Background

UNCDF is the UN’s capital investment agency for the world’s 48 least developed countries. It creates new opportunities for poor people and their communities by increasing access to microfinance and investment capital. UNCDF focuses on Africa and the poorest countries of Asia, 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. UNCDF programmes help to empower women, and are designed to catalyze larger capital flows from the private sector, national governments and development partners, for maximum impact toward the Millennium Development Goals.  
 
UNCDF  launched YouthStart with the support of The MasterCard Foundation in 2010 in response, not only to the approaching youth demographic wave, but also to the lack of opportunities for young people around the world. In an effort to help youth realize its full potential, YouthStart supports strong financial service providers (FSPs) in developing, piloting and rolling out youth-focused financial products, especially savings, and non-financial services (NFS) such as financial literacy or reproductive health education. Through YouthStart, UNCDF aims to demonstrate that (a) when accessing the right combination of financial and non-financial services, youth -young women and girls in particular- are better equipped to make more informed financial decisions, build financial (e.g. savings), social (e.g. social networks) and human assets (e.g. skills and knowledge) for their futures and create sustainable livelihoods; and (b) youth financial services (YFS) contribute to increasing outreach and sustainability of FSPs over time. YouthStart aims to reach 200,000 new youth clients, with at least 50 percent of those being young women and girls, by the end of 2014.

Duties and Responsibilities

To achieve the objectives depicted above, UNCDF seeks a consultant to support YouthStart delivering technical assistance (TA) on developing, testing and scaling up financial services for youth to 11 FSPs in sub-Saharan Africa.
 
Specifically, the consultant will provide TA on the following topics:
  • Defining action plans to meet the objectives in the Performance Based Agreement (PBA) signed with UNCDF
  • Developing, testing and implementing sounded marketing strategies to attract vulnerable youth in particular girls and out of school youth
  • Developing, testing and implementing sounded strategies to increase usage of savings accounts and/or improve repayment rates of loans
  • Refine youth financial services to make sure they meet the needs of youth
  • Integrating client protection measures into points of contact with youth
  • Conducting and analyzing pilot and/or roll out evaluation results
Approach to technical assistance:
  • The TA must be determined by the needs of the FSPs and their PBA objectives with UNCDF
  • Based on the TA plan, the consultant will decide the intensity of the TA to be provided to each FSP during the 11 months of the assignment
  • The TA will be delivered via a combination of site visits, skype and webinars. 
  • During the site visits, the consultant may:
  • Have to deliver specific training to staff to build their capacity in the different topics related to the assignment; and/or
  • Work one-on one with the youth product champion and build his/her capacity so s/he can achieve the intended results of the youth programme
  • The consultant is expected to travel maximum twice a year to all the FSPs (40% to 50% of time)
Deliverables:
  • Del 1: Technical Assistance Plan per FSP for 2013, March 2013
  • Del 2: Action plans for 2013 of each FSP revised, April 2013 
  • Del 3: Monthly detailed break-down of outreach targets per FSP (per branches), April 2013
  • Del 4: Progress report of FSPs, TA delivered during month per FSP, and follow up TA to strengthen the capacity of FSP to scale up youth financial services, May 2013
  • Del 5: Progress report of FSPs, TA delivered during month per FSP, and follow up TA to strengthen the capacity of FSP to scale up youth financial services, June 2013
  • Del 6: Progress report of FSPs, TA delivered during month per FSP, and follow up TA to strengthen the capacity of FSP to scale up youth financial services, July 2013
  • Del 7: Progress report of FSPs, TA delivered during month per FSP, and follow up TA to strengthen the capacity of FSP to scale up youth financial services, August 2013
  • Del 8: Progress report of FSPs, TA delivered during month per FSP, and follow up TA to strengthen the capacity of FSP to scale up youth financial services, September 2013
  • Del 9: Progress report of FSPs, TA delivered during month per FSP, and follow up TA to strengthen the capacity of FSP to scale up youth financial services, October 2013
  • Del 10: Report on marketing strategies developed, tested and scaled up to attract vulnerable youth, October 2013
  •  Del 11: Progress report of FSPs, TA delivered during month per FSP, and follow up TA to strengthen the capacity of FSP to scale up youth financial services, November 2013
  • Del 12: Report on strategies to increase usage of savings accounts and/or increase repayment rates of loans, November 2013
  • Del 13: Progress report of FSPs, TA delivered during month per FSP, and follow up TA to strengthen the capacity of FSP to scale up youth financial services, December 2013
  • Del 14: Report on strategies to integrate client protection principles into every single point of contact with youth, December 2013
  • Del 15: Final report of detailing changes implemented by each FSP as a result of the technical assistance provided, January 2014
  • Del 16: Technical Assistance plan per FSP for 2014, January 2014
Evaluation of offers

Assessment of candidates will be based on the following criteria:
  • Technical capacity of staff/consultants 
  • Relevant previous experience 
  • Proposed Consultancy Approach
  • Cost of services
In order to be considered your offer shall include the following information:
  • Candidates should submit their CV along with their cover letter to the UNDP website no later than January 18th, 2013. Incomplete submissions will not be considered
  • Only candidates submitting their dossiers through the UNDP’s website will be considered. Dossiers sent by email, skype, mail etc will not be considered
  • Only short listed candidates will be contacted by UNCDF to submit a detailed technical and financial offer
    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
Services will be paid on a monthly basis in USD upon delivery, submission of services invoice and duly signed note of receipt of deliverables.

Competencies

  • Demonstrated strong technical and practical knowledge in issues relating to microfinance in particular in Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Experience providing technical assistance to microfinance institutions and as a trainer
  • Strong writing skills 
  • High level of communication and interpersonal skills and experience in working effectively in a multi cultural environment 
  • Sensitivity to diverse opinions and difficulties arising from differing social and cultural perceptions

Required Skills and Experience

Education

  • Masters degree in economics, finance, business, international affairs or related field.

Experience

  • A minimum of 3 years of relevant experience and demonstrated increasing responsibilities in a field related to microfinance, inclusive finance, or related fields of economic development and research.
  • Experience with similar assignments in developing countries, including LDCs and Africa.

Language:

  • English & French