UNCDF Jobs - 68734- Technical Writer Yeo Assessment In Madagascar And

Technical Writer Yeo Assessment In Madagascar And Policy Briefs For 4 Countries

Advertised on behalf of

UNCDF

Location :

Home-based

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

17-Oct-2016

Application Deadline :

11-Oct-16 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

20 days

Languages Required :

English French

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

YouthStart (YS), a UNCDF initiative established in 2010 in partnership with The MasterCard Foundation, has been working closely with 10 partner financial services providers (FSPs) in 8 African countries which have been providing financial services and financial education to youth. To date, FSPs have exceeded the target number of 200,000 youth savers; having reached over 725,000 youth by the end of June 2016.

UNCDF has learned from the different approaches in which financial inclusion can help address the youth employment challenge through the regional pilot including a) the types of financial services that best meet the needs of youth according to their socio-economic context and developmental stages, b) the types of financial services that can best mitigate the risk of lending to youth; c) the business models that FSPs can use to deliver financial education to youth, d) the business case for youth financial services; e) the types of trainings and tools necessary for FSPs to gain a better understanding of the youth market; and, f) the changes needed in the policy and regulatory environment to increase access to financial services for youth.

As such, UNCDF in partnership with the Swedish International Development Agency and the Government of Luxembourg, is now expanding the programme to other LDC’s in Africa and Asia and deepening its intervention in the countries of the regional pilot within the framework of a new programme entitled YouthStart Global. YS Global’s objective is to increase the number of youth engaged in entrepreneurship, decent employment, school, or further education and training to support Sustainable Development Goals 1, 5 and 8.

The programme will, over 4 years, specifically:

Reach 400,000 youth to increase their engagement in employment, education or training with a focus on those most financially excluded, including: young women, youth living in rural areas, and poorest youth;
Employ a consortium approach with FSPs partnering with youth serving organizations including local and international NGOs, Technical and Vocational Education and Training Support (TVETs) to provide financial and nonfinancial services to youth including financial literacy training and reproductive health education;
Employ a market systems approach focused on convening key market actors, expanding access to information and technical assistance, strategic policy coordination, and direct funding.

The programme is being implemented in 3 phases:

an Inception Phase that entails a country specific analysis of the youth economic opportunities ecosystems in each country and getting the necessary government support;
a Phase 1 that consists on selecting the right partners to work with in each country, and;
a Phase 2 that consists in supporting selected partners to develop, test and scale up relevant, accessible and affordable services to youth.

Information on YS can be found at www.uncdf.org/youthstart

Duties and Responsibilities

Objectives of the assignment:

Turning the YEO assessment of Madagascar into a public good.

UNCDF launched the Inception Phase of YS Global in 2015. An assessment of the youth economic opportunities ecosystem (YEO) was conducted Madagascar. This exercise allowed UNCDF, to gain a better understanding of the youth employment and entrepreneurship initiatives existing in each country, the FSPs that are already serving youth in a targeted manner or have the potential to do so, and the main policies and regulatory framework governing the youth economic opportunities ecosystem. Furthermore, the assessment identified key sectors and value chains with the greatest potential to provide the most economic opportunities, ascertain entry barriers of these sectors for youth, and identify potential interventions.

The YS Global team have drafted final reports summarizing the analysis of the findings from the YEOs assessments. With the objective that other key stakeholders benefit from the YEO assessments, we are seeking one consultant to support YS in turning the final draft into a knowledge product that can be considered public good. Please click on the links to access the final YEOs assessments conducted in Benin, Cambodia, DRC, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia.

Review of YEO related policies

One of the major objectives of the inception phase is to identify the gaps and opportunities for relevant policies governing the YEO. As such, UNCDF is seeking a policy advisor to support UNCDF during the YS Global Inception Phase in identifying opportunities and constraints within the policy and regulatory framework related to youth economic opportunities in Malawi, Madagascar, Senegal, and Uganda.

Scope of Work

For Madagascar YEO Assessment
Task 1: Conduct Desk Review
For the YEO of Madagascar, the consultants will conduct a literature and desk review of materials, data, and analyses already completed from the YEO assessment for each country. They will identify relevant sources of information to support findings and triangulate the data as necessary.

Task 2: Update technical paper on youth economic opportunities
Using the synthesized data, the consultants will update the drafted Madagascar YEO assessment. The consultant will also strengthen the French style of the draft.

Task 3: Address and incorporate comments from peer review
The consultants will be responsible for incorporating comments from the YS team and addressing queries from the copy editor. The consultant will ensure all the comments of the reviewers are address in the paper and if they cannot be incorporated in the paper, s/he will explain why in a detailed summary table.

Task 4: Ensure final version of each new knowledge product is ready for graphic designer
The consultant will work with the copy editor to ensure the final version of each YEO assessment is ready for the graphic designer.

For the review of the YEO related policies

Task 1: Data Collection
For the review of the YEO related policies, the consultant will conduct a desk review of the current national legislation, policies, planning, programs, procedures and provisions of related regulations focused on youth employment and financial services for youth

Task 2: Data analysis

Develop a diagnostic of the regulatory framework for youth employment and financial services including areas of need (i.e. where government is unable to influence the functions of actors), existence or lack of policies; and line ministries and agencies which UNCDF should engage with for further discussions/partnerships;
Provide detail input for policy implications for each country specific situation analysis of the youth economic opportunities ecosystem (country reports).

Final products and deliverables

The consultant will deliver the following:

List of technical sources used to develop the content of the YEO assessment in Madagascar;
Finalized YEO assessment for Madagascar;
One to two-pager on the analysis of the existing youth related policies in the areas of youth employment and financial services (diagnostic of gaps, challenges, and opportunities) for Madagascar, Uganda, Senegal and Malawi

Monitoring and Progress Controls

Payment to consultants will be linked to the satisfactory completion of deliverables according to the following schedule:

Deliverable 1: Completion of literature review with list of sources to be used for YEO of Madagascar;
Deliverable 2: Finalized version of the paper addressing the comments of YS TEAM (in MS word);
Deliverable 3: One to two-pager on the analysis of the existing youth related policies in the areas of youth employment and financial services (diagnostic of gaps, challenges, and opportunities) for each country.

The consultant will report to the YouthStart Programme Manager.

Competencies

Analytical and problem solving skills of a high order, including the ability to formulate recommendations and advice;
Ability to work independently, manage time, scheduling and logistical issues;
Strong ability to communicate and function effectively in international/multicultural environment;
High level planning, organizational and time management skills, including flexibility, attention to detail and the ability to work under pressure to meet changing deadlines;
Well-developed interpersonal skills , including the ability to liaise effectively at senior levels;
High level of communication and interpersonal skills and experience in working effectively in a multi cultural environment;
Sensitivity to diverse opinions and difficulties arising from differing social and cultural perceptions

Required Skills and Experience

Education

Master’s degree in international affairs, economics, finance, social science, business or public administration or related field, or equivalent experience (8 years in international development).

Experience

Minimum 7 years experience conducting research, analysis, and writing (at least 2 writing samples is requested);
Minimum 7 years experience in strategic policy and research on youth issues, with focus on policy analysis, advisory services and communication;
High-level understanding of policy assessment tools;
Experiences with similar assignments in developing countries, including LDCs and Africa and youth financial inclusion;
Good track record of publications in financial inclusion preferably in access to finance for youth or youth development issues;
Excellent skills in participatory methodologies and working with diverse stakeholders.

Languages

Excellent written skills in English and French.

Application Procedure

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

Detailed and updated CV;
2 examples of publications with maximium 25 pages or provide internet link to the publications. If internet links are not available, the candidate must otherwise submit the relevant content by email to uncdf.procurement@uncdf.org with the subject line "Technical Writer YEO Assessment in Madagascar and Policy Briefs for 4 Countries" ( please note, only long listed candidates will be contacted to provide two samples of technical papers written by the consultant)
Please note that UNDP jobsite system allows only one uploading of application document, so please make sure that you merge all your documents into one single file;
General Terms and Conditions for ICs is provided; here: http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/documents/procurement/documents/IC%20-%20General%20Conditions.pdf

Only short listed candidates will be contacted to provide a Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs.

Evaluation Process

Step 1: Screening/Longlisting

Applications will be screened and only candidates meeting the following minimum criteria will progress for further review:

Education: international affairs, economics, finance, social science, business or public administration or related field, or equivalent experience;
Experience: Minimum of 7 to 10 years of professional experience in strategic policy and research on youth issues, with focus on policy analysis, advisory services and communication;
Language: Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and French (a must);
Mandatory submission of CV with list of relevant publication.

Step II: Shortlisting by Review of a Profile

UNCDF will conduct a review of a profile (technical evaluation). Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70 points in Step II will be considered as technically qualified.

Criteria for Technical evaluation (100 points maximum):

Previous experience conducting research and analyses on policies relating to access to economic opportunities, finance and/or service for youth in developing countries. - 40 points;
Writing illustrates clear understanding and knowledge of substantive issues regarding access to economic opportunities for youth and makes complex topics interesting and easy to understand – 25 points;
Extensive experience in strategic policy and research on youth issues, with focus on policy analysis, advisory services and communication - 20 points;
Fluency in English (extra points for working knowledge of French) – 10 points;
Relevant education – 5 points.

Only qualified applicants will be contacted to continue with the hiring process. Applications will be rated on both technical and financial submissions, providing a weight of 70% to the technical offer and 30% to the financial offer.