Overview : Duty Station: Home based with optional travel Type of Contract: Individual Contract (IPSA) Languages required: English and French Starting date: 1 August 2021 Expected duration of assignment One Year. (Maximum of 260 working days per year, dependent on demand for services and performance) Supervisor(s): RBA Country Oversight and Support Team, Team Lead Western and Central Africa, Team Lead Eastern and Southern Africa Candidates Require: Two: One English and one French II. Organizational Context Within UNDP’s Global Policy Network (GPN), the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices and ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working. The Social and Environmental Standards (SES) underpin UNDP’s support for sustainable development. The objectives of the standards are to: • Strengthen the social and environmental outcomes of Programmes and Projects • Avoid adverse impacts to people and the environment • Minimize, mitigate, and manage adverse impacts where avoidance is not possible • Strengthen UNDP and partner capacities for managing social and environmental risks • Ensure full and effective stakeholder engagement, including through a mechanism to respond to complaints from project-affected people The starting point to ensure these standards are applied is through UNDP’s project-level Social and Environmental Screening Procedure (SESP), which is a requirement for proposed projects. The objectives of the SESP are to: (a) integrate the SES Overarching Principles (human rights, gender equality and environmental sustainability); (b) identify potential social and environmental risks and their significance; (c) determine the Project's SES risk category; and (d) determine the level of assessment and management required to address potential social and environmental risks and impacts (SES Toolkit). The consultant will be based in the Regional Bureau for Africa’s Country Oversight and Support Team (COST). COST is overseeing and supporting 44 country offices in the Sub-Saharan African region. The consultant will work closely with programme colleagues in the Regional Hub, the RBx Safeguards Focal Point(s) and the BPPS Policy Specialist for Social and Environmental Standards. III. Functions / Key Results Expected DocuSign Envelope ID: 103442D4-22B0-4C16-B2C8-262F731C57ED The consultant will support oversight of the implementation of SES requirements, from project design through implementation, in high-priority and “High Risk” projects (e.g. GEF, GCF, crisis, SECU cases, others) in the sub-Sahara-Africa region. This will include quality assurance, spot-checking, and advising on measures to be taken to ensure effective implementation of the SES. The consultant will also facilitate learning across the region and beyond, tracking and sharing lessons learned. 1. Support implementation of regional SES action plan • Ensure a regional baseline is established to assess overall SES implementation and quality (applying corporate methodology and indicators).Regularly scan available data on SES implementation across the region to identify emerging risks or High Risk projects that may require additional oversight and support. • Ensure that new projects prepare the SESP or appropriately claim the exemption • Conduct quality review of draft SESPs to ensure they meet technical standards and requirements, verify proper risk categorization, and to build internal capacity on SES. • Identify common risks, capacity needs, challenges across the region and support the development of strategies to address these issues. Monitor and report on the number of highand substantial risk projects, their increase or decrease over time. Keep a register of ad-hoc requests from COs. • Support SES capacity development and trainings in the region and in COs. • Provide adhoc support as needed to address SES capacities and emerging issues in the region, and other aspects of the regional SES action plan. 2. Targeted technical oversight and quality assurance for high risk and high priority projects • Identify high risk/priority projects and advise on SES considerations as early as possible; • Review draft and final SES documentation for projects (e.g. SESP, ESIA, ESMP, ESMF, IPP, RAP, SEP, etc) to ensure they meet technical standards and requirements; • Advise regional and/or CO colleagues on new social and environmental risks or changes to project risk categorization; • Identify issues on which additional technical support may be needed through the Global Policy Network or external consultants (e.g. through ExpRess roster); • Undertake safeguard oversight missions, as needed. • Track progress of high risk/priority projects’ implementation of required SES elements (ESIA, GRM, etc.). • Upon request, support CO’s in advising implementing partners on SES-related issues and providing direct technical support. 3. Support corporate accountability, reporting, coordination and learning across regions • Engage and coordinate with SES experts in Headquarters (Nature, Climate, Energy team and Effectiveness Group) and other regions to ensure consistency in policy interpretation and advice and share lessons learned and avoid duplication of efforts. • Prepare an annual report on SES implementation in the region (applying corporate methodology and indicators), including statistics on the increase/decrease of high and substantial risk projects, requests etc. • Convene regional and CO colleagues, and escalate issues as needed to the RBx and BPPS to ensure decisions are taken at the appropriate levels. • Document lessons learned, including from cases where things went wrong as well as good models of SES implementation. 4. Institutional Arrangement • The consultant will work home-based with mission travel; DocuSign Envelope ID: 103442D4-22B0-4C16-B2C8-262F731C57ED • The consultant will report to the cluster team leads of the RBA Country Oversight and Support Team • The Consultant will be given access to relevant information necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment; • Given the global consultations to be undertaken during this assignment, the consultant is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability for such consultations taking into consideration different time zones; and • Payments will be made upon submission of a detailed time sheet and certification of payment form, and acceptance and confirmation by the Supervisor on days worked (with a “day” calculated as 8 hours of work) and outputs delivered. If the quality does not meet standards or requirements, the consultant will be asked to rewrite or revise (as necessary) the document before proceeding to payment. 5. Minimum Qualifications of the successful IPSA Education: Master’s degree in field related to international development, environmental science, anthropology or similar field. [max. 15 points] Professional Certificates If required for specific services. For example: ACCA, CIPS, CISCO, etc. Experience: At least 10 years of experience related to social and environmental safeguards, including impact assessment and management. [max. 20 points] At least five years of experience in applying social and environmental due diligence in project level implementation and management. [max. 20 points] Extensive experience in the sub-Sahara Africa region. [max. 10 points] Required Skills and competencies Corporate: • Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’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; and • Treats all people fairly without favoritism. Technical: • Demonstrated expertise in the development and quality assurance of safeguards instruments (e.g. ESIAs, ESMPs, ESMFs, IPPs, GRMs, RAPs) • Excellent skills related to stakeholder engagement; • Experience implementing social and environmental safeguards at the project level and providing technical support to implementing partners Functional: Communications • Able to communicate effectively in writing to a varied and broad audience in a simple and concise manner. DocuSign Envelope ID: 103442D4-22B0-4C16-B2C8-262F731C57ED Professionalism • Capable of working in a high- pressure environment with sharp and frequent deadlines, managing many tasks simultaneously; • Excellent analytical and organizational skills; and • Exercises the highest level of responsibility and be able to handle confidential and politically sensitive issues in a responsible and mature manner. Teamwork • Works well in a team; • Projects a positive image and is ready to take on a wide range of tasks; • Focuses on results for the client; and • Welcomes constructive feedback. Language Requirements: • Fluency in English for the anglophone candidacy • Fluency in French for the francophone candidacy Recruitment Qualifications • Only those applications which are responsive and compliant will be evaluated. Incomplete applications will not be considered; • Offers will be evaluated according to the Combined Scoring method – where the technical criteria will be weighted at 70% and the financial offer will be weighted at 30%; • The technical criteria (education, experience, language [max. 70 points] and interview [max. 30 points]) will be based on a maximum 100 points. Only the top 6 candidates that have achieved a minimum of 52.5 points (75% of 70 points) from the review of education, experience and language will be deemed technically compliant and considered for the interview; • The financial proposal shall specify an all-inclusive lump sum fee. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal must additionally include a breakdown of this daily fee (including all foreseeable expenses to carry out the assignment); • Applicant receiving the Highest Combined Score and has accepted UNDP’s General Terms and Conditions will be awarded the contract. 6. Travel: • Missions to countries with and estimated duration of 7 days might be required; • Such travel shall be at UNDP’s expense and the Individual Contractor shall receive a per diem not to exceed United Nations daily subsistence allowance. The mission travel cost will be excluded at this time from the price proposal. • Any necessary mission travel must be approved in advance and writing by the Supervisor; • The BSAFE course must be completed before the commencement of travel; • Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when traveling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director; DocuSign Envelope ID: 103442D4-22B0-4C16-B2C8-262F731C57ED • Consultants are also required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under https://dss.un.org/dssweb/; • The consultant will be responsible for making his/her mission travel arrangements in line with UNDP travel policies; and • All travel expenses related to mission travels will be supported by the project travel fund and will be reimbursed as per UNDP rules and regulations for consultants. Costs for mission airfares, terminal expenses, and living allowances should not be included in financial proposal. 7. The following documents shall be required from the applicants: a) Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers. b) A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position. c) Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials. Kindly note you can upload only ONE document to this application (scan all documents in one single PDF file to attach). UNDP Personal History form (P11) required of all applicants: http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/corporate/Careers/P11_Personal_history_form.doc. General Conditions of Contract for the ICs: http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/documents/procurement/documents/IC%20-%20General%20Conditions.pdf. Annex I Offeror´s letter to UNDP confirming interest and availability for the Individual Contractor (IC) assignment: http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm Additional Questions: • I have read, understood and hereby accept UNDP’s General Conditions of Contract for the Services of the Individual Contractors • Have you submitted a duly completed and signed UNDP Personal History form (P11)? • Have you attached to your P-11 and/or CV; Annex I duly signed and completed including your all-inclusive fee and all foreseeable expenses for this assignment? Your application will not be considered without submission of Annex I Please submit all applications to this email: rba.procurement@undp.org/otis.wilson@undp.org |