Historique

India has demonstrated its commitment to greening the economy through ratification of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the adoption of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and launching the International Solar Alliance. To deliver on these commitments requires a robust sustainable financing system that mobilizes domestic and international private financing as a complement to public-sector resources. In order to address the funding gap and to make the financial sector resilient to extra-financial risks as well as to explore opportunities in the sustainability space, India needs to make concerted efforts to signal its seriousness towards taking a leadership position on sustainable finance through its policies and actions. Such efforts will also pave the way for attracting finance from international financial institutions who are increasingly attaching “green” conditions to loans and investments as well as reorienting capital towards low-carbon sectors as part of their recovery plans.

The recently launched Sustainable Finance Collaborative, supported by the SDG Finance Facility platform at UNDP India is an effort to bring together leading stakeholders in the financial eco-system with a view to ideate, collaborate and contribute to the Government’s sustainable finance agenda. As a next step, UNDP country office is looking to engage the services of a Specialist Consultant who would work under the ambit of the Collaborative and lead the development of a Sustainable Finance Roadmap for India.  This roadmap will serve as a blueprint to follow and will bring together recommended pathways and frameworks with a view to enabling the transition to a more resilient and sustainable economy.

Devoirs et responsabilités

The primary responsibility of the Consultant is to lead the development of the Sustainable Finance Roadmap. This will be carried out in consultation and under the supervision of a working group comprised of senior representatives from the private sector and government agencies that will be constituted for this purpose.  

While the Consultant will be formally working under the supervision of the Advisor, Social Impact Investments, South Asia at UNDP, he/ she will also be working under the guidance of the working group which will act as the primary consultative group for the development of the roadmap. Specifically, the Sustainable Finance Advisor (Consultant) will be responsible for undertaking the following activities:

Taking stock of the background of Sustainable Finance in India and the Collaborative

• Understand the state of sustainable finance in India including its challenges, goals, needs, current financial and sustainability policies and practices, barriers and opportunities;
• Review and internalize the Collaborative Report which details the findings from the SFC sessions;
• Review the terms of reference for working group, including timelines, milestones, governance structure and deliverables, to use as a guiding framework for the project.
• Basis the above, create a workplan for the development of the Sustainable Finance Roadmap clearly articulating milestones and inputs needed from working group at various stages.

Drafting of a Sustainable Finance definition for India

• Prepare briefing packs and presentations on global definitions of Sustainable Finance for Taskforce members
• Drafting the possible definition and scope of Sustainable Finance for India, considering inputs from the Chair, Working Group and Observers

Support the working group on development of a Sustainable Finance Roadmap/Action Plan and drafting the final output

• Prepare initial presentation that would layout for the working group the methodology and approach that could be followed for development of the roadmap and made adjustments as recommended by the group
• For each meeting of the working group, preparing any presentations containing frameworks that can guide thinking and creating a pathway for development of the roadmap
• Preparing/ sharing briefing packs on global best practices of Sustainable Finance roadmaps and action plans for the Taskforce to familiarize themselves
• Supporting the Chair of the Working Group with setting the agenda and outline of discussions before each meeting
• Guide discussions on the core components/pillars that could be integrated in a sustainable finance roadmap based on global best practices
• Guide discussions on phase-wise division of the Action Plan (short, medium, long term targets)
• Follow-up individually with any member or technical experts (as invited by the working group/ Chair) to fill in any gaps
• Hold 1:1 meetings with experts and working group members as needed
• Carry out debriefs about the status of each milestone
• Collating and integrating comments from working group discussions into the roadmap
• Ensure recommendations on roadmap and action plan follow the pre-determined guidelines as stated in the Taskforce ToR and are cognizant of inputs received from the Collaborative sessions
• Drafting the final Roadmap and Action Plan (and accompanying presentation) as approved by the working group for further review and feedback to the larger group of Observers and public and incorporating their feedback before the finalised version is shared
• Ensure a level of momentum and execution against the Work Plan and that the project exemplifies good practice, professionalism and good governance in terms of frequency and format of meetings/working sessions and supporting appropriate and timely dissemination of information
• Supervise the junior consultant that would be supporting the Sustainable Finance Advisor (Consultant)

Expected Deliverables/ Outcomes:

• Work plan including identification of milestones for roadmap development
• Presentation on approach and methodology for working group
• Draft the Definition and Scope of Sustainable Finance for India
• Draft the Sustainable Finance Roadmap and Action Plan for India including short, medium and long term actions
• Share monthly status updates on progress against established milestones
• Prepare progress presentations as required by the Working Group

Lead consultative discussions with broader groups of stakeholders on the draft roadmap and finalise the roadmap and action plan based on inputs provided/ accepted by working group and select external stakeholders

The consultant is expected to draw upon his/her skills and experience to provide strategic guidance on the planning, development and delivery of the Roadmap

Compétences

• Analytical skills: Able to synthesize large sets of inputs and data to form coherent outputs
• Ability to effectively and efficiently interact with senior members and stakeholders
• Must be detail-oriented
• Communication skills: Able to communicate clear ideas across a variety of mediums
• Writing and presentation skills: Able to produce high quality reports and presentations
• Team skills: Able to work independently as well as in teams
• Great organizational and time-management skills

Qualifications et expériences requises

Academic Qualification:  

• Advanced degree in finance/ climate finance, sustainable finance, economics, business or related areas (essential)

Professional Experience:

• At least 10 years of directly relevant professional experience in financial management; financial services or consulting/ advisory (with focus on climate/ sustainable finance),
• Prior experience/ expertise with development of Sustainable Finance Roadmaps (preferred)
• Experience of supporting working groups and creating roadmaps/ frameworks through a collaborative approach
• Practical experience working with or supporting global development organizations or governments on sustainable finance policies and strategies
• Knowledge of India’s sustainable finance practices
• Knowledge of global best practices on sustainable finance roadmaps and action plans, particularly in developing countries
• Strong understanding of the global sustainable finance industry including green instruments and sectors, sustainability disclosures, sustainable taxonomies, ESG risk management tools and models
• Familiarity with global initiatives and platforms like NGFS, FC4S, IPSF
• Strong experience in research, writing op-eds and articles, content creation on sustainable finance topics

Language Requirement:  English

Evaluation Criteria

The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as Responsive to the requirement. Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation;

• Technical Criteria weight - 70%;
• Financial Criteria weight – 30 %

Technical Criteria (70% of the total evaluation)

1. Criteria 1: Prior Experience (30%)
   1. At least ten years of relevant professional experience working in financial management; public finance; investments; financial services or consulting/ advisory (with focus on climate/ sustainable finance) - 10%
   2. Strong understanding of the global sustainable finance industry including green instruments and sectors, sustainability disclosures, taxonomies, ESG risk management tools and models – 10%
   3. Demonstrated prior experience of supporting the development of sustainable finance roadmaps or similar frameworks – 10% 

2. Criteria 2: Demonstrated Knowledge and Networks on Sustainable Finance (25%)

1. Strong understanding of sustainable finance roadmaps as developed in other countries – 10%
2. Strong network and familiarity with key stakeholders on sustainable finance in globally including stakeholders such as UNEP, IFC, FC4S, NGFS and others – 10%
3. Understanding of India and emerging markets status on Sustainable Finance – 5%

3. Criteria 3: Multi-stakeholder coordination (15%)

1. Consultant should have demonstrated experience in coordinating multi-stakeholder groups given that the roadmap will be developed under the aegis of a working group – 10% 
2. Research and documentation skills vis-a-vis MS Office Suite and prior experience in developing concept notes/reports/ plans will be essential - 5%

Financial Proposal:

Technically qualified consultants will be requested to submit their daily fee rate i.e. consultants who score more than 70% i.e. 49 marks with respect to the above-mentioned evaluation criteria. Consultant should not specify their consultancy fee on their CV or with the submission. The CV will not be evaluated further in case the consultant submits the same.

Payment Scheduled: Remuneration based on achievements of milestones

Milestones and Payment Schedule

Notes:

• Any kind of miscellaneous charges i.e. internet, phone, relocation charges etc. would not be reimbursed.

• Travel, lodging and boarding as per UNDP rules subject to prior approval
• Individuals working with institutions may also apply, contract would be issued in the name of institution for the specific services of individual

General Conditions for Individual Contract-
http://www.in.undp.org/content/dam/india/docs/procurement/UNDP%20General%20Conditions%20for%20Individual%20Contracts.pdf 

For any clarifications, please write to: ic.india@undp.org 

Please apply online by visiting www.in.undp.org (Careers)