The Fund supports countries as they accelerate their progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It operates through a series of Calls for the United Nations (UN) system that lead to the implementation of transformative Joint Programmes (JPs), under the leadership of Resident Coordinators (RCs). In doing so the Fund is committed to forge paths and partnerships that unlock public and private capital for the SDGs at scale

The Joint SDG Fund launched in December 2019 its first Call for Proposals [link to download] on SDG Financing. The Call has two components. Component 1 is about the development of SDG-aligned financing strategies and related capacities for implementation, while Component 2 is about catalyzing investment at scale for the SDGs.

This vacancy is about the provision of support to the UN Joint SDG Fund (the Fund) on grant and portfolio management.

Reporting to the Investment Advisor of the Joint SDG Fund, the consultant is responsible for supporting joint programme implementation in the area of Financing the SDGs. She/he is expected to produce the following results
Support quality joint programme implementation and monitoring (60%)

• Assist joint programme teams on quality implementation and integration of the joint programmes into broader development initiatives at all global levels;
• Support joint programme teams in ensuring consistency in implementation, including by helping to address operational issues, modifications of work plans, and broader inter-agency and multi-stakeholder engagements;
• Assist the Fund on delivering timely and quality progress reports of joint programmes, and their consolidation, aggregation of results and integration into global reports;
• Ensure informed insights into emerging issues and developments in joint programmes that require attention of the Joint SDG fund and prepare regular and ad-hoc verbal and written briefings and updates;
• Collect and review reports and documents from joint programmes to provide analytical summaries, updates and graphical representations of key results, development issues, and partnerships;
• Facilitate technical support to and engagement of joint programme teams in platforms and collaboration mechanisms, and innovation initiatives at all levels;
• Provide support and assist to improvement of monitoring, reporting and evaluation practices.

Support innovation and learning, and communicating joint programme results (30%)

• Work with joint programme teams on identification, articulation and sharing of lessons learned and innovative, emerging practices and tools at all levels;
• Coordinate aggregation of lessons learned and innovation into global communication messages, and support visibility of results and transformative efforts in joint programmes;
• Provide support to peer-learning within and across joint programme teams, including organization of events, distance learning and collaboration, and preparation of experiential learning materials;
• Collect, store and manage shared access to knowledge products, policy documents, and capacity development initiatives across joint programmes; and
• Provide support to enabling thought leadership across joint programmes, and its articulation at the regional and global levels.

Support to stakeholder collaboration (10%)

• Develop, maintain and regularly update and improve the database of all contacts across key partners;
• Assist the Fund in establishing and enabling relationships and result-based collaboration amongst stakeholders involved in joint programmes.

Communication
Communicates clearly and effectively
Facilitates and encourages open communication
Ethics and Values
Demonstrates an appreciation of differences in values and learning from cultural diversity
Working in Teams
Works effectively with colleagues in achieving shared objectives
Creates team spirit and unity of purpose across the organization
Works collaboratively with team members in sharing information openly and displaying cultural awareness and sensitivity.
Partnerships
Ability to engage with other agencies, donors, and other development stakeholders and forge productive working relationships.
Results-based Management
Ability to manage programmes and projects with a strategy aimed at improved performance and demonstrable results.

Institutional Arrangement

• The Consultant will report to the Investment Advisor of the Joint SDG Fund and collaborate with the staff of the Secretariat under the overall lead of the Head of the Secretariat. The Secretariat of the Joint SDG Fund is hosted in the Multi-Partnership Trust Fund Office, New York, USA.

Duration of the Work

• Full time assignment starting from July 2020 until April 2021 (10 month).

Duty Station

• Home based. The consultant works remotely, with virtual skype meetings to discuss content with the New York based team and UN country teams in the field. The consultant maybe invited to travel and participate in events in the course of the year (costs will be covered by the Fund and do not need to be included in the proposal).

Qualifications of the Successful Individual Contractor
Education

• Master’s Degree or equivalent Advanced Degree in international development, economics, public administration, business administration, public policy or other relevant social sciences.  

Experience

• Minimum of two years of experience in the field of international cooperation project/programme support in an inter-agency context;
• Experience in monitoring, results-based management, and communications on programme/project implementation at the country level;
• Knowledge of sustainable finance topics (public/private);
• Knowledge of the UN and previous work experience in developing countries is desirable;
• Attitude/experience in innovating regarding programme implementation.

Language

• Fluent in written and spoken English
• Working knowledge of Spanish and/or French is considered an additional asset

Application Procedure

• The application package containing the following (to be uploaded as one file):
• Brief (1-2 paragraph) description of why the Offer considers her/himself the most suitable for the assignment and how the Offeror will approach the required outputs within the assignment period and a link to an online portfolio showing samples of similar work;
• Personal CV or P11, 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;
• The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount/ daily rate and payment terms around the specific and measurable deliverables of the TOR. Price for a Mission visits to NY should be included in the financial proposal. Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR, and deliverables accepted and certified by the technical manager.  

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

• 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.
• This consultancy is a home-based assignment
• In the case of unforeseeable travel requested by UNDP, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between UNDP and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed. In general, UNDP should not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources.
• 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.

Evaluation process

• 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%.

Technical evaluation - Total 70% (700 points): (please provide technical criteria worth 700 points ) Amend below accordingly

• Experience in programme management support. Weight = 35%; Maximum Points: 280;
• Experience with the United Nations/Development Banks or in a similr development context. Weight = 20%; Maximum Points: 140;
• Experience in developing and documenting policies, procedures, tools and templates. Weight = 20%; Maximum Points: 140
• Familiarity with sustainable finance. Weight = 20%; Maximum Points: 140; Weight = 25%; Maximum Points: 140
• Candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% (490 points) of the maximum obtainable points for the technical criteria (700 points) shall be considered for the financial evaluation.

Financial evaluation - Total 30% (300 points)

• The following formula will be used to evaluate financial proposal:
• p = y (µ/z), where
• p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated
• y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal
• µ = price of the lowest priced proposal
• z = price of the proposal being evaluated

Contract Award

• Candidate obtaining the highest combined scores in the combined score of Technical and Financial evaluation will be considered technically qualified and will be offered to enter into contract with UNDP.
• The Consultant will be responsible for providing her/his own laptop.

Payment modality

• Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified above and deliverables accepted and upon certification of satisfactory completion by the manager.  

Annexes (click on the hyperlink to access the documents):

Annex 1 - UNDP P-11 Form for ICs

Annex 2 - IC Contract Template

Annex 3 – IC General Terms and Conditions

Annex 4 – RLA Template