National Expert in policy and legal compliance

Consultant

Contract

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

Background

The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s 46 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 three channels: inclusive digital economies, connecting individuals, households, and small businesses with financial eco-systems that catalyze participation in the local economy, and provide tools to climb out of poverty and manage financial lives; local development finance, that capacitates localities through fiscal decentralization, innovative municipal finance, and structured project finance to drive local economic expansion and sustainable development; and investment finance, that provides catalytic financial structuring, de-risking, and capital deployment to drive SDG impact and domestic resource mobilization. By strengthening how finance works for poor people at the household, small enterprise, and local infrastructure levels, UNCDF contributes to Sustainable Development Goal-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 broad diversity of SDGs. Based on this experience UNCDF started in 2017 to expand the scope of its programmatic agenda to go beyond digital finance. Through the “Leaving none behind in the digital era” strategy, UNCDF is supporting, through its digital finance interventions, the emergence of inclusive digital economies.

Under this framework, UNCDF is currently expanding its expertise in Ghana under “Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana (GrEEn)” programme to be funded by the European Union Trust Fund for Africa. This programme will contribute to addressing the root causes of irregular migration through green and climate resilient local economic development and improving future prospects of beneficiaries, by creating employment and enterprise opportunities in selected sectors and regions (Ashanti and Western). The action aims at supporting job creation in regions of departure, transit and return of Ghana, creating local financial ecosystems that facilitate the development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and enabling the transition of local economies to green and climate resilient development. For more information on GrEEn, please visit https://www.uncdf.org/green.

Under Result 3, UNCDF will create and strengthen local ecosystems that support youth (self-) employment and the development of MSMEs. In particular, UNCDF will work with partners to increase access and usage of financial services, leveraging digital and innovation, adapted to the needs of (i) youth, women and returnees (ii) local communities and (iii) MSMEs. Through its technical and funding Facility under the GrEEn Project, UNCDF engages with innovative financial services providers (banks, fintech, Savings and Loans, Microfinance institutions, remittance providers, MNOs, MTOs, etc.) and support them to pilot and/or scale up innovative financial services for the excluded segments and bring them to the last mile where targeted groups struggle in accessing and using formal financial services.

Specifically, UNCDF works with various fintechs to develop innovative business models around savings, credit scoring and lending. These innovations often need to support to comply with current national regulatory framework.

UNCDF is seeking applications from policy and legal experts able to provide tailored technical assistance to UNCDF partners to ensure continued delivery and scaling up of innovative financial solutions while ensuring compliance with current regulatory framework.

UNCDF is looking for a National Expert in policy and legal compliance to support UNCDF partners with tailored Technical Assistance for regulatory matters and specific licensing models.

The overall objectives of the assignment are:

• To address gaps of UNCDF partners in terms of regulatory compliance and framework applicable to innovative solutions

• To assist UNCDF partners with technical assistance for regulatory compliance

• To inform the ecosystem (i.e. private sector providers) on best practices in enabling policy framework for fintechs and innovation.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Financial Inclusion Specialist based in Accra, Ghana, the National Expert will be responsible for the following activities and deliverables:

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Activity

Deliverable

Timeline

Phase1A: Project preparation

The selected candidate will have a kick off meeting with UNCDF and partners to understand the objectives of the assignment, understand the business models of the UNCDF partners and draft an operational plan

Review of the literature, existing similar project and specific project needs

July 2021

Validated Operational plan/advisory note with applicable legal and regulatory framework for up to 3 partners

Phase 1B: Technical assistance with licensing process

The selected candidate will assist partners with necessary approvals/licenses from relevant authorities and in accordance with the law.

Validated incorporation process report for 1 partner

October 2021

Validated Licensing processes report for 1 partner

Validated technical Assistance report to obtain necessary agreements for up to 3 partners

Phase 1C. Knowledge and best practices sharing

The selected candidate should document all lessons learned and best practices to produce knowledge sharing materials that will be disseminated within the broader fintech community.

Webinar with relevant stakeholders

December 2021

Validated best practices paper or case study; KM production as needed

Competencies

• Client orientation with constructive approach to resolution of problems and dedication to providing timely support
• Focuses on impact and results for the partner
• Builds strong relationships with the partner and other stakeholders
• Strong influencing and facilitation skills
• Excellent skills in drafting a broad range of material of a legal nature
• Strong verbal communication skills, including a demonstrated ability to provide oral briefings on complex legal issues to legal and non-legal audiences
• Ability to work efficiently and effectively under pressure
• Demonstrates integrity by modelling 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

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• A Master’s Degree is required in law, economics, public/business administration, or related discipline. Undergraduate degree with additional years of relevant experience is also accepted.

Experience:

• At least seven years of demonstrated experience in the practice of law or similar disciplines, e.g. compliance
• At least two years of experience in legal representation of small medium companies; fintech sector is a plus
• At least three years of experience in advisory work for legal and compliance matters
• Good knowledge/Exposure/Experience in assisting foreign companies to incorporate in Ghana
• Good knowledge/Exposure/Experience in the fintech space in Ghana
• Good knowledge/Exposure/Experience in the policy and regulatory framework for innovative financial providers in Ghana

Language requirements:

• Proficiency in English is mandatory.

Timeline, total number of working days, duty station:

• Duration : part-time (six months).
• Duty station : Accra, Ghana.
• Expected places of travel : n/a

Progress Controls & Payments:

• The Expert will report to the Financial Inclusion Specialist
• The consultant is responsible for providing his/her own laptop during his/her engagement with UNCDF
• Payments: Payment will be made on periodical basis upon satisfactorily achieved deliverables. All payments are subject to the clearance and approval of the direct supervisor.
• The deliverables stated above 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 UNCDF; and an authorization of payment disbursement from a direct supervisor.

Schedule of Payments:

Deliverables

% of total contract price

Timeline (tentative)

R****eview and approval required

Phase A:

Review of the literature and specific project needs

Validated Operational plan with applicable legal and regulatory framework

15%

Month 1

Financial inclusion specialist or delegate

Phase B

Validated Incorporation process report

Validated Licensing processes report

Validated Technical Assistance report to obtain necessary agreements

60%

Month 3

Phase C

Webinar with relevant stakeholders

Best practices paper or case study; KM production as needed

25%

Month 6 2021

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

Application process:

All applications must contain the following information:

• Cover letter with a summary statement of competencies in relation to the TOR;
• Earliest availability and proposed schedule for consultancy;
• Curriculum Vitae or completed and signed P11 - Personal History Form with names and current contacts of 3 referees (available from http://sas.undp.org/documents/p11_personal_history_form.doc);

Evaluation:

Step I: Screening & Longlisting:

Applications will be screened and only applicants meeting the mandatory criteria will progress to the pool for shortlisting:

• A Master’s Degree is required in law, economics, public/business administration, or related discipline. Undergraduate degree with additional years of relevant experience is also accepted.
• At least seven years of demonstrated experience in the practice of law or similar disciplines, e.g. compliance
• At least two years of experience in legal representation of small medium companies; fintech sector is a plus
• At least three years of experience in advisory work for legal and compliance matters

Step II: Shortlisting (30%)

UNCDF will produce a shortlist of candidates and technically evaluate candidates by evaluating the following criteria with corresponding points (100 points):

• At least seven years of demonstrated experience in the practice of law or similar disciplines, e.g. compliance
• At least two years of experience in legal representation of small medium companies; fintech sector is a plus
• At least three years of experience in advisory work for legal and compliance matters
• Good knowledge/Exposure/Experience in assisting foreign companies to incorporate in Ghana
• Good knowledge/Exposure/Experience in the fintech space in Ghana
• Good knowledge/Exposure/Experience in the policy and regulatory framework for innovative for innovative financial providers in Ghana

As applicable, only applicants scoring 70 points or more shall be considered for an interview.

Step IV: Interview (70 %):

An interview shall be conducted with the top 3 candidates based on the review of CVs and summary statement of competencies.

Step V: Financial Evaluation: Only candidates with scores above 70% of the technical evaluation (70 Points or above) will be considered.

The following formula will be used to evaluate 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 have been evaluated and determined as:

Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and having received the highest combined weight (technical scores) 70% + financial 30%= 100%.

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 or women-owned businesses are strongly encouraged to apply

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