Background

UNCDF makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s 47 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 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’s Local Climate Adaptive Living (LoCAL) facility was designed and launched in 2011 with the aim of promoting climate change–resilient communities and local economies by establishing a standard and internationally recognized country-based mechanism to channel climate finance to local government authorities in LDCs and to increase local resilience, thereby contributing to achievement of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly the goals of poverty eradication (SDG 1) and climate action (SDG 13). LoCAL increases awareness and capacities to respond to climate change at the local level, integrates climate change adaptation into local governments’ planning and budgeting systems in a participatory and gender-sensitive manner, and increases the amount of finance available to local governments for climate change adaptation. 

LoCAL combines performance-based climate resilience grants (PBCRGs) with technical and capacity-building support. PBCRGs ensure programming and verification of climate change expenditures at the local level and offer strong incentives for general performance improvements targeting areas of importance for enhanced resilience. The PBCRG can be seen as an earmarked cross-sectoral grant with conditions attached to the use of its funding for climate change adaptation beyond business as usual. Combined with regular grant allocations, PBCRGs enable 100 per-cent of the investments in climate-sensitive sectors to become climate resilient over time. They include a set of minimum conditions, performance measures and a menu of eligible investments. 

LoCAL focuses on the delivery of four outputs that will directly contribute to increasing local governments’ access to climate finance and building resilience to climate change:

• Output 1 – Awareness and capacities to respond to climate change adaptation at the local level are increased;
• Output 2 – CCA is mainstreamed into government’s planning and budgeting systems and investments are implemented in line with the PBCRG mechanism;
• Output 3 – The PBCRG system is effectively and sustainably established in participating countries and leads to an increased amount of CCA finance available to local government and local economy;
• Output 4 – The role of local authorities and of the PBCRGS in addressing climate change are increasingly recognized at international level, through outreach, learning and quality assurance

The Programme operates in three distinct phases:

• Phase I: Piloting, consists of an initial scoping analysis, followed by testing in two to four local governments. As of 2019, The Gambia, Lesotho, Tanzania and Tuvalu are in Phase I; Ghana, Lao PDR, Mali, Mozambique and Niger are preparing to enter Phase II.
• Phase II: Consolidating, takes place in 5–10 local governments in a country. It involves collecting lessons and demonstrating the mechanism’s effectiveness at a larger scale. As of 2019, Bangladesh, Benin, Cambodia and Nepal are in Phase II.
• Phase III: Scaling-up, is full national roll-out of LoCAL based on the results of the previous phases and lessons learned. LoCAL is gradually extended to all local governments, with domestic or international climate finance, and becomes the national system for channeling adaptation finance to the local level. Bhutan is in Phase III, with budget support from the European Union; Cambodia has also begun Phase III preparations.

Since its global scale up in 2014, LoCAL has engaged 107 local governments in 14 countries representing over 6 million people. Between 2014 and 2018, it delivered close to USD 16.5 million, with grants and technical assistance to countries totaling USD 10.9 million. During the same period, 517 climate change adaptation interventions were finalized across 11 countries using grants, with another 77 under implementation or being planned.

Since 2018, LoCAL has sought to further highlight and bridge climate resilience with socioeconomic developmental needs at the local level, by establishing, for instance, targets in terms of local job creation, particularly in the green economy. Accordingly, a portion of the PBCRGs are to be implemented by LGAs through cash-for-work programmes, targeting particularly youth and women, or through procurement to local Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), ensuring then that jobs are created in the short to medium term while promoting resilient local economies and communities. This second generation of the LoCAL mechanism is currently being piloted in The Gambia, with other countries following suit, such as Ghana.

Duties and Responsibilities

UNCDF is looking for qualified firms or experts on local job creation, particularly experienced with cash-for-work programmes and activities, to support LGAs in target LoCAL countries (e.g. The Gambia and Ghana) in the design, implementation and monitoring of CfW programmes. More specifically, the consultant(s) or firm will design the CfW guidelines that will support subnational state-actors in designing, implementing and monitoring progress of cash-for-work activities within their jurisdiction. In addition, the consultant(s) or firm will design training modules and materials on the CfW guidelines and deliver training/capacity building on the guidelines and, more broadly, on CfW programmes to government officials in target LoCAL countries, both at national and subnational level. 

This vacancy announcement is for two positions (individuals) or consulting firm that can provide the required number of individual consultants. The first assignment will be for the LoCAL country program in The Gambia, with other countries following suit, e.g. Ghana. 

Working under the overall guidance of the LoCAL Programme Manager, and in close collaboration with the LoCAL Secretariat and country teams, the expert will be responsible for undertaking and contributing to the following tasks:

In performing the tasks, the incumbent will, inter alia, undertake, organize and facilitate consultations and promote participation at all steps of the process, as well as document the processes undertaken to finalize the deliverables.

Duration of assignment, Duty station and Expected Places of Travel

Duration:  

• Overall: up to 40 days over one year
• The Gambia: 17 working days over April–May (2 months)

Duty Station and expected places of travel: Home based with travel to target LoCAL countries, particularly in Africa.

Final Products/Deliverables and Payment Terms

Provision of Monitoring and Progress Controls

A schedule of days worked, outputs produced, and costs incurred will be monitored by the LoCAL Programme Manager in close consultation with the Global LoCAL Secretariat and LoCAL country teams.

Payment will be made against key deliverables, as per provisions in Section 5. Payments will be authorized by the LoCAL Programme Manager.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNCDF and LoCAL;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly.

Functional Competencies:

Leadership:

• responsible for own work, takes initiative and capacity to engage with a wide audience of diverse background.

Innovation:

• Creates new and relevant ideas and leads others to implement them
• Analyzes complex technical materials (including data) and makes concise, relevant recommendations.

Delivery:

• Meets goals and timelines for delivery of products or services.

Technical Skills:

• The suitable candidate for this consultancy shall have extensive experience in developing and/or implement employment related projects, particularly cash-for-work activities;

Communication:

• The consultant will have written and oral fluency in English and at least working knowledge of French.

Teamwork:

• Ability to establish and maintain good working relations with colleagues in multi-cultural environment.

Required Skills and Experience

EDUCATION:

• Postgraduate degree in Social Sciences, Political Science, Economics, International Development/Relations, Public Administration or Management, or other related fields;

EXPERIENCE:

• At least 10 years work experience with local job creation, particularly focusing on women and youth, preferably in Africa;
• Work experience with implementation of cash-for-work activities in development projects, particularly in democratic transitions;
• Experience in drafting manuals and guidelines and/or standards;
• Strong analytical and writing skills and track record in producing relevant training, communication and knowledge materials;
• Experience in preparing and delivering training, particularly to government officials at subnational level;
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills and experience in organizing and facilitating consultations and workshops;
• Sensitivity to diverse opinions and difficulties arising from differing social and cultural perceptions.

LANGUAGE:

• Spoken and written fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French is an asset.

Application procedures:

Interested individuals must submit the following as proposals in order to demonstrate their qualifications: (NOTE: the system does not allow multiple uploads of document. Applicants must make sure to upload all documents in one PDF file).

All applications must contain the following information:

• Cover letter with a summary statement of competencies in relation to the TOR.
• Earliest availability and proposed schedule for consultancy.
• Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP.
• Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references.
• Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive daily fee, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials.

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology:

• Technical Evaluation Weight - 70%
• Financial Evaluation Weight - 30%