Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 170 countries and territories, working with governments and people on their own solutions to global and national development challenges to help empower lives and build resilient nations.

The Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance and supports the results of UNDP’s 2014-2017 Strategic Plan, focusing on seven outcomes including, strengthening institutions to progressively deliver universal access to basic services (Outcome 3). The HIV, Health and Development Group (HHD Group), within BPPS, is helping to contribute towards this outcome.

The HIV, Health and Development Strategy 2016-2021: ‘Connecting the Dots’ elaborates UNDP's work on HIV and health in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. UNDP has an important role in supporting health outcomes by supporting countries to address the social, cultural and economic determinants of HIV and health, in partnership with UN entities and other organizations. This is done through UNDP’s core work in reducing inequalities and social exclusion that drive HIV and poor health, promoting effective and inclusive governance for health, and building resilient and sustainable systems for health. UNDP also contributes through its coordinating and convening role in bringing together multiple partners and resources at national and local levels.

UNDP works with partners to address the interactions between governance, human rights and health responses. Sometimes this is done through focused or specialized programmes, such as promoting attention to the role of legal environments (law and access to justice) in facilitating stronger HIV responses, including the use of flexibilities in intellectual property and human rights law to lower the cost of drugs and diagnostics and to increase access to HIV-related treatment. UNDP also works to empower and include people living with HIV and marginalized populations who are disproportionately affected by HIV - also known as key populations - such as sex workers, men who have sex with men, and transgender people.  Beyond these focused efforts, UNDP plays a key role in ensuring attention to HIV and health within broader governance and rights initiatives, strengthening of national human rights institutions and increasing access to justice for marginalized populations.

As a trusted, long-term partner with extensive operational experience, UNDP supports countries in effective implementation of complex, multilateral and multi-sectoral health programs while simultaneously investing in capacity development so that national and local partners can assume these responsibilities over time. UNDP partners with countries in crisis/post-crisis situations, those with weak institutional capacity or governance challenges, and countries under sanctions. When requested, UNDP acts as interim Principal Recipient (PR) in these settings, working with national partners and The Global Fund to improve management, implementation and oversight, while simultaneously developing national capacity for governments or local entities to be able to assume the PR role over time. Within the HHD Group the Global Fund – Health Implementation Support Team (GF-HIST) is a dedicated team providing support to UNDP Country Offices throughout the grant lifecycle. The support includes, programme management, monitoring and evaluation, financial management, capacity development and/or transition and sustainability planning and support to strategic policies and plans and funding proposals.

As of May 2016, UNDP is managing 41 grants as PR, covering 23 countries and 3 Regional Programmes.  Regional programmes in Africa, South Asia and Western Pacific includes activities to promote an enabling environment -- through stigma reduction activities, promotion of legal and policy reform and community systems strengthening - for key populations to increase access to and uptake of HIV, TB and malaria treatment, care and prevention services.

In addition, as a Cosponsor of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and a member of the UNAIDS delegation to The Global Fund Board, UNDP also engages with The Global Fund on important substantive policy and programmatic issues. UNDP, in line with its core mandates, promotes the incorporation of good governance, human rights and gender initiatives into The Global Fund grants. UNDP also ensures that financing reaches key populations affected by HIV such as sex workers, men who have sex with men and people who use drugs. UNDP promotes alignment of grants with national development plans and poverty reduction strategies; and contributes to the further enhancement of the country-level governance of The Global Fund programmes that respects principles of national ownership and aid effectiveness.  

UNDP also plays an important role in the response to other health emergencies. This includes assisting countries affected by the Zika outbreak to respond to the broader health and development threat posed by the virus, by ensuring a coherent UN system response at country level, procurement and supply management for prevention activities, communication and community engagement, and analysis of the socio-economic, gender-related, and human rights aspects of the Zika response. In coordination with other partners, UNDP also provided important support to Angola in its response to the outbreak of Yellow Fever that is still affecting the country. Finally, UNDP played an important role in responding to the Ebola crisis by deploying staff to affected countries to support the response.

UNDP’s work in HIV and other areas of health is undertaken by an integrated team working at and across global, regional and country levels. At the global level, the work is led by the HHD Group, focusing on global level advocacy, policy, strategy and partnerships, and provides support for adaptation and implementation of policies and programmes across and by regional hubs and country offices. UNDP also has HHD Group staff working in its Regional Hubs and Country Offices in Africa (Addis Ababa), Asia Pacific (Bangkok and Suva), Latin America and the Caribbean (Panama), Eastern Europe and Central Asia (Istanbul) and the Arab States (Amman).

In order to achieve the goals noted above, UNDP seeks to create a pre-approved Roster of Health and Development experts, who shall be deployed to work in any of the UNDP Regional Hubs, Country Offices, Headquarter locations or to work from their own respective locations (remote support).

We are seeking to populate a Roster of Experts who specialize in the following five thematic areas:

A.  Programme Management;

B.  Monitoring and Evaluation;

C.  Capacity Development and/or Transition and Sustainability Planning;

D.  National Strategic Plan/Policy (for HIV, TB and/or malaria), and funding proposals development; and

E.  Financial Management.

To be considered for inclusion in the pre-approved Roster, applicants need to have experience in carrying out the duties and responsibilities listed in one or more of the following thematic areas:

Duties and Responsibilities

A.  Programme Management

• Oversee and manage programme planning, implementation, monitoring and oversight;
• Development of Global Fund (or other donor) required grant documents (including for example, the Performance Framework; budget; M & E Plan; procurement and supply management plan) during grant-making;
• Ensure regular verbal and written communication with the donor and national stakeholders to provide updates on programme performance and any bottlenecks to effective implementation;
• Provide technical advice and oversight to ensure programme implementation aligns with global norms and standards of treatment, prevention and care best practice guidance;
• Coordinate and supervise the administrative, financial, procurement and programmatic; management of a health development programme, in accordance with UNDP rules and procedures;
• Oversee and coordinate programmatic and financial management and reporting;
• Implement and advocate for inclusion of programme activities which focus on human rights, key populations and gender, and identify activities for reprogramming of funds for these areas throughout the grant cycle; and
• Identify programmatic and financial risks and propose actions to mitigate these risks.

B.  Monitoring and Evaluation

• Provide technical support to implementing partners to strengthen their monitoring and evaluation systems;
• Participate and contribute to the development of the Monitoring and Evaluation Plan;
• Strengthen, harmonize and standardize the existing data collection, analysis and reporting system, in line with the National Plan and programme indicators (of relevant diseases);
• Develop programmatic reporting tools for CSOs;
• Develop and deliver trainings/capacity building in monitoring and evaluation and health information systems for implementing partners. This could include the development of training manuals and materials, as well as facilitation of training workshops;
• Assist in the identification of potential implementation problems and bottlenecks and develop costed and time-bound action plans;
• Support or lead programme reviews to assess progress toward achieving impact, outcome and/or output indicators;
• Conduct epidemiological and surveillance surveys, programmatic surveys and/or key population size estimations; and
• Support the development or strengthening of District Health Information Systems (DHIS) or similar national information systems.

C.  Capacity Development and/or Transition and Sustainability Planning

• Carry out capacity assessments or facilitate self-assessments of public institutions and/or Civil Society Organizations for development of strategic interventions for institutional strengthening;
• Facilitate capacity development and/or transition planning processes with the participation of key stakeholders and partners;
• Based on capacity assessment, develop a prioritized Capacity Development Plan and or transition plan to achieve the milestones identified and address the identified capacity gaps;
• Develop target specific training tools/toolkits and manuals based on training needs assessment;
• Support the Country Office, national entities, partners and the relevant donor(s), in development of a transition plan in relevant contexts;
• Capture and document capacity development results and lessons learnt in concise evidence based case studies;
• Conduct and/or coordinate trainings and workshops; and
• Produce capacity development and transition guidance and tools for inclusion in the UNDP Global Fund Capacity Development Toolkit http://www.undp-globalfund-capacitydevelopment.org/

D.  National Strategic Plan/Policy (for HIV, TB and/or malaria), and funding Proposals development

• Consult with stakeholders (government, civil society organizations and networks, communities, technical partners, etc.) to develop a National Strategic Plan (for HIV, TB and/or malaria) and leading the writing and editing and costing of national strategic plans based on feedback received;
• Develop Global Fund Concept Notes (or other donor funding proposals) through a consultative and iterative process including key stakeholders.

E.  Financial Management

• Effective and accurate financial resources management and oversight;
• Development of financial reporting tools for CSOs;
• Implementation of operational strategies and procedures;
• Programme budget management and proper control of accounts;
• Ensure close financial monitoring of the implementing partners;
• Support donor required financial reporting requirements;
• Facilitation of knowledge building and sharing in the project management team;
• Support the design of workflows between Sub Recipient (SR) or implementing partners, vendors and the finance unit of the Programme Management Unit (PMU);
• Support the design of workflows, based on UNDP internal control framework, between the PMU and the Country Office; and
• Support a Quality Assurance plan for SR or implementing partner financial reporting.

Competencies

• Strong track record in project management, with UNDP or UN experience being an asset;
• Understanding of government functioning and systems;
• Knowledge of methodologies, tools, systems and experience in the application of practical experience in planning, monitoring, evaluating and reporting;
• Familiarity with the Global Fund or another health donor would be advantageous;
• Ability to create a process to achieve financial targets;
• Ability to strengthen and maintain the capabilities of individuals, societies, organizations and governments to set and achieve development objectives over time;
• Working knowledge of objectives-oriented project planning, or results-based management;
• Leadership skills;
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills;
• Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities skills;
• Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback;
• Ability to plan, organize, implement and report on work;
• Ability to remain calm and work under pressure and tight deadlines;
• Proficiency in the use of office IT applications and internet;
• Excellent presentation and facilitation skills;
• Demonstrates integrity and ethical standards;
• Positive, constructive attitude to work.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

For applicants applying for A, B, C and/or D - Master’s Degree in Public Health, Law, Public Administration, Social Sciences, or a related field.

For applicants applying for E - Master’s Degree or equivalent in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or certification in finance.

Experience:

Following a vetting process, the successful applicants will be placed in one of the following functional bands:

• Band 1, Junior Expert: A minimum 3 years of relevant work experience;
• Band 2, Expert: A minimum 7 years of relevant work experience;
• Band 3, Senior Expert: A minimum of 10 years of relevant work experience;

Experience in the following areas will be positively considered:

• Experience with United Nations/UNDP or international agencies;
• Experience in working with the Global Fund or other international health organization;
• Experience in working with national and/or sub-national health authorities and institutions;
• Experience working in countries in special development circumstances and/or crisis countries.

Language:

• Excellent oral and written English.
• Knowledge of an additional UN language (French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, or Chinese) considered an asset.

Evaluation of Applicants:

Applicable Evaluation Criteria

1. Relevant Experience – up to 80 points;
2. Education & Professional qualifications – up to 15 points;
3. Languages – up to 5 points.

Step 1

a) Applicants will be evaluated against the mandatory qualification requirements (education, minimum of years of experience, language).

b) Applicants will be screened and scored against the evaluation criteria above.

Candidates who score 65 or more points will be considered as technically qualified and eligible to be included in the roster. 

The inclusion into the pre-approved Roster of Technical Experts in HIV, Health and Development Support will be offered to those applicants who have been evaluated and determined as;

a) responsive/compliant/technically qualified; and

b) meeting requirements across the functional bands in each thematic area.

Step 2

A review of the daily fees proposed by technically qualified experts will follow, to determine adherence to maximum allowed UNDP daily fees  for each of the functional bands.

Inclusion in the Roster:

The pre-approved roster will consist of three different functional bands, including junior experts, experts and senior experts. Consultants will be considered for placement in one of the different functional bands, for each of the categories they have applied for, depending on their level and years of experience.

However, the addition of an individual in the roster does not guarantee a contract with UNDP.

Contracting:

Once a consultant is included in the roster, upon receipt of a request for services from the hiring unit, the Roster Manager will screen the roster to identify a match between one or several consultants and the requirements stipulated in the TOR for each corresponding assignment. The identified matched roster consultant will be contacted to confirm availability and to submit an ad-hoc financial proposal. Criteria for award of contract will be dictated by the availability, the level of matching of the expertise with the requirements in the TORs and the cost of the assignment. The daily fee quoted during this application process shall remain as the ceiling fee and cannot be increased for any offered assignment.

Monitoring and reporting arrangements:

Successful applicants will be supervised by an assigned HIV, Health and Development Group /Global Fund – Health Implementation Support Team focal point and/or UNDP Business Unit representative.

Travel:

• All envisaged travel costs for travel should be included in the Offeror’s financial proposal for a specific assignment. This includes all duty travels, travels to join duty station and repatriation. Any anticipated mission travel will be included in the TOR to allow for inclusion in the financial proposal.
• In the event of unforeseeable travel, payment of travel costs including tickets and living expenses will be agreed upon between the respective Business Unit and the Individual Contractor.
• The UN Advanced and Basic Security in the Field II courses must be successfully completed prior to commencement of travel. Consultants are required to comply with the UN security directives, set forth under training.dss.un.org .

Payment:

• Payment(s) shall be made upon satisfactory completion of deliverables.

Guidelines for Applications:

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

Applicants should submit:

1. Signed and Updated Personal History Form (P11). The template can be downloaded from  this link: http://sas.undp.org/documents/p11_personal_history_form.doc)
2. A brief description of your relevant expertise (no more than 500 words) and indicating your areas of expertise from the list of thematic areas A – E; you may choose up to all 5.
3. Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability indicating all-inclusive daily rate in USD. The daily rate specified in the submission will be considered as a ceiling amount / maximum daily fee.

Please note that our system only takes one attachment. Therefore, kindly scan all your documents into a single PDF file to upload.

Consultants included in the roster will be asked to quote specific daily fees for each concrete assignment, based on their profile matching the TORs. Quoted daily fees shall not exceed the ceiling amount indicated in this submission.

Other information:

This call for technical experts is not linked to other UNDP rosters or to a specific UNDP recruitment opportunity.

Qualified pre-selected consultants will be notified by UNDP of their inclusion in the resulting roster. 

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. Qualified women are encouraged to apply

ANNEX 1- INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS is provided here: http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/documents/procurement/documents/IC%20-%20General%20Conditions.pdf