Procurement Notices

National Consultant: Community of Practice Manager for the Strategic M&E Project

Background

1. Project Title

Using Strategic Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) to Accelerate the Implementation of the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022 (Strategic M&E Project)

1. Background and rationale

In 2017, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) partnered to strengthen the conduct of evaluations in support of the National Evaluation Policy Framework (NEPF). The Strategic Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Project, financed by NEDA and implemented with full UNDP country office support, aims to build the capacity of NEDA and select government agencies to conduct evaluations of priority programs, in turn supporting the achievement of the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through the partnership, UNDP is supporting NEDA in a) commissioning evaluations; b) developing operational guidelines for the NEPF; c) pursuing initiatives to strengthen evaluation capacity; d) facilitating a community of practice on evaluation; and e) leveraging technology and innovation for M&E.

 NEDA, together with development partners, has been conducting the annual M&E Network Philippines Forum since 2011 to complement and showcase its capacity development efforts, as well as to contribute towards cultivating a community of practice on evaluation. . Through this Forum, NEDA has convened M&E practitioners and stakeholders in government, development partners, academe, civil society, and private sector to exchange knowledge and experiences and find ways to collaborate on strengthening the practice.  UNDP supported NEDA in the conduct of the annual M&E Forum in 2018 and 2019. Unfortunately, restrictions on holding large, in-person gatherings due to COVID-19 prompted NEDA and UNDP to suspend the 2020 Forum.

Given the new normal context, the Forum migrated to a fully virtual platform in 2021. The Strategic M&E Project designed and held the 2021 M&E Forum Webinar Series, “New M&E: Strengthening M&E Leadership for Development in the New Normal,” for the entire year with the objective of continuously providing opportunities for learning and sharing of lessons and experiences on M&E practice. The monthly sessions have engaged an average of 200 M&E practitioners from the M&E Network and new evaluation stakeholders from the government, non-government organizations, and the academe. A total of 25 M&E experts were engaged for the 11 webinars held throughout the year.

With the success of 2021 monthly webinar series, the Project shall continue the conduct of the webinar series in 2022. The Project requires the services of a Community of Practice Manager who shall design, organize, and facilitate the quarterly webinar series, as well as strategize on how to continue and expand the engagement with the M&E Network.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Scope of Work

Under the overall guidance of the NEDA Monitoring and Evaluation Staff (MES) Director, and the Team Leader, UNDP Institutions and Partnerships Programme, and reporting directly and regularly to the Strategic M&E Project Coordinator, the COP Manager shall be responsible for the following:

1. Conceptualize and develop the design and implementation plan for the 2022 M&E Webinar Series, drawing from the insights and lessons learned from the previous webinar sessions and from the recommendations of the COP Manager contracted for the 2021 Webinar Series. This shall include facilitating consultation sessions with key members of the M&E Network to be identified and agreed with NEDA and UNDP.

1. Organize and facilitate the quarterly sessions for the 2022 Webinar Series and a culminating event for the M&E Network. This shall include the following tasks:
   • Lead pre-session activities (e.g. preparing program design, invitation letters, and session materials; coordination with and briefing of speakers and panelists; setting-up and monitoring of registration of participants, including sending of email reminders and notifications;
   • Prepare the technical requirements for the webinar (eg. zoom links, webinar application/platform, livestreaming, etc.);
   • Actual facilitation/moderation of the sessions;
   • Lead post-session activities (e.g. administration of post-webinar feedback survey, uploading of webinar materials to the National Evaluation Portal, submission of activity reports, leading debriefing sessions, coordinating approval and transmittal of certificates to speakers and participants); and
   • Maintain and manage interactive webinar applications for participants to share their insights/learning/feedback (e.g., padlet, mentimeter, etc.,) to encourage more interaction among webinar participants.

1. In coordination with the Project’s Communications and Knowledge Management Consultant, strategize towards continuing and boosting the interaction of the members of the M&E Network beyond sessions. With reference to the KM plan for the Project and the engagement plan for transitioning the M&E Network to the National Evaluation Portal, the COP Manager shall design and implement concrete follow through and/or asynchronous learning activities and conversation starters for the members of the M&E Network, ensuring alignment and consistency with the KM plan for the Project

1. Submit a final report that provides for the conceptual design of the COP, its objectives and purpose. The COP Manager shall conduct a mapping of stakeholders and ensure inclusive consultations in the process of identify options, good practices, and recommendations for communications platforms, management strategies, and arrangements to establish, operationalize, and maintain the COP. Finally, the report shall include recommendations on processes, initial activities, resource requirements, and timeline for setting up the COP to ensure sustainability, expansion of membership, and continuous learning and knowledge sharing.

1. Expected Output and Deliverables

The Consultant is expected to accomplish the following outputs:

1. Institutional Arrangements

1. The Consultant shall be under the overall guidance of the   NEDA Monitoring and Evaluation Staff (MES) Director and the Team Leader, UNDP Institutions and Partnerships Programme, and reporting directly and regularly to the Strategic M&E Project Coordinator, with whom all outputs shall be submitted and through whom all communications shall be coursed or copied.
2. The Consultant shall report progress, provide updates, or raise issues to the Project Coordinator on a weekly basis.
3. In performing its functions, the Consultant is expected to coordinate, consult, and/or collaborate with members of the Project Management Team and external stakeholders.
4. NEDA and UNDP shall provide comments and provide outputs within ten (10) working days upon receipt of output.
5. UNDP Philippines shall be entitled to intellectual property and other proprietary rights over all materials that have direct relation to the project.
6. The Consultant is expected to be accessible to the UNDP Project Coordinator via phone, mobile, or internet. Failure to do so within reasonable timeline may result to termination of the contract.

1. Duration of Work

The Consultant will be engaged for 100 days spread from March 18, 2022 to December 15, 2022 unless revised in a mutually agreed upon timetable. Changes in the duration of the contract will be implemented through issuance of a contract amendment.

1. Duty Station

1. The duty station is in Metro Manila.
2. The Consultant is not expected to report on a daily basis to the UNDP Office but he/she shall be notified within a reasonable period of time of pertinent meetings as part of stakeholder management where his/her presence is necessary
3. The Consultant is expected to have his/her own equipment and workstation.

Competencies

Required Skills and Experience

1. Qualifications of the Successful Individual Contractor

The Offers received will be evaluated using a combined scoring method - where technical proposal will be weighted 70 points and combined with the price offer which will be weighted 30 points.  

The CV will be reviewed using the criteria in the table below. Only offerors who will obtain a minimum of 70% or 49 out of 70 obtainable points will be shortlisted and considered for evaluation of financial proposal. 

1. Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

The Consultant must send a financial proposal based on an all-inclusive lump-sum amount for the delivery of the outputs below. The total amount quoted shall include all cost components required to deliver the services identified above, including professional daily fees X number of person-days and any other applicable costs (e.g., software and online tool/platform subscriptions) to be incurred by the Consultant in completing the assignment.

Medical/health insurance must be purchased by the Consultant at his/her own expense, and upon award of contract, the Consultant must be ready to submit proof of insurance valid during contract duration.

Payments will be made upon satisfactory completion of the deliverables by target due dates. Outputs will be certified by the Project Coordinator prior to payments.

1. Recommended Presentation of Offer

The Consultant should submit the following requirements:

1. Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
2. Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experiences from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate
3. Portfolio of at least three (3) relevant sample outputs that best demonstrate the candidate’s ability to design, manage, and implement national-level knowledge management and learning activities/events. A hyperlink to the public location of the outputs should ideally be included in the submission.  
4. Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided. If an 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 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 UNDP. Medical/health insurance must be purchased by the individual at his/her own expense, and upon award of contract, the Individual Consultant must be ready to submit proof of insurance valid during contract duration. 

Offerors must upload in one (1) file the documents mentioned above.

Templates for a) P11 Personal History Form and b)  Offeror's Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability and Financial Proposal (Annex 2) are available through the link below. UNDP General Terms and Conditions for Individual Contractors  are also available:

http://gofile.me/292aN/FJEcICt8l

Incomplete submission of required documents may result in disqualification.

Please see the deadline of submissions above.

Because of the volume of applications UNDP receives, only shortlisted offerors will be notified.