Expert in providing Technical Assistance to Microfinance Pilot partners in DRC

Consultant

Contract

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Background

United Nations Capital Development Fund

UNCDF is the UN’s capital investment agency for the world’s 47 least developed countries. With its capital mandate and instruments, UNCDF offers “last mile” finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development.

UNCDF’s financing models work through two channels: financial inclusion that expands the opportunities for individuals, households, and small businesses to participate in the local economy, providing them with the tools they need to climb out of poverty and manage their financial lives; and by showing how localized investments — through fiscal decentralization, innovative municipal finance, and structured project finance — can drive public and private funding that underpins local economic expansion and sustainable development.

By strengthening how finance works for poor people at the household, small enterprise, and local infrastructure levels, UNCDF contributes to SDG 1 on eradicating poverty and SDG 17 on the means of implementation. By identifying those market segments where innovative financing models can have transformational impact in helping to reach the last mile and address exclusion and inequalities of access, UNCDF contributes to a number of different SDGs.

UNCDF’s Energy Access Programme (also known as CleanStart):

UNCDF aims to empower millions of vulnerable people, such as farmers, youth, women, refugees, migrants, MSMEs, by leveraging the power of digital in various sectors (finance, agriculture, education, health, water & sanitation, energy, transport) to lead productive and healthy lives. To achieve this goal, UNCDF is providing financial support and technical expertise to both the public and the private sector. It provides capital financing in the forms of grants, soft loans and credit enhancement products – and the technical expertise to unleash sustainable financing at the local level.

In the energy sector, UNCDF supports low-income consumers to transition to cleaner and more efficient energy. To this end, UNCDF promotes access to finance across the energy value chain from customer to enterprise by investing in early

stage, innovative business ideas from SMEs that have the potential to make a step-change in improving the accessibility, affordability, and reliability of modern energy for people, especially those at the last-mile. Business ideas should have strong commercial-viability potential.

UNCDF has adopted four pillars to improving the energy access market. The (1) investment component as described above is complemented by three other components that center around; (2) providing technical advisory services to get concepts and business plans investment-ready, as well as general advice and linkages to non-financial resources such as experts and business development opportunities during the life of the partnership; (3) knowledge and learning through customer insights research and Think-Shops to discuss trending market topics; and (4) advocacy and partnerships with strategic partners to jointly support the improvement of the energy access market ecosystem so that business models can scale.

UNCDF’s vision for energy access is to dramatically expand consumer and enterprise financing, supported by innovative digital services, for vulnerable consumers who want to transition to cleaner and more efficient energy. To make this happen UNCDF partners with financial institutions, service providers and energy enterprises providing financial solutions and advice to test scalable business models in varying market conditions. The use of innovative digital services and finance solutions plays an essential role in many markets, particularly in reaching vulnerable people.

Since 2012, UNCDF’s energy access market development work is currently active in 4 countries (Nepal, Uganda, Myanmar and Ethiopia) and has recently expanded to other markets such as DRC and Burkina Faso. UNCDF is implementing key interventions in these countries to promote digital services, off-grid energy and other utility financing; and selectively deploy these depending on market needs and where UNCDF can add most value:

• Support financial service providers on energy (and other utility) lending through risk capital (grants, loans, guarantees) and technical assistance;
• Support energy (and other utility) enterprises (including MSMEs) who have viable business models to achieve market breakthroughs and scale, including for vulnerable last-mile consumers, through risk capital (grants, loans, guarantees) and technical assistance;
• Support the development of guarantee mechanism and credit enhancement tools to micro-finance institutions and commercial banks lending to MSMEs;
• Support the development of innovative digital services and digital finance solutions (e.g. business models using PAYG technology) enabling upscaling and reaching more vulnerable people;
• Crowd-in (commercial) financial service providers (national and international) by de-risking transactions with energy (and other utility) enterprises, e.g. via guarantees or syndicated loans;
• Provide technical assistance to energy (and other utility) enterprises to prepare them for external financing (debt, equity) and make them bankable;
• Engage closely with government partners and regional/global initiatives, including UNDP, REDD+, GEF and GCF, as well as industry associations such as the Global Off-Grid Lighting Association to influence high-level dialogue and policies that help create an enabling environment for energy markets for low-income markets to flourish.
• Strengthen capacities of private sector industry associations, such as solar energy or clean cooking associations, to enable them to act as an effective intermediary between individual energy companies and government and influence policy discussions.

UNCDF’s energy access market development work is supported by the Austrian Development Cooperation, the Government of Andorra, the Government of Liechtenstein, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, the Swedish International Development Agency, Embassy of Sweden in Uganda, the UK Department for International Development in Uganda, The Ministry of Energy Luxembourg, and the Central African Forestry Initiative and REDD+ in the DRC.

UNCDF’s Energy Access Programme in DRC

In DRC, UNCDF is implementing with UNDP a Joint Programme for the Sustainable Consumption and Partial Substitution for Wood Energy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Funded by the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) through the National REDD+ Funds of the DRC (FONAREDD), the Joint Programme is structured around three main energy sub-sectors of focus: Improved Stoves; Liquid Petroleum Gas; Micro-Hydro Electricals. This is through an institutional setup that makes use of a diversified partnership with Congolese public institutions, the private sector, UN agencies, research institutions and learned societies as well as civil society. To this end, the Joint Programme aims to contribute to the establishment of a sustainable clean cooking market through (i) the establishment of a favorable environment and (ii) an incubation programme for the private sector to select clean cooking companies to receive funding and technical assistance throughout the duration of the programme. In line with the national and international lessons learned, the Joint Programme's efforts are focused on sites where a viable and self-sufficient potential market exists, with the presence of actors able to benefit effectively from catalytic technical and financial support of the Joint Programme to change scale of production (knowledge of the sector and sufficient basic entrepreneurial capacities).

In 2020, UNCDF launched a microfinance pilot in DRC under the FONAREDD Energy Joint Program though GLPGP, COETE GAZ and EQUITY BANK. The overall outcome of the Microfinance activity is to set up a demonstration pilot showing over 250 households have taken up LPG through a microfinance mechanism. A local consultant was recruited by GLPGP to coordinate this pilot since July 1, 2020 and has been following up closely the pilot. After withdrawal of GLPGP from the pilot, UNCDF is now directly coordinating the pilot.

In November 2021, the pilot was launched in Kinshasa and customers have started registration to get access to the LPG credit.

For a close follow up of the pilot and technical support to local partners, a consultant is needed in Kinshasa.

Duties and Responsibilities

OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The overall objective of the Technical Assistance (TA) support is to coordinate interaction with EQUITY BANK, COETE GAZ and the community under the pilot on a regular basis and make close follow up of responsibilities of each stakeholder in the pilot so targets can be reached.

To this end, the selected consultant will:

1. Coordinate the planning and implementation of the Project to effectively promote LPG uptake in selected low-income peri-urban and rural households across initially three communities and subsequently in other regions
2. Be “hands-on” as to the general field implementation and monitoring of field operations over time
3. Interact regularly with the microfinance partners for timely reporting, loan repayments and refill purchases by beneficiaries’ households to UNCDF team
4. Complete work assignments accurately and timely

SCOPE OF WORK

1. Provide the status of the microfinance pilot on the performance side and advice on solution-oriented way forward to accelerate implementation
2. Attend microfinance pilot monthly and weekly catch-up calls and meetings with EQUITY BANK and COETE GAZ and submit minutes of meetings to the UNCDF DRC Energy Program Specialist
3. Prepare monthly reports to monitor progress against key metrics ( eg. Loan repayment, number of refills per household, etc)
4. Conduct the final satisfactory survey in collaboration with the Joint program M&E expert
5. Prepare the final report at the end of the microfinance pilot and propose recommendations
6. Attend UNCDF scoping mission to identify new prospect of GPL in DRC
7. Through an open mechanism (Request for Proposals (RFPs), take part in the identification and selection of local financial institutions (micro-finance institutions, intermediary funders, SACCOs etc.) to receive support in developing innovative energy consumer or MSME financial products and blended finance or direct lending.

DURATION OF ASSIGNMENT, DUTY STATION AND EXPECTED PLACES OF TRAVEL

Contract Duration:9 months

Duty Station: Kinshasa,Democratic Republic of Congo.

In case of mission travel, the schedule/duration of travel will be negotiated with the consultant according to the requirements of the programme. Travel costs associated to the assignment will be advanced by the consultant, and paid by UNCDF on a reimbursement basis, and following the UNDP/UNCDF rules and regulations which states that consultant shall only be paid the most direct and most economical ticket, as will be quoted by the official UN travel agency. Any amount in excess of the said quotation, such as class and airline preference of the consultant, shall be borne by the consultant. The daily living allowance will be paid as per UN Rate prevailing on the city/ies of destination, and may be paid before or after the travel, and only upon submission of appropriate supporting documents. All other expenses outside of these items shall be on the account of the consultant.

DELIVERABLES

The table below outlines the list of key deliverables and estimated dates of completion and shall be submitted in French

Activities

Deliverables

Target completion date

Payment terms in % of total contract price

• Organize meeting with EQUITY BCDC and with COETE GAZ to get updates on the ongoing microfinance activities, results, challenges, perspectives in Kinshasa

Report on the status of the microfinance pilot performance and solution-oriented way forward to accelerate implementation

April 2022

10 %

• Organize monitoring visit to EQUITY BCDC branches where the microfinance pilot is developed to collect and double check data on number of loan demand, number and value of loan granted loan repaid
• Organize monitoring visit to COETE GAZ headquarters to collect and double check data on LPG kits sold via the microfinance scheme, number of refills done

May, June, July monthly report to monitor EQUITY BCDC and COETE GAZ progress against key metrics (eg. Loan provided, loan repayment, number of refills per household, etc) based on marketing and communication campaign organized at different branches of EQUITY BCDC on the LPG microfinance opportunity.

July 2022

20 %

• Update the final customer satisfaction survey questionnaire, sample of final customer satisfactory survey
• Organize meeting with project team to agree on the updated questionnaire and sample for the final customer satisfactory survey
• Organize the survey on selected sample

Report on the final customer satisfactory survey on the process to access loan, on interactions with COETE GAZ and EQUITY BCDC teams and on LPG kit performance

July 2022

20%

• Organize joint session with EQUITY BCDC and COETE GAZ to review the microfinance pilot

Final report at the end of the microfinance pilot and propose recommendations on the process to access loan, on interactions with COETE GAZ and EQUITY BCDC teams and on LPG kit performance

August 2022

20%

• Take part into the Innovative energy consumer or MSME financial products Challenge Fund Evaluation panel to review and score applications, organize due diligence and submit shortlist of applications to Investment Committee

• Provide technical inputs into the Webinar organization to inform applicants of the Innovative energy consumer or MSME financial products Challenge Fund

Application evaluation report including shortlisting, scoring and due diligence remarks for the innovative energy consumer or MSME financial products and blended finance or direct lending Challenge Fund

November 2022

30 %

PROVISION OF MONITORING, PROGRESS CONTROLS AND PAYMENTS

The consultant shall work under the direct supervision of the Energy Programme Specialist, IDE Energy, DRC. The consultant will work within a multi-functional team from the Energy Joint Program and the IDE Energy global team.

Monitoring. On a monthly basis, the Energy Programme Specialist organizes a catch-up meeting with the consultant for a close follow up on the work and deliverables.

The following supporting documents will serve as conditions for disbursement: (i) submission of an invoice and Certificate of Payment form (COP) duly approved by the Energy Programme Specailist, IDE Energy; (ii) review, approval and written acceptance of each deliverable confirmed in by the Energy Programme Specailist, IDE Energy, DRC; and (iii) authorization of payment disbursement from the IDE Energy Lead

Final payment shall require a signed performance evaluation of the consultant.

Competencies

Functional Competencies

• Demonstrate project management experience and ability to interact effectively with senior members of banks, marketers and communities
• Full IT proficiency and ability to report/analyze data
• Able to support business models that include linkages between energy access and access to finance.
• Understands how financial service providers and/or small to medium scale enterprises serving vulnerable people operate.
• Strong analytical and writing skills; experienced in producing concise, executive level reports and presentations, training modules and materials.
• Good interpersonal skills and experience in working effectively in a multi-cultural environment, with sensitivity to diverse opinions.
• Strong communications skills in speaking, writing, as well as presenting materials in variety of media.
• Strong understanding of DRC regions and cultural differences /habits. Working and living experience would be a plus
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Corporate Competencies:

• Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UNCDF.
• Demonstrate integrity by modelling the UN's values and ethical standards.

Displays cultural, gender, religion, race and age sensitivity and adaptability

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications:

Education:

• Masters level or related qualifications in business, finance, accounting, risk management, marketing, economics, accounting, energy, electrical engineering or related fields

Experience:

• Minimum 4 years’ experience supporting market-based development of energy markets that serve low income people.
• Minimum 4 years’ experience advising or implementing energy business models that may incorporate finance, digital services, pay as you go business model, and access to finance for vulnerable people,
• Minimum 3 years’ experience providing technical assistance to financial service providers and/or fintech and energy enterprises, particularly in developing the segment of business targeting vulnerable people (years of experience can overlap with other categories);
• Minimum 2 years of work experience in DRC or CleanStart programme focus countries in Africa (Uganda, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Senegal, Ghana, Niger, Zambia).

Language:

• Fluent command of written and spoken French is mandatory
• Fluent command of written and spoken English is preferred.

EVALUATION

Applications will be scored based on technical and financial submissions. The following selection method will be used: Highest rated proposal using the combined scoring method, which assigns the weight distribution between the technical and financial proposals. The weight distribution shall be 70% technical and 30% financial.

Step I: Screening/Longlisting

Applications will be screened and only those applicants meeting the minimum criteria below will progress to the pool for shortlisting.

• Masters level or related qualifications in business, finance, accounting, risk management, marketing, economics, accounting, energy, electrical engineering or related fields
• At least 4 years of experience supporting market-based development of energy markets that serve low-income people in Sub Sahara countries
• Fluent command of written and spoken French

Step II: Desk Review (100 points)

A desk review will be conducted to produce a shortlist of candidates based on the following criteria. Only the applicants achieving a minimum of 70% of the points for the technical proposal will be considered as technically qualified and will be reviewed further for financial evaluation.

• Minimum 4 years of experience supporting market-based development of energy markets that serve low-income people (20 Points);
• Minimum 4 years’ experience advising or implementing energy business models that may incorporate finance, digital services, pay as you go business model, and access to finance for vulnerable people (30 Points);
• Minimum 3 years’ experience providing technical assistance to financial service providers and/or fintech and energy enterprises, particularly in developing the segment of business targeting vulnerable people (years of experience can overlap with other categories) 20 Points);
• Minimum 2 years of work experience in DRC or CleanStart programme focus countries in Africa (Uganda, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Senegal, Ghana, Niger, Zambia) on energy, finance, market development related fields (30 Points);

Step III: Financial Evaluation

The following formula will be used to evaluate the financial proposal:

Lowest priced proposal/price of the proposal being evaluated x 30%. All financial proposals shall be submitted along with the applications, and no modification shall be made on the proposals unless requested by UNCDF.

The top candidate that achieved the highest cumulative score will be recommended for award of the contract.

APPLICATION

Interested individual consultants or firm must submit the following documents/information as proposals in order to demonstrate their qualifications. (NOTE: The system does not allow multiple uploads of document. Applicants must make sure to upload all documents in one PDF file.) When applying for this consultancy position, please apply with your official name as shown in the government issued identification document (e.g. passport and/or driver license). Contract award is subject to this verification.

All applications must contain the following information:

• Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the candidate and at least three (3) professional references; link to P11: http://sas.undp.org/documents/P11_Personal_history_form.doc;
• Cover letter explaining why you are the most suitable candidate for the advertised position. Please paste the letter into the "Resume and Motivation" section of the electronic application.

The following document is to be sent by email to financial.proposal@uncdf.org

• Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability and Financial Proposal (do not upload your financial proposal online.) The financial proposal should be emailed separately to financial.proposal@uncdf.org with the subject line: Expert in providing Technical Assistance to Microfinance Pilot partners in DRC
• Earliest availability of the consultant.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested documents.

Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when traveling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director. Consultants are also required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under dss.un.org If the consultant is over 65 years old, UNCDF reserves the right to require full medical certification and clearance from the consultant’s physician prior to commencing the travel.

Both individual consultants and individuals employed by a company or institution are welcome to apply. Any individual employed by a company or institution who would like to submit an offer in response to a Procurement Notice for Individual Consultant must do so in their individual capacity (providing a CV so that their qualifications may be judged accordingly). If the company or institution that employs them will charge a management fee, the said amount must be incorporated in the financial proposal that the individual will submit. No further changes to reflect additional costs shall be accommodated by UNCDF at the point of awarding the contract.

Women candidates or women-owned businesses are strongly encouraged to apply. UNCDF is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

Please include all documents into one file while submitting your application.

References

UNDP’s Individual Consultant’s General Terms and Conditions are provided here: http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/documents/procurement/documents/IC%20-%20General%20Conditions.pdf

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Added 2 years ago - Updated 2 years ago - Source: jobs.undp.org