Project Management Consultant

Background

The “Arab region Youth Arts & Music Initiative” (AYAMI) is an initiative by the UNDP RBAS Regional Programme for Arab States. Its overall objective is to raise awareness among children and young men and women on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and prepare them to become drivers ofchange in their communities.

AYAMI places art and music at its core, because they represent powerful, yet simple, tools to communicate complex messages and engage people and communities, especially youth. It also emphasizes the use of the Arabic language as it helps to localize the SDGs and anchor them in the mindsets and consciousness of future adults, while being accessible to them in every school and home across the region, ensuring that no one is left behind.

The initiative is structured around two specific objectives, which correspond to two sequential streams of work with different time horizons:

1. Creating a momentum for SDGs promotion and advocacy in the Arab Region through the production of a multimedia product. It has an indicative timeframe of around 12 months.
2. As the first stream of work yields results, a fully-fledged regional initiative will be designed including region-wide advocacy and awareness campaign for achieving the 2030 Agenda through engagement of children and youth in the schools.

In its first phase, AYAMI is producing and promoting AHDAFI, which is a multimedia product comprised of an original song and a music video, both of which feature seven young talented singers, who hail from different Arab countries and had previously starred in the Arabic version of world-famous franchise "The Voice Kids: Ahla Sawt" (meaning Best Voice) and were selected in collaboration therewith. They are representatives of the target audience and are most suitably positioned to inspire their peers and instill in them a strong sense of ownership of the content of AHDAFI, which literally translates into "My Goals".

AYAMI's second phase will follow in 2021. It will use AHDAFI to engage and educate students in public and private schools on the SDGs and provide them with tailored spaces that encourage creative and critical thinking and enable them to use art (music, theatre, poetry, dance, painting, etc.) to formulate and communicate their thoughts, concerns and aspirations regarding the SDGs. Related activities will be implemented by UNDP in selected countries, in collaboration with concerned ministries (education, youth, culture, etc.), schools, local NGOs that work with children and youth, and sister UN agencies.

 

Duties and Responsibilities

METHODOLOGY

The drafting of the project document will be carried out by an independent international consultant and will engage a broad range of key stakeholders and beneficiaries, including representatives or regional organisations, government officials, donors, civil society organizations that are targeted for the implementation of UNDP-AYAMI’s phase II.

Evidences to assess the results of UNDP-AYAMI phase I should be gathered from a variety of sources, including data on indicators’ achievement (if any), existing reports (if any), stakeholder interviews (if any), focus groups, or surveys as appropriate. While interviews are a key instrument, all analysis must be based on observed facts, evidence and data. Findings should be specific, concise and supported by quantitative and/or qualitative information that is reliable, valid and generalizable. This process is essential to ensure a comprehensive and coherent understanding of the data sets, which will be generated by the situation analysis. The data analysis approach needs to be detailed in the project document.

The formulation of phase II Project Document must be consistent with UNDP quality standards and criteria. It should outline expected outcomes, specific phase II project outputs, activities to be implemented, and the required resources. The formulation of phase II project document should, inter alia, include:

• Initiation Phase:  Initiation plan template including: (i) Standard cover page (ii) description of the activities/key deliverables and how they will be managed (iii) a standard budget in the form  of a work plan;
• Stakeholders Engagement: Stakeholders to be engaged will include: (i) UNDP staff (ii) regional institutions and government partners (iii) target groups and representatives of civil society organisations (iv) donors (v) UN agencies…etc.
• Formulation of a Project Document: (i) Project document template.

It is worth noting that as of 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic as the new coronavirus rapidly spread worldwide. Travel has been restricted since then. Accordingly, the individual shall take this into account while developing the project document virtually and remotely, including the use of remote interview methods and extended desk reviews, data analysis, surveys and questionnaires. This should be detailed in the project document and agreed with the Project Manager.

As the formulation of phase II project document will be carried out virtually, due consideration should be given to stakeholder availability and willingness to be interviewed remotely, their access to the internet/computer, and the possibility that some may be still working from home. These limitations must be reflected in the final project document. Remote interviews will be undertaken through telephone or online (skype, zoom etc).

The individual will determine the design and provide a complete methodology to UNDP as part of the formulation of phase II project document, which will include a detailed workplan for this assignment, comprehensive of interviews schedule and data required and to be used.

SCOPE OF WORK, RESPONSIBILITIES AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED WORK

With a view to sustaining and building on the momentum created and results achieved by AYAMI, UNDP is looking to engage the services of a highly qualified individual for the timely and quality delivery of a comprehensive Project Document for the second phase of implementation under UNDP’s direct implementation modality. The selected individual must have full knowledge of UNDP’s previous and current work in the area of raising awareness on the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Phase (II) Project Document should leverage on the work undertaken during Phase I, and  should be designed in the framework of a fully-fledged regional initiative aimed to design and implement a region-wide advocacy and awareness campaign for achieving the 2030 Agenda through engagement of children and youth in the schools.

The development of the Project Document will include quality control and the following indicative sections:

• Situation Analysis including, but not limited to: description of the development challenge, proximate and root causal logic, long-term solution and barriers to achieving the solution;
• Project Strategy including but not limited to: project ownership, project rationale and policy conformity, design principles and strategic considerations, community-based approach, project objective, outcomes, and outputs/activities, key indicators, risks, assumptions, cost-effectiveness, sustainability, replicability, stakeholder involvement plan, and social safeguards, including gender and youth analysis and action plan;
• Project Results Framework;
• Total Budget and Work Plan;
• Management Arrangements;
• Monitoring Framework and Evaluation;
• Legal Context and Risk Management;

The above sections are indicative; as templates may be subject to change, the consultant will be required to obtain guidance from UNDP-AYAMI on applicable formats and templates to ensure that his/her work is compliant with corporate standards and criteria.

Under the general guidance and direct supervision of UNDP-AYAMI’s project manager, the selected individual in accordance with the proposed objectives and scope of this Procurement Notice / Terms of References (ToR) must undertake the tasks and deliver the outputs listed below:

1. Present an initial work plan;
2. Conduct a desk review of documents;
3. Prepare an inception report detailing the development / formulation scope, of the proposed methodology, a detailed work plan and the evaluation report outline;
4. Conduct interviews /focus groups/surveys with regional / national and other identified stakeholders;
5. Conduct debriefing sessions with UNDP as implementing partner;
6. Prepare the draft evaluation report;
7. Present draft findings;
8. Finalize the evaluation report and submit it together with the duly filled audit trail form to UNDP; and
9. Provide further project information or revisions in response to UNDP-AYAMI’s project reviews.

EXPECTED OUTPUTS AND DELIVERABLES

Expected Outputs and Deliverables	Expected No. of Working Day(s) for each deliverable	Targeted Due Dates	Review and Approvals Required
Deliverable 1: initial work plan with clear milestones and expected results;	Up to (05) working days from contract signature date	Within (01) calendar week from contract signature date	Project Manager - Maya BEYDOUN (Ms.)
Deliverable 2: Inception report (around 15 pages) to be carried out following and based on preliminary discussions with UNDP after the desk review and should be produced before the development/formulation of the project document.	Up to (05) working days following satisfactory completion of deliverable (1)	Within (02) calendar weeks following satisfactory completion of deliverable (1)
Deliverable 3: Completion of Data collection, which includes virtual consultations, in-depth interviews and focus groups or surveys, and debriefing to UNDP.	Up to (05) working days following satisfactory completion of deliverable (2)	Within (02) calendar weeks following satisfactory completion of deliverable (2)
Deliverable 4: Submit draft project document;	Up to (04) working days following satisfactory completion of deliverable (3)	Within (01) calendar week following satisfactory completion of deliverable (3)
Deliverable 5: Project document audit trail. Comments and changes by the individual in response to the draft project document should be retained by the individual to show how he/she has addressed comments.	Up to (04) working days following satisfactory completion of deliverable (4)	Within (01) calendar week following satisfactory completion of deliverable (4)
Deliverable 6: Final draft of the project document report, including an executive summary and all required annexes.	Up to (07) working days following satisfactory completion of deliverable (5)	Within (01) calendar week following satisfactory completion of deliverable (5)

Competencies

Corporate

• Demonstrates integrity and fairness, by modeling the UN/UNDP’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of the United Nations;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional

• Time management and organizational skills, with the ability to undertake multiple tasks and deliver under pressure;
• Strong analytical and synthesis skills;
• Strong problem-solving skills, and present practical solutions to complex problems;
• Ability to work independently and achieve quality results with limited supervision and within tight schedules;
• Experience in reports production;
• Ability to write in a clear and concise manner;
• Good teamwork and interpersonal skills;
• Flexibility and ability to handle multiple tasks and work under pressure;
• Excellent computer skills especially Word, Excel and Power Point

Leadership

• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and to provide credible leadership;
• Demonstrated flexibility in leadership by performing and/or overseeing the analysis/resolution of complex issues;
• Ability to conceptualize and convey strategic vision from the spectrum of development experience.

Managing Relationships

• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain strategic partnerships;
• Demonstrated well developed people management and organizational management skills;
• Excellent management skills in navigating and working with diverse range of partners, stakeholders, including senior and high-level policymakers.
• Excellent negotiating and networking skills with strong partnerships in academia, technical organizations and as a recognized expert in the practice area.

Managing Complexity

• Ability to address global development issues;
• Demonstrated substantive leadership and ability to integrate knowledge with broader strategic, policy and operational objectives.

Knowledge Management and Learning

• Ability to strongly promote and build knowledge products;
• Seeks and applies knowledge, information and best practices from within and outside of UNDP;

Judgment/Decision-Making

• Mature judgment and initiative;
• Proven ability to provide strategic direction to the project implementation process;
• Independent judgment and discretion in advising on handling major policy issues and challenges, uses diplomacy and tact to achieve result.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree in business administration, public administration, political science, regional development/planning, or other social science related fields;

Work experience:

• At least 5 years of professional working experience in programme and/or project formulation in the development field, with proven accomplishments in undertaking similar tasks for international organizations;
• Proven accomplishments in undertaking similar tasks in the Arab region;
• Previous working experience with the United Nations (UN) is a must;

Language Requirements:

• Language proficiency in both written and oral Arabic and English is required. Knowledge of any other UN language is an asset;

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT

• The individual is required to exhibit his or her full-time commitment with UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Arab States (RBAS);
• S/He shall perform tasks under the general guidance of AYAMI Project Manager and the direct supervision of AYAMI Project Coordinator;
• The supervision will include approvals/acceptance of the outputs and deliverables as identified in the previous section;
• The individual is expected to liaise and collaborate in the course of performing the work with other consultants, suppliers and UN colleagues;
• The individual is required to provide periodical progress reports on regular and needed basis throughout the assignment to monitor progress;
• The individual is required to maintain close communication with UNDP-RBAS on regular and needed basis at any period throughout the assignment in order to monitor progress. In the event of any delay, S/he will inform UNDP promptly so that decisions and remedial action may be taken accordingly;
• Should UNDP deem it necessary, it reserves the right to commission additional inputs, reviews or revisions, as needed to ensure the quality and relevance of the work.

DURATION OF THE WORK

The duration of the assignment is expected to be up to (30) working days over a period of (02) calendar months from contract signature date.

DUTY STATION

Home Based Assignment.

TRAVEL PLAN (OPTIONAL)

If any unforeseen travel outside the consultant home-based city is requested by UNDP and not required by  the Terms of References (ToR), such travel shall be covered by UNDP in line with applicable rules and regulations and upon prior written agreement. In such cases, the consultant shall receive living allowances not exceeding the United Nations (UN) Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) rate for such other location(s).

SCOPE OF PRICE PROPOSAL AND SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS

Interested candidates should provide lump sum fees for requested services with detailed breakdown. This amount must be “all-inclusive”. Please note that the terms “all-inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, travel costs, living allowances, communications, consumables, etc.) that could possibly be incurred are already factored into the final amounts submitted in the proposal. Also, please note that the contract price will be Deliverables/Outputs based - not fixed - subject to change in the cost components.

The contractor will be paid an all-inclusive Deliverables/Outputs based lump sum amounts over the assignment period, subject to the submission of Certification of Payment (CoP) duly certified or an invoice and confirmation of satisfactory performance of achieved work (deliverables/outputs) in line with the schedule of payments table hereunder:

Expected Outputs and Deliverables	Expected No. of Working Day(s) for each deliverable	Targeted Due Dates	Payment Term(s)/ Schedule
Deliverable 1: initial work plan with clear milestones and results;	Up to (05) working days from contract signature date	Within (01) calendar week from contract signature date	After satisfactory completion/submission of deliverable(s) (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6) and submission of duly signed Certification of Payment (CoP) up to 100% of total contract value.
Deliverable 2: Evaluation inception report (around 15 pages). The inception report should be carried out following and based on preliminary discussions with UNDP after the desk review and should be produced before the development/formulation of the project document.	Up to (05) working days following satisfactory completion of deliverable (1)	Within (02) calendar weeks following satisfactory completion of deliverable (1)
Deliverable 3: Completion of Data collection, which includes virtual consultations, in-depth interviews and focus groups or surveys, and debriefing to UNDP and key stakeholders.	Up to (05) working days following satisfactory completion of deliverable (2)	Within (02) calendar weeks following satisfactory completion of deliverable (2)
Deliverable 4: Submit draft project document;	Up to (04) working days following satisfactory completion of deliverable (3)	Within (01) calendar week following satisfactory completion of deliverable (3)
Deliverable 5: Project document audit trail. Comments and changes by the individual in response to the draft project document should be retained by the individual to show how he/she has addressed comments.	Up to (04) working days following satisfactory completion of deliverable (4)	Within (01) calendar week following satisfactory completion of deliverable (4)
Deliverable 6: Final draft of the project document report, including an executive summary and all listed/required annexes.	Up to (07) working days following satisfactory completion of deliverable (5)	Within (01) calendar week following satisfactory completion of deliverable (5)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RECOMMENDED PRESENTATION OF OFFER

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Candidates that fail to submit the required information will not be considered.

1. Personal CV or P11, 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;
2. Brief Description of why you consider yourself as the most suitable candidate for this assignment;
3. Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP

All necessary information including: Complete Procurement Notice, the Selection Criteria, and Annexes are found on the following link under Procurement http://procurement-notices.undp.org/

Interested individual consultants must submit the required documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications to Job advertisement website (https://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_jobs.cfm) and should submit their proposal by e-mail to the following address: proc.contract.rscjo@undp.org not later than 29 November 2020. Candidates that fail to submit the required information on or before the set deadline will not be considered.

Please do not submit financial proposal in this stage. Financial proposal shall be requested from Candidates who are considered technically responsive

 

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF THE BEST OFFERS

This selection criteria will follow the Combined Scoring method – where the qualifications and methodology will be weighted a max. of 70%, and combined with the price offer which will be weighted a max of 30%; using the following evaluation criteria

Criteria	Weight	Max. Point
Technical Competence	70%	100
Criteria A: Master’s degree in business administration, public administration, political science, regional development/planning, or other social science related fields;		20
Criteria B: At least 5 years of professional working experience in programme and/or project formulation in the development field, with proven accomplishments in undertaking similar tasks for international organizations;		40
Criteria C: Proven accomplishments in undertaking similar tasks in the Arab region;		20
Criteria D: Previous working experience with the United Nations (UN);		10
Criteria E: Language proficiency in both written and oral Arabic & English;		10
Financial (Lower Offer/Offer*100)	30%	100
Total Score	Technical Score * 0.7 + Financial Score * 0.3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step I: Screening and desk review:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology.

Applications will be first screened and only candidates meeting the following minimum requirements will progress to the pool for shortlisting:

• Criteria A: Master’s degree in business administration, public administration, political science, regional development/planning, or other social science related fields;
• Criteria B: At least 5 years of professional working experience in developing/formulating project documents for international organisations;
• Criteria K: Language proficiency in both written and oral Arabic and English;

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for virtual consultation, then assessed and scored against the following evaluation criteria:

Step II: Technical Review

Shortlisted candidates will undergo a technical evaluation, and a submission of a proposal to tackle the assignment.

Technical evaluation Criteria max 100 points (Weighted 70):

• Criteria A: Master’s degree in business administration, public administration, political science, regional development/planning, or other social science related fields (20 points);
• Criteria B: At least 5 years of professional working experience in programme and/or project formulation in the development field, with proven accomplishments in undertaking similar tasks for international organizations (40 points);
• Criteria D: Proven accomplishments in undertaking similar tasks in the Arab region (20 points);
• Criteria E Previous working experience with the United Nations (UN) is a must (10 points);
• Criteria F: Language proficiency in both written and oral Arabic and English is required (10 points);

Financial Criteria - 30% of total evaluation

For those offers considered in the financial evaluation, the lowest price offer will receive 30 points. The other offers will receive points in relation to the lowest offer, based on the following formula: (PI / Pn) * 30 where Pn is the financial offer being evaluated and Pl is the lowest financial offer received.

Step III: Final evaluation

The final evaluation will combine the scores of the desk review and the financial proposal with the following weights assigned to each:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the cumulative analysis methodology (weighted scoring method), where the award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

• Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and
• Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Technical Criteria weight: [70%]

Financial Criteria weight: [30%]

Only Individual Consultants obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70%) on the Technical evaluation would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

ANNEXES ( Available on the following link under Procurement http://procurement-notices.undp.org/)

Title	Description
Concept Note – Phase (I)	Concept Note of AYAMI
Annual Workplan (2019-2020)	AYAMI’s Annual Workplan (AWP) for the years (2019-2020)
Project Document	Project Document Template to be used by the consultant