INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANT - Establishing Long Term Agreements for emergency response strategic supplies and services

Contract

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UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child,

UNICEF is anticipating an extension of the Sahel crisis, and has identified 5 priority countries, which are likely to be affected: Togo, Benin, Ghana, Ivory Cost and Guinea. In 2020, the Regional Office engaged these countries to reassess risk and implement preparedness actions, with objective to be ready to face an emergency early 2021. The Guinea Country Office (CO) has been flagged as one the COs with a need to strengthen its capacity in assessing the local market for strategic supplies.

In order to answer effectively and efficiently to the CO programmes, UNICEF wishes to sign LTA in the following specific markets:

• Water and Sanitation (soaps, laundry powder, squatting plates, buckets, jerrycans, chlorinated products, water containers, etc.)
• Non-food products (blankets, tarpaulins, mattresses, cooking pots, cooking utensils, etc.)
• School furnitures (schools' benches, desks, chairs, etc.)
• Education supplies (pens, exercise books, rulers, blackboards, slate, etc.)
• Logistics services (road transports, customs clearance, car rental, etc.)
• Printing services (t-shirts, posters, banners, etc.)

The objective of the consultancy is to identify and assess the availability of suppliers in Guinea, to pre-qualified vendors for local procurement of supplies and services for a list of specific emergency supplies and services. Once pre-qualified supplies have been identified, the objective is to launch and oversees the bidding processes of those services and goods until the signature of the Long Term Agreement. The procurement process must be in line with the UNICEF procurement policies and procedures for which the consultant will receive the full support of the UNICEF Supply team in Guinea

How can you make a difference?

Deliverables:

• Week 1-2: Preliminary review and notation of all received supplier forms is completed and documented;
• Week 3: A list of short-listed suppliers for the identified categories of commodities and services is available based on the documentation submitted ;
• Week 4-6: To assess the suitability of each supplier, physical visits and inspections of short-listed suppliers are undertaken together with one local team Supply team with Supplier Inspection Reports available and signed.
• Week 7: Submit list of recommendations for LTA by category of commodity/service to be sign validated/approved by the Supply Specialist in Guinea together with all relevant supporting documents
• Week 8-12: Under the guidance of the Supply Specialist, the consultant will prepare and launch the bidding processes and follow all the awarding steps as per UNICEF procurement policies and procedures.

Scope of Work:

Before the consultant arrives in country, the UNICEF office would have prepared all the pre-requisite documentation:

• the Expression of Interest has been advertised in all leading local newspapers as well as on the UNICEF and UNGM websites
• interested suppliers have sent their documentation and the files are available at the UNICEF Guinea CO, either in soft or had copies.

Upon arrival, the consultant will take the activities as listed in the deliverables.

To qualified as an advocate for every child you will have…

First university degree in business administration, procurement, management, supply chain management or a related technical field.

• Work Experience:

Five years progressively responsible professional work experience at the international level in procurement, supply and logistics, business administration and management. Proven experience in similar assignments with UNICEF or with the United Nations, preferably in West Africa.

• Languages:

Fluency in French is required. English an advantage

Reporting Requirements:

• Monthly progress reports to the CO Supply person in charge with milestones being:
  • At the end of week 6: list of short-listed suppliers available before physical premises visits
  • At the end of week 7: list of pre-qualified suppliers proposed for LTA is available
• Final report to CO Supply with copy to Regional Supply Unit at the end of week 12 with:
  • Methodology
  • Risk analysis of the local market
  • List of LTA signed by category of commodity/service together with all relevant supporting documents
  • Challenges and recommendations to overcome the challenges in future similar exercises
  • Hardcopies documents from suppliers are filed and handed over to the Supply Specialist

Duration : Three (3) months from January 2021.

Administrative Issues:

The consultant will be based in the Conakry, supervised by the Supply Specialist.

The consultant will have to bring his/her own laptop. UNICEF will provide a local SIM card (not mobile phone) for the consultant to contact directly the local suppliers during the market survey. The CO will also provide an office space for the consultant.

During the physical visits to the supplier's premises, the consultant will be accompanied by a member of the UNICEF Supply team

Financial Proposal:

Bidder are requested to provide an all-inclusive cost in the financial proposal.

When quoting for travel cost:

• travel cost shall be calculated based on economy class travel, regardless of the length of travel
• costs for accommodation, meals and incidentals shall not exceed applicable daily subsistence allowance (DSA) rates, as promulgated by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC).
• Financial proposal should be in Euros or in USD

Payment schedule:

• 30% of the total fee will be paid at week 7 upon the deliverable listed in the reporting requirements above (list of pre-qualified suppliers proposed for LTA is available)
• 70% of the total fee will be paid upon validation by UNICEF of final report with LTA signed according to UNICEF policies/procedures

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The functional competencies required for this post are...

Competencies:

• In depth knowledge of procurement and good concept of analyzing technical financial documents.
• Proven ability to develop, plan and manage market research and similar projects
• Good analytical, negotiating and communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently in a multi-cultural environment effective working relationship both within and outside the organization.
• Excellent computer skills, including database applications and internet navigation.
• Expertise in public procurement.
• Experience in report writing.
• Planning and Organizing skills/Accountability and ability to work independently

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.