National consultant for suppоrting Donetsk Oblast Hospital District

Terms of Reference

https://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_job.cfm?cur_job_id=103559

1.  BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been actively working in eastern Ukraine for the past decade, prior to the conflict, focusing on community and civil society development, and environmental protection.

Since 2015, upon request from the Government of Ukraine, UNDP started its work on addressing conflict-related challenges by early engagement, establishing partnerships through the United Nations Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme (UN RPP). The UN RPP is a multi-donor funded framework programme, jointly implemented by four UN partnering agencies: UNDP, UN Women, FAO, and UNFPA in cooperation with the government of Ukraine.

The UN RPP was designed to respond to and mitigate the causes and effects of the conflict. The UN RPP is an integral component of the UNDP Country Programme. It is fully aligned with the United Nations Partnership Framework (UNPF), closely interlinked with the Democratic Governance and Reform Programme, operating national wide and in all of Ukraine’s regions.

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 United Nations Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme (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).

Twelve international partners support the Programme: the European Union (EU), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, and the governments of Canada, Denmark, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden & Switzerland.

In October 2018, four UN agencies (UNDP, UN Women, FAO and the UNFPA) had countersigned a new joint project document, funded by the EU. The overall objective of the project is to restore effective governance and promote reconciliation in the crisis-affected communities of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts of Ukraine, thereby enhancing the credibility and legitimacy of local governments in the government-controlled areas (GCAs) of the oblasts. It will contribute to peacebuilding and prevent further escalation of conflict in Ukraine through effective and accountable decentralisation, gender-responsive recovery planning, and equal access to services, as well as enhanced community security and social cohesion.

This endeavour will be achieved through the pursuit of the following specific objectives:

1. To enhance local capacity for gender-responsive decentralisation and administrative reforms to improve governance, local development and the delivery of services.
2. To stimulate employment and economic growth by assisting in Micro-, Small- and Medium Enterprise (MSME) development through demand-driven business development services and professional skills training.
3. To enhance social cohesion and reconciliation through the promotion of civic initiatives.
4. To support sector reforms and structural adjustments in health, education and critical public infrastructure to mitigate the direct impacts of the conflict.

One of the priorities of the objective 4 is to enhance local capacity for gender-responsive decentralization and administrative reforms to improve governance, local development and the delivery of services.

Regarding health reform, on 19 of October 2017, Ukraine’s Parliament approved the draft law No. 6327 “On state financial guarantees for the provision of medical services and medicines,” which gave a start to important and long-awaited health reform in Ukraine. The law introduces changes to the entire financing model of the healthcare system, switching to payments for services provided by individual doctors or medical facilities and replacing the old, input-based financing system (for infrastructure, number of beds etc.). It also aims at the provision of higher quality care for patients, with a stronger emphasis on prevention and primary care, rather than specialized treatment.

The decision of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of November 27, 2019, to revise the status and borders of the hospital districts, has generated additional requests for assistance, on behalf of regional counterparts, in terms of strategic planning and healthcare reform promotion activities. According to the new regulations, the new Hospital District was expanded to the actual borders of Donetsk Oblast, which raise the number of stakeholders to be involved in the processes of strategic planning.

Elaborated strategic plans of development of the pilot medical facilities concluded the general road-map correlated with the trends and stages of the ongoing transformation of the specialized and highly specialized medical care in Ukraine. Further formulation of the detailed implementation plans translating the strategic plans of development into the everyday practice and relevant operational activities of the selected healthcare enterprises is the cornerstone of the continuity and sustainability of the results of the reform and demands special attention from the side of the numerous participants in the process.

2. MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The UN’s RPP is looking to contract a national consultant to serve as a focal point providing administrative and technical support to the Donetsk Oblast Hospital District the UN RPP project is cooperating with.

3. DESCRIPTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES / SCOPE OF WORK

The Consultant will provide the following support within the day-to-day support of Donetsk Oblast Hospital District:

• Facilitating proper development and preparation of the work plans of the Donetsk Oblast Hospital District`s Health Task Force Group (HTFG);
• Facilitating data collection, analysis and maintenance of HTFG related database; keep accurate electronic and paper filing;
• Support HTFG`s activities (meetings, round tables, other public activities) in terms of preparation, coordination and follow up.

Expenses related to the organization of such activities (conference arrangement, accommodation, transportation and catering for participants as well as other services if needed) will be covered by UN RPP.

In case of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions the events will be conducted online.

• Assist in collecting the necessary information for the tasks, corresponding to the current stage of the healthcare reform process taking place with the connection to the Donetsk Oblast Hospital District;
• Provide administrative support to the HTFG operation.

4. DELIVERABLES

Considering the aforementioned, the Consultant is responsible for the following deliverables:

5. MONITORING / REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

The Consultant will work under the overall guidance of the Programme Coordinator and direct supervision of the Fiscal Decentralisation Specialist. The Consultant will directly report to the UNDP Specialist on a weekly basis and will also report to the Programme Coordinator on a monthly basis through meetings.

The Consultant will regularly participate in the Project meetings in Health governance sphere (by Skype or personally) and will share his/her work progress.

All materials/analyses/studies of the UN RPP are submitted electronically (formats of * .docx, * .xlsx, * .pptx, * .pdf) on electronic sou

rce or in the form of electronic communication. The materials/studies/reports shall be written in Ukrainian. 

6. PROPOSED PAYMENT SCHEDULE

UNDP will pay the agreed amount in 10 (ten) tranches according to the following payment schedule:

- After the 1^st month and the submission of the Initial Report – 10%;

- After the 2^nd month and delivery of the Interim Report – 10%;

- After the 3^rd month and the submission of the Interim Report – 10%;

- After the 4^th month and the submission of the Interim Report – 10%;

- After the 5^th month and the delivery of the Interim Report – 10%;

- After the 6^th month and the submission of the Interim Report – 10%;

- After the 7^th month and the delivery of the Interim Report – 10%;

- After the 8^th month and the submission of the Interim Report – 10%;

- After the 9^th month and the submission of the Interim Report – 10%;

- After the  10^th month and the delivery of the Final Report – 10%.

Payments will be processed after full completion and acceptance of deliverables according to the payment certificate provided to the Programme Coordinator.

7. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• At least a Master’s / Specialist degree in Healthcare Management, Medicine, Public Administration, or another relevant field.
• At least 5 (five) years of experience in clinical practice in a healthcare facility of public ownership.
• At least 5 (five) years of experience in administrative work or management of the healthcare facility of a public ownership.
• Experience in preparing reports and work plans in the sphere of public health or healthcare management is required. At least 3 (three) samples should be provided.
• Experience in collaboration with the international organization in the sphere of public health, healthcare management or experience in promotion of the healthcare reform would be considered as an advantage.
• Fluency in Ukrainian is essential.

Competencies of the Consultant:

Ethics & Values: 

• Demonstrating and promoting the highest standard of integrity, impartiality, fairness, and incorruptibility in all matters affecting his/her work and status.

Organizational Awareness: 

• Ability to lead formulation, design, oversight of implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of development projects;
• Ability to lead change processes, RBM, and reporting;
• Developing and empowering people/coaching and mentoring; 
• Self-development, initiative-taking. 

Communicating Information and Ideas: 

• Facilitating and encouraging open and effective communication with the team;
• Delivering verbal/written information in a timely, clear, organized, and easy-to-understand manner;
• Informed and transparent decision-making; 
• Accepting responsibility and accountability for the quality of the outcome of his/her decisions.

Corporate Competencies: 

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Treats all people fairly.

Gender equality promotion:

The Contractor will also ensure the mainstreaming of gender equality and women’s empowerment considerations in the field of expertise, promote a safe and enabling environment free of any kind of discrimination and abusive behavior, and use the principles of gender-responsive communications in line with the UNDP corporate standards.

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 instalments 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.

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

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 shall not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel in a higher class he/she should do so using their 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, before travel and will be reimbursed

 10. EVALUATION CRITERIA

• Educational background in Healthcare Management, Medicine, Public Administration, or another relevant field – 14 points max.

{Master’s / Specialist Degree – 10 points, PhD Candidate – 12 points, Doctor of Science – 14points.}

• A proven experience in clinical practice in the healthcare facility of public ownership – 14 points max.

{5 years – 10 points, 6-9 years – 12 points, more than 10 years – 14 points.}

• A proven experience in administrative work or management of the healthcare facility of public ownership – 16 points max.

{5 years – 12 points, 6-9 years – 14 points, more than 10 years – 16 points.}

• A proven experience in preparing reports and work plans in the sphere of public health or healthcare management – 16 points max.

{3 examples – 12 points, 4-6 examples – 14 points, 7 and more examples – 16 points.}

• A proven experience in collaboration with the international organization in the sphere of public health, healthcare management or experience in promotion of the healthcare reform – 5 points.
• Fluency in Ukrainian – 5 points.

Maximum available technical score – 70 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 meeting the minimum requirements and 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.