Project Title: Pintig Lab, 00129148

Background

On 30 January 2020, the first case of COVID-19 was reported in the Philippines. By 8 March 2020, the country was placed under a “State of Public Health Emergency”. While the COVID-19 started to affect the country as a pandemic, its impact eventually became widespread resulting into a crisis that affected people of various backgrounds, especially the most vulnerable such as women, children, and the informal sector. As the country transitioned into heightened COVID-19 response, daily management, analysis, communication, and overall governance of data have increasingly become crucial for decision-making. Policy research using data to support response and recovery efforts of the government also needed to happen more quickly and in a timelier manner, calling for the use of innovation in producing solutions and policy recommendations to address the most pressing challenges during a crisis.

As part of the longer-term recovery from COVID-19, ensuring that the SDGs continue to be closely monitored and implemented is particularly important. With less than a decade left until 2030, it is urgent that recovery efforts are well integrated with achieving the SDGs as these are being localized and integrated across levels of government. Vital in successfully doing this is the use of most accurate and timely data pertaining to the SDGs and the thematic areas of public health, climate change, conflict, and governance.

The Pintig Lab is a multidisciplinary network of data scientists, economists, political scientists, and epidemiologists, with the goals to ensure that: 1) Data-driven policymaking is promoted, 2) Government, CSO, and CO capacity to use data for decision-making is increased, and 3) SDG Data ecosystem is strengthened. Within three years, it is envisioned that policy research insights are communicated or shared to create discussions among a wide audience towards policy considerations or change, data platforms with analytics and visualization are developed and/or enhanced, and local and national government, academe, NGO/CSO and CO programme teams increase in knowledge on data governance and its applications for development planning and decision-making.

The Pintig Lab needs to operate by having a whole-of-society approach where a diverse set of stakeholders and partners (including UN agencies, INGOs, NGOs, CSOs, the private sector, etc.) are consulted, engaged, and involved, ensuring that no one, including the most vulnerable, are disregarded. In this light, in every area of work, a gender lens also needs to be applied, to ensure that issues concerning women and girls are understood and tackled.

UNDP Pintig Lab is in need of a Data Scientist to provide technical support in conducting data-driven policy research, develop outputs and design systems to strengthen data governance for the Lab’s partners in the Country Office, government, and civil society, and design and conduct capacity building activities and courses on using data for development planning, budgeting, and monitoring. The primary output of the engagement is a data platform.

Governance and Accountability

1. The Consultant shall directly report to the UNDP Pintig Lab Project Manager and shall be under the technical guidance of the Impact and Advisory Team Leader. The UNDP Pintig Lab Project Manager, with whom all outputs shall be submitted and through whom all communications shall be coursed or copied, shall regularly communicate with the Consultant and monitor the progress of her/his outputs.
2. The Consultant shall report progress, provide updates, or raise issues to the UNDP on a weekly basis. The Consultant is expected to be accessible to UNDP personnel through mobile and digital collaboration tools on an agreed schedule and when required.
3. Upon the direction of the UNDP focals, the Consultant is expected to coordinate with officials, personnel, and consultants of UNDP, government agencies, CSOs, private sector partners, and other stakeholders of the project.
4. All systems, reports, and video material shall be the sole property of UNDP.
5. The Consultant is expected to provide his/her own laptop for the work requirement. S/he will be provided with desk space and access to office facilities and equipment when deemed necessary by the Project Manager. S/he will also be support by UNDP staff for administrative and logistic requirements, as necessary.
6. The Consultant shall consider at least 10 working days lead time for UNDP to review outputs, give comments, certify approval/acceptance of outputs, etc.

Expected Duration of the Contract

The IC will be hired for 58 working days spread over 6 months beginning 01 March 2022 until 31 August 2022, unless revised in a mutually agreed upon timetable between the Consultant and UNDP.

Duty Station

Duty station is Metro Manila (Home-based). All work will be done remotely. Any travel outside of Metro Manila for this consultancy will be shouldered by UNDP.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and declaration of State of Public Health Emergency in the Philippines, all work and travel of the Individual consultant shall be done within the guidelines and protocols set by the local and national government. Field work, trainings, meetings, and coordination shall be done in compliance with community quarantine policies.

Scope and Price of the Proposal and Schedule of Payment

1. The Consultant should send the financial proposal based on a lump-sum amount for the delivery of the outputs identified below. The total amount quoted shall be “all inclusive” all costs (professional fees x number of person-days, communications, etc.) that could possibly be incurred by the Consultant should be factored into the final amount submitted in the proposal.
2. Medical/health insurance must be purchased by the individual at his/her own expense, and upon award of contract, the consultant must be ready to submit proof of insurance valid during contract duration.
3. The contract price will be fixed output-based price. Any deviations from the output and timelines will be agreed upon between the Consultant and the Pintig Lab Project Manager.
4. Payments will be done upon satisfactory completion of the delivery by target due dates. Outputs will be accepted and certified by the Pintig Lab Project Manager, prior to release of payments. UNDP will review and approve outputs within 10 days of confirmed receipt.

Scope of Work

The Data Scientist will develop a data platform geared towards socioeconomic recovery and development and contributing to evidence-based decision-making among Pintig Lab stakeholders. The responsibilities and deliverables of the Data Scientist would include:

• Develop and enhance Pintig Lab’s data platform

1. Lead the development of a data platform which would include supporting backend and frontend development of programs for dashboards, automation, and data visualization,
2. Lead and conduct dashboard design and prototyping,
3. Design data modelling processes and create algorithms and predictive models,
4. Conduct data analysis and develop visualizations in the areas of socioeconomic recovery and development, climate change, peace, DRR, local governance, and others relevant fields,
5. When related to the data platform, contribute to the development and design of databases and systems for data collection and data management to optimize statistical efficiency and quality,
6. When related to the data platform, assess systems for data collection, management, reporting, and analysis including assessments of process flow of data, and
7. Develop appropriate indicators as needed.

• Train others to use the platform and other platforms of the Lab

1. Design and implement capacity building activities, including mentorship on the Lab’s data platforms and tools including FASSSTER, for national and local government, CO Programme Teams, and civil society. Capacity building would include but not limited to data collection, management, analysis, visualizations, reporting, and maintenance.

• Provide advice for stakeholders in the development of their own data platforms and data governance systems
  1. Provide technical support and advice in the development of data portals for partners in the CO, government, and civil society,
  2. Provide consultation and technical advice for Pintig Lab partners and coalition members on data development, management, sustainability, and analytical techniques and methods, and
  3. Provide technical inputs to Terms of References and participate as technical expert in bid evaluation panels, and
  4. Contribute to knowledge sharing engagements locally and internationally.
• In the tasks above, the Data Scientist is expected to collaborate with the Chief Technical Advisor, Data Analysts, Data Managers, interns, consultants, experts, and partners from the Pintig Lab network.
• The Data Scientist will also work on other data platform related tasks that would be assigned by the Project Manager and Impact Advisory Team (IAT) Leader.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

The consultant is expected to deliver the following outputs:

Corporate Competences

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN mission, vision, values and ethical standards
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability

Other Competencies

• Demonstrates strong analytical skills and mature judgement well-planned and organized;
• Ability to work in close collaboration with a group of national and international experts, to meet strict deadlines and plan the work according to priorities;
• Demonstrates capacity to plan, organize and execute effectively;
• Ability to establish effective working relations in a multi-cultural team environment;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Facilitates and encourages open communication in the team and with stakeholders;
• Excellent written communication and presentation/public speaking skill.

The Offers received will be evaluated using a combined scoring method - where technical proposal will be weighted 70 points and combined with the price offer which will be weighted 30 points.

The CV will be reviewed using the criteria in the table below. Only offerors who will obtain a

minimum of 70% or 49 out of 70 obtainable points will be shortlisted and eligible for evaluation of financial proposal.

Recommended Presentation of Offer

Interested applicants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Please group them into one (1) single PDF document as the application only allows to upload of a maximum of one document.

1. Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability;

2. UNDP Personal History Form (P11) or Curriculum Vitae (following the template attached) indicating all past experiences from similar projects or requirements, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references.

3.  Financial proposal (following the template attached) that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract prices, supported by a breakdown of costs as per template provided and clearly stating payment percentage.

4. Submission of at least two (2) sample work (completed software, application, and/or web development projects on socioeconomic diagnostics and projections or related fields) is mandatory.

Note: The above documents need to be scanned in one file and uploaded to the online application as one document.

Interested applicants to note that personal Medical/health insurance (to be purchased by the individual at his/her own expense) is mandatory for the issuance of contracts. Upon award of the contract, the consultant must be ready to submit proof of insurance valid during the contract duration.

The following templates / Annexes and IC General Terms & Conditions can be downloaded from http://gofile.me/292aN/tdqWqwpqK

• General Terms and Conditions for Individual Contract
• Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability
• P-11 form

In view of the volume of applications, UNDP receives, only shortlisted offerors will be notified.