Procurement Notices

The UN Development Programme is the lead UN agency fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in more than 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. In the Pacific, UNDP provides regional and country support to ten countries (Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu) and regional support to five countries (Cook Islands, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Tokelau), together with a total population of 2.4 million. There are three focus areas of which gender and human rights are mainstreamed: 1. Effective Governance 2. Inclusive Growth 3. Resilience and Sustainable Development UNDP is committed to the Pacific Island countries it serves and its people. Please visit the UNDP Pacific website for more information: https://www.undp.org/pacific

The following examples provide a snapshot of recent achievements.

Inclusive Growth

With UNDP’s assistance, all 10 Pacific Island countries have produced a national Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Report. Fiji, Nauru, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu have also mainstreamed the MDGs into national policies. Fiji, Tonga and Tuvalu have also improved and strengthened data systems and Tuvalu has included monitoring of vulnerable groups at the community level while the Solomon Islands has established a Development Assistance Database for improved information collection, tracking, analysis and planning services for development funds.

Through UNDP’s policy work in Vanuatu, a National Trade Policy was established to target the development of rural communities and their integration into regional and global trade. The Solomon Islands has also made progress through a Trade Integration Study and Action Matrix for trade-related policy reforms and in Kiribati, the results of a Trade Integration Study were presented for Parliamentary debates. Nauru has seen the emergence of private sector partnerships through a new micro-credit facility and the provision of entrepreneurial courses to 16 small business enterprises, 14 of which are owned by women.

Effective Governance

UNDP supported the Solomon Islands elections through technical assistance and coordinated a deployment of international observers; strengthening the capacity of the Parliament’s Secretariat to serve committee hearings through improved library services and establishment of a legislative databases. In Nauru, UNDP supported its Constitutional Review Committee with 67% of the population educated on civic responsibilities and the constitutional reform. And in Fiji, UNDP trained 13% of the adult population on human and civic rights, with emphasis on women, youth and people with special needs. Training of 400 community leaders in rural and peri-urban areas contributed to increased awareness of leaders’ and citizens’ roles in a democracy.

UNDP engaged in extensive capacity building of sub-national authorities, through training, awareness raising and technical assistance, which contributed to the establishment of the Provincial Capacity Development Fund supported by a long-term policy development on decentralization in the Solomon Islands. As a result, efficiency of public expenditure management systems has improved and became more transparent and results-oriented. In Tuvalu, Island Kaupules (councils) are better able to manage community resources after community leaders were trained on linkages between community planning and budgeting.

Resilience and Sustainable Development

In disaster risk reduction, national governance systems were strengthened in the Solomon Islands, Fiji and Tonga. UNDP support the National Disaster Management Office in the Solomon Islands to better coordinate early recovery efforts and donor response to extensive floods. After flooding and cyclones in Fiji in 2012in 2009-2010 and the tsunami that hit Tonga in 2009, UNDP identified essential capacity development priorities for building back better and pioneered the cash for work programme with the affected Tonga and Fiji communities.

Environmental sustainability has been effectively mainstreamed in the governance systems of Tonga due to the preparation and implementation of strategic policy instruments. This resulted in the launch of a Joint National Action Plan on Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management, and adoption of the National Biodiversity Action Plan, Sustainable Land Management Action Plan and National Capacity Self-Assessment Plan. Palau also completed its National Capacity Self-Assessment Action Plan while also adopting the National Energy and Policy Action Plan and the Renewable Energy Funding Window (the latter two policy measures were supported by UNDP).

With UNDP’s support, Pacific Island countries are making strong progress in improving effective and sustainable management of environmental and natural resources. In Fiji, there has been a substantial increase in ratio of the area protected for biological diversity (marine and terrestrial) to surface area and community-based marine protected areas in FSM, Marshall Islands, Nauru and Tuvalu.

Gender Equality

Nauru has seen the emergence of private sector partnerships through a new micro-credit facility and the provision of entrepreneurial courses to 16 small business enterprises, 14 of which are owned by women. After 2012 floods in West Division of Fiji, the UNDP Cash for Work programme assisted 1269 workers, of which 74% were women. 168 participants (68% women) received agriculture training, while 177 participants (84% women) received financial literacy training. After the programme, 24 women started small scale enterprises.

In the Pacific, UNDP partners with national governments, development partners, private sector, financial institutions and civil society organisations to help communities solve their developmental challenges in innovative ways and improve their quality of life.

Governments

UNDP works closely with national governments in the Pacific in fast-tracking the effort to planning, budgeting and implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, through innovative projects. UNDP serves as a development advisor, and Government contributes to the joint development efforts with its resources, both human and financially.

International Financial Institutions

International Financial Institutions (IFIs) are an important source of development funding. They account for a large portion of the non-core (earmarked, project-specific) funding of UNDP. UNDP has formal agreements with some IFIs (the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank), and is working on additional agreements.

In the Asia-Pacific region, UNDP works closely with ADB, World Bank and KfW to advance regional action to end poverty and inequality, support better environmental stewardship, and promote shared prosperity and well-being for all. With a global reach of expertise, UNDP partners with the governments in the region to address the bottlenecks in implementing the programmes financed by the IFIs.

Private Sector

The private sector has been an important partner in development by fostering innovation, providing funding and promoting entrepreneurship in developing countries. In many of our programme countries the preconditions for private sector development and the emergence of inclusive markets (i.e. markets that extend choice and opportunity to the poor as producers, consumers and wage earners) are not yet in place. UNDP facilitates inclusive market development, focuses on connecting and integrating local producers with domestic and global markets. 

UNDP works with key private businesses in the region to drive economies and make growth inclusive through investments and business creation, innovation and knowledge transfer, thus providing people with livelihoods and furnishing the means to lift them out of poverty. UNDP leverages private sector investments by de-risking and strengthening the links between resources and communities.

Civil Society Organisations

For UNDP, civil society constitutes the full range of formal and informal organizations that are outside the state and market. This includes social movements, volunteer organizations, indigenous peoples' organisations, mass-based membership organisations, non-governmental organisations, and community-based organisations, as well as communities and citizens acting individually and collectively.

UNDP partners with civil society organisations in programme implementation and policy advocacy. At the country level, this often means working with them to provide basic services in the areas of health, education, water delivery, agricultural extension and micro-credit provision.

United Nations System

In the Pacific, UNDP joins UNICEF, UNFPA, and UN Women to form the Joint Presence initiative, working together on programmes in selected countries - Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Through the Joint Presence, UNDP takes the lead in Palau, Tonga and Tuvalu. UNICEF leads in Kiribati and Vanuatu, UNFPA is the lead agency in the Marshall Islands and Federated States of Micronesia, and UN Women in Nauru.

1. OBJECTIVE

UNDP aims to work closely with civil society organizations and non-government organizations (CSOs/NGOs), including but not limited to national and local CSOs, sector-based and people’s organizations, academic and non-profit research institutions, social enterprises and their support institutions, among others, in initiatives that involve civic engagement, citizen-centered research, citizen-generated data, among others.

This is a Request for Information (RFI) from national and international CSOs/NGOs for potential partnership with UNDP in delivering outputs for development projects in the Fiji and other Pacific countries.  All NGOs submitting the information in response to this request, will be put under a Multi-country wide roster after the analyisis of the information provided.

The objective of this RFI is to

• Survey the Pacific island nations for existing or potential CSOs/NGOs to obtain information on the advocacies, capabilities, and services that  are  relevant  to  various programs being implemented by UNDP.

• Build a roster of NGOs and CSO’s who may later be invited by  UNDP  to  submit proposal/s, under traditional or non-traditional solicitation processes.

The roster shall be composed of national and international CSOs/NGOs which may later be tapped for potential partnerships with UNDP in delivering outputs for development projects and initiatives. Required expertise and established policy advocacy are in the following thematic and sub-thematic areas.

Geographic Coverage: The NGOs/CSOs are expected to demonstrate either physical presence or access and ability to work in Pacific Island countries particularly in the below mentioned location (NGOs/CSOs working in other locations, if not covered in the list below are also welcomed to participate):

• Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Palau, Republic of Marshal Islands (RMI), Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Nauru.

1. INFORMATION REQUESTED

Interested CSOs/NGOs are required to fill out the below: Request for Information (RFI) Questionnaire attaching all supporting documentation where specifically requested. If you are an international NGO, please provide information and documentation relating to your permits and licenses for your local presence in this country.

Please note that attachments should be provided to support each answer to the questions.  All questions must be answered directly and clearly.  Extraneous information that are not directly responding to the questions will only constrain the ability of UNDP to positively assess the CSO/NGO’s alignment with UNDP requirements.

1. ELIGIBILITY AND QUALIFICATION

Eligibility:

The parameters that will determine whether an NGO/CSO is eligible to be considered by UNDP will be based on the NGO Request for Information (RFI) template and Capacity Assessment Checklist (CACHE).

• Request for Information template – Annex 1
• Capacity Assessment Checklist (CACHE) – Annex 2

Qualifications:

• Proven track record in one or more thematic, sub-thematic, functional areas and geographical coverage mentioned above;

• Proven track record of experience working directly with communities, government, other NGOs/CSOs especially regional or local ones, people’s/community-based organizations and cooperatives, and INGOs or international development partners;

• NGOs/CSOs who are engaged in multi-stakeholder consortia, coalitions, or networks, whether formal or informal, that advocate for the SDGs;

• NGOs/CSOs who have created or utilized innovative methodologies or tools in research, advocacy, program and project development and implementation, social accountability, etc..

• Geographic Coverage: The NGOs/CSOs are expected to demonstrate either physical presence or access and ability to work in any particular country/province or all over the Pacific, whether directly or through their network of members and affiliates.

Based on the analysis of the information and documentation provided in response to this RFI and CACHE, UNDP will determine if a CSO or NGO may or may not be placed on the roster for rapid engagement when required. After completion of the process, only the selected entities will be informed.

Being part of the roster does not confirm or guarantee any potential engagement of UNDP with the selected entities. A secondary selection process will be conducted whenever there is a specific need or requirement of engagement.

SUBMISSION PROCESS

Applicants must submit the information through any of the following means:

1. E-Tender Site

E-Tender Event ID#: 0000013664

Link: https://etendering.partneragencies.org

Please register first. The UNDP eTendering User Guide for Bidders can be downloaded using this link:

https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/operations/procurement/business/procurement-

• Username: event.guest
• Password: why2change