Location : Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (with possibility of travel to other cities in Ethiopia), ETHIOPIA
Application Deadline : 06-Oct-13
Additional Category Poverty Reduction
Type of Contract : Individual Contract
Post Level : National Consultant
Languages Required : English
Duration of Initial Contract : October, 2013 - 31 January, 2014
Expected Duration of Assignment : 28 days
Background
The UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) has developed a global programme to support 2.5 million poor people to obtain access to reliable and affordable clean energy through microfinance (called CleanStart). To this end, CleanStart will support 18 financial service providers (FSPs) across six countries in Asia and Africa to build their capacity in providing financing for clean energy systems. In parallel, the programme will also strengthen the supply chains of technologies being financed and advocate for policy and business environments that promote the growth of energy markets serving low-income people.
CleanStart (2012-2017, US$26.1) will be delivered through four outputs:
- Finance for Clean Energy to strengthen capabilities of 18 FSPs to provide microfinance for clean energy to low-income households and micro-entrepreneurs;
- Technical Assistance for Clean Energy to remove barriers to the successful deployment of those technologies and services for which the selected MFIs will provide microfinance;
- Global Knowledge and Learning to enhance understanding and awareness globally of the potential for microfinance to scale-up access to clean energy and make available the tools and knowledge needed to scale-up access to clean energy beyond the project; and
- Advocacy and Partnerships to create an enabling policy and business environment to expand microfinance for clean energy.
CleanStart finalizes the selection of pilot countries through a two-stage process: 1) assessment and 2) country strategy development. The overall purpose of the assessment is to understand the key drivers of the energy market serving low-income people in the country, the potential for microfinance to dramatically expand the market for modern energy services for poor people and the value-add that CleanStart could provide given the state of the market.
Ethiopia is committed to achieving low carbon climate-resilient growth through interventions in a number of sectors including renewable energy. Improving access to finance, technology and improved practices and enhancing climate and environmental governance are important focus areas in achieving this goal.
Objectives of the assignment
The objective of the assessment is as follows:
- Scope the range of initiatives and stakeholders actively engaged in delivering clean energy applications and services to poor people in the country and are involved in providing micro-finance for clean energy solutions, making initial conclusions on the technologies most appropriate for the CleanStart business model;
- Highlight key trends and issues that shape the energy and microfinance market for low-income people in the country and the implications for CleanStart;
- Provide an initial analysis and conclusion on the level of demand forCleanStart from key actors in the energy and microfinance sectors and areas where CleanStart could add value; and
- Define the scope of the full county country strategy process that will later conduct a detailed value chain analysis of technologies and opportunities for microfinance identified in the assessment.
Duties and Responsibilities
The assessment will include analysis on the following:
- Commonly identified energy needs of poor households and micro-entrepreneurs in urban and rural areas (secondary sources of information);
- Range of technology options that, with microfinance and support to strengthen the supply chain, could be deployed among poor clients fairly quickly ('quick wins') to those that could have a market disruptive effect in the medium to long term;
- Mapping of key stakeholders and initiatives actively involved in delivering modern energy services to poor households and micro-entrepreneurs at the micro, meso and macro-levels;
- Analysis of the financial sector, in particular the microfinance sector in Ethiopia, including the main institutions, characteristics and trend features over the last five years, areas of operation and target market, regulatory and legal environment, capacity building initiatives for microfinance, and main challenges (both internal and external) faced;
- Profiling of energy suppliers and financial institutions that are currently engaged in or have experience in providing energy technologies or services based on credit or payment schemes (institutional overview, business model, product features and outreach);
- Key challenges and opportunities in expanding microfinance for modern energy that is unique to the country;
- Indication of areas where CleanStart could add value;
- Complementary initiatives or programmes that could create synergies with CleanStart;
- Suggestions on local entities that could perform the role of ‘central coordinating agency' for CleanStart.
- Potential for in-country resource mobilization (both direct funding to the programme and leverage potential from parallel resources);
- Recommendations on the scope of the country strategy, including a detailed list and profile of key informants to interview
- As an illustration, key stakeholders could include the following:
Micro-level
- Microfinance institutions;
- Energy suppliers;
Meso-level
- Wholesale financing institutions;
- Microfinance training institutes;
- providers of business support services;
- Industry associations;
- Market research institutions;
- Technology research institutions;
- Carbon finance brokers.
Macro-level
- Central and local government;
- Central Bank or other authority for microfinance;
- National government agencies promoting clean energy;
- Development partners, including donor, NGOs, UN agencies.
The assessment team will be composed of two international experts on energy and financing and a local microfinance expert.
The primary focus of the local microfinance expert will be to provide up-to-date information and analysis on the microfinance sector in Ethiopia. As a local expert, the consultant will also provide active support in identifying initiatives and entities in the energy sector (e.g. energy programmes, private companies, NGOs, associations, etc.) that are actively promoting energy access and financing for the base of the pyramid.
The local expert will support the international team in conducting desk research (identification of key documents and informants), scheduling of meetings, interviewing key informants and verifying and collecting additional data after the in-country mission. The assessment report should deliver on the objectives of the assignment, and contain analysis on items outlined under ‘Scope of Work'.
Number of days: 28 days.
Maximum estimation, actual confirmation will be made based on the outcomes of the preceding assignments under this contract.
Depending on the outcome of the first mission, the consultant may participate in a follow-up mission to further elaborate assessment findings. The second mission may involve travel to the field, in cities outside of Addis Ababa.
Mission 1
- Desk review, preparation of missions, drafting mission schedule and arranging meetings: 5 days;
- In-country mission: 5 days;
- Information gathering, preparing draft report: 3 dDays;
- Sub-total: 13 days.
Mission 2
- Preparation of missions, drafting mission schedule and arranging meetings: 3 days;
- In-country mission: 7 days;
- Information gathering, preparing final report: 5 days;
- Sub-total 15 days.
Grand total: 28 days
The deliverables will include
- Joint preparatory work for desk review phase, including key documents and informants identified, meetings scheduled; and
- Contributions to the assessment report for Ethiopia focusing on the microfinance sector analysis.
Provision of monitoring and progress controls
The consultant will be guided by the Team Leader, and supervised by the UNCDF CleanStart Programme Manager. Deliverables shall be submitted to both the Team Leader and the UNCDF CleanStart Programme Manager.
Payment will be made after submission of assessment report with satisfactory rating by the supervisor.
Competencies
Functional competencies:
- Solid understanding about the microfinance sector and current issues, including key market players, development partners and policy/regulatory environment;
- Established contacts with key market players in the microfinance sector;
- Established contacts with key market players in the energy sector is a plus;
- Excellent organizational, inter-personal and communication skills;
- Good English writing skills.
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.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Minimum bachelor's degree in economics, finance, business, engineering or relevant area;
- Advanced degree in economics, finance, business, engineering or relevant area is a plus;
- Accredited training in relevant areas, including (micro)finance, business development or energy access is a plus.
Experience:
- Minimum of 5 years relevant, practical working experience within the financial sector and/or decentralized energy for the base of the pyramid in Ethiopia;
- Documented, deep technical knowledge and experience with microfinance;
- Familiarity with clean energy solutions;
- Consultancy experience with relevant development programmes is a plus.
Language Requirements:
- Fluency in written and spoken English and Amharic.
Application procedure:
Documents to be included when submitting the proposal
Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:
- Proposal: (not more than 450 words);
- Explaining why they are the most suitable for the work;
- Provide a brief methodology on how they will approach and conduct the work (if applicable);
- Financial proposal: Please submitted Lump sum (inclusive of DSA, Ticket and other costs if any);
- Personal CV including past experience in similar projects and at least 3 references.
Financial proposal
- Please submit financial proposal in a separate sheet to our e-mail Procurement.et@undp.org;
- Consultancy fees;
- Travel Expenditures;
- Miscellaneous;
- Grand Total.
Evaluation
Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodologies:
Cumulative analysis
The award of the contract shall 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 and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.
Technical Criteria weight; 70%;
Financial Criteria weight; 30%.
Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 point and above would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.
Criteria Weight Max. Point
- Technical (based on CV, Proposal and Interview);
- Minimum educational background and work experience (CV) 10%;
- Understanding of scope of work and methodology (From Proposal) 20%;
- Individual Competencies (Interview or desk review) 40%;
- Financial Proposal 30%.
Note:
Submission of Technical and Financial proposal is mandatory failing to submit one of the proposals will be automatically disqualified.
UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
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