Researcher: Environmental scan incubators, innovation hubs and financing landscape in the MENA region
Contract
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Background
In the coming decades, some 70 million youth (aged 15 to 24) in the MENA region will require an economic future that provides a base for human development and social cohesion as well as a vibrant and inclusive political life1. Unemployment in the MENA region is the fastest growing in the world, increasing from an unemployment rate of 19.5% to 23% over the period 2012-20202; over 39% of young Arab women are unemployed3. 85.1% of young working-age Arabs are in the informal sector, with limited or no access to social and health insurance or credit facilities.4
But these challenges are in many ways offset by the significant potential that exists to harness the power of both entrepreneurs and SMEs and the creative, innovative power of youth themselves. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), SMEs are a cornerstone of MENA economies, accounting for over 90% of all businesses7 and providing a major source of new job creation. Additionally, as noted in a recent assessment of MENA countries’ competitiveness carried out by the World Bank and the World Economic Forum8, countries in the region need to strengthen the role of the private sector, particularly through entrepreneurship to create Decent Jobs for both women and youth, deliver higher and more inclusive job growth, and absorb excess labour9. Many Governments are responding by placing entrepreneurs and SME development at the centre of growth and jobs strategies to meet the needs of the young population.10
With still apparent scarcity of resources directed towards achieving SDGs, identifying effective, economically feasible and scalable solutions that could have systemic and exponential effects in targeting SDGs is imperative. On the other hand, engaging private sector entrepreneurs in targeting SDGs is immensely important to meet 2030 Agenda commitments. In this context impact-oriented businesses play a key role in addressing problems and challenges articulated through the SDGs.
The UNDP Regional Bureau for the Arab States (RBAS) seeks to build a coalition to actively engage ecosystem players who are contributing to youth empowerment across the Arab region. With a focus on youth entrepreneurship and social innovation, UNDP envisions this SDG Impact Coalition to become a powerful network connecting young social entrepreneurs to finance, mentors, partners, support structures and markets.
UNDP RBAS Youth project entrepreneurship support activities are embedded in a broader systems approach that is aimed at strengthening the enabling policy and regulatory environment for job-rich, green growth and working with partners to direct investments towards sustainable sectors and industries to drive economic transformation in the Arab region.
UNDP impact ventures support programs are one of the practical approaches to help enterprises to scale up effective business-based solutions to development issues, and in new context, and to COVID19 related challenges. Impact venture accelerators combine business acceleration programs with robust and dedicated efforts on SDG impact alignment, impact measurement and management (IMM), which is the main distinguishing feature of UNDP’s venture support. It is a structured support process that enables participating businesses across various stages of life cycle maturity to innovate and develop new sustainable business models, and to grow and scale existing solutions. To implement these venture building support programs, UNDP works with local and regional business partners.
Research on ecosystem support organizations and financing landscape in the MENA region
The UNDP Regional Bureau for the Arab States Youth team, to inform the design of programmatic interventions, requires actionable intelligence on the state of the ecosystems in the 16 countries in the Arab region, as well as broader region challenges and trends. Target Countries are Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Palestine, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Yemen, Djibouti, Iraq, UAE, Qatar.
The research is expected to produce the following:
- Environmental scan of target countries providing intelligence on the following factors: ecosystem support organizations (innovation hubs, incubators, accelerators, co-working spaces), investment landscape and investment trends (national, regional), entrepreneurial activity by sector
- Analyze opportunities and challenges in the ecosystems and provide understanding of national context drivers to promote success in entrepreneurship, conduct needs assessment of business development support structures and assess their capacities
- Provide overview of current main sectors and industry and provide projections for potential growth sectors
- Provide recommendations on potential partners in target countries
- Provide recommendations for cross-regional synergies and South-South cooperation (scaling solutions, technology transfer) and potential role of UNDP as a facilitator
The output will be a report with visual representations of the of the national ecosystems.
The Assignment will be contracted to a consultant to prepare the detailed research methodology and outline, conduct literature review, collect and analyze current data in the English language.
Duties and Responsibilities
The contracted consultant will conduct an environmental scan of the innovation ecosystem in the Arab region. The main objective of the research is to gain an understanding of the diverse operating environment and to identify opportunities and challenges presented for youth entrepreneurship and innovation. The study will utilize existing literature (preferably prepared by the contracted consultant). Insights generated through this research will help UNDP make informed decisions with regard to the design of interventions that help entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial ecosystems thrive.
The contracted consultant will:
- Develop a research methodology and research outline for the study;
- Produce a draft report for review by UNDP;
- Produce a final report, incorporating feedback from UNDP and relevant stakeholders.
The contracted consultant is expected to assist the following activities in completing the assignment under the supervision of the Regional Youth Team:
- Review relevant literature, collect, analyse and produce actionable intelligence, including through visualizations and data maps
- Identify key contextual issues and trends on the topic in the Arab region
- Provide policy recommendations arising from the research.
- Based on the above develop a list of actors working on this topic in the Arab Region to form the basis for a potential follow up activities to unpack the issue in more depth.
EXPECTED OUTPUTS AND DELIVERABLES
Expected Outputs and Deliverables
Expected No. of Working Day(s) for each deliverable
Targeted Due Dates
Review and Approvals Required
Deliverable 1: Detailed research methodology and research outline for the study : research methodology and research framework for the study
Up to (5) working days from contract signature date
Within (01) calendar week from contract signature date
YEEP Strategic Advisor
Deliverable 2: Draft report of the study (25 pages):First Draft of the report
Up to (22) working days from satisfactory completion of deliverable (1)
Within (01) calendar month from contract signature date
Deliverable 3: Final report of the study: Final report (approx. 25 pages) which includes visualization of insights, findings and trends as maps or graphics and a Formal Presentation of the research outcomes. Includes short slide deck for donor presentations. Dissemination to network of stakeholders (investors, funds, IFIs, incubators)
Up to (15) working days from satisfactory completion of deliverable (2)
Within (02) calendar months from contract signature date
Competencies
Corporate
- Demonstrates integrity and fairness, by modeling the UN/UNDP’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.
Functional
- Time management and organizational skills, with the ability to undertake multiple tasks and deliver under pressure;
- Strong analytical and synthesis skills;
- Ability to work independently and achieve quality results with limited supervision and within tight schedules;
- Strong quantitative and qualitative research skills;
- Experience in reports production;
- Ability to write in a clear and concise manner;
- Good teamwork and interpersonal skills;
- Flexibility and ability to handle multiple tasks and work under pressure;
- Excellent computer skills especially Word, Excel and Power Point.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Master’s degree in data science, mathematics, development studies economics or in a related field .
Work experience:
- At least 7 years of relevant research experience and expertise in advanced data analytics and data visualization, economics, entrepreneurship ecosystem support
- Excellent knowledge of substantive and policy issues related to topic of the research in the Arab or Africa region;
- Proven ability to produce clear and cogently written research reports and data visualization.
- Previous experience in delivering market intelligence in frontier markets and comparative inter-ecosystem analysis Africa and MENA preferred.
- Previous working experience with the United Nations (UN) or International organizations in the Arab States
Language Requirements:
- Language proficiency in both written and oral English is required. Knowledge of any other UN language is a plus;
INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT
- The individual is required to exhibit his or her full-time commitment with UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States (RBAS);
- S/He shall perform tasks under the general guidance and the direct supervision of the Strategic Advisor;
- The supervision will include approvals/acceptance of the outputs and deliverables as identified in the previous section;
- The individual is expected to liaise and collaborate in the course of performing the work with other consultants, suppliers and UN colleagues;
- The individual is required to provide periodical progress reports on regular and needed basis throughout the assignment to monitor progress;
- The individual is required to maintain close communication with the Regional Youth Team. In the event of any delay, S/he will inform UNDP promptly so that decisions and remedial action may be taken accordingly;
- Should UNDP deem it necessary, it reserves the right to commission additional inputs, reviews or revisions, as needed to ensure the quality and relevance of the work;
- The Consultant will be given access to relevant information necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment;
- The Consultant will be responsible for providing her/his own laptop
To carry out the above, the consultant will: (i) refer to UNDP policies and frameworks, reports, and existing UN projects; (ii) make contact with UNDP colleagues, as appropriate; (iii) collect, evaluate and analyse information.
The consultant will ensure that the deliverables are prepared based on a guidance from UNDP colleagues while advising them on the basis of experience and in coherence with similar work developed elsewhere. The consultant should not, in any manner spread the information acquired for the preparation and during the roll out of the activity, including materials and reports. At all times, the consultant should ensure that the deliverables are of high quality and meet these four standards:
- Technical robustness
- Context relevance
- Integrity and quality of analysis
- Stakeholder engagement and inclusive preparation
DURATION OF THE WORK
The expected duration of the assignment is expected to be up to 42 working days for over period of 02 calendar month from contract signature date.
DUTY STATION
Home-Based Assignment.
TRAVEL PLAN (OPTIONAL)
If any unforeseen travel outside the consultant home-based city is requested by UNDP and not required by the Terms of References (ToR), such travel shall be covered by UNDP in line with applicable rules and regulations and upon prior written agreement. In such cases, the consultant shall receive living allowances not exceeding the United Nations (UN) Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) rate for such other location(s).
SCOPE OF PRICE PROPOSAL AND SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS
Interested candidates should provide lump sum fees for requested services with detailed breakdown. This amount must be “all-inclusive”. Please note that the terms “all-inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, communications, consumables, …etc.) that could possibly be incurred are already factored into the final amounts submitted in the proposal. Also, please note that the contract price will be Deliverables/Outputs based - not fixed - subject to change in the cost components.
The contractor will be paid an all-inclusive Deliverables/Outputs based lump sum amounts over the assignment period, subject to the submission of Certification of Payment (CoP) duly certified or an invoice and confirmation of satisfactory performance of achieved work (deliverables/outputs) in line with the schedule of payments table hereunder:
Expected Outputs and Deliverables
Expected No. of Working Day(s) for each deliverable
Targeted Due Dates
Payment Terms/Schedule
Deliverable1:detailed research methodology and research framework for the study;
Up to (5) working days from contract signature date
Within (01) calendar week from contract signature date
Upon satisfactory completion/submission of deliverable (1) and submission of duly signed Certification of Payment (CoP); up to 5 % of total contract amount.
Deliverable 2: : First draft of the report; First draft of the research based on the detailed methodology and framework
Up to (22) working days from satisfactory completion of deliverable (1)
Within (01) calendar month from contract signature date
After satisfactory completion of deliverable (2) and submission of duly certified Certification of Payment (CoP); up to 45 % of total contract
Deliverable 3: Final report and a Formal Presentation of the research outcomes; Final draft incorporating the feedback and formal presentation on research outcomes
Up to (15) working days from satisfactory completion of deliverable (2)
Within (02) calendar months from contract signature date
After satisfactory completion of deliverable (3) and submission of duly certified Certification of Payment (CoP); up to 50 % of total contract
RECOMMENDED PRESENTATION OF OFFER
Interested individual consultants must submit documents under point 1, 2,& 3to demonstrate their qualifications. Candidates that fail to submit these documents, the application will not be considered.
- Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
- 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.
- Brief Description of why you consider yourself as the most suitable candidate for this assignment;
- Financial Proposal: Please do not submit financial proposal in this stage. Financial proposal shall be requested from Candidates who are considered technically responsive
When the financial proposal is requested it should indicate the all-inclusive Deliverables/Outputs based total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided. The terms “all-inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, , communications, consumables, etc.) that could possibly be incurred are already factored into the final amounts submitted in the proposal. If an Offeror is employed by an organization/company/institution, and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNDP under Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the Offeror must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP.
Interested candidates shall submit required documents to Job Advertisement Website (https://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_jobs.cfm) as one document not later than 26 October, 2021.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF THE BEST OFFERS
This selection criteria will follow the Combined Scoring method – where the qualifications and methodology will be weighted a max. of 70%, and combined with the price offer which will be weighted a max of 30%; using the following evaluation criteria
Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodologies:
Step I: Screening and desk review:
Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology.
Applications will be first screened and only candidates meeting the following minimum requirements will progress to the pool for shortlisting:
- Criteria A: Master’s degree in data science, mathematics, development studies economics or in a related field
- Criteria B: At least 7 years of relevant research experience and expertise in advanced data analytics and data visualization, economics, entrepreneurship ecosystem support
- Criteria C: Language proficiency in both written and oral English ;
Step 2: Technical Review:
Shortlisted candidates will undergo a technical evaluation, and a submission of a proposal to tackle the assignment.
Technical evaluation Criteria max 100 points (Weighted 70):
- Criteria A: Master’s degree in data science, mathematics, development studies economics or in a related field . (20 points);
- Criteria B: At least 7 years of relevant research experience and expertise in advanced data analytics, economics, entrepreneurship ecosystem support. (20 points);
- Criteria C: Previous experience in delivering market intelligence in frontier markets and comparative inter-ecosystem analysis, Africa and MENA preferred. (20 points);
- Criteria D: Proven ability to produce clear and cogently written research reports and advanced data visualization.(20 points);
Criteria E: Previous working experience with the United Nations (UN) or International organizations in the Arab States (10 points)
- Criteria F: Language proficiency in both written and oral English is required. Knowledge of any other UN language is an asset, especially Arabic. (10 points)
Shortlisted candidates will be assessed and scored against the following evaluation criteria:
Financial Criteria - 30% of total evaluation
For those offers considered in the financial evaluation, the lowest price offer will receive 30 points. The other offers will receive points in relation to the lowest offer, based on the following formula: (PI / Pn) * 30 where Pn is the financial offer being evaluated and Pl is the lowest financial offer received.
Step III: Final evaluation
The final evaluation will combine the scores of the desk review and the financial proposal with the following weights assigned to each:
Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the cumulative analysis methodology (weighted scoring method), where the award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:
- Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and
- Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.
Technical Criteria weight: [70%]
Financial Criteria weight: [30%]
Only Individual Consultants obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70%) on the Technical evaluation would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.