UNCDF Jobs - 111670- Nature Asset Team (NAT) Junior Expert

Nature Asset Team (NAT) Junior Expert

Advertised on behalf of

UNCDF

Location :

Kigali, RWANDA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

15-Apr-2023

Application Deadline :

24-Mar-23 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

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 launched a new Strategic Framework for 2022-2025 that offers an ambitious roadmap aimed at unlocking the potential of finance to accelerate SDG-positive achievements for the benefit of the most vulnerable nations.

In particular, the new UNCDF Framework highlights biodiversity finance as a severely underfunded climate mitigation solution and propose to apply UNCDF multidimensional capital mandate to mobilize further public and private, international and domestic finance in LDCs through concessional capital deployment, financial advisory and support for the establishment of financing mechanisms and systems that promotes the valuation of the LDC unique natural assets potential.

UNCDF intent to supports LDCs to create an enabling environment for nature-positive pipeline building, investments and market opportunities that create equitable and diversified economic growth. The essence of this transformation is a strategic shift from viewing nature as a resource to treating nature as an asset. This represents a very different view to natural resource investing wherein nature is commoditized for short run gain and its long run economic and nature-based value is not taken into consideration.

In order to support this strategic shift, UNCDF is consolidating its growing nature-based portfolio into a Nature Asset Team (UNCDF NAT). The team will serve to mobilize the nature-positive public and private finance needed for green & blue economic transformation supporting several pilot projects financed by the Central Africa Forest Initiative – CAFI, the Global Fund for Coral Reef, the Peace Building Fund – PBF and several bilateral donors.

Duties and Responsibilities

The consultant will provide the following functions:

Supports the development of the NAT Investment plan across the different portfolio and the implementation of subsequent annual workplans;
Contributes to the development of programme and project proposals;
Carries out background research on subject relevant to the Nature Assets Team;
Supports request for proposals, review committee and award granting;
Supports the liaison with Investment partners on all programming aspects;
Follows up on projects implementation status, flagging issues and managing risk; missions to project sites to assess progress towards objectives, adherence to ESG and workplan, and provides feedback on progress;
Contributes to the development of the NAT’s results-based management system;
Liaises with UN Agencies and other partners regarding relevant co-financing;
Supports the preparation of project progress updates and annual/final reports by implementers as outlined in the Fund programming cycle and legal agreements;
Supports the organization of consultations with new and existing partners;
Coordinates High-Level events and communication updates
Supports coordination with different central UNCDF teams

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

1. Integrated annual work plan/s with progress tracker/s - April 2023 (5% of total payment)

2. NAT Investment Plan - April 2023 (10% of total payment)

3. Issues and risk register/s tracker system - May 2023 (5% of total payment)

4. Two (2) mission trips including to project sites to assess progress towards objectives, adherence to ESG and workplan, and provide feedback on progress - July 2023 (10% of total payment)

5. Five (5) background research concept notes on subjects relevant to the Nature Assets Team - September 2023 (5% of total payment)

6. Three (3) successful high-level events and communication updates - November 2023 (10% of total payment)

7. NAT’s results-based integrated framework - December 2023 (10% of total payment)

8. Three (3) programme and project proposals; (including Theory of Change, rationale, Result Framework) - February 2024 (10% of total payment)

9. Five (5) requests for proposals, review committee and award granting processes - March 2024 (10% of total payment)

10. Three (3) mission trips including to project sites to assess progress towards objectives, adherence to ESG and workplan, and provide feedback on progress - April 2024 (10% of total payment)

11. Five (5) project implementation progress updates and annual/final reports as per MPTFs operational manuals and Donor’s requirement - June 2024 (10% of total payment)

Institutional Arrangements

The Consultant shall be working under the direct guidance and supervision of the Head of the GFCR Fund Secretariat & Nature Asset Team.
The following documents will serve as conditions for payments (i) submission of Certificate of Payment (COP); (ii) Submission of all deliverables / progress report with the relevant supporting documentation; and (iii) review, approval and written acceptance of each deliverable.
This is a deliverable-based consulting work where payments are made based on the acceptance of the outputs.
Final payment shall require a signed performance evaluation of the consultant.
The consultant travel entitlements shall be in strict adherence to UNCDF policy and will include, in part, the following:
- The actual cost of one-way trip economy class ticket to duty station (i.e., one ticket to Rwanda)
- The actual cost of round-trip economy class ticket to and from the duty station shall be reimbursed by UNCDF and DSA will be paid at the standard UN DSA Rate based on the number of days spent in the location of the travel (i.e., two field trips to DRC and Burundi and other travel as assigned by UNCDF)

A lump sum amount representing these costs shall be included by the consultant in the financial proposal, to allow the consultant to make arrangements for his/her own travel

Competencies

Leadership: Generates commitment, excitement and excellence in others.

Actively shares knowledge

Communication and relationship management: Synthesizes information to communicate independent analysis

Communicates ideas and positions with command and confidence
Finds common ground to solve problems

Innovation: Adept with complex concepts and challenges convention purposefully

Contributes to prototyping, piloting, and evaluating lessons / feedback

People Management: Models independent thinking and action

Demonstrates behaviors of teamwork, collaboration, knowledge sharing, maintaining relationships

Delivery: Meets goals and quality criteria for delivery of products or services.

Embraces complex challenges and opportunities for getting work done
Ability to embrace challenges with minimal supervision
Works to develop organizational awareness of UNCDF’s approach to client service delivery and integrity and accountability

Technical Abilties: Apply and Adapt

Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise

UN System

In-depth and up-to-date knowledge and understanding of the UN system and the mandates of constituent agencies, including with UN corporate standards and language requirements.

Required Skills and Experience

Education: Master’s Degree (or equivalent) in Non-Profit Management, Public Administration, International Relations and/or other relevant field is required.
Minimum years of relevant work experience: Minimum 6 (six) months to 1 (one) year of relevant experience working UN operation at national or international level is required.

Required Language (s): English

Evaluation

Step I: Technical Evaluation/Desk Review (70%)

Criteria will be:

6 (six) months to 1 (year) of experience in UN or similar organization (25 points)
Strong expertise in nature assets, biodiversity, climate, and other environment-related domains (25 points)
Past experience with contributing inputs to project design and execution in domains outlined immediately above (10 points)
Strong analytical/writing skills with a particular focus on the relevant domains limited in this section (10 points)

Step II: Financial Evaluation (30%)

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% at Desk review shall be considered as technically qualified and will be reviewed further for financial evaluation.

The following formula will be used to evaluate the financial proposal:

Lowest priced proposal/ Price for the proposal being evaluated x 30%

Step III: Selection/ Award Criteria

The contact shall be awarded to the applicant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

• Responsive/ compliant/ acceptable; and

• Having received the highest combined weight (technical scores) 70% + financial 30%= 100%.

The first rankedcandidate that achieved the highest cumulative score will be recommended for award.

Recommended Presentation of Offer

Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNCDF – this needs to be encrypted or password-protected; (see click here for document)

Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, theirdurations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.

Financial Proposal (this also refers to the Letter of Confirmation mentioned above) that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, using the template provided by UNCDF and provided in link above. If an Offeror is employed by an organization/company/institution, and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNCDF under Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the Offeror must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNCDF. Please send the the completed and signed form to financial.proposal@uncdf.org at the time of application, not later than 24 March 2023.