Location:

Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Salary:

negotiable / YEAR
Job type:

CONTRACTOR
Posted:

1 month ago
Category:

Engineering, Facility and Security Services, Health / Medical, Infrastructure, Maintenance, Urban and Rural Development, Youth and Adolescence
Deadline:

02/09/2024

JOB DESCRIPTION

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, quality!

In the Republic of Uzbekistan the lack of inclusive learning environments, including limited accessibility of infrastructure for students with disabilities, is consistently reported as the key challenges to ensuring full access to quality education, with a large majority of children with disabilities being excluded from education. At national level UNICEF is leading the development of a national roadmap and guidelines for inclusive education, closely collaborating with Development Partners and the Government of Uzbekistan. This process is informed by the modelling of inclusive preschools and schools where new standards/requirements and mechanisms for inclusive education will be tested in order to inform the review of a new legislation and standards.

In this context, UNICEF is currently supporting the Ministry of Pre-school and School Education in the modeling of new practices for inclusive education in fifty schools in all regions of the country. The modelling will include necessary upgrading of available infrastructure against developed accessibility check lists based on universal design for school entry, ramps, signage, doors, toilets, among others.

In this regard, UNICEF’s Education section requires the services of an individual national consultant construction engineer to ensure compliance of works with the design documents, supervise and monitor the construction process and timely flag any deviations between actual works and design documents.

Purpose:

The National Consultant Construction Engineer will technically lead the process of rehabilitation of schools infrastructure making them accessible for children with disabilities to show case models for further scale-up by the Government.

Description of the Assignment and Tasks:

The Consultant will contribute to various construction phases, including preparation and evaluation of tender documents, the management of all phases of the project design and construction work, dealing with construction and consulting firms engaged by UNCEF for this project.

The assignment is expected to start in the beginning of September 2024 and end in February 2025.

The Consultant is expected to:

1. Support in conducting a situation analysis of schools’ infrastructure for selecting fifty model schools in all regions of Uzbekistan.

2. Provide technical guidance and facilitate work of a national research company to identify an initial scope of work in selected fifty schools for further preparation of terms of reference, tender documents, contract terms and tasks for the selected company from the engineer perspective to select and contract a company for architectural design services.

3. Supervise activities of a company for architectural design services ensuring their compliance with deadlines and quality criteria for the development of architectural design documentation. Review of project design, provided by the company.

4. Prepare relevant TOR and assist in preparation/evaluation of tender documents for hiring construction company to execute the works. Review of Annexes to the Contract, Work schedule, financial schedule, valuation proposals.

5. Design M&E plan and ensure the smooth initiation of construction works.

Management

National Consultant will work under direct supervision of Education Specialist and in consultation with national partners and government officials.

Tasks – Deliverables – Estimated timeframe

1. Situation analysis of schools’ infrastructure for selecting fifty model schools – September 2024 – 20 w.d. (final dates will be confirmed)

1) Acquaintance with the purpose and objectives of the project – a) Checklist for needs assessment of accessibility of school infrastructure

2) Visit and evaluate the conditions of inclusive schools proposed by MoPSE – b) Filled checklists for schools and recommendations for schools’ selection

2. Facilitation of work of a national research company to identify an initial scope of repair works – September – October 2024 (final dates will be confirmed) 20 w.d.

3) Finalise the checklist and methodology for data collection for identification of an initial scope of repair works in schools – c) Final data collection tools and guidelines for data collection

4) Train engineers hired by the research company on school-based data collection in line with developed methodology and checklist and monitor data-collection process – d) Training on data collection

5) Review consolidated data and prepare terms of reference for the development of design estimates for the repair works (determination of detailed scope and cost of work). Participate in the development of technical specifications in order to select a company for architectural design services – e) Information on scope of work; f) ToR for a company for architectural design services

3. Supervision of services of architectural design company – October – November 2024 40 w.d.

6) Provide assistance in preparation and review of tender documents for hiring architectural design company. Provide support in development of contract terms and tasks for the selected company from the engineer perspective – g) Technical evaluation; h) Inputs to the contract with a company for architectural design services

7) Supervise the compliance with deadlines and development of architectural design documentation. Review of project design, provided by the hired company. Review and provision of documents on completed activities for the payment – i) Architectural design documentation

4. Tender for hiring a construction company to execute the repair works in schools – December – January 2024 25 w.d.

8) Preparation of relevant TOR and assisting in preparation/evaluation of tender documents for hiring construction company to execute the works – j) Scope of work and Technical evaluation

9) Preparation and support in contract development for the selected construction company/companies. Review of Annexes to the Contract, Work schedule, financial schedule, valuation proposals – k) Inputs to contracts

5. Initiation of construction works – January – February 2025 25 w.d.

10) Design M&E plan and coordinate with company to monitor the work progress to ensure quality of construction work

Methodological guidelines, training materials, handouts, training evaluation forms and agenda of the training

11) Visit to schools to ensure smooth initiation of works – Reports

TOTAL: 130 w.d.

Travel Local: 14 regions (4 districts within each region), 2 trips to each region

Final rate shall follow the “best value for money” principle, i.e., achieving the desired outcome at the lowest possible fee. Consultants will be asked to stipulate all-inclusive fees, including lump sum travel and subsistence costs, as applicable.

Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

An advanced university degree in education, psychology or related field.
More than 5 years of experience in construction supervision and contract management
Knowledge and experience of construction buildings
Knowledge of local construction standards and skills
Knowledge of materials, methods and appropriate tools to construct facilities
Knowledge of UN procurement procedures and tender preparation/evaluation
Fluency in Russian and Uzbek language
Knowledge of English is an asset

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.

This job has expired.