Background

Launched at the United Nations in 2008, the Business Call to Action (BCtA) aims to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by challenging companies to develop inclusive business models that engage people at the base of the economic pyramid (BoP) – people with less than US$8 per day in purchasing power – as consumers, producers, suppliers and distributors of goods and services.

The BCtA is a unique multilateral alliance among donor governments – including the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the UK Department for International Development (DFID, the Swiss Development Cooperation Agency (SDC), and with the United Nations Development Programme, which hosts the secretariat.

Over 250 companies, ranging from multinationals to social enterprises, and working in 73 countries, have responded to the BCtA by committing to improve the lives and livelihoods of millions in developing countries through access to markets, financial services, affordable healthcare, water and sanitation, education and other critical services. BCtA member companies are market leaders that provide examples of successful, profitable and scalable models for reaching poor communities and contributing to global development.

The Junior Impact Consultant will work under the supervision of the Programme Manager of BCtA.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work and Activities

BCtA is seeking a Junior Consultant to support the BCtA team on a series of activities, pertaining to the implementation of BCtA’s work on impact measurement and management of inclusive businesses. The Consultant will support BCtA with implementing and deploying BCtA’s online Impact Lab and provide guidance to a broad private sector audience. The Consultant will work with the BCtA team in engaging BCtA members to provide foundational support for improving their theories of change/results chains through conducting virtual or face-to-face impact measurement and management clinics and relevant webinars. Under the guidance of the Programme Manager and the programme specialist, the Consultant will monitor and support in country support to private sector organizations supported by BCtA’s donors to align their impact management practices and deliver trainings to their end clients and key stakeholders.  

The Consultant will be essential to the BCtA impact management team maintaining the relationships with key actors at the country level and in deploying BCtA’s work on impact measurement and management. The outcome of this work is the delivery of well-structured trainings that will contribute to the alignment of private sector organizations and MSMEs operating in middle and low-income markets to assess their contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals.

The following areas are considered to be within the scope of this consultancy:

Impact Measurement on Inclusive Business

• Support BCtA in developing and deploying BCtA’s online Impact Measurement Lab to support its inclusive businesses members and other companies implementing advancing the SDGs as part of their core business activities
• As requested by the Programme Manager, provide advisory support to companies on impact measurement and management, including guidance on theories of change/results chains and data analysis
• As requested by the Programme Manager, provide ongoing support to BCtA’s partners and members on impact measurement services.

Relationship Development and Stakeholder Management

• Support ongoing landscape analysis of the field of impact management, identifying potential partners for collaboration at the country level together with UNDP country offices.

County Office and Company engagement

• Support the development of an outreach strategy to engage members in the BCtA Impact management programme;
• Support targeted outreach and engagement with local partners and UNDP country offices working on impact management with companies;
• Support the onboarding of country level focal points, training them on the impact management, providing back-office support for the roll-out of BCtA’s tools and trainings; and holding regular virtual impact clinics;
• Systematize lessons learned and adjust the impact management trainings according to the demands of end clients including MSME.

3. Expected Outputs and Deliverables

Under the direct supervision of the Programme Manager:

• Participate in project meetings, as required;
• Assist in preparing slides, presentation materials, briefing notes, surveys, draft reports;
• Assist in outreach to Country Offices and other stakeholders
• Assist in building capacity of BCtA’s partners’ focal points and mentor the delivery of training for their end clients
• Assist in the development of case studies on impact management
• Assist in the preparation of webinars, workshops and meetings
• Submit comprehensive reports, as instructed by the Programme Manager;
• Undertake travel, as required by the BCtA team. Travel costs will be borne by UNDP and consultant expressly accepts UNDP travel policies;
• Any other duties, as required.

Many of the activities in this consultancy are ongoing. To this end, the Consultant shall prepare a monthly progress report that will detail all milestones reached, including but not limited the number of companies that received capacity building, number of events organized; contents of the pipeline; assignment travel, and any and all tools developed. The Programme Manager shall review and accept these reports, and certify them for payment. 

Competencies

Corporate competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
• Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment

Functional competencies:

• Strong interpersonal skills, communication and diplomatic skills, ability to work in a team
• Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback
• Ability to work under pressure and stressful situations
• Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities
• Excellent public speaking and presentation skills

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications/Education:

A Master's degree in international relations, international development, public policy, or other relevant fields such as social science, economics, business administration.

Experience:

• Minimum 2 years of combined experience in the private and in the development sector working on private sector issues; (whether in strategy consulting or corporate functions) or in the development sector working on private sector issues, inclusive of at least 1 year of experience in the area of inclusive business or sustainable business.
• Minimum 1 year experience in impact measurement and management or monitoring and evaluation of inclusive or sustainable business;
• Experience in designing programs and delivering trainings to businesses, business accelerators, impact investors or non-profit organizations is an advantage.
• Proven track record with using technology for data collection and analysis is an advantage;

Language skills:

• Excellent writing, editing, and oral communication skills in Arabic and English
• Working knowledge of other UNDP working languages, (French) is an advantage.

5. Evaluation of Applicants

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on a cumulative analysis taking into consideration the combination of the applicants’ qualifications and financial proposal.

The award of the contract should 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 a pre-determined set of weighted technical (P11 and cover letter desk review and interviews) and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Only highest ranked candidates who would be found qualified for the job based on the desk review will be invited for an interview.

Technical Criteria - 70% of total evaluation – max. 70 points:

Criteria A - Minimum 2 years of combined experience in the private and in the development sector working on private sector issues; (whether in strategy consulting or corporate functions) and/or in the development sector working on private sector issues, inclusive of at least 1 year of experience in the area of inclusive business or sustainable business; - max points 18;

Criteria B – Minimum 1 year experience in impact measurement and management or monitoring and evaluation of inclusive or sustainable business; - max points: 18;

Criteria C – Experience in designing programs and delivering trainings to businesses, business accelerators, impact investors or non-profit organizations is an advantage;  - max points: 6;

Criteria D - Proven track record with using technology for data collection and analysis; max points: 8;

Criteria E - Methodology (evaluation of the brief approach on how the candidate would approach and conduct the activities (shall be uploaded by the applicant during online application) - max points: 6.

Criteria F – Interview Criteria - Language skills, communication skills and technical knowledge in impact measurement or M&E- max points: 14;

Only candidates who will get at least 70% of points in Criteria A, B, C, D, E will be considered for the Interview – Criteria F; and only candidates who will get at least 70% of points in the Interview will be considered for financial evaluation.

6. Application procedures

The application submission is a two-step process. Failing to comply with the submission process may result in disqualifying the applications.

Step 1: Interested candidates must include the following documents when submitting the applications (Please group all your documents into one (1) single PDF attachment as the system only allows upload of one document):

• Cover letter explaining why you are the most suitable candidate for the advertised position
• Methodology / brief approach on how you will approach and conduct the work.
• Filled P11 form or CV including past experience in similar projects and contact details of referees
  (blank form can be downloaded from http://www.eurasia.undp.org/content/dam/rbec/docs/P11_modified_for_SCs_and_ICs.doc);

Step 2: Submission of Financial Proposal - Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and requested to provide a financial offer.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials.

7. Terms of Payment

The assignment is based on a lump sum contract amount and payment is based only upon the certification and acceptance of the deliverables received as indicated in the TOR. In the event of non-performance and pre-termination where payments cannot be made in full or may have to be suspended, the final payment will be pro-rated against received and accepted deliverables.

Payments will be made only upon confirmation of UNDP on delivering on the contract obligations in a satisfactory manner.

Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling 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

General Terms and conditions as well as other related documents can be found under: http://on.undp.org/t7fJs

Qualified women and members of minorities are encouraged to apply.

Due to large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process.