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 microfinance 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.

UNCDF works to enlarge peoples’ choices: it believes that poor people and communities should take decisions about their own development. Its programmes help to empower women – over 50% of the clients of UNCDF-supported microfinance institutions are women – and its expertise in microfinance and local development is shaping new responses to food insecurity, climate change and other challenges. UNCDF works in challenging environments – remote rural areas, countries emerging from conflict – and paves the way for others to follow. Its programmes are designed to catalyze larger investment flows from the private sector, development partners and national governments, for significant impact on the Millennium Development Goals, especially Goal 1: Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger, Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women, and Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability.

Established by the General Assembly in 1966 and with headquarters in New York, UNCDF is an autonomous UN organization affiliated with UNDP.

 UNCDF is looking to hire an Individual Consultant to perform due diligence for decision making on its loan provided to two (02) Financial Services Providers (Finance Salone and CEDA) in Sierra Leone.

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Conduct an independent review of financial statements, savings and loan portfolio from the past three fiscal years (2012 and/or 2013 and/or 2014) for each FSP;
  • Determine the FSPs (CEDA and Finance Salone) Financial Position as of 31 March 2015;
  • Assess the overall financial health of the FSP in meeting its outstanding obligations by using different financial models/ratios as well as non-financial information’s;
  • Submit recommendations for the execution of the following: recovery, rescheduling or write-off of defaulted loans.

Deliverables, Schedule and Duration:

  • Contract signed;
  • Draft of report on each FSP: deadline May 22nd, 2015;
  • Final report on each FSP and recommendation case by case: deadline June 15th, 2015.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

  • Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UNDP;
  • Demonstrate integrity by modelling the UN's values and ethical standards;
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional Competencies:

  • Good knowledge and understanding of the UN system, familiarity with UNCDF mandate an asset;
  • Knowledge of issues financial management, financial audit, accountancy;
  • Specific knowledge in the subject area (e.g. microfinance or inclusive finance).

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Master degree in financial management, audit, accountancy or related fields.

Experience:

  • 5 years experience in performing assessments similar to Financial Due Diligence and assessing risks related financial position of MFIs;
  • 5 years experience in financial management and knowledge of the United Nations system and the development sector.

Language:

  • Fluency in written and spoken English.

Evaluation of Offers:

Technical Proposal:

  • Explaining why they are the most suitable for the work;
  • Provide a brief methodology on how they will approach and conduct the work.

This methodology should include at least the following activities:

  • Review financial statements for the past years;
  • Review compulsory savings transactions (including pay-out of savings to clients);
  • Review loan portfolio (collections/repayments, portfolio quality, ageing);
  • Review other major transactions or reconcile accounts (at the discretion of the consultant based on transactions in the general ledger);
  • Determine ability of FSP to repay the loan;
  • Prepare a report and submit recommendations for actions to be taken on defaulted loans.

Financial Proposal:

  • Personal CV (P11 Form) including past experience in similar projects and at least 3 references;
  • Proposals must include all four documents. Proposals not meeting this requirement will be rejected.

Financial Evaluation

Contracts based on lump sum.

The financial proposal will specify the daily fee, travel expenses and per diems quoted in separate line items, and payments are made to the Individual Contractor based on lump sum.

Travel

All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. This includes all travel to join duty station in Freetown /repatriation travel.

Evaluation

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodologies:

Cumulative analysis: When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated 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 Criteria weight; [70]; Financial Criteria weight; [30]

Technical Criteria:

  • Criteria A: Master degree in financial management, audit, accountancy or related areas up to a maximum of 15 points;
  • Criteria B: experience in performing assessments similar to Financial Due Diligence and assessing risks related financial position of MFIs - up to a maximum of 30 points;
  • Criteria C: The consultant should also have financial management experience and knowledge of the United Nations system and the development sector – up to a maximum of 30 points;
  • Criteria D: Methodology of work Technical proposal - up to a maximum of 25 points.

Financial Criteria

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70 points in the Technical Evaluation would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

The financial score for the financial proposal will be calculated in the following manner:

  • Sf = 100 x Fm/F, in which Sf is the financial score, Fm is the lowest price and F the price of the proposal under consideration;
  • (Total Financial Maximum points = 100 points);
  • Total Score.

The technical score attained at by each proposal will be used in determining the Total score as follows:

  • The weights given to the technical and financial proposals are: T= 0.7, F=0.3;
  • The Total score will be calculated by formula: TS = T x 0.7 + F x 0.3;
  • TS - Is the total score of the proposal under consideration;
  • T - is technical score of the proposal under consideration;
  • F - is financial score of the proposal under consideration.

Payment modalities:

  • Signature of contract (20%);
  • Final report approved (80%).

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.