International Consultant to Support NHDR in Lao PDR

Background

“Human development is about people, about expanding their choices to live full, creative lives with freedom and dignity. Economic growth, increased trade and investment, technological advance – all are very important. But they are means, not ends. Fundamental to expanding human choices is building human capabilities: the range of things that people can be. The most basic capabilities for human development are living a long and healthy life, being educated, having a decent standard of living and enjoying political and civil freedoms to participate in the life of one’s community.”1For more than a decade, national and regional Human Development Report (HDR) teams have been helping to advance the human development conceptual framework and apply it to the most pressing development challenges of the day. Now published in over 135 countries, these reports, grounded in thorough analytic research, have become dynamic advocacy tools. They are helping to generate lively debates around the policies and actions needed to accelerate human development and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.Lao PDR has so far produced five NHDRs. The latest NHDR, published in 2017, explored the development challenges in the Lao PDR in the context of a Least Developed Country. The report identifies policy recommendations for the country in preparing for the graduation from the LDC status by 2024. One of the key challenges was that Lao PDR had a relatively low level of human capital. For instance, compared to the ASEAN countries, Lao PDR’s workforce is “the least literate and numerate”. With the young population expecting to increase in the coming years, addressing these issues will require careful assessment in order for the country to gain benefits from the so-called “Demographic Dividend”. The demographic transition will have significant implication for Lao PDR provided that appropriate policy interventions are implemented to improve the skills of workforce to provide more and better-paying job opportunities to the skilled workforce. To this end, investing in human capital must be accompanied by creating better business enabling environment for the private sector.The theme for NHDR 2021 focuses on harnessing the potential of youth and their roles in supporting the country to achieve the national development plan by 2025, a smooth transition from LDC graduation by 2026, and sustainable development goals in 2030. Four areas are identified: 1) the role of youth engagement in the national planning development process; 2) human resource requirements and skill development allowing for demographic dividend to be realised; 3) economic opportunities for youth, including social protection, labour migration, and the role of technology and innovation supporting youth empowerment; and 4) understanding social norms and social problems that pose barriers for youth to becoming productive and responsible members of the society. The report will also aim to highlight the impacts of COVID-19 on youth development, including how it has been disrupting the education and employment opportunities.(for detail, see the Draft NDHR 2021 Concept Note)

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of key functions:The core team of the Lao PDR’s NHDR 2021 will comprise of technical team from UNDP and Ministry of Planning and Investment, with support from local researchers. The International Lead consultant will act as an integrator role to consolidate and revise the inputs from all team members across all chapters to ensure data quality and consistency. The Consultant will report directly to UNDP Economist, Team Leader of Poverty and Livelihood Unit and the Director General of the Centre of Development Policy Research of the Ministry of Planning and Investment. The key tasks and responsibilities of the NHDR Lead Author are as follows:1. Coordinate the process of preparing Lao PDR NHDR 2021 to ensure that the NHDR content and data meet the guidelines of the HDR Toolkit for National & Regional Human Development Report.2. Contributes substantively to the preparation of the report, including providing guidance to data gathering method, literature review, policy assessment, and organizational structure of the report, to ensure the interlinkage between chapters; and3. Promotes a participatory approach to the preparation of the report, and participate in its promotion and dissemination to wider stakeholder possible.

1. Coordinate the NHDR writing process ensuring that:

• A smooth communication among all team members takes place in all phases of the process;
• An efficient and effective division of labour is allowing all team members to focus on their chapters, and the specific approach required by the various sectors, while facilitating cross fertilisation through brainstorming, joint reviews and collaboration.
• All team members respect standards and procedures as codified by the NHDR Toolkit2

2. Contribute to the preparation of the report in terms of:

• Support the drafting of the introductory chapter to set the scenes and the final chapter on conclusions and recommendations.
• Ensure that the NHDR content and data meet the guidelines of the HDR Toolkit for National & Regional Human Development Report.
• Provide editorial supports to chapters prepared by respective core research team.
• Provide on-going guidance, advice and substantive comments to the contributions at defined stages in the process, and ensures adequate reviews and consultations, particularly on sensitive topics and materials,
• Edit the various draft of the NHDR to ensure consistency throughout the report and to include comments and suggestions received during the consultation process to the possible extent.

3. Ensure a participatory approach and the promotion of the report by:

• Ensuring that all members of the NHDR team consult relevant stakeholders during the preparation of their contributions;
• Actively participating in the consultation process organised throughout the preparation of the report;
• In close collaboration with the UNDP and CDR team, brief counterparts on process and findings as they emerge; and
• Participating at the launch of the NHDR and other follow up events.

Competencies

• Demonstrates leadership, team building and coordinating skills
• Demonstrates commitment to human development principles and values.
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
• Shares knowledge and experience
• Provides helpful feedback and advice
• Strong analytical skills
• Plans and produces quality results to meet established goals
• Generates innovative, practical solutions to challenging situations
• Conceptualizes and analyzes problems to identify key issues, underlying problems, and how they relate
• Demonstrates substantive and technical knowledge to meet responsibilities and post requirements with excellence
• Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities
• Responds positively to critical feedback and differing points of view

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Internationally recognized degree (preferably PhD level) in economics, public policy, development studies, social sciences or related fields.

Experiences:

• At least 10 years of relevant experience in the Academia or research institutions, with a focus on socio-economic analysis, experience with gendered analysis and the development of composite indices, and youth policy in developing countries.
• Relevant working experiences in conducting policy research, participating in, organizing, and quality controlling policy research and debates and conducting policy advocacy; experiences in preparing HDRs/NHDRs are assets.
• Sound knowledge and understandings of Human Development concepts and approaches as experiences in applying these to policy questions as well as on HDR/NHDR processes.
• Familiarity with UNDP/HDRO Corporate NHDR policy, NHDR principles and quality criteria is required.
• Experience with preparation of regional or national HDR will be highly desirable;
• Good understanding of Lao political and economic context is an asset;
• Excellent command of English and working knowledge of Lao language will be advantageous but not required.

Requirements for submission of proposals:

All interested and qualified International Consultant should apply on-line using the following links:

UNDP Lao PDR Country Office website at https://www.la.undp.org/content/lao_pdr/en/home/jobs.html  or 

In order to make your submission, please read the relevant documents available on the link below

1.  TOR (Annex I)
2. IC General Terms and Conditions _ Annex II;
3. OFFEROR’S LETTER TO UNDP CONFIRMING INTEREST AND AVAILABILITY _ Annex III
4. P11 Form

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals:

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

1. Technical Proposal  

       (i)     Explaining why you are the most suitable for the work;

       (ii) Providing a brief methodology on how you will approach and conduct the work including the work schedule for the delivery of outputs/deliverable;

      (iii) P11 Form  Education and work experience, including past experience in similar projects and contact references of at least 3 references for whom you have rendered preferably the similar services;

2. Financial proposal: OFFEROR’S LETTER TO UNDP

     (i)  Detailed financial proposal: Lump sum offer with clear cost breakdown against each deliverable.

Note: The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables (i.e. whether payments fall in installments or upon completion of the entire contract). Payments are based upon monthly outputs, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR.  In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (including travel, per diems, and number of anticipated working days). All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. UNDP accept travel costs not exceeding of an economy class air ticket.

Instructions for on-line submissions:

1. Step 1:  Please prepare all required documents electronically;
2. Step 2: Combine all documents in ONE SINGLE FILE (preferably in PDF however Word format can be also accepted) and upload to the UNDP Jobs using the links above;
3. Step 3: After that you will receive an auto reply from the UNDP jobs if your offer is received successfully.

Incomplete proposals or proposals received after the deadline will be rejected.

Please kindly refer to the Terms of Reference Annex I for MORE detailed information: