Terms of Reference for the recruitment of an International Consultant for the Setting up of a National Council of Social Work in Mauritius

Transcription

1 CONSULTANCY SERVICES FOR THE SETTING UP OF A NATIONAL COUNCIL OF SOCIAL WORK (NCSW) IN COLLABORATION WITH MINISTRY OF SOCIAL SECURITY, NATIONAL SOLIDARITY & REFORM INSTITUTIONS AND UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME Terms of Reference for the recruitment of an International Consultant for the Setting up of a National Council of Social Work in Mauritius BENEFICIARY COUNTRY : Republic of Mauritius FOCAL AREA : Democratic Governance GOVERNMENT AGENCY : DURATION : Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity & Reform Institutions 10 days over a period of 2 months including 2 field visit and desk review to the Republic of Mauritius STARTING DATE : August 2016 A. Project Title : Setting up of a NCSW B. Project Description Context and Objective of Project The practice of social work relates to fostering social change, problem solving in human relationships and empowerment of people to enhance their well-being. Social work practice which adheres to the person-in-environment philosophy is either in terms of direct services with a focus on clients and

2 service users or indirect service whereby emphasis is on agencies, groups, communities, institutional systems and societies. In many countries, the trend is towards a professionalisation of social work to ensure quality service delivery. In the Republic of Mauritius, social work is being taught at undergraduate and postgraduate level at the University of Mauritius. Other academic institutions have also now embarked on courses in social work at tertiary level. In line with the Government Programme of the Republic of Mauritius relating to Achieving Meaningful Change, the Ministry in collaboration with UNDP and MQA has embarked on a project for the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) in social work targeting grassroot level social workers in NGO settings. There are major changes taking place in the social sector in Mauritius. Having set poverty eradication as one of its target, the new Government has announced a Marshall Plan on Poverty Eradication and this is based on a community centric approach. The need is also felt for direct intervention through case management. In order to practice in an effective manner, social workers will require relevant knowledge, skills and values. Moreover, with the rise of the ageing population it is being forecasted that institutional support services and need for social carers will increase. Furthermore, with the CSR legislation the number of NGOs delivering services to complement government social programmes has considerably increased. However, in the absence of an appropriate framework, it is perceived that the standards and principles of social work practice are not always adhered to. As a result, the potential for poor practice, abuse and neglect of the clients and vulnerable people does exist in the sector. The need is therefore highly felt for a regulatory body to set the standards of practice, set a register for social workers, devise a mechanism to protect service users, deal with malpractices and set other related systems that would ultimately fulfil the goal of social work practice. C. Scope of Work The consultant is expected to play an important role in defining the appropriate structure for the setting up of a Council of Social Work in the Republic of Mauritius. She/he will be expected to carry out the following:

3 1. Carry out an environment scanning of the social sector in consultation with all relevant stakeholders. 2. Conduct a National Workshop to obtain inputs from all stakeholders on the appropriate regulatory framework for social work practice. 3. Assist in the charting of a qualifications pathway in the field of social work practice especially in NGO and residential care settings. 4. Define the organisational structure of the Council of Social Work. D. Expected Deliverables The key products to be delivered are as follows: a. A detailed implementation strategy of the Council of Social Work. b. Define the organisation structure for the Council of Social Work. c. A detailed costed plan for the implementation with timeframe. The Consultant shall be remunerated in accordance with the following time schedule and deliverable: Deliverables/Outputs Tentative Dates Fee Review and (%) Approved by Inception report based on input on desk review and working session with 5 th September % UNDP/MOSS concerned stakeholders Draft and workshop reports 10 th September % UNDP/MOSS Validation of report approved by the Ministry of Social Security and 10 th October % UNDP/MOSS UNDP Submission of final report 15 th October % UNDP/MOSS E. Institutional Arrangements While the consultant will be contracted by the UNDP in collaboration the Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity & Reform Institutions, the relevant Ministries, the Academia and other stakeholders will have a key role to play for the implementation of the Council.

4 The Consultant shall work under the supervision of the NGO Common Training Strategy Committee of the Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity & Reform Institutions and shall report to it for the achievement of its duties. The following representatives will form part of the Steering Committee: Representative of UNDP NGO Trust Fund MACOSS Decentralized Cooperation Programme Non State Actor Unit Senior Citizens Council The Consultant will report directly to the Senior Chief Executive, Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity & Reform Institutions and Acting Head of Socio Economic Development Unit (SEDU), UNDP. a. All reports are to be written in English. The Consultant will provide an electronic version of all the required deliverables. b. The Consultant is expected to liaise/interact/collaborate/meet with the staff of Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity & Reform Institutions, UNDP and other stakeholders. F. Duration of Work This assignment is for duration of 10 days, starting no later than 10 th August 2016 and ending 10 th October2016 including 3 days of desk review (home based). It is envisioned that this assignment will require two (2) visits to the Republic of Mauritius (for a total of 5 working days) whereby during the second visit 2 days, the Ministry would hold a workshop in collaboration with the consultant and all stakeholders to present the final report. G. Duty Station The Consultant will be required to be present in Mauritius as specified above. H. Qualifications of the Successful Individual Contractor Education

5 At least a Master Degree from a recognised University in Social Science or related field. Experience Minimum of 10 years of demonstrative experience in Social Work Practice Proven experience of setting up of a Council of Social Work or similar organisations in other countries that could be benchmarked with the Republic of Mauritius Experience in consultancy services in social work and publications in the sector Language Excellent written and spoken English is required Knowledge of French will be an advantage Corporate Competencies Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UNs values and ethical standards; Advocates and promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UN; Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability; and Treats all people fairly without favouritism. Functional Competencies Ability to adapt in new working environment; Demonstrated strategic technical and intellectual skills in the substantive area; Excellent communication skills (oral and written); and Computer adeptness. I. Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule Payments Price Proposal The financial offer should be quoted as a lump sum amount, all-inclusive. The term All inclusive implies that all costs (professional fees, travel costs, living allowances, communications, consumables, etc.) that could possibly be incurred by the Contractor are already factored into the final amounts submitted in the proposal The contract price is fixed regardless of changes in the cost components. Payments will be effected based on deliverables

6 Payment Schedule 20% upon submission of Inception report 30 % upon submission of draft report 40% upon validation of Final report 10% upon Submission of Final report J. Proposed Work Plan and Indicative Time It is planned that the consultancy starts no later than 10 th August 2016 and ending 10 th October2016. K. Recommended Presentation of Offer Individual consultants are invited to submit applications & below requirements: 1) Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP. 2) Personal CV and P11 (both), indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details ( and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references. Candidates not submitting P11 will not be considered. 3) Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment, and a methodology on how they will approach and complete the assignment. 4) Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided. If an Offeror is employed by an organization/company/institution, and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNDP under Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the Offeror must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP. L. Criteria for Selection of Best Offer The award of the contract will be made to the Individual Consultant whose offer has been evaluated using the Combined Scoring Method and determined as:

7 1) Responsive/compliant/acceptable; 2) Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specified below (Technical Criteria weight (0.7), Financial Criteria weight (0.3). Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70 marks out of 100 would be considered for the Financial Evaluation. Qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply. Educational Qualifications At least a Master Degree from a recognised University in Social Science or related field Context Knowledge RPL Experience Minimum of 10 years Proven Consultancy of demonstrative experience in services in social experience in Social setting up a work and Work Practice Council of publications in Social Work or the sector similar organisations in other countries that could be benchmarked with the Republic of Mauritius Language Proficiency Excellent written and spoken English is required Knowledge of French will be an advantage 20 MARKS 25 MARKS 25 MARKS 20 MARKS 10 MARKS Important Note Interested offerors above the age of 62: UNDP regulations require, at their own cost, to undergo a full medical examination including x-rays. Medical evaluation documentation does not need to be submitted with the other requested documents listed above, but will be requested should the candidate be chosen. This TOR is approved by Emmanuel Bor, Acting Head of SEDU

8 Signature: Date of Signing 10/08/16