Background

A) Background

Anchored in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and committed to the principles of universality, equality and leaving no one behind, SDG Impact is a UNDP flagship initiative focused on supporting mobilization of private sector capital and investments in support of the SDGs. The vision of SDG Impact is “to contribute to a world where all private sector capital flows contribute to the SDGs”.  It will do so by providing investors, businesses and others with clarity, insights, tools and capacities required to authenticate their contributions to achieving the SDGs and to identify SDG investment opportunities in emerging economies and developing countries.

SDG Impact is a “start-up” which aims to develop and demonstrate a viable approach for UNDP to support countries to mobilize significant volumes of private sector investments for SDG achievement. The initiative emphasizes experimentation, innovation and partnerships as it focuses on developing prototype products and services that will be tested, refined and brought to the market in a relatively short time frame.

SDG Impact provides services in three areas:

1. Impact management

SDG Impact Management Standards:  Developing a set of global process standards for how investors and enterprises manage and measure their impacts on the SDGs.

SDG Impact Seal: The standards will be codified into a scoring system and provide the basis for a global certification Seal, which will certify that enterprises and investors have processes in place to define, manage and measure their impacts on the SDGs. A process for accrediting independent certifiers will be created who will be responsible for the certification process.

Online training program on SDG impact management and measurement, the SDG Impact standards and Seal.

2. Impact Intelligence - SDG investment opportunities and impact data:

SDG Investor Maps: UNDP Country Offices will lead research and preparation of market intelligence for private sector investors to translate country level SDG gaps and priorities into private sector investment opportunities. The Maps will provide investors with insights into local market conditions, local SDG investment opportunities that 

This market intelligence will provide data that helps highlight the business opportunity as well as the expected development impact of such investments.

3. Impact Facilitation - investor forums and policy dialogues:

Based on the impact market intelligence, SDG Impact will facilitate investor forums to increasing SDG enabling and aligned private sector investments in the country. Public-private policy dialogues will be convened to identify recommendations to improve the enabling environment for SDG aligned investments.

SDG Impact collaborates with a number of partners as part of SDG Impact. Most centrally the partnership with the Impact Management Project (IMP) and the organizations that are part of the IMP Structured Network, will allow UNDP to build upon already accepted impact management practices and to be part of an ecosystem of leading global organizations that promote sustainable investments.

Other partners include relevant parts of the UN system (UN Global Compact, UNDESA), the Business for Peace Foundation, select private sector investors and enterprises, Government institutions, academic institutions and others.

About UNDP

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP is on the ground in 176 countries and territories, working with governments and people on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our wide range of partners that can bring about results. UNDP, as an integral part of its mission to fight poverty and improve the lives of people around the world, is committed to being open, transparent and accountable.

Duties and Responsibilities

B) Purpose of Consultancy

The overall purpose of this assignment is to provide strategic advisory support in the following areas: 

• Role, responsibilities, and engagement strategy of the SDG Impact Steering Group. 
• Design and content of the SDG Impact Standards
• Advocacy and buy-in of SDG Impact Standards through engagement with a core group of leaders and influencers as the key target user group.

C) Scope of Work

The Senior Advisor –SDG Impact will leverage their experience, network, and knowledge in the subjects of impact investing, blended finance, innovative financing models, and other areas to assist UNDP in agenda setting and strategy for the initiative, including to equip it for scale.  Broadly speaking, the primary tasks will involve provision of high level strategic advice on the topic of standards, certification, partnership analysis and brokering, and engagement of key constituencies.  The technical inputs of the Senior Advisor will both draw on and inform UNDP’s ongoing work in SDG Impact.  It is important to recognize that the Consultant will have significant scope to inform and drive the development of the initiative.   The assignment will be conducted primarily as home based, with two missions to NY, and other travel will be agreed as necessary.

D) Expected Outputs and Deliverables

E) Institutional Arrangements

The Senior Advisor will be directly responsible to the Director of SDG Impact and will work in close collaboration with the Finance Sector Hub Director and team.  Progress reporting will be made monthly and focus on achievement of the outputs noted above, opportunities that have arisen and may be relevant for SDG Impact to take forward, and other pertinent matters.  Outputs will be certified by the Director of SDG Impact. 

F) Duration of the Work

The duration of the assignment is a lump-sum contract over 6 months.  The expected start date is 6 May 2019.

G) Duty Station

The assignment is predominantly home-based with two missions (duration of five nights stay each) to UNDP headquarters in New York.

H) Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

Remuneration for this contract will be via a lumpsum amount, delivered in a payment schedule corresponding to the outputs noted above in Section D and upon acceptance of the outputs/deliverables. The lump sum amount will be exclusive of travel costs and living allowances for the missions to New York. Travel will be arranged separately.  The contract price will be fixed at the lump sum amount regardless of any changes within the underlying cost components.

Competencies

I) Competencies

Technical

• Deep knowledge of impact investing and development finance: including an understanding of market dynamics, landscape of actors, and factors driving the evolution of the strategy;
• Data gathering and presentation: proven ability to monitor, measure, evaluate and report impacts and understand how to synthesize results for clear presentations to non-expert audiences;
• Investment credentials, ideally having served in an investment advisory or portfolio management capacity;
• Proven blended finance product structuring ability and experience in working on results-based financing instruments;
• Delivering impactful results within the UN system, recognizing how to innovate and deliver based on the opportunities and confines of the UN;
• Building and maintaining new and existing client/partner relationships effectively;
• Strong track record in project management with UNDP or UN experience being an asset; and
• Proven experience in the developing country context and working in different cultural settings.

Functional

• Self-starter, proven ability to work independently and in an entrepreneurial setting;
• Strong motivation and ability to work and deliver under pressure and short deadlines;
• Good interpersonal skills and able to coordinate well with UNDP partner agencies;
• Strong presentation skills;
• Promotes a knowledge sharing and learning culture in and outside UNDP; and
• Respectful of the mandates and roles of different partners, particularly government supported institutions and is able to build and sustain productive and mutually beneficial partnerships.   

Core Competencies

• Demonstrates and promotes the highest standard of integrity, impartiality, fairness and incorruptibility in all matters affecting his/her work and status ;
• Understands the structure and hierarchy of UN/UNDP, process flows throughout the organization, products and services, their measures of effectiveness, and perceptions of clients;
• Works collaboratively with colleagues inside UN/UNDP as well as its partners and other stakeholders to pursue common goals;
• Delivers verbal/written information in a timely, clear, organized and easily understood manner; and
• Remains calm, composed and patient, regardless of his/her own state of mind in the face of conflict.

Required Skills and Experience

J) Required Skills and Experience

Education

Advanced University Degree in Business Administration, International Relations, Management, Law or related field.  A first-level university degree in the aforementioned fields in combination with at least 15 years of required working experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience

• At least 15 years of experience in impact investing and innovative finance, including within a bilateral setting;
• Demonstrated experience managing boards and investment vehicles for social impact;
• Demonstrated experience in designing innovative social financing and impact strategies.

Languages

• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English is required.
• Knowledge of an additional UN language is an asset.

K) Application Procedure

Technical Proposal

Candidates are expected to provide the following documents in the presentation of their offer:

1. Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment.
2. Methodology (maximum 5 pages) on how the individual will approach and complete the assignment; and
3. Personal CV, indicating all past experience from similar projects and specifying the relevant assignment period (from/to), as well as the email and telephone contacts of at least three (3) professional references.

Note: The above documents need to be scanned in one file and uploaded to the online application as one document.

Financial Proposal:

Note, only applicants who have passed the technical evaluation with a quantum score of 70% will be contacted to submit a Financial Proposal.

• The financial proposal shall be submitted in the format provided in the ‘Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability’ that will only be sent to shortlisted candiates.
• The financial proposal must be all-inclusive and take into account various expenses that will be incurred during the contract, including: the daily professional fee; cost of travel from the home base to the duty station and vice versa, where required; living allowances at the duty station; communications, utilities and consumables; life, health and any other insurance; risks and inconveniences related to work under hardship and hazardous conditions (e.g., personal security needs, etc.), when applicable; and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services under the contract.
• Travel for the missions to New York will be managed separately and should not be included in the offer.
• Any unforeseeable travel agreed between UNDP and Individual Consultant, will be supported by the project travel fund and will be arranged according to UNDP entitlements and travel policy. Costs for airfares, terminal expenses, and living allowances should not be included in financial proposal.
• If the 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 UNDP under a 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 UNDP.

L) Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer

Applicants are reviewed based on Required Skills and Experience stated above and based on the technical evaluation criteria outlined below.  Applicants will be evaluated based on cumulative scoring.  When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

• Being 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 where technical criteria weighs 70% and Financial criteria/Proposal weighs 30%.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 490 points out of 700 points (70%) at the Technical Evaluation would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Contract Award

The candidate obtaining the highest combined score of the technical and financial evaluations will be considered technically qualified and will be offered to enter into contract with UNDP.