Development Policy Loan (DPL) Consultant

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.

These Terms of Reference (ToR) describe the tasks of the Consultant necessary for the execution of the services. However, this list of tasks and activities can by no means be considered as the complete and comprehensive description of the Consultant’s duties.

It is rather the Consultant’s responsibility to thoroughly study the ToR and the scope of services. The Consultant should critically review the fields of action and ideas outlined below and develop an appropriate proposal, including necessary adjustments and modifications on the basis of own professional judgements and experience in similar projects.

The Consultant has to take into account the general situation in the country and in the Project area and particularly the conditions and constraints related to infrastructure, accessibility, transport, accommodation, administration and security.

Above all, the Consultant should keep in mind the obligation to follow the most efficient approach, the need to strictly maintain the time schedule of the submission of the deliverables and the scope of the proposed consultancy budget. It is understood that the Consultant should perform all work necessary to fulfil the objectives of the Project.

Country background

Jordan is a stable country in a troubled region. It is a small economy with no sizable oil or gas resources and a population of 10.2 million in 2020 (UNFPA data). This represents a rapid increase from the 9.5 million according to the latest national census 2015, mainly due to the influx of refugees from neighbouring crisis-affected countries, particularly Iraq and Syria. The number of Syrian refugees in Jordan is estimated at around 0.662 million registered as of July 2019, with the total number of Syrians (including non-refugees) standing at 1.266 million, according to the 2015 Population and Housing Census.

Jordan is classified as an upper middle-income country, but with a widening gap in income distribution. The real GDP growth increased modestly from 1.9% in 2018 to 2.2% in 2019, and it was projected to grow further to 2.4% in 2020 amid the regional instability. While the effects of the global pandemic are yet to be measured, the positive impact of the falling oil prices and reduction of energy prices might slightly offset its impact. In 2020, inflation remained under 1%, but it is expected to rise to 2.5% in the coming years. While the Government of Jordan (GoJ) has proven its commitment to enacting policies leading to macroeconomic stability, the current global pandemic will likely lead to deterioration of the macroeconomic situation in the country, causing the already high levels of unemployment to rise and thus impeding on the projected growth of the economy.

Public expenditures grew by 5.5% in 2019, as current expenditures increased by 4.6%, while capital expenditures increased below expectations by only 13%. As a result, the general budget deficit (after grants) reached 3.9% of GDP in 2019 compared to 2.4% in 2018. Public debt reached around JOD 30.1 billion by the end of 2019, or 97% of GDP, compared to 94.4%t at the end of 2018. 

Given the population growth, the total number of households falling under the absolute poverty line has actually increased. Moreover, while incidence of poverty is higher in rural areas (16.8%) compared to urban areas (13.9%), there are in fact vastly greater numbers of poor in urban areas (80%) compared to rural areas (20%). This means significant regional disparities persist: the benefits of growth have been concentrated mainly in the capital and a few large cities. Jordan’s economic participation rates are among the lowest globally, with only 35-40% of the population above the age of 15 years economically active and one of the lowest employment-to-population ratios. Merely 14% of women participate in the labour force, in comparison to 65% of men.

Jordan is currently facing difficult economic and social challenges. Growth rates have declined, and unemployment rates are high. With the official unemployment rate standing at 24% (2020), Jordan’s official youth unemployment rate hovers around 33% (22% for males and 40% for females), while 85% of Jordanian women (in all age groups) are not participating in the labour force. The lack of economic opportunities for youth, and regional inequalities within Jordan, are a major threat to social cohesion. Combined with the high influx of refugees the situation is even more challenging.

As in all countries, the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) is significantly impacting the education system. On 14 March 2020, the GoJ announced that all Ministries, all schools, kindergartens and universities (private and public) were closed on 15 March 2020, involving 2.37 million learners. Since then, schools only re-opened for short periods and have remained fully closed as from mid-September 2020. Interruptions to education particularly affected the most vulnerable, including weaker students and students in the camps who hardly have any access to electronic learning alternatives through the Darsak learning platform established by MoE. Generally, access to Darsak outside the urban centres is challenging and not affordable to poorer households who also do not own the necessary hardware such as tablets or smartphones.

Scope of services

The German Government is supporting reform processes in the Jordanian education sector through a Development Policy Loan (DPL) provided by KfW German Development Bank to the GoJ represented by the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MoPIC). Based on defined triggers/indicators to be implemented by the MoE, the loan has been provided to the Ministry of Finance (MoF) as budget support. The reform process is accompanied by a political dialogue between the GoJ and the German Embassy and is supported technically and administratively by the German Financial Cooperation Programme Management Unit (PMU) which is integrated into the Development Coordination Unit of the Ministry of Education.

The DPL aims at supporting reforms in the MoE and related entities to improve Facility Management and Maintenance (FM/M) in Jordanian public schools. A Policy Matrix serves as the core document of the reforms to improve FM/M in Jordanian public schools. The Matrix has been jointly endorsed by the Ministers of Education, Planning and Finance.

These ToR refer to the DPL Policy Matrix and aim at providing the MoE with the needed technical support to implement the DPL.  The DPL short-term consultant will serve as the PMU’s main counterpart for the Development Policy Loan (DPL), and will be responsible for supporting the MoE with regards to policy development, improvement of structures and processes from ministry to school level and its implementation. S/he will work with the PMU Head to manage and oversee the support function of the PMU to the Ministry of Education (MoE) towards the implementation of the “Development Policy Loan (DPL) Programme.  

The incumbent will proactively support, facilitate and monitor MoE’s implementation of the Facility Management reform as outlined in the DPL Policy Matrix (agreed with the MoE)

Objective

The overall objective of the assignment is to build on the previous support provided to the MoE and support them in their implementation of the DPL Policy Matrix I and the finalization of DPL Policy Matrix II.  More specifically, the consultant is expected to support and monitor the implementation of the Maintenance/Facility Management Reform as outlined in the DPL Reform Matrices I and II. Given current challenges (management of the refugee crisis, COVID-19) that coincide with existing capacity shortages on the side of MoE, there is an increased need for respective support. It is the shared understanding by all parties that this support is proactive, comprehensive and timely in order to achieve the relevant project goals.

The DPL short-term consultant must be able to undertake independently, the following functional/ technical tasks:

DPL Management, Coordination and Planning

Supporting the implementation of the DPL, including refining the DPL Policy Matrix II (containing key deliverables, milestones and timeline for the implementation of the DPL), following-up on key deliverables of the DPL policy matrix I, decision taking and MoE reporting to KfW.  The incumbent would also be required to provide the needed support to convene the DPL steering committee meeting and to effectively participate in the meetings. This would entail supporting the MoE taking the minutes of the meeting and providing arabic version of the approved minutes. 

• Support the implementation of the DPL Reform Matrix I and pave the way for the DPL activities in the Project Management Unit (PMU), including but not limited to: (i) ensuring the understanding of tasks in the Policy and Responsibility Matrices for with all relevant individuals/Directorates, (ii) following-up on deliverables, (ii) attending the working meetings of the DPL Teams, (iv) track open issues, (v) interlink actors and (vi) (ad hoc) communication, and interventions, wherever and whenever needed, as well as (vii) maintaining of an electronic project archive.

• Maintain effective communication and coordination with all relevant partners and key stakeholders, including but not limited to, MoE, MoPWH, KfW, implementation consultants, contractors, suppliers, etc;

• Attend and participate in all relevant coordination meetings to address technical problems and the associated needed mitigation measures on a timely basis;

• Identify any need for recruitment of short term experts (TA) where and as needed in coordination with the Head of PMU;

Governance, Monitoring, and Reporting

• Support the PMU in preparing monthly and quarterly detailed reports, following the UNOPS reporting templates and guidelines, that provide a good overview about the status of implementation on trigger level, including possible challenges, deviations and achievement.

• Prepare weekly updates/ brief overviews for the Virtual weekly meetings.

• Support calling-up for and facilitation of DPL Policy Committee that should include high-level representation from relevant actors and, thereby, forms the committee where the steering of the reform and political dialogue takes place.

• Manage, maintain and coordinate the DPL Policy Committee and the DPL Technical Committee Meetings (Secretarial Functions), i.e. preparation of meetings, follow-up of stakeholder participation, provide professional opinions and support decision-making processes in the Steering Structure. Attending Committee Meetings as an observer

• Support the design and implementation of a MoE-led monitoring and reporting system for the implementation of DPL reform measures.

Knowledge Management

• Share knowledge with the PMU team members and other relevant key stakeholders to ensure coordinated delivery of DPL activities and synergies;

• Contribute to the identification and dissemination and sharing of best practices and lessons learned for PMU and DPL development planning and knowledge building;

All activities will be implemented in close collaboration with project partners, and in coordination with the PMU. 

Internal/ External Communication

Maintain professional and open communication with internal and external stakeholders, including: 

Supporting the communication with the following stakeholders outside MoE:

• KfW

• MoPWH

• MoPIC

• MoF

• Consultants

• Contractors

• Government entities/ authorities for approvals and regulations.

• Utility providers

• Local communities

• Donors/Implementing Agencies/International Partners

Inside MoE:

• PMU Steering Committee

• PMU Technical Committee

• Development and Coordination Unit (DCU)

• DPL Policy Committee

• DPL Technical COmmittee

• Triggers focal points. 

• Management of Buildings and Projects

• Planning & Educational Research Department

• Management of Queen Rania Centre for Education & Information Technology

• MOE Field Directorates

• Financial Affairs Administration

3. Methodology

The assignment will be conducted in Amman. The result will be (i) full support is provided to the MoE in implementing the DPL Policy Matrix I and finalising the DPL Policy Matrix II; (ii) a report on TAs needed to support the implementation of the DPL; (iii) minutes of weekly meetings for the DPL group; (iv) proactive support to the organisation of the DPL technical and steering committees meetings including drafting the minutes; (v) proactive support in finalising the MoE quarterly report to the KFW; (vi) proactive support in preparing the PMU monthly and quarterly report to the UNOPS; and (vii) develop the required TAs TORs, facilitate their work in collaboration with MoE, supervise the TAs work, and provide technical review of the TAs resorts prior to share them with the donor and the client (KFW and MOE). 

Scope of Work

The scope of work of the DPL consultant can be arranged in line with the following four main pillars: 
1. Support to Programme Management: Supporting the implementation of the DPL, including support to following-up on milestones & deliverables in the Responsibility Matrix, decision-taking and reporting to KfW.

2. DPL Steering: Supporting the governance structure for the Programme.

3. Monitoring: Proactively supporting the design and implementation of a MoE-led monitoring system for the implementation of reform measures as outlined in the DPL reform matrix in line with the reporting and steering mechanism; provide technical assistance to  MoE in the reporting to KfW on German FC projects.

4. Provision  of TA Support: Recruit and manage (short-term) external experts for specific reform topics based on the agreed TA modality and in line with MoE needs and requests.

Timeline:

The expected starting date of the assignment is 1st May 2022 and for two months. 

Specific details will be communicated to the Consultant through UNOPS/KfW in due course.

An implementation period of 15-30 days is foreseen.

Requirements: 

• Postgraduate university degree in the social sciences, preferably education or sociology.   

• At least 15 years of professional experience, with at least 5 years of experience in the field of education in Jordan.

• At least 5 years of experience in Jordan and/or the Region.

• At least 5 years of experience in working with international, bilateral and multilateral donor organizations.

• Expert knowledge in designing and executing qualitative surveys in the field of education.

• Familiarity with the Jordanian education system.

• Fluency in English and Arabic.

Skills:

• Excellent research and analytical skills with the ability to research a wide-range of public sector  issues using multiple sources is desired; 

• Demonstrated ability to develop staff capacity and train others, as well as to engage effectively with staff at national and/or governorate levels is desired;

• Excellent communication skills;

• High proficiency with computers, and other software/ platforms related to the position's field of expertise. Good experience in working with the G-Suite platform including, Google Drive, Google Calendar, Gmail, Google Sheets, Docs, and Slides;

• Familiarity with German school construction projects implemented in the Education sector in Jordan is desired;

• Demonstrated experience in Gender mainstreaming in the public sector is highly desired;

• Experience of working in the UN/ International Organization is desired.

1. Contract type: ICA
2. Contract level: Local ICA Specialist - level 10
3. Contract duration: Short-Term ICA – ‘Short-term ICA – Maximum duration 3 months’]

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.