| Overview : The Gambia is one of the smallest countries in West Africa with a total area of 10,679 sq. km. with a total population of 1,857,181 inhabitants (females constituted 50.8 percent and males’ 49.2 percent. The Country had series of exogenous shocks and a tumultuous political transition resulting in the fluctuation of the economy and GDP growth fell from 4.3 percent in 2015 to 2.2 percent in 2016 and in 2017 grown by 4.8 percent, following a better agricultural season and a strong rebound in tourism and trade. In 2019, the economy grew at a rate of 6.2 percent, a decline from 7.0 percent in 2018 mainly driven by tourism, rain-dependent agriculture, and remittances whilst vulnerable to external shocks. Overall, 48.6 percent of the population lives below the poverty line with a large difference between urban (31.6 percent) and rural areas (69.5 percent) - thus manifesting poverty as a rural phenomenon. The country was ranked 151 out of 198 countries in the 2016 Doing Business Index and ranked 155 out of 190 in the 2020 Ease of Doing Business Index (World Bank, 2020) National unemployment rate is at 29 percent and highest among the youth and stands at 41.5% in 2018 (GLFS, 2018). The Gambia government has been hard-pressed to maintain infrastructure and provide for basic social and protection services needs for youth development and job creation. UNDP Country Programme, in alignment with the United Nations Development Assistance Framework, 2017-2021, and the UNDP global strategic plan, focuses on: (a) inclusive economic growth and poverty eradication; (b) governance and human rights; and (c) environment and resilience development. UNDP will leverage its comparative advantage by addressing the root causes of vulnerability to accelerate growth, build resilience and promote good governance while complementing the efforts of the United Nations country team. Within the poverty and inclusive growth cluster, UNDP will address the poverty, inequality, and exclusion nexus, providing both upstream and downstream support and building on current programme cycle achievements: evidence-based planning, livelihoods, and employment promotion; inclusive growth; and social protection. II. SCOPE OF THE WORK The UNDP Country Office is seeking a national consultant to - Provide high level policy advise to Senior Management on all aspects of CO programme in relation Poverty and Inclusive Growth as well as on macro-economic policies and trends and relevant linkages to UNDP programmes.
- Provide guidance on the country programme in the area of Poverty and Inclusive Growth and achieving the SDGs including continued monitoring of implementation.
- Lead the programme team in strategic planning and identifies new programme areas including providing substantive inputs in the development of the new UNCF and CPD priorities.
- Engage and work closely with government counterparts and other key stakeholders to identify alternative policy options and to enhance the policy impact of UNDP projects and programmes.
- Provide strategic guidance and oversight to the Programme Specialist who heads Poverty and Inclusive Growth team as well as the whole team to successfully implement the UNDP Poverty and Inclusive Growth Projects/Programme.
- Engage with partners and stakeholders to implement the activities for the achievement of the Poverty and Inclusive Growth Projects/Programme.
Specifically, the Consultant will produce the following deliverables: - Carry out a light desk review and submit 15-page succinct report (not including annexes) to answer the following key research questions ensuring that Gender, youth and women and people living with disability are primary target group:
- Has the Programme been focused on the key poverty and inclusive growth challenges facing the country?
- What are the key poverty and inclusive growth thematic issues that should be addressed in the next five years (2023-2027)? NOTE: The consultant will be expected to give attention to poverty and inclusive growth thematic areas including the pro-poor planning, budgeting, resource mobilization to finance development, aid coordination, economic growth modelling, revenue forecasting, debt management, public financial management, pro-poor and gender budgeting, participatory and inclusive budgeting, skill training, labour -market analysis, data and statistics vital for planning and development tracking, private sector engagement and participation in development, growth expansion and creation of jobs and livelihoods, addressing inequality and provision of sustainable social protection. Decentralisation is being covering through another process but links to this work would be important particularly planning and budgeting at local level. The role of gender and youth in participating in economic development and generation of growth will need a special attention.
- How can other UNDP Gambia CO programmes and the Programme leverage upon each other to deliver transformative change through better integration of poverty and inclusive growth throughout CO programming?
- Which strategies / approaches, including capacity development, used in the current Programme could be used going forward, and what new strategies and approaches should be considered (e.g., SDG1, multi-multi-level poverty and inclusive growth systems that allow for more networked ways of working and recognition of soft and fluid boundaries between ‘local’, ‘national’ and ‘regional’, and ‘global’).
2. Monthly results report on implementation of current Poverty and Inclusive growth Projects and Programme to feed into the ROAR. 3. Prepare a brief 4-page summary outlining the broad poverty and inclusive growth areas the consultations selected as the areas that UNDP could support for the next 5 years in line with the new NDP, SDGs, new UNDP strategic plan and Africa offer 4. Narrative text on the Poverty and Inclusive Growth to include in the Country Programme Document template. The narrative will include: Programme Rationale; Programme priorities and partnerships; and Programme and risk Management. 5. A Poverty and Inclusive Growth Project document (not more than 25 pages) that will include the following focus areas: Programme Rationale; Theory of change; Programme priorities and partnerships; Proposed strategies for the implementation of each priority area identified. Submit Technical and Financial proposals to: bids.gm@undp.org Email subject: Poverty Advisor |
