Procurement Notices

A.Project Title: Paving the Roads to SDGs through Good Local Governance (Roads2SDGs)

Project Description

Efficient, resilient, and well-planned road networks ensure that no one is left behind in the drive for inclusive growth. This is why roads are considered as an important foundation for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and integral for bringing communities together.

At present, only 24.6% of all provincial roads in the Philippines are of acceptable quality. Of the 12,726km of provincial core roads, 57.2% are unpaved and in need of upgrading, while 20.2% are in poor condition and in need of rehabilitation. The situation is similarly dire for the 19,098 km of non-core roads, with 67% needing upgrading and 7% in need of rehabilitation. To address this situation, the Department for the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has launched the Conditional Matching Grant to Provinces (CMGP) initiative to implement road construction, repairs and rehabilitation, and to improve the quality of the local road network across the country.

By providing the provinces with financial investment for capital outlay, the Program addresses the under-investment in local roads, and the improvement of national-local roads connectivity to increase economic activity and improve public access to facilities and services in the provinces. Moreover, as governance reforms are necessary to sustain local roads management, the Program also supports governance reforms, quality assurance and the strengthening of governance processes, specifically in the aspects of local roads management (LRM) and public financial management (PFM), among others.

In partnership with DILG, UNDP has launched a project “Paving the Road to SDGs through Good Governance” (Roads2SDGs) which aims to provide support to quality assurance and the governance reform components of CMGP through the ‘Road to SDGs’ framework. This framework will anchor the prioritization, planning, design, implementation, and maintenance of infrastructure projects to the achievement of the SDGs, incorporating the elements of partnership building, climate change and disaster risk reduction, gender mainstreaming, and citizen participation for transparency and accountability.

The Governance Reform aspect to be covered by the Roads2SDGs aims to further enhance and strengthen the existing capacities, skills, processes and systems of PLGUs in LRM and PFM, among others so that PLGUs themselves will be able to more effectively plan, design, implement, and maintain their local roads network.

As the CMGP Program will be implemented nationwide for six years from 2017 to 2022, it is best to map out plans and strategies for the successful implementation and achievement of the targeted reforms and aligning them with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These reforms, guided by the SDGs, will be incorporated into a document that shall be called the Provincial Governance Reform Roadmap to SDGs (PGRR2SDGs) of the PLGUs.

Last 08-09 June 2018, a Workshop for the drafting of Guidelines in the Formulation of Provincial Governance Reforms Roadmap to SDGs (PGRR2SDGs) was held in Pasig City, participated in by key project staff of DILG-CMGP, UNDP, selected provincial LGU frontliners, and a few former Provincial Roads Management Facility (PRMF) Provincial Coordinators, as resource person-participants. Among the outputs from the Workshop were the Guidelines for the Preparation of the PGRR2SDGs and Workshop Facilitation and Administrative Guidelines to help prepare UNDP, DILG-CMGP and the Provincial LGUs in the preparation of their respective PGRR2SDGs.

To assist the provincial local government units in the crafting, finalization, and eventual adoption of their respective PGRR2SDGs, the Roads2SDGs shall engage the professional services of  Governance and Institutional Development Specialist (hereinafter referred to as Vendor) per region to facilitate provincial assessment sessions, facilitate the PLGU workshops pertaining to PGRR2SDGs, and to coach and help the LRMTs in the entire process of formulating/finalizing/adopting the PGRR2SDGs. The Governance and Institutional Development Specialist shall also work closely with the Governance Mentors-On-Call from the G-HUBS (Holistic Undertakings Bridging Solutions for Governance) in the region of assignment who may be tapped to also assist in mentoring the provinces for the formulation of the PGRR2SDGs. All Governance and Institutional Development Specialists recruited for this purpose are mandated to attend and participate in the PGRR2SDGs Orientation-Training scheduled on 23-24 August 2018 (venue to be announced later).

 Objectives of the Engagement

In general, the objective of this engagement is to deploy Governance and Institutional Development Specialists to oversee and to take the lead in assisting and mentoring the PLGUs in the formulation, finalization, and eventual adoption of their respective CMGP Provincial Governance Reforms Roadmaps to the SDGs (PGRR2SDGs).

Specifically, each Vendor is expected to individually perform the following in all provinces within his/her region of assignment (see Annex 1 for list of provinces per region), not later than 15 December 2018:

1. To oversee and take the lead in facilitating the provincial assessment sessions (in each of the provinces being assigned) to be participated in by members of the Provincial Local Roads Management Teams (LRMTs) and other key stakeholders, using the Assessment and Mentoring Session Design prepared for this purpose.
2. To provide pre-workshop advice, guidance and mentoring sessions to the LRMTs of the assigned provinces. The mentoring sessions shall also utilize the Guidelines for the Preparation of the PGRR2SDGs and the Workshop Facilitation and Administrative Guidelines, both of which are outputs from the PGRR2SDGs drafting workshop activity in June 2018.
3. To work closely with the G-HUBS Mentors-On-Call and take the lead in the review and critique of the pre-determined LRMT documentations (e.g., provincial assessment outputs/reports, and presentation materials) which shall be brought to the PGRR2SDGs Formulation Workshop.
4. To facilitate the PGRR2SDGs Formulation Workshops, together with the G-HUBS Mentors-On-Call, in each of the provinces being assigned, which shall also be participated in by LRMT members and other key stakeholders, following the PGRR2SDGs Workshop Facilitation and Administrative Guidelines prepared for this purpose.
5. To supervise documenters and review their reports to ensure full documentation of the assessment, the actual PGRR2SDGs Formulation workshops, and all mentoring undertakings in each of the provinces of assignment, to prepare and submit post-activity reports and the results achieved, as well as to identify difficulties or limitations, and the measures employed to solve them.
6. To coordinate closely with the DILG-CMGP Regional Coordinators, especially on matters involving the PLGUs, scheduling of activities the LRMTs, among others.
7. To perform other tasks, as may be deemed necessary, in line with this TOR, and as may be agreed upon with the Program Manager.

Scope of Work

1. Assessment and mentoring sessions in each assigned province (see Annex 1 for the provinces included in each region) conducted in accordance with the approved activity design (Refer to Annex A), as evidenced by documentation reports;
2. Ensured that the provincial assessment outputs/reports and presentation materials are prepared and completed by the LRMTs before the PGRR2SDGs Formulation Workshops;
3. PGRR2SDGs Formulation Workshops conducted in accordance with the approved activity design (Refer to Annex B), as evidenced by workshop documentation reports;
4. Mentoring of the PLGU functionaries and ensuring that all the templates prescribed in the PGRR2SDGs are substantially deliberated by concerned stakeholders and are duly accomplished by the LRMTs;
5. Prompt submission of post-activity reports for key activities for each assigned province.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

The following are the expected outputs and deliverables by each Vendor:

Institutional Arrangement

The Project Manager of the Roads2SDGs, in close guidance by the Democratic Governance Team Leader, shall have direct supervision of the Vendors who shall undertake the technical assistance and mentoring for the PLGUs in the formulation of their respective PGRR2SDGs.

UNDP, through the Democratic Governance Team, and specially the Roads2SDGs Project Management Office, shall be responsible for the following:

• Review, provide comments and recommendations, and approve submissions of the Vendor on a timely basis; and,
• Arrange meetings with the Vendor, as necessary, particularly concerning the review of deliverables and presentation of accomplishments.

The Vendor shall:

• directly coordinate and work with the Roads2SDGs Project Manager and/or the Project Associate for institutional and substantive matters pertaining to the Assessment and Mentoring Sessions, the actual PGRR2SDGs Formulation Workshops, until the final adoption of the PGRR2SDGs.
• ensure smooth coordination with other regional partners, project teammates and G-HUBS partners, community stakeholders, respective local government units and DILG organs and functionaries;

• properly coordinate with and through the DILG-CMGP Regional Coordinators on all matters involving the LRMTs and other provincial stakeholders, like the scheduling of activities pertaining to the PGRR2SDGs, among others. It shall be the DILG-CMGP Regional Coordinators who shall be responsible for directly communicating with the PLGUs.

• refer to and confer with the assigned Roads2SDGs Project Assistant on administrative and other logistical concerns.
• formulate and submit its Work and Financial Plan and good quality reports following the agreed timeframe;
• report to the DG Team Leader, through the Roads2SDGs Project Management Office, promptly and in writing, matters that may affect deliverables;
• attend trainings and meetings as may be arranged by UNDP, particularly concerning the review of deliverables and presentation of accomplishments.

                Equipment and Facilities to be used to carry out this assignment shall be borne by the Contractor.

Expected Duration of the Contract/Assignment

Each of the Vendors shall be engaged by UNDP for a period equivalent to ten person-days per province (see Annex 1 for the list of provinces per region) between mid-August to 15 December 2018, broken down as follows:

This excludes their mandatory participation in the 2-day PGRR2SDGs Orientation-Training on 23-24 August 2018.

Within the said period, each of the vendors shall be expected to carry out mentoring/coaching tasks – from the assessment, the facilitation of PGRR2SDGs Formulation Workshops, the critiquing of the outputs, and the extension of technical assistance to the provincial LRMTs as necessary leading towards the approval of the respective PGRR2SDGs of the provinces covered by his/her region of assignment.

Duty Station

While the engagement with the Vendors is output-based, the duty station of individual Vendor shall be at the Regional Office of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) of the particular region assigned for him/her to cover and mentor (see Annex 1 for the address of the regional offices).

Professional Qualifications of the Successful Contractor

A.Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

Each Vendor shall be paid an all-inclusive amount to cover for the actual professional services rendered, allowances for land transport, air tickets, meals, and accommodation requirements of the Vendor to perform the tasks and accomplish the deliverables for this engagement. Please refer to Annex 1 for the list of provinces per region.

Payments shall be processed and paid in tranches consolidated per region, upon acceptance by the Roads2SDGs Project Manager of the consolidated regional report for each of the following deliverables submitted by the Vendor:

Taxes will not be withheld by UNDP and shall be borne by the Vendor. In the event that the Vendor does not deliver the expected outputs within the prescribed timelines and/or when the outputs are not satisfactorily completed, UNDP has the right to terminate or withhold the service fee for the said engagement.

Annex: Please see Annex 1 for the list of Regions, addresses of Regional Offices (duty stations), and list of provinces per region.

Recommended Presentation of Offer

Applicants must submit the following documents:

1. Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP (see attached template);
2. 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 (see attached template);
3. Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided (see attached template).

It is mandatory that the applicants indicate which Region/s they are applying for. Otherwise, applications will not be considered.

Applications must be emailed to procurement.ph@undp.org with the Region in the subject of the email. Each transmission must not exceed 4MB.