Financial Health Consultant

Consultant

Contract

This is a National Consultant contract. More about National Consultant contracts.

Background

UNCDF is the UN’s capital investment agency for the world’s least developed countries (LDCs). It creates new opportunities for poor people and their communities by increasing access to finance and investment capital. UNCDF focuses on Africa and the poorest countries of Asia and the Pacific, with a special commitment to countries emerging from conflict or crisis. It provides seed capital–grants and loans–and technical support to help microfinance institutions reach more poor households and small businesses, and local governments finance the capital investments–water systems, feeder roads, schools, irrigation schemes–that will improve poor peoples’ lives.

Based on the experience of reaching last mile and digital as a key driver, UNCDF under its financial inclusion practice has consolidated its strategy to support last mile solutions. Under the new strategy digital is a key accelerator. UNCDF FIPA is expanding its work in some of these new markets, with a focus on digital finance and innovations to both help digital finance reach its potential for the last mile, but also to better use digital and digital finance and other services to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), anchored through a new initiative that will grow into a multi-country effort. One aspect of this expansion is also to learn new things that are happening in these markets and then create ways of bringing that knowledge and experience to the rest of the world specially LDCs.

UNCDF’s focus in China is to drive the broader objective of financial health, that includes working at country level with public and private sector stakeholders. Working with them in achieving outcomes that is impact-focussed. As part of this engagement, UNCDF intends to engage a full-time Financial Health Consultant to work as part of its team in China.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of UNCDF´s Global Innovation Manager the consultant will support the following activities and deliverables tied to the project.

1. Provide technical inputs within the broader framework of financial health to UNCDF projects and partners with focus on following segments: ageing, youth, women, etc.
2. Conduct trainings and technical support to private sector stakeholders in product development and data analytics and usage.
3. Conducttrainings and technical support to Regulators (e.g. Central Banks) in the space of digital economy strategy, financial health and policy making.
4. Develop knowledge management and learning products for the abovementioned projects.

To reach the above objectives the consultant would undertake the following activities and deliverables.

Activities

Deliverables

Estimated Effort (Days)

Project 1

75

Conduct market research/feasibility engagement and develop problem statements that includes outlining the market constraints, pain points, broad areas for solution finding, nature of solution, etc.

Report on Implementation Plan in Word/PPT

20

Product Development/Design including Design of comprehensive Business Plan and financial models. Include user interface and experience engagement.

Report on product development including customer journey mapping in Word/PPT

15

Supporting partner institutions in improving process and procedures for new solutions. Providing advice on risk management and best practices.

Report on process in Word/PPT

10

Pilot including support to partner institution in monitoring the pilot process.

Pilot plan in Word/PPT

20

Scale Phase

Scale-up Plan in Word/PPT

10

Project 2

75

Conduct market research/feasibility engagement and develop problem statements that includes outlining the market constraints, pain points, broad areas for solution finding, nature of solution, etc.

Report on Implementation Plan in Word/PPT

20

Product Development/Design including Design of comprehensive Business Plan and financial models. Include user interface and experience engagement.

Report on product development including customer journey mapping in Word/PPT

15

Support partner institutions in improving process and procedures for new solutions. Providing advice on risk management and best practices. Pilot including support to partner institution in monitoring the pilot process.

Report on process in Word/PPT

10

Pilot plan in Word/PPT

20

Scale Phase

Scale-up Plan in Word/PPT

10

Training

20

Conduct trainings and workshops to Financial Service Providers in specific topics relating to financial health, behavioural science, product development, data analytics, usage, etc.

Presentation reports

10

Conduct trainings and technical support to Regulators (e.g. Central Banks) or governmental authorities in the space of Financial Health and policy making.

Presentation reports

10

Knowledge Management

30

Produce and disseminate briefings and case studies relating to DFS and financial health.

Briefing note and case study

15

Analysis of market data, case evidence and research findings

Presentation reports

15

TOTAL

200

Competencies

• Passion for what design and technology can do for people.
• Experience in managing clients and partners—from early stage companies to mature organizations.
• Solution-focused and medium-agnostic, willing to step out of your core skill set or discipline to find the correct solution to a challenge.
• Cultural sensitivity, creativity, and resourcefulness—as comfortable in finding your way through a bustling market in China as you are in a corporate environment.
• Results-driven, problem-solver with structuring and analytic capabilities.
• Strong ability to think and act strategically, even in situations of ambiguity, to develop both short- and long-term visions.
• Inspires others, influences and builds trust.
• Strong communicator that can serve multiple functions as needed.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Bachelors’ Degree in either business administration, international development, economics, or related field.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in financial sector, internet companies, innovation hubs, technology/service sector, or retail is mandatory;
• At least 2 years experience working in consulting or think tank or multilateral agency would be a plus;
• Conversant with efforts around financing (i.e. investments, fund-raising) and has successfully closed such efforts;
• At least 3 years of work experience in China would be a plus.

Language:

• Excellent written and oral command of the English language is mandatory.
• Fluency in Mandarin or Cantonese is a plus but not mandatory and would be scored.

Timeline, total number of working days, duty station:

• Timeline: November 2020 – October 2021
• Total Number of Working Days for Assignment: Up to 200 working days within 12 months.
• Duty station: Shenzhen, China with travel as required.

For unforeseeable travel, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed. UNCDF would cover the cost of stay for the selected person.

Please note that UNCDF cannot guarantee residence permits or visas for consultants. Consultants are responsible for securing their work documentation. In the case of national consultants, applicants that are not nationals of the duty station requested will have to prove their residence status.

Progress Controls & Payments:

Payment will be made against satisfactory completion of each deliverable. All payments shall be disbursed only upon written confirmation of acceptance of the outputs and authorization for payment by the Global Innovation Manager.

Disbursement of the final payment shall require a signed performance evaluation of the consultant.

Application process:

Interested individuals must submit the documents mentioned below as proposals in order to demonstrate their qualifications. (Note: The system does not allow multiple uploads of documents. Applicants must make sure to upload all documents in one PDF file.)

All applications must contain the following information:

• Cover letter with a summary statement of competencies and motivation rationalizing how the applicant meets the qualifications and can deliver the requirements of the Terms of Reference (TOR);
• Earliest availability and proposed schedule for consultancy;
• Complete and signed P11-Personal History Form with names and current contacts of 3 referees (Available at: http://sas.undp.org/documents/p11_personal_history_form.doc);
• Signed financial proposal for the assignment outlining: All-inclusive fee including professional fees and other professional expenses, such as insurance, taxes, etc. (Available at: http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_file.cfm?doc_id=29916).

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

Evaluation:

Step I: Screening:

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

• Bachelors’ Degree in either business administration, international development, economics, or related field
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in financial sector, internet companies, innovation hubs, technology/service sector, or retail is mandatory
• Excellent written and oral command of the English language is mandatory

Step II: Technical Evaluation:

Shortlisting (20 points): UNCDF will produce a shortlist of candidates and technically evaluate candidates as per experience requirements in the Terms of Reference.

Shortlisting scoring:

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in financial sector, internet companies, innovation hubs, technology/service sector, or retail is mandatory. – 40%
• At least 2 years experience working in consulting or think tank or multilateral agency would be a plus. – 20%
• At least 3 years of work experience in China would be a plus. – 20%
• Fluency in Mandarin or Cantonese is a plus. – 20%

Interview (80 points): Only candidates obtaining a minimum score of 70% at the desk review stage shall be invited to a panel interview.

Step III: Financial Evaluation:

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% on the total of Step II (Desk review 20 points + Interview 80 points) shall be considered as technically qualified and will be reviewed further for financial evaluation.

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

Lowest priced proposal / Price of the proposal being evaluated x 30

Award Criteria

The contact shall be awarded to the applicant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

• Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and
• Having received the highest combined weight: technical 70% + financial 30%

Both individual consultants and individual 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 IC must do so in their individual capacity (providing a CV so that their qualifications may be judged accordingly). Women candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

/ma

Apply now

Added 3 years ago - Updated 3 years ago - Source: jobs.undp.org