UNDP Global Mission Statement: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP is on the ground in 166 countries, working with national counterparts on their own solutions to global and national development challenges.

UNDP Afghanistan: The UNDP Country Office in Kabul is undergoing a strategic reorientation to better respond to the dynamic situation in the country, with the possibility that a peace settlement may be achieved in the near future.  The country office is looking to meet the challenge of the transition from a war to a peace economy, using the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to assist the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIROA) to support peace and development across the country.

Concretely, UNDP is developing a range of ‘Fund’ structures to catalyze private sector investment. These include:

1. PPP Fund
2. Trade Finance Fund
3. Women’s Companies Owned Revolving Fund
4. Innovative SME’s and Startups’ Companies Revolving Fund

SCOPE OF WORK AND DELIVERABLES

Scope of the Current Assignment:

UNDP Afghanistan seeking to improve the enabling environment for projects and businesses for the funds it is designing so that these are attractive to investors. 

UNDP intends to hire a Senior SDG Finance Expert Consultant to support UNDP management, the SDG Integration & Policy Lab and SDG Programme Portfolio Teams to prepare the groundwork.

Specific Tasks and deliverables:

Support will include the following activities:

1. Assess the effective functioning of market ecosystems around projects and businesses targeted for each of the UNDP designed Funds with recommended short, medium and long terms public actions (by government, regulators, donors) that will create an enabling environment for the UNDP designed Funds.
2. Facilitate discussions with Government agencies and donors to prioritize and agree actions.
3. Prepare flexible guidance notes for teams in UNDP to follow-up discussions and agreements with Government agencies and donors to help translate commitments to changes in policies, procedures and practices that support the investment ecosystem.
4. Develop a concept note to build a systematic approach to creating an enabling environment for investment in projects and businesses in Afghanistan (benefiting all Funds including but not restricted to those being designed by UNDP Afghanistan).

Expected Deliverables:

1. Report on the assessment of the effective functioning of market ecosystems around projects and businesses targeted for the PPP Fund (20% of effort)
2. Report on the assessment of the effective functioning of market ecosystems around projects and businesses targeted for the Trade Finance Fund (20% of effort)
3. Report on the assessment of the effective functioning of market ecosystems around projects and businesses targeted for the Women’s Companies Owned Revolving Fund (20% of effort)
4. Assessment of the effective functioning of market ecosystems around projects and businesses targeted for the Innovative SME’s and Startups’ Companies Revolving Fund (20% of effort)
5. Concept note investment enabling environment (20% of effort)

Payment Modality: 

Payments under the contract shall be delivery based and be made on receipt of the specific deliverables indicated above. These shall be made upon approval by Resident Representative.

UNDP reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory if work/outputs is incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines.

Institutional Arrangements:

The International Consultant will work under the direct supervision of the UNDP Resident Representative in collaboration with the staff of the Executive Office.

The Executive Office will provide office space and internet facility, logistical and other support services including transport and security applicable to UNDP international personnel when based in Kabul. The consultant however is expected to bring his/her own laptop and mobile phone and meet local communications costs (UNDP will provide a local pre-paid SIM card). Costs to arrange meetings, workshops, travel costs to and DSA during field visits (if any), etc. shall be covered by the Executive Office and included in the contract.

Duration of the Work:

Performance of the work under this contract will be completed within 6 months (with a maximum of 110 working days) after signing the contract.  The expected date to start the contract as home-based is 01 December 2021.

Duty Station:

The International Consultant will work from home at the start of the assignment and will make visits to Kabul Afghanistan as required by the Manager – UNDP Resident Representative.

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Maturity combined with tact and diplomacy;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism.

Functional Competencies: Knowledge Management and Learning

• Ability to conduct required research, analyze and produce proposals and reports;
• Excellent analytical aptitude, communication, writing and presentation skill;
• In-depth knowledge on development issues;
• Ability to advocate and provide policy advice;

Special skills requirements

• Focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues in a multi-cultural and multiethnic environment.

Academic Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in development studies or development economics or other related field.

Professional experience             

• At least 15 years experience in international development with demonstrated experience in private sector development, financial sector development,  
• Minimum 7 years experience of designing and managing innovative finance funds
• Minimum 7 years supporting national public policy reforms in close collaboration with central government agencies, demonstrating ability to lead consultations with senior government officials and facilitate discussions among a wide group of stakeholders
• Demonstrated experience in private sector, NGOs, and multilateral agencies
• Knowledge and experience with UNDP or UNDP administered agencies is desirable.
• Knowledge and experience of UNDP Afghanistan an added advantage.

Language:

• Fluency in written and spoken English is a requirement.
• Excellent writing skills required, as demonstrated by previous research/analytical reports/policy notes on relevant topics.

PRICE PROPOSAL AND SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS

Shortlisted candidates (ONLY) will be requested to submit a Financial Proposal.  The consultant shall then submit a price proposal when requested by UNDP, in accordance with the below

• Daily Fee – The Consultant shall propose a daily fee which should be inclusive of his/her professional fee, local communication cost, insurance (inclusive of medical health and medical evacuation etc.), equipment, and other costs required for performance of the contract but excluding travel, visa and DSA. The number of working days for which the daily fee shall be payable under the contract is 110 working days over a contract duration of 6 months.
• DSA – The Consultant shall be separately paid the DSA as per applicable UNDP rate for stay in Kabul and travel to other locations as per actual number of nights spent in Kabul or other locations. Deductions from DSA shall be made as per applicable UNDP policy when accommodation and other facilities are provided by UNDP. An estimated provision in this regard shall be included in the contract. The consultant need not quote for DSA in Financial Proposal.
• Accommodation in Kabul - The Consultants are NOT allowed to stay in a place of their choice other than the UNDSS approved places in Kabul, Afghanistan. UNDP will provide accommodation to the Consultant for the duration of the stay in Afghanistan in UNDSS approved places. Deductions in this regard shall be made from DSA payment as per applicable UNDP Policy.
• Travel – The Consultant shall include lumpsum cost of travel per trip for Home-Kabul-Home (estimated 3 trips) and Afghanistan visa expenses in the Financial Proposal. Any other travel for work, originating from Kabul shall be payable by UNDP separately as per applicable Policy.

Payment schedule - Payments towards remuneration/fee shall be linked to deliverables and shall be made on certification of completion of deliverables and submission of certified timesheet. Payment towards travel shall be made on an instance of actual travel and shall be cost-reimbursable limited to the amount quoted in Financial Proposal. Payments towards DSA, Visa, etc. shall be cost-reimbursable, as specified above.

EVALUATION METHOD AND CRITERIA

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology:

• Cumulative analysis

The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

• 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.

* Technical Criteria weight 70%

* Financial Criteria weight 30%

Technical Evaluation (70%)

1. General Qualification (15 marks);
2. Experience relevant to the assignment (35 marks);
3. Technical Proposal:  Brief methodology and workplan on how the consultant will approach and complete the work (please see mandatory question on jobs site for inputting response) (20 marks).

Financial Evaluation (30%):

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

All materials developed will remain the copyright of UNDP Afghanistan.  UNDP Afghanistan will be free to adapt and modify them in the future.

RECOMMENDED PRESENTATION OF OFFER

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals:

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications in one single PDF document:

1. Personal CV or P11, indicating all experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references.
2. Technical Proposal (can be attached with CV or response can be provided to mandatory question on jobs site):
   • Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment;
   • A methodology, on how they will approach and complete the assignment and work plan as indicated above.

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

• Annex 1 - IC Contract Template (for information);

• Annex 2 -  Financial Proposal Template using the template provided by UNDP (to be completed at later stage upon request by UNDP);
• Annex 3 – IC General Terms and Conditions (for information);
• Annex 4 – RLA Template (if consultant wishes to be recruited through an employer) - (for information).

Note: Incomplete application will result in automatic disqualification of candidates.