TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR

Preparation of Trinidad and Tobago’s Voluntary National Review (VNR)

 to the 2020 High-Level Political Forum

Eligible individuals are invited to indicate their interest by submitting their cover letter and curriculum vitae. The length of the contract is 7 months, with a projected start date in October 2019.

Applications must be addressed to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Planning and Development, Independence Square, Port-Of-Spain and submitted on the twenty-second floor of Nicholas Tower, Independence Square no later than  Monday 07^th October 2019 at 12:00 noon. 

 Background

The United Nations through the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development encourages member States to "conduct regular and inclusive reviews of progress at the national and sub-national levels, which are country-led and country-driven". These national reviews are expected to serve as a basis for the regular reviews at the high-level political forum (HLPF), convened under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). These national reviews are termed voluntary reporting to emphasize ownership and commitment by each country to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Conducted annually, the Voluntary National Review (VNR) process aims to facilitate the sharing of experiences, including successes, challenges, and lessons learned, with a view to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The VNRs also seek to strengthen policies and institutions of governments and to mobilize multi-stakeholder support and partnerships for the implementation of the SDGs and by extension, national development.

VNRs at the HLPF are the cornerstone of the follow-up and review framework of the 2030 Agenda. They culminate in a country report to and presentation at the HLPF. They are most productive when they involve an inclusive and thorough review process, when they produce tangible lessons and solutions, and when they are followed by action and collaboration that drive SDG implementation.

In this regard, a request was sent to the President of the Economic and Social Council from the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago to the UN, New York, on behalf of the Government, to be placed on the list of countries participating in the VNRs at the 2020 High- Level Political Forum on sustainable development. The request was accepted, and Trinidad and Tobago is expected to submit the Main Messages and an electronic copy of the VNR to the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) by May 2020 and June 2020, respectively. The VNR will then be presented at the HLPF in July 2020.

Therefore, to facilitate the preparation of Trinidad and Tobago’s first VNR report, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) subregional headquarters for the Caribbean seeks the services of a consultant to lead the process of preparing the VNR.

Objective

The objective of this consultancy is to prepare the first VNR Report for Trinidad and Tobago to be presented at the 2020 HLPF.

Work assignment (Scope)

The consultant will be required to perform the following tasks:

Task 1 – Conceptualise the VNR

1. Outline the overall structure, flow and layout of the VNR.
2. Identify the inputs, resources and perspectives needed for each section of the VNR and work in coordination with the Government and VNR Focal Point to secure the necessary resources and involvement of the appropriate entities.
3. Work with the SDGs Technical Coordinating Committee, the Standing Committee on the Implementation and Reporting on the SDGs and the Multi-sectoral Working Groups on the SDGs to facilitate consultations on engaging relevant stakeholders through a comprehensive and participatory process to inform the Key Messages of the zero draft of the VNR report.

Task 2 – Coordinate data collection and data tracking, as necessary and appropriate

1. Facilitate, in collaboration with the Central Statistical Office, the development of the content, inputs and data which are high-quality, accessible, timely, reliable and disaggregated by income, sex, age, race, ethnicity, migration status, disability and geographic location and other characteristics relevant in national contexts, required for drafting Trinidad and Tobago’s ministerial address for the HLPF presentation.

2. Undertake a desk review of the Vision 2030 Progress Report, the Montevideo Consensus, the Annual Country Report of the Country Implementation Plan for Trinidad and Tobago 2017, as well as other relevant documents from the private sector, civil society, academia and developmental partners, and use the information contained in these reports and documents to inform the VNR.

3. Conduct national and sub-national workshops (including in Tobago), as needed, that incorporate: (i) sensitization sessions for stakeholders including Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and the private sector to share their views on SDG implementation progress; (ii) validation of data track, including SDG priority indicators for Trinidad and Tobago, where appropriate; and (iii) focus group sessions to discuss best practices and/or policies and strategies that have advanced implementation of the Vision 2030 and the 2030 Agenda in Trinidad and Tobago.1

Task 3 – Prepare the Zero Draft and Final Draft of Trinidad and Tobago’s VNR

1. Using the United Nations guidelines on VNR and the 2030 Agenda, the Trinidad and Tobago Roadmap for SDG Implementation, as well as other data and reporting mechanisms, identify what should constitute the main policy messages of the VNR, in cooperation with SDGs Technical Coordinating Committee, the Standing Committee on the Implementation and Reporting on the SDGs and the Multi-sectoral Working Groups on the SDGs, in consultation with civil society organizations, private sector and academia representatives.
2. Prepare the zero draft and main messages of Trinidad and Tobago’s VNR for review by the Ministry of Planning and Development and ECLAC.

2. Prepare the final draft and executive summary of Trinidad and Tobago’s VNR incorporating comments received from the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (GORTT), through the Ministry of Planning and Development, and ECLAC.

Expected outputs/Deliverables

The consultant is expected to produce the following:

1. An Inception Report (15 pages maximum) containing:
   
   1. A detailed work plan, inclusive of the approach the consultant proposes to use for the stakeholder engagement,
   2. A proposed schedule of the stakeholder engagement sessions,
   3. A listing of the key documents that the consultant plans to use for the desk review;
2. A draft outline of Trinidad and Tobago’s VNR report along with a summary of the required inputs, resources and perspectives needed for its preparation;
3. An interim Stakeholder Engagement Report summarizing the discussions and outcomes of all stakeholder engagements, including workshops, carried out as part of the consultancy;
4. A final Stakeholder Engagement Report incorporating comments received from the GORTT, through the Ministry of Planning and Development, and ECLAC;
5. A Zero Draft and main messages of Trinidad and Tobago’s VNR ;
6. A Final Draft of Trinidad and Tobago’s VNR incorporating comments received from the GORTT, through the Ministry of Planning and Development, and ECLAC; and
7. An Executive Summary of the final draft of Trinidad and Tobago’s VNR.

Delivery dates of outputs

Delivery dates of outputs are as follows:

Payment schedule

The first payment, equivalent to 20% of the contract sum, will be made upon submission and acceptance by the Ministry of Planning and Development and ECLAC of the interim report summarizing the discussions and outcomes of all stakeholder engagement sessions and workshops.

The second payment, equivalent to 30% of the contract sum, will be made upon submission and

acceptance by the Ministry of Planning and Development and ECLAC of the Zero Draft VNR report and main messages;

The third payment of USD, equivalent to 25% of the contract sum, will be made upon submission and acceptance by the Ministry of Planning and Development and ECLAC of the Final Draft of Trinidad and Tobago’s VNR report incorporating comments received from the GORTT, through the Ministry of Planning and Development, and ECLAC; and

The fourth and final payment, equivalent to 25% of the contract sum, will be made within one month of the completion, and acceptance by the Ministry of Planning and Development and ECLAC, of the Executive Summary.

Nature of Consultancy

• Type of contract and modality: Fixed sum contract, external services sourced via limited competitive selection based on consultant’s qualifications and experience (including responsiveness to the TORs).
• Length of contract: 7 months, with a projected start date of 21st October 2019.
• Location: Ministry of Planning and Development, Trinidad and Tobago. In-country travel may be required for this consultancy, inclusive of travel between Trinidad and Tobago. The consultant is responsible for the costs of all intra-island travel associated with this consultancy. The consultant will be provided with an economy class ticket for one travel between Trinidad and Tobago.
• Responsible Person: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Planning and Development, Trinidad and Tobago or his/her designate.
• Requirements: Consultant must be a citizen of a Member State of the United Nations. The selected consultant must have no family members currently working for either UN ECLAC or the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. He/she must be in full compliance with the UN’s Code of Conduct stipulations.

Performance indicators

Performance in the conduct of the consultancy will be appraised on the following:

• Meeting deadlines for submissions;
• Quality of the reports;
• Demonstrated expert knowledge of the subject areas;
• Ability to organize work in a methodical and logical manner;
• Receptivity to comments from Member State (Trinidad and Tobago) representatives and ECLAC;
• Quality of English writing skills and expression;
• Usage of analysed data to arrive at logical conclusions and to inform appropriate recommendations
• Adherence to the procedures of ECLAC.