Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

A (least hardship)

Family

CONS Local

2024-10-01

September 17, 2024

TERMS OF REFERENCE

For Partner National Personnel remuneration survey in the UN Albania

1. Background

UN in Albania and mainly some Agencies like UNHCR, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNWOMEN etc. work closely and implement their programmes in assisting vulnerable groups in partnerships with local NGOs.

These agencies like UNHCR have issued a Guidance on Partner Personnel, with options for conducting market research and/or a survey on partner personnel salaries who are employed by Partners under UN -funded Partnership Agreements.

The remuneration systems and salary scales are distinctly different among Partners and diverse in areas where they operate, in providing the basis for determining the level of the UN Agencies’ contribution to Partner National Personnel costs engaged under UN-funded projects. Options for such market research may include 1. Desk research to simply identify the economic trends; 2. Survey and/or interviews administered by UN Agencies directly and/or 3. Survey commissioned by UN through an experienced consultant or external audit firm.

Hence, UN in Albania is aiming to conduct remuneration survey(s) for Country Operation through an experienced consultant or external audit firm, involving various comparators that will be identified from the international and national humanitarian non-governmental and not-for-profit organizations. The remuneration scales should be established based on the local labour market and be consistent with the prevailing levels of pay for similar services, similar contract conditions and comparable work in the local labour market. It is therefore necessary to gather information on local conditions of employment in a structured manner to support construction of Partner National Personnel cost remuneration scales.
A standard categorization of the Partner National Personnel functions in line with the UN functional classification is introduced for consistency amongst various types of Partners and Personnel. This functional categorization should guide the survey.

The remuneration scales must be designed to be comprehensive, and inclusive of the value of typical allowances, benefits and taxes that are found in the local labour market and required by the country employment legislation. The value of the typical allowances should be included in the remuneration scales such that these scales are broadly competitive with the total remuneration values for the position.
The remuneration scale should be set at the gross level and may include an additional lump sum for participation in national social insurance programmes that are mandatory. The process for establishing the remuneration scale must be simple and transparent.
In this context, the UN in Albania would like to engage the services of a reputable and technically qualified contractor with extensive expertise in labour market analysis, management and organizational development to undertake the salary survey process.
The UN in Albania would hereby like to solicit proposals from interested contractors to conduct a salary survey and support UN Agencies in updating the remuneration scale for Partner National Personnel based on the latest prevailing market rates and aligned with UN regulations.

2. Objectives:

In accordance with Options for conducting market research and/or a survey on partner personnel salaries and based on the current level of the UNHCR contribution towards Partner National Personnel costs within the UNHCR Country Office the selected contractor will conduct an independent survey for the purpose of reflecting the corresponding local market rates for similar work of comparable quality, complexity and difficulty based on the already established unified remuneration scale for UN Partner National Personnel engaged under UN-funded Partnership Agreements (Annex B) and corresponding to prevailing local market rates for similar work of comparable quality, complexity and difficulty.

3. Scope of Assignment

a) The contractor will conduct desk research on the economy and labour laws relevant.
b) The contractor will conduct interviews with the above mentioned UN Agencies operation to discuss and understand the organisation’s needs, prospects, priorities and budget.
c) UN shall provide to the contractor a list of its current funded Partners in the given Country Operation as well as Partner Personnel Lists which are annexed to the Partner Agreements.
d) The contractor shall suggest to UN Agencies a list of organizations and positions/jobs which may be considered as Comparators. The list shall be subject to final approval by the UN Agencies in Albania.
e) Knowledge of the local market and ability to identify and reach out to appropriate Comparator employers are critical deliverables of the selected contractor. Where the Comparators are Partners of UN Agencies, or known to UN, UN Agencies shall assist the selected contractor in determining the right contact persons in order to carry out the survey.
f) The selected contractor shall collect and analyse the following information from each of the agreed Comparators:
i. Job descriptions of the positions similar to those identified in the standard categorization for the purpose of job matching on the nature, complexities and responsibilities of each position in the existing Partner Personnel categorization;
ii. The salary structures and associated benefits (including typical allowances and benefits package both monetary and non-monetary) of the selected Comparator organizations for existing Job Descriptions.
iii. Information on the Comparator employer (size, number of employees, length of time present in the location, etc.).
g) Before the final results of the survey and remuneration scale will be reviewed, the selected contractor shall present a draft analysis report to the UN. Consultations will be conducted with UN Agencies and any relevant audience including UN-funded Partners.
h) The contractor shall make final recommendations on the position of the existing remuneration scale and shall prepare a Final Report, incorporating comments from UN Agencies, containing all of the items listed in Section 4 below.
i) The selected contractor shall maintain complete confidentiality of all data and documents provided by selected Comparator employers and by UN. Data from Comparator employers will be shared with UN Agencies only.

4. Deliverables

Based on the established UNHCR policies and within 4 weeks after signing of the contract, the contractor is expected to submit a report which includes, but not limited to, the following outputs:
a) Details and summary of data collected from the Comparators showing TOR matches and the evaluation of their remuneration packages;
b) The minimum and maximum remuneration values of all job matches obtained from the Comparators;
c) A report on final survey findings with comparison and analysis of the survey results, and with recommendations related to remuneration packages;
d) A report on local labour conditions and laws;
e) All completed questionnaires together with relevant remuneration scales and all relevant documentations and correspondence received from the respective comparators; and
f) As and when required by UNHCR, the contractor shall conduct a presentation of the process and the results to any relevant audience that UN Agencies may organize.

5. Institutional Arrangements

The work of the contractor engaged shall be supervised by the UNHCR Assistant Programme Officer in the UNHCR Albania Country Office. As such, submission of the above- mentioned reports shall be made through him/her. The confirmation of acceptability of report contents, the authorization of disbursement of payments, and evaluation of performance shall all be undertaken by this UNHCR personnel.

6. Expected duration of Assignment

The task is expected to be completed within 4 weeks from the date of signing of the contract. The contractor is required to prepare and submit the entire plan in a way that allows the achievement of all deliverables within 4 weeks period. We foresee a total of 20 working days for the fulfilment of this assignment.

7. Duty Station

The selected contractor shall not be required to be present at the UNHCR Albania Country Office, and may work independently with coordinated visits to UNHCR and the Partners. As and when agreed by UNHCR, the contractor should visit Comparators in the course of undertaking the assignment.

8. Qualification/Experience

The successful contractor shall meet the following minimum criteria:

• Master’s degree in related area would be preferable.
• Experience in the field of human resource management.
• Past experience in undertaking salary surveys for international and non-profit organizations will be an asset.
• Familiarity with labour market issues.
• Ability to render consulting services in the most professional, effective and efficient manner.
• Fluency in English and the local language.
• Excellent writing and presentation skills (all required reports shall be written in English).
• Familiarity with the UNHCR and UN rules and regulations and experience within the UN system would be an advantage.

9. Recommended Presentation of Proposals

The Proposal shall be presented in the following manner:

i. Consultant’s profile highlighting the qualifications that meet the minimum criteria stated in Section 8 above, and at least three (3) references;
ii. Statement on why the consultant is the most suitable contractor for the work, and a brief methodology on how he/she will approach and conduct the work (with the methodology clearly explained);
iii. A detailed workplan and methodology on how the consultant will carry out the assignment and meet the timely submission of deliverables; and
iv. The Financial Proposal containing the final and all-inclusive total price offer (professional fees, all envisaged travel costs, living allowances, insurance, etc.) for the full range of services required, broken down into all major cost components associated with the services. The total price shall be in a fixed lump-sum amount in Albanian Lek (without VAT), and milestone payments corresponding to the deliverables shall be indicated in the proposal.

10. Payment terms

Payment under the contract will be output based and will be made upon the satisfactory completion of the assignment.

11. Confidentiality

It is expected from the selected contractor to maintain the highest level of confidentiality on the information provided before, during and after the completion of the assignment. The company shall practice the highest standard of professional and ethical values and norms in providing this consultancy service.

12. Basis of Contract Award

The contender meeting the technical requirements, as determined by the technical evaluation committee, and having the lowest cost, will be awarded the contractor.

13. Annexes to this TOR

A. The list of current UN-funded Partnership Agreements with Partner Lists to be provided by the UN Agencies in Albania.
B. Established unified remuneration scale for UN Partner National Personnel engaged under UN-funded Partnership Agreements

Standard Job Description

Required Languages

,

,

Desired Languages

,

,

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

Certifications

Other information

This position doesn’t require a functional clearance

Home-Based

No