Background

Please read the following infromation prior submitting the applacation:

Documentation required

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Please group them into one (1) single PDF document as the application only allows to upload maximum one document:

• Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided in Annex II.
• Personal CV indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references.
• Financial proposal, as per template provided in Annex II. Note: If an 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 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.

Incomplete proposals may not be considered. The shortlisted candidates may be contacted and the successful candidate will be notified.

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• Thailand is one of Southeast Asia’s countries hardest hit by COVID-19, given heavy reliance on exports and tourism.  The UNDP-UNICEF-led socioeconomic impact assessment reveals that among the hardest hit are informal workers, which account for over half the 37.6 million labour force, as well as women as many are employed in sectors such as tourism. 
• The government responded quickly with a phased stimulus package worth over 2 trillion baht (over US$ 60 billion), notably for health funding, financial assistance to SMEs, cash transfers, funding for economic rehabilitation and liquidity support through commercial banks. Beyond that, the government has put in place a 2-year Contingency Plan for COVID-19 response and recovery, which focuses on local economy, human capital, future growth (including promoting green sectors), and enabling factors.  Additional spending is underway, raising public debt in the fiscal year 2021 to 57% of GDP.
• The COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic shocks emphasize the urgent need and opportunity to put in place key building blocks of a more fit-for-purpose financing framework that not only looks at better alignment national objectives, at how at fiscal space and policy options to finance priority initiatives but also how to channel private sector resource towards building forward better, to together support national priorities and the SDGs.
• The Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF) serves as a planning and delivery tool to help Thailand strengthen planning processes and overcome existing impediments to financing sustainable development and the SDGs at the national level. It lays out the full range of financing sources – domestic public resources, aid and development cooperation, and domestic and international private finance – and allows countries to develop a strategy to increase investment, manage risks, and achieve sustainable development priorities, as identified in a country’s national sustainable development strategy.
• The inception of the INFF responds to the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC)’s interest expressed through its request letter to the UN in early 2020.  The initiative received strong support from the Minister of Finance during UNDP’s courtesy visit to the Ministry in November 2020.
• In addition, the INFF can further leverage private sector’s willingness to contribute to the SDGs and COVID recovery, which is demonstrated, for example, in UNDP’s close partnership with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Stock Exchange of Thailand, Global Compact Network Thailand, and SDG-related private sector networks in integrating SDGs lens into business operations and strengthening the impact enterprise ecosystem.
• As a first step towards the inception of an INFF, a Development Finance Assessment (DFA) will be undertaken to map existing and additional public and private sources of financing as well as measures and institutional structure for ensuring resource efficiency to achieve national priorities.
• In parallel with a DFA, an SDG Investor Mapping exercise will be conducted with the aim to provide a new public data of Investment Opportunity Areas (IOA) with actionable information on the economic, enabling and risk factors of SDG-related subsectors, including opportunities at the subnational levels.
• The findings of a DFA and an SDG Investor Mapping exercise will, together, form a basis for an integrated financing strategy, which would provide a holistic framework that underpins the delivery of the SDG-aligned national priorities, including the recovery agenda, by bringing together policies to mobilise and manage public and private resources.

The Development Finance Assessment (DFA) is a tool to help countries shape the inception phase in the process of operationalising an INFF which will support financing for building forward better.

The DFA offers a comprehensive analysis of the public and private financing outlook, financing policies and institutional structures, and opportunities to build a more integrated approach to financing. It is a tool designed to aggregate analysis and build collaboration among actors. Alongside the new analysis that it undertakes, the DFA draws together information from a wide range of sources and assessments that focus on particular finance flows or policy areas.

The specific objectives of the development finance assessment (DFA) process are:

1. Develop a clear, accessible and comprehensive assessment of the public and private financing outlook, financing policy and institutional structures, and opportunities to build a more integrated approach to financing in support of financing SDG-aligned national development priorities
2. Facilitate a process of financing dialogues that builds understanding and consensus about priorities for financing for building forward better across public agencies and with the private sector, civil society, and other development partners—leading to the development of the partnership platform to oversee the implementation of the INFF
3. Identify and build agreement on steps to be taken in financing key policy priorities in line with the Contingency Plan as well as the National Economic and Social Development Plan and the National Strategy, which includes but not limited to the following:
   1. Safeguarding resources for social protection, particularly for the most vulnerable
   2. Job creation
   3. Restructuring towards more domestic economy-oriented, including strengthening the local economy
   4. Promoting green recovery, including supporting the Bio-Circular-and Green (BCG) economy
   5. Addressing gender-asymmetric impact of COVID-19

The outcome of the DFA is an INFF Roadmap which will detail the steps that will be taken to operationalise the concept of an integrated national financing framework within the Thailand context in support of building forward better. It will entail an integrated financing strategy for Thailand to deliver those policies in line with national planning objectives—including the Contingency Plan, the National Economic and Social Development Plan, and the National Strategy. It will also specify recommendations to strengthen monitoring, review, and governance mechanisms as well as to enhance the required capacity in view of supporting the implementation of such financing strategy.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work

Under the supervision of the lead INFF expert, and working with the UNDP country office, the national expert will support the Development Finance Assessment process, analysis and dialogue leading to the articulation and agreement of an INFF Roadmap for Thailand.

The national expert is responsible for collecting and compiling data, policy documents and analysis and for liaising with government officials and other national stakeholders. They will support the Lead expert in completing the process of analysis, consultation and dialogue throughout the DFA in accordance with the approach outlined in the DFA Guidebook.

The responsibilities of the National expert will include but is not limited to the following activities through each phase of the DFA:

DFA initial analysis and consultation phase

• Engage with government officials and other national stakeholders to collect relevant data, policy documentation and analysis to inform the DFA analysis
• Support the lead expert to undertake analysis of the financing context and outlook, and of existing structures, ongoing reforms and opportunities to strengthen financing policies and institutional structures in relation to the building blocks of an INFF.
• Support the lead expert and country office to plan missions, consultations and Financing Dialogues as needed, including arranging logistics and reaching out to stakeholders
• Support, and lead where necessary, consultations with stakeholders across the financing landscape to (i) collect data, information and analysis, (ii) engage stakeholders in the DFA process and (iii) share, socialize and refine initial emerging findings and ideas for recommendations to be developed
• Support technical discussions in the initial Financing Dialogue

Facilitating Financing Dialogue toward the INFF Roadmap

• Support ongoing analysis as priorities are identified and potential recommendations identified
• Support lead expert to prepare first draft DFA report
• Support lead expert to conduct technical discussions through a series of Financing Dialogues
• Support dedicated working groups as needed

Articulating and agreeing the INFF Roadmap

• Support lead expert to draft the INFF Roadmap
• Support lead expert working with relevant stakeholders to refine and develop actionable recommendations
• Support process of finalizing the INFF Roadmap as needed

Please see the DFA analytical framework and process chapters in DFA Guidebook v3.0 for further details.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

Institutional Arrangement

The National expert will work in association with the Lead expert and the UNDP Country Office Senior Economist throughout the assignment period.

Duration of the Work

28 June – 20 September 2021 (Up to 60 working days).

Duty Station

Thailand with no travel

Competencies

• Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity. 
• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment.
• Self-development, initiative-taking.
• Acting as a team player and facilitating teamwork.
• Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively
• Creating synergies through self-control.
• Managing conflict.
• Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member.
• Informed and transparent decision making.

Required Skills and Experience

Education Qualifications

• A minimum of master’s degree or above in the field of economics, finance, public finance, or other relevant area.

Experience

• At least 3 years of experience in the fields of finance, public financial management, private sector development or budgeting and planning. Previous experience with a development partner or government is a very strong advantage.
• Proven experience of leading research on formulating and monitoring of public and/or private policies around sustainable finance
• Experience in carrying out assessment and preparing reports on implementation of sustainable development goals (SDG)
• Good knowledge of data collection and analysis is essential.
• Good knowledge of sustainable development financing issues in Thailand
• Good knowledge of the Thai government systems and processes, particularly in relation to the budget, private finance policies, planning processes and their integration
• Ability to conduct interviews with government and key stakeholders

Language requirement

• Proficiency in English (written and spoken) and Thai required

Price Proposal and Schedule of PaymentsThe contract will be based on Lump Sum

Consultant must send a financial proposal based on Lump Sum Amount. The total amount quoted shall be all-inclusive and include all costs components required to perform the deliverables identified in the TOR, including professional fee, travel costs, living allowance (if any work is to be done outside the IC´s duty station) and any other applicable cost to be incurred by the IC in completing the assignment. The contract price will be fixed output-based price regardless of extension of the herein specified duration. Payments will be done upon completion of the deliverables/outputs and as per below percentages:

• Deliverable 1- Initial data collection and analysis, bilateral consultations and first financing dialogue: 25% of total contract amount
• Deliverable 2 - Series of financing dialogues conducted: 25% of total contract amount
• Deliverable 3 - First draft INFF Roadmap and DFA report: 25% of total contract amount
• Deliverable 4 - Final Draft INFF Roadmap and DFA report: 25% of total contract amount

In general, UNDP shall 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

In the event of unforeseeable travel not anticipated in this TOR, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and the Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.

Travel costs shall be reimbursed at actual but not exceeding the quotation from UNDP approved travel agent.   

Evaluation Method and Criteria

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 a) responsive/compliant/acceptable; and b) having received the highest score out of set of weighted technical criteria (70%) *and financial criteria (30%). Financial score shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced qualified proposal received by UNDP for the assignment.

• Only those applications which are responsive, compliant and accept in general condition will be evaluated;
• For those who passing technical evaluation above, offers will be evaluated per the Combined Scoring method:

a.   Technical and Interview (70%)

b.   Financial Evaluation (30%)

Technical Criteria for Evaluation (Maximum 700 points)

• Criteria 1: Education background - Max 100 points;
• Criteria 2: experience in the fields of finance, public financial management, private sector development or budgeting and planning. Previous experience with a development partner or government is a very strong advantage.- Max 400 points;
• Criteria 3 Proven experience of leading research on formulating and monitoring of public and/or private policies sustainable finance and carrying out assessment and preparing reports on implementation of sustainable development goals (SDG)- Max 200 points;

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 490 points (70% of total 700 points in technical evaluation) would be considered for Financial Evaluation.

To download form and related documents, please follow the link below:

https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=79454