UNCDF Jobs - 107163- International Consultant Credit Rating Support for

International Consultant Credit Rating Support for MEF Cambodia

Advertised on behalf of

UNCDF

Location :

Homebase with possible travel to Cambodia, CAMBODIA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

01-Jul-2022

Application Deadline :

22-Jun-22 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

45 working days over period of 1 July – 31 December 2022

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

45 working days over period of 1 July – 31 December 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

UNCDF is the United Nations capital investment agency for the world’s 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 two channels: financial inclusion that expands the opportunities for individuals, households, and small businesses to participate in the local economy, providing them with the tools they need to climb out of poverty and manage their financial lives; and by showing how localized investments—through fiscal decentralization, innovative municipal finance, and structured project finance—can drive public and private funding that underpins local economic expansion and sustainable development. By strengthening how finance works for poor people at the household, small enterprise, and local infrastructure levels, UNCDF contributes to SDG 1 on eradicating poverty and SDG 17 on the means of implementation. By identifying those market segments where innovative financing models can have a transformational impact in helping to reach the last mile and address exclusion and inequalities of access, UNCDF contributes to a number of different SDGs;

UNCDF is currently implementing a project in Lao PDR financed under the UNJP SDG Fund that is supporting the development of the Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF) for Cambodia PDR. The project INFF for SCSDG attainment provides the technical framework for the mission as a diagnostic and capacity development exercise to inform the financing strategy of the current implications and requirements related to sovereign credit ratings and their impacts on enhancing capital market flows for the CSDGs. The mission will contribute to;

Highlighting key policy components for the INFF financing strategy
Determine policy and capacity gaps related to MEF abilities to manage sovereign ratings
Establish a sustainable network between the rating agencies and the MEF
Develop policy solutions and internal competencies within MEF to manage sovereign ratings

Duties and Responsibilities

Working under the direct supervision of the LTF Senior Regional Advisor for Asia based in Bangkok, the consultant will be responsible for providing high-quality advisory and technical inputs as follows;

Develop a peer group list of countries that can be used for comparison of key credit rating metrics, the five-page note needs to provide the rationale for each country to be considered a peer, presenting comparable metrics in alignment to a credit rating methodology

Task 1: Identify a peer country group consisting of five countries for comparative analysis related to the credit rating methodology

Task 2: Generation of a paper that describes the attributes, pros and cons of rating agencies in the region. The 10-page document needs to (i) describe the corporate identity of the rating agency, (ii) determine if they work with sovereign, sub-sovereign ratings, private sector, bonds etc, (iii) description of active regional portfolio and where appropriate a client list including sovereigns and (iv) their strategic vision and appetite for Cambodia

Task 3: Facilitate the organisation of virtual presentations (aligning to deliverable 2) between the government and the rating agencies and facilitate a SWOT exercise with the government post-presentation by each rating agency.

Task 4: Provide advisory to the government for deep-dive partnership dialogues with government selected agencies

Task 5: Develop a methodology and MS excel solution for the government to generate an internal proxy credit rating applying similar metrics and algorithms as the rating agencies

Task 6: Provide training and learning to government staff related to the methodology and MS Excel solution, this will include the development of a training manual for the methodology and MS Excel solution and presentations

Each component will be discussed in detail and agreed upon with the Ministry prior to work commencing, especially in relation to the internal credit rating methodology and MS Excel solution.

The UNCDF Senior Regional Adviser (SRA) based in Bangkok, will be the contact point for the mission, providing necessary management support, guidance, and oversight of the mission. The RTA Unit will be responsible for reviewing intermediate and final products and providing approvals for payment based upon the deliverables under VI.

Competencies

Functional competencies:

Owns a comprehensive knowledge of rating methods deployed by rating agencies
High-level interpersonal skills to facilitate dialogues between government and capital market participants
Have a comprehensive network developed in the region in terms of ratings and capital markets
Have analytical skills required to develop rating metrics and to develop a comprehensive sovereign rating system on MS Excel
IT Skills especially in relation to MS Excel
Proven track record of providing advice to government
Work experience in regional capital markets
Good communication skills; sensitivity and willingness/flexibility to respond to client’s needs.
Working and technical \ knowledge of South East Asia capital markets will be considered as an asset

Corporate competencies:

Strong communication skills in writing, proofreading and editing content and designing communication and outreach materials for an organization.
Knowledge of the UN’s procedures and communications guidelines is an asset.
Flexibility and ability to operate in different cultural settings and with a variety of stakeholders; culturally and gender sensitive.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master in Finance or similar MBA will be considered in addition to 10 years work experience within the financial field

Experience:

10 years of professional experience with at least 5 years working within capital markets that include ratings and or risk management

Language Requirement:

Fluent in written and spoken English Language needs

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=92129 more detail information about term of references, instructions to offeror, and to download the documents to be submitted in the offer through online.

UNDP reserves right to reject any applications that is incomplete.

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

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 online applications submission will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an email 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.

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

1. Proposal: Letter of explaining why they are most suitable for the work

2. Financial proposal (Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP)

3. Personal CV including past experience in similar projects and at least 3 references

Any request for clarification/additional information on this procurement notice shall be communicated in writing to UNDP office or send to email pheara.lek@undp.org and cc procurement.kh@undp.org . While the Procurement Unit would endeavor to provide information expeditiously, only requests receiving at least 3 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).