Consultancy – Governance specialist – portfolio analysis, reporting, strategy support

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 Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan.  BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas.  BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response.  BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working.  BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts

The Governance team in BPPS is responsible for supporting UNDP’s work on Governance across the organization including on anti-corruption, legal identity, inclusive political processes, parliamentary development.  elections, SDG 16 implementation and monitoring, local development, youth empowerment, and disability inclusion, among other themes. The Governance team is split across nine locations. The Governance team works particularly closely with the Conflict Prevention, Peace-building and Responsive Institutions team and the Rule of Law, Security and Human Rights for Sustainable Development and Peace team in the Crisis Bureau. Along with those teams, it supports the delivery of signature solution 2 on Effective, accountable and inclusive governance, which was the area with the largest delivery in the first half of the current Strategic Plan period.

In the context of the establishment of the GPN, as well as the challenging international context, the Head of Governance is leading a process of revisioning and adjusting UNDP’s governance portfolio as well as supporting resource mobilization. She requires support in the further development of the governance work, analyzing and reporting on the current portfolio, consulting on future directions as well as ensuring the efficient functioning of the team and its timely contribution to the wider work of UNDP.

Duties and Responsibilities

SCOPE OF WORK, RESPONSIBILITIES AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ANALYTICAL WORK

The consultant tasks will include the following:   

Support the development of a reinvigorated narrative on UNDP’s governance work

• Conduct research on topics as assigned, analyse information and synthesize into a clear summary to facilitate the strategic development of the governance portfolio.
• In collaboration with other teams, and using the Power BI dashboard, analyse UNDP’s 2019 governance-related programming results to support the further development of the portfolio
• Substantively contribute to the development of project documents as requested.
• Support resource mobilization, including coordinating and substantively contributing to the development of fact sheets, powerpoint presentations and other materials.
• Support the coordination of consultation around the further development of the governance portfolio, including through the Community of Practice for Governance (in liaison with the IC responsible), with the Accelerator Labs and other units, as appropriate
• In consultation with team members and in liaison with the Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy (BERA) and others, develop and promote basic communications materials for the team

Support the governance contribution to integrated UNDP programming

• In liaison with different parts of the Governance team, including the Oslo Governance Centre, map key aspects of governance-related work across the other clusters of work in the GPN (for example, health governance)
• Support the coordination of cross-team initiatives, for example on digitalization or SDG localization.
• Support the coordination and development of governance inputs to corporate priorities, such as the SDGi “early movers” initiative, as requested.

 Review, analyze, quality assure and support coordination for the Head of Governance:

• Review speeches, briefs, background papers, etc for substantive accuracy, completeness, strategic messaging, as needed;
• Support corporate workplanning and reporting processes as requested
• In liaison with the GPN Directorate, track the completion of required project management processes, including quality assurance, across the projects of the team.
• Collate and shape governance inputs to work planning processes.
• Provide coordination support in relation to team tasking and team activities, including team meetings.

Expected outputs and deliverables:

Competencies

Functional Competencies           

• Knowledge and understanding of UNDP’s and/or other multicultural/bilateral actors’ in governance
• Demonstrated ability to do desk-based research, and use evidence and data to draft reports
• Demonstrated ability to prepare presentations which include a variety of data-based graphics
• Ability to write and communicate in a clear and concise manner
• Ability to coordinate complex processes across organisational units, including with senior colleagues.
• Demonstrated proficiency in the use of relevant software including Power BI, Microsoft Teams, Office Suite

Corporate Competencies

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP, and partner organizations:
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Excellent understanding of international development issues and knowledge of the UN system

Required Skills and Experience

Academic qualifications:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in development economics, political science, peace-studies, social sciences or related disciplines, or equivalent professional experience, is required

Experience:

• Minimum of 3 years professional work experience governance, peacebuilding, rule of law, human rights  or a related field is required
• Experience of UNDP’s work in governance at field and/or regional and/or HQ level an advantage.
• Proven experience in report and project document writing is required
• Demonstrated proficiency in the use of relevant software including Power BI, Microsoft Teams, Office Suite is an asset
• Experience in resource-mobilisation an asset.

Language:

• Fluency in written and spoken is required
• Working knowledge of another UN language would be an asset

Application Procedure

The application package containing the following (to be uploaded as one file):

• A cover letter with a brief description of why the Offer considers her/himself the most suitable for the assignment;
• Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects and specifying the relevant assignment period (from/to), as well as the email and telephone contacts of at least three (3) professional references;
• ; and
• Two samples of solo authored reports or paper

Note: The above documents need to be scanned in one file and uploaded to the online application as one document.

Shortlisted candidates (ONLY) will be requested to submit a Financial Proposal.

• The financial proposal should specify an all-inclusive daily fee (based on a 7 hour working day - lunch time is not included - and estimated 21.75 days per month).
• The financial proposal must be all-inclusive and take into account various expenses that will be incurred during the contract, including: the daily professional fee; (excluding mission travel); living allowances at the duty station; communications, utilities and consumables; life, health and any other insurance; risks and inconveniences related to work under hardship and hazardous conditions (e.g., personal security needs, etc.), when applicable; and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services under the contract.

• In the case of unforeseeable travel requested by UNDP, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between UNDP and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed. In general, UNDP should 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.

• If the Offeror is employed by an organization/company/institution, and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNDP under a Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the Offeror must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP.

  The Financial Proposal is to be emailed as per the instruction in the separate email that will be sent to shortlisted candidates.

Evaluation process

Applicants are reviewed based on Required Skills and Experience stated above and based on the technical evaluation criteria outlined below.  Applicants will be evaluated based on cumulative scoring.  When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

• Being 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 where technical criteria weighs 70% and Financial criteria/ Proposal weighs 30%.

Technical evaluation - Total 70% (70 points):

• Criteria 1. Knowledge and understanding of UNDP’s and/or other development actors’ work in governance Weight = 15%; Maximum Points: 15;
• Criteria 2. Demonstrated ability to do desk-based research, and use evidence and data to draft reports Weight = 15 %; Maximum Points: 15;
• Criteria 3. Demonstrated ability to prepare presentations which include a variety of data-based graphics Weight = 5 %; Maximum Points: 5;
• Criteria 4. Ability to write and communicate in a clear and concise manner Weight = 5%; Maximum Points: 5;
• Criteria 5. Ability to coordinate complex processes across organisational units, including with senior colleagues Weight = 5%; Maximum Points: 5;
• Criteria 6. Demonstrated proficiency in the use of relevant software including Power BI, Microsoft Teams, Office Suite Weight = 5 %; Maximum Points: 5 and

• Interview: Weight = 20 %; Maximum Points: 20

Having reviewed applications received, UNDP may invite candidates with atleast 35 points from the deskreview for interview. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% (49 points) of the maximum obtainable points for the technical criteria (70 points) shall be considered for the financial evaluation.

Financial evaluation - Total 30% (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

Contract Award

Candidate obtaining the highest combined scores in the combined score of Technical and Financial evaluation will be considered technically qualified and will be offered to enter into contract with UNDP.

Institutional arrangement

The consultant will work under the guidance and direct supervision of Head of Governance unit, BPPS and will be responsible for the fulfilment of the deliverables as specified above.

The Consultant will be responsible for providing her/his own laptop.

Payment modality

• Payment to the Individual Contractor will be made based on the actual number of days worked, deliverables accepted and upon certification of satisfactory completion by the manager.
• The work week will be based on 35 hours, i.e. on a 7 hour working day, with core hours being between 9h00 and 18h00 daily.

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