UNDP Jobs - 105565- National Consultant to implement the Innovative Ch

National Consultant to implement the Innovative Challenge of the Acceleration of E-commerce and SMEs Formalization

Location :

Phnom Penh, CAMBODIA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

19-Apr-2022

Application Deadline :

11-Apr-22 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

National Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

42 working days

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

April to September 2022

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

The Royal Government of Cambodia has undertaken a series of broad-based reforms aimed at strengthening and diversifying the productive sector base and achieving economic/trade-related competitiveness growth. These strategic objectives are enshrined in the national development agenda, articulated by the Rectangular Strategy IV, the National Strategy Development Plan (2019-2023), the Cambodia Trade Integration Strategy Update (2019-2023), and the Cambodia e-commerce strategy which has been launched in November 2020. A common thread running through these policy instruments is the recognition of E-commerce as a driver of private sector growth, both from a domestic-market and international trade perspective.

The potential for e-commerce development is significant in Cambodia, promising to diversify the economy, provide new jobs, and increase financial inclusion, as well as contributing to improved lives and livelihoods. Cambodia has considerable advantages that could be leveraged to create ICT jobs and benefit the national economy. Yet E-commerce is relatively undeveloped compared to Cambodia’s neighbors and has not yet contributed to export diversification despite its potential in particular for agricultural commodities, handicrafts, and garments.

Some important considerations have been noticeably constrained the future growth in this sector, though. SMEs, in general, face a lot of challenges ranging from the lack of proper status, high transaction costs, to uncertainty related to incentives and regulations, and particularly e-commerce firms, IT start-ups and other segments in newly emerging areas. Remarkably, access to finance is reportedly the most burdensome and challenging for SMEs to find in the formal lending sector.

UNDP Cambodia in a strategic partnership with the Ministry of Commerce and Khmer Enterprise is currently implementing the component II of the Cambodia's e-commerce acceleration project (Go4eCAM). The component II, with a focus on Skills and Entrepreneurship for E-commerce (SME eBiZnest), is co-financed by UNDP Cambodia, the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) and the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF). One of the key initiatives under the Component II is the Innovation Challenge, which is designed as a platform to provide micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Cambodia with the opportunity to challenge their innovative solutions for the award amounting to US$4,000 to support their moving part or whole of their business operations online, and/or entering into a cross-border e-commerce through dedicated e-marketplaces, including Ministry of Commerce’s “CambodiaTrade.com” or others. The focus of the small grant modality will be on helping those SMEs with no and little access to formal lending and to demonstrate the benefits the SMEs could gain by going digital and by doing so, they could reach out to wider markets and clientele.

The Innovation Challenge is carried out in two cohorts, with a total 70 awardees to be awarded. Cohort 1 has just recently selected 30 awardees. To take the cohort 2 forward, UNDP is currently seeking an individual consultant to support the program implementation, which leads by an International Consultant, for a period of 6 months, mid of April to 30 September 2022.

Duties and Responsibilities

The successfully selected consultant will be taking a role in supporting an International Consultant and UNDP project team in implementing the innovative challenge programme, including but not limited to the following activities:

Selection process of Innovation Challenge Cohort 2:

Perform application screening (longlist and shortlist), in close coordination with UNDP project team
Coordinate and organize pitching assessment, where the Selection Committee evaluate the roughly 50 shortlist applications
Coordinate the meeting of the Advisory Committee
Documentation and submission of the minutes from a) meeting of the Selection Committee, b) meeting of the Advisory Committee, and prepare the Innovation Challenge selection report consolidating the whole application and selection process
Perform due diligence of at least top 45 promising applicant MSMEs for cohort 2
Draft contracts for the 40 selected applicants

2. Collaborate with the international consultant in planning and coordination of the application support workshops aiming to receive high quality, feasible innovation project applications.

3. Support on coordination of the Innovation Challenge implementation stage:

Support the coordination and organisation of the kick-off meeting with successful candidates for cohort 2. Consolidate minutes of the kick-off meeting, which captures key discussions and decisions (including validation of inputs and feedback from the project partners)
Support coordination and monitoring of on-going mentoring, including matchmaking, and trainings during the implementation stage of cohort 2.
Support on partnership building with different experts, key players in e-commerce ecosystem to provide support the innovation challenge awardees.
Develop summary reports of the mentoring and training, which covers the overview of the implementation, table of mentor-mentee match-making and key contents discussed, etc.
Support the coordination and arrangement of the demo day and consolidate a summary minute of the event.
Coordinate regular monthly progress update with the project partners
Monitor the progress of innovation challenges implementation by SMEs based on the signed agreement and ToR with regularly update to UNDP and the project partners
Compile at least three case studies of Innovation Challenge awardees of Cohort 2. The three selected case studies should consider the diversification of gender of the business owner, provincial businesses, and the e-commerce projects. The case studies should illustrate (a) key achievements made in the awardees’ businesses through utilising the awards, mentorship and networking; (b) where applicable, include an increase in sales through domestic and/or cross-border e-commerce (c) what’s next for the business in their digital transition plan.

Interested offeror must read the Individual Consultant (IC) Procurement Notice, which can be viewed at https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=89376 for more detail information about term of references, instructions to offeror, and to download the documents to be submitted in the offer through online.

Competencies

Analytical skills, knowledge of e-commerce environment or ecosystem
In-depth understanding of Cambodia’s digital / e-commerce environment, business rule and regulation in Cambodia
Proven extensive network with government partners, private sector, business association, and other relevant parties/development donors
Strong analytical mind and understanding of business-related requirements and constraints, with a focus on addressing them through training and capacity development measures

Required Skills and Experience

Education: Master’s degree in business administration, entrepreneurship, management, ecommerce, economic, or other related fields.

Experience:

Minimum 4 years of combined working experience with the private sector, and non-profit organizations including the other consultancy work related to small grant for MSMEs, business mentoring and mentorship matchmaking, output based procurement for MSMEs, innovation challenge programme, digitalization, and ecommerce.
Proven experience in managing project activities and coordinating similar programs for new start-up or SMEs, events organization, communications management, and partnerships building with entrepreneurs and stakeholders donors in the areas of private sector development, MSMEs development, e-commerce, digital entrepreneurship, trade and exports
Experience in supervising similar assignments, particularly e-commerce SMEs
Proven experience in providing training and startup programme related to e-commerce SMEs
Prior experience consulting for UNDP Cambodia is an asset.
Experience working in the e-commerce sector, digital trade or government coordination are preferable.

Language Requirement: English and Khmer

UNDP reserves right to reject any applications that is incomplete.

Please be informed that we don’t accept application submitted via email.

Interested individual offeror must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

1. Explaining why they are the most suitable for the work
2. Financial proposal
3. Personal CV including experience in similar projects, list of publication written by Candidate and at least 3 references.

Interested Offerors are required to submit application via UNDP jobsite system as the application screening and evaluation will be done through UNDP jobsite system. Please note that UNDP jobsite system allows only one uploading of application document, so please make sure that you merge all your documents into a single file. Your on-line applications submission will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. In such cases, please resubmit the application, if necessary. Please combine all your documents into one (1) single PDF document as the system only allows to upload maximum one document.

Any request for clarification/additional information on this procurement notice shall be communicated in writing to UNDP office or send to email aphikovith.phin@undp.org and cc procurement.kh@undp.org . While the Procurement Unit would endeavor to provide information expeditiously, only requests receiving at least 5 working days prior to the submission deadline will be entertained. Any delay in providing such information will not be considered as a reason for extending the submission deadline. The UNDP's response (including an explanation of the query but without identifying the source of inquiry) will be posted in Individual Consultant (IC) Procurement Notice page as provided above. Therefore, all prospective Offerors are advised to visit the page regularly to make obtain update related to this Individual Consultant (IC) Procurement Notice.