Background

Present in 166 countries and territories, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) supports governments in developing strong policies, institutions, and partnerships to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals. As part of its role as SDG Integrator, UNDP is committed to promoting multi-stakeholder collaboration among national governments, private sector, and philanthropic organizations for sustainable development.

UNDP recognizes the tremendous knowledge that foundations offer in a variety of areas ranging from governance, environment to health and financial inclusion and works with them to utilize their expertise and knowledge capacities. UNDP’s partnerships with philanthropy build on a range of assets and comparative advantages to find solutions to common development challenges. Both global and local foundations are providing strong backing for UNDP's development activities. UNDPs work in partnerships with community foundations and civil society organizations to better address issues at the local level. All levels of the organization, including UNDP country offices, regional centers and the HQ, are involved in partnerships and relationships with philanthropy. UNDP is also actively seeking developing relations with foundations and philanthropic organizations from emerging countries, where philanthropy is growing. As part of its efforts to be a strategic partner with foundations, UNDP is hosting the  SDG Philanthropy Platform (SDGPP),  a global partnership initiative with the Worldwide Initiative for Grantmaking Support (WINGS), aimed at connecting philanthropy with knowledge and networks to deepen collaboration, leverage resources and sustain impact to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

In 2021 UNDP is accelerating its efforts to both grow and systematize its engagement with foundations at the global level. This work is housed within UNDP’s SDG Finance Sector Hub (FSH) that convenes UNDP’s expertise, initiatives, and partnerships to support the mobilization and leveraging of resources for the SDGs at scale.  A Philanthropy Engagement Specialist is thus being sought to help advance strategic engagement with philanthropy actors in creating innovative financing development solutions for sustainable development. The consultant will report to and work under the guidance and supervision of Director Finance Sector Hub.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Philanthropy Engagement Specialist will leverage her/his experience, network, and knowledge regarding foundations and philanthropy to assist UNDP in developing a more strategic and systematized approach to engaging with foundations at the global level.  More specifically, this assignment will provide key analytical outputs and advisory support in the following areas:

• Analysis of UNDP’s existing engagement with foundations at the Global, Regional, and Local levels to discern modalities of engagement, challenges that colleagues face in developing and maintaining relationships with foundations, trends, key relationships, under-served partnerships, extent of alignment between corporate priorities/flagships and foundations, and other aspects.  This will entail strategic interviews with key philanthropy partners, in-person interviews with staff working on foundations in UNDP, as well as analysis of quantitative data derived from UNDP’s internal systems.
• Foundations priority mapping. In close consultation with the Director Finance Sector Hub, Senior Advisor on Business Models, Partnerships Specialist, other staff; and strategic consultations with target philanthropy partners, develop a priority area mapping of at least 100 foundations. The priority areas should be presented to relevant UNDP colleagues to discern potential new avenues of partnership, and emerging priority areas.  The typology for this mapping should provide data for UNDP’s Customer Relationship Management system which is under development.
• Finalization of SDG Philanthropy Platform (SDGPP) Proposal. Building on the long-established SDGPP UNDP in close partnership with WINGS and other actors will be setting an ambitious new agenda for the platform based on the future of philanthropy. A concept note will be developed in consultation with key stakeholders and potential funders.

As UNDP will require time to internalize the consultant’s work, and to provide feedback on the drafts, the consultancy has been designed allow for a specific number of days between a specific period of time.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

• Outstanding analytical capability, independent assessment, and integrity.
• Initiative-taker with strong understanding of global development issues.
• Superior networking capability paired with strong interpersonal and diplomatic skills.
• Strong teamwork, and proven ability to work in a complex multi-cultural environment.
• Proven oral and written communications skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Required Skills and Experience Institutional Arrangements

The Consultant will be directly responsible to UNDP and will work in close collaboration with the FSH Director, Senior Advisor on Business Models, and Partnership Specialist. Progress reporting will be made monthly and focus on achievement of the outputs noted above.  Substantive outputs will be certified by the FSH Director. 

Required Skills and Experience

Academic qualifications:

• Graduate degree, or postgraduate degree in international development, sustainable development, or related field.

Experience:

• At least 5 years’ experience in engaging philanthropy partners in multi-stakeholder collaboration for the SDGs.
• At least 5 years’ experience in developing proposals for possible foundation/philanthropic funding.
• Experience in advising multilateral organizations on matters pertaining to philanthropy and foundations.

Language:

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.

Application Procedure

The application package containing the following (to be uploaded as one file):

• Cover Letter/Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment
• Personal CV, indicating all experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the consultant and at least three (3) professional references/former supervisors.

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

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 (70% technical-30% financial).  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% (70 points):

• Experience in designing projects for the consideration of philanthropic partners. Maximum Points: 20
• Experience in analysing and assessing financial flows within the philanthropic sector for purposes of determining priorities, evolution/change in interests of philanthropic partners, and opportunities for partnership.  Maximum points: 20
• Experience in advocating for the SDGs with the philanthropic sector including providing training or learning opportunities for such actors. Maximum points 10
• Experience in developing global strategies with and/or for the philanthropic. Maximum Points: 10
• Experience in working with a United Nations Agency/Programme/Fund to advance partnerships with philanthropic organizations including foundations.  Maximum Points: 10

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% (49 points) of the maximum obtainable points for the technical criteria (70 points) will be considered for the financial evaluation.

Financial evaluation - Total 30% (30 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

• The financial proposal should specify an all-inclusive daily fee (per deliverable/s).
• 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.
• 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.

The Financial Proposal is to be emailed using the “Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability” template provided by UNDP only for shortlisted candidates.

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.

Payment modality

Payment to the Individual Contractor will be made based on the deliverables accepted and upon certification of satisfactory completion by the manager.