Back National Consultants (2 LOTS) - Business Continuity and Contingency Planning for the National Assembly of Armenia

Background

UNDP Modern Parliament for a Modern Armenia (MAP) project is designed to strengthen the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia in its new and fundamentally enhanced role within the governance system in carrying out key functions of law-making, oversight, and representation. With a long-term goal of enhancing the overall effectiveness of the Parliament as a policy-making institution, the project is designed to support the National Assembly to take the advantage of the modern governance tools and mechanisms that are focusing on improved quality, transparency and inclusiveness of parliamentary operations and enhanced parliamentary capacity for gender-responsive policymaking, as well as overall safety and security of the Parliament and its operations.

The three components of the project are focused on the areas of Legislative capacity, Legislative transparency, and Legislative responsiveness. To that end, a three-stage strategy will be applied: (i) catalytic stage of needs assessment, strategic agenda-setting, and pilots of the designed approaches, (ii) full-fledged implementation of the strategic agenda, tested approaches and activities, (iii) evaluation of the implementation, policy recommendations, and project closure.

The Parliament has exclusive mandate for policy making and public oversight to meet national disaster risk reduction agenda which is enshrined in the 2017-2022 Disaster Risk Management National Strategy of Armenia, also mainstreaming the culture of resilience and supporting Armenia’s commitments to the implementation of the Sendai Framework for DRR.

The history of emergencies and recent global pandemics clearly showed that the disaster and emergency risks are outpacing the local resilience, with a significant human and economic cost. The hazards are intensifying with transboundary geographical shifts, and critical infrastructures like the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia are indeed exposed to significant seismic, technological, security and health risks.

The Republic of Armenia has been seriously impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. In line with many other countries, the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia has granted special powers to the government to combat the pandemic through declaration of a state of emergency, renewed on three occasions in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia.

The pandemic has led many countries – and parliaments – to re-evaluate the plans they have for operating in emergency situations, including, but not limited to current and potential future pandemics.

In this regard, the Parliamentary contingency plans shall be formulated to guide every day parliamentary operations in line with overarching national safety and security legislation reflecting the abovementioned pandemic as well as all other foreseeable crisis

Parliaments have been faced with four often competing priorities during recent emergencies, including the pandemic:

• to continue to carry out the constitutional roles of legislation, oversight, representation and voting the national budget;
• to grant government any necessary exceptional powers to enable an effective response to the pandemic while respecting human rights and freedoms;
• to act as a model for citizens in compliance of public health measures to limit the spread of the virus; and,
• to protect the health and safety of members of parliament staff, and others attending the parliament including media and citizens.

Parliaments around the world have adapted in many different ways to the current emergency. There is no single ‘best practice’ and responses are conditioned by factors including available technologies, national political culture and citizen expectations.

Looking to the future, the coronavirus emergency has led a number of parliaments, including Armenia, to examine and revise contingency planning, in order to assure maximum preparedness for unexpected emergency of any kind. While no planning can take into account and ensure full preparedness for all unanticipated situations, parliaments can take steps to minimize risks and enable rapid decision-making and business realignment at times of crisis.

The Project is seeking to engage two national experts on Business Continuity and Business Resilience Policy and Crisis Management to work along with an International Expert as a Team.

The MAP Project is inviting applications for the top experts in Armenia to help the NA in Business Continuity and Contingency Planning.

Duties and Responsibilities

The consultants will act under the overall supervision of UNDP MAP Project CTA and in a team compiled with the international consultant to address the issues crisis planning for the National Assembly, namely:

LOT 1: Business Continuity of the Processes in the National Assembly Management

Institutional framework planning

• Thoroughly revise business continuity framework that meets the National Assembly needs;
• Capture the lessons learned from scenario testing which have further strengthened the department’s business continuity framework;
•  Ensure greater understanding of Business Continuity Management (BCM) by key staff and engaged executives with the momentum required to continuously improve BCM in the department
• Support development parliamentary IT systems’ protocols to deal with system failures including as a result of hacking attacks, including effective data back-up systems and rapid restoration of connectivity.
• Design, implement and embed an entity’s business continuity framework

Business Continuity Management

• Developed protocols to understand potential risks of unplanned disruptions, especially those related to the provision of the National Assembly’s key services
• Identify the National Assembly’s time-critical business processes/activities/functions required recovery timeframes and hence the restoration priority for business operations;
• Provide strategies to ‘business as usual’ (BAU) within agreed and acceptable timeframes; create action-oriented procedures to respond to the disruption in an efficient, effective and timely manner; •establish principles and capabilities that are dynamic such that they enable the National Assembly to respond to variety of future disruption events; and
• Develop protocols for periodical review, modification, update or revision the business continuity framework to account for new organizational risks
• Work in close cooperation with other experts to ensure the best practice is reflected.
• Develop Departmental Business Continuity Plans and scenarios for situations impacting the ability of the National Assembly to carry out its critical activities:
  • Denial of Access (to part or any part of the Parliamentary Estate)
  • Denial of Information Technology and communications
  • Denial of People
  • Denial of Third Parties
  • Denial of Utilities (as part of infrastructure)

• Denial of Access (to part or any part of the Parliamentary Estate)
• Denial of Information Technology and communications
• Denial of People
• Denial of Third Parties
• Denial of Utilities (as part of infrastructure)

Provision for virtual functioning

• Analyze parliaments engagement into some virtual functioning, ranging from the full operation of parliamentary debates and voting through virtual technologies, to basic approaches such as carrying out parliamentary business across several video-connected rooms to enable social distancing.
• Provide recommendation on what is required for the National Assembly of Armenia for virtual functioning.

LOT 2: Parliamentary Business Resilience Policy and Crisis Management

• Assess the ability of the National Assembly to resist being affected by an incident and develop an institutional policy to:
  • Respond to the incident in order to protect staff, its environment and the services it provides.
  • Minimize disruption of the incidents to return to normality as quickly as possible.
• Provide a framework for building the National Assembly’s resilience with the capability for an effective response that safeguards the National Assembly’s reputation and the interests by Identifying a holistic management processes to respond to potential threats to the National Assembly
• Organization of DRR capacity assessment for the Parliamentarians, staff and administrative building in close cooperation with the Ministry of Emergency Situations – pertaining exclusively to the scope of the National Assembly and its specific position in the system of the separation of powers but also the fact that all the services are
• Formulate elements of the DRR and Civil Protection plan for the Parliament that can be implemented by the Chief of Staff’s office.
• Formulation of Standard Operating Procedures for parliamentarians and staff on DRR and Emergency Response
• Provide policy recommendations for updating administrative frameworks in line with the DRR plans and capacity assessment findings, identified needs and threats
• Deliver trainings to match the capabilities needed for the implementation of the plans, including on communication, DRR mainstreaming and inter-operability.  

• Respond to the incident in order to protect staff, its environment and the services it provides.
• Minimize disruption of the incidents to return to normality as quickly as possible.

Safety protocols in parliamentary functioning

• Develop plan proposal for MPs, parliamentary staff and other visitors to be able to work safely and set an example in following public health and safety protocols.
• Detailed processes and plans for the physical protection of MPs, parliamentary buildings, and staff – only public aspect or an overall approach to it.
• Develop plans for all foreseeable disaster risk reduction measures. Plans should be in place to ensure either that a stock of PPE is available within parliament, or that there is guaranteed access to government-held supplies.

 Expected deliverables:      

Description of deliverables

Delivery time

LOT 1

20 days

Institutional Continuity Assessment and Plan

Business Continuity Management Protocols

Provisions for virtual functioning – Analysis and Recommendations

Trainings for NA

LOT 2

20 days

Parliamentary Business Resilience and Crisis Management Policy

Safety Protocols

Trainings for the NA

Payment mode:

Payment will be conducted in the following installments upon completion of the tasks under each output and approval of deliverables by UNDP MAP Project: 

• LOT 1 : 100%
• LOT 2: 100%

Competencies

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills;
• Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities skills;
• Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback;
• Ability to plan, organize, implement and report on work;
• Ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines;
• Proficiency in the use of office IT applications and internet in conducting research;
• Outstanding communication, project management and organizational skills;
• Excellent presentation and facilitation skills.
• Demonstrates integrity and ethical standards;
• Positive, constructive attitude to work;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Capacity to interact with senior officials and elected Members and credibly influence senior decision makers;
• Strong analytical, negotiation and communication skills, including ability to produce high quality practical advisory reports and knowledge products;
• Demonstrated practical knowledge and experience in the field of parliamentary assistance;
• Effective and timely delivery of agreed outputs in a high-pressure work environment.

Required Skills and Experience

Education: 

• MA in IT crisis management, Engineering and similar

Experience:

• At least 5 years of experience in related field;
• Previous experience in IT for crisis prevention and management with state institutions
• DRR experience with state institutions
• Working experience in writing or contributing to Crisis Response and Business Continuity Planning strategy;
• Previous experience working with UNDP is an asset.

Languages:  

• Native in Armenia and very good English language is required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE EVALUATED BASED ON THE FOLLOWING METHODOLOGY:

Candidates will be evaluated using a cumulative analysis method taking into consideration the combination of the applicants' technical qualifications,  experience and financial proposal. The contract will be awarded to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as technically responsive/compliant/acceptable to the requirements of the ToR and received the highest cumulative (technical and financial) score out of below defined technical and financial criteria.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points in the technical evaluation would be considered for financial evaluation.  

Technical Criteria - 70% of total evaluation - max. 70 points

Financial Criteria - 30% of total evaluation - max. 30 points. 

DOCUMENTS TO BE INCLUDED WHEN SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION.

• Financial Proposal and Availability form: OFFEROR’S LETTER TO UNDP  (The financial proposal shall specify total lump sum. Applicant is required to indicate for which LOT (s) he/she is applying. It is possible to apply for both LOTs
• CV shall include Education/Qualification, Processional Certification, Employment Records /Experience
• Cover Letter – explaining why you are the most suitable for the work should be included in the Offeror’s letter.

General Conditions of Contract is available here: http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/documents/procurement/documents/IC%20-%20General%20Conditions.pdf.

Note: Please note you can upload only one document to this application (scan all documents in one single PDF file to attach). 

Contact emails for Inquiries:  ruzanna.hayrapetyan@undp.org; silva.abelyan@undp.org  

Engagement of Government Officials and Employees

Government Officials or Employees are civil servants of UN Member States.  As such, if they will be engaged by UN under an IC which they will be signing in their individual capacity (i.e., engagement is not done through RLA signed by their Government employer), the following conditions must be met prior to the award of contract:

• A “No-objection” letter in respect of the individual is received from the Government employing him/her, and;
• The individual must provide an official documentation from his/her employer formally certifying his or her status as being on “official leave without pay” for the duration of the IC.

The above requirements are also applicable to Government-owned and controlled enterprises and well as other semi/partially or fully owned Government entities, whether or not the Government ownership is of majority or minority status. 

UN recognizes the possibility that there are situations when the Government entity employing the individual that UN wishes to engage is one that allows its employees to receive external short-term consultancy assignments (including but not limited to research institutions, state-owned colleges/universities, etc.), whereby a status of “on-leave-without-pay” is not required.  Under such circumstance, the individual entering into an IC with UN must still provide a “No-objection” letter from the Government employing him/her.  The “no objection” letter required under (i) above must also state that the employer formally certifies that their employees are allowed to receive short-term consultancy assignment from another entity without being on “leave-without-pay” status and include any conditions and restrictions on granting such permission, if any.  The said document may be obtained by, and put on record of, UN, in lieu of the document (ii) listed above.