Consultancy for Capacity Building
of Local Governments

Request for Proposals

Consultancy for Capacity Building of Local Governments

In Balochistan and Sindh Provinces on Localisation of SDGs

1-            Background:

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ensure inclusive, equitable, prosperous and sustainable future for all. The regional and local governments are mandated to implement the SDGs and can play a vital role in achieving the 2030 Agenda. Going beyond the simple adaptation of Global Goals at local level, localisation is about political will, co-creation with our communities and to find solution at the local level for the global challenges and objectives.

Pakistan is amongst the first countries to adopt SDGs 2030 Agenda through a unanimous resolution of the parliament in February 2016. Pakistan has pioneered the establishment of Parliamentary Taskforces on SDGs at the National and Provincial level to oversee the executive to ensure progress on the SDGs. The Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform internalized SDGs in Pakistan’s Development Framework well before formally signing it in September 2015 and embedded SDGs in Pakistan Vision 2025. The Government of Pakistan prepared a National Framework on SDGs in March 2018, considering SDGs as National Agenda for Development. The Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform has established a coordination mechanism with the provinces to implement SDGs. Pakistan has made significant efforts to achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), however the intended targets were not achieved mainly due to lack of ownership, absence of coordination mechanisms and capacity issues at the sub-national governance level.

United Cities and Local Governments Asia Pacific (UCLG ASPAC) is the united voice and advocate of democratic local self-government, which promotes cooperation between governments and within the wider international communities in the Asia-Pacific Region. The ASPAC is the biggest of the Regional Sections in UCLG with linkages to more than 7,000 local governments. UCLG with collaboration of UNDP and UN Habitat after getting lesson learned from the conclusion of MDGs, made great efforts to reach Local Governments (LGs) and foster their engagement in the achievement of the SDGs. In this process, the Roadmap for Localising the SDGs, drawn up by the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments, UNDP and UN-Habitat, offers LGs a set of strategies that will enable them to take part in this process.  As mentioned in the Roadmap, “All of the SDGs have targets directly related to the responsibilities of local and regional governments”. For this reason, it is LG’s elected and appointed officials’ duty to be ready to participate in the localisation of the SDGs.

LEAD for SDGs in Pakistan

UCLG ASPAC, in partnership with Association for Development of Local Governance (ADLG) and Local Council Associations (LCAs) of Balochistan and Sindh and with the financial support from the European Union (EU), is going to implement LEAD for SDGs Localisation in Pakistan Programme (2019-23). LEAD for SDGs builds on the commitment of the Government of Pakistan through the SDGs National Framework. It aims to contribute to the achievement of SDGs through local governance in the provinces of Balochistan and Sindh. The programme closely works with the government institutions at all levels and LCAs to plan, implement and monitor SDGs at the local level. The programme’s overall objective is to contribute to the achievement of SDGs through effective local governance in Pakistan. This will be achieved through fostering an enabling environment for mainstreaming SDGs in local development processes through effective leadership and policy advocacy, supported by evidence-based research, capacity building and improved coordination, and piloting innovative approaches for SDGs localisation.

2- Purpose of the Assignment:

In the first place, it is crucial to raise awareness of the local governments on SDGs with the notion of ‘Leaving No One Behind’ to take the SDGs into account in their daily work as well as raise awareness amongst their communities. LGs also have to play a major role in the adoption and translation of the provincial plans (SDGs Frameworks) for the implementation of the SDGs. Principally, during the planning stage, but also in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation stages of the plans as one of the LGs roles, is to advocate for the inclusion of the interests and needs of their communities in the district plans as well as provincial Annual Development Plans (ADPs).

The programme will also support LGs elected and appointed officials in the two pilot districts in each province to develop SDGs aligned district plans. This involves a great deal of different actions which may include conducting a needs assessment, working hand in hand with other actors in the districts or aligning existing plans with the SDGs, mobilising resources, and building capacities through a variety of actions, including resorting to development cooperation and peer-to-peer learning with the aim to maximise these actions.

LEAD for SDGs is looking for the services of an expert/firm to carry out the capacity building component of the LEAD project i.e. need assessment, development of the capacity building modules and trainings of the local government elected and appointed officials on;

i)       knowledge of SDGs and its targets, and localisation of SDGs

ii)     Provide LG with some tools/skills to identify needs and priorities of their people, articulate the need/ priority in the district development plans and its alignment with SDGs targets/ indicators.

 Furthermore, skills on leadership for policy advocacy, mobilisation of resources and working with the provincial governments for implementation of the district plans.

3- Objectives of the Assignment

The main objective of these Terms of Reference is,

• To conduct capacity need assessment of the local governments in Sindh and Balochistan provinces

To develop two separate modules for building capacity of the local governments, who are supposed to be engaged in planning and contribute in achievement of targets of SDGs at districts level. The modules will be developed on;

i) Roles and responsibility, and administrative and financial powers of local governments under their respective legal and policy framework. Awareness of 2030 Agenda- Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in simple language and with contextualised learning methodology for linking the SDGs targets with the local development

ii) Skills and tools to translate needs/priorities of the community in annual district plans, align the development plans with SDGs indicators, and implementation of the district development plans by linking it with the SDGs indicators progress/achievement

• Ø To organise and conduct trainings of 200 representatives of local governments in Balochistan and Sindh provinces

4- Qualification/Experience:

The consultant/firm must have demonstrated expertise and experience in the areas of local governance and SDGs. More specifically, the consultant/firm must have demonstrated experience in;

• Having a minimum Master’s degree in social and development studies or related field
• At least 10 (ten) years working experience in relevant discipline
• Demonstrated strong knowledge and experience for the capacity building, preferably in the areas of SDGs, devolution, local government and rural development
• Has considerable experience of working with local government, have knowledge of structures as well as political, legal and financial authority of the local governments in Balochistan and Sindh provinces
• Must have knowledge of the opportunities and challenges of local government for their contribution in localisation and implementation of SDGs in Sindh and Balochistan provinces. Must be aware of the local context of two Sindh and Balochistan provinces
• The consulting firm/consultant must have a solid knowledge on the 2030 Agenda and the localisation process must have knowledge of national, provincial frameworks of SDGs, localisation of SDGs.

5- Deliverables:

• Need assessment of the local government for their knowledge and skills enhancement for localisation and achievements of SDGs in Sindh and Balochistan provinces
• Two separate modules, one on roles, responsibilities and administrative financial powers of the local governments under their respective laws and policies and the second on awareness of SDGs and skills enhancement of local government for SDGs aligned local planning and development
• Develop programme’s capacity building plan for local governments in Sindh and Balochistan provinces
• Conduct trainings of local governments in Sindh and Balochistan provinces
•  Develop training reports with pre and post evaluation analysis to measure the knowledge and behaviour change

6- Documents need to be submitted to LEAD for SDGs

a) All Firms/consultants will have to submit comprehensive technical and financial proposals, keeping in account the requirements specified above and the project objectives. The proposal should provide Firms/consultant profiles clearly stating the capabilities and capacity of undertaking the presented task

b) Previous experience and physical evidence of previous work produced

c) CVs/profiles of the team, who will work on the assignment

2) A proposed work plan including the outputs and their timeline

7- Timelines:

The assignment is expanded on eighteen (18) months, beginning from September 2019. The maximum working days for this assignment are 77, which includes Need Assessment, Manuals Development, Trainings, Travel and Reporting.

The interested consultants/firms are required to propose a tentative schedule in the proposal. The selected consultant will be required to submit a detail work plan for the approval.

8- Mode of Payment

• The consultancy fee will be paid in 4 instalments
  • First instalment will be paid on completion of Need Assessment
  • Second instalment will be paid on development of Modules
  • Third instalment will be paid on conduct of Training and
  • Fourth instalment will be paid on submission of the Trainings Reports

The consultant/ firm will submit a formal request through invoice for the release of instalment and LEAD for SDGs will release amount as per its SOPs.