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 “Unlocking Cambodian Women’s Potential through Fiscal Space Creation” under the UN COVID Fund that is providing technical and non-technical support to the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) to operationalisation the Credit Guarantee Corporation of Cambodia (CGCC).
As a direct consequence of the global pandemic the RGC is currently implementing a series of broad stimulus policies and public sector investments whilst simultaneously maintaining fiscal discipline to expedite economic recovery. A key component of the recovery policy is the establishment of the CGCC that will provide immediate financial relief to existing SMEs and on a longer term provide incentives for the private sector to engage in structural transformation of the economy.
The CGCC has been formally established within a very short time period through an approved policy framework document that has been developed by RGC MEF with TA provided by Asian Development Bank (ADB). The policy framework provides a definitive mandate for the CGCC as a part independent agency of the MEF and sets out its vision and mission in the short and medium to long term. The framework additionally provides a set of global standards (developed by the World Bank) to the organisation, function, management and transparency of the CGCC.
Currently a CEO for the CGCC has taken up position and recruitment of senior managers and core staff is being undertaken. The CGCC has also been registered and formalised as an organisation of the RGC. During the process of the establishment of the CGCC a series of consultations was held by the MEF that provided the basis for indicative design the current project. As the CGCC establishment process was rapid a need exists to revisit the project design and in partnership with CGCC CEO and MEF establish a firm set of development pathways (road map) and clear division of labour to professionally operationalisation the CGCC.
UNCDF’s core role is to support the RGC operationalisation the CGCC in terms of organisational development and human capacity development. As previously envisaged these features will include hard and soft infrastructure development that is combined with research to develop evidence-based policy for CGCC especially in the medium to long term (phase II of the CGCC policy framework. The research and policy components will be implemented by UNDP Cambodia and IOM respectively. In addition, ADB will be continuing their support for the CGCC specifically working in the area of credit criteria’s and potentially the due diligence of the IFPs. Discussions between ADB and the JP have taken place to assure that all support to the CGCC is complimentary.
The consultancy aims at providing high level TA support to the CGCC CEO to assist to generate a comprehensive Organisational Development and Hunan Resource Capacity plan, to act as a blueprint for continuous professional development of the GCGG, its management team and staff. The “road map” will serve to expedite the operationalisation of the CGCC and provide clear policy pathways for phase I and phase II services as described in the CGCC policy framework document.
The UNCDF portfolio in ASEAN
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 Cambodia, UNCDF has been engaged extensively in the government’s decentralization process through the Ministry of Interior and the National Committee for Sub-National Democratic Development (NCDD) through 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 Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) within the spheres of (i) Public Private Partnerships, (ii) Financial Management and Public Policy and (iii) Macro-Economic Support as a component of this program. UNCDF is working in partnership with UNDP, the World Bank, ADB and other Development Partners in this area of work with MEF.
Objective of the assignment
The main objective of the assignment is to support the CEO of the CGCC to generate a comprehensive Organisational Development and Hunan Resource Capacity strategic plan and business case to act as a blueprint for continuous professional development of the GCGG, its management team and staff. The strategic plan and business case will additionally be used to develop a time bound road map. Consolidating critical organisational and human resource development issues, products and that are explicitly linked to phase I and phase II timelines the road map will serve to expedite the operationalisation of the CGCC and provide clear policy pathways for phase I and phase II services as described in the CGCC policy framework document.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under supervision of UNCDF Regional Technical Advisor for Asia, the consultant will specifically work with the CEO of the CGCC in partnership with MEF and IOM -to provide the following TA support:
1. Review of existing CGCC documentation and meetings, consultation with the CGCC CEO. MEF, UNJP and the IFIs (namely ADB and WB), to formulate a table of contents and and strategic notes under key heading for approval rival by CGCC and MEF.
2. Consolidate all feedbacks and in agreement with the CEO CGCC and UNCF generate a comprehensive strategic plan that includes the following key components (note UNCDF will primarily support the introduction of risk management capacity inc hardware and software solutions).
- Organisational Development
- Human Resource Development
- Product Range and Portfolio Diversification
- Relationship Management
- Sustainable Financing including bond issue
3. On approval of the strategic plan, develop a timebound road map highlighting steps, critical milestones and DP inputs inc financial commitment for phase I and phase II development of the CGCC as discussed in the associated policy framework.
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;
- Draft table of contents with key strategic notes and bullet points included under the main headings of the table of contents for approval by the CEO of the CGCC;
- Comprehensive strategic development plan for CGCC in general alignment to the above criteria;
- Timebound strategic implementation road map for CSDG development plan highlighting steps, critical milestones and DP inputs including financial commitment for phase I and phase II development of the CGCC as discussed in the associated policy framework
Provision of Monitoring and Progress Control
The consultant will work under the supervision of the UNCDF Regional Technical Advisor (RTA) for Asia and CEO CGCC and fully coordinate with UNDP Cambodia 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 UNDP Country Office, IOM IFAD, ADB and WB country offices, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
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: Submission of Work Plan (30%)
Deliverable 2: Strategic Plan for CGCC - (i) Draft table of contents with key strategic notes and bullet points included under the main headings of the table of contents for approval by the CEO of the CGCC; Comprehensive strategic development plan for CGCC in general alignment to the above criteria (50%)
Deliverable 3: Strategic road map - Timebound strategic implementation road map for CSDG development plan highlighting steps, critical milestones and DP inputs including financial commitment for phase I and phase II development of the CGCC as discussed in the associated policy framework (20%).
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 his/her own equipment during the assignment.
Competencies
- Possesses a comprehensive knowledge of private sector / government strategic planning financing and associated monitoring tools;
- Understands national credit guarantee systems architectures;
- Has the ability to develop and formulate financial analysis of investment portfolios and credit guarantee facilities
- Core technical understanding of organisational development processes;
- Has knowledge of the current financial sectors and credit guarantee facilities in the ASEAN +3 region
- Able to provide in-depth peer reviews of existing publications;
- Able to develop standardised policy papers (short version) for government consumption in the areas of finance, macro-economics and public sector investments security exchange functionality and regulatory frameworks;
- High quality English language skills;
- Excellence in use of MS Excel financial analysis and graphing tools.
Required Skills and Experience
Education, Skills, and Experience
- Minimum Master’s Degree in economics, finance or international MBA;
- Minimum 5 years of professional experience and or research-based work with credit guarantee schemes and systems;
- Proven track record on developing strategic planning documents covering critical business aspects inclusive of organisational development, human capital development, business planning is essential
- Proven professional track record related to development financing inclusive of research and analysis is required
- Good track record working with financial services and or financial institutions is an advantage
- Specific knowledge of financial risk analysis is an advantage
- Proven capacity working with government finance in the ASEAN +3 region an advantage;
- Able to work within a team environment and promote collaborations;
- Good communication skills, sensitivity and willingness/flexibility to respond to client’s needs;
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, finance or international MBA;
- Minimum 5 years of professional experience and or research-based work with credit guarantee schemes and systems;
Step II: Technical Evaluation (Desk review of CVs)
UNCDF will conduct a desk review to produce a shortlist of candidates by evaluating the following criteria with the corresponding points (100 points)
- Minimum 5 years of professional experience and or research-based work with credit guarantee schemes and systems (30 points)
- Proven track record on developing strategic planning documents covering critical business aspects inclusive of organisational development, human capital development, business planning is essential (35 points)
- Proven professional track record related to development financing inclusive of research and analysis 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%.
Application
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 provide the 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 position is home-based but consultant's presence may be required in Cambodia intermittently.