Консультант/ка з розроблення тренінгової програми

Terms of References for Individual Consultant

1. Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a UN agency that works in about 170 countries and territories, helping eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities and exclusion, and build resilience. It thereby helps them sustain progress and achieve Sustainable Development Goals. In Ukraine, UNDP operates in three programme priorities, as defined by a Country Programme Document for 2025-2029, such as Democratic Governance and Inclusive Social Fabric, Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Recovery and Growth, Sustainable Environment and Energy Transformation.  

There are three projects “Democratization and Human Rights 2023–2026 Project”,
“Transformational Recovery for Human Security in Ukraine Project” and “EU4Recovery – Empowering Communities in Ukraine” under which this Terms of References (ToRs) is announced. All projects are the part of the Democratic Governance and Inclusive Social Fabric portfolio of projects that work to develop an equitable, inclusive, democratic society in Ukraine. It strives to ensure that Ukrainian society is more inclusive and cohesive with active civic space and more effective, accountable institutions that enable reform and recovery and safeguard the rule of law, human rights, and gender equality.

The war in Ukraine has caused significant loss of life, unprecedented internal and external displacement, and devastating destruction of infrastructure. UNDP’s core mission is to preserve development gains as fully as possible and to return Ukraine to pathways toward achieving the SDGs as quickly as possible.

On January 1, 2023, the United Nations Development Programme in Ukraine (UNDP), with financial support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, launched the “Democratization and Human Rights 2023–2026 Project.” Under this project, the Civil Society and Youth Support Project (CSYP) is being implemented until December 31, 2026.

Building on previous experience and aiming to support the strengthened resilience and early recovery of war-affected communities in selected target areas of Ukraine, UNDP and the European Union — a long-term partner — launched the “EU4Recovery – Empowering Communities in Ukraine” (EU4Recovery) project. The initiative ensures a multiplier effect by further expanding key interventions. EU4Recovery interventions are grouped under the following key objectives:

• Target communities have increased access to quality public services that respond to the needs of all population groups, with a particular focus on the most vulnerable.
• Community security is enhanced, and the social fabric is maintained in the project’s target areas.

EU4Recovery is being implemented using an area-based approach, ensuring that the synergies derived from a multi-sectoral approach maximize the impact on individuals’ lives at the community level.

At the same time Transformational Recovery for Human Security in Ukraine Project provides necessary support to the Government to ensure sustainability, effectiveness in the continued crisis and emergency coordination, response planning between the central government, the oblasts/rayons and other stakeholders. Also, this Project is aimed at strengthening government mechanisms and processes for crisis management and recovery process strengthened, with additional focus on needs and interests of certain war-affected population groups (youth and veterans).

The full-scale war in Ukraine has deeply impacted every young Ukrainian man and woman. According to the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, more than 2 million young people have become internally displaced, and another 2 million have been forced to leave the country. This constitutes 40% of Ukraine’s total youth population. In regions of Ukraine where active hostilities have ceased, youth centers and organizations have transformed their work since the first days of the war. They have operated as temporary shelters for internally displaced persons (IDPs), humanitarian aid collection centers, volunteer coordination hubs, and support centers for those in need. By the third year of the war, many centers had returned to their regular activities, focusing on enabling youth policy and creating opportunities for young people’s development.

In February 2025, Ministry of Defence of Ukraine introduced a new project to increase motivation for certain categories of citizens of Ukraine to perform military service in the Armed Forces during martial law (in the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Resolution`s of February 11, 2025 No.15 it is referred to as the experimental project). The purpose of the pilot project is to increase the level of personnel staffing of combat military units (subdivisions) of the Armed Forces by improving the mechanisms for attracting citizens of Ukraine aged 18 to 25 to perform military service under a contract and creating additional motivational factors for this. This voluntary contract service allows young people to receive competitive benefits (around 48,000 USD) and social guarantees that are not available in civilian life in 1 year (https://18-24.army.gov.ua/#about). With this new initiative the expected number of veterans below 35 years in future will increase dramatically.

In 2014, UNDP Ukraine launched the innovative Youth Worker Programme in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine. Over the past decade, the programme has evolved from a series of non-formal educational trainings for specialists working with youth into a state-certified system of non-formal education for professionals in the field of youth work and youth policy. The programme aims to build the capacities of public servants and civil society representatives working with youth, empowering young people with the skills necessary for active engagement in their communities and participation in local and national policy-making processes.

The Youth Worker Programme comprises three levels of training: 1. Basic course – an entry-level course introducing participants to the fundamentals of youth work; 2. Specialised courses – in-depth training on selected topics; 3. Training of Trainers (TOT) – preparing participants to become trainers in the field of youth work.

Over the years, several national and international organizations have supported the development of these courses, including the Council of Europe, UN Volunteers, UNFPA, NAUCS, and USAID.  The variety of courses were developed covering topics relevant to current work conditions and sectoral demand, including volunteer coordination, civic education for youth workers, advocacy in local communities (hromadas), digital tools for youth work, trauma-informed youth work, promoting healthy lifestyles, and more. UNDP has contributed significantly to the programme by developing the basic course for youth workers, the specialized course “Civic Education for Youth Workers,” the typical programme for public servants titled “Youth Work,” and the online course “Youth Work: From Theory to Practice”. In response to the Ministry of Youth and Sports’ request, UNDP will develop a specialized course focusing on youth work with veterans, recognizing that many veterans are/will be young people. This initiative aims to sensitize and strengthen the skills of professionals in the youth sector — both in civil service and civil society — enabling them to address the unique needs of young women and men veterans upon demobilization.

1. Main objective of the Assignment

To achieve these objectives, UNDP seeks to hire two national consultants (under separate but closely linked Terms of References (ToRs)) who will work collaboratively to create a robust knowledge base and profile of young veterans as well as develop inclusive and needs-driven capacity development programme for youth workers, to work with this specific demographic.  

1. Consultant No. 1: National Consultant with sociological and analytical skills profile for conducting research and co-designing methodology for the specialized training programme for youth workers on how to work with young veterans. Ref: UNDP-UKR-01183

1. Consultant No. 2: National Consultant with the background of methodologist, educator, and experienced Youth Worker for developing methodology for the specialized training programme for youth workers on how to work with young veterans. Ref:  UNDP-UKR-01184

Applicants may apply for one or both above-mentioned IC notices, based on their preferences and eligibility. However, due to the nature of the work and specific requirements of the assignments, a single successful applicant will be awarded only one contract. If an applicant is successful and ranked as no. 1 under both the notices, only one contract will be awarded to the applicant best determined by the combined scoring method under each notice with additional consideration to the cost effectiveness that provide the best value for money to UNDP.

The subject ToRs relates to Consultant No. 1.

In consultation with UNDP, they will engage strategically with relevant stakeholders to gather evidence on the specific needs and priorities of young veterans. Based on this, they will develop a methodology for a capacity-strengthening programme for youth workers, launch a pilot Training of Trainers (TOT) for youth workers, and provide mentorship to alumni during their initial training sessions in local communities. While hired through separate ToRs, the consultants will possess complementary skill sets and work closely together to achieve set objectives.

This joint collaboration aims to enrich the course’s content by drawing on the expertise of professionals from diverse backgrounds, ensuring that it adequately addresses the multifaceted needs of young veterans. Additionally, the involvement of two consultants allows for a more thorough examination of the intersection between youth issues and veteran experiences, fostering a holistic understanding that can inform the development of targeted interventions and services.

Ultimately, this dual approach not only enhances the skills of professionals within the youth sector but also strengthens the support network available to young veterans, thereby promoting their successful integration into civilian life.

These Terms of Reference entails the scope of work and expected deliverables for Consultant No.1 with sociological and analytical skills profile. 

III. Duties and responsibilities / Scope of work

To achieve the objective of the assignment, the selected Consultant will undertake the following activities:

1. Conduct comprehensive desk research and analyse existing local and international studies on the needs, experiences, and perspectives of young veterans. The Consultant No. 1 should look through the available databases in Ukraine to collect information for the comprehensive context analysis. This exercise will help to develop a portrait of young veterans in Ukraine and understand better the current state of affairs and the most pressing needs in this regard.
2. Analyze the existing in Ukraine veteran infrastructure and policy and do the mapping of various national and international organizations, initiatives and institutions that work in Ukraine with and for veterans/young veterans and their re-integration in order to create a stakeholder database that can be further used to engage in conducting interviews, focus groups and design session.
3. Conduct in-depth interviews and focus groups with a diverse array of experts and young veterans and focus group(s) with young veterans (at least 10 interviews and at least 5 online focus groups with at least 4 people and at least 1 group with female veterans) to fill knowledge gaps, identify specific needs voiced by young veterans of either gender, and evaluate potential strategies for effective support to this group. The interviews will include at least, but not only, representatives from the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, youth workers, practitioners in the local departments for veteran affairs, veteran CSOs or CSOs that support/work with veterans. Additionally, they will seek insights from representatives of the general veteran community to ensure a holistic understanding of the challenges and needs faced by this demographic.
4. Co-design and co-facilitate strategic brainstorming session in close collaboration with Consultant No. 2 with and for key stakeholders. During the 2-day offline brainstorming session present research findings, gather feedback, and co-develop a theoretical framework underpinning the future training programme. The format of strategic session might allow that Consultant No. 2 is leading the session, while Consultant No. 1 is supporting it.

UNDP will support with logistics related to the organization of the session  and will cover the related costs.

The strategic brainstorming session will serve as a platform for:

• Presenting Key Research Findings. Consultants will present the findings obtained from the desk research, interviews, and analysis conducted during the initial phase. These findings will offer a comprehensive understanding of the landscape, highlighting trends, challenges, and opportunities in working with young veterans.
• Co-create of the framework of the future course modules. Drawing upon the insights and recommendations generated through collaborative discourse, consultants will work alongside stakeholders to design tailored modules that address the identified needs and challenges.

The incumbent will promote UNDP’s mandate as a gender-responsive organization with zero tolerance for any kind of discriminatory and abusive behavior, including sexual harassment, and sexual misconduct and apply the UN System Code of Conduct.

(https://www.un.org/management/sites/www.un.org.management/files/un-system-model-code-conduct.pdf).

1. Deliverables

The following deliverables will be provided by Contractor.

1. Proposed payment schedule

Payment will be based upon satisfactory completion of deliverables upon review and acceptance by UNDP. UNDP will pay the negotiated amount in three (3) tranches as per delivery of tasks outlined above, according to the following payment schedule:

• first payment will be issued upon the completion of Deliverable 1 (40 % of the total contract amount).
• second payment will be issued upon completion of Deliverable 2 (40 % of the total contract amount).
• third payment will be issued upon completion of Deliverable 3 (20 % of the total contract amount).

1. Monitoring/reporting requirements

Consultant No. 1 shall report to the Civil Society Project Manager and the Youth Engagement & Volunteers Analyst. The payments shall be arranged in stages in accordance with the proposed payment scheme above and upon acceptance of the deliverables based on quality control and recommendations. The final report shall be submitted to UNDP no later than June 30 2025. 

Consultant No. 1 shall provide the necessary information and reports according to a preliminary determined schedule or as soon as possible (within a reasonable period of time). UNDP will be the ultimate authority to control the quality of work results and assess the performance during the assignment.

All reports should be transmitted to UNDP electronically (formats of: * .docx, * .xlsx, * .pptx, * .pdf) on the electronic source or in the form of electronic communication with the attached final product in the Ukrainian language.

All information and products produced by the Consultants under this assignment will remain property of UNDP Ukraine.

VII. Experience and qualification requirements

• At least a Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, humanities or other relevant fields.
• At least three (3) years of demonstrated experience in conducting comprehensive desk research, analyzing studies, and synthesizing qualitative and quantitative data.

• Proven track record of conducting interviews, focus groups, or participatory research activities, including with such groups as veterans, youth, or marginalized populations, at least one project with at least 10 interviews, 5 focus groups conducted in the last five years.
• Experience with the veteran policy and/or veteran-related projects will be considered an asset.
• At least two (2) samples/ overview of the developed reports/analytical paper (to be included in the respective CV section or prepared as a separate document).
• Fluent writing, editing and oral communication skills in Ukrainian. Working knowledge of English would be considered as an asset (the information should be clearly reflected in an applicant’s CV).

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.
• Fulfils all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

VIII. Documents to be included when submitting the proposal

Applicants shall submit the following documents:

1. Financial proposal.

 Lump sum contract

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 instalments or upon completion of the entire contract). Payments are based upon output, 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 a number of anticipated working days).

The Consultant will be responsible for all personal administrative expenses associated with undertaking this assignment including office accommodation, printing, stationary, telephone and electronic communications, and report copies incurred in this assignment.

Travel costs

Not applicable for the assignment.

Should any travel be necessary in connection to this TOR, UNDP will reimburse the expenses based on the duly authorized travel details, including travel and per diems. In general, UNDP should not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources. In the case of unforeseeable travel, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.

1. Evaluation criteria

Maximum available technical score – 70 points.

Minimum available technical score – 49 points.

Note: Applicants may apply for one or both IC notices, mentioned above under section II – Main objective of the Assignment, based on their preferences and eligibility. However, due to the nature of the work and specific requirements of the assignments, a single successful applicant will be awarded only one contract. If an applicant is successful and ranked as no. 1 under both the notices, only one contract will be awarded to the applicant best determined by the combined scoring method under each notice with additional consideration to the cost effectiveness that provide the best value for money to UNDP.

1. Evaluation method

 Cumulative analysis

Contract award shall be made to the incumbent whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

1. a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and
2. b) having received the cumulative 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 70% from the maximum available technical score (49 points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

The maximum number of points assigned to the financial proposal is allocated to the lowest price proposal and will equal to 30. All other price proposals will be evaluated and assigned points, as per below formula:

30 points [max points available for financial part] x [lowest of all evaluated offered prices among responsive offers] / [evaluated price].

The proposal obtaining the overall cumulatively highest score after adding the score of the technical proposal and the financial proposal will be considered as the most compliant offer. After successful completion of the validation interview, the offeror will be awarded a contract.

Application – https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_negotiation.cfm?nego_id=31376