Background
The Joint SDG Fund is seen by the Secretary General as a key piece of the reform of the UNDS. The Secretary General referred, in his December 2017 report, to the Joint SDG Fund as the “muscle” for Resident Coordinators and a new generation of United Nations Country Teams to help countries to deliver the SDGs, through catalyzing integrated, transformative policy change and innovative financial investment.
The Joint SDG Fund will perform the following functions:
- Identify and activate SDG “accelerators”: The Joint SDG Fund will identify policy levers, through an integrated and cross-sectoral approach, that unleash rapid progress across different goals and targets, based on data, assessments and analysis carried out by national and international partners;
- Reinforce the SDG financing architecture and ecosystem: The Joint SDG Fund will support the development of financing strategies for SDG investment. This work will include: i) convening and creating networks with partners, including the Government, development banks, institutional investors and the private sector; ii) strengthening the capacities of the national and sub-national SDG financing architecture; iii) the production of multi-stakeholder financing strategies with the aim of dramatically increasing the scale and improving the focus of SDG investments.
- Catalyze strategic programming and investments: the Joint SDG Fund will invest in key initiatives that emerge from (1) and (2), and that leverage public and private financing in order to advance the SDGs. These initiatives will provide a demonstration of concept and will be scalable both in country and elsewhere.
Duties and Responsibilities
Working under the supervision of the Joint SDG Fund Lead the Investment Advisor is responsible for (a) supporting the Resident Coordinator and United Nations Country Teams to reinforce the SDG financing architecture and ecosystem at the country level and (b) catalyze strategic investments.
- Supporting Resident Coordinators (RC) and UN Country Teams (UNCT) to reinforce the SDG financing architecture and ecosystem:
This will include supporting RC’s and UNCTs to:
- convene and create networks with partners, including the Government, development banks, institutional investors and the private sector
- strengthen the capacities of the national and sub-national SDG financing architecture
- produce multi-stakeholder financing strategies with the aim of dramatically increasing the scale and improving the focus of SDG investments
This will be achieved through:
- Identifying suitable tools and partnerships within and outside the United Nations Development System
- Designing calls for concepts needed to select UNCTs
- Supporting RC/ RCO/ UNCT in the development of high-quality concept notes
- Facilitating the review of the concept notes by industry experts
- Supporting the RC/RCO/ UNCT to effectively implement the concepts
- Ensuring lessons are learned and best practice identified and recorded
2. Catalyze strategic programming and investments
This will include supporting RCs/ RCO/ UNCT to make investments that leverage public and private financing to advance the SDGs. These investments will provide a demonstration of concept and will be scalable both in country and elsewhere.
This will be achieved through:
- Identifying UNCTs that are positioned to leverage public and private financing to advance the SDGs
- Developing a network of global and national partners, including with IFIs/ regional/ national banks and other investment partners
- Designing calls for concepts to enable UNCTs to compete for the Joint SDG Fund investment resources
- Supporting selected UNCTs in their development of Concept notes and Joint Programmes
- Supporting the implementation of Joint Programmes
- Strengthening UNCT Capacity for Finance and Investment Programme Activities
Institutional Arrangements
Duration of Work: approximately 130 days Part-time over course of 8th Oct 2018 through 30th June 2019 (approx. 2-3 days/week)
Duty Station: On site – New York, USA. The consultant will need to prove her/his ability to reside and work in the USA.
Payment: A daily rate based on an all-inclusive daily fee. All-inclusive implies that all costs incurred by the Contractor are factored into the final amount submitted in the proposal. Payments will be made following certification of the satisfactory delivery of the products and the appropriate management of associated processes needed to achieve the above-mentioned tasks and objectives; supervisor will confirm arrangements.
DOCO reserves the right to rescind this agreement due to unsatisfactory performance by the contractor.
Institutional arrangements:
The consultant will be working under the direct supervision of the Head of the Joint SDG Fund (and ad interim to the Policy Specialist, Funding and Financing). The consultant will agree on the part- time schedule with the Head of the Joint Fund, according to the priorities of the Office (approx. 2-3 days/week).
UN DOCO reserves the right to rescind this agreement due to unsatisfactory performance by the contractor. Travel to the UNDOCO HQ in New York is the responsibility of the consultant.
Travel: No outside mission is envisaged for this consultancy.
Competencies
Corporate Competencies:
- Demonstrates integrity and fairness, by modeling UN values and ethical standards;
- Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of the UN system;
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Functional Competencies:
- Practical experience of working across the international investing space and in conducting high level legal due diligence;
- Good understanding of main private equity and venture capital structuring and evaluation solutions;
- Experience on how to drive investment solutions within a multilateral institution.
Required Skills and Experience
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
- Advanced university degree (Master’s Degree) in finance, business, law, international economics preferred;
- Fully competent with and knowledgeable of financial instruments (i.e. impact investment, grants, concessional loans, investment products, etc) and how they are applied;
- 7 years of progressively responsible experience with a consultancy background, private equity, and/or venture capital firm, recognized foundation, family office, global non-governmental philanthropic or investment organization, development finance institution or financial advisory team in a bank;
- Working knowledge and preference for experience of working with multilateral, bilateral, and philanthropic partners etc;
- Proven analytical and legal capability and strengths in risk assessment and mitigation; data analysis and performance measurement;
- Sound knowledge of and extensive experience in developing countries is an advantage.
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS:
- Excellent command of English is essential. Working knowledge of another UN language is desirable.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:
- CV or P11 indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the consultant; short-listed candidates will be asked to submit their P11 and at least three (3) professional references;
- Brief description (cover letter) of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for this assignment, which addresses the required qualifications and evaluation criteria;
Short-listed candidates will be asked to submit the following:
- Financial proposal - Duly completed Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using template provided by UNDP which includes the financial proposal which includes “all-inclusive (*)” daily fee.
(*) “all-inclusive” implies that all costs (excluding mission travel) that could possibly be incurred by the Contractor are already factored into the final amounts submitted in the proposal
Interviews may be conducted; Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials.
EVALUATION:
Individual consultants will be evaluated using the cumulative analysis methodology.
When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:
- Responsive/compliant/acceptable, and having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation;
Technical Criteria (100 points):
- Relevant background in terms of educational and professional experience – a minimum of seven (7) years relevant professional work experience: 20 points
- Experience in working across the international impact investing space and in conducting high level legal due diligence: 25 points
- Solid understanding of private equity and venture capital evaluation techniques: 15 points
- Proven analytical capability and strengths in risk assessment and mitigation; data analysis and performance measurement: 25 points
- Demonstrated working experience with multilateral, bilateral, and philanthropic partners: 5 points
- Experience in developing countries: 5 points
- Demonstrated understanding of the assignment: 5 points
Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% of 100 points in the Technical Evaluation will be considered for the Financial Evaluation.
- Technical Criteria weight overall: 70%;
- Financial Criteria weight overall: 30%.
OTHER:
ANNEX 1- GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS_ INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT (IC)