Procurement Notices

The interested offeror must submit the application via the following link

https://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_job.cfm?cur_job_id=106882

Terms of Reference for Individual Contractor

A.        Project Title

Umbrella Programme for Socio-Economic Development SAU10- 00137889

B.        Project Description 

This project intends to provide substantive and technical assistance to the Government in mainstreaming social and economic development in the national policies at all sectors. The ultimate objective of this intervention is to create a strong foundation for efficient, evidence-based decision-making relevant to socio-economic development in line with the Saudi Vision 2030. The conceptual framework on which this intervention is conceived is that the Government will embrace a role to deal with socio-economic development in a holistic manner away from the conventional development paradigm of disconnected policies for sectors.

Through this umbrella cooperation between the Ministry of Economy and Planning (MOEP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the strategic objectives of MOEP will be initially framed in five specific outputs as follows:

•             Supporting the social and economic development;

•             Sustainable development concept integrated into national policy;

•             National policies formulated for robust sector-based economic;

•             National policies for regional development;

•             Capacity developed for strong computer systems

C.        Scope of Work

1. Ensure effective and efficient implementation of the projects by supporting overall project reporting management:

• Provision of advice and consultations for MEP.
• Maintain databases and perform updates as necessary to ensure accuracy
• Understand the data needs of the ministry.
• Regularly examine data reports to locate and resolve mistakes throughout
• Collaborate with the different teams/departments to design and build the database models.
•  Determine the business needs for data reporting requirements.
• Help determine and manage data cleaning requirements.
• Help determine data security needs and implement security solutions.
• Ensure effective and efficient implementation of projects through project planning, monitoring and oversight, including the establishment of project dashboards and an Implementation Support Unit, as stipulated in project documents, to monitor the implementation of project activities.
• Providing required support in helping to identify new project activities, in close coordination with counterparts
• Document lessons learned from project implementation and make recommendations to the Project Board for more effective implementation and coordination of project activities.

1. In close cooperation with the Chief Technical Advisor, the National Project Officer is to ensure the following:

• Provision of technical support in statistics with emphasis on economics and business statistics and ensuring the quality of the produced economic statistics as per best international practices.
• Provision of technical advice on the best options to support Saudi Vision 2030 policies and give advisory support on the SDGs indicators.
• Coordination with the other technical experts hired by the project and the GaStat units to support the planning, conduct and management of statistical products and activities, including but not limited to census and surveys such as economic, wealth and industrial surveys.
• Conducting background research and developing policy options and strategies to provide timely quality information and technical advice to the GaStat, UNDP and other relevant partners in support of the delivery of the projects.

1. Support strategic communication and building partnerships for successful project reports:

• Communicate the results of data analysis in written and verbal form to managers.
• Create business reports that provide insight into key data points.
• Maintain close coordination with assigned project partners, helping at ensuring synergies.
• Constructive and timely advice on the inclusion of communications components in programme and project formulations to integrate advocacy and communication strategies into all aspects of UNDP’s development programmes.
• Monitoring and evaluation and reporting:
• Ensure timely submission of financial and activity reports by implementing partners.
• Prepare high quality and timely donor reporting, including quarterly and annual narrative and financial reports, according to the grant agreements and UNDP procedures.
• Apply UNDP programming tools and policies as explained in the Results-Based Management principles. 
• Brief and consult with senior management on project progress and provide information and advice as required to contribute to the CO initiatives.
• Undertake any other duties as may be required by UNDP.

D.        Duties and responsibilities:

• Responsible for the smooth day-to-day running of the Reporting Department and will work closely with the relevant parties to ensure the effective and efficient management of the Reporting Department.
• Lead the development of a general equilibrium modelling framework for capturing the influence of domestic and external developments on the economy. This model will, over time, be both maintained and upgraded, in order to produce timely updates based on the most recent available data (or projections where necessary).
• Directs the research, compilation, analyses, interpretation, and preparation of data on economic reports on a periodic basis

D.      Institutional Arrangement

The expert will be reporting to the Ministry of Economy and Planning and UNDP. A detailed work plan for the expert’s duties and responsibilities will be formulated by the Ministry.

E.      Duration of the Work

The expected duration of the assignment is to be up to 6 months with a possibility of extension subject to the availability of funding and performance.

F.      Duty Station

This assignment will be based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

• This assignment will be based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• UNDP will cover the around ticket to/from duty station 
• If unforeseen travel outside the consultant’s duty station city is requested by UNDP and not required by the Terms of References (ToR), such travel shall be covered by UNDP in line with applicable rules and regulations and upon prior written agreement. In such cases, the consultant shall receive living allowances not exceeding the United Nations (UN) Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) rate for such other location(s).

• Note: A written approval from UNDP and relevant authorities will be required to facilitate the consultant's travel to any locations than stated on this TOR on official missions where necessary.

H.      Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments:

All proposals must be expressed in a lump sum amount. This amount must be “all-inclusive”. Please note that the terms “all-inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, living allowances, communications, consumables, etc.) that could possibly be incurred are already factored into the final amounts submitted in the proposal.

Payments shall be made to the individual contractor upon successful completion and certification by UNDP that services have been satisfactorily performed, based upon the actual number of working days.

Payment shall be made as a deliverables-based lump upon the receipt of the deliverables and certification of satisfactory performance by CTA.

I.        Qualifications of the Successful Individual Contractor:

1. Education:

• Minimum a Master’s degree in the fields of economics, project management, business administration, political sciences or other related quantitative research fields. PhD is preferable but is not requirements.

1. Experience:

• At least 10 years of experience as a data modelling and/or reporting analyst.
• Relevant working and practical experience in industry or government agencies regionally (GCC)
• Comprehensive understanding of relational databases and data architecture computer systems,
• Demonstrate good knowledge of economic indicators for national and local economic trends
• Demonstrate experience in the use of computable general equilibrium modelling techniques
• Excellent presentation, communication, and organizational skills
• Strong attention to detail
• Detail oriented, strong organization, prioritization and time-management skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Skilled in using Microsoft tools: Word, Excel, Project, PowerPoint, Visio, and Access.

1. Language: 

• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Arabic is an asset.

1. Competencies:

• Corporate competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity and fairness by modeling the UN/UNDP’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.

• Functional competencies:

•  Proven technical and intellectual skills in understanding and interpreting regional, national, and local social science indices.
• Ability to understand and analyze political dynamics in the region. Demonstrated ability for facilitation and coordination skills.
• Demonstrated entrepreneurial abilities and demonstrated ability to work in an independent manner.
• Background knowledge about the SDGs, United Nations and UNDP.
• Good teamwork and interpersonal skills.
• Flexibility and ability to handle multiple tasks and work under pressure. 
• Excellent drafting and formulation skills.
• Excellent computer skills, especially Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. 

• Leadership:

• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and to provide credible leadership.
• Demonstrated intellectual leadership and ability to integrate green finance with a broader strategic overview and corporate vision.
• Demonstrated flexibility in leadership by performing and/or overseeing the analysis/resolution of complex issues. Ability to conceptualize and convey strategic vision from the spectrum of development experience.
• Managing Relationships:
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain strategies.

• Partnerships:

• Demonstrated well-developed people management and organizational management skills.
• Excellent negotiating and networking skills with strong partnerships in academia, technical
• organizations and as a recognized expert in the practice area.

• Managing Complexity:

• Ability to address global development issues.
• Demonstrated substantive leadership and ability to integrate knowledge with broader strategic, policy and operational objectives.

J.        Recommended Presentation of Offer

For purposes of generating Offers whose contents are uniformly presented and to facilitate their comparative analysis, it is best to recommend the preferred contents and presentation of the Offer to be submitted, as well as the format/sequencing of their presentation.  The following documents may be requested:

1. Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
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;
3. Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment, and a methodology, if applicable, on how they will approach and complete the assignment. A methodology is recommended for intellectual services, but maybe omitted for support services [Note: this is optional for support services]; 
4. Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per the template provided. The terms “all-inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, travel costs, living allowances, communications, consumables, etc.) that could possibly be incurred are already factored into the final amounts submitted in the Proposal. 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 the 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. 

K.      Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodologies:

Step I: Screening and desk review:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology.

Technical Criteria (CV review and Desk Review/Interview optional) – maximum 70 points. Only candidates who obtained at least 70% of points from the CV desk review (who will score at least 49 points) will be considered for the next evaluation stage, i.e., financial evaluation.

Applications will be first screened, and only candidates meeting the following minimum criteria will progress to the pool for shortlisting:

• Minimum a Master’s degree in the fields of economics, project management, business administration, political sciences or other related quantitative research fields.
• PhD is preferable.
• At least 10 years of experience as a data modelling and/or reporting analyst.
• Relevant working and practical experience in industry or government agencies regionally (GCC)
• Comprehensive understanding of relational databases and data architecture computer systems,
• Demonstrate good knowledge of economic indicators for national and local economic trends
• Demonstrate experience in the use of computable general equilibrium modelling techniques
• Excellent presentation, communication, and organizational skills
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Excellent command of English (both written and spoken) is required. Proficiency in Arabic is highly desired

Financial evaluation - Total 30% (30 points)

The following formula will be used to evaluate the financial proposal:

p = y (µ/z), where

p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated

y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal

µ = price of the lowest-priced proposal

z = price of the proposal being evaluated

1. Instructions for on-line submissions

Step 1:  Please prepare all required documents electronically;

Step 2: Combine all documents in ONE SINGLE FILE (preferably in PDF; however, Word format can also be accepted) and upload to the UNDP Jobs links

Step 3: After that, you will receive an auto-reply from the UNDP jobs if your offer is received successfully.

Interested applicants are advised to carefully review this advertisement and ensure that they meet the requirements and qualifications described. 

Interested applicants are advised to carefully review this advertisement and ensure that they meet the requirements and qualifications described. 

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

UNDP reserves the right to reject any incomplete applications.

Please be informed that we don’t accept applications submitted via email.

Interested Offerors are required to submit an application via UNDP Jobsite system as the application screening and evaluation will be done through UNDP Jobsite system. Please note that UNDP Jobsite system allows only one uploading of application documents, so please make sure that you merge all your documents into a single file. Your online application submission will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an email acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. In such cases, please resubmit the application if necessary. Please combine all your documents into one (1) single PDF document as the system only allows to upload a maximum one document.

Any request for clarification/additional information on this procurement notice shall be communicated in writing to UNDP office or sent to email mohammed.abbas@undp.org with a copy to nora.alzahid@undp.org  While the Procurement Unit would endeavour to provide information expeditiously, only requests receiving at least 3 working days prior to the submission deadline will be entertained. Any delay in providing such information will not be considered as a reason for extending the submission deadline. UNDP's response (including an explanation of the query but without identifying the source of inquiry) will be posted in the Individual Consultant (IC) Procurement Notice page as provided above. Therefore, all prospective Offerors are advised to visit the page regularly to make obtain updates related to this Individual Consultant (IC) Procurement Notice

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Interested applicants are advised to carefully review this advertisement and ensure that they meet the requirements and qualifications described. 

The interested offeror must read the Individual Consultant (IC) Procurement Notice, which can be viewed at https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=XXXXX[MA1]   for more detailed information about terms of references, instructions to the offeror, and to download the documents to be submitted in the offer online.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

L.       Annexes to the TOR

M.    Approval

This TOR is approved by:

Signature                            

Name and Designation 

Date of Signing                 

 [MA1]Please update this part ane ensure creating procurement notices first in order to get the link