| Overview :
Objective Support the development of a new UNDP Serbia parliamentary programming cycle. Background UNDP supports more than 60 parliaments around the world in their efforts to: - Promote and monitor implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals;
- Strengthen parliamentary management, and relationships with the executive and judiciary branches of government and with civil society;
- Build the capacity of parliamentarians and technical staff on core parliamentary functions of representation, law making and oversight;
- Build the capacity of parliamentarians and technical staff on specific issues (e.g. renewable energy, climate action, and human rights;
- Enhance equal participation and effective decision-making of women members of parliament.
In Serbia, UNDP has been supporting the National Assembly since 2004 continuously and is set out to continue so, under the present Country Program Document (http://www.rs.undp.org/content/serbia/en/home/about-us/legal-framework.html) . In the past three years, UNDP has also extended support onto the local level, to local municipal assemblies, with a view to widening its scope of support.
The present support is provided through the Portfolio “Strengthening the Oversight Function and Transparency of the Parliament - 2nd Phase”, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and responds to the needs of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia and a selected number of local assemblies to enhance their representative and oversight functions among other. The goal is to bring MPs and local assemblies closer to their electorate and strengthen their roles on both national and local levels. The Portfolio is designed to respond to the National Assembly’s need for strengthening its representative and legislative scrutiny functions, support its transparency and efficiency, as well as the oversight role of local assemblies, by transferring the good practice from national to local level in terms of parliamentary oversight and outreach to citizens. At the local level, the Portfolio will overall help local assemblies to engage citizens and ensure more inclusive political processes, though capacity development, amendments to Rules of Procedure, political briefs, strategies for communications and social media, innovating website features and other forms of communication with citizens, focus groups and other demand-driven activities. The Portfolio comprises three projects: - Advancing National Assembly’s Representative Role;
- Strengthening Oversight of the National Assembly through selection of oversight tools and innovations; and
- Developing Local Assemblies’ Oversight and Enhancing their Representation functions;
- Accelerating the Implementation of SDGs Along Two Streams: by the Serbian Parliament and by the Office of the Prime Minister.
Description of Responsibilities Scope of work The Portfolio will engage an international consultant to provide substantive and technical inputs for developing a new UNDP programme of support to parliamentary development in Serbia at both national and local levels. The Consultant is expected to closely collaborate with UNDP CO and a national consultant, engaged by UNDP under separate contractual arrangements, who will be assigned to gather relevant documents for preliminary desk review, support the scoping and validation missions in terms of meeting arrangements, providing local context prior to the meetings and translating if necessary at the meetings. The Consultant shall work based on information provided by UNDP, interviews with relevant national and international stakeholders in Serbia and his/her insight into comparative experience.
Within the framework of this ToR, the Consultant is expected to perform the following tasks: - Propose a detailed plan of work, including a scoping mission at the beginning of the assignment as well as a validation mission at its end, with agendas for stakeholder consultations (preliminary plan of work to be provided with the consultant’s offer, while a final version will be agreed upon signature of contract and adjusted if needed in the field).
- Design a Concept Note on not more than 10 pages including a Theory of Change, Results Framework and overall budget estimate for initial consideration.
- Based on the approved Concept Note, draft the following inputs, which will form parts of a UNDP project document:
DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGE (1/4 PAGE – 2 PAGES)
Describe the development challenge that the project seeks to address and how it is relevant to national development priorities, as relevant. Include evidence to support the analysis, such as data demonstrating the magnitude of the problem and how it affects different population groups (esp. women and men, and minority and other excluded groups) and why it is important for poverty reduction and addressing inequality and exclusion. Identify the immediate, underlying and root causes of the challenge (including capacity limitations) which have been identified in the problem tree analysis feeding into the Theory of Change. STRATEGY (1/2 PAGE - 3 PAGES)
Explain the detailed theory of change (ToC) for the project, also showcasing it through a diagram and what UNDP with partners will do to address the development challenge. Identify the approach that has been selected, with a clear rationale backed by credible evidence, integrating gender concerns into the approach. Identify what knowledge, good practices and lessons learned (including from evaluation) have informed the analysis of available choices and the selected strategy. Detail the project’s selected approach and explain how it is expected to lead to change at the output level. Clearly link the project’s ToC to the programme/CPD’s ToC by stating how the project will contribute to the UNDAF/CPD outcome. State key assumptions about what will change, for whom, and how this will happen. Assumptions should include consideration of internal factors (relating to project design and implementation) and external factors (relating to other partners, stakeholders and context) that will be critical for achieving expected changes. Cite best available evidence which supports these key assumptions in the ToC, including findings from evaluation and other credible research, as well as knowledge, good practices and lessons learned from previous work by UNDP and others, in this country and in other relevant contexts. RESULTS AND PARTNERSHIPS (1.5 - 5 PAGES)
Expected Results - This section should translate the strategy into the work we will do through the project. Describe the planned interventions of the project and explain why those interventions are best suited to achieve the intended results, linking this to the theory of change. State what change we expect to see that will be attributable to the project. Expected development change should be included in the results framework and monitored regularly by the project. Link the expected results to the relevant higher level results (i.e., programme outcome, UNDAF, Strategic Plan.)
Resources Required to Achieve the Expected Results - Describe what resources are required to achieve the expected results. Thinking about the change pathway in your theory of change, state the key inputs (people, purchases, partnerships, etc.) that are required to deliver the outputs. This should include UNDP staff time from the country, region or HQ level, which must be adequately estimated, costed, and included in the project budget.
Partnerships - Describe how the project will work with partners to achieve results and briefly map what other stakeholders and initiatives are doing to address the development challenge. This should not be simply a list of partners, it should be linked to the theory of change. For example, what are the assumptions and expected results achieved by partners that are critical for the achievement of results of this project?
Risks and Assumptions - Specify the key risks that can threaten the achievement of results through the chosen strategy and the assumptions on which the project results depend. Describe how project risks will be mitigated, especially how potential adverse social and environmental impacts will be avoided where possible and otherwise managed. Refer to the full risk log, which should be attached as an annex.
Stakeholder Engagement - Identify key stakeholders and outline a strategy to ensure stakeholders are engaged throughout, including:
- Target Groups: Identify the targeted groups that are the intended beneficiaries of the project.
What strategy will the project take to identify and engage targeted groups? - Other Potentially Affected Groups: Identify potentially affected people and a strategy for engagement
South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSC/TrC) - Describe how the project intends to use SSC/TrC to achieve and sustain results, if applicable.
- Knowledge
- Describe any specific knowledge products, besides evaluations, that will be produced by the project (e.g., publications, databases, media products, etc.) and how the project will create visibility for knowledge and lessons learned generated by the project so others can benefit.
Sustainability and Scaling Up - Describe how the project will use relevant national systems, and specify the transition arrangement to sustain and/or scale-up results, as relevant. Describe how national capacities will be strengthened and monitored as relevant, and how national ownership will be ensured.
ACTIVITY BASED MUTLI-YEAR WORK PLAN
The consultant shall draw up a budget estimate for direct project costs at proposed activity level, using the UNDP Chart of Accounts. LOGFRAME MATRIX
Based on the proposed Results Framework, the consultant will draft a logical framework matrix, with baselines, measurable indicators and SMART targets. General points: - Ensure that the proposed project is aligned with national priorities and coordinated with undergoing or planned activities by other actors in the country
- Undertake, during missions, consultations with relevant public and private actors and ensure project beneficiaries participate in defining project focus and activities
- Mainstream a proactive gender-based approach to project implementation including under the M&E framework
- Mainstream SDGs into the proposed project.
Responsibility for expenses and their reimbursement - This is a lump sum assignment. The Consultant will be responsible for all personal administrative and travel expenses associated with undertaking this assignment including office accommodation, printing, stationary, telephone and electronic communications, report copies as well as other costs incurred in this assignment.
Deliverables and timelines - The principal responsibility for managing the Consultant will lie with the Portfolio Manager for Inclusive Political Processes. The timeframe and duration of activities are estimated as follows:
Deliverable 1: Detailed plan of work, submitted and accepted (10 days). Estimated timing and deadlines: 1 November 2018; Deliverable 2: Concept Note submitted and accepted (10 days). Estimated timing and deadlines: 1 December 2018; Deliverable 3: Project Document inputs following the scope of work, submitted and accepted (10 days). Estimated timing and deadlines: 29 March 2019. All outputs have to be quality reviewed and approved by UNDP Portfolio Manager for Inclusive Political Processes. All deliverables will be submitted in English language. COMPETENCIES
Technical work - Strong expertise in Parliamentary Development Programming;
- Demonstrated experience in drafting project proposals and developing large projects;
- Ability to pick up new terminology and concepts easily;
- Previous experience with Serbia or Balkans or developing parliamentary democracies on developing projects would be an asset.
Partnerships - Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
- Excellent written communication skills, with analytic capacity and ability to synthesize relevant collected data and findings for the preparation of quality analysis for the project proposal;
- Excellent coordination skills and result-oriented collaboration with colleagues (e.g. national consultants, CO staff).
Results - Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
- Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
- Good team player with the ability to maintain good relationships.
QUALIFICATIONS Education - Advanced University degree in the fields of in Social or Political Science, Law, International Relations, Development or another relevant field.
Experience - At least 10 years of relevant professional experience;
- Proven experience in developing/implementing similar projects – preferably in the region;
- Experience in working parliamentary development projects Familiarity with the work of national and local parliaments in developing countries in UNDP RBEC Region preferably;
- Previous experience with UNDP is an asset.
Languages - Excellent English writing skills are essential. Knowledge of Serbian would be an asset.
Application Procedure Qualified and interested candidates are asked to submit their applications via UNDP Web site: UNDP in Serbia under section “Jobs” no later than 1 October 2018. Application should include: - CV containing date of birth and contact information;
- Offeror’s Letter (only PDF format will be accepted) confirming Interest and availability for the Individual Contractor (IC) Assignment. Can be downloaded from the following link: http://www.undp.org.rs/download/ic/Confirmation.docx. The Offeror’s Letter shall include financial proposal specifying a total lump sum amount for the tasks specified in this announcement with a breakdown of costs. Offeror’s Letter must also include the following:
- Methodology concept containing a preliminary plan of work (no more than two pages).
- Example of a project document written by the applicant (ideally in the area of parliamentary development).
The above listed documents may be uploaded under consultancy ref. 1861 at following the link: http://www.rs.undp.org/content/serbia/en/home/jobs.html For more information on the application procedure please refer to the enclosed Procurement Notice. Additional Information: - Individual Contract (IC) will be applicable for individual consultants applying in their own capacity.
- Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA) will be applicable for applicants employed by any legal entity. Template of RLA with General Terms and Conditions could be found on: http://www.undp.org.rs/download/RLA%20with%20General%20Terms%20and%20Conditions.doc. In the case of engagement of Civil servants under IC contract modality a no-objection letter should be provided by the Government entity. The ‘no-objection’ letter must also state that the employer formally certifies that their employees are allowed to receive short-term consultancy assignment from another entity without being on “leave-without-pay” status (if applicable), and include any conditions and restrictions on granting such permission, if any. If the previous is not applicable ‘leave-without-pay’ confirmation should be submitted.
Engagement of Government Officials and Employees - Government Officials or Employees are civil servants of UN Member States. As such, if they will be engaged by UNDP under an IC which they will be signing in their individual capacity (i.e., engagement is not done through RLA signed by their Government employer), the following conditions must be met prior to the award of contract:
(i) A “No-objection” letter in respect of the individual is received from the Government employing him/her, and;
(ii) The individual must provide an official documentation from his/her employer formally certifying his or her status as being on “official leave without pay” for the duration of the IC. - The above requirements are also applicable to Government-owned and controlled enterprises and well as other semi/partially or fully owned Government entities, whether or not the Government ownership is of majority or minority status.
- UNDP recognizes the possibility that there are situations when the Government entity employing the individual that UNDP wishes to engage is one that allows its employees to receive external short-term consultancy assignments (including but not limited to research institutions, state-owned colleges/universities, etc.), whereby a status of “on-leave-without-pay” is not required. Under such circumstance, the individual entering into an IC with UNDP must still provide a “No-objection” letter from the Government employing him/her. The “no objection” letter required under (i) above must also state that the employer formally certifies that their employees are allowed to receive short-term consultancy assignment from another entity without being on “leave-without-pay” status, and include any conditions and restrictions on granting such permission, if any. The said document may be obtained by, and put on record of, UNDP, in lieu of the document (ii) listed above.
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