National Consultant for Strategic Planning

Background

NOTE: Signed Offeror’s Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and availability - https://www.ba.undp.org/content/dam/bosnia_and_herzegovina/docs/Operations/Jobs/Offerors%20Letter%20to%20UNDP%20Confirming%20Interest%20and%20Availability.docx - Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability.docx - to be sent to e-mail ba.shared.hr@undp.org with Subject: Job ID 100558.

The consultancy is planned under the umbrella of the Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) for Newly Elected Local Government Leaders (the Facility), an intervention co-funded by the Government of Sweden and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and administered by UNDP.

As part of the Project for Improving Performance of Local Services (PIPLS) in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), UNDP BiH’s Local Development Program, and the Rural and Regional Development Sector’s portfolio, the Facility aims to inject speed and purpose to the implementation of the newly elected local government leaders’ reform agenda through the provision of expert technical assistance across several priority sectors.  Working with newly elected mayors and legislatures, the Facility will offer specialized expert assistance across four principle thematic areas: digital governance, service delivery and infrastructure, financial management and local economic development.  

Following agreement with the Municipality of Ilidza authorities, and in line with the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBIH) Development Planning Law and by-law on strategy preparation , the Facility will support the design of the Municipality of Ilidza development strategy by 2027, taking into account the Framework on Sustainable Development Goals in BIH (SDG Framework) and the FBiH Development Strategy 2021-2027.

The overall purpose of the consultancy is to provide technical support for the strategic planning process. The assistance is expected to result in both a newly-developed local strategy, fully harmonized with the strategic planning cycle and methodology prescribed by the relevant FBiH regulatory framework, as well as strengthened capacities of partner local government to plan, coordinate and execute strategic planning. This implies that the technical and training assistance must be strongly facilitative, inter-active and practical.

The Municipality of Ilidza will take the lead role in the process of strategic planning via establishment of the necessary strategic planning and expert bodies. An executive Strategic Planning Team, appointed by the mayor, will be placed in charge of coordinating the entire process. The Strategic Planning Team will include 5-10 experienced individuals, representatives of the municipality administration and external experts as needed, led by the coordinator designated by the mayor, and advised by the National Consultant. The Strategic Planning Team will be responsible for ensuring participation of all relevant stakeholders, inclusion of vulnerable groups and transparency of the process. In addition, aiming to ensure vertical and horizontal coordination and support to the entire planning process, the Municipality of Ilidza will establish a Development Board that will gather representatives of private sector, vulnerable groups, NGOs, etc. (15-30 individuals). The Development Board will discuss key methodological issues and provide guidance and support, via inclusion of key relevant stakeholders. The Development Board will discuss and approve specific segments of the strategy prior to public discussion.

Additionally, a broad consultative body, ensuring engagement and contribution by a wide scope of interested stakeholders, will be established in the form of a Partnership Group.  The group will engage in strategic planning but is also expected to be heavily involved with monitoring and overseeing the implementation process.

In this context, one national National Consultant for Strategic Planning (the Consultant) will be engaged to provide expert and technical support in the process of design of Municipality of Ilidza development strategy until 2027.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Consultant is expected to contribute to the design of the Strategy via the provision of methodological guidance, overall process facilitation, data analysis, re-drafting and quality assuring of relevant parts of the Strategy, in line with the existing legal and methodological framework. The Consultant will work in close cooperation with the respective strategic planning bodies and under the supervision of PIPLS project team.

More specifically, the Consultant will be expected to perform the following tasks:

Task 1: Facilitate strategic planning process and guide the Strategic Planning Team

Based on relevant legal provisions and best practices in the development area, the Consultant will be responsible for guiding the Strategic Planning Team and facilitating the entire strategic planning process via provision of advice and inputs to the coordinator, in order to comply with the relevant by-law and methodology for development of strategic documents.

In line with the methodological approach and PIPLS project team instructions, the Consultant will serve as the main focal point for the Strategic Planning Team, including experts from the municipality administration and other externally engaged consultants that may be brought in (in areas such are economic development, environmental protection and social development). The Consultant will provide direct guidance to the team, aiming to ensure efficient and effective planning process and the highest possible quality of the final strategy document.

In close cooperation with the Coordinator, the Consultant will lead the Strategic Planning Team (including regular meetings preparation, action planning, tasking, etc.) and co-facilitate the required number of meetings and workshops. This will include but will not be limited to:

• Introductory meeting,
• Workshop on identifying focuses, setting strategic objectives and vision,
• Validation of strategic platform with the Municipality of Ilidza Development Board and Partnership Group,
• Workshop on setting priorities, identifying measures, key strategic projects and indicative financial framework,
• Workshop on monitoring, reporting and evaluation,
• Validation of programming part of the strategy with the Municipality of Ilidza Development Board and Partnership Group,
• Workshop for finalization of strategy document,
• Validation of draft strategy document with the Municipality of Ilidza Development Board and Partnership Group.

The Consultant may be requested to support communication of strategy content with the decision makers and the general public, to include participating in high level meetings and media events.

It is envisaged that this task will be delivered in the period August 2021 – December 2021 and the level of effort will not exceed 10 days.

Task 2: Provide technical support in the process of strategic platform preparation

Based on the best practices and agreed approach, the Consultant will review the socio-economic analysis , which will serve as a basis for the overall strategic planning process. Based on the analysis, and in strong cooperation with all relevant structures, the Consultant will conduct SWOT analysis, identify, and validate focuses and strategic goals, as it is stipulated in the relevant legal and methodological framework.

Also, in preparing the relevant parts of the strategic platform document, the Consultant will closely work with the Strategic Planning Team, the Development Board, as well as Partnership Group, to ensure that all relevant data is collected, obtain feedback, and validate findings before moving on to the next stage of the process. Once finalized, the draft strategic platform will be discussed in detail and validated at a workshop(s) with the Development Board and Partnership Group. It is important to note that the Consultant should guide and advise pre-drafting of all relevant key parts of the document and will be responsible for improving the document and overall quality assurance, based on inputs by the Strategic Planning Team, Development Board, Partnership Group and PIPLS Project team.

This Task is expected to be completed by September 2021 with an estimated level of effort of 5 days.

Task 3: Provide technical support to the design of programming part of the Strategy

Within this task, the Consultant is expected to assist the Strategic Planning Team in defining priorities, measures and key projects for achieving development goals identified within the strategic platform phase, along with the relevant indicators. The task also entails drafting of relevant segments of the programming part of the Strategy based on inputs and validation by the Coordinator, Strategic Planning Team, Development Board and PIPLS project team.

Concretely, the support will include:

• Consultant inputs for definition of key development projects and measures, including indicators, indicative financial framework, and compatibility with relevant higher level strategic documents (e.g., SDGs Framework in BIH, FBIH Development Strategy). Focus will be placed on ensuring linkages and coherence between measures and projects with relevant priorities and goals.
• Concrete inputs and drafting of relevant parts of the monitoring, evaluation, and reporting plan.

In this regard, the Consultant will closely coordinate and collaborate with the Coordinator, the Strategic Planning Team and the PIPLS Project team.

It is envisaged that this task will be delivered in the period September 2021 – November 2021 and the level of effort will not exceed 10 expert days.

Task 4: Compile inputs, draft/re-draft strategy document and provide quality assurance

Based on inputs by Municipality of Ilidza representatives/externally engaged experts, the Consultant will compile inputs and prepare the draft strategy document. It is important to note that the Consultant will be ultimately responsible for the overall drafting and/or re-drafting of the strategy document, improving parts of the document, as needed, and providing overall quality assurance, based on inputs by the Strategic Planning Team, Development Board members as well as the Partnership Group and PIPLS Project Team.

The Consultant is required to ensure coherence of the overall strategic document, as well as vertical linkages with the higher-level strategic documents and the Sustainable Development Goals Framework in BIH, and will provide guidance and advice in defining priorities, measures, key projects and indicative financial framework for achieving strategic development goals identified within the strategic platform phase, including setting relevant indicators.

It is envisaged that this task will be delivered in the period August 2021 – December 2021 and the level of effort will not exceed 5 expert days.

Organizational issues

In close cooperation with the Coordinator and the Strategic Planning Team, and under the overall supervision of the PIPLS Project team, the Consultant will be responsible for the overall coordination and quality assurance of the process and products from the viewpoint of content.

The Strategic Planning Team members will facilitate the planning process and ensure adequate quality of specific sectoral segments of the document, while the Consultant will be responsible for compiling the inputs and ensuring overall coherence and quality of the strategy document. The Strategic Planning Team members will be required to closely work together, agree on practical modalities of work, division of responsibilities as well as coordination and communication channels.

All management and methodological issues will be closely coordinated and monitored by the PIPLS Project team. The organization and logistics of workshops delivery will be carried out by the Municipality of Ilidza.

The entire service will be delivered in the languages of BIH peoples. 

Deliverables/outputs

#	Deliverables / Outputs	# of Days per Task	Due Date	Percentage
1.	Task 1: Facilitate strategic planning process and guide the Strategic Planning Team-Strategy preparation activity plan drafted, consulted and agreed, and approved by the PIPLS Project team;-All envisaged meetings and workshops completed;-Required consultation processes completed;-Strategic planning process fully aligned with the regulatory and methodological framework;-Task 1 report approved by PIPLS Project team	10	December 30, 2021	33.3%
2.	Task 2: Provide technical support in the process of strategic platform preparation  -Overall draft socio-economic analysis reviewed;-Strategic focuses and goals identified and validated;-Strategic platform document approved by the Development Board and Partnership Group;-Task 2 report approved by PIPLS Project team.	5	September 30, 2021	16.7%
3.	Task 3: Provide technical support to the design of programming part of the Strategy-Specific development projects and measures, including indicators and financial framework identified and validated;-Relevant parts of the monitoring, evaluation and reporting section drafted;-Task 3 report approved by PIPLS Project team	10	November 30, 2021	33.3%
4.	Task 4: Compile inputs, draft/re-draft strategy document and provide quality assurance-The Strategy document fully developed and coherence of the document ensured;-Linkages with the higher (SDGs Framework in BIH, the FBIH Development Strategy 2021-2027, etc.) ensured;-The Strategy document quality assured, validated and approved by the Development Board, Partnership Group and PIPLS Project team;-Draft of the Strategy presented to decision makers;-Task 4 report approved by PIPLS Project team.	5	December 31, 2021	16.7%

Competencies

Corporate competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
• Treats all people fairly without favouritism;
• Fulfils all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment

Functional competencies:

• Strong interpersonal skills, communication and diplomatic skills, ability to work in a team
• Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback
• Ability to work under pressure and stressful situations
• Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities
• Excellent public speaking and presentation skills

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications/Education:

• University degree in public development studies, economics, political or social sciences or a related field

Experience:

• Minimum 7 years of progressive experience in local development, strategic planning and/or strategy implementation primarily at local/regional level, specifically in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
• Experience in delivery of technical assistance to public sector beneficiaries, preferably in the area of strategic planning, in line with the standardized development planning methodologies applied in BIH;
• Experience in analysis, definition and implementation of local development policies, strategies or programmes, particularly relevant for the local/regional level;
• Proven analytical skills and ability to conceptualise and write concisely and clearly;
• Experience in facilitation and coaching of small groups of participants;
• Experience in applying MiPRO and/or other relevant strategic planning methodology at local or higher levels in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Languages Requirements:

• Fluency in languages of peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Other Requirements:

• Certificate of successful completion of Training of Trainers Program for Preparation of Strategic Documents in FBiH organized jointly by the FBiH Agency for Civil Service, GBIH Institute for Development Programming and UNDP/ILDP. 

Longlisting/Shortlisting Criteria

Qualifications as stated in the ToR

Criteria:	Points
Relevant education	max 40 points
Relevant professional experience	max 50 points
Prior work experience with UNDP/UN Agencies	max 5 points
Certificate of successful completion of Training of Trainers Program for Preparation of Strategic Documents in FBiH organized jointly by the FBiH Agency for Civil Service, GBIH Institute for Development Programming and UNDP/ILDP	max 5 points

Technical Evaluation Criteria

Criteria:	Points
Rating based on Qualifications	10%
7 years of progressive experience in local development, strategic planning and/or strategy implementation primarily at local/regional level, specifically in Bosnia and Herzegovina	40%
Experience in analysis, definition and implementation of local development policies, strategies or programmes, particularly relevant for the local/regional level (proven through specifically listed related documents)	30%
Experience in facilitation and coaching of small groups of participants (proven through specifically listed related events)	20%

Evaluation

Individual  will be evaluated based on the following methodology:

Cumulative analysis

When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should be made to the candidate whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, andb) 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%

Interested candidated must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

• Explaining why they are the most suitable for the work ;

Please scan all above mentioned documents and upload as one attachment only online through this website.

Note:

• For an assignment requiring travel, consultants of 65 years or more require full medical examination and statement of fitness to work to engage in the consultancy.
• Due to large number of potential applicants, only competitively selected candidates will be contacted for remaining steps of the service procurement process.