Strategic Planning Consultant: COVID-19 Fund

Contract

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

Background

The United Nations (UN) COVID-19 Response and Recovery Multi-Partner Trust Fund (COVID-19 MPTF or the Fund) is a UN inter-agency finance mechanism launched by the UN Secretary-General to support low- and middle- income programme countries in overcoming the health and development crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Fund’s assistance targets those most vulnerable to economic hardship and social disruption. The Fund complements the World Health Organization (WHO)’s Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)’s Consolidated Global Humanitarian Appeal for COVID-19.

The Fund is administered by the Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office as the UN systems expert on pooled financing arrangements and will also administratively host the Fund Secretariat. The MPTF Secretariat will assist and support the Secretary General’s Designate for the Fund with strategic advice, coordinating the Fund’s operations and the programming by the United Nations agencies.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct guidance and direction of Head of the Secretariat, COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund, the consultant’s responsibilities will include the following main functions:

• Participate in the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund portfolio development and investment programming process, including through the formal review of concept notes and project documents, and the provision of support to UN Country Teams as required
• Implement of the global risk management strategy (risk analysis, design of treatment measures, monitoring of treatment effectiveness and second order risks) and provide of risk management guidance to UN Country Teams as required
• Draft strategic communications and advocacy products in support of the Fund’s resource mobilization efforts
• Explore, identify and propose innovative strategies and initiatives to increase the Fund’s capitalization and investment impact
• Perform other tasks that may be required to strengthen the Fund’s investment programming

Deliverables

• Concept notes and project documents assessed against the Fund’s quality assurance criteria and recommendations provided to the SG Designate for the Fund
• Risk management strategy implemented, with risks analyzed against agreed frequency, and risk management field guidance updated and disseminated
• Strategic communications and advocacy products developed

Competencies

Communication

• Communicates clearly and effectively
• Facilitates and encourages open communication

Ethics and Values

• Demonstrates an appreciation of differences in values and learning from cultural diversity

Working in Teams

• Works effectively with colleagues in achieving shared objectives
• Creates team spirit and unity of purpose across the organization
• Works collaboratively with team members in sharing information openly and displaying cultural awareness and sensitivity.

Partnerships

• Ability to engage with other agencies, donors, and other development stakeholders and forge productive working relationships.

Results-based Management

• Ability to manage, monitor and evaluate programmes and projects with a strategy aimed at improved performance and demonstrable results.

Required Skills and Experience

Required Skills and Experience

• A master’s degree in international affairs and/or social sciences, management and business administration, or relevant field .
• At least 10 years of relevant professional experience in UN pooled fund management, including risk management, strategic planning and programming.
• Experience working with UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes at the field level
• Excellent research, drafting and reporting skills
• Fluency in English; knowledge of French and/or Spanish strong desirable

Application Procedure

• The application package containing the following (to be uploaded as one file):
• Online application with brief description of why the Offer considers her/himself the most suitable for the assignment
• Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects and specifying the relevant assignment period (from/to), as well as the email and telephone contacts of at least three (3) professional references.
• Note: The above documents need to be scanned in one file and uploaded to the online application as one document.
• Shortlisted candidates (ONLY) will be requested to submit a Financial Proposal.
• The financial proposal should specify an all-inclusive daily fee (based on a 7-hour working day - lunch time is not included)
• The financial proposal must be all-inclusive and take into account various expenses that will be incurred during the contract, including: the daily professional fee; communications, utilities and consumables; life, health and any other insurance; risks and inconveniences related to work under hardship and hazardous conditions (e.g., personal security needs, etc.), when applicable; and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services under the contract. No travel will be required.
• If the 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 a 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 MPTF-O/UNDP.
• The Financial Proposal is to be emailed as per the instruction in the separate email that will be sent to shortlisted candidates.

Evaluation Procedure

• Applicants are reviewed based on Required Skills and Experience stated above and based on the technical evaluation criteria outlined below. Applicants will be evaluated based on cumulative scoring. When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:
• Being responsive/compliant/acceptable; and
• Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation where technical criteria weighs 70% and Financial criteria/ Proposal weighs 30%.

Technical Criteria Total 70% (700 points):

• Relevant professional experience as per the TORs; (30%)
• Experience of working with the knowledge of UN development system; (20%)
• Excellent ability to draft communication products, speeches and reports on thematic content of this assignment (20%)
• Having reviewed applications received, MPTF-O/UNDP will invite the top three/four shortlisted candidates for interview. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
• Candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% (490 points) of the maximum obtainable points for the technical criteria (70 points) shall be considered for the financial evaluation.
• Technical Criteria weight overall: 70%;
• Financial Criteria weight overall: 30%.
• Financial Evaluation: Total 30% (300 points)

The following formula will be used to evaluate 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

Contract Award

• Candidate obtaining the highest combined scores in the combined score of Technical and Financial evaluation will be considered technically qualified and will be offered to enter into contract with UNDP.

Duty Station and Institutional Arrangements

• The Consultant will be home based, if conditions permit may be required to visist MPTF office in New York, USA.
• The Consultant will report to the Managers in UN COVID Secretariat Fund and collaborate with the staff of the Secretariat under the overall leadership of the Head of the Secretariat. The Secretariat of the Fund is hosted in the Multi-Partnership Trust Fund Office, New York, USA.

Payment modality

• Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified above and deliverables accepted and upon certification of satisfactory completion by the manager.

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

Annex 1 - UNDP P-11 Form for ICs

Annex 2 - IC Contract Template

Annex 3 – IC General Terms and Conditions

Annex 4 – RLA Template