Consultant to Develop Regional Youth Strategy for Europe and Central Asia Region

Background

In the Europe and Central Asia region, young people constitute a tremendous and essential asset worth investing in to achieve progress towards political stability, consolidation of democracy, rule of law, and improvement of human rights records. Young women and men today want the sustainable, peaceful world envisioned in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Connected to each other like never before, young people already contribute to the resilience of their communities, proposing innovative solutions, driving social progress and inspiring political change, in urban as well as rural contexts. At the same time, young people in the region are facing considerable challenges, disproportionately carried by girls and young women. These challenges relate to inclusion in public discussions and decision-making, access to services such as quality education and opportunities for decent work. Young people also face challenges related to situations of violence, conflict and migration for better opportunities. In many parts, trust in governance institutions is low, democracy remains fragile, restrictions on political and civil rights continue to hamper progress, and sub-regional cooperation is only slowly improving.

Youth development and youth engagement are cross-cutting issues in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as other internationally agreed frameworks such as the Security Council Resolutions 2250 (2015) and 2419 (2018) on Youth, Peace and Security. These all acknowledge that young people play an important and positive role in the realisation of sustainable development, in the prevention of crises and in the advancement of peace. The Youth2030: The United Nations Strategy on Youth envisions a world in which the human rights of every young person are realised; that ensures every young person is empowered to achieve their full potential; and that recognises young people’s agency, resilience and their positive contributions as agents of change.

UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub (IRH) is UNDP’s main knowledge and advisory hub for the countries serviced by UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Europe and CIS (RBEC). The Regional Centre is in charge for regional programme implementation and country office support. Through its regional programme, the IRH provides advisory support and knowledge management services to UNDP Country Offices in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, including those in Central Asia. The Hub also connects the region to a global network of development experts, to build knowledge and capacity, and to forge partnerships to meet the development challenges of a large and diverse region.

UNDP IRH Governance and Peacebuilding Cluster works with national and international partners to strengthen the social contract between the state and society in a manner that protects human rights, promotes equality, and enhances social cohesion. Sustainable Development Goal 16 frames the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provision of access to justice for all, and the building of effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels as a priority for the 2030 development agenda. UNDP’s new Strategic Plan (2022-2025) places a strong emphasis on the importance of youth empowerment and development, youth movements, youth economic empowerment, youth political participation, and innovation, among others.

Presently, UNDP’s youth engagements focus on the amplification of youth voices for the promotion of a peaceful, just and sustainable world, including through enhanced youth civic engagement and participation in decision-making and political processes and institutions; strengthened youth engagement in resilience building; and increased economic empowerment of youth. The guiding principles of our work are human rights, gender equality, sustainability, national ownership and leadership, participation, innovation, south-south cooperation, volunteerism, inter-generational knowledge-sharing and working by, with and for young people.

With this in mind, to further advance the evolving, dynamic youth agenda and respond to needs of young men and women in the region, the UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub aims to put together and consolidate a responsive and innovative Regional Youth Strategy for Europe and CIS (ECIS). The strategy will be guided by Youth2030: The United Nations Strategy on Youth and will directly support SDGs targeting and acceleration with a special focus on SDG 16.  For the purpose of this initiative, countries & territories are geographically clustered into three sub-regions which have very distinct characteristics, contexts, and challenges: Central Asia, South Caucasus, and the Western Balkans & Turkey. 

To complete the task, we are looking for an international expert to develop the strategy in the next upcoming months.

Duties and Responsibilities

This consultancy is aimed at developing a responsive and innovative Regional Youth Strategy for the ECIS region.  The consultant will work under the supervision of the Youth, Digital Inclusion, and Communication Analyst in coordination with the Team Leader, Governance and Peacebuilding Team at the Istanbul Regional Hub (IRH) and in close collaboration with the BPPS Global Youth Team and relevant IRH teams.

To develop a coherent Youth Regional Strategy in ECIS, the consultancy will take on the following deliverables: 

• Conduct preliminary desk research on issues, needs and trends concerning youth in the region, particularly on youth and governance and peacebuilding, economic empowerment, gender equality, and climate change;
• Conduct a mapping of UNDP Country Office initiatives and other UN agencies related to empowerment and development of young men and women across the ECIS region and identify entry points and opportunities for policy and programme support;
• Conduct an analysis of best practices and lessons learned from youth initiatives implemented in the region by UNDP, UN and other international development organizations, using specific case studies and examples; 
• Organize and facilitate targeted consultations with youth networks, UNDP Country Offices, RBEC/IRH teams, BPPS Global Youth Team, as well as other UN agencies (e.g., through the Issue-based Coalition on Adolescent and Youth[1]) to identify challenges, opportunities, gaps, and new entry points for engagement and partnerships in the region;
• Map out youth networks including country-based networks, multi-country, and regional networks, conduct targeted youth consultations, and identify gaps and opportunities for partnership and collaboration ;

• Based on the findings and consultations, develop a responsive and innovative youth regional strategy in alignment with UNDP Strategic Plan (2022-2025) and other UN initiatives in the region, including strategic policy and programmatic options and recommendations for expanding UNDP's engagement on youth empowerment and development, particularly in the areas of youth and governance and peacebuilding, economic empowerment, gender equality, and climate change, with special attention to (i) networks, tools, and platforms; (ii) knowledge products, (iii) national and regional-level initiatives; (iv) communications and advocacy.

The total number of days of work is estimated approximately 35 working days over a three-month period. The breakdown corresponds to the expected outputs and schedule of payments as follows:

Payments  will be made only upon confirmation of UNDP on delivering on the contract obligations in a satisfactory manner.

The lump-sum price is fixed regardless of changes in the cost components.

• First Tranche – 20% upon submission and approval of Deliverable 1
• Second Tranche –20 % upon submission and approval of Deliverable 2
• Third Tranche – 30 % upon submission and approval of Deliverable 3
• Fourth Tranche –30 % upon submission and approval of Deliverable 4

[1] The Issue-based Coalition on Adolescent and Youth seeks to deliver on specific adolescent and youth policy results in collaboration with civil society, including youth-led and youth-serving organizations, governments and other key actors by fostering synergies and pool resources across UN agencies.  

The coalition is chaired by: UNFPA and UNICEF, Members: ILO, ITU, UNAIDS, UNICEF, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNV, UN Women

Competencies

Corporate competencies: 

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling 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 favoritism; 
• Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment. 

Functional competencies:

• Ability to analyze policy documents and make constructive policy suggestions;
• Strong interpersonal skills, communication and diplomatic skills, ability to work in a team;
• Capacity building skills and flexibility depending on the public;
• Demonstration of commitment to the Project’s mission, vision and values;
• Good writing and reporting skills;
• Good presentation skills;
• Ability to work under pressure and stressful situations, and to meet tight deadlines.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s Degree in International relations, International Development, Social Sciences, Political Sciences, Public Policy, or another relevant field. Field experience may substitute for an advanced degree.

Experience:

• At least seven years of experience in youth policy development and youth governance, strategic planning, and analysis of the youth sector.
• Proven policy and advisory experience and track record of research and/or project management concerning youth engagement and empowerment
• Previous experience in the youth sector in the Europe and CIS region;
• Proven experience in innovation and agile approach to research and consultations,  conducting online mapping exercises, surveys, interviews, focus group discussions or consultations with governments and civil society actors;
• Experience working with international organizations, particularly UN/UNDP, is an advantage.

Language:

• Excellent writing and oral communication skills in English.

Evaluation of Applicants

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on a cumulative analysis taking into consideration the combination of the applicants’ qualifications and financial proposal.

The award of the contract should be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and

b) Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical (P11 desk reviews and interviews) and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

(If interviews are planned to be conducted the following sentence is to be used: “Only highest ranked candidates who would be found qualified for the job based on the P11 desk review will be invited for an interview”.)

(If no interviews are planned except of the verification interview with the selected candidate the following sentence shall be used: “Only the highest ranked candidates who would be found qualified for the job will be considered for the Financial Evaluation”.)

Technical Criteria - 70% of total evaluation – max. 70 points:

• Criteria 1:  Education– max points: 10
• Criteria 2: Working Experience – max points: 20
• Criteria 3: Analytics, research and writing abilities – max 20 points
• Criteria 4: Interviews – max 10
• Criteria 5: Excellent command of English – max 10

Financial Criteria - 30% of total evaluation – max. 30 points

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

For those passing technical evaluation above, offers will be evaluated per the Combined Scoring method:

a) Technical evaluation (70%)

b) Financial evaluation (30%)

The application receiving the Highest Combined Score will be awarded the contract. 

 DOCUMENTS TO BE INCLUDED WHEN SUBMITTING THE OFFER

1. Cover letter explaining why you are the most suitable candidate for the advertised position, personal CV including at list 3 references and a brief methodology on how you will approach and conduct the work. Please paste the letter into the "Resume and Motivation" section of the electronic application.
2. Filled P11 form including past experience in similar projects and contact details of referees(blank form can be downloaded from  http://europeandcis.undp.org/files/hrforms/P11_modified_for_SCs_and_ICs.doc); please upload the P11 instead of your CV.
3. Financial Proposal in US$* - specifying a total lump sum amount for the tasks specified in this announcement. The financial proposal shall include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (number of anticipated working days, per diems and any other possible costs).

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, indigenous identity, disability and culture. Individuals from all genders, minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.