Background

Impact investment refers to a growing range of tools aimed at leveraging private investment for public good, and can play a key role in leveraging private capital to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. In this context, developing impact focused financial tools is an important direction for UNDP globally, regionally and specifically in Armenia.

As part of a broader regional effort in Europe and CIS (ECIS), UNDP Armenia Country Office has for the past two years been working on elaborating and introducing a wide range of impact focused structures and tools. These include impact incubator/accelerator, initial design of impact focused VC/PE funds, impact based financial tools and Public Private Partnership framework.  These initiatives form part of and inform (as well as benefit from) a regional effort led by the regional Innovation Team that that focuses on setting up venture accelerators aiming to attract and build a pipeline of investable social enterprises, designing new financial models, networking with venture capitalists and other investors, and leveraging available public and other finance (ODA) to support governments to achieve SDGs through nurturing emerging financial mechanisms for policy and development. 

As of late 2017, the UNDP Armenia Country Office has developed and is currently implementing several elements of a an impact investment platform that will eventually become a key part of the future operations of UNDP in the country.  Specifically, UNDP has developed a dialogue platform, has created an impact incubator, an impact accelerator, and a hub for innovation and advisory support that will among other functions support the development of impact measurement tools and of policy-oriented impact tools (e.g. Social Impact Bonds). As the next step in this direction, UNDP is looking to systematize and scale up this work, inter alia, by facilitating the creation of an impact fund, and by making impact investment an inherent part of its programming approach in the country and regionally.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Impact Investment Advisor will play a significant role in shaping UNDP’s work in impact investment in the ECIS, with focus on Armenia as a pilot country. Under direct supervision of UNDP Deputy Resident Representative and in close coordination with the regional Team Leader for Innovation he/she will drive further development of impact investment strategic direction.

Working with  senior management, programme and innovation teams in Armenia and regionally, as well as with the global UN Social Impact Fund and UNDP’s impact investment working group at global level, he/she will advance implementation of related initiatives and structures at country and regional level. This will include leading the impact investment team, overseeing planning and organization of the processes, building partnerships, providing strategic advice to UNDP Country Office in Armenia (on a permanent basis) and in other countries (on demand) and responses to emerging challenges and opportunities, including pro-active approach to fund raising.

The Impact Investment Advisor will work in close collaboration with Government officials, technical domain experts, international donor and financial organisations, the private sector including investors, local banks, SMEs and social enterprises.

Scope of Work:

• Leading design and  implementation of UNDP Armenia CO’s impact investment initiatives.
• Driving establishment, development and scale-up of specific structures (impact incubator, accelerator, fund), introduction of impact based blended finance tools and innovative impact based formats for PPP projects (e.g. Social Impact Bonds).
• Planning main activities, overseeing and coordinating implementation, resource costing and allocation, timelines and outcomes of impact investment initiatives. 
• Introducing and expanding application of impact investment approaches in development work both at program implementation and policy level, both in Armenia and in the broader ECIS region.
• Developing impact investment toolset and creating linkages to support programmatic priorities, catalyze and contribute to wide spectrum of activities addressing SDGs, as part of the work of the regional Innovation team.
• Working on approaches to measure impact (contribution towards SDGs) and factor it in various investment and development decisions, as part of the work of the regional Innovation team. 
• Developing strategic partnerships with major stakeholders of impact investment ecosystem: impact investors, impact ventures, development organizations, IFIs, philanthropists, governments at local and central level, SME/start-up promoters, conveners, business and impact research and academic institutions, diaspora and repat communities.
• Structured efforts in mobilizing new resources to support  impact investment initiatives, as part of the work of the regional Innovation team. 
• Liaising closely with UNDP’s global and regional initiatives on innovative finance and impact investments; develop connections and cooperation with impact investment and social entrepreneurship sector specific professional and institutional networks globally. 

Payment mode:

Lump sum payments will be applied in monthly installments upon successful completion of each of the monthly deliverables. 

• Deliverables	Delivery period from the  date of agreement
  Second round of impact accelerator launched	Feb
  Activities under first round of impact accelerator completed	March
  Social impact bond design finalized, pitching to investors completed	April
  Impact investment fund design and negotiations finalized. Support provided to at least one country in ECIS on impact investment.	May
  Second round of impact accelerator completed	June
  Full scale Impact Investment Platform operational. Support provided to at least one additional country in ECIS on impact investment.	July

Competencies

• Strong interpersonal skills with ability to establish and maintain effective work relationships with people of different social and cultural backgrounds;
• Strong track record with producing high quality research and strong quantitative skills in project design, scenario analysis;
• Ability to support and advise senior decision makers and contribute to multi-faceted learning among stakeholders in Armenia, in the broader ECIS region and across regions
• Excellent coordination and collaboration skills, with ability to work under time pressure and handle multiple activities and projects concurrently;
• Ability to work independently and to participate effectively in a team based information sharing;
• Excellent analytical skills, oral presentation and interpersonal communication skills

Required Skills and Experience

Education:  

• Master's Degree or, in its absence, equivalent professional experience.

Experience:

• At least 7 years of relevant experience at the national or international level providing high-level management or investment advisory services;
• At least 7 years of hands-on experience in project design and planning, strategies implementation, partnerships building.
• At least 5-year professional and managerial experience in the sectors related to in impact investment, innovative finance and / or Venture Capital / Private Equity funds, Banking and Finance, Business, SMEs and start-ups promotion and support.

Languages: 

• Fluency in written and spoken English. Knowledge of Russian would be an asset. 

NDIVIDUAL CONSULTANTS WILL BE EVALUATED BASED ON THE FOLLOWING METHODOLOGY:

Candidates will be evaluated using a cumulative analysis method taking into consideration the combination of the applicants' technical qualifications,  experience and financial proposal. The contract will be awarded to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as technically responsive/compliant/acceptable to the requirements of the ToR and received the highest cumulative (technical and financial) score out of below defined technical and financial criteria.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points in the technical evaluation would be considered for financial evaluation.

Technical Criteria - 70% of total evaluation - max. 70 points

Financial Criteria - 30% of total evaluation - max. 30 points. 

DOCUMENTS TO BE INCLUDED WHEN SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION.

• UNDP Personal History form (P11): http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/corporate/Careers/P11_Personal_history_form.doc.

• Financial Proposal and Availability form : OFFEROR’S LETTER TO UNDP

General Conditions of Contract is available here: http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/documents/procurement/documents/IC%20-%20General%20Conditions.pdf.

Note: Please note you can upload only one document to this application (scan all documents in one single PDF file to attach).