National Consultant for developing the citizen participation software

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, as envisaged by 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We are on the ground in more than 170 countries and territories, working with governments and people on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. In line with the UN Secretary General’s reform agenda and the guidance of Member States, the UNDP’s new Strategic Plan (2022-2025) sets out new ways of working to deliver on UNDP’s vision by helping countries to eradicate extreme poverty, supporting them to quickly modernize key sectors to work better for sustainable development, and enabling them to prevent crisis and recover faster.

In Thailand, UNDP has been promoting and supporting the localization of the SDGs, ensuring that the richness of partnerships and experiences effectively contributes to UNDP’s overall corporate commitment on supporting the implementation of the SDGs. As defined by the UNDP, effective local governance refers to “subnational institutions, systems, and processes that provide services to citizens and through which citizens articulate their interests and needs, mediate their differences, and exercise their rights and obligations.” It is key in reducing inequalities, in enhancing relations between people and institutions, and in promoting peace in rural and urban settings. Exchanges in our societies and interaction with people, groups, companies, ideas and values are often occurring at the local level based on territorial needs and samples of how to address development challenges. In this context, local authorities have a growing framework for action that may help prevent and transform conflicts and, at the same time, enhance citizen participation.

The current COVID-19 crisis has brought us significant lessons as to the potential of digital tools to ensure business continuity, deliver services to populations, engaging with individuals and organisations and ensuring that the debates and solutions to the current challenges can be discussed and implemented effectively. COVID-19 has also raised the importance of the implementation of the Agenda 2030 from a multiparty and disciplinary approach based on local needs and civic engagement to build back better and recover.

Considering the above elements, UNDP Accelerator Lab in Thailand is looking for a consultant to develop the open-source code of the free software known as CONSUL to support digital civic engagement for regions and cities around the 2030 Agenda and the localization of the SDGs by ensuring the articulation of territorial actors and fostering social innovation. CONSUL is one of the most complete citizen participation tools for an open, transparent and democratic government that can be used by any person or entity. It is an open software platform released in 2014 by Madrid city council and applied later by several institutions in different countries. Cities such as Quito, Lima, New York, Praia and Paris have used the software to promote civic consultations and engagement around key issues in their urban areas.

Scope of Work:

Overall responsibilities:

• Design the development of the open-source code of the free software known as CONSUL
• Familiarize with the CONSUL’s Github repository, documentation, and other translation work done on CONSUL which is managed using the Crowdin cloud based localization management platform
• Set up a local installation of the Web Application
• Translation into Thai Language
• Set up and verify that the website is mobile friendly
• Set up a production server and publish the translated application
• Host the website until December 31th, 2022
• Add new functionalities and/or add minor changes to the existing application as tasked by the Project manager

Expected Outputs and Deliverables:

The consultant is expected to produce the following deliverables:

Institutional Arrangement:

The Consultant will be engaged on a short-term basis from 25November 2021 – 15 February 2022

under the Individual Contract arrangement. The assignment will be delivered under the direct supervision of the Head of Exploration, UNDP Accelerator Lab Thailand.

Duration of the Work:

25 November 2021 –15 February2022, for maximum 50 days worked

Duty Station:

Home-based, Thailand, with no travel required.

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly without favouritism.

Technical Competencies:

• Analytic capacity and demonstrated ability to process, analyse and synthesise complex, technical information;
• Proven ability to support the development of high quality knowledge and training materials, and to train technical teams;
• Proven experience in the developing country context and working in different cultural settings.

Communication:

• Communicate effectively in writing to a varied and broad audience in a simple and concise manner.

Professionalism:

• Capable of working in a high pressure environment with sharp and frequent deadlines, managing many tasks simultaneously;
• Excellent analytical and organizational skills.

Teamwork:

• Projects a positive image and is ready to take on a wide range of tasks;
• Focuses on results for the client;
• Welcomes constructive feedback.

Qualifications:

Academic Qualifications:

• Minimum Master Degree in computer engineer, data science or related field.

Years of experience:

• Minimum  10 years of proven experience in coding, developing software programming and applying digital technologies in addressing sustainability related issues and the Sustainable Development Goals;
• Minimum  7 years of professional experience in coding and elaboration/ development of free software;
• Minimum 2 year of demonstrated experience in Ruby on Rails development (https://guides.rubyonrails.org/engines.html)
• Strong ongoing knowledge of digital technologies and its applications;
• Previous experience developing projects aimed at helping a local or regional government to engage citizen and address sustainability issues

Language:

• English and Thai languages are needed

Competencies:

Core competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
• Treats all people fairly without favouritism;
• Fulfils all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Functional competencies:

• Strong local networks with organizations working on digital technologies and sustainable development including government, academia, etc.
• Strong ongoing knowledge of national development priorities and digital technology’s applications
• Excellent advocacy skills
• Strong communication skills, including ability to produce high quality practical platform and knowledge products

Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

Consultant must send a financial proposal on professional fee based on Lump Sum amount. The total      amount quoted shall be include all costs components to perform the deliverables identified in the TOR, included travel cost. The cost should include professional feeand any other applicable cost to be incurred by the IC in completing the assignment.

The contract price will be fixed output-based price regardless of extension of the herein specified duration. Payments will be done upon completion of the deliverables/outputs and as per below.:

Payment terms:

• First payment – 40% of total contract amount upon the completion of the first deliverable
• Second payment – 30% of total contract amount upon the completion of the second deliverable
• Third payment – 30% of total contract amount upon the completion of the third deliverable

UNDP will not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the Consultant wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources.

In the event of unforeseeable travel not anticipated in this TOR, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and the Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.

Both international and domestic travel costs shall be paid at actual but not exceeding the quotation from UNDP approved travel agent.

Evaluation Method and Criteria

The Individual Consultant 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 a) responsive/compliant/acceptable; and b) having received the highest score out of set of weighted technical criteria (70%). and financial criteria (30%). Financial score shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal received by UNDP for the assignment.

Technical Criteria for Evaluation (Maximum 70 points)

**Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% or above in the Technical evaluation would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

DOCUMENTS TO BE INCLUDED WHEN SUBMITTING THE PROPOSALS

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Please group them into one (1) single PDF document as the application only allows to upload maximum one document:

• Personal CV, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) and at least three (3) professional references;
• Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability and financial proposal using the template provided by UNDP.  Note: National consultants must quote prices in Thai Baht.

Incomplete proposals may not be considered.  The shortlisted candidates may be contacted and the successful candidate will be notified.

ANNEXES

Annex I – TOR_Developing citizen participation Software

Annex II – General_Terms_and_Conditions_for_Contracts_Individual_Consultants

Annex III – Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability and financial proposal

All documents can be downloaded at: https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=85161