Юридичний/а консультант/ка програми “ВідНОВА:UA”

1. BACKGROUND

In Ukraine and around the world the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) work to protect and support young people, providing a platform through which their needs can be addressed, their voice can be amplified, and their engagement can be advanced. UNDP is working in close collaboration with national bodies and international partners to enhance awareness of the state of youth in Ukraine and increase recognition of the rights and aspirations of young people; promote national youth policies, national youth coordinating mechanisms and national youth programmes as integral parts of social and economic development, in cooperation with both governmental and non-governmental organizations. UNDP jointly with partners, contribute to strengthening the participation of youth in decision-making processes at all levels in order to increase their impact on national development and international cooperation as well as working together to empower young people and enable them to become drivers of change.

The project “Civil Society and Youth Support” funded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a nation-scale 4-year initiative which runs from 1st January 2023 until 31st December 2026. The Civil Society and Youth Support Project (CSYP) builds on many years of joint programming by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DMFA) and UNDP supporting civil society and youth empowerment. CSYP contributes to the following long-term result: “Ukraine’s civil society and youth are impactful players in strengthening the country’s resilience and recovery, democracy and human rights agenda, including issues of respect to diversity and women’s rights and social cohesion“. The project has a three-dimensional approach. Firstly, it intends to strengthen civil society organizations: focusing first and foremost at the subnational level) to enable active civil society participation in strengthening Ukraine’s resilience, sustainable recovery and development processes, link established CSOs with youth groups especially newly emerged initiatives after February 2022 to ensure cross-fertilization in skills. Secondly, the project works at the central level to create a more enabling policy environment for CSOs and support the national “youth machinery”. CSYP supports CSOs to monitor the implementation of national-level policies to determine progress made and areas needing additional efforts. Thirdly and finally, CSYP supportsUkrainian youth in to actively participate in Ukraine’s recovery by honing their skills for good citizenship and leadership. The project supports youth-driven projects and exposes young women and men to how local governments operate to implement locally relevant initiatives  

Since 2022, UNDP, in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, supported the piloting and later scaled up the implementation of the “VidNova:UA” programme which promotes the engagement of young people in the recovery of Ukraine and the normalization of life in communities affected by the war, through youth exchanges. A total of 52 youth exchange projects were conducted from 2022 through 2024 in 52 communities across 18 oblasts, engaging over 1,500 young participants in rebuilding efforts. These volunteers contributed thousands of hours of labor to clean, repair, and rebuild facilities, all while gaining personal experience in civic engagement, teamwork and leaning about the culture of the host commnities. The programme was implemented in collaboration with 46 local civil society organizations (youth centers and NGOs), ensuring broad community involvement and support. VidNOVA:UA has facilitated the renovation of 52 youth centers and youth spaces in war-affected communities, providing safe, functional hubs for youth activities and services. Each renovated space is a tangible improvement for its community – many were previously damaged or underutilized and are now brought back to life as gathering places for young people.

The renewed youth facilities are now actively used by local youth.  Tens thousands of young people regularly visit and benefit from these upgraded spaces for workshops, events, and community gatherings. This indicates a high uptake – the spaces renovated by VidNOVA:UA have become vibrant centers of youth life in their respective towns and villages.

Beyond the raw numbers, VidNOVA:UA has had a powerful impact on the people and communities involved. Participants consistently report heightened civic motivation and sense of empowerment after joining an exchange. In a 2024 survey, 87% of participants said their VidNOVA:UA experience strengthened their motivation to engage in volunteer initiatives in the future, and 73% expressed a greater desire to take part in rebuilding their own communities.

The VidNOVA:UA programme’s effectiveness has led to its integration into national youth policy and plans for expansion. In 2024, the Government of Ukraine formally adopted VidNOVA:UA into the State Target Social Programme “Youth of Ukraine 2021–2025”, providing it a foundation for institutional support. This new development (via Cabinet of Ministers Decree #553) essentially recognizes VidNOVA:UA as a model initiative for youth involvement in recovery, helping ensure its continuity and scaling.

UNDP support is critical for ‘’Vidnova:UA’’ Programme to ensure the sustainable development of the programme in the conditions of limited state funding during martial law and the subsequent recovery process. In order for the VidNOVA:UA programme to secure state funding in the future, a Regulation on Programme Implementation must be developed, approved by the Government, and formally adopted by the Ministry of Youth and Sports. In 2024, the process of drafting this regulation was initiated; however, further refinement is required. This involves gathering input from key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the All-Ukrainian Youth Center (AYUC), and the Ukrainian Youth Foundation (UYF). The draft must then undergo additional development, be reviewed by the Ministry’s legal team, and other responsible ministries including Ministry of Digital Transformation, Ministry of Finance, National Agency for Corruption prevention and receive final approval from the Ministry of Youth and Sports in accordance with Ukrainian legislation. This regulatory framework is essential to ensure the programme’s institutionalization and long-term financial sustainability.

2. MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

Through this assignment, UNDP seeks the services of a qualified Consultant to develop legal and regulatory documents for Vidnova:UA implementation as a component of the national youth policy in Ukraine.

3. SCOPE OF WORK AND EXPECTED OUTPUTS

The consultant for this assignment will be responsible for supporting the development and finalization of the Regulation on Programme Implementation for the VidNOVA:UA programme. The regulation will outline the procedural, administrative, and financial mechanisms required for the programme to receive state funding in accordance with Ukrainian legislation.

The Consultant will need to have excellent communication and coordination skills, as well as the ability to work with a wide range of stakeholders. The Consultant will also need to have experience in regulatory development, as well as knowledge of the youth infrastructure in Ukraine.

The Consultant shall perform the following tasks:

4. MONITORING/REPORTING REQUIREMENTS:

The Consultant shall report to the Civil Society Project Manager. The payment shall be arranged in stages in accordance with the proposed payment scheme below and upon acceptance of the deliverables based on quality control and recommendations.

The Consultant 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 Contractor’s 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.

UNDP will provide payments upon provision of deliverables duly certified by UNDP in accordance with the table above. In particular, the payment schedule will be as follows:

Deliverable 1. 20%

Deliverable 2. 60%

Deliverable 3. 20%

5. EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENTS:

Common requirements to all applicants:

• At least Master’s degree in legal science, political science, social science or related field; 

• At least 3 years of experience in consulting and/or working with the State Central Executive Bodies of Ukraine on the development of policy documents;    

• At least 2 examples/samples/brief overview of the formally approved/implemented documents confirming experience in the development of State policy; 

• At least 2 years of experience in consulting and/or working with governmental authorities or international NGOs on projects related to youth policy   

• 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.

6. DOCUMENTS TO BE INCLUDED WHEN SUBMITTING THE PROPOSALS:

Applicants shall submit the following documents:

Required:        

• CV, including information about experience in similar projects/assignments and contact details for referees (at least 2).
• Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP including Financial proposal.

 At least 2 examples/samples/brief overview of the formally approved/implemented documents confirming experience in the development of State policy

7. FINANCIAL PROPOSAL:

Lump sum contract

The financial proposal shall specify the cost of professional services of Consultant for the development of the road map for the Youth Worker Programme. Payments are made in four tranches: each made upon completion of the respective deliverable. The financial proposal shall specify the cost of professional services for the assignment – the total amount and distribution in accordance with the above-mentioned proposed schedule of tranches.

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 in accordance with the deliverables defined in this TOR (section 4 above).

Travel costs

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.

8. EVALUATION CRITERIA

Educational background – 20 points max:

- Minimum required: Master’s degree in political science, social science, lawor related field – 20 points max.

(17 pts – Master’s degree in the relevant field or higher; 20 pts – PhD degree in the relevant field);

Relevant professional experience – 42points max:

At least 3 years of experience in consulting and/or working with the State Central Executive Bodies of Ukraine on the development of policy documents;    (15 pts – 3 years; 17 pts – 4-5 years; 20 pts – over 5 years);

At least 2 examples/samples/brief overview of the formally approved/implemented documents confirming experience in the development of State policy (6 pts – 2 samples; 10 pts – 3-4 samples; 12 pts – 5 samples and more);

At least 2 years of experience in consulting and/or working with governmental authorities or international NGOs on projects related to youth policy   (6 pts – 2 years; 8 pts – 3-4 years; 10 pts – over 4 years);

Language skills – 8points max:

• Minimum required: Native-level knowledge of Ukrainian is required. (5 pts – Native-level knowledge of Ukrainian; 8 pts – Native-level knowledge of Ukrainian and working knowledge of English).

Maximum available technical score – 70 points.

9. 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.