Knowledge Management and Archive Advisor (Consultant). UNDP, Kabul. Open until 14 April 2013

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND ARCHIVE ADVISOR, ELECT/UNDP Location : Kabul, AFGHANISTAN Application Deadline : 14-Apr-13 Type of Contract : Individual Contract Post Level : International Consultant Languages Required : English Duration of Initial Contract : Six months Background UNDP supports stabilization, state building, governance and development priorities in Afghanistan. UNDP support, in partnership with the Government, the United Nations system, the donor community and other development stakeholders, has contributed to institutional development efforts leading to positive impact on the lives of Afghan citizens. Over the years UNDP support has spanned such milestone efforts as the adoption of the Constitution; Presidential, Parliamentary and Provincial Council elections; institutional development through capacity-building to the legislative, the judicial and executive arms of the state, and key ministries, Government agencies and commissions at the national and subnational levels. UNDP has played a key role in the management of the Law and Order Trust Fund, which supports the Government in developing and maintaining the national police force and in efforts to stabilize the internal security environment. Major demobilization, disarmament and rehabilitation and area-based livelihoods and reconstruction programmes have taken place nationwide. UNDP Programmes in Afghanistan have benefited from the very active support of donors. UNDP Afghanistan is committed to the highest standards of transparency and accountability and works in close coordination with the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan and the UN system as a whole to maximize the impact of its development efforts on the ground. Years of conflict have damaged Afghanistan’s economic, political, physical, social and institutional structures. Reconstruction demands a secure environment in which there is credible leadership and enforced rule of law. Strong, legitimate and effective public administration structures, responsive to the needs of ordinary citizens - including the poor – are a precursor to any sustainable development. To this end, UNDP supports Afghan electoral institutions so that they can become more effective vehicles for development. The UNDP Enhancing Legal and Electoral Capacity for Tomorrow (ELECT) project- phase I (2006 – 2011) provided technical and operational assistance to Afghan electoral bodies throughout the 2009 Presidential and provincial council elections and 2010 parliamentary elections. The ELECT II project commenced at the end of 2011 and comprises of long-term assistance to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of Afghanistan, focusing on institutional strengthening and capacity consolidation to encourage broader democratic participation. The overarching objective of ELECT-II is to support the national electoral institutions to plan and conduct credible future elections with minimal external support. Continuing long-term assistance through support to capacity building of national electoral authorities beyond 2010 is in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2041 (2012). This assistance is closely coordinated with UNAMA, UNDPKO and EAD. The three key outputs for ELECT II are: Output 1: Institutional, operational and technical capacity of the IEC is developed to ensure well organized, future Afghan-led electoral processes. Output 2: The quality of the voter registry is improved to support future electoral operations. Output 3: Capacity of the IEC is strengthened to encourage broader democratic Participation With regard to the Presidential and Provincial Elections on 5 April 2014 it is expected that the scope of work of the project will be amended in order to provide support to the upcoming elections in 2014 and the parliamentary elections planned for 2015. The Knowledge Management and Archive Advisor for the ELECT II project will help to capture and consolidate valuable organizational knowledge in order to facilitate the replication of good practices and learning during the electoral implementation period and beyond. The primary objective of the UNDP ELECT II Knowledge Management Advisor (KMAA) in Afghanistan is to assist the IEC with the planning, design, management and execution of an automated Knowledge Management (KM) platform required for large scale electoral operations. A strong knowledge platform will be able to create an invaluable information resources repository for the IEC. This repository will be able to guide the IEC’s future operations by ensuring proper storage/retrieval of all institutional information and files. Implementation of a Knowledge Management system will also help the election commission to take appropriate decisions based on the best available information and historic data which is essential for successful and sustainable conduct of elections. Besides the knowledge management system design and implementation planning aspects, the KMAA is expected to ensure proper procedures and systems are in place to ensure appropriate archiving of historic data related to the operations of the IEC. The Knowledge Management and Archive Advisor will be part of a team of advisors providing technical support to the IEC. S/he will work under the direct supervision of the ELECT II Senior Technical Advisor (Pillar 1) and in close coordination with the ICT Specialist, M&E Specialist, GIS Specialist and Technical Specialist (Electoral Information Management). ELECT II invites qualified international experts in this field to apply for this position. Duties and Responsibilities The Knowledge Management and Archive Advisor will advise the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in Archiving, knowledge management and electoral information dissemination platforms and performs the following responsibilities: Lead the development of a knowledge management strategy and associated implementation plan for the Independent Election Commission and ELECT II which constitutes the knowledge hub for all matters pertaining to electoral operations in Afghanistan. Contributes to the development of new knowledge products, services and tools in order to continuously improve the services delivered by the IEC, while learning from past experiences in order to improve these services; Supports multimedia approaches by which knowledge is produced, managed, communicated and shared; Develops and revises records management policy, procedures and standards for the Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan and ELECT II project Provides advisory services to the Independent Election Commission / ELECT II on various recordkeeping issues, including but not limited to: information sensitivity, classification and handling; organization of electoral / organizational information assets; records sentencing and disposition; electronic recordkeeping; and digital information asset storage, retrieval and migration. Develops detailed system and other functional specifications and standards from the recordkeeping perspective, evaluate adequacy of existing document and records management systems and tools. Implement new technologies in information management to ensure efficient access to information. Develop a comprehensive mapping of electoral data and information resources, with specific institutional roles and responsibilities, and systems and processes for collecting, managing, and sharing data and information. Create a mechanism for capturing and documenting key successful aspects of electoral operations and work with the M&E/ICT/capacity building units to package them into knowledge products such as success stories and information newsletters. Develop a fully operational knowledge management system in which relevant data, information and knowledge on electoral operations, challenges and issues pertaining to previous electoral operations are systematically acquired, continuously upgraded and disseminated to relevant stakeholders Ensure that the IEC has an up-to-date easy-to-access database of lessons learned and best practices from within the country and abroad in the areas of institutional development, electoral planning, electoral operations etc and ensure that evidence based knowledge and evaluations are gathered, extracted, managed and disseminated on an on-going basis. Oversee capacity building and support for internal knowledge acquisition, management and sharing; ensure relevant communities of practice are developed and strengthened. Support development of staff, consultants and key partners and collaborators to become “knowledge professionals” through the identification of learning opportunities to ensure a pipeline of professional expertise and advice on all aspects of knowledge management as required. Performs other duties as and when assigned by the supervisor. Key Deliverables: The Knowledge Management and Archive Advisor will produce the following deliverables during the period of this contract: By end of first month: Produce a detailed and comprehensive assessment of the existing archive / document sharing practices and identify problem areas. Identify issues associated with knowledge sharing / knowledge management within the IEC and produce a detailed plan to address knowledge silos. Coordinate with all relevant departments in order to identify priority areas, key documents and take appropriate measures to ensure accurate/timely capture of important information/documents. Produce timeframe and process outline for the development of a comprehensive knowledge management and archive/document management strategy By end of third month: Advice and train IEC technical staff on establishment of knowledge management technical platform. Ensure timely implementation of the technical platform. Identify knowledge management focal points in all departments and provide appropriate training. With the help of knowledge management focal points; identify and initiate capturing of all relevant historic information and files. Establish relevant policies for capturing of current and future document / knowledge. By end of contract: Develop a comprehensive training module for IEC general users on including but not limited to the daily use of knowledge management platform, document versioning, document control and releasing of final documents. With the help of knowledge management focal points; complete capturing of all relevant historic information and files. Ensure appropriate controls and mechanisms are established in order to avoid formation of knowledge / document silos. Provide a final report on achievements including recommendations for further strengthening the IEC’s capacity with regard to knowledge management. Competencies Corporate Competencies: In-depth substantive knowledge of Knowledge Management and, particularly in the areas of electoral operations, business process enhancements, records management or institutional development; Demonstrated capacity to strongly promote knowledge sharing and knowledge products and systems; Ability to provide advocacy, outreach and capacity development on knowledge management systems. Functional/Technical Competencies: Familiarity with current Knowledge Management technologies, including Web 2.0; Familiarity with Microsoft SharePoint platform Demonstrated capacity to strongly promote knowledge sharing and knowledge products and systems; Familiarity with the area of electoral operations, institutional development, or operational / business processes; Initiative and sound judgment; excellent writing and organizational skills; and demonstrated ability to work in a diverse team setting; Fluency in English written and spoken required, knowledge of Dari / Pashto is considered an asset; Advanced computers skills; Knowledge/experience of UN system, preferable. Behavioural Competencies: Strong verbal and written communication and advocacy skills; Ability to work in a complex environment requiring liaison and collaboration with multiple actors; Excellent team-building, diplomatic and inter-personal skills. Required Skills and Experience Education: Advanced degree in social and behavioral sciences, Information systems, or Knowledge management is essential; Experience: Five years’ experience in the design and development of knowledge management systems, organizational development, business process improvement, or organizational/systems change management Knowledge of the UN system is desirable and familiarity with UNDP procedures is, in particular, highly desirable; Proven team building and leadership skills; Advanced computer skills and strong knowledge of SharePoint server is required Previous experience in Afghanistan including knowledge of Afghanistan’s culture, tradition and Islamic context is an advantage. Language: Fluency in written and spoken English is essential; Knowledge of other UN official languages is an asset. Facilities Provided by UNDP: Office space, communication equipment (phone (prepaid)), VHF radio, transportation from/to workplace and relevant line ministries and office. Assets shall be returned to the CO upon completion. The IC shall be provided accommodation in MOSS cleared premises. The daily rent for a small room including three meals is $90.0. The daily rent for a large room without meals is $95.0. The large room rent does not include any meals. The meals can be purchased as $6.0 for breakfast and $12.0 for lunch or dinner. Facilities to be provided by the IC: Laptop Technical Proposal: The IC shall submit a short proposal describing his or her approach and methodology to achieve the deliverables under this assignment. The technical proposal shall be one page and not more than 800 words. Financial Proposal: The IC shall provide its proposed effective daily rate based on five day working week. The fee rate shall be inclusive of perdiem, fees, food incidental and any other expenses related to execution of the assignment. The IC shall also incorporate in his or her price the cost of medical evacuation insurance during the assignment period. This shall either be separately quoted or included in the effective daily rate. Evaluation Process: The contract will be awarded to the candidate who received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria: Technical Criteria weight: 70% + Financial Criteria weight: 30%. Individual consultants will be evaluated based on Cumulative analysis. When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should be made to the individual Consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as: Responsive/compliant/acceptable, and Having received the 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% TECHNICAL EVALUATION CRITERIA: Advanced degree in social and behavioral sciences, Information systems, or Knowledge management is essential; Five years’ experience in the design and development of knowledge management systems, organizational development, business process improvement, or organizational/systems change management Knowledge of the UN system is desirable and familiarity with UNDP procedures is, in particular, highly desirable; Proven team building and leadership skills; Advanced computer skills and strong knowledge of SharePoint server is required Previous experience in Afghanistan including knowledge of Afghanistan’s culture, tradition and Islamic context is an advantage. Fluency in written and spoken English is essential; Knowledge of other UN official languages is an asset. Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70 points in the Technical Evaluation would be considered for the Financial Evaluation. Documents to be included in the application (only 1 file can be uploaded): All interested applicants should submit the following requirements. The following 4 documents should be merged in a standalone file including all them, since the online application submission does only permit to upload one file per application. Incomplete submission can be a ground for disqualification. Brief expression of interest: a brief narrative on why you think you are qualified to undertake the consultancy. A current and complete C.V. in English with indication of 3 references as well as the permanent e-mail and phone contact. Duly completed UNDP Personal History Form (P11) that can be downloaded from http://europeandcis.undp.org/files/hrforms/P11_modified_for_SCs_and_ICs.doc Financial proposal: Daily rate / Lump sum Incomplete applications or applications received after the closing date will not be given consideration. Please note that only applicants who are shorted-listed will be contacted. UNDP will cross check previous work experience and expertise. FC:30000 UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.