Antecedentes

The Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan.  BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder for including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, South-South and triangular cooperation initiatives, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. 

As the UN system's development program and a GEF Implementing Agency since 1991, UNDP also supports countries in addressing development, climate, and ecosystem sustainability in an integrated manner. UNDP-GEF offers countries highly specialized technical services for eligibility assessment, program/project formulation, due diligence, mobilization of required co-financing, project implementation oversight, results management and evaluation, performance-based payments and knowledge management.

With financing from  the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), Special Climate Change Fund and other donors, UNDP, together with UNEP and other partners is providing assistance to integrate climate change into national and sectoral planning and budgeting processes. UNDP, through its leadership in the NAP- global Support Programme (NAP-GSP) is assisting LDCs to identify technical, institutional and financial needs to integrate climate change adaptation into ongoing medium and long-term national planning. The partner agencies of the NAP-GSP are the FAO, GIZ, GWP, IFAD, PROVIA, WHO, UNFCCC, UNISDR and UNITAR.  The GSP is one of a number of initiatives in place to support Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to advance their NAP process.

Within this overall background, UNDP is seeking a consultant to support staff with providing assistance to countries on catalyzing private sector finance for adaptation. In the context of support rolled out to countries to advance their National adaptation Plans, the consultant will work with UNDP staff to assist countries to identify and put into practice barrier removal solutions to private sector investment in the context of climate change risk management in key sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing and energy. This tailored support will complement other NAP-GSPs activities that are focused on region-based technical training and awareness raising, and knowledge sharing and exchange in the context of strengthening capacities of client countries to mainstream climate change into planning and budgeting.

Deberes y responsabilidades

Objective

The consultant is expected to support the achievement of the following objectives:

  • Assist countries to strengthen their technical capacity to unlock barriers to private sector engagement including finance to support adaptation in the context of their national adaptation plan related efforts involving key sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing and energy;
  • Assist UNDP Staff with designing programmes and projects that can help countries unlock private sector engagement and finance for achieving adaptation at scale.

Scope of Work

The Private Sector Finance Expert will be responsible for:

  • Assisting at least 4-8 countries with one on one support to develop a preliminary climate risk and risk management profile with respect to key sectors;
  • Provide training in 4-8 countries on develop sector specific risk management measures, to identify policy and regulation risks that may not be conducive to incentivizing private investment, and to develop potential solutions to reduce policy and regulation risks;
  • Provide a more in-depth training programme (3-4 days) on how to identify, structure and make available financial products/services such as insurance and guarantees that address specific risks in key sectors;
  • Provide remote technical advisory support to countries on identifying opportunities in which grants can be used to compliment efforts to structure, underwrite, and/or re-insure insurance that addresses climate adaptation (e.g. catastrophe insurance, weather linked agricultural insurance, etc.), in partnership with insurance and re-insurance providers;
  • Support client countries with technical advice on ways in which grants can be used as guarantees that address specific project risks that, if left unaddressed, would deter private sector investors;
  • Assist countries to develop sector specific risk management measures that international funds could be used to leverage domestic public and private funds to address those sector specific risks;
  • Support public agencies in client countries to identify policy and regulation risks that may not be conducive to incentivizing private investment. Assist client countries to develop potential solutions to reduce policy and regulation risks;
  • Working with partner institutions to identify, structure and make available financial products/services such as insurance and guarantees that address specific risks in climate change mitigation projects and support climate change adaptation investments in developing countries;
  • Identify opportunities in which grants can be used to compliment efforts to structure, underwrite, and/or re-insure insurance that addresses climate adaptation (e.g. catastrophe insurance, weather linked agricultural insurance, etc.), in partnership with insurance and re-insurance providers;
  • Identify opportunities in which grants can be used as guarantees that address specific project risks that, if left unaddressed, would deter private sector investors (e.g., technology risk such as a risk that technology and equipment being used in a new geography is able to withstand local weather conditions or to be effective operated and maintained by local technicians and default risk that if the project developer fails to perform and repay loan);
  • Support client countries to work with insurance companies, development banks, and other intermediaries to structure and deliver risk management solutions such as insurance, guarantee solutions, and credit enhancement;
  • Partner and maintain relationships with investors, project sponsors, peers and other stakeholders to: (a) be aware of changes in the financial landscape that are relevant to climate change; and (b) structure appropriate solutions and conduct required due diligence on investments; and
  • Support countries to draft investment proposals to access international finance;
  • Review and comment on concepts/project documents provided by UNDP staff programming GEF family of funds for adaptation that focus on catalyzing private sector finance and engagement.

The tasks associated with this Terms of Reference are expected to be completed through a combination of (a) home-based preparatory work; (b) leading or participating in country level consultations (together with NAP-GSP partners) in selected countries and; (c) post-mission drafting of next steps, based on the outcomes of the in-country training) to guide the NAP process in visited country.

Expected outputs and deliverables

Pre-Mission Deliverables (Products/Services):

  • Plan for mission;
  • Liaise with country team on priority areas and capacity building needs to guide in country training material preparation.
  • Preparation of training material – both theoretical and with examples for review and clearance by UNDP staff;
  • Prepare templates to guide and plan for skills building;
  • At least 6 PPTs on topics relevant to identifying removing barriers private sector engagement and investment in the context of climate change risk management in key sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing and energy.

In country Deliverables (Products/Services):

  • Interview key government departments and identify gaps and needs for skills building in removing policy, technical, institutional, and incentives for promoting private sector involvement in adaptation;
  • Provide direct training to senior decision makers that address gaps identified in (1);
  • Provide a more in-depth training programme (3-4 days) on identifying and removing barriers to private sector engagement in adaptation.

Post- mission Deliverables (Products/Services):

  • Post mission assessment of areas of support needed given additional information gathered following the in country workshop and project site visits;
  • A draft skills building plan for 2 or 3 government departments on identifying and removing barriers to private sector engagement in adaptation;
  • Review and recommendations for 10 projects on removing barriers to private sector engagement;
  • Provide advisory services, and training to UNDP staff on developing projects that remove barriers for private sector engagement in adaptation;
  • Develop training materials for use in sensitizing client countries on removing barriers to private sector engagement in adaptation.

Competencias

  • Demonstrated skills in information technology including Microsoft Office;
  • Ability to work both independently, against tight deadlines;
  • Demonstrate an ability to undertake independent problem solving;
  • Show initiative and enthusiasm for the consultancy;
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills;
  • Be knowledgeable of UN system ideas and objectives;
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
  • Highest standards of integrity, discretion and loyalty.

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

Education:

  • Master degree or above in economics, environmental studies or a closely related field.

Professional Experience:

  • A minimum of 8 years of relevant work experience. Relevant experience can include areas such as economics of adaptation, Climate and Sustainable Finance, public private partnerships, risk and uncertainty management;
  • Demonstrated knowledge of climate change adaptation and development;
  • Experience working with and delivering support to Governments;
  • Experience in building partnerships and liaising with partner organizations;
  • Sound understanding of climate change, sustainable human development, environmental management issues adaptation, vulnerability and impact, and other related sustainable human development issues;
  • Experience working in Asia and Africa, especially LDCs is an asset.

Language requirements:

  • Fluency in English communication is essential.

Institutional arrangement:

  • The consultant will be supervised by the Head, Adaptation, UNDP-GEF throughout the consultancy.

Review time required:

  • The review and approval of payments will be made by the assigned supervisor(s) within 14 days.

Duration of work:

  • 9 February 2015 – 20 January 2016 (Up to 135 days).

Duty station:

  • Home based with possible travels to mission in 4 – 8 countries (to be determined)

Expected places of travel: 

  • Specific destination shall be assigned and approved prior to travel.

Financial proposal and schedule of payments:

  • The contract will be based on daily fee: The financial proposal will specify the daily fee in USD. The payments will be made to the Individual Consultant based on approved timesheet on a monthly basis and upon completion of the deliverables.
  • Travel : Payment of travel costs including tickets, living allowance, terminal expenses and other travel related cost should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and Individual Consultant, prior to travel. The provided living allowance will not be exceeding UNDP DSA rates. Repatriation travel cost from home to duty station in Bangkok and return shall not be covered by UNDP.

Evaluation method and criteria:

Individual consultant will be evaluated based on the folllowing methodology:

Cumulative analysis

The award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

  • Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and
  • Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical (70%) and financial criteria (30%) specific to the solicitation.

Technical criteria for evaluation 70% (maximum 500 points)

  • Education : 10%, maximum 50 points;
  • Years of Professional experiece  : 25%, maximum 125 points;
  • Experience working with and delivering support to Governments : 20%, maximum 100 points;
  • Experience in the area of climate change, sustainable human development, environmental management issues adaptation, vulnerability and impact, and other related sustainable human development issues : 25%, maximum 125 points;
  • Experience working in Asia and Africa, especially LDCs : 10%, maximum 50 points;
  • Availability : 10%, maximum 50 points.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 350 technical points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation (30% ,maximum 100 points)

Documents 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 or P11, 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.

Incomplete proposals may not be considered.

Annexes:

For any clarification regarding this assignment please write to brh.gef.procurement@undp.org.