National Individual Consultant (IC) for development of a short-term course “Installation and repair of water supply systems” based on the educational online plаtform “Moodle” for the Centers for Vocational Education of State Employment Service of Ukraine

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT

https://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_job.cfm?cur_job_id=108721

1. Background/Project Description

The ongoing military aggression of Russian Federation against Ukraine has had a direct and highly negative impact on social cohesion, resilience, livelihoods, community security, and the rule of law throughout the country. Recognizing the need to urgently address reconstruction, economic recovery and peacebuilding needs in areas affected both directly and indirectly by the war, the government of Ukraine requested technical assistance and financial support from the international community.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been present and active in eastern Ukraine for the past decade, even prior to the conflict in 2014, with a focus on community development, civil society development, and environmental protection. Work on addressing the specific, conflict-related development challenges started in 2015 through the United Nations Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme (UN RPP), building on this earlier engagement and establishing new partnerships. Today, the UN RPP is being implemented by four United Nations agencies: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The programme is supported by 12 international partners: the European Union, the European Investment Bank and the governments of Canada, Denmark, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and USA.

The UN RPP was designed to respond to, and mitigate, the causes and effects of the conflict in eastern Ukraine. It is based on the findings of the Recovery and Peacebuilding Assessment (RPA) and is aligned to the State Target Programme for Recovery, as well as to the two oblast (Donetsk and Luhansk) development strategies up to 2020. UN RPP is also fully adjusted to the humanitarian-development nexus. It is an integral component of the UNDP Country Programme and is therefore fully aligned with the United Nations Partnership Framework (UNPF).

The programme’s interventions are grouped under the following key programme components, which reflect the region’s priority needs:

• Component 1: Economic Recovery and Restoration of Critical Infrastructure
• Component 2: Local Governance and Decentralisation Reform
• Component 3: Community Security and Social Cohesion

The Programme, which operates on the basis of a pooled funding arrangement, follows a multi-sectoral programme-based approach and is implemented using an area-based methodology. It is a unifying interventions framework for 12 projects funded by 12 international partners, and is worth over 80 million USD.

Increased knowledge is one of the important preconditions of efficiency, productivity and profitability of the businesses. Because of that the RPP pays great attention to the development of professional education.

An urgent priority for Ukraine is to create new employment opportunities for the war-affected population. In addition, these opportunities should be supported by appropriate short-term vocational education programs for young people and retraining programs for people who have previously worked in various sectors of the economy. The use of modern information technologies in the educational process makes it possible to acquire new professional skills in conditions of limited access of students to the centers of educational services.

2. Main objectives of the assignment

The overall objectives of this assignment are:

• to develop high-quality lectures and practical works within short-term course “Installation and repair of water supply systems” based the educational online platform “Moodle” for the Centers for Vocational Education of State Employment Service of Ukraine.
• together with the Individual Consultant on functionality of the Moodle platform (here and after “Moodle specialist”), additionally engaged by UNDP, to determine which functions of the Moodle will be used and upload all developed materials to the platform.

The developed short-term course will be used by students of Centers for Vocational Education of State Employment Service and will improve their employment opportunities and increase the competitiveness in the labor market.

The incumbent will promote UNDP’s mandate as a gender-responsive organization with zero tolerance to any kind of discriminatory and abusive behavior, including sexual harassment, 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).

3. Description of Responsibilities / Scope of Work

Under the direct supervision with Vocational Education Development Specialist the Consultant will be responsible for the following key tasks:

• Prepare action plan and a timeframe to carry out the assignment and agree with Vocational Education Development Specialist.
• Identify (together with the Moodle specialist) which functions of the Moodle will be used to prepare relevant materials.
• Develop a detailed concept and curriculum for the short-term (approximately 72 academic hours) course “Installation and repair of water supply systems” and acquire approval from Vocational Education Development Specialist.
• Prepare description of the course for the students.
• Prepare texts of lectuters (according to syllabus, at least 7 (seven) lectures (14 academic hours) in Ukrainian), which must be practically oriented, well structured and illustrated, written in understandable simple language, useful for students studying in vocational education institutions.
• Prepare at least 14 (fourteen) practical works (58 academic hours), which must be well structured and illustrated, written in understandable simple language (Ukrainian), useful for students studying in vocational education institutions)
• Record (together with the Video maker (National Individual Consultant for Creation of videos, creation of video setups, and uploading the videos to Moodle platform)) video of the most important processes and operations of Installation and repair of water supply systems with appropriate comments and explanations to them; instructions and recommendations for the implementation of practical work and individual tasks and other video material.
• Develop infographics, presentations and other additional training materials with supporting description for each of the lessons.
• Provide materials and tasks for the course for students’ self-work, glossary, a short summary of the video lessons material.
• Develop assessment tests (different kind of them) and other assignments for every lesson, as well as the final assessment test, group/individual assignments of the course.
• Upload (together with the Moodle specialist) all developed materials to the platform.
• Develop a questionnaire to test the first edition of the prepared course among the target audience (teachers and students of the VET schools) and conduct testing of the first edition.
• Finalize the prepared course (together with the video maker and Moodle specialist) based on the results of the conducted testing and submit to UN RPP.

4. Deliverables

The Consultant is expected to perform activities within the scope of work and to provide the following deliverables with the given timelines:

5. Monitoring / Reporting requirements

All reports should be submitted in Ukrainian.

6. Payment schedule

UN RPP will pay the negotiated amount in 3 tranches as per delivery of the outputs outlined above.  

The payments will be paid upon the full completion and acceptance of contractual obligations whereupon the Programme Coordinator signs the certification of acceptance.

7. Experience and qualifications requirements

Education:

• At least Specialist’s/Master’s degree in Education, Engineering, Construction or related field.

Professional Experience:

• At least 5 (five) years of proven experience in the field of Vocational Education and Training.
• At least 3 (three) years of proven experience of teaching and training courses on Installation and Repair of Sanitary and Water Supply Systems.
• Proven experience of curricula development (at least 2 (two) samples of curricula, prepared by candidate).

Language Requirements:  

• Fluency in Ukrainian is required. Working knowledge of English is considered as an asset.

Competencies:

• Ability to build strong relationships with implementing partners, focus on impact and result of the projects and responds positively to feedback.
• Good, planning, analytical and written skills.
• Good communication skills.
• Initiative and ability to work independently.
• Excellent usage of computers and office software packages.

 8. Documents to be included when submitting the proposals

Applicants shall submit the following documents:

9. 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 installments or upon completion of the entire contract). Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR.  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).  

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

All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. This includes all travel to join duty station/repatriation travel. 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.

10. Evaluation criteria

Education:

• Educational background in Education, Engineering, Construction or related field – 15 points max (PhD or candidate of science – 15; Specialist’s/Master’s degree – 10 points).

 Professional Experience:

• Proven experience in the field of Vocational Education and Training – 15 points max (more than 6 years – 15 points, 5 years – 10 points).
• Proven experience of teaching and training courses on Installation and Repair of Sanitary and Water Supply Systems – 25 points max (more than 4 years – 25 points, 3 years – 17 points).
• Proven experience of curricula development – 10 points max (3 and more curricula – 10 points, 2 curricula – 7 points).

Language Requirements:

• Language knowledge –5 points max (Fluency in Ukrainian – 3 points; Fluency Ukrainian and working knowledge of English – 5 points)

11. 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 and will be awarded a contract.