Consultant – POA Global Synthesis Report Writer

Location : Home-based Application Deadline :12-Dec-19 (Midnight New York, USA) Time left :11d 15h 22m Type of Contract :Individual Contract Post Level :International Consultant Languages Required : English Starting Date : (date when the selected candidate is expected to start)08-Jan-2020 Duration of Initial Contract :40 days over 5 month period Expected Duration of Assignment :40 days over 5 month period REFER A FRIEND APPLY NOW Background The Plan of Action to Integrate Volunteering into the 2030 Agenda (POA) is a framework under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) through which governments, volunteer-involving organizations, UN agencies, private sector, civil society, and academia come together to strengthen people’s ownership of the 2030 Agenda, integrate volunteering in national strategies and policies, and measure the contribution of volunteering to the SDGs. As part of the Plan of Action and as requested by United Nations General Assembly (GA) Resolutions A/RES/70/129 and A/RES/73/140, the United Nations Volunteers programme and the International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies will chair a Global Technical Meeting (GTM2020) at the 2020 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) on the topic of “Reimagining volunteerism for the 2030 Agenda.” The Plan of Action recognizes that evidence-building must be global and inclusive: “A collective and shared global volunteerism research agenda will allow for greater resourcing, collecting and dissemination of key evidence. Strengthening the evidence of the impact of volunteerism and sharing related knowledge within and beyond the volunteer community is a prerequisite for effectively influencing policies, programming and joint action” (Plan of Action, para 95). According to the GA Resolutions and associated UN Reports of the UN Secretary-General, the ‘foundations’ of the GTM2020 should be built by a broad and diverse evidence base, and include evidence gathered and analyzed through National Situational Analyses in 2017-2018 and regional POA consultations hosted by the UN Regional Commissions during the 2019 Regional Forums on Sustainable Development. In addition, the evidence base should include new data and analysis generated in the first half of 2020 through four POA ‘workstreams’ coordinated by UNV, IFRC and other POA stakeholders. Evidence should come from a wide range of stakeholders including Member States, civil society, academia and the private sector, with a strong focus on data and analysis from the global South and on types of volunteering that have been traditionally ignored. Key questions to be covered in the evidence include looking at how volunteer contributions are distributed across the SDGs; where and why volunteers are best placed to meet certain targets; consideration of current and future trends; where and why there are gaps and challenges; and what steps could be taken to accelerate progress in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Duties and Responsibilities Under the guidance of the VASS Policy Specialist, the consultant will produce a report of approximately 10,000 words (excluding references) that should adhere to UNV publication standards and be published as a key input to the GTM2020. The report will take stock of volunteering efforts five years into the implementation of the SDGs to support preparation and discussion at the GTM2020. It will synthesize evidence and lessons learned, and present key challenges and solutions to how volunteering can be better supported, more closely integrated and more effective in driving the 2030 Agenda forward, while generating interest and building momentum for the GTM2020 among existing and new stakeholders. The provisional title of the report is “20 Questions for 2020 Volunteering”. The proposed structure of the report will be two equal-length sections: A) a synthesis section, and B) a “20 Questions” section. Section A will be written by the consultant drawing on a range of materials developed through the POA process and secondary evidence from elsewhere. Section B will consist of voluntary guest contributions written by POA stakeholders selected through an open and transparent process as part of the four POA workstreams, with the consultant given the responsibility of coordinating these authors, editing their submissions to ensure similar voice and avoidance of repetition, and integrating their contributions into the main report text. The consultant will be supported and guided by feedback from a report reference group and the POA Expert Group, who will help to ensure the content is relevant, inclusive and of high quality. Section A will contextualize the Report within the broader 2030 Agenda and synthesize trends and evidence on volunteering for the SDGs. The format of this section will be arranged around themes that emerge strongly from an evidence review conducted by the consultant, as well as align with the key topics being explored under the POA workstreams. These will include volunteering responses to complex SDG challenges including climate change and inequality; support by Member States, the private sector, civil society and others to create an enabling environment for volunteering; and research and measurement of volunteering scale, scope and impact. All analysis should look at implications for different and marginalized groups, particularly the unequal burden borne by women and vulnerable groups in emergencies, and the scope for their empowerment. Building on the backwards-looking synthesis, the forward-looking Section B content will address key challenges that need to be overcome to realize the potential of volunteerism for 2020-2030 and some recommended actions and solutions. It will consist of 20 ‘questions’ that raise issues required to properly “reimagine” volunteering for 2020-2030 and beyond. Each question will be determined by the four POA workstreams, with a half-page length contribution written by a POA stakeholder on each question, organized around a template with two main components: Why is this question important? (context within the 2030 Agenda); and What can we do to address it? (recommendations with good practices). Across the 20 question contributions, analysis should lead to the identification of some key gaps and challenges, and review important synergies between volunteering and coordination, funding and accountability mechanisms. Where appropriate, attention should also be paid to innovations – including digital infrastructure and private sector cooperation – that multiply and enhance the power of volunteerism. It will include analysis of how volunteering can promote inclusivity and reduce inequality awareness, advocacy, and opportunities for cross-community, cross-border, and cross-sectoral cooperation. The role of the consultant in the production of Section B will be to coordinate and liaise with the 20 guest authors to ensure timely and quality submission, to review and give feedback on draft guest contributions, and to edit and integrate final guest contributions into the main report text to ensure quality and cohesion. In addition to writing Section A, and editing, coordinating and integrating Section B, the consultant will also be required to produce a short concluding section, as well as full references and annexes. Indicative structure of the paper to be developed: i. Background and introduction (2 pages, to be written by consultant) - placing the report in the context of the POA process; - positioning the analysis within broader challenges and debates of the 2030 Agenda; - framing of the report within the HLPF 2020 theme; - explanation of the structure and methodology of the report. ii. Assessment and synthesis of existing trends, evidence, challenges and good practices (8 pages, to be written by consultant) - trends in volunteering scale, scope, and types, with regional and localised sub-trends; - assessment of structures and institutional arrangements that support volunteering; - analysis of contributions of volunteering to SDG targets and key 2030 Agenda frameworks; - discussion of evidence and measurement practices; iii. 20 Questions (10 pages, to be written by multiple authors, with coordination, feedback and substantive editing from the consultant). Authors to be selected by the POA workstreams and to include Member States, civil society, private sector, academia. Authors to have representative geographic, age, sectoral and gender balance. iv. Summing up (to be written by the consultant, 2 pages) v. Full reference list with at least ten references coming from the Global South (to be written by the consultant) vi. Annexes (to be written by the consultant) Deliverables and due dates 1- Outline of paper approach, themes, key sources and structure, following a rapid review of the available evidence (2 pages minimum) - January 20th 2020 2- Submission of first draft of Section A for feedback, including from the report reference group and POA Expert Group - February 20th 2020 3- Submission of contributions of guest authors to consultant for editing and integration into main report - March 31st 2020 4- Submission of second draft, with integration of feedback and guest contributions (Section’s A and B) - April 5th 2020 5- Presentation of second draft to the POA Expert Group for discussion and feedback - April 9th 2020 6- Full draft report submitted, including concluding section, references and annexes, for final feedback- April 30th 2020 7- Final editing and integration of feedback, for final submission of report including all components, to UNV, for copyediting, translation and layout - May 10th 2020 Total number of days: 40 days Competencies

Excellent report writing skills, with demonstrated ability to synthesise evidence and write global and/or regional reports in English;
Excellent knowledge of the 2030 Agenda and sustainable development;
Strong research and analytical skills;
Strong knowledge of volunteering, citizen action and/or participatory development;
Ability to work independently.

Required Skills and Experience Education; Advanced university degree (Master’s and above) in social, political, or economic sciences. Experience; At least 10 years’ relevant experience in research and policy on sustainable development, including within the framework of 2030 Agenda and the SDGs ; At least 7 years experience producing reports on development issues; Experience of research and policy engagement on related issues (volunteerism, enabling environment for volunteering and citizen engagement) and strong experience working with or on the global South. Language requirement. English. Other UN languages an asset. Criteria for Selection of the best Offer The selection of the best offer will be based on the combined scoring method, where the qualifications and methodology will be weighted 70 percent, and then combined with the price offer, which will be weighted 30 percent. Key selection criteria are

Demonstrated track record writing and publishing on volunteerism and/or related issues (incl. participation, engagement, SDGs, Agenda 2030) (30%)
Proven experience in policy research and analysis (25%)
Experience working on the global south (15%)
Financial proposal (30%)

Application procedure Applicants have to provide a technical and financial proposal. The technical proposal shall consist of:

Motivation Letter describing their interest in the assignment and why they are the most suitable for the work;
Latest personal CV or P11, including past experience in similar projects and at least three references
A technical proposal: shall describe the methodology and the approach on how to fulfil the required deliverables as well as outline the major components of its implementation;

The financial proposal shall consist of

Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability-please fill in the attached form LINK; The financial proposal shall consist of an all-inclusive lump sum for the whole duration of the contract period, which shall include the consultancy fee, costs of living, costs for insurance, and cost of travel to and from the duty station. The financial proposal shall also contain a breakdown of these costs. The lump sum/contract price is fixed regardless of subsequent changes in the cost components

PLEASE NOTE THAT INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR FURTHER EVALUATION Qualified women and members of social minorities are encouraged to apply. Due to the large number of applications we receive, we are only able to inform the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process. How to Submit the Application: To submit your application online, please follow the steps below:

Merge your Cover Letter, CV, Technical Proposal and Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability (including the financial proposal) into a single file. The system does not allow for more than one attachment to be uploaded;
Click on the Job Title (job vacancy announcement);
Click “Apply Now” button, fill in necessary information on the first page, and then click “Submit Application;”
Upload your application/single file as indicated above with the merged documents (underlined above);
You will receive an automatic response to your email confirming receipt of your application by the system.

Queries should be sent to : procurement@unv.org, clearly marking: 0094171 - Consultant - POA Global Synthesis Report Writer For your reference, kindly find the link to Individual Contract template and General Terms and Conditions. Applications sent by email will not be considered. 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.

Tags: UNDP