clarification to potential to bidders.

Provide technical assistance during implementation of the Integrity Assessment:

• Review and provide comments on the assessment methodology (approach, tests, codes, time schedule etc.);
• On daily basis coordinate with the company that will be tasked to conduct the assessment
• Review progress reports and the final report;
• Review the final handover documentation upon completion of the assessment and provide the comments and recommendations;
• Perform monitoring on-site visits on daily basis (subject to security clearance);
• Participate on the meetings with the DM Support and UNDP whenever requested;
• On daily basis coordinate activities between UNDP, MOIA and MOUD;
• Other monitoring activities as necessary.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables:

Deliverables/ Outputs	Estimated Duration to Complete the tasks	Target Due Dates	Review and Approvals Required	Payment
Draft and prepare TOR, in         coordination with the international  engineering advisor, as per UNDP standard templates to implement the Integrity Assessment of the DM Support Building;   Directly participate in the evaluation of technical and financial proposals of the bidders.	3 working days             5 working days		International Engineering Specialist and TSM PIP Project Manager	30%
On site monitor the implementation of the assessment on daily basis (quality assurance) – subject to security clearance.	20 working days	Throughout the assessment	International Engineering Specialist and TSM PIP Project Manager	30%
Assist the international engineering advisor to prepare recommendations on the way forward, in line with the assessment;   Present the recommendations to MOIA, UNDP, MOUD and the donors;   Provide final assignment report.	3 working days	Throughout the assignment	International Engineering Specialist and TSM PIP Project Manager	40%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Payment Modality: 

Payments under the contract shall be delivery based and be made on receipt of the specific milestone deliverables indicated above and including a timesheet according to UNDP procurement formats for individual contractors. The deliverables will be reviewed by the International Engineering Specialist and the payments will be processed upon the full completion and acceptance of contractual obligations, as accepted by the TSM Project Manager. 

WORKING ARRANGEMENTS;

Institutional Arrangements:

The Consultant will work under the overall guidance of the TSM PIP Project Manager and direct supervision of the International Engineering Specialist and the International Engineering Advisor and in close coordination with the MOIA DM Support, MOIA Facility Directorate and MOUD. The Consultant shall also work in close collaboration with other members of the UNDP Governance for Peace Unit and the UNDP Country Office;

The TSM PIP will provide office space, internet, and logistical and other support services, in line with UNDP procedures. However, the consultant is expected to bring his/her own laptop and mobile phone and meet local communications costs (TSM PIP will provide a local pre-paid SIM card). Costs to arrange meetings, workshops, travel costs and DSA during field visits (if any), etc. shall be covered by the TSM PIP.

Duration of the Work

The deliverables under this contract shall be completed within 3 months with maximum 31 working days, after the signing of the contract, including all preparation work and on-site visits.

Duty Station

Work will be carried out in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Consultant will be based at the TSM PIP office at MOIA/UNOCA and report regularly to the Governance of Peace Unit in UNOCA, security conditions permitting. The Consultant will follow the working hours and weekends applicable to TSM PIP Project Staff. The Consultant’s movement for meetings and consultations shall be coordinated by the TSM PIP. The Consultants at all times must follow UNDP security rules and regulations.

 

Competencies

Innovation

• Ability to make new and useful ideas work.

Communication

• Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform;
• Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement.

Project Management

• Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals;
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• Ability to engage with other agencies, donors, and other development stakeholders and forge productive working relationships.

Quality Assurance

• Ability to identify and prioritize risks, and organize action around mitigating them. 

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Knowledge of methodologies, assessment tools, systems and apply practical experience in planning, monitoring, evaluating and reporting and ability to apply to practical situations;
• Knowledge of anti-corruption concepts, principles and policies and the ability to apply in strategic and/or practical situations.

Knowledge Management 

Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge. 

Required Skills and Experience

REQUIREMENTS FOR EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS;

Academic Qualifications:

• Master's Degree or equivalent in civil/structural engineering

Years of experience:

• At least seven (7) years of relevant experience working on construction projects at the national or international level;
• Experience in conducting or managing buildings’ integrity assessments, covering structural analysis, seismic analysis according to international building Codes, geotechnical surveys, construction monitoring and evaluation, project planning and design is a significant advantage;
• Experience in handling of tender documents for sizeable engineering works, including technical inputs/specifications for the procurement of services using the conditions of international lending/funding agencies;
• Knowledge of international QA/QC standards for design and construction, including regulations about accessibility and safety at work for women and men;
• Experience with UN or international organization working in crisis-affected countries will be an asset;
• Experience from working with government counterparts building national capacities is an asset; 
• Experience in project management is an asset.

Language:

• Excellent written and oral English skills is a necessary requirement;

Others

• Computer proficiency, including working knowledge of MS Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), web-based management systems;
• Use of project management-related software (e.g., MS Project);
• Proficiency in AutoCAD and structural analysis software like STAAD PRO, ETABS and other design software’s and applications associated in structural and architectural designing is an asset.

PRICE PROPOSAL AND SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS

Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments:

The contractor shall submit a price proposal as below:

• Daily Fee – The Consultant shall propose a daily fee which should be inclusive of his/her professional fee, local communication cost, insurance (inclusive of medical health and medical evacuation etc.), equipment, and other costs required for performance of the contract. The number of working days for which the daily fee shall be payable under the contract is 31 working days over a contract duration of 3 months.

Payment schedule - Payments towards remuneration/fee shall be linked to deliverables and shall be made on certification of completion of deliverables and submission of certified timesheet. The deliverables will be reviewed by the International Engineering Specialist and the payments will be processed upon the full completion and acceptance of contractual obligations, as accepted by the TSM Project Manager.

EVALUATION METHOD AND CRITERIA

Individual Consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology:

Cumulative analysis

• The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultants 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.

* Technical Criteria weight 70%

* Financial Criteria weight 30%

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Technical criteria (70 marks) will be assessed as follows:

Technical Proposal (20 marks)

• Technical Approach & Methodology – This explains the understanding of the objectives of the assignment, approach to the services, methodology for carrying out the activities and obtaining the expected output, and the degree of detail of such output. The Applicant should also explain the methodologies proposed to adopt and highlight the compatibility of those methodologies with the proposed approach;

Interview (25 marks)

Qualification and Experience (25 marks) [evaluation of CVs for shortlisting]

• General Qualification (10 marks);
• Experience relevant to the assignment (15 marks);

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals:

Interested individual Consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications in one single PDF document:

• Financial Proposal Template using the template provided by UNDP (to be completed by consultant at application stage).
• Personal CV, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references.

• Technical Proposal: Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable candidate for the assignment;

• A methodology and approach on how she/he will approach and complete the assignment.

Annexes (click on the hyperlink to access the documents):

• Annex 1 - IC Contract Template (for information);

• Annex 2 -  Financial Proposal Template using the template provided by UNDP (to be completed by consultant at application stage);
• Annex 3 – IC General Terms and Conditions (for information);
• Annex 4 – RLA Template (if consultant wishes to be recruited through an employer) - (for information).

Note: Incomplete application will result in automatic disqualification of candidate.