Individual Contract Policy

Supplemental Guidance:

175. 
     Rosters may be updated by issuing an announcement at least once a year, in order to obtain new potential candidates. When feasible, business units may consider posting an ongoing announcement, with no submission deadline, so that the roster is continuously updated. This approach is suitable for high demand consultancy/contractor service areas.
     

Pre-approved rosters

176. 
     A business unit may create a roster with pre-approved individuals who can be contracted for sums of less than US $100,000 without the need for further desk review. Such a roster may be created for country office, regional or global use.
     
177. 
     This type of roster can only be used upon approval from the Regional Advisory Committee on Procurement or Advisory Committee on Procurement based on ex-ante submission. At a minimum, such ex-ante submission must clearly provide the following information:
     

1. 
   The method for sourcing individual entries;
   
2. 
   The level of detail required for each individual;
   
3. 
   The process of screening and pre-approving each individual;
   
4. 
   The procedure for updating, adding and deleting individuals; and
   
5. 
   The justification for a pre-approved roster (i.e., to what extent can it improve efficiency, based on demand).
   

178. 
     Consistent with provisions on an individual contract as a framework agreement, any approval of such a roster by a Regional Advisory Committee on Procurement or Advisory Committee on Procurement is only valid for three years. Thereafter, the business unit shall resubmit the case, indicating any further changes arising from lessons learned.
     
179. 
     The thresholds for daily fees, cumulative contract amounts and duration limits apply to all individual contracts generated from a pre-approved roster.
     

Administration of Travel of Individual Contractors

Travel modes for individual contractors

180. 
     Two types of travel may be applicable to individual contractors:
     

1. 
   Mission travel, which is generally defined as travel requested as part of the performance of functions under the contract. This type usually consists of travelling from the duty station to the place of the mission and returning to the duty station.
   
2. 
   Travel to join a duty station/repatriation travel. This type of travel is only applicable for individual contractors who do not reside at the duty station when they are engaged. It applies only to individual contractors who are actually required to travel to and from the duty station. It is not relevant for those who are working from home; who are already at the duty station regardless of reason; who are already at the duty station because of another individual contract or amendment, even if for a different project or terms of reference; or who opt in writing to stay at the duty station after the completion of an individual contract.
   

181. 
     Postponing a new individual contract to create an unnecessary break between contracts shall have no effect on an individual’s ineligibility for travel.
     

Budgeting for travel

182. 
     All envisaged travel costs must be included in the original financial proposal. This includes all duty travel, travel to join a duty station and repatriation. Any anticipated mission travel must be included in the terms of reference to allow for inclusion in the financial proposal. In the event of unforeseeable travel, the respective business unit and the individual contractor should agree on the manner in which travel costs, including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses, are to be reimbursed prior to travel.
     
183. 
     Regardless of the purpose of travel, the prevailing price for an economy class ticket on the most direct routes shall apply for all individual contractors. In general, UNDP should not accept travel costs exceeding those of a full-fare economy class ticket. Individual contractors wishing to upgrade their travel to business or first class shall do so at their own expense.
     
184. 
     On an exceptional basis, the Chief Procurement Officer of UNDP (or delegated officials) may authorize business class travel if travel conditions fall under any of the special circumstances authorized by the UN Secretary-General as per A/67/356.
     
185. 
     For all exceptions, supporting documentation including the TTS3-E,​ shall be submitted to the Chief of the Administrative Services Division in the Bureau of Management.
     
186. 
     Since individual contractors are not staff, UNDP is under no obligation to provide them with entitlements typically provided to staff for travel. 
     

Travel expenses

187. 
     Payments to cover travel expenses may be made either as a lump sum of 100 percent of expected travel costs prior to travel, or reimbursed to the individual contractor upon submission of a travel claim (F-10 form) and all necessary supporting documents. The preference of the business unit must be indicated in the terms of reference.
     
188. 
     When the individual contractor pays for his/her own travel expenses as part of the lump sum fee, reporting using an F-10 claim is not required. 
     

Negotiations for unforeseen air travel and living allowances

189. 
     The cost and terms of reimbursement of any unforeseen air travel authorized by UNDP for individual contractors must be negotiated prior to travel. The individual contractor must indicate in writing his/her willingness to undertake such unforeseen travel, before it commences.
     
190. 
     The rules governing unforeseen travel shall be the same as those described in Budgeting for Travel. All other related costs shall be based on, or pro-rated with, the relevant cost components indicated in the original financial proposal. Where such costs involve living allowances, the UNDP daily service allowance rates may be applied or used as a benchmark for negating living allowance rates.
     

Visa and travel documents

191. 
     For individual contractors located outside of the duty station designated under the contract, UNDP will facilitate, at its own expense, necessary visas and work permits. Where the United States is the duty station, a G-4 visa is required. It provides non-immigrant status for persons employed by international organizations while stationed on official business in the United States. Persons with G-4 visa status are required by US immigration authorities to relinquish any other visa status that they may have previously held in the United States. The business unit engaging the contractor must report the required arrival and separation of the individual contractor to the US Mission to the United Nations through the Induction Questionnaire for Contractual Personnel (P.1/A Form) and eventually the Exit Interview (P.18 Form), respectively.
     
192. 
     For identification purposes, a UN Certificate may be issued for individual contractors who travel at the authorization of UNDP and with UNDP funds, in accordance with Section 26 of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations of 13 February 1946, using the form PT-64, Application for UN Certificate.
     
193. 
     Locally recruited individual contractors are responsible for all necessary visas and work permits required by local authorities before commencing their assignment with UNDP. When international travel is required in accordance with the terms of reference, UNDP shall assist in obtaining visas necessary for the journey. The business unit may issue a letter stating that the individual has been offered a contract to assist this process.
     

Security clearance

194. 
     UNDP business units must ensure that individual contractors obtain a security clearance to travel to locations in Security Level I or above.
     
195. 
     When travel is required to a country with a designated Security Level 1 or above, the Individual Contractors should also be requested to undertake the Basic Security in the Field training and the Advanced Security in the Field training, following the procedure for access by non-staff.
     
196. 
     When travel to a country with no designated security level is required, only the basic training must be completed. CD-ROMs of the trainings must be made available where access to other forms of technology poses a challenge.
     

Statement of medical fitness for work

197. 
     Individual contractors whose assignments require travel and who are over 62 years of age are required, at their own expense, to undergo a full medical examination, including x-rays, and obtain medical clearance from a UN-approved doctor prior to taking up their assignment. This does not apply to individuals engaged through a reimbursable loan agreement.
     
198. 
     Where there is no UN office nor a UN medical doctor present in the location of the individual contractor prior to travel, the individual contractor may choose his/her own preferred physician to obtain the required medical clearance.
     
199. 
     The medical clearance shall be kept in UNDP records and remain valid for 12 months.
     

Inoculations/vaccinations

200. 
     Individual contractors are required to have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director. The cost of required vaccinations/inoculations, when foreseeable, must be included in the financial proposal. Any unforeseeable vaccination/inoculation cost will be reimbursed by UNDP.
     

Service-incurred death, injury or illness

201. 
     UNDP’s insurance benefit regime provides a group insurance policy that is managed and administered by the Procurement Services Unit at UNDP headquarters and covers all holders of individual contracts who, under the terms of their contract, are required to travel (domestically or internationally) at the authorization of UNDP and using UNDP funds, or to perform services for UNDP, in the event of their death, injury or illness attributable to the performance of official duties for UNDP. This insurance is centrally administered but the cost shall be recovered from the business unit managing the individual contract.
     
202. 
     For processing claims, every international contract signed by UNDP should bear the name of a beneficiary nominated by the individual contractor. Every business unit must ensure that this requirement is strictly followed.