Result of ServiceObjective The objective of the consultancy is to support the Secretariat in designing and executing an Institutional Alignment and Strategic Assessment that enhances coordination, performance, and readiness across organs, offices, and subsidiary bodies of the Authority, and that translates findings into a practical implementation roadmap, within the Authority legal framework and in coordination with the Office of Legal Affairs (OLA). Under OCMC leadership, and in collaboration with relevant Secretariat Offices and subsidiary organs of the Authority (Assembly, Council, Secretariat, LTC, Finance Committee, the Enterprise), within the Authority legal framework, the Consultant shall conduct a Secretariat-led, forward-looking scoping exercise to define the scope, methods, governance, and outputs of a subsequent Institutional Alignment & Strategic Assessment. Implementation of the assessment/alignment will commence only upon the Director of OCMC’s approval of the scope. The scoping phase will: 1. Define scope and boundaries: Frame the objectives, evaluation questions, coverage (organs/offices/interfaces), and exclusions; identify priority coordination challenges and candidate alignment areas to be assessed after approval. 2. High-level mandate/interface outline: Prepare a concise, non-final outline of mandates, decision pathways, and key operational interfaces to inform scope choices (not a full mapping at this stage). 3. Assessment design: Propose the assessment design (process-mapping focus areas, RACI/interface lenses, capability-maturity criteria, KPIs/metrics, data needs), including safeguards for legal, confidentiality, and document-control requirements. 4. Readiness indicators (initial): Identify indicative baseline indicators and data sources to be validated during the approved assessment (governance clarity, Quality and Safety Management System (QSMS), Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) coverage, skills, systems/data integration, coordination). 5. Governance and resourcing for the assessment: Propose roles (EOSG and Office focal points), consultation cadence with organs/offices, risk register, and change-management approach for the post-approval assessment and alignment work. 6. Approval package: Compile succinct Secretary General decision materials (Scope Statement, Methodology Note, governance/risks, milestone plan) to enable formal approval before moving to execution. Work LocationHome-based Expected duration6 Months Duties and ResponsibilitiesDeliverable 1 – ISA QSMS: Further development and alignment (Nov-Dec 2025) • Incorporate feedback and complete agreed annexes to the QSMS manual (e.g., glossary, document control, core forms/templates, KPI pack, tiered SOP index). • Align the QSMS structure and cross-references with the alignment findings (mandate map, roles, and interfaces) to ensure Secretariat-wide applicability. • Format the QSMS into proper framework layout. • In collaboration with OCMC organise a hybrid workshop at the Secretariat to review the QSMS in plenary. • Output: QSMS Manual – Consolidated Final Draft with Annex Package and an Alignment Note (what changed and why). Deliverable 2 – Concept Note: Establishment of the Economic Planning Commission (EPC) (by 30 December 2025) • Prepare: (i) Draft Work Plan & Timeline, (ii) Draft Rules of Procedure of the Commission, (iii) Draft report on the most practical timelines for the EPC to commence its work, (iv) Draft a Finance Committee report detailing the financial implications of the establishment of the EPC, (v) Budget Estimation Table for its establishment and subsequent sessions, and (vi) Summary Matrix of Key Functions (interfaces with Council/Assembly, Finance Committee, Enterprise, Secretariat offices; data flows; reporting). • Ensure legal/mandate consistency, role clarity, and resourcing assumptions tied to the readiness baseline. Deliverable 3 – Concept Note: Establishment of the Inspectorate / ICE mechanism (Compliance Committee) (by 16 January 2026) • This deliverable will be informed by the ongoing Council negotiations on the exploitation regulations concerning the establishment of the Inspectorate / ICE mechanism (Compliance Committee), in close coordination with OLA. • Prepare: (i) Draft Work Plan & Timeline, (ii) Draft Council decision for the creation of the Compliance Committee, election mechanism and Rules of Procedure, (iii) Draft Budget Estimation Table, and (iv) Summary Matrix of Key Functions (including due process, evidence handling, confidentiality, inspection triggers, relevant qualification and experience, engagement of suitable external experts, and reporting interfaces, process flowchart). • The LTC will be invited to develop Recommendations to guide the Inspectorate / ICE Mechanism (Compliance Committee) for conducting inspections and monitoring. • Develop a SOP for the Secretariat for providing the necessary supporting role on inspection. • Ensure alignment with oversight architecture, QSMS/SOPs, and cross-office roles within the Secretariat. Deliverable 4 – Seabed Mining Register (SMR): Review the documents related to the scoping of the development of the SMR (Nov 2025-Feb 2026) • Review the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the scoping phase on the development of the SMR. • Provide guidance and advise to the selected consultant to ensure all the essential components are covered during the scoping exercise. • Review the scoping report. • Output: ToR for the development of the SMR, and the Scoping report, taking into consideration the negotiations of the exploitation regulations. Deliverable 5 – Review of SOPs (Nov 2025 – Mar 2026) • Review SOPs with emphasis on contractor compliance and inspection, modalities for exchange of views between contractors and the Commission, evaluation of contractors’ annual reports, and the management of application fee for exploration. • Ensure SOPs are aligned with the QSMS, and ISA rules, regulations and procedures. • Participate in hybrid workshops organised by OCMC to review SOPs in plenary. • Output: Final versions of SOPs. Deliverable 6 – Standards & Guidelines support (Dec 2025–Apr 2026) • Based on the list to be provided by the Secretariat, prepare the following: prioritization criteria for Standards and Guidelines (S&G) across Phases 1, 2, and 3, streamlining of the list, identifying dependencies and responsible organs, cross-office roles within the Secretariat a lean development workflow (drafting, consultation, QA, adoption, publication). • Prepare or refine targeted drafts/annotated outlines for items relevant to OCMC/CARMU/OLA and cross-office interfaces. • Review the Draft guidelines on the preparation and assessment of an application for the approval of a Plan of Work for exploitation (ISBA/27/C/3) with a view to ensuring consistency with the evolving regulatory framework. • Output: Prioritization Note on S&G (phased approach, workflow, responsibilities, timeline) and Drafts/Annotated Outlines (as agreed with EOSG/OCMC/OLA), revised S&G ISBA/27/C/3. Deliverable 7- Capacity building support (Ongoing) • Develop concepts for regional sensitization workshops customised to the priorities of each ISA region with predominantly developing Member States, including proposed objectives, agendas, and partnerships. • Design and implement a survey to assess the impact of ISA capacity-building programmes on beneficiaries and their potential to contribute to ISA mandate. • Contribute to the development of joint capacity-building proposals with stakeholders and partners aligned with the ISA Capacity Development Strategy and the Partnership Fund. Outputs: Regional workshop concept notes for each ISA region/group with developing Member States as a majority. Impact assessment survey and analytical summary report. Contribute to drafting joint proposals for capacity-building collaborations. Deliverable 8 – Any other tasks requested by any Secretariat offices through OCMC Qualifications/special skillsQualifications and skills • Advanced degree relevant to seabed resources governance (e.g., geology/mining, environmental management, public administration, international law). • Minimum 15 years’ experience in institutional/organizational assessment, regulatory/governance design, and/or compliance systems, preferably in multilateral settings. • Demonstrated experience with SOP/QSMS frameworks, inspection/compliance architectures, standards/guidelines development, and data/registry governance. • Familiarity with UNCLOS/1994 Agreement and ISA regulatory instruments; excellent drafting, facilitation, and change-management skills. • Advanced degree relevant to seabed resources governance (e.g., geology/mining, environmental management, public administration, international law). • Minimum 15 years’ experience in institutional/organizational assessment, regulatory/governance design, and/or compliance systems, preferably in multilateral settings. • Demonstrated experience with SOP/QSMS frameworks, inspection/compliance architectures, standards/guidelines development, and data/registry governance. • Familiarity with UNCLOS/1994 Agreement and ISA regulatory instruments; excellent drafting, facilitation, and change-management skills. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the Authority. For the position advertised, fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is desirable. Additional Information• Meetings: Weekly OCMC check-in; ad hoc technical sessions with designated offices. • Document control: Versioning and access handled per OCMC instructions; draft/share via OCMC. • Confidentiality: All information and drafts handled in accordance with UNCLOS (mutatis mutandis art. 168), ISA rules; non-public information remains confidential. • Conflicts of interest: The Consultant shall disclose any potential conflict and refrain from activities incompatible with these ToR. • Intellectual property: All deliverables and underlying work products are the property of the Authority. • Full-time senior-level consultancy; monthly instalments upon OCMC acceptance of the month’s agreed outputs and time/worklog, in line with UN rules. • Authorized travel reimbursed as per applicable policies. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.