National Consultant: Programme Support - NRP-PD

Background

National Resilience Programme (NRP) is working to sustain the resilience of human and economic development in Bangladesh through inclusive, gender responsive disaster management and risk in-formed development. NRP is a joint programme being implemented by four agencies of Government of Bangladesh: Department of Disaster Management, Programming Division of Bangladesh Planning Commission, Department of Women Affairs and Local Government Engineering Department. NRP-Programming Division (NRP-PD) Part is designed to enhance the capacities for gender responsive, disability inclusive risk-informed public and private investment. The specific objectives of NRP- Programming Division Part are:

Capacity building for gender responsive, inclusive and risk informed development planning
Facilitate access to information on disaster and climate risk through establishing a digital platform
Enhance the capacity within the Planning Commission for disaster and climate risk screening of project
Enhance knowledge base on disaster and climate risks in Government of Bangladesh implementing agencies
Strengthening knowledge base on disaster risk for private sector investment and promote business continuity plan

The National Resilience Programme (NRP) being implemented by the Programming Division of Planning Commission is promoting risk informed public and private investments in the country. As a part of this process, the project takes initiatives for building capacities of public and private sector officials to equip them with knowledge and skills for integrating disaster and climate change related risks into their investments. Therefore, the project has planned to arrange a series of training (04 one-day non-residential refreshers’ training on risk-informed development planning and 06 four-days residential training on risk-informed development planning during project period for government officials of different ministries/divisions/departments. The project will also organize trainings for business communities to promote risk-informed business practices in Bangladesh. In this connection, UNDP Bangladesh is seeking to hire a national consultant to provide the necessary administrative and logistics supports for implementing National Resilience Programme.

Duties and Responsibilities

OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The objective of this assignment is to support Project Director and the Project Team for delivering trainings and other project related activities with highest professional standard.

SCOPE OF THE WORK

The mentioned position will serve as consultant for NRP-Programming Division Part located in Programming Division of Bangladesh Planning Commission. S/he will provide co-ordination, technical support and services maintaining liaison with other individual and institutions for planning and implementation of training and project activities mentioned in the project document within the time frame. The assignment will require estimated 40 days over 06 months of consulting services starting from February 20, 2022 to August 20, 2022.

The selected consultant will thoroughly study the TOR and prepare an elaborated work plan in consultation with Project Director of NRP-PD and NRP-PD team to ensure a shared understanding regarding his/her duties and responsibilities. The detail of his/her activities is as follows.

Organize and coordinate training events and documentation

Coordinate, design, and implementation of training events targeting GoB and private sectors including developing training plans and ‘fit-for-purpose’ training methodologies;
Coordinate with relevant experts/consultants for their technical inputs/participation as resource persons and support in managing international training;
In close collaboration with NRP-PD team, undertake pre-training arrangements and manage logistics service providers and consultants to complete the trainings, and disburse allowances & fees to the resource persons and participants in accordance with the GOB and UNDP guidelines;
Plan, design and conduct pre- and post-training assessment /evaluation and prepare training reports accordingly; and
Preserver and document all training programmes including final training documents (manual and power point slides, group work exercise etc.), contact lists of participants, participants’ nominating letter, photos, and other levant materials.

Knowledge sharing and promoting learning

Organize trainings and learning events to promote a knowledge sharing and learning culture among GoB professionals in consultation with the Government and UNDP;
Build relationships with internal and external sources of knowledge (e.g. multilateral and bilateral research institutes, think tanks) and maintain liaise national government training institutes to introduce the training manuals/modules into their annual training programmes;
Systematically and strategically share experience, lessons learnt from the training activities with NRP-PD team to ensure strategic priorities of knowledge management; and
Assist in the evaluation of previously completed trainings.

Administrative and logistics support

Organize and maintain training files, communication products and maintain training participants’ database mailing lists;
Provide all logistical and administrative support to NRP-PD team in organizing meetings/ workshops/seminars/events as required; and
Drafting letters (Bangla and English) and perform tasks as may be assigned by the project director and/or Project Manager.

TIMEFRAME, DELIBERABLES AND PAYMENTS

The consultant will present appropriate work modality/approach, detail ToR. Other interim reports may be produced to facilitate the completion of the assignment, at the discretion of the consultant. The consultant will ensure comprehensive, coherent, high-quality reporting, in clear and professional format. In case of doubt, the project manager will determine the format of reporting.

The financial proposal shall specify daily fees and total fees and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables (i.e., whether payments fall in instalments or upon completion of the entire contract). Payments are based upon output, i.e., upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR.

The deliverables are linked with the payment schedule, is as follows:

Sl. no.

Deliverables

Deadline of deliverable

Payment Schedule

Training Plan/training calendar for NRP-PD;
Coordinate, design, and implementation of training events targeting GoB and private sectors

Payment will be processed for the number of days worked at the end of every two months along with submission of required deliverables produced during that time.

Three instalments (based on working days at the end of every two month)

2.

Training background paper(s), participants’ list, training ppts, training reports including pre and post evaluation of respective trainings; liaise with Resource Persons

3.

Preserver and documentation of all training programmes

4.

Organize and maintain training files, communication products and maintain training participants’ database mailing lists;
Provide all logistical and administrative support to NRP-PD team in organizing meetings/ workshops/seminars/events as required; and
Drafting letters (Bangla and English) and perform tasks as may be assigned by the project director and/or Project Manager.

SUPERVISION AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

The consultant will be contracted by the UNDP Bangladesh (on behalf of the Government of Bangladesh) under UNDP’s standard rules, condition, and regulations. The consultant will report to Project Manager, NRP-PD. Project Manager will provide oversight and quality assurance who will also carry out performance evaluation after completion of the assignment.

DOCUMENTS:

The Consultant will prepare and submit the documents mentioned above at the assignment deadline dates. Further work, or revision of the documents, may be required if it does not meet the UNDP standards, requirements of TOR, or if there are errors of fact or the document is incomplete or not of an acceptable standard.

INPUTS:

The NRP- Programming Division Part will provide office space for desk works if needed. The consultant needs to arrange own laptop in performing works and travel for data collection and other related activities to perform their tasks, as required.

Duty Station

The consultant’s duty station will be in Dhaka. The NRP- Programming Division Part will provide office space for desk works, if needed. The consultant needs to arrange own computer/laptop in performing works. The consultant should take all safety measures related to COVID-19 during the field visit or any other activity of the consultancy.

Note that no DSA and travel cost will be paid at the duty station. In general, UNDP should not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel to a higher class, he/she should do so using their own resources. However, if unforeseen travel outside the duty station not required by the Terms of Reference is requested by UNDP, and upon prior agreement/approval, such travel shall be UNDP’s expenses and the individual contractor shall receive a per-diem not to exceed United Nations daily subsistence allowance rate in such other location(s).

Competencies

Ability to maintain effective working relationships with a diversified group of people under trying and stressful conditions;
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate and work well with diverse people; innovative approach in communication with multidisciplinary teams
Ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure;
Integrity and modelling of UN corporate values;

Required Skills and Experience

Academic qualification

Advanced University degree (Master or equivalent and above) in Development Studies/ Disaster Management/ Sociology / Geography and Environmental Sciences or any other relevant subjects.

Experience

Minimum 05 years work experience with GoB or INGOs / UN agencies or private sectors in the area of programme/ project management support;
At least 01 year of direct experience in managing training programmes on disaster risk management and, risk informed development programmes for public and private sector institutions (including Planning Commission);
Excellent oral and written English and Bangla communication skills.