Application Deadline : 14-Nov-21 (Midnight New York, USA)
Time left : 13d 2h 48m
Type of Contract : Individual Contract
Post Level : International Consultant
Languages Required :
English
Starting Date :
(date when the selected candidate is expected to start) 22-Nov-2021
Duration of Initial Contract : 3 months (home-based)
Expected Duration of Assignment : 3 months
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.
Background
The mission of the Human Development Report Office (HDRO)/UNDP is to advance human development. The goal is to contribute towards the expansion of opportunities, choice and freedom. HDRO works towards this goal by promoting innovative new ideas, advocating practical policy changes, and constructively challenging policies and approaches that constrain human development. HDRO works with others to achieve change through writing and research, data analysis, outreach and advocacy work.
The 2021/22 Human Development Report will draw from and extend the discussions of the 2019 HDR (on inequalities) and of the 2020 HDR (on the structural risks of the Anthropocene), highlighting the ways in which inequalities and uncertainty interact with one another, fanning exclusion and polarization. Together, inequalities and uncertainty undermine for many a sense of control over one’s life, impeding their ability to do and be what they value and have reason to value – the expansion of which is central to human development. As we go deeper into the Anthropocene and as technology continues to race ahead, shocks (of which Covid-19 may be a harbinger of what might come) will persist and may even be heightened. The discussions around the climate/security nexus are another example.
The 2020 HDR argued for the importance of easing planetary pressures to mitigate these physical hazards, in a context of heightened uncertainty. This calls for transformational change, which also drives uncertainty: inherent in transformational change are multiple and overlayed dislocations, which give rise to a compounding set of transition uncertainties overlayed on physical uncertainties. Marginalized or otherwise disadvantaged groups face a double whammy of disempowerment – first, as uncertainty diminishes individual choice for everyone and second, as social fault lines, themselves often exacerbated by shocks, reduce their agency further. But polarization is not driven only, or even primarily, by deprivation and marginalization, with support for extreme political views often associated not with being deprived, but by belonging to a group that has power or social standing that perceives being under threat.
The interaction of inequalities and uncertainty with new forms of technology will form a central part of the Report’s examination of the erosion of institutions to respond to both transformational change and people’s concerns about it. How people feel about the future, and how insecure they are about their prospects, has implications for economic, social, and political decisions.
Through a human development lens, the Report will examine the features of policies and institutions that can be responsive and nimble to advance transformational change while committed to the protection and promotion of human rights. The Report will look not only at the institutions and policies that help address immediate concerns but also the processes of institutional renewal geared towards empowering people to face uncertain times in ways that seize on the opportunities of change to expand human development.
Duties and Responsibilities
Proposed research:
We are looking for papers to explore how to achieve human development under a context of heightened uncertainties, with a forward-looking lens and a focus on collective responses. We welcome innovations in the different areas: concepts, analysis, measurement, and policies.
The proposal should include:
1. Research statement: brief description of the paper (max 1200 words)
The research will meet the following criteria:
a) The proposal will include a set of questions that the research will cover, ideally linked to uncertainties in connection to human development prospects over the next few decades.
b) The paper could pick a specific topic and explore it in further depth. For example, energy transitions; material footprint transitions; technology and uncertainty; implications of uncertainty on vulnerable groups, inequality, or LDCs; looking at alternative responses such as the role of culture; social norms; citizen participation; etc.
c) The research scope can be global or regional. If the coverage is regional, the especial relevance of the topic to the region and the region-specific challenges will be covered. The focus can also be on a group of countries, such as developing countries.
d) The proposal must indicate connection to current literature and explain how it advances the learning in the field. Sources for literature and data will be cited clearly.
2. Timeframe with deliverables, using number of weeks since the start of the contract. We encourage proposals to have deliverables to be submitted within 12 weeks of work, but longer timelines may be considered.
Deliverables/Outputs
Estimated Duration to Complete
First report, with preliminary results
2 months
First complete draft
2.5 months
Final Draft
3 months
Competencies
Ability to produce high quality outputs in a timely manner while understanding and anticipating the evolving client needs;
Strong organizational skills;
Ability to work independently, produce high quality outputs;
Sound judgment, strategic thinking and the ability to manage competing priorities.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
Advanced degree, preferably a PhD in a social science. Degree in economics, sociology, political science and environmental science, with experience in international development and knowledge of developing economies, are particularly relevant.
Experience:
Minimum 10 years of work experience in research; demonstrated knowledge in proposed subject of the research.
Desired:
Track record of influential contributions in the proposed field of research;
Solid experience with analysis rooted in the human development approach;
Experience contributing to global policy debates?is an asset;
Demonstrated knowledge of human security is?an asset.
Language skills:
Fluency in written and spoken English.
Expected places of travel
This contract covers the potential participation of the author(s) of this background paper in consultation(s) during the research process of HDR 2021/HDR 2022, as well as reviewing relevant segments of the draft for HDR 2021/HDR 2022. Any expenses related to travel and accommodation in the report related meetings and events will be responsibility of HDRO following UNDP rules, but no additional fees will be paid. In consultation – and collaboration- with the author, HDRO may also develop strategies and communication products to effectively disseminate the findings of the paper to the right audiences.
Annex: HDRO publishing policy
The copyright for all research commissioned by the Human Development Report Office will be held by HDRO/UNDP. HDRO reserves the right to publish it online as a Working Paper of the HDR Paper Series. Therefore, authors are requested to submit the papers in a form they would be satisfied with, substantively and stylistically, for publication. Publication and dissemination elsewhere is not permitted before the article here commissioned is published as a Working Paper of the HDR Paper series, or the author is informed that the paper will not be published by HDRO. After the publication of the Working Paper by HDRO or the written communication to the author that the paper will not be published by HDRO, authors are free to edit, update, expand and publish the papers elsewhere as long as they explicitly acknowledge that the original research had been commissioned by HDRO.
Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer:
Upon the advertisement of this assignment, qualified Individual Consultant is expected to submit both the Technical and Financial Proposals. Accordingly, Individual Consultants will be evaluated based on Cumulative Analysis as per the following scenario:
Responsive/compliant/acceptable, and
Having received the highest ranked score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation. In this regard, the respective weight of the proposals is:
Technical Criteria weight is 70%
Financial Criteria weight is 30%
Criteria
Weight
Max. Point
Technical Competence (based on Proposal, CV and interview (if required)
70%
100
Set of questions that the research will cover
Focus on the advancement of human development and/or human security, beyond economic indicators
The research scope (global, regional, national)
Connection to current literature and explanation
60
Suitability of an applicant for the required service (based on CVs)
40
Financial Proposal (Lower Offer/Offer*100)
30%
100
Total Score
Technical Score * 70% + Financial Score * 30%
Scope of financial/price proposal and schedule of payment(s)
The prospective service provider will indicate the cost of services in US dollars when applying for this consultancy. The proposer will be paid only after approving authority confirms the successful completion of each deliverable.
Process
The author(s) will be asked to consult remotely with the Human Development Report team via Zoom or phone to discuss the work. In-person meetings will be held as needed. Detailed comments on the deliverables will be provided by the HDRO team to the consultant after each submission, within 10 days. After receiving the comments from HDRO the author(s) is expected to revise the draft according to those suggestions.
The final version of the background paper may also be published on the HDRO website. Please refer to the annexed HDRO publishing policy. The HDRO’s research team will oversee the work of the selected consultant(s).
Recommended presentation of offer
For purposes of generating proposals whose contents are uniformly presented and to facilitate their comparative review, your Proposal document must have at least the preferred content:
Technical Proposal: Brief description of the paper (max.1200 words) that addresses all criteria (a, b, c, d) listed in the section 1. Research Statement.
Personal CV/Experience of author(s), 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.
Financial Proposal: Your fee quote (lumpsum) in USD for the assignment/consultancy.
Papers will be assessed on a rolling basis.
Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please combine all your documents into one (1) single PDF document as the system only allows to upload maximum one document (named CV).
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