Consultant for Civil Society engagement

Contract

This is a National Consultant contract. More about National Consultant contracts.

Background

The Uzbekistan Vision 2030 Fund (the Ishonch Fund) was established in 2022 to support principled, transparent, and effective asset restitution via programs aimed at accelerating the Government of Uzbekistan’s national reform agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Further to the Restitution-Agreement between Switzerland and Uzbekistan, the Fund is capitalized through a contribution representing a return of assets that have been definitively forfeited in criminal proceedings in connection with Ms. Gulnara Karimova initiated in 2012 by the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland. As these funds belong to the people of Uzbekistan, it is therefore crucial that they be used solely for their benefit and are not misappropriated again.

The Fund is anchored in the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2021-25 (UNSDCF) and its successors. The current UNSDCF was developed through participatory and inclusive consultations with UN entities, national stakeholders, contributors, IFIs and other development partners. Any successor UNSDCF would undergo the same level of rigorous consultation.

The Uzbekistan Vision 2030 Fund is the first UN MPTF to be established for asset restitution. On 16 August, Switzerland and Uzbekistan signed an agreement on the restitution of assets that were definitively confiscated in the criminal proceedings in connection with Gulnara Karimova. The Terms of Reference (TOR) of the Fund, The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which has been signed by 22 Participating UN Organizations (PUNOs) and the UN MPTF Office, and the Standard Administrative Arrangement (SAA) between the Swiss Federal Council as custodian of the funds recovered in Switzerland and the MPTF Office were also finalized.

The Fund needs to organize frequent and regular meetings as part of its governance structure including High-Level Strategic Committee, Management Committee, Project Assessment Committee, and other structures.

A critical next step for the Fund is to ensure effective engagement with civil society through the recently approved Civil Society Advisory Committee (CSAC).

To continue to support the start-up operations of the Fund, continued expert support is needed to assist with revision and rollout of operational documents, organization of meetings, engagement with civil society, development and resource allocation strategy development and approvals.

The Consultant will work closely with the Secretariat team, civil society representatives and project partners to share information, ensuring reliable delivery of services and achieving satisfactory project outcomes through fulfilling the following tasks:

Duties and Responsibilities

Task 1. Governance structure meetings. Support the Secretariat in preparation and organization of meetings of the High-Level Strategic Committee, Management Committee, Project Assessment Committee, and other Fund governance structures.

Task 2. Civil Society Advisory Council (CSAC). Provide support in convening and organizing CSAC meetings, drafting minutes, and following up on actions between meetings in accordance with the CSAC TOR of the Fund.

Task 3. Capacity building and training: Organize capacity-building/information sharing events for CSAC in partnership with lead PUNOs and PUNOs on key topics relevant to the Fund, including but not limited to UNSDCF priorities, UN project implementation, and information about specific projects/programs financed by the Fund. These include:

• UNSDCF priorities.
• UN project implementation.
• Fund Operations Manual
• Resource Allocation Strategy process
• Information about specific projects/programs financed by the Fund
• Risk Management Strategy
• World Bank onboarding

Task 4. Field trips: Support in the organization of monitoring and evaluation activities field trips of the Fund and the programs and projects.

Task 5. Facilitate communication: between the CSAC and the Fund’s Management Committee, supporting the Head of the Secretariat.

Task 6. Strategic Advice. Provide Advise to the Secretariat, RC, or Management Committee on the progress of the fund, challenges/opportunities, and risks with regards to civil society engagement.

Competencies

• Excellent interpersonal, collaborative and communication skills. Ability to build and sustain collaborative relationships with other partners, within and outside UNDP;
• Ability to plan, develop and implement project and programme activities;
• Ability to transfer analytical results into simple and workable solutions;
• Excellent organizational skills, interpersonal communication skill, self-motivated, proactive and reliable with good communication and ability to work in harmony with staff members of different national backgrounds;
• Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback;
• Ability to work in close collaboration with national and international experts, to meet strict deadlines and plan the work according to priorities;
• Ability to use information and communication technology as a tool and resource;
• Computer proficiency; especially related to professional office software packages (MS Office);
• Demonstrates integrity and ethical standards;

Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Required Skills and Experience

Advanced University Degree (Master’s degree or equivalent; PhD an asset) in finance, economics, environment studies, development studies, public policy, or related fields of study. Background in other areas may be considered based on experience and performance in previous positions.

• At least 10 years of relevant experience, including at least one year with the UN.
• Experience working directly with the UN, Uzbek civil society and the host government.
• Experience working in a Multi-Partner Trust Fund or Multi-Donor Trust Fund setting.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills. Strong analytical and organizational skills, ability to work in a team. Excellent interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills. Ability to use information technologies as a tool and resource.

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If you already have a supplier profile, please login to the Supplier Portal, then search for the negotiation using the reference number UNDP-UZB-00192, following the instructions in the user guide.

Country: Uzbekistan

Description of the Assignment: Consultant for Civil Society engagement

Period of assignment/services (if applicable): 115 w/d from May 2023 – December, 2023

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