Background
The United Nations Capital Development Fund (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 three channels: inclusive digital economies, connecting individuals, households, and small businesses with financial eco-systems that catalyze participation in the local economy, and provide tools to climb out of poverty and manage financial lives; local development finance, that capacitates localities through fiscal decentralization, innovative municipal finance, and structured project finance to drive local economic expansion and sustainable development; and investment finance, that provides catalytic financial structuring, de-risking, and capital deployment to drive SDG impact and domestic resource mobilization. By strengthening how finance works for poor people at the household, small enterprise, and local infrastructure levels, UNCDF contributes to Sustainable Development Goal-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 broad diversity of SDGs.
UNCDF are currently implementing a project “INFF” under the UN SDG Fund that is examining and developing with the Government of Lao PDR a budget tagging methodology and system. The rationale of the budget tagging system being to; (i) enhance current government financial reporting in terms of SDG progress, (ii) assist to optimise the efficiency of the public sector budget and to assist the government to prioritise SDG expenditure for acceleration and to address lagging SDG performance.
As a direct consequence of the global pandemic the Government is currently implementing a series of broad stimulus policies whilst simultaneously maintaining fiscal discipline. The government is current embarked on an examination of its financing architecture through the UNDP DFA as a complimentary and potential long-term replacement to Official Development Assistance (ODA) as the country graduates from LDC status.
As a supportive consultancy input to the UN joint project UNCDF through this consultancy will, under component 2 of the project support the introduction of a budget tagging methodology that applies SDG indicators to the Chart of Accounts, for both revenue and expenditure tracking. As part of this activity UNCDF is seeking to engage a consultant to research and compile a compendium of reports and studies that provide a stock take of existing SDG performance reports, supporting economic and investment analysis reports and studies that are relevant to and provide foresight to the SDG progress and 2030 attainment, building of a future framework of INFF quality. The mission is to be implemented through a lens of investment and finance with particular emphasis on capital investment to determine a methodology of identifying and assigning SDG investment flows to FDI and Bi-Lateral Budget Support and Projects for SDG reporting purposes. In addition, the methodology will develop a variable to enable the recurrent budget to be considered for SDG inflows, for example teachers and medical staff who have direct impact on SDG indicators. In this context civil servants may be considered as generalised finance to SDGs based on sector or work.
The UNCDF Portfolio in ASEAN
The consultancy aims at providing real time evidence related to developing an on-line d-base / repository of SDG finance and performance information that is regularly updated by the the providers; examples will necessarily include but not be limited to being; UNDP DFA reports, IMF Art IV, SDG Dashboard reports, ESCAP SDG Monitoring reports etc.
Historically UNCDF have designed and implemented local development initiatives in a majority of the ASEAN member states both at national and sub-national levels. In particular, in alignment to its mandate, UNCDF has mainly operated in the Least Developed Countries, of the ASEAN region including (1) Cambodia, (2) Lao PDR, and (3) Myanmar.
In Lao PDR, UNCDF has been engaged extensively in the government’s decentralization process through the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA), the Ministry of Finance (MOF), Ministry of Planning and Investment and Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (MoLSW) via various initiatives that have developed the inter-governmental fiscal transfer mechanisms that underpin sub national SDG financing through the public sector budget.
UNCDF is working directly with the MoF within the spheres of Public Financial Management and Public Policy - COA upgrade as a component of this program in partnership with UNDP, the World Bank, ADB and other Development Partners. Additionally, UNCDF is supporting the decentralization process under the governance reform programme with MoHA and UNDP. Within the context of Social Protection UNCDF is working with MoLSW and MoF.
Objective of the Assignment
The main objective of the assignment is to provide a consolidated compendium link and links (dbase) of reference materials, that are regularly updated, to assess the status of financing the SDGs that is also supported with a dashboard highlighting real time.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under supervision of UNCDF Regional Technical Advisor for Asia, the consultant will specifically work closely with the MoF’s Department of Fiscal Policy and Law and the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MoPI) Lao PDR in partnership with the UNDP country team to provide the following TA support:
- Desk review of existing SDG financing publications that are regularly updated, generation of key outputs of the publications (focus and relevant information), cycle of update and access links to provide a single page nomenclature of each of the the publications (in agreement with the RTA and UNDP). These single page “reviews” are to be consolidated into an online compendium to be linked to a dashboard;
- Consolidate the single page references and develop a methodology to provide a snapshot evidence-based dashboard that draws specific indicators from the publications;
- Generate a dashboard (this can be manual – i.e., a two-pager update paper that can be revisited on a quarterly or a half year basis) that captures key information in relation to SDG financing its architecture;
- Undertake a rapid performance assessment of SDG financing applying a 5-year time series analysis in terms of ODA, FDI, Loans and Public Sector Budget – information to be gleaned from UNDP DFA (2018) and through dialogue with MoF, MoPI, exact parameters and variables to be considered for the analysis to be agreed with UNCDF during the mission and based upon availability of data
Deliverables
The consultant will deliver the following within the framework of the consultancy:
- A work plan indicating timebound milestone deliverables and list of required meetings and consultation to enable the work to be completed;
- Compendium of key SDG financing indicators, nomenclatures, commentaries and sources to be posted as a dynamic on-line resource on the RCO Lao PDR and UNDP websites, Lao PDR
- Create data-base and design elements of an on-line dashboard of financing indicators generated by the compendium to be posted on-line as above;
- Rapid performance review of SDG financing linking indicators generated through the compendium (deliverable 2) to UNDPs 2018 and 2020 DFA and the public sector budget applying a 5-year time series;
- Mission completion report containing findings, policy recommendations and way forward (5-8 pages max).
The consultant will work under the supervision of the UNCDF Regional Technical Advisor (RTA) and fully coordinate with UNDP Lao PDR and their INFF/DFA consultants. The RTA will provide overall direction and guidance of the consultancy and approve key outputs and deliverables. In addition, the consultant will also coordinate and collaborate with the WB, ADB and IMF country offices, Vientiane, Lao PDR.
Monitoring and Progress Control
Consultancy fees will be paid upon:
(i) review, approval, acceptance of output for each deliverable and
(ii) submission of Certificate of Payment form
(iii) authorization of payment disbursement from Regional Technical Advisor based in Bangkok
Terms of Payment
The following terms of payment based upon the above-mentioned deliverables will be applicable for this Terms of Reference. Payments will be based upon a percentile of the contracted lump sum for each area as tabulated. The payment will only be made up on satisfactory completion and submission of the assignment and deliverables.
Deliverable 1: Mission Planning (30%)
- Submission of work plan
Deliverable 2: SDG Financing (Publication of stocktaking) (50%)
- Stocktaking report - Compendium of key SDG financing indicators, nomenclatures, commentaries and sources to be posted as a dynamic on-line resource on the RCO Lao PDR and UNDP websites;
- Create data-base and design elements of an online dashboard of financing indicators generated by the compendium to be posted on-line as above.
Deliverable 3: Rapid Assessment of CSX (20%)
- Rapid performance review of SDG financing linking indicators generated through the compendium (deliverable 2) to UNDPs 2018 DFA and the public sector budget applying a 5-year time series (maximum 20-page report).
- Mission completion report containing findings, policy recommendations and way forward (5-8 pages max)
Competencies
- Possesses a comprehensive knowledge of SDG financing and associated monitoring tools;
- Understands country level and global aid architectures to finance the SDGs;
- Has the ability to develop and formulate financial analysis of public sector budgets and development databases;
- Can undertake regression analysis and develop policy findings and propositions using such data;
- Has knowledge of current the public sector and the ODA financing structures for Lao PDR;
- Able to provide in-depth peer reviews of existing publications;
- Able to develop standardised policy papers (short version) for government consumption in the areas financing, macro-economics and public sector investments security exchange functionality and regulatory frameworks;
- Able to work with MySQL and web-based d-bases, and HTML reporting;
- High quality English language skills;
- Excellence in use of MS Excel financial analysis and graphing tools.
Required Skills and Experience
Skills and Experience
- Minimum Master’s Degree in economics, public policy making, or MBA;
- Minimum 2 years of professional experiece and or research-based work focused on SDG financing within international institutions or research institutions;
- Proven professional track record related to development financing research and analysis is required;
- Proven track record working with governments and development agencies on aid coordination and or development financing is required;
- Specific knowledge of regression analysis is an advantage;
- Proven capacity working with government finance and or planning entities and development partners in the ASEAN +3 region an advantage;
- Sound knowledge and understanding of country’s context of public sector budget and financing legal framework;
- Able to work within a Team environment and promote collaborations;
- Good communication skills: sensitivity and willingness/flexibility to respond to client’s needs;
- Able to develop open-source relational d-base for on-line application
Evaluation method
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, which assigns the weight distribution between the technical and financial proposals. The weight distribution shall be 70% technical and 30% financial.
Step I: Longlisting/Shortlisting
Applications will be screened and only applicants meeting the following minimum criteria will be shortlisted:
- Minimum Master’s Degree in economics, public policy making, or MBA
- Minimum 2 years of professional experience and or research-based work focused on SDG financing within international institutions or research institutions;
Step II: Technical Review of CVs by Desk Review
UNCDF will conduct a desk review to produce a shortlist of candidates by evaluating the following criteria with the corresponding points (100 points)
- Minimum 2 years of professional experience and or research-based work focused on SDG financing within international institutions or research institutions (30 points)
- Proven professional track record related to development financing research and analysis is required (35 points)
- Proven track record working with governments and development agencies on aid coordination and or development financing is required (35 points)
Only the applicants achieving 70% of the points will be considered as technically qualified and will be reviewed further for financial evaluation.
Step III: Financial Evaluation
The following formula will be used to evaluate financial proposal: Lowest priced proposal/price of the proposal being evaluated x 30%.
Other Institutional Arrangements
Any travel required under the assignment needs to be agreed and pre-approved by UNCDF regional technical advisor. All the travel cost will be reimbursed by UNCDF according to UNCDF rules and regulations.
The consultant is expected to use own computer during the assignment.
Application Process
Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Proposers who shall not submit below mentioned documents will not be considered for further evaluation.
- When applying for this consultancy position, please apply with your official name as shown in the government issued identification document (e.g. passport and/or driver license). Contract award is subject to this verification;
- Summary statement of competencies in relation to the TOR
- Curriculum Vitae or Completed P11 Personal History Form with names and current contacts of 3 referees (available from http://sas.undp.org/documents/p11_personal_history_form.doc)
- Confirmation of interest and Financial proposal:
Under section E of the Offerer’s letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability for the Individual Contract (IC) Assignment, please choose to indicate “An all-inclusive daily fee”. The form can be accessed through the link below:
- Earliest Availability
Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when traveling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director. Consultants are also required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under dss.un.org If the consultant is over 65 years old, UNCDF reserves the right to require full medical certification and clearance from the consultant’s physician prior to commencing the travel.
Both individual consultants and individuals 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). If the company or institution that employs them will charge a management fee, the said amount must be incorporated in the financial proposal that the individual will submit. No further changes to reflect additional costs shall be accommodated by UNCDF at the point of awarding the LTA.
Please include all documents into one file while submitting your application.
Copyright
All products and reports related to the mission will be provided to UNCDF and be subject to associated copyrights. The contractor will not use, without prior permission of UNCDF, any the materials or data produced during the mission for any other purpose than furnishing UNCDF with a project delivery. Any use or reference to the information contained within the presented mission documents must be prior clarified and approved by UNCDF and clearly reference UNCDF as the source.
Consultant Presence Required on Duty Station/UNCDF Premise
The entire mission will be in Lao PDR. This position, however, is home-based but presence in mission base may be required intermittently.