Procurement Notices

Contracting Unit: UNDP Suriname

Description of the assignment: International Consultant Corruption Risk Assessment for Suriname

Division/Department: Governance – UNDP Suriname

Period of assignment/services (if applicable): Sixty (60) working days with the possibility of extension to 80 working days

Location: Paramaribo, Suriname

Expected Start Date: September 2016

The applicant is requested to submit a financial proposal (quotation) accompanied by a resume (CV) and P11 history form to the following email address procurement.sr@undp.org  no later than 31 August 2016 with the assignment name as subject.

Please indicate clearly your availability during period mentioned above

Any request for clarification must be sent in writing, or by standard electronic communication to the e-mail address indicated above. UNDP Suriname will respond in writing or by standard electronic mail and will send written copies of the response, including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry, to all consultants.

Background

Suriname has signed and ratified the Inter-American Convention against Corruption (IACAC), but the country has not ratified the UN Anti-Corruption Convention (UNCAC). The Ministry of Justice and Police is responsible for combating and coordinating activities on corruption. The Bureau for Fraud within the National Police is in charge of investigating corruption cases such as fraud and economic crime. To date Suriname does not have special anti-corruption legislation in place, but the Penal Code does refer to anti-corruption and criminalizes corrupt activities. The Ministry of Justice and Police has drafted an anti-corruption Bill which has been on the National Assembly’s agenda for discussion for some years now.

The anti-corruption measures in the Penal Code are being enforced, with the bulk of those prosecuted for corruption to date being civil servants. There is a perception that corruption is most pervasive in the areas of government procurement (especially public works), land policy, bribery for services and taxation.  The police face constraints that are mostly the result of lack of investigative skills especially in detecting sophisticated white collar crime and an understanding of the methods, processes and modalities of applying anti-corruption initiatives.

Problems of corruption in mining, agriculture and forestry are very common and have been important in influencing reforms and regulation in these sectors. In recent years the Government has voiced interest in implementing the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in Suriname. There is recognition of the importance of transparency regarding natural resource management with special attention for the balance between sustainable development and economic growth. 

This assignment is intentionally broad in scope, looking at issues of transparency and corruption and making recommendations which can then feed into a follow – up study looking specifically at corruption within the context of REDD+ in Suriname. 

Objective

The primary objective of this assignment is to perform a comprehensive corruption risk assessment and to make recommendations on measures for integrity/corruption risks mitigation.

These recommendations will be tailored, in a following exercise, to the specific context of REDD+[1] in Suriname.

Strategy

The assignment will include two missions. The first mission (tentatively scheduled to take place in the period August 2016) will entail the review of relevant background documents, national legislation, materials, and reports, focus group discussions and in-depth interviews involving officials from all Ministries, but more specifically, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Justice and Police, the Supreme Audit Institution in Suriname and other relevant institutions, in order to identify the institutional context and specific gaps for effective anti-corruption measures. It may also include interviews and/or focus group discussions with key external partners and civil society organizations.

The second mission, which will be undertaken at least one month after the first mission, will involve the presentation of the draft assessment report of corruption risks. The final assessment report will be submitted to the UNDP after the second mission.

The international consultant will work in collaboration with a national consultant. The Country Office will support in drafting the ToR for the national consultant and will also present the international consultant with a short list of qualified suitable national consultants to consider, with indicative bandwidth for daily fee of national consultant. The national consultant will function as a resource person.

Scope of work and expected outputs:

This consultancy will have two major outputs:

1. A Report entailing a comprehensive corruption risk assessment, whose major section will be time-bound (immediate, medium and long term) and actor-specific recommendations on measures for promoting integrity and mitigating corruption risks
2. A capacity development plan for relevant and interested civil society groups and media, with specific and measurable indicators

All deliverables under this consultancy should be written in English in a concise and user-friendly language. 

The Consultant will execute the following specific tasks:

1. Carry out an analysis/expertise of the background documentation, including national regulatory framework for public procurement with focus on integrity related issues and conflicting legislation, compared to the international regulatory framework, in particular the UNCAC and national regulatory framework in particular the Account Act (comptabiltiteits wet), Law on principles of State land policy (L-decreet 1982), Mining law (Mijnbouw wet 1986), Law on Forest Management (Wet Bosbeheer 1992), Law on transiting of goods (wet goederenverkeer 2003) and the Regulations regarding Procurement of Works (Aanbestedingsreglement voor Werken - 1996); 
2. Evaluate the institutional framework in the field and its operational capacities, efficiency of integrity mechanisms, control and punishment;
3. Identify the stakeholders to be involved in the CRA and who can a) provide support the Institutional Context Analysis. b) provide information to the analysis. Attention should be given to achieving gender balance amongst stakeholders in this process
4. Identify the focus group(s), develop the questionnaires for individual and focus group interviews; organize the focus group sessions and individual interviews with the selected stakeholders to identify problems and risk sectors, evaluate the needs in the field and formulate the recommendations to mitigate corruption risks;
5. Present the draft assessment report with the required inputs/recommendations
6. Submit the final assessment report with required inputs/recommendations
7. Have two working sessions with the person who will take on the second phase of applying the recommendations to the REDD+ context in order to pass on all relevant information

Supervision

The consultant will report to the UNDP Analyst for Governance on day to day issues and progress; the overall study will be overseen by the Deputy Resident Representative.

Core competencies

• Demonstrated understanding of anti-corruption environments including in the Caribbean Region, and in country context similar to  Suriname;
• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards.

Functional competencies

• Demonstrated ability to undertake high level desk review research, prepare reports and recommendations, analyse complex situations.
• Excellent interview, writing and reporting skills.
• Strong organization skills for meetings, logistics.
• Ability to plan

• Teamwork and skills in coordination

Recruitment Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Political Science, Journalism, Law, Public Administration, or other relevant Social Sciences;
• Proven record of knowledge and expertise in the field of anti-corruption;
• At least 5 years of proven experience in conducting corruption risk assessments, practical experience in the field will be considered a strong advantage
• Demonstrated analytical skills for producing clearly formulated and well-argued assessment reports or similar work
• Demonstrated experience in working with a variety of stakeholders from all key sectors; public, private and civil society including the religious bodies and the media
• Fluency in spoken and written English.