Background

UNDP works in about 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results. This is a critical time for the world. At UNDP, we see this period as a huge opportunity to advance the global sustainable development agenda. In September 2015, world leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. 

 

UNDP is working to strengthen new frameworks for development, disaster risk reduction and climate change. We support countries' efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, or Global Goals, which will guide global development priorities through 2030. UNDP's Strategic Plan (2018-2021) has been designed to be responsive to the wide diversity of the countries we serve. 

 

UN agencies are 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, supported by a Task Force Secretariat, that facilitates all the work of the Task Force.

 

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 issued and convenings with select groups of experts have been underway globally while also initiating research of our own. The Task Force Co-Chairs issued an Interim Report Harnessing Digitalization in Financing the Sustainable Development Goals, summarizing findings of the research and consultations, presented at the 74th United Nations General Assembly.

 

The Task Force focuses 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?

The Task Force is currently developing recommendations for harnessing digitalization in financing to achieve the SDGs. The approach is to focus on a few high potential areas where specific interventions can trigger systemic transformation, by overcoming key barriers to SDG financing while carefully mitigating digitalisation risks.   

Duties and Responsibilities

The Technical Writer (Consultant) will author the Task Force Monthly Newsletter at the nexus of fintech, financing and sustainable development.  The Task Force is considering the following thematic domains:

  • Foundation for sustainable digital economies: digital infrastructure, digital identification, markets for data
  • Ecosystems for SDG-aligned fintech innovation: accelerators and hubs, digital and technological capabilities, regulatory experimentation, innovation financing
  • Applications of fintech[1] to SDG financing: enterprises, innovative financial products and services (e.g. deposits/lending, payments insurance, capital raising, investment management, etc.), public finance, blended finance, development finance, private finance (e.g. capital markets, private equity/VC, impact investing, etc)
  • Governance for sustainable fintech financing of the SDGs: principles, policies, standards, guidelines, institutional arrangements, corporate and digital governance innovations

 

Deliverables:

  • Drafted ‘Monthly Newsletter’, based on agreed subject – subject must be agreed in advance with the Lead and Sherpa of the Task Force
  • All agreed revisions proposed by the technical team must be reflected and delivered within the timeline
  • The ‘Monthly Newsletter’ must be in a format that is ready for web publication and/or printing, and for email distribution.

 

 

Work Arrangements:

The research consultant will be home based and will work closely with DFTF team members based in Europe and New York. 

 

[1] Fintech can include but is not limited to: (a) mobile/digital payments, (b) big/alternative data, (c) blockchain / distributed ledger technology, (d) digital/crypto-currencies, (e) Internet of Things, (f) online platforms, (g) digital service delivery, (h) machine learning / artificial intelligence, (i) quantum computing.

 

Competencies

  • Knowledge about innovative trends in digital finance, SDG finance, fintech applications for sustainable development and/or the policy and regulatory environment that guides them, including one or more of those listed above;
  • Proven ability to write for a general audience with a varying level of expertise in the thematic areas;
  • Demonstrated experience in writing in the fintech space;
  • Strong ability to communicate and function effectively in an international and multicultural environment;
  • Excellent interpersonal skills;
  • Respect for diversity

 

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 5 years’ relevant work experience in technical writing in the fintech industry, or related industry;
  • Demonstrated interest in topics related to sustainable digital finance, fintech, fiscal and monetary policy;
  • Strong synthesis and writing skills;
  • A proven track record of success in fast-paced environments with demanding timelines is also required;
  • Able to take initiative and work independently.

 

Language:

  • Fluency in English is mandatory,

 

  1. WORK ARRANGEMENTS & APPLICATION

 

Timeline, duration of assignment, duty station:

  • Timeline: November 2019 – June 2020;
  • Location(s): Home based
  • Total Number of Working Days for Assignment: Approximately 3-5 working days per month (for monthly newsletter), but may vary by topic, subject to mutual agreement between the consultant and UNDP

 

 

 

Provision of Monitoring, Progress Controls & Payments:

  • The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Senior Advisor, Task Force Secretariat
  • 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:

UNDP 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 UNDP 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 UNDP 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.)