Innovation Fund Consultant (On Framework Agreement)

This opening expired 3 years ago. Do not try to apply for this job.

UNCDF - United Nations Capital Development Fund

Open positions at UNCDF

Home-based; Travel; Bangkok (Thailand)

Consultant

Application deadline 3 years ago: Monday 7 Sep 2020 at 23:59 UTC

Open application form

Contract

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

Daily Job Alerts: Stay Updated, Stay Ahead with Pro Membership

UN Talent Pro

Details

Background

About UNCDF

The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) makes public and private finance work for the poor in 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 the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 1 on eradicating poverty and Goal 17 on the means of implementation. UNCDF also contributes to other SDGs 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. To achieve these goals, UNCDF is providing financial support and technical expertise to the public and the private sector. It provides capital financing – in the form of grants, soft loans and credit enhancement products – and the technical expertise to unleash sustainable financing at the local level.

About SHIFT ASEAN and SAARC

UNCDF’s ‘Shaping Inclusive Financial Transformations’ (SHIFT) program aims to catalyze access to formal financial services to advance women’s economic empowerment and gendered financial inclusion for millions of women and small businesses in the ASEAN and SAARC markets. SHIFT leverages product and business model innovations, data analytics, technical training, and policy advocacy services at different levels to change the behavior of market players. Data and research crosscuts into all SHIFT’s activities as the shaping of inclusive financial transformations cannot be accomplished without the use of good data and research to inform and facilitate markets and address the gender research gap. SHIFT advocates evidence-based financial inclusion policies and practices that expand access and usage of financial services for women by facilitating, informing and incentivizing FSPs, regulators and governments and by stimulating collective dialogue between them.

The program works through four interrelated outputs: The Data and Analysis Hub produces and disseminates knowledge on supply, demand and regulation in financial markets to strengthen the evidence base and investment decisions of providers, regulators and policy makers to advance women’s financial inclusion. This is closely integrated with the Learning and Skills Development facility that capacitates technical service providers to scale viable learning and training models for financial institutions. The Policy and Advocacy component stimulates dialogue among policy makers in FSPs and governments to enable financial market policies to be more responsive to the needs of women.

Finally, the Innovation Facility offers various types of incentives to FSPs to pilot new prototypes and scale viable innovative (digital) finance business models to advance access to and usage of finance for women.

SHIFT ASEAN has been established in 2014 with initial funding from the Australian Government and focuses on ASEAN’s frontier economies of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Viet Nam (CLMV).
SHIFT SAARC has been established in mid-2016 with initial funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the European Union. SHIFT SAARC in Bangladesh aims for Digital Finance Services to become widely recognized by regulators and providers as enabler of financial inclusion and thereby increasing its use among the adult population from 9% to 30% by 2019.
UNCDF’s CleanStart works in close collaboration with SHIFT to catalyze digital energy finance (or Pay-Go energy systems) as a promising solution to reduce energy poverty for over 175.000 consumers, in particular women and poor people in rural areas. The programme is currently active in both Asia and Africa.
UNCDF in Myanmar is currently implementing Expanding Financial Access (EFA), a country programme aimed at increasing formal inclusion in Myanmar from 30% to 40% by 2020. The programme will provide a full range of affordable, quality, effective and responsible financial services to MSME, small-scale farmers, women-led enterprises, youth, poor and low-income clients by encouraging stakeholders to work together in an integrated manner.
UNCDF in the Pacific is helping more than two million low-income Pacific islanders gain access to formal financial services and financial education. It does so by funding innovative approaches in development of financial services, supporting policy and regulatory initiatives, and empowering consumers.

About Digital@UNCDF

UNCDF Financial Inclusion Practice Area is focusing on Digital Financial Services and how they can improve financial inclusion for the vulnerable groups. For this reason, all the ongoing projects will focus more and more on promoting DFS as the main tool to promote financial inclusion.

Duties and Responsibilities

Information on the Contract Modality:

UNCDF would like to enter into a non-exclusive Framework Agreement, also known as Long-Term Agreement (LTA), with the international consultant who will perform the services described in this TOR on a need-basis. In UNCDF, an LTA is a framework agreement by and between UNCDF and a company or individual where the latter may, at any time within the duration of the LTA, be required to render the agreed services at the agreed and fixed unit prices. An LTA can be valid for a minimum period of 12 months, with potential extension for up to one more year, depending on project needs, availability of funds and/or satisfactory performance of the individual consultant.

Where a request for service arises, UNCDF can engage the individual hold an LTA through a “call-off” of the LTA. Every call-off shall have specific tasks, scope of services and outputs to be delivered within a specific period of time. For this particular work, the call-off shall be formalized through the issuance of a Purchase Order, attaching thereto the TOR, and any other document relevant to the calloff. Financial commitments will only be established each time a Purchase Order for the specific services/TOR for Individual Contractor is issued.

The LTA shall have a cumulative ceiling amount that may accrue to the individual contractor during the life of the LTA, but said amount shall remain as an upper limit, and must not and cannot be interpreted nor understood as neither a financial commitment nor guarantee of business volume. It is important to note that, under an LTA, UNCDF does not guarantee that any specific quantity of services shall be made during the term of this agreement. The LTA does not form a financial obligation nor commitment from UNCDF at the time the LTA contract is signed.

Purpose of the Consultancy

The services of a Innovation Fund Consultant are required to support all of the abovementioned programmes as and when required, in 1) facilitating successful implementation of a new round of Innovation Fund and past rounds; 2) analysing business models and produce analytical reports; 3) supporting the undertaking of due-diligence of grantees; 4) supporting the collection of quarterly, annual and milestone reports from all Innovation Fund grantees; 5) backstopping Innovation Fund communication and knowledge management; 6) supporting technical assistance and mentorship which is offered to Innovation Fund grantees.

The consultant will be responsible for delivering the following:

Implementation of the upcoming Innovation Fund round and past rounds

Support the screening and answering of queries related to the application process and creating FAQ’s;
Support the Fund Facility Coordinator in the development of collaborations and partnerships between potential grantees to meet the objectives of the fund facility;
Keep abreast of emerging market trends, innovations and market risks;
Identifying technical and regulatory needs of selected projects;
Track grantee implementation, keeping abreast of delays and barriers to implementation, and undertaking problem solving to ensure grantees remain on track;
Support the Fund Facility Coordinator with assessing grantees ability to scale and analysis of trends.

Analyse business models and produce analytical reports
Undertake reporting on the shortlisted and selection of Innovation Fund applicants;
Undertake reporting on the progress, achievements, implementation status and delays of grantees from past and present rounds;
Backstop the M&E team by supporting on the analysis of beneficiary numbers and results;
Support the milestone reporting of grantees, quality ensure the reports received and verify grant claims for grant disbursement;
Understand the business models and consolidate information across grantees to share findings with the market more broadly.
Prepare presentations and reports for the Investment Committee and Board.

Support the undertaking of due-diligence of grantees
Support due-diligence investigation as requested by Investment Committee;
Providing any clarifications or further information requested by Investment Committee.

Support the collection of quarterly, annual and milestone reports from all Innovation Fund grantees
Support M&E by ensuring quarterly, annual and milestone reports, are received on a timely basis;
Review reports and ensure any issues are flagged to the Fund Facility Coordinator;
Support the M&E by participating in quarterly calls with grantees, documentation of meeting minutes with grantees, etc.

Backstop Innovation Fund communication and knowledge management
Assist the Fund Facility Coordinator with communicating with grantees on an as needed basis to document lessons learned and business case studies;
Develop presentations and prepare information for external communications and dissemination;
Support the Fund Facility Coordinator with maintaining regular communication with grantees to ensure than stakeholders are aware of achievements and challenges in the project implementation;
Prepare business analysis case studies and blogs based on based on project implementation and enabling or challenging market factors.

Support technical assistance and mentorship which is offered to Innovation Fund grantees
Support the developing mentorship sessions for grantees;
Support the development of technical assistance programmes for grantees as required.

1) EXPECTED OUTPUTS

Key SOWs

Deliverables

Estimated number of days

Support the collection of quarterly, annual and milestone reports from all Innovation Fund grantees

Quarterly reports on the existing 10 grantees and upcoming 8-10 grantees, including business model analysis, partner capability analysis and grant impact analysis; 10-18 quarterly reports and 8-10 business model analysis
Reports and PPTs for the Investment Committee and Board; 2 Board meetings and 1 Investment Committee meeting documents preparation deliverables
Milestone reports for the existing 10 grantees and upcoming 8-10 grantees projects.

Implementation of the upcoming Innovation Fund round and past rounds

Overview documents of all applicants, containing all applicant and project details reports submitted to the upcoming Inovation Fund round and future rounds;
Compilation notes of the 12-15 applicants business model with PPT slides preparation

Support technical assistance and mentorship which is offered to Innovation Fund grantees

Mentorship and technical assistance sessions for grantees are designed and conducted based on their technical and regulatory needs for implementation;

Backstop Innovation Fund communication and knowledge management

3-5 Blogs, articles, papers and other publications are developed and edited to inform readers of the Innovation Fund initiatives, business models and lessons for the market;
Documentation of information related to all current and ongoing investments

180 days

2) DURATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT, DUTY STATION AND EXPECTED PLACES OF TRAVEL

Contract duration: The assignment, under this Framework Agreement (On Call basis), is expected to have a duration of a maximum of 3 years. The initial contract would be for one year with an option for renewal in a subsequent years upon project needs, availability of funds and satisfactory performance of the consultants. The duration of each call-off shall be clearly indicated in the TOR that supports the PO that signals the call-off.

Duty station: Home-based

Places of Travel: Possible travels to Bangkok Regional Office or countries where SHIFT operates.

Travel costs associated to the assignment will be paid following the UNDP/UNCDF rules and regulations which states that consultants 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. Daily living allowance will be paid in amounts that will not exceed UN DSA Rates.

3) PROVISION OF MONITORING AND PROGRESS CONTROLS

The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the SHIFT Programme Manager. The consultant will have weekly communication with the SHIFT team via email and skype, for coordination and to provide guidance regarding the consultant’s outputs.

Payment to an Individual Contractor will be made based on the deliverable agreed with UNCDF as reflected in the call off (PO) and upon receipt, certification of satisfactory performance, and acceptance of the output by the SHIFT Programme Manager and any other Project Manager and/or his/her designate. Final payment shall require a signed performance evaluation of the consultant. All time extensions beyond what is originally indicated by UNCDF in the call-off PO shall have to be mutually agreed in writing by UNCDF and the consultant, as basis for payment.

The following supporting documents will serve as conditions for disbursement: (i) submission of an invoice and Certificate of Payment (COP); (ii) review, approval and written acceptance of each deliverable by the SHIFT and any other project Programme Manager and/or his designate; (iii) submission of a time-sheet and expenses with relevant supporting documentation; and (iv) an authorization of payment disbursement from a direct supervisor. Where payment is based on days worked and not on milestone outputs, the submission of time sheet and expenses with relevant documentation may be required by UNCDF.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

?Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards and acts in accordance with the Standards of Conduct for international civil servants;
Advocates and promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNCDF;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Treats all people fairly without favoritism.
Good interpersonal skills and experience in working effectively in a multi-cultural environment, with sensitivity to diverse opinion.

Functional Competencies:

Strong analytical and writing skills and track record in producing relevant reports and other material.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

Master’s in business administration, finance, economics, international relations or similar studies.

Experience

Minimum 3 years of work experience within the banking, telecom and/or technology sector;
Minimum 1 year experience working with Innovation Fund, grant oversight or investment related skills in ASEAN and SAARC;
Knowledge and wide network within the FinTech, start-up businesses, Agri-tech, Insurance-tech markets;
Knowledge of the MSME sector;
Proven communication and cooperation skills;
Interest in the UN system and general knowledge of development issues is desirable.

Language

Fluency in English is required (written and oral).

4) APPLICATION PROCESS

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Proposers who shall not submit below mentioned documents may not be considered for further evaluation.

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; P11 can be downloaded from the link below: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/search.html?q=P11
Financial Proposal: Financial Proposal has to be submitted through a standard interest and availability template which can be downloaded from the link below: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/search.html?q=financial+proposal

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 IC must do so in their individual capacity (providing a CV so that their qualifications may be judged accordingly).

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.

5) EVALUATION PROCESS / METHODOLOGY

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology.

Cumulative analysis

The award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant up on Cumulative Analysis/evaluation and determined as:

Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and

Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Technical Evaluation Criteria (Total 70 marks):

Step I: Screening / Longlisting

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

She/he will have a Master’s in business administration, finance, economics, international relations or similar studies.
Minimum 3 years of work experience within the banking, telecom and/or technology sector;
Minimum 1 year experience working with Innovation Fund, grant oversight or investment related skills in ASEAN and SAARC;

Step II: Shortlisting by Desk Review

UNCDF will conduct a desk review to produce a shortlist of candidates by evaluating the following criteria with the corresponding points (100 points)

She/he will have a Master’s in business administration, finance, economics, international relations or similar studies; (10 Points)
Minimum 3 years of work experience within the banking, telecom and/or technology sector; (40 points)
Minimum 1 year experience working with Innovation Fund, grant oversight or investment related skills in ASEAN and SAARC; (30 points)
Knowledge and wide network within the FinTech, start-up businesses, Agri-tech, Insurance-tech markets; (10 points)
Knowledge of the MSME sector. (10 points)

Only candidates obtaining a minimum 70% mark in technical evaluation (desk review) will be considered as technically qualified and will be reviewed further for financial evaluation.

Financial Evaluation (Total 30 marks):

All technical qualified proposals will be scored out 30 based on the formula provided below. The maximum points (30) will be assigned to the lowest financial proposal. All other proposals received points according to the following formula: p = y (µ/z), where: