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

1. Office/Unit/Project Description

Saudi Arabia has realized and sustained, for the last four decades, remarkable progress along the socio-economic development path. As a result of this, the Kingdom has been able to move to a high-income country.

The ongoing transformation of Saudi Arabia beneath the Vision 2030 plan is unlocking new possibilities at an extraordinary pace.

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) is the statistical reference for Saudi Arabia's socio-economic development. GASTAT provide comprehensive, reliable, up-to-date statistics and value-added services in line with international standards and takes the lead in developing a modern statistical sector in order to support decision making.

GASTAT is working on building an economic database platform, which aims to provide and develop a unified national economic database at the kingdom level. Showing through it the statistical data in the fields of commerce and industry, and that is through linking the data sources relevant to these fields, either from governmental entities or statistical products which are issued by GASTAT.

2.Scope of Work and Deliverables:

The Economic Platform Expert will provide technical assistance related to reviewing the indicators and identifying the method of calculating the indicators. In addition to evaluating validating and analysing the collected data.

The Expert will also implement capacity strengthening activities, including training and mentoring the staff. Specifically, the responsibilities under this assignment include the following:

1. Technical support
   • Reviewing and enhancing the coverage of the economic platform.
   • Reviewing and approving the list of economic indicators of all the targeted entities.
   • Identifying the methodology of calculating each indicator based on international best practices.
   • Identifying the targeted data fields for calculating the indicators.
   • Specifying the sources for each data field.
   • Assisting in the preparation of charts, graphs and other outputs for reporting and presentations.
   • Assisting in the communications and meetings with other entities to obtain the data.
   • Responding to internal/external requests and questions related to the economic platform.
   • Evaluating the quality of the collected data.
   • Reviewing and validating the collected data.
   • Counselling and assisting in treating and analysing the data.
   • Reviewing and approving the indicators prior to dissemination.

• Supporting the implementation of the economic platform
• Performing any other relevant tasks requested by the supervisor.

1. Capacity Development

• In addition to delivering the above-mentioned technical support, the expert will advise the economic platform team on the best practices in relation to methodologies and frameworks.
• Delivering training to the staff in calculating indicators and maintaining and monitoring databases.
• Providing coaching and on-the-job-training for the staff as needed

3.Institutional Arrangement

The consultant will be supervised by the Programme Manager in UNDP in close collaboration with the National Center for Meteorology and the relevant department and will be embedded within the Economic Platform at GASTAT.

4.The duration of the assignment:

The contract duration will be for an initial period of 12 months with a possibility of extension subject to continuation of mandate, availability of funding and satisfactory performance.

5.Location:

This assignment will be in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (in-country).

6.Travel:

• This assignment required the individual to travel to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Senior Anti-Corruption Expert will be stationed at the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) in Riyadh.
• UNDP will cover the cost of travel of the individual to the duty station, as well as their return to their home upon completion of their services. Travel costs are covered only in the event that the function will be undertaken physically in the duty station and exclude working from home arrangements.
• Include any official travel expected to be associated with performing the functions.
• Any change to the preliminary travel plan/schedule above, in such cases, UNDP will cover travel costs in accordance with corporate regulations and rules.
• If unforeseen travel outside the consultant defined city or home-based is being 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 other locations than Riyadh on official missions where necessary.

7.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 term “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.

Payment shall be made as a deliverables-based lump sum payment, to be paid in 12 instalments. Payment shall be made as a deliverables-based lump upon the receipt of the deliverables and certification of satisfactory performance by the supervisor on a monthly basis.

8.Qualifications and Experience:

1. Education:

• Advanced degree, preferably a master’s level in statistics, economics, or other related fields.

b)Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years of relevant professional experience.
• Full understanding of economic concepts, indicators, and frameworks.
• Demonstrated expertise in providing coaching and on-the-job-training for the staff
• Demonstrated expertise in reviewing and enhancing the coverage of the economic platform.
• Demonstrated expertise in identifying the methodology and econometric techniques.
• Demonstrated expertise in The ability to validate, analyse, and treat data.
• Demonstrated expertise in conducting research, and provide statistical technical advice on different sectors.
• Demonstrated policy expertise and experience in working on any of the statistical packages to analyze data.
• Demonstrated expertise in understanding and practice of capacity development
• Good understanding of the UN programming principles, Governmental policies and UN capacity development mandate would be an asset.

c)COMPETENCIES:

Required skills and competencies:

• Full understanding of economic concepts, indicators, and frameworks.
• Econometric techniques.
• The ability to validate, analyse, and treat data.
• The ability to conduct research.
• Ability to provide statistical technical advice on different sectors.
• Ability to work on own initiative as well as a member of a team and to work under pressure.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work on any of the statistical packages to analyse data.
• Good understanding and practice of capacity development.

d)Desired additional skills and competencies

• Written and oral communication skills.
• Critical thinking skills.
• Detail oriented.

e)Language Requirements:

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required, proficiency in Arabic is preferred

9.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 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
4. Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per 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 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.

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:

• Advanced degree, preferably a master’s level in statistics, economics, or other related fields.
• Minimum of 7 years of relevant professional experience.
• Full understanding of economic concepts, indicators, and frameworks.
• Demonstrated expertise in providing coaching and on-the-job-training for the staff
• Demonstrated expertise in reviewing and enhancing the coverage of the economic platform.
• Demonstrated expertise in identifying the methodology and econometric techniques.
• Demonstrated expertise in The ability to validate, analyse, and treat data.
• Demonstrated expertise in conducting research, and provide statistical technical advice on different sectors.
• Demonstrated policy expertise and experience in working on any of the statistical packages to analyze data.

• Demonstrated expertise in understanding and practice of capacity development
• Good understanding of the UN programming principles, Governmental policies and UN capacity development mandate would be an asset.
• Excellent in English and Arabic is an asset

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Step II: Financial Assessment:

Financial Proposal – Maximum 30 points

• Duly accomplished Confirmation of Interest and Submission of Financial Proposal Template using the template provided by UNDP (Annex II)

PRICE PROPOSAL AND SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS

The contractor shall submit a price proposal as below:

The total professional fee shall be converted into a lump-sum contract and payments under the contract shall be made on submission and acceptance of deliverables under the contract in accordance with the schedule of payment linked with deliverables. The financial Proposal should include all relevant costs (consultancy fees, all envisaged travel costs, living allowances, etc.).

UNDP applies the “Best value for money approach” – the final selection will be based on the

combination of the applicants’ qualifications and financial proposal.

Financial proposal – Maximum 30 points

• Duly accomplished Confirmation of Interest and Submission of Financial Proposal Template using the template provided by UNDP (Annex II)

PRICE PROPOSAL AND SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS

The consultant shall submit a price proposal as below:

The total professional fee shall be converted into a lump-sum contract and payments under the contract shall be made on submission and acceptance of deliverables under the contract in accordance with the schedule of payment linked with deliverables. The financial proposal should include all relevant

costs (consultancy fees, all envisaged travel costs, living allowances, etc.).

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

10.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.

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

UNDP reserves the right to reject any incomplete applications.

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.

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.