Antecedentes

UNCDF is the UN’s capital investment agency for the world’s least developed countries. It creates new opportunities for poor people and their communities by increasing access to finance and investment capital.  UNCDF focuses on Africa and the poorest countries of Asia and the Pacific, with a special commitment to countries emerging from conflict or crisis.  It provides seed capital – grants and loans – and technical support to help microfinance institutions reach more poor households and small businesses, and local governments finance the capital investments – water systems, feeder roads, schools, irrigation schemes – that will improve poor peoples’ lives.

Based on the experience of reaching last mile and digital as a key driver, UNCDF under financial inclusion practice has consolidated its strategy to support last mile solutions. Under the new strategy digital is a key accelerator. While a large part of UNCDF work till date has been focused on LDCs, lately with the growing divide in some of the MIC markets and also new opportunities that are offered by some of these MIC countries in terms of new knowledge and how digital can be deployed for benefit of all. UNCDF FIPA is expanding its work in some of these new markets, with a focus on digital finance and innovations to both help digital finance reach its potential for the last-mile, but also to better use digital and digital finance and other services to achieve the SDGs, anchored through a new initiative that will grow into a multi-country effort. One aspect of this expansion is also to learn new things that are happening in these markets and then create ways of bringing that knowledge and experience to the rest of the world specially LDCs.  

With this in focus UNCDF is looking to expand its work in China with two specific objectives:

1.  Anchor China as a center of excellence through a learning hub, the learnings from which could be taken to rest of the world and new learnings can be shared from other parts of world with Chinese

2. Drive innovation both domestically and for the world focused on last mile through an in-country innovation hub, by working with Chinese stakeholders across the digital and digital finance eco-system

3. Help develop partnerships where the Chinese companies can become enablers for the start-up eco-system within China and elsewhere. Also supporting cross-country partnerships to scale in new markets.

As part of this engagement, UNCDF intends to engage a full-time expert to support the engagement in China.  

Deberes y responsabilidades

Under the supervision of the UNCDF´s Regional Technical Specialist for Digital Finance and Innovation – Asia the consultant will support the following activities and deliverables tied to the project.

The Digital expert would be the key person on the ground to structure the UNCDF engagement in China, that includes developing relationship and partnerships that would lead to the following key outcomes:

1. Assist with landscape assessment that would lead to developing learnings from the market and also develop south-south engagement platform

2. Drive creation of partnerships and establishment of relationships that would allow for UNCDF to roll-out the innovation hub

3. Support with the in-country engagements for implementing the programme with right Chinese counterparts

To reach the above objectives the consultant would undertake the following activities and the deliverables. The below activities have been outlined based on the some of the broader outcomes that have been outlined above and are representative and can be more than that.

Activities

Group 1:

• Learn about opportunities around financial inclusion zones and identify potential activities in these zones;

• Identify key requirements around training for MFI and translate/ update Agent banking toolkits from UNCDF and organize train the trainers along with CICETE
• Based on learnings around financial inclusion zones and if, provide technical assistance to MFIs and large payment players or others to create enabling partnership for testing new use-cases or refining existing ones
• Document the learning from the intervention with MFIs on developing or refining use-cases

Group 2:

• Engage with key stakeholders (bank and MFIs, Payment and internet companies--including financial technology or “FinTech” companies--PBOC, universities, etc.) on areas of best practices around digital and digital-finance and ways to implement them.
• Build engagement with start-ups and industry to directly participate in the programme as partners and adopt the methodology to drive meaningful innovations within their organizations;
• Investigate opportunities to expand program into broader areas of digital innovation engagement beyond fintechs with projects focusing on empowering people's life through digital innovations and increasing resilience. In areas like agriculture and food security, education, health, transport, utilities, energy and water and sanitation sector (DF+);
• Organize and conduct outreach to local stakeholders to win their buy in and participation in the work;
• Identify Chinese companies operating outside of China and could be engaged as enablers working alongside the UNCDF innovation platform on supporting new use-cases.
• Assist UNCDF with building and identifying relationship and possible partnerships with government and other key stakeholders that would be important for taking forward the engagement in China and later assist with scale of engagement

Group 3:

• Design a strategy and action plan for a joint programme in China around digital financial inclusion and digital finance as a means to achieve the SDGs, including the programme document for the larger intervention
• Create visibility/right anchoring for the programme and managing relationship with key national counterparts
• Identify in-country Chinese experts/subject matter specialist as mentors, directly or through partnership with Chinese companies
• Engage with the Chinese mentors based on the requirements drawn from innovation cohorts in different countries where UNCDF is working-on innovation platform
• Invite non-Chinese companies to China to work alongside Chinese partners in rolling out use-cases that would be of benefit to Chinese population and addressing the issue of poverty reduction across different sectors
• Oversee development and management of the existing pipeline of projects with the objective to reach project KPIs on time and reach scale;

Group 4:

• Identify key components of a South-South learning and sharing platform around digital and digital finance and highlight best practices that can be taken elsewhere. Identify key learning topics and write and disseminate at least 3 learning documents
• Develop China-Africa cooperation on digital financial inclusion initiatives - Invite Chinese stakeholders to Digital@UNCDF partners meetings in Senegal, West Africa towards end of the year and create sessions where the learnings could be shared
• Engage with Chinese stakeholders through Fintech Week in Malaysia
• Organize a workshop within China around digital finance and innovation, inviting global stakeholders from Asia and Africa to engage in a dialogue and learn from joint experience
• Invite Chinese start-ups/ companies in events outside of China to facilitate new partnerships across Asia, Africa and Pacific

Deliverables – Year 1

• Two pager on the financial inclusion zones and the potential value for one or more  UNCDF interventions
• Agenda for training to MFIs and guide the translation of UNCDF toolkit on MFIs for digital into Chinese language and then further support the implementation of workshop with CICETE
• Document the possible partnership areas with MFIs or banks or other internet companies leading to engagement plan
• In-country programme implementation arrangement, with Government counterparts or other stakeholders to set-up the innovation hub and learning hub with aspects like unlocking local innovations for inclusion and initiating south-south engagement
• Note on the south-south engagement model that UNCDF should work towards vis-a-vis Chinese stakeholders
• At least three learning documents (Focus note or others) as agreed based on the learnings drawn from Chinese market
• Based on the interest drawn with Chinese stakeholders on engaging as partners or enablers, sign Statement of Intent (at least 4) with details of engagement
• Identify  mentors  from China for the UNCDF Innovation engagement
• Developing the work-plan for activities to be pursued in China and updating of the work-plan along with the team
• Document the problem statement relevant for China with support of result and learning expert looking after China, to structure the first cohort launch in China
• Strategy and action plan document with all required in approvals in place for the larger intervention of UNCDF in China and globally, with support of Chinese counterpart

The above described responsibilities and deliverables are expected to be achieved for the first year of engagement of the consultant. 

Subject to satisfactory performance and budget availability, the consultant may be extended for another year.  During the said period, the deliverables could be generally summarized as follows:

Activities for Year 2

• Managing at-least two cohorts with focus on start-up and entrepreneurs
• Managing at-least one corporate focused accelerator
• Managing a global event in China with focus on demonstrating the learnings from the programme and also the South-South Collaboration
• Support the set-up of programme of UNCDF in China

A detailed set of deliverables shall be determined at later time, as the second year approaches. 

Competencias

• An obsession with what design and technology can do for people.
• Experience managing clients and partners—from early stage companies to mature organizations.
• Solution-focused and medium-agnostic, willing to step out of your core skill set or discipline to find the correct solution to a challenge.
• Cultural sensitivity, creativity, and resourcefulness—as comfortable finding your way through a bustling market in China as you are in a corporate environment.
• Results-driven, problem-solver with structuring and analytic capabilities.  
• Strong ability to think and act strategically, even in situations of ambiguity, to develop both short- and long-term visions.   
• Inspires others, influences and builds trust.
• Strong communicator that can serve multiple functions as needed.

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

Education:

• Bachelors’ Degree in either business administration, international development, economics, etc.

Experience:

• Minimum 7 years’ experience in progressively more responsible or leadership position in financial sector, internet companies, innovation hubs, technology/service sector, or others is mandatory;
• At least 5 years experience in managing and working with key stakeholder relationships vis regulator, government, C level executives, board level management and so on;
• Conversant with efforts around financing (investments, fund-raising) and has successfully closed such efforts;
• At least 3 years experience working in space of digital finance and digital Innovation;
• At least 3 years of experience working in China would be a plus;

Language:

• Excellent written and oral command in English language is mandatory.
• Fluency in one local language (Chinese) is a plus but not mandatory and would be scored.

Timeline, total number of working days, duty station:

• Timeline: August 2018 – July 2019
• Total Number of Working Days for Assignment: up to 220 working days within 12 months, up to 440 working days in 24 months.
• Duty station: Beijing, China

For unforeseeable travel, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed. UNCDF would cover the cost of stay for the selected person.

Please note that UNCDF cannot guarantee residence permits or visas for consultants. Consultants are responsible for securing their work documentation. In the case of national consultants, applicants that are not nationals of the duty station requested will have to prove their residence status.  

Please note that consultants residing in the duty station will not be compensated for living expenses.

The consultant should be open to re-allocation as he/she could be later moved to Shanghai for implementation of ongoing engagements.

Progress Controls & Payments:

Payment will be made against satisfactorily completion of each deliverable. All payments shall be disbursed only upon written confirmation of acceptance of the outputs which and authorization for payment by the Regional Technical Specialist – Asia.

Disbursement of the final payment shall require a signed performance evaluation of the consultant.

Payment schedule is as follows (Year 1):

If the consultant is extended for the second year, the payment terms for the second year shall be determined and agreed between UNCDF and the consultants.  However, all units prices on the financial proposal agreed on the first year shall remain the same for the second year. 

Application process:

Interested individuals must submit the documents mentioned below as proposals in order to demonstrate their qualifications (Note: the system does not allow multiple uploads of documents. Applicants must make sure to upload all documents in one PDF file).

All applications must contain the following information:

• Cover letter with a summary statement of competencies and motivation rationalizing how the applicant meets the qualifications and can deliver the requirements of the Terms of Reference (TOR);
• Earliest availability and proposed schedule for consultancy;
• Complete and signed P11, Personal History Form with names and current contacts of 3 referees (available from http://sas.undp.org/documents/p11_personal_history_form.doc)
• Signed financial proposal for the assignment outlining: all-inclusive fee (including professional fees and other professional expenses, such as insurance, taxes, etc.), travel costs (e.g. daily subsistence allowance (DSA), and the cost of one return ticket to Beijing, China from place of origin. Template for this is available at http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_file.cfm?doc_id=29916). Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials. 

Evaluation: 

Step I: Screening: Applications will be screened and only applicants meeting the minimum criteria will progress to the pool for shortlisting.

Step II: Technical Evaluation:

Shortlisting (20 points): UNCDF will produce a shortlist of candidates and technically evaluate candidates as per experience requirements in the Terms of Reference. As applicable, only the first top 3 ranked applicants shall be considered for an interview.

Shortlisting scoring:

20- Education/Qualification;

20- Functional competencies for assignment;

30- Experience.

Interview (80 points): An interview shall be conducted for the top 3 shortlisted candidates.

Step III: Financial Evaluation: Only candidates with scores above 70% of the technical evaluation (70 Points or above) will be considered. 

The following formula will be used to evaluate financial proposal: lowest priced proposal/price of the proposal being evaluated x 30%.

Award Criteria

The contact shall be awarded to the applicant whose offer have been evaluated and determined as:

Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and Having received the highest combined weight (technical scores) 70% + financial 30%= 100%.

Both individual consultants and individual employed by a company or institution are welcome to apply. 

Any individual employed by a company or institution who would like to submit an offer in response to a Procurement Notice for IC must do so in their individual capacity (providing a CV so that their qualifications may be judged accordingly). Women candidates or women-owned businesses are strongly encouraged to apply.