International Consultant (Security Assessment, development of security related policies, standard operating procedures and deliver training) UNDP – ACTION Project

UNDP Global Mission Statement:

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP is on the ground in 166 countries, working with national counterparts on their own solutions to global and national development challenges.

UNDP Afghanistan Mission Statement:

UNDP supports stabilization, State-building, governance and development priorities in Afghanistan. UNDP support, in partnership with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIROA), the United Nations system, the donor community and other development stakeholders, has contributed to institutional development efforts leading to positive impact on the lives of Afghan citizens. Over the years UNDP support has spanned such milestone efforts as the adoption of the Constitution; Presidential, Parliamentary and Provincial Council elections; institutional development through capacity-building to the legislative, the judicial and executive arms of the State, Ministries, Government agencies and commissions at the national and sub-national levels. UNDP has played a role in the management of the Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan (LOTFA), which supports the Government in developing and maintaining the national police force and in efforts to stabilize the internal security environment. Major demobilization, disarmament and rehabilitation and area-based livelihoods and reconstruction programmes have taken place nationwide. UNDP Programmes in Afghanistan have benefited from the very active support of donors. UNDP Afghanistan is committed to the highest standards of transparency and accountability and works in close coordination with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the UN system to maximize the impact of its development efforts on the ground.

Organizational context:

UNDP Afghanistan’s Governance for Peace (G4P) Programme Unit supports the Afghan Government in implementing its strategies for Governance, Rule of Law, developing its institutional capacity and providing services to the Afghan population. This includes supporting the implementation of the Afghanistan National Strategy for Combatting Corruption.

Following the successful implementation of the Project Initiation Plan (PIP) for Anti-Corruption “Development Plan for a Nation-Wide Anti-Corruption Project”, implemented from January 2018 to June 2019, UNDP is now managing and delivering the Anti-Corruption, Transparency and Integrity Openness National (ACTION) Project. The ACTION project contributes directly to the targets of the broader Governance, Rule of Law and Human Security portfolio and works in close coordination with other projects in this pillar and other development actors.

ACTION programmatic engagement includes technical support to the Anti-Corruption Justice Centre (ACJC). The ACJC has been established by Presidential Decree No. 53, dated 30 June 2016 in order to enhance the fight against major corruption crimes through achieving a more efficient way to expedite, integrate and co-ordinate detection, investigation, prosecution and implementation of court decisions. The jurisdiction of the ACJC is focused on the most serious crimes of corruption either by the amount involved or by the rank of the state official alleged offender. 

The ACJC is a joint centre which includes:

• Major Crimes Taskforce – Reports to Ministry of Interior
• General Prosecution Directorate – Reporting to Attorney General’s Office
• Primary and Appeal Courts – Assigned by the Supreme Court 
• Executive Directorate – Reports to the Attorney General’s Office

These functions are collocated within a secure facility in order to insulate them from political and other pressures as they detect, investigate, prosecute and adjudicate cases.

The ACTION Project overall objectives are:

1. Increased public trust in Rule of Law in Afghanistan, improved transparency, accountability and integrity, and better restoration of the social contract between the Afghan state and its citizens, especially vulnerable groups, including women;
2. Assist in the Restoration of the Afghan Social Contract: One of the main objectives of this project to facilitate collective action against corruption, and work towards a corruption-free environment. Corruption damages the social fabric and contributes to a vicious cycle of poverty and conflict. Raising awareness among all actors that everyone is collectively responsible for systemic corruption, and that everyone needs to work together to address it and creating options for collaborative engagement can contribute to a restoration of the social contract between citizen and state.
3. Improve Development Effectiveness: This project will also help to achieve the broader objective of tackling corruption to improve development effectiveness. Corruption within Rule of Law institutions affects reforms across the sector. Improvements to processes that improve transparency and accountability are likely to have additional positive effects, such as improved accessibility and affordability for citizens, but also less wastage of resources, and improved aid effectiveness for donors.

The ACTION Project includes the following output:

“The Anti-Corruption Justice Centre has Improved Technical and Operational Capacities to Effectively Adjudicate Corruption Cases”

By the end of the project period, police, prosecutors and judges co-located at the Anti-Corruption Justice Centre (ACJC) will receive measurable improvements to their technical capacities and ability to investigate violations. ACJC administrative and management staff will be better able to provide core office functions and the organization will have a dedicated and sustainable training unit to support further internal improvements. In addition, by the end of this project, critical equipment and logistics gaps will have been filled, in support of sustainable long-term ACJC operations.

between July 2019 and October 2019, a strategic need assessment of the ACJC was conducted to assist in increasing the capacity to investigate, prosecute, adjudicate and administrate cases under the jurisdiction of the ACJC. The need assessment identified criminal justice needs; administrative and logistics needs; security and infrastructure needs; communication needs; and policy and legislative needs. Included within the criminal justice related needs, the assessment identified the need to develop investigative-interview capacities and capabilities.

Organizational context of the position:

Under the overall supervision of the Chief, Governance for Peace (G4P) Unit, under the direct supervision of the Project Manager for ACTION and in close collaboration with the Programme Management Specialist on Anti-Corruption, and the SFSS (Senior Field Security Specialist), UNDP, the Individual Consultant will be responsible for conducting a security assessment (i) security and infrastructure needs assessment of the ACJC, (II) propose and support development of required policy and standard operating procedures and (iii) deliver a basic and advance security training  related to the assessment for the ACJC staff. The consultant will have a technical reporting line to the SFSS and deliverables will be reviewed in conjunction with the SFSS prior to submission to ACTION management.

The Individual Consultant will undertake close consultations with the senior management of the ACJC and with the Attorney General Office, Ministry of Interior and Supreme Court to ensure that the security policy and standard operating procedure is demand-based. Simultaneously, the Individual Consultant will undertake close consultations with the international community supporting the ACJC, for professional delivery of this assignment.

Background of the assignment:

A security evaluation and threat/vulnerability assessment will need to be undertaken to identify gaps and to recommend preventative and mitigation measures in line with the SRM (Security Risk Management) process of the UNSMS (United Nations Security Management System) of the ACJC facility and its program and program related activities encompassing staff and program security.

Objective of the assignment:

The objectives of the assignment are the following:

• to undertake a security needs assessment;
• to work with ACJC in developing/revising policies and standard operating procedures;
• to support ACJC to implement the newly designed policy and standard operating procedures;
• to deliver related trainings.

Technical requirement:

The requirements provided as part of this ToR are generic. The consultant, as part of mission deliverables shall study and understand the operational context of the Heath compound (ACJC), the travel trend and requirements of staff and the potential related vulnerability, risk and threats attributed to program activity. The consultant should have a technical capability of evaluating the overall contextual security of the program area. The consultant should have previous working experience in a post conflict country or in Afghanistan and have a thorough comprehension of the South Asia regional security dynamics in general.

Deliverables:

Deliverable 1: Inception Report (20%)

Within one week of starting the assignment, the international consultant will submit a detailed inception report with approach and methodology of the assignment and work plan.

Deliverable 2: Security Needs Assessment Report (30%)

Within a month of joining the assignment, the international consultant will visit ACJC, other stakeholders and prepare a Security Needs Assessment Report. The findings of the report will be presented in a workshop to relevant staff of ACJC and AGO before submitting the final report.

Deliverable 3: Report with suggested policy/ies and Standard Operating Procedures (30%)

Within four months of the assignment, the international consultant will work at ACJC, develop/revise the required security related policy/ies and standard operating procedures, help them in implementing the policy and standard operating procedures.

Deliver 4: End of assignment and training report (20%)

Within six months of the assignment, the international consultant will work at ACJC, develop at least 3 training materials related to the above policy and standard operating procedures and deliver those trainings to ACJC staff. All the training materials and end of the assignment report will be shared with UNDP before the end of the assignment.

Payment Modality: 

Payments under the contract shall be delivery-based and the payment will be upon receipt, acceptance and approval of deliverables as per ToR’s specific milestones indicated above and shall be deemed delivered upon the approval of the Project Manager of ACTION project. 

Institutional Arrangements:

The Consultant will work under the overall supervision of the Head of Governance for the Peace Unit, and under the direct supervision of the Project Management of ACTION project and will have  a technical reporting line to the SFSS (Senior Field Security Specialist) of the UNDP Security Office in Kabul. The Consultant will also need to work in close collaboration with staff from the UNDP Governance for Peace unit, M&E team, as well as other units within the UNDP Country Office.

The G4P unit will provide office space and internet facility, logistical and other support service including transport and security applicable to UNDP international personnel. The consultant however is expected to bring his/her own laptop and mobile phone and meet local communications costs (G4P Unit will provide a local pre-paid SIM card). Costs to arrange meetings, workshops, travel costs to and DSA during field visits (if any), etc. shall be covered by the ROLHS Unit.

The consultant will be hold to the highest level of confidentiality regarding the information he may encounter on pending cases at the ACJC.

Duration of the Work:

The performance under the contract shall take place over total contract duration up to 66 days over eight months, excluding joining and repatriation travel days.

Duty Station:

The consultancy will combine in-country work (50 days) at the duty station with home-based work (16 days) to develop the deliverables. The Individual Consultant is expected to spend most of his working time in Kabul within the premise of the ACJC or in consultations with partners, while reporting regularly at UNDP G4P Unit (UNOCA), security conditions permitting. The contractor will follow the working hours and weekends as applicable to UNDP CO staff. Contractor’s movement for meetings and consultations shall be coordinated by the UNDP G4P Unit. The contractor is at all times required to observe UNDP security rules and regulations.

Core competencies:

• Promotes ethics and integrity and creates organizational precedents;
• Builds support and political acumen;
• Builds staff competence and creates an environment of creativity and innovation;
• Builds and promotes effective teams;
• Creates and promotes environment for open communications;
• Leverages conflict in the interest of UNDP and sets standards;
• Shares knowledge across the organization and builds a culture of knowledge sharing and learning.

Functional Competencies:

Job knowledge/technical expertise:

• Possesses expert knowledge of advance concepts in primary discipline, a broad knowledge of related disciplines and in-depth knowledge of relevant organizational policies and procedures;
• Applies knowledge to support the Project´s objectives and to further the mandate of UNDP;
• Keeps abreast of new developments in the area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself;
• Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments;
• Demonstrates expert knowledge of the current programme guidelines and project management tools and manages the use of these regularly in work assignments.

Conceptual innovation in the provision of technical expertise:

• Conducts programme assessment to improve development of models and methodologies;
• Designs policy models to support comprehensive interventions linking UNDP´s policy objectives to programme delivery and capacity development objectives;
• Ensures that the design of policies are appropriate to country social and development context;
• Demonstrates the ability to engage development partners at all levels in conceptual and methodological innovation that is pertinent to the context.

Advancing a policy-oriented agenda:

• Advocates for inclusion of UNDP´s focus areas in the public policy agenda;
• Brings visibility and sensitizes decision makers to relevant emerging issues;
• Builds consensus concerning UNDP´s strategic agenda with partners on joint initiatives;
• Leverage UNDP´s multidisciplinary expertise to influence policies and programmes;
• Demonstrates political/cultural acumen in proposing technical sound, fact-based solutions/approaches;
• Dialogues with national counterparts and other stakeholders to strengthen advocacy efforts, incorporating country, regional and global perspectives;

Demonstrates cultural sensitivity, political savvy and intellectual capacity in handling; disagreements in order to promote and position UNDP in complex environments.

Academic Qualifications:

• The candidate should have an accredited advanced degree from a UNESCO-recognized institution in international relations/political science/peace building / security management and related fields and have conversant knowledge of Physical Security, Guard Force Management, security facility planning and design and a strong notion of general Security Management principles.

•  Experience working with security consultancy and security contingency design for NGO humanitarian programs working in conflict areas
• Have good experience on facilitating training on security
• Demonstrated professional leadership and ability to coordinate a team of professionals
• Strong communication skills, demonstrated ability of making effective presentations to diverse audiences.

Required experience:   

• Minimum of ten (10) years of progressive security experience in undertaking security assessments, development of security related policies and standard operating procedures.
• Previous experience of working in post conflict countries or in Afghanistan is desirable.
• Previous experience of producing and facilitating security related training is required.
• Previous experience of working in a post conflict environment is required.
• Experience of working in a diverse multi-cultural environment is desirable.
• Strong English language communication skills both written and verbal, excellent report writing and organizational skills.
• Proficient and computer literate – MS office applications, web-based management information systems.

Language:

Excellent written and oral English skills are a mandatory requirement.

PRICE PROPOSAL AND SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS

Shortlisted candidates (ONLY) will be requested to submit a Financial Proposal.  The consultant shall then submit a price proposal when requested by UNDP, in accordance with the below:

• Daily Fee – The contractor shall propose a daily fee which should be inclusive of his/her professional fee, local communication cost and insurance (inclusive of medical health and medical evacuation and etc). The number of days for which the daily fee shall be payable under the contract is  up to 66 days;
• DSA/Living Allowance – The Consultant shall be separately paid the DSA as per applicable UNDP rate for stay in Kabul and travel to other locations as per actual number of nights spent in Kabul or other locations. Deductions from DSA shall be made as per applicable UNDP policy when accommodation and other facilities are provided by UNDP. An estimated provision in this regard shall be included in the contract. The consultant needs not quote for DSA in Financial Proposal;
• Accommodation in Kabul – The Consultants are NOT allowed to stay in a place of their choice other than the UNDSS approved places in Kabul, Afghanistan. UNDP will provide accommodation to the Consultant for the duration of the stay in duty station (Kabul) in UNDSS approved places. Deductions in this regard shall be made from DSA payment as per applicable UNDP Policy;
• Travel & Visa – The consultants shall propose an estimated lump-sum for home-Kabul-home travel (three trips) (economy most direct route) and Afghanistan visa expenses.

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 abovementioned schedule of payment.

EVALUATION METHOD AND CRITERIA

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology:

Cumulative analysis

The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

Responsive/compliant/acceptable and having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

* Technical Criteria weight 70%

* Financial Criteria weight 30%

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

Financial Evaluation.

Technical Proposal (45marks)

• Technical Approach & Methodology (25 marks) – This explains the understanding of the objectives of the assignment, approach to the services, methodology for carrying out the activities and obtaining the expected output, and the degree of detail of such output. The Applicant should also explain the methodologies proposed to adopt and highlight the compatibility of those methodologies with the proposed approach;
• Work Plan (20 marks) – The Applicant should propose the main activities of the assignment, their content and duration, phasing and interrelations, milestones (including interim approvals by the Client), and delivery dates. The proposed work plan should be consistent with the technical approach and methodology, showing understanding of the TOR and ability to translate them into a feasible working plan.

Qualification and Experience (25 marks) [evaluation of CVs for shortlisting]

• General Qualification (10 marks);
• Experience relevant to the assignment (15 marks).

Documents to be included when submitting proposals:

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications in one single PDF document:

• Updated Personal CV or P11, 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.
• Technical proposal:
  • Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable candidate for the assignment;
  • A methodology, on how they will approach and complete the assignment and work plan as indicated above.

Annexes (click on the hyperlink to access the documents):

• Annex 1 – IC Contract Template (for information);

• Annex 2 –  Financial Proposal Template using the template provided by UNDP (to be completed at later stage upon request by UNDP);
• Annex 3 – IC General Terms and Conditions (for information);
• Annex 4 – RLA Template (if consultant wishes to be recruited through an employer) – (for information).

Incomplete application will not be considered, it will be disqualified automatically.