Advisor to provide advice and assistance to implement a community security integration pilot initiative (CSIP) in Iraq

In 2019 UNDP ecurity Sector Reform / Rule of Law (SSR/RoL) Programme designed and implemented a community security integration pilot (CSIP) in Qurna, Basra province tailored to support the most vulnerable groups in the community to increase their skills and emotional resilience to help them reintegrate back to the economic workforce, and thereby increase their economic stability through a combination of vocational and business development training, psychosocial support (PSS) and grant assistance interventions with emphasis on the security – development nexus. UNDP implemented this important work with the generous funding from the Government of Japan (Japan Supplementary Fund -JSB 2018).

The overall intervention provided the project beneficiaries with vocational skills as well as business development skills. Additionally, CSIP in Basra also supported a series of community development initiatives aimed at improving local capacity for vocational training in the Qurna Industrial Preparatory School (QIPS) to benefit an estimated 200 vocational training students annually after the end of CSIP.

Informed by the results and outcomes achieved from the CSIP initiative in Basra/ Qurna, UNDP has undertaken to extend this pilot initiative to Qairwan in Sinjar, Ninewa. Additionally, where possible it will also aim to involve a selected number of project beneficiaries from the CSIP in Basra as ‘change agents’ to motivate and encourage ‘agents of change’ in the new target location in Qairwan. As such it will provide a useful opportunity to build a cohesive approach, and a joint platform for project beneficiaries from different locations in Iraq to develop constructive partnerships, motivate and support each other, identify possible joint engagements, and also to promote north – south community relations.

Furthermore, the CSIP in Qairwan will also contribute to an improved understanding of how development and community security pillars intersect in the project’s target location – i.e. security – development nexus. The emphasis is also to improve community security and development provisions that can contribute to the ultimate restoration of mutually reinforcing conditions necessary for socio-economic development and long-term stability in Iraq.

UNDP therefore, has identified the requirement to hire a qualified professional to advise and assist in the project implementation in Qairwan, Sinjar, Ninewa. The consultant is expected to provide overall strategic and technical advice and assistance to implement and oversee the CSIP initiative in Qairwan in close collaboration with CSIP M&E Advisor, the external service provider and UNDP SSR/ RoL Project Manager. They will work  under the overall supervision and oversight of UNDP SSR/RoL Programme Manager.

In view of the ongoing COVID -19 health pandemic related containment measures for all UN Personnel in Iraq, the consultancy is expected to take place through remote working modality (home based). .The consultancy will be for a period of 50 working days (15 January – 31 March 2021). The CSIP Advisor is expected to deliver the following:

• Provide on-going advice and technical assistance to successfully implement the Community Security Integration Pilot (CSIP) in the target location in close consultation with UNDP CSIP M&E Advisor, external service provider and UNDP SSR/RoL Team.
• Review, analyse and finalize the key findings report from the Qairwan scoping assessment that also includes market research. The scoping assessment findings will also help set baseline to measure overall impact of the pilot. 
• Informed by the scoping findings, further refine and finalize the CSIP Standard Operating Procedures (SoP) to guide the CSIP process in Qairwan in close consultation with UNDP CSIP M&E Advisor and SSR/RoL team.
• Assist in the selection of beneficiaries working closely with the service provider and UNDP team.
• Implement the CSIP in the target location including assisting the documentation of the pilot’s  best practices, lessons learned and community feedback in close consultation the CSIP M&E Advisor and rest of UNDP SSR/RoL team.
• Write the CSIP internal monthly progress report in close consultation with UNDP CSIP M&E Advisor.
• Assist in the drafting of UNDP bi-monthly progress report to the donor.
• Develop CSIP lessons learned and, best practice report that will be published and, disseminated more widely in Iraq and beyond.
• Assist the SDN short-term consultant to undertake research and draft CSIP SDN paper.
• Any other task as advised by UNDP SSR/RoL Programme Manager.

Expected deliverables:

Under the supervision of the UNDP SSR/ RoL Programme Manager, the CSIP Advisor is expected to achieve the following deliverables:

Key performance indicators during implementation of deliverables will include the following:  

• Provision of clear and comprehensive deliverables specified under outputs.
• Timely completion of deliverables.
• Appropriate and regular coordination with all relevant stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal.
• Good team player as well as the ability to work on his/ her own initiative

REPORTING

The CSIP Advisor will report directly to the SSR/RoL Programme Manager. They will develop a mutually agreed quarterly deliverable activity plan with appropriate timelines. The CSIP Advisor will submit a monthly progress report against the agreed activity plan on a mutually agreed template

Schedule and Method of Payment

Payments will be made upon satisfactory completion of the deliverables outlined in the table above and, upon submission of acceptance of quarterly progress report mentioned above.  The payments will be made in 2 installments subject to UNDP Procurement procedures.

1. First payment – 35% of the total amount upon submission and acceptance of the 1st monthly report on 16 February 2021

2. Second and final payment – 65% of the total amount upon submission and acceptance of the 3rd and final monthly progress report on 31 March 2021

For each payment a certification of payment needs to be signed and approved by the SSR/RoL Programme Manager attached to it explaining the accomplishment of the deliverables corresponding to the respective monthly progress report.

Contract Duration:

Total contract duration will for a period of 50 working days.. The expected start and end dates: 15 January 2021 to 31 March 2021

A. Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in subjects related to peace, security and/ or conflict studies or other relevant subject matter areas.

 B. Work Experience

• At least 10 years professional experience working in the security and justice sector, community security, reintegration of former fighters or related issues in post-conflict settngs is essential.
• Previous professional experience in the security and justice sector or related field in Iraq will be an added advantage.
• Experience in designing and, implementing security and justice sector project, community security integration projects or similar initiatives in conflict/ post – conflict settings.
• Proven expertise in the field of security and justice sector or community security  is highly desirable.
• Proven capacity to engage with both national and local government interlocutors, community focal points and international stakeholders with strong liaison capacities and experience is essential.
• Experience and knowledge of monitoring and evaluation of security and justice sector projects will be an added advantage.

 C. Language

• Excellent command/ highly proficient in spoken and written English is essential.

 D. Competencies

Core Competencies:

 •        Ethics and Values.

• Organizational Awareness.
• Developing and Empowering People / Coaching and Mentoring.
• Working in Teams.
• Communicating Information and Ideas.

Functional Competencies:

 Technical/ Functional: 

• Strong knowledge and expertise in community security and reintegration of former fighters.
• Strong analysis skills and ability to synthesize complex inputs into coherent documents.
• Strong field experience in crisis and post -conflict environments.
• Excellent written and spoken English language skills. 

Managerial:

• Focuses on impact and result for the client.
• Leads teams effectively and shows conflict resolution skills.
• Establishes priorities for self and other members of the team; schedules activities to ensure optimum use of time and resources.
• Demonstrates excellent oral and written communication skills. 

Behavior:

• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and, adaptability.
• Treats people fairly without favoritism.
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.

Recommended Presentation of Offer

The following documents should be submitted:

1. Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the attached template provided by UNDP.
2. Personal CV or P11 (Personal History Form), indicating all your past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) and at least three (3) references;
3. Brief description of why you consider yourself as the most suitable for the assignment;
4. Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided. The term ‘all-inclusive fee’ implies that all costs (e.g. living expenses, fees, health insurance, vaccination costs, visa costs, travel to duty station costs, taxes and social security and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services). If you are employed by an organization/company/institution, and you expect your employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing you to UNDP under Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), you must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP. The interested candidates should provide their financial proposal on all-inclusive total lump sum for requested services with detailed breakdown.

IMPORTANT: The application is a separate two-step process. Failing to comply with the submission process may result in disqualifying the applicants.

Interested candidates must include the following documents when submitting the applications in UNDP Job Site (Please note that only 1 (one) file can be uploaded therefore please include all documents in one file)

• Personal CV or History Form (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 (P11 attached as Annex 2)
• Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable candidate for the assignment. Indicate available start date.
• Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the attached template provided by UNDP (Annex 3)

Selection Criteria

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodologies:

Cumulative analysis 

When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and

b) 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 70 point would be considered for the Financial Evaluation