Individual Consultancy on UNICEF Viet Nam (VCO) Staff Retreat 2021, Ha Noi, Viet Nam

To prepare and facilitate the one-day teambuilding and skill building with focus on stress management and time management for UNICEF Vietnam in January 2021.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

UNICEF Viet Nam is one of more than 190 offices of the United Nations Children’s Fund globally and part of the United Nations system in Viet Nam working in close collaboration with all UN agencies in the country. Guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF has a universal mandate to promote and protect the rights of all children, everywhere – especially those hardest to serve and most at risk.

UNICEF’s mission in Viet Nam is to make sure every child in the country is healthy, educated and safe from harm, therefore having the best start in life and a fair chance to reach her or his full potential and benefit from the country’s prosperity. We believe children have a right to live in a more equitable society, where their voices are heard and needs met as a matter of priority in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. More information on what we do in Viet Nam is available at https://www.unicef.org/vietnam/

Background: 

In 2020, the Global Staff Survey was conducted in all UNICEF country offices. The results for Viet Nam confirmed the pride and commitment of UNICEF Viet Nam Country Office (VCO) staff to the organization’s mandate as well as clear appreciation for the Office’s performance in Staff security, Standards of conduct, Management Response to previous Global Staff Survey & independent reviews, Knowledge & Information Sharing. However, the survey also revealed some concerns regarding Staff empowerment, Career/staff development and Office efficiency & effectiveness. A follow-up survey of VCO also showed that many staff have been suffering from stress due to heavy workload and lack of support. Further discussions will be arranged to develop a comprehensive plan with concrete actions to address those staff concerns.

To strengthening team spirit in UNICEF VCO, it is recommended for VCO to organize the Annual Staff Retreat for teambuilding and skill building with focus on improving time management and stress management skills for all staff.

Objective:

The overall objective is to build a strong team in which staff work with a team mentality, each one filling the expected role and achieving long-term organizational goals. Additionally, staff members will also be equipped with practical knowledge and skills on effective time and stress management.

At the end of the Staff Retreat Day, each of UNICEF VCO staff will be able to:

• understand prerogatives of collaboration in team work and the benefits and how to stimulate members of the team to achieve higher levels of productivity;
• identify specific needs of teams and strategies to better address those needs and tackle challenges;
• increase the ability to use necessary skills for a stronger team;
• Improve skills and knowledge in stress management and time management. 

Specific Task:

1. Through review of documentations such as findings of the recent 2020 Global staff survey, VCO follow-up survey, notes of the recent Joint Consultative Meetings, to gain an understanding of the results of the 2 Staff Surveys.
2. In consultation with Senior Management and UVSA, and using the information gathered in Item 1, form a view of the most suitable and useful exercises related to staff teambuilding. Work in conjunction with the HR Officer and Chair of UVSA to develop the agreed upon exercises for staff teambuilding and skill building on time management and stress management.
3. Using the analysis and understanding gained from Items 1 and 2, assist the VCO to develop an agenda for the one-day staff teambuilding & skill building on time management/ stress management.
4. Be available for a period of 1 month following the teambuilding to provide advice to UVSA and HR Officer on follow-up actions that arise out of the teambuilding. 

Methodology, expected deliverables and timeline:

• The Consultant will work from own premise during preparatory and follow-up periods. The actual team building day will be conducted in a venue outside the office around Hanoi;
• The Consultant is requested to apply participatory methods in this assignment. It is recommended for the application of any relevant and creative techniques to build an open, friendly, trusted and respectful environment for UNICEF VCO staff to express ideas, giving feedbacks and solutions.

Tasks and Deliverables:

1. Review documents and meet with selected staff members, UVSA (in person, email, telephone) as necessary. Summarized key issues from review of relevant documents and meetings with relevant VCO staff:  1 working day, 20-23  December 2020.

2.  Preparation of one day teambuilding activities with focus on time and stress management. Agenda and plan of activities shared, discussed and agreed with UVSA and Management; necessary presentations and materials available: 1.5 working day by 23 December 2020.

3.  Facilitation of one day teambuilding and skill building with focus on time and stress management. One day teambuilding and skill building with focus on time and stress management is conducted: 1 working day, 2^nd or 3^rd week of January 2021.

4.  Follow up email support for 1-month post-training as required. Short report providing professional assessment and advice to VCO: 0.5 working day, 15 January -15 February 2021.

Total: 4 working days.

Management and Reporting:

 The Consultant will report to Chair of UVSA and Human Resources Officer.

Performance indicators for evaluation:

End of assignment report.

 Qualification/Specialised Knowledge and Experience:

• Advanced University Degree in Human Resources, People Management, Performance Management, and Coaching and/or equivalent level of experience or training in human resource development; coaching and training;
• Advanced skills and demonstrated experience team building, group facilitation on stress management and time management (minimum of 8 years);
• Demonstrated experience in working in a cross-cultural environment and ideally having worked in the Asia-Pacific Region;
• Familiarity and prior experience with the UN system, or with the international development/ humanitarian/ emergency community highly desirable;
• The ability to deliver the service with an excellent command of English, both written and oral;
• Flexible nature and ability to adapt to changing directions/thinking that may occur during the Workshop;
• Excellent interpersonal skills.

Payment Schedule linked to Deliverables: 

Full payment against the completion of all the above-mentioned deliverables will be made via bank transfer after the report is submitted and accepted by UNICEF. 

Assessment criteria: 

The ratio between the technical and the financial proposal for this task is 80:20 respectively. Only those proposals that score 65 points (70% of technical points) on the technical proposal will be shortlisted.

Each technical proposal will be assessed first on its technical merits and subsequently on its price. A maximum of 80 points is allocated to the technical component and 20 points for the price component, with a maximum possible total score of 100 points.

The proposal obtaining the overall highest score after adding the scores for the technical and financial proposals is the proposal that offers best value for money and will be recommended for award of the contract. UNICEF will set up an evaluation panel composed of technical UNICEF staff.

In making the final decision, UNICEF considers both technical and financial aspects. The evaluation panel first reviews the technical aspect of the offer, followed by the review of the financial offer of the technically compliant vendors.

The proposals will be evaluated against the following two elements:

 I) Technical proposal (max. 80 points):

1. Qualification: knowledge, skills and working experience (65 points)

1.1.  Advanced University Degree in Human Resources, People Management, Performance Management, and Coaching and/or equivalent level of experience or training in human resource development, coaching: 15 points.

1.2  Advanced skills and demonstrated experience in team building, group facilitation on stress management/ time management (minimum of 8 years): 25 points.

1.3 Demonstrated experience in working in a cross-cultural environment and ideally having worked in the Asia-Pacific Region; Familiarity and prior experience with the UN system, or with the international development/humanitarian/emergency community highly desirable: 15 points.

1.4 The ability to deliver the service with an excellent command of English, both written and oral; Flexible nature and ability to adapt to changing directions/thinking that may occur during the Workshop; Excellent interpersonal skills. 10 points.

2.  Methodology, workplan: 15 points.

 II) Financial Proposal (max. 20 points): 

The Financial Proposal should be broken down for each component of the proposed work. 

Mandatories

• All prices/rates quoted must be exclusive of all taxes as UNICEF is a tax-exempt organization.
• Financial Proposals must be submitted separately to Technical Proposals.
• The total amount of points allocated for the price component is 20. (The maximum number of points will be allotted to the lowest price proposal of the technically qualified proposals).
• UNICEF will award the contract to the vendor whose response is of high quality and meets the specific objectives. 

The Contract shall be awarded to candidate obtaining the highest combined technical and financial scores, subject to the satisfactory result of the verification interview if needed.

 Submission of applications:

Interested candidates are kindly requested to apply and upload the following documents to the assigned requisition in UNICEF Vacancies: http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/:

1. Letter of interest and confirmation of availability;
2. Technical proposal which clearly explains the outline on how to deliver the tasks and deliverables (preferably less than 4 pages);
3. Performance evaluation reports or references of similar consultancy assignments (if available);
4. Financial proposal: All-inclusive lump-sum cost including consultancy fee, travel and accommodation cost for this assignment as per work assignment.
5. CV/P11 form (UN Personal History Form)

View our competency framework at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.