Background

Organization Context and Background Information

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 number of different SDGs.

Since 2008, UNCDF has been supporting digital finance with significant success which has led UNCDF to make digital finance the largest part of its inclusive finance portfolio. UNCDF is also host to the Secretariat of the Better than Cash Alliance. For several years UNCDF’s work in digital finance has led it to support new digital solutions linked to finance, to further drive financial inclusion and to achieve the SDGs. This includes projects linked to on an off-grid energy, agriculture, employment, health and transport.  With 60 professionals with strong digital finance experience across the globe and with close to several hundred projects in digital completed or on-going, UNCDF is one of the leading development agencies in digital finance with a mission and expertise to reach very low-income customers in some of the world’s most difficult markets.

Other UN agencies are also leveraging a range of digital finance technologies to support development outcomes. UNEP is working with private digital finance companies to advance green digital finance solutions.  A number of UN agencies are experimenting with blockchain technology.  For example, WFP has developed an innovation lab and is using blockchain as a secure accounting basis for moving food at scale. UNICEF is testing blockchain-based smart contracts as new ways to transact in a decentralized, more efficient and transparent manner. UNDP has established a Crowd-funding Academy and an Alternative Finance Lab.

However, going to scale is not just a matter of doing more of the same and needs to move beyond pilots, projects and even programs into the mainstream of the UN’s strategy and thinking on how to achieve the SDGs.

Digital Finance Task Force

With an aim to address this, UN Secretary General announced the Task Force for Digital Financing of the Sustainable Development Goals. The Task Force was created by the Secretary-General to help answer the question “how do we unlock the potential of digitalization of finance and manage the risks?” The SG requested UNDP Administrator to establish the Task Force and United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) was tasked to host the Task Force Secretariat.

The Task Force members consists of CEOs, Heads of Organizations and senior government officials, who will advise the United Nations on how to use digital finance to achieve the SDGs on a global scale and provide a series of recommendations and priorities by March 2020. Under the leadership of its co-chairs, Achim Steiner, Administrator of UNDP, and Maria Ramos, CEO Emeritus of Absa Group, Ltd, the Task Force developed a Framework Document to map out its work. A call for contributions was recently issued and convenings with select groups of experts have been underway globally while also initiating research of our own. The Task Force Secretariat is particularly interested in exploring how technology-driven finance via the commercial banking sector, insurance and local and global capital markets can help direct or unlock funding flows for SDG-related investments.              

The Task Force will focus on three core themes and potential areas for action.

  • What are the high-impact opportunities for the future, given the current experience in harnessing the digitalization of finance in pursuit of the SDGs?
  • What are the main barriers to realizing these opportunities and the risks associated with them, and how might these barriers be overcome?
  • Who needs to do what —including within the United Nations—to overcome the risks and barriers, and to seize the opportunities, to put the digitalization of finance to work for the SDGs?

Duties and Responsibilities

The key deliverables expected from the Digital Finance Research Consultant are:

Research

  • Review contributions received by the Task Force Secretariat from external stakeholders and develop brief summaries to be published
  • Conduct analysis and research on digitalization of finance and its impact on financial markets and monetary systems in order to facilitate financing for sustainable development goals.
  • Review and edit existing research and communications materials to ensure the information available is current and well informed
  • Work with the team to ensure timely and effective implementation of the research pipeline. 
  • Assist the Task Force interns to conduct and conclude their own research;

Deliverables:

  • Reviewed and developed brief summaries for the contributions received
  • Conducted analysis based on the research and contributions and presented insights
  • Help draft evidence-based articles, memos, blogs, presentations, social media posts, talking points, speeches and others as required.
  • As part of the team, develop research-based analysis for specific audiences

Convene

  • Coordinate with the communication team on the organization of different events, as required, ensuring high level quality of the content. 
  • Participated and convened virtual or in person meetings of the internal and external stakeholders
  • Assisted other organizational efforts related to the outreach to industry experts

Deliverables

  • Work closely with the communications team to execute advocacy-focused research
  • Coordinate with the communications team to review the dissemination of diverse publications (for example, case studies, media and social media products)
  • As appropriate, participate in conferences, working groups, workshops

Work Arrangements:

The research consultant will work full time. If the research consultant is located in NY, some office and administrative support may be considered otherwise there is a possibility for the position to be home-based. DFTF staff are currently located in New York, Washington, DC and Brussels, Belgium.

Competencies

  • Knowledge about innovative trends in digital finance and/or the policy and regulatory environment that guides them, including one or more of those listed above;
  • Demonstrated experience in writing, editing and proofreading compelling research products;
  • Effective research project management experience including the use of communication tools and coordination with external consultants/designers/thinktanks/ translators;
  • Demonstrated in supporting the organization of high-level events, workshops and webinars, with senior government and private sector representatives;  
  • Strong ability to communicate and function effectively in an international and multicultural environment;
  • Excellent interpersonal skills;
  • Respect for diversity;
  • Highest standards of integrity, discretion and loyalty;
  • Commitment to UN`s vision, mission, and strategic goals.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

  •  Master’s Degree or equivalent Advanced Degree in development, finance, economics, technology and data science, business administration or similar studies.

Experience:

  • Minimum of two years’ relevant work experience in Management Consulting, Banking, Finance, Product Management, International Development or Research roles;
  • Capital Markets and/or Impact Investment experience a plus;
  • Demonstrated interest in topics related to digital finance, capital markets, fiscal and monetary policy a plus;
  • Work at an international level or with other inter-agency organization is highly desirable;
  • Strong ability to complete the analysis, craft the message and materials, then deliver well thought-out summary and presentation;
  • Strong analytical, synthesis and writing skills;
  • Experience partnering with technologists a plus, but not required;
  • A proven track record of success in fast-paced environments with demanding timelines is also required;
  • Strong analysis skills, including experience with relevant tools like Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Tableau, etc.
  • Excellent organizational, inter-personal, communication and administrative skills;
  • Able to take initiative and work independently;
  • Proven ability to manage diverse and complex tasks.

Language:

  • Fluency in English is mandatory,
  • Fluency or proficiency in French, Spanish, or Mandarin Chinese a plus. 

 Timeline, duration of assignment, duty station and expected places of travel:

  • Timeline: 6 months starting 15 June 2019 – 15 December 2019;
  • Location(s): New York, NY – the consultant will have to report to the UNCDF office as a norm, but depending on the stage and demands of the project, there will be days when the consultant may be allowed to work from home;
  • Total Number of Working Days for Assignment: Maximum of 220 days over a period of of up to 12 months;

Provision of Monitoring, Progress Controls & Payments:

  • The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Task Force Secretariat Director
  • Payments will be made on a monthly billing basis in accordance with actual number of days worked evidenced by a time sheet, and upon satisfactorily achieved deliverables. All payments are subject to the clearance and approval of the Secretariat Director.
  •  Final payment shall require a signed performance evaluation of the consultant.

 Application:

Applications will be rated on both technical and financial submissions.  The best proposal that will be awarded the contract shall be selected through the following method:

Highest rated proposal using the combined scoring method, which assigns the weight distribution between the technical and financial proposals.  The weight distribution shall be 70% technical and 30% financial.

All applications must contain the following information in one word or PDF document (as the system only allows to upload maximum one document) combining the following:

Signed financial proposal outlining:

  • Total professional fee, inclusive of insurance, taxes etc.
  • Other professional expenses if applicable;

Evaluation:

Step I: Screening:

Applications will be screened and only applicants meeting the following minimum criteria (listed under education and experience) will progress to the pool for shortlisting.

 Step II: Shortlisting by Desk Review/interview:

UNCDF will conduct a desk review to produce a shortlist of candidates and technically evaluate them.

As applicable, only the first top 4 ranked applicants achieving 70% of the points at this stage shall be invited for an interview.

Step III: Interview:

A competency-based interview shall be conducted for the candidates. The maximum score for the interview is 80 points.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% on the total of Step II (20 points) + Step III (80 points) will be considered as technically qualified and will be reviewed further for financial evaluation.

Step IV: Financial Evaluation:

The following formula will be used to evaluate financial proposal:

Lowest priced proposal/price of the proposal being evaluated x 30%.

Award Criteria:

The contact shall be awarded to the best applicant whose offer have been evaluated and determined as: responsive/compliant/acceptable and having received the highest combined weight (technical proposal & Interview) 70% + financial 30%= 100%.

Please note that UNCDF cannot guarantee residence permits or visa´s for consultants. Consultants are responsible for securing their work documentation. In the case of national consultants, applicants that are not nationals of the duty station requested will have to prove their residence status. 

Any individual employed by a company or institution who would like to submit an offer in response to a Procurement Notice for IC must do so in their individual capacity (providing a CV so that their qualifications may be judged accordingly). Please not that in such case the company institution will be asked to issue an RLA http://www.undp.org/content/dam/vietnam/docs/Legalframework/Reimbursable%20Loan%20Agreement.doc.  

Women candidates or women-owned businesses are strongly encouraged to apply.

(Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA): A legal instrument between UNCDF and a Company/institution, according to which, the latter makes available the services of an individual delivering time-bound and quantifiable outputs that are directly linked to payments. An RLA is governed by the provisions of this policy.)

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