National Consultant (Chief Technical Advisor) SDG Country Support Platform - PIP - UNDP

Consultant

Overview

Provide strategic advice and technical oversight for educational reform in Afghanistan.

You have:

• Master’s degree in International Education Policy, Economics, Public Policy, Organizational Development, Business, Political Science, Development Studies, or related discipline (Ph.D. preferred in International Education Policy).
• Minimum of 15 years of relevant experience in governance policy development in post-conflict countries, with at least 4 years in a senior level role.
• Organizational Management skills with experience in conducting organizational reviews, and implementing appropriate organizational structures.
• Extensive experience in research, policy analysis, advocacy, design, monitoring, and evaluation of development interventions.
• Experience with Change Management approaches, including harmonization of conflicts from different stakeholders' reporting needs.
• Experience in participatory methodologies and consultation.
• Demonstrated experience in capacity building and design and implementation of reforms and organizational change.
• Fluency in written and spoken English, Dari/Pashto is a requirement.

Contract

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

Background

UNDP Global Mission Statement:

The UNDP is the UN’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience, and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in about 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities and build resilience to sustain development results.

UNDP Afghanistan Mission Statement:

UNDP supports stabilization, state-building, governance and development priorities in Afghanistan. UNDP support, in partnership with the Government, the United Nations system, the donor community, and other development stakeholders, has contributed to institutional development efforts leading to positive impact on the lives of Afghan citizens. Over the years UNDP support has spanned such milestone efforts as the adoption of the Constitution; Presidential, Parliamentary and Provincial Council elections; institutional development through capacity-building to the legislative, the judicial and executive arms of the state, and key ministries, Government agencies and commissions at the national and subnational levels. UNDP has played a key role in the management of the Law and Order Trust Fund, which supports the Government in developing and maintaining the national police force and in efforts to stabilize the internal security environment. Major demobilization, disarmament and rehabilitation, and area-based livelihoods and reconstruction programmes have taken place nationwide. UNDP Programmes in Afghanistan have benefited from the very active support of donors. UNDP Afghanistan is committed to the highest standards of transparency and accountability and works in close coordination with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and the UN system as a whole to maximize the impact of its development efforts on the ground.

At the UN Sustainable Development Summit in New York in September 2015, the Heads of States and Governments adopted the 2030 Agenda, including 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 associated targets that are expected to guide sustainable development efforts in all countries in the 15-year period until 2030. On behalf of the Government of Afghanistan, H.E. Chief Executive Dr. Abdullah Abdullah attended the Summit. He endorsed these goals and committed to pursuing them with Afghanistan’s development partners.

ISGDs are generally viewed as an integrated agenda, the effective implementation of which requires holistic policy-making and high-level cross-sectoral cooperation, partnership, coordination, and leadership.

Additionally, effective implementation of SDGs requires forging partnerships with other actors such as the private sector, civil society, and academia. Realizing that has proved beyond the reach and current capacity of individual sectoral ministries, including Ministry of Economy.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objective of the Assignment:

The Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) to HE Minister of Education will work directly under the supervision of HE the Minister to provide strategic advice and technical oversight of the national reform of Afghanistan’s Educational System mandated by HE, the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The CTA will lead efforts based on the Minister’s discretion and advise the Minister on any technical issues or risks that may impact the national reform results. The CTA will work closely with the Deputy Ministers, senior technical staff of the Ministry of Education, and technical staff of other relevant governmental and non-governmental bodies.

The above responsibilities and the following tasks may be revised during the contract period to suit the reform agenda's dynamic nature. In principle, the general duties and responsibilities of the CTA will include the following tasks:

• Review current policy documents, baseline data, indicators, and other relevant documents that pertain to the national reform.
• Provide overall technical input on strategies to reduce the educational load from the current schooling system.
• Provide technical input in implementing the national reform agenda.
• Serve as a technical expert for the curriculum reform initiative to match the overall system reforms.
• Provide technical input on teacher training, capacity development, competencies, and credentialling.
• Serve as a technical expert on public-private partnerships for educational reform.
• Work on concepts to fund education nationally.
• Work on structural reforms within the Ministry (both at national and local levels).
• Provide up-to-date best practices and hands-on recommendations in the subject area.
• Provide technical input in the development of policies.
• Provide inputs and necessary substantive support for reports and national and international forums.
• Identify risks and challenges in the path of implementing the national reform agenda.
• Support the Ministry in preparing component or output-based concept of strategy papers and implementation manuals, regulations, and guidelines.
• Guide the Ministry on monitoring and evaluating the reform agenda.
• Perform any other related duties assigned by HE Minister of Education.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables:

• Deliverable 1 - Develop a reform policy document for the Ministry of Education
• Deliverable 2 - Propose revisions to the Ministry's structure based on the reform agenda
• Deliverable 3 - Develop a strategy for online registration of private schools
• Deliverable 4 - Develop concept note for vouchers for private courses
• Deliverable 5 - Review curriculum reform documents and provide technical input
• Deliverable 6 - Develop a concept note for expanding the formal educational eco-system to include masjids, madrassas, and community-based schools.

Payment Modality:

Payments under the contract shall be deliverable-based according to UNDP procurement formats for individual contractors. The deliverables will be reviewed by the Head of the project. The payments will be paid upon the full completion and acceptance of contractual obligations, as accepted by the Head of Unit.

Institutional Arrangements:

The Consultant will work under the overall guidance of the H.E. the Minister of Education and in close collaboration with the staff of the A-SDGs project and will liaise with relevant ministerial authorities as and when required.

Duration of the Work

The duration of this contract shall be completed within 12 months (With Maximum 240 Working days), after the signing of the contract, including all preparation work and on-site visits, excluding joining and repatriation travel days.

Duty Station

The duty station for the Consultant is the Ministry of Education, Kabul, Afghanistan for the entire duration of the contract. The Consultant will be required to report regularly and be present at the Ministry of Education during the working hours. The Consultant will follow the working hours and weekends as applicable to UNDP project staff. The consultant’s movement for meetings and consultations shall be coordinated by MoE and UNDP SDGs-PIP project office.

Competencies

Core competencies:

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP and the Government of Afghanistan;
• Maturity combined with tact and diplomacy;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism.

Functional Competencies:

Job knowledge/technical expertise:

• Promotes a knowledge sharing and learning culture in the office;
• Ability to conduct required research, analyze and produce proposals and reports;
• Excellent analytical aptitude, communication, writing and presentation skill;
• Commitment and enthusiasm for development work;
• In-depth knowledge of development issues;
• Ability to advocate and provide policy advice;
• Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more Practice areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in International Education Policy, Economics, Public Policy, Organizational Development, Business, Political Science, Development Studies, or related discipline (Ph.D. preferred in International Education Policy).

Years of experience:

• Minimum of 15 years of relevant experience in the areas of governance policy development in post-conflict countries, and at least 4 years in the senior level;
• Organizational Management skills with experience in conducting organizational reviews, and implementing appropriate organizational structures;
• Extensive experience in research, policy analysis, and advocacy, design, monitoring and evaluation of development interventions;
• Experience with Change Management approaches, including harmonization of potential conflicts resulting from differences in reporting needs of various stakeholders
• Experience in participatory methodologies and consultation;
• Demonstrated experience in capacity building and design and/or implementation of reforms and organizational change;
• Ability to work under pressure with tight deadlines in a multicultural environment, including the ability to integrate feedback of team members and stakeholders;
• Demonstrated track record of timely delivery of similar assignments.

Language:

• Fluency in written and spoken English, Dari/Pashto is a requirement.

PRICE PROPOSAL AND SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS

Shortlisted candidates (ONLY) will be requested to submit a Financial Proposal. The consultant shall then submit a price proposal when requested by UNDP, in accordance with the below:

• Daily Fee – The contractor shall propose a daily fee, which should be inclusive of her/his professional fee, local communication cost, and insurance (inclusive of medical health insurance and evacuation). The number of working days for which the daily fee shall be payable under the contract is 240 working days.
• The total professional fee shall be converted into a lump-sum contract and payments under the contract shall be made on submission and acceptance of deliverables under the contract in accordance with the schedule of payment linked with deliverables and at the end of the assignment. Payments will be made at the end of the assignment.

UNDP reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs are incomplete, not delivered or there is a failure to meet agreed-to deadlines.

EVALUATION METHOD AND CRITERIA

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology:

Cumulative analysis

The award of the contract shall 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 and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

* Technical Criteria weight 70%

* Financial Criteria weight 30%

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Technical Criteria 70 points

Qualification, Experience and Technical Proposal (70 marks):

1. General Qualification (15 marks);
2. Experience relevant to the assignment (35 marks);
3. Technical Proposal: Brief methodology and work plan on how the consultant will approach and complete the work (please see the mandatory question on jobs site for inputting response) (20 marks).

Financial Evaluation (30%):

The following formula will be used to evaluate the financial proposal:

p = y (µ/z), where

p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated

y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal

µ = price of the lowest priced proposal

z = price of the proposal being evaluated

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals:

Interested international Consultant must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications in one single PDF document:

1. Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references.
2. Technical Proposal (can be attached with CV or response can be provided to mandatory question on jobs site)****:
   1. Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment;
   2. A methodology, on how they will approach and complete the assignment and work plan as indicated above.

All materials developed will remain the copyright of UNDP Afghanistan. UNDP Afghanistan will be free to adapt and modify them in the future.

Annexes (click on the hyperlink to access the documents):

• Annex 1 - IC Contract Template (for information);

• Annex 2 - Financial Proposal Template using the template provided by UNDP (to be completed at later stage upon request by UNDP);

• Annex 3 – IC General Terms and Conditions (for information);
• Annex 4 – RLA Template (if consultant wishes to be recruited through an employer) - (for information).

Incomplete applications will not be considered and will be disqualified automatically.

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Potential interview questions

Added 5 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: jobs.undp.org