UNCDF Jobs - 58692- Energy Microfinance Expert, Consultant

Energy Microfinance Expert, Consultant

Advertised on behalf of

UNCDF

Location :

Kathmandu, NEPAL

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

19-Aug-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

30 days

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

August - October

UNDP 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. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

CleanStart is a UNCDF programme that supports low-income households and micro-entrepreneurs to jump-start their access to clean energy through microfinance. It encourages greater financing choices for poor people, supported by high-quality technologies and services, and enabling ecosystems for energy and financial service providers to achieve scale and impact.

The programme directly contributes to the goals of recent global initiatives such as the Sustainable Energy for All Initiative by supporting at least 2.5 million people in Asia and Africa to move out of energy poverty by 2017 through the following:

Finance for Clean Energy to strengthen capabilities of 18 financial service providers to provide microfinance for clean energy;
Technical Assistance for Clean Energy to strengthen supply chains of energy solutions financed by partner financial service providers;
Global Knowledge and Learning to improve awareness and skills in the field of energy microfinance on a global scale; and
Advocacy and Partnerships to create an enabling policy and business environment to expand microfinance for clean energy.

Since 2014, CleanStart has been working with four selected Financial Sector Providers (FSPs) in Nepal to provide loans for clean technologies, such as solar lighting and improved cooking solutions.

The four institutions are:

ACE Development Bank Limited (Ace);
Clean Energy Development Bank Ltd (CEDBL);
Jeevan Bikas Samaj (JBS);
Sana Kisan Bikash Bank (SKBB).

The mix of institution profiles is interesting. Ace, CEDB and SKBBL are providing wholesale financing to microfinance intermediaries of various scales from one of the largest regulated microfinance institutions to small farmers’ cooperatives. JBS is a retail microfinance institution focused on seven districts in Eastern Nepal.

The Alternative Energy Promotion Center (AEPC) is an implementing partner for CleanStart in Nepal. Their role focuses on bridging the link between the FSPs and the renewable energy sector. CleanStart is supported by one senior AEPC staff and one Credit and Financing Officer dedicated to CleanStart’s activities. CleanStart’s activities are designed to contribute to the goals of the National Rural and Renewable Energy Programme (NRREP), particularly with a view to unleash financing for small-scale household level systems to low-income customers.

Objectives of the assignment

The objective of this assignment is to provide strategic advice to FSPs as well as the Central Renewable Energy Fund to support these in achieving their performance targets agreed with the CleanStart Programme:

CleanStart provides additional risk capital to partner financial service providers related to Nepal earthquake recovery activities and other strategic activities;
CleanStart provides technical assistance based on needs prioritized with financial service providers;
CleanStart provides technical assistance to Central Renewable Energy Fund to stimulate energy lending for BoP;
Partner financial service providers improve capacity in monitoring and evaluation of energy portfolio;
CleanStart’s local implementing partner for baseline/impact measurement survey implements credible survey on-schedule;
CleanStart M&E system is strengthened through field data verification and improving usability of data collection tools.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work

CleanStart provides additional risk capital to partner financial service providers related to Nepal earthquake recovery activities and other strategic activities:

Assist CleanStart in scoping and finalizing plan for additional risk capital grants.

CleanStart provides technical assistance based on needs prioritized with financial service providers:

Discuss TA priorities with partner FSPs and advise CleanStart on what TA to deploy when;
Provide relevant TA directly to FSPs.

CleanStart provides technical assistance to Central Renewable Energy Fund to stimulate energy lending for BoP:

Provide inputs to CleanStart’s energy lending toolkit for microfinance institutions based on field experience;
Assist in the development of a Business Plan for the fund.

Partner financial service providers improve capacity in monitoring and evaluation of energy portfolio:

Strengthen energy loan projection & monitoring capacity (quarterly + annual);
Advise how to improve MIS to track energy loans better;
Advise how CleanStart can assist with improving vendor financing for Clean Energy Development Bank;
Review Central Renewable Energy Fund’s M&E system and see possible overlaps with CleanStart’s M&E system.

CleanStart’s local implementing partner for baseline/impact measurement survey implements credible survey on-schedule:

Assist with implementing workplan agreed with local partner;
Develop toolkit for baseline/impact measurement survey useful for wider audience.

CleanStart M&E system is strengthened through field data verification and improving usability of data collection tools:

Improve usability of PBA reporting tool (excel-based);
Update PBA reporting tool manual;
Make field visits to spot-check results reported to CleanStart.

Deliverables:

Workplan (for consultant + FSPs);
Progress updates submitted regularly , include: minutes of meetings , Field visit reports; lessons learned from engagement with partners (what do partners struggle with and how are they finding solutions?); recommendations and action points; documented input to the development of CREF Business Plan;
Draft terms of reference for agreed TA support to FSPs;
Updated PBA reporting tool and manual;
Baseline/impact measurement toolkit;
Inputs (documented) to CleanStart’ energy lending toolkit.

Monitoring and Progress control

The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the UNCDF CleanStart Programme Manager, and to some extent the CleanStart Programme and Knowledge Management Analyst and the UNCDF Monitoring and Evaluation Officer.

Review time required and payment

2 weeks after each assignment. Payment will be made upon submission of agreed deliverables and satisfactory assessment by the CleanStart Programme team. Payment will be made based on actual hours worked which should be tracked on a timesheet and submitted together with an invoice.

Travel

Within the country (Nepal).

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

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

Functional Competencies:

Field-level knowledge about the microfinance sector and financial service providers in Nepal;
Strong knowledge about renewable energy technologies; knowledge about the RET market in Nepal is a plus;
Able to stay prolonged periods of time in Nepal.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Masters level qualifications in finance, international development or related field.

Experience:

At least 5 years of working experience in supporting the development of the microfinance sector;
Experience with providing technical assistance to financial service providers in areas such as business planning and monitoring & evaluation;
Experience working with financial service providers in Nepal.

Languages:

Fluency in written and spoken English.

Individual consultants will be evaluated as follows:

Screening

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

Education;
Experience.

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):

Education/Qualification (20 points);
Experience and competency (50 points);
Country-specific experience (30 points).

Final Evaluation. The shortlisted candidates will be rated on both technical and financial submissions, providing a weight of 70% to the technical offer and 30% to the financial offer.

The Final evaluation will combine the scores of desk review and financial proposal with the following weights assigned to each:

Desk Review (70%);
Financial Proposal (30%).

All applications must contain the following information in one word or PDF document (as the system only allows to upload maximum one document) combining the following:

Cover letter with a summary statement of competencies in relation to the TOR please refer to http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_file.cfm?doc_id=29916 for a template;

Financial proposal:

The financial proposal must indicate daily professional fee in USD;
Detailed Personal CV and/or UN P.11 Form.