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: inclusive digital economies, that help expands the opportunities for individuals, households and M-SMEs to access essential goods and services, strengthen resilience, seize economic opportunities, grow businesses while helping reduce the digital divide and contributing to the emergence of inclusive digital economies; and localized investments — through fiscal decentralization, innovative municipal finance, and structured project finance — that 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. Since 2008, UNCDF has been supporting a market development approach to digital finance ad inclusive digital economies with significant success. This includes digital innovations linked to on an off-grid energy, agriculture, employment, health and transport. UNCDF is also host to the Secretariat of the Better than Cash Alliance, a partnership of governments, companies, and international organizations that accelerates the transition from cash to digital payments in order to reduce poverty and drive inclusive growth.

With 60 professionals with strong digital experience across the globe and with several hundred projects in digital on-going, UNCDF is one of the leading development agencies in inclusive digital economies with a mission and expertise to reach very low-income customers in some of the world’s most difficult markets.

As part of this engagement, UNCDF would like to recruit a Digital Advisor consultant who is a thought leader and recognized individual in the digital industry who will work with UNCDF in two ways.  First, (s)he will provide strategic guidance and, as appropriate, support on specific projects that link to their expertise.  Second, (s)he will help strengthen UNCDF’s image and global presence on issues related to digital and the SDGs, to expand its network, to increase visibility at key events, to improve outreach to funders. The role is a part-time role and UNCDF will call the consultant based on needs and requirements.

The Digital Advisor consultant is expected to be engaged by October 2020 through a non-exclusive Framework Agreement , also known as Long-Term Agreement (LTA), formalized through an Individual Contract (IC). A Framework Agreement is known in UNCDF as an agreement that establishes the terms, conditions and prices that will govern future contract or contracts (known as “call offs”) arising from the said Agreement, which could be issued at any time within the duration of the IC.  More information on the Framework agreement can be found below.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of UNCDF´s Global Digital Lead, the Digital Advisor will complement and work closely with the UNCDF IDE (Inclusive Digital Economy) team to promote UNCDF digital work, representing UNCDF at key meetings and events, helping to build visibility of UNCDF’s work. 

All outputs shall be subject to review and written acceptance by the Global Digital Lead, who shall also authorize the disbursement of payment to the individual.

The primary objectives of the Digital Advisor are as follows: 

Support UNCDF as thought leader to continuously position the agency as a leader in inclusive digital transformation at country, regional and global level:

• Support UNCDF in specific interventions on financial health and emerging topics
  • Support coalition building engagement on financial health or different global forums on the area
  • Work with the Data and Insights team as required on inputs to thought leadership that would be produced on the subject
  • Work with team as required in driving adoption of meaningful measurement framework
• Support in expanding conversation with UNCDF government partners on digital transformation and develop bridge with global initiatives fostering inclusive digital economies
• Support in the expansion of IDES (Inclusive Digital Economy Scorecard) to become the reference in measuring inclusiveness of digital transformation
• Participate in key meetings, sessions, calls around the inclusive digital economy and financial health work of UNCDF and provide key insights to increase positioning of UNCDF as key player to accelerate the development of inclusive digital economies to achieve the SDGs
• Link UNCDF team with relevant key stakeholders in the market to get external insights and update strategy, methodology and approach. This would include thought-leaders, policymakers, regulators, and companies/organizations with successful or innovative solutions.
• Participate in regular (e.g. quarterly) discussion on UNCDF’s progress in implementing the strategy to provide guidance and recommendations.
• Becoming “fluent” in UNCDF’s digital strategy and its communication tools, able to present not only the concepts, but some examples of its work.
• Support UNCDF on increasing quality of its learning agenda
  • Design the processes and templates that will guide the country teams to better capture and incorporate learnings
  • Identify financial and human resources gaps to implement this plan
  • Train the team on processes and templates
  • Support the team in implementing the plan, where needed

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

• Regular inputs/reviews about learnings ready to be published
• Inputs on coalition building membership and engagement with global bodies like G20, specific group on digital transformation, financial health and emerging topics
• Inputs to meetings around digital strategy expansion
• Inputs on IDE strategy and implementation
• Inputs on communication materials
• Learning strategy, plan and processes

Raise visibility and presence of UNCDF on inclusive digital economies at key sector events/conferences worldwide and support of UNCDF IDE events

• Represent UNCDF at key conferences and events, including high level UN meetings
• Get speakers’ roles at key meetings, events and conferences for UNCDF IDE team
• Communicate the story of UNCDF digital work with partners, funders, and other stakeholders working closely with the communication team.
• Prepare, present and animate one or more sessions of the events
• Act as thought leader and high-level speaker, bring high level expertise on some key subjects and present future perspective of digital, and assisting in brining keynote speakers to talk at events
• Support the digital team for the organization/content, guest speaker and panelist identification
• Prepare the team for their sessions with insights and inputs

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

• Participation or support UNCDF participation in 2-3 events per year
• Sessions outlines and speaker lists
• Presentations for sessions
• Written and/or verbal meeting reports/debriefs with key follow up items, facilitating introductions as needed

Support in fundraising efforts

• Support UNCDF in raising funds for the expansion of its strategy in LDCS and emerging countries with global and regional funders
• Reach out to funders to explore opportunities to work with UNCDF on IDE
• Help arrange meetings and meet with key funders
• Work with fundraising team to organize, manage and follow-up fundraising pipeline
• Provide high level inputs to key proposals, providing best practices and innovative ideas to proposals
• Participate in meetings with funders and the UN system
• Communicate the story of UNCDF work with funders working closely with the communication/ fundraising team.
• Support UNCDF team in proposal writing and provide high level quality insights

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

• Participation in UNCDF meetings requiring expert presence, based on need and availability
• Provide funder intelligence and talking points for UNCDF team
• Meeting minutes and/or verbal debriefing
• High level inputs (e.g. outlines or edits) to key concept notes/proposals

Support in drafting and disseminating quality publications, blogs and webinars

• Improve quality of key UNCDF IDE publications, blogs and webinars with expert advice
• Play the role of external technical quality reviewer for some major IDE publication
• Contribute to research and case study design to ensure UNCDF analysis is up to date
• When appropriate, conduct or contribute to research and learning
• Provide expert input on knowledge and learning documents, resulting in stronger messages and increased outreach
• Write up knowledge pieces in various formats to support UNCDF IDE strategy and increase visibility within the sector
• Author or co-author blogs, articles and other small media pieces
• Assist with placement of UNCDF in global media, through contacts and or references to its work

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

• Inputs to knowledge documents
• 10 knowledge pieces  

Scope of services

Provision of Monitoring and Progress Controls:

The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the UNCDF´s Global Digital Lead, or other FIPA project management unit that may call-off the LTA and require services of the individual. The Consultant will be responsible for providing her/his own laptop during his/her engagement with UNCDF.

Payment to the Individual Contractor will be made based on the actual number of working days agreed with UNCDF as reflected in the call-off (PO) and upon certification of satisfactory completion and acceptance of the output by the Global Digital Lead. All time extensions beyond what is originally indicated by UNCDF in the call-off PO shall have to be mutually agreed in writing by UNCDF and the consultant, as basis for payment.

Supporting documents that will serve as conditions for disbursement are as follows: (i) submission of invoice and Certificate of Payment form; (ii) review, approval and written acceptance of outputs for each deliverable confirmed in writing by UNCDF; and (iii) authorization of payment disbursement from the direct supervisor in UNCDF. Where payment is based on days worked and not on milestone outputs, the submission of time sheet and expenses with relevant documentation may be required by UNCDF.

Competencies

• In depth familiarity of innovation principles
• Outstanding talking and presentation skills
• Strong communicator that can serve multiple functions as needed
• Inspires others, influences and builds trust
• A strong commitment to the power of digital to achieve development goals
• Outstanding ability to think and act strategically
• Cultural sensitivity, creativity, and resourcefulness
• Results-driven, problem-solver with structuring and analytic capabilities

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Masters level qualifications in business, finance, economics, international relations or related fields is mandatory.

Experience:

• More than 10 (ten) years of professional experience in the digital finance inclusion sector, academia or government with leading or senior roles is mandatory.
• At least 5 years’ experience in advising or implementing projects on the key drivers in a digital product/emerging technology business is required.
• At least five years’ experience in working in Africa, Asia or the Pacific on digital topics and or/ financial inclusion is required.
• Accomplished speaker roles at international conference and events around digital financial inclusion is required.

Language:

• Excellent written and oral English is mandatory.
• Fluency in one additional language (French) is a plus but not mandatory.

Timeline, total number of working days, duty station:

Timeline: October 2020 – Aug 2023

Total Number of Working Days for Assignment:  300 working days spread over a period of 36 months.

Duty station:  The consultant shall be home-based, except when called by UNCDF to attend meetings and/or conduct missions. 

Travel, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses shall be agreed upon as per UNCDF policy, between the respective business unit and Individual Consultant, prior to travel. Please note that consultants residing in the duty station of travel will not be compensated for living expenses.

Application process:

Interested individuals must submit the documents mentioned below as proposals in order to demonstrate their qualifications (Note: the system does not allow multiple uploads of documents. 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 Terms of Reference (TOR);
• Earliest availability and proposed schedule for consultancy;
• Completed and signed P11, Personal History Form with names and current contacts of 3 referees (available from http://sas.undp.org/documents/p11_personal_history_form.doc)
• Signed financial proposal for the assignment outlining: All-inclusive fee (including professional fees and other professional expenses, such as insurance, taxes, etc.). Available at http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_file.cfm?doc_id=29916). All Unit Prices Indicated in the Financial Proposal shall remain the same for the duration of the IC, Including Amendments Thereto.

Selection process and evaluation: 

Applications will be rated on both technical and financial submissions. The following selection method will be used: Highest rated proposal using the combined scoring method. The weight distribution shall be 70% technical and 30% financial.

Step I: Screening: Applications will be screened and only applicants meeting the following minimum criteria will progress to the pool for shortlisting:

• Masters level qualifications in business, finance, economics, international relations or related fields is mandatory.
• More than 10 (ten) years of professional experience in the digital finance inclusion sector, academia or government with leading or senior roles is mandatory.
• Excellent written and oral English is mandatory.

Step II: Shortlisting (20 % out of technical assessment): UNCDF will produce a shortlist of candidates and technically evaluate candidates by evaluating the following criteria with corresponding points (100 points):   

• Masters level qualifications in business, finance, economics, international relations or related fields is mandatory (25 points)
• More than 10 (ten) years of professional experience in the digital finance inclusion sector, academia or government with leading or senior roles is mandatory (30 points)   
• At least 5 years’ experience in advising or implementing projects on in depth understanding of the key drivers in a digital product/emerging technology business is required.  (20 points)
• At least five years’ experience in working in Africa, Asia or the Pacific on digital topics and or/ financial inclusion is required. (15 points)
• Excellent written and oral English is mandatory. (10 points)

As applicable, the applicants achieving 70% of the points at this stage shall be invited for an interview via Skype.

Step III: Interview (80 % out of technical assessment): 

A competency-based Interview shall be conducted for the shortlisted candidates. Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% on the total of Steps II Desk Review (20 points) +III Interview (80 points) will be considered as technically qualified and will be reviewed further for financial evaluation.

Step IV: Financial Evaluation: Only candidates with scores above 70% of the technical evaluation (70 Points or above) will be considered. 

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 applicant whose offer have been evaluated and determined as:

Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and Having received the highest combined weight (technical scores) 70% + financial 30%= 100%.

The 1st ranked top candidate that achieved the highest cumulative score will be recommended for award of framework agreement, upon approval of the appropriate Procurement Review Committee.

Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments:

The Digital Advisor consultant is to be compensated based on a daily fee payable upon satisfactorily completion of each Deliverable and submission of related reports during every call-off.  The daily fee shall remain fixed for the duration of the IC, including any extension that may be executed. 

Payments shall be made following certification by the Global Digital Lead that the services related to each Deliverable have been satisfactorily performed and the Deliverables have been achieved by or before the due dates specified in the call-off.

Contract management mechanism:

UNCDF will regularly monitor the consultant’s performance against the following criteria:

1. meeting TOR requirements
2. timeliness of work completion and report submission
3. work relations with contractors and other project counterparts
4. dependability / reliability in carrying out the assignments.

Both individual consultants and individual employed by a company or institution are welcome to apply. 

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). Women candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Framework Agreement:

It is important to note that, at the time of the issuance of the IC that serves as the Framework Agreement, both parties understand that no financial obligation or commitment is formed on the part of UNCDF, and that such an agreement is non-exclusive (i.e., it does not prohibit UNCDF from entering into another such framework agreement with another individual or entity).  Financial commitments will only be established each time the services are requested within the scope of the IC, through the agreed triggering action or document (e.g., PO with attached output-specific TORs) that signals the commencement of an engagement (“call-offs”). 

This IC is intended for on-call intermittent engagement for a maximum of 300 working days spread over a period of 36 months, which is the duration of the project implementation.

During this period, specific service requests (also known as call-offs) shall be placed by UNCDF, in the form of issuance of Purchase Orders, supplemented by a specific Terms of Reference (TOR), and these documents will indicate the total cost of the services for the duration of the call-off, a brief description of the work, indicating the, and the number of days that will be required to complete the services, among other call-off-specific work. 

A total contract value, which shall be based on the unit price agreed by UNCDF and the individual, will be agreed by both parties that will sign the IC, and the said contract amount shall serve as the maximum cumulative value of the call-offs that UNCDF will place over the duration of the IC.