Location : New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Application Deadline : 14-Nov-13
Type of Contract : Individual Contract
Post Level : International Consultant
Languages Required : English French Spanish
Background
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office (MPTF Office) provides dedicated fund administration services when UNDP is appointed by the UN System and national partners to serve as the Administrative Agent (AA) for Multi-Partner Trust Funds (MPTFs) and Joint Programmes (JPs) using the pass-through fund administration modality. The MPTF Office is the AA for 95% of all UN MPTFs thereby functioning as the de facto central service center in the UN for the provision of transparent and accountable fund administration services. The Office provides a one-stop shop with focused support and service to UN Country Teams (UNCTs), national governments and donors. It enhances the UN's accountability for its growing role in MPTFs established in the context of humanitarian, transition, reconstruction, development and climate change programmes. Increasingly, partners turn to the MPTF Office requesting assistance on capitalization of funds, including the development of financial plans, which determine funding requirements and match income sources with needs; the formulation of resource mobilization strategies; and advice on identifying, accessing, sequencing and combining innovative sources of financing, particularly on climate change and conservation funds. A wide variety of innovative financing mechanisms have already been established for the management of global pandemics and sustainable development. However, actual revenues raised to date from innovative sources remain small, standing at only $57.1 billion between 2000 and 2008, or only 4.5% of ODA and IFI bond proceeds. For most of these mechanisms, there are high start-up costs and capacity requirements associated with setting up new innovative financing schemes. A thorough feasibility analysis is often necessary to identify suitable instruments. The MPTF Office seeks the services of a highly qualified consultants to perform tasks related to one or several of the following four areas of fund capitalization: (i) Identifying and defining financing needs and potential sources of finance; (ii) conducting feasibility assessments and developing fund capitalization strategies; (iii) designing innovative financing instruments; (iv) managing and implementing fund capitalization strategies. The specific tasks that the consultant is requested to undertake will vary and depend on the requests received from government and UN partners. They may notably relate to one particular Fund administered by the MPTF Office or to a group of Funds.
The tasks may include any of the following: Identifying and defining the financing needs and potential sources of finance
- Define and/or assess financing needs / gaps based on the Fund's objectives and expected results;
- Identify the potential sources of innovative financing mechanisms that can be leveraged for improved fund capitalization, including defining who the investors / customers are, what return is expected (financial, environmental, social);
- Identify potential donor sources of financing based on a review and analyse contributors' funding strategies and priorities, including both traditional and non-traditional contributors, private foundations, and global/IFI funds;
- Develop a generic tool for fund managers to use to define financing gaps and identify potential contributors.
Feasibility assessments
- Assess the overall feasibility, including the amount of revenue financing mechanisms may generate, the cost of establishing the mechanisms, the level of risk of the proposed financing tools and whether the appropriate technical, financial and infrastructural capacity exists to mitigate risks and guarantee acceptable returns. Where the appropriate capacities do not exist, assess the capacity gaps and the extent of changes required to implement new financing mechanisms (e.g. changes in policies, laws, public awareness etc);
- Develop a generic tool for fund managers to use to conduct a feasibly assessments of innovative sources of financing.
Fund capitalization strategies and design of financing instruments
- Develop fund capitalization strategies and/or options for fund capitalization, including donor specific approaches, combining and sequencing different financing instruments and accessing global funds and mechanisms;
- Design of financing instruments.
Implementation and management of fund capitalization strategies
- Determine the steps, actions, lead organizations and budget implications required to implement financing instruments;
- Develop a capacity development plan to strengthen financial, technical and infrastructural capacities to enable effective access to financing instruments;
- Determine monitoring indicators in assessing the success of the financing instruments.
In completing the tasks noted above, the consultants are requested to conduct any or all of the following:
- Review the literature and/or any assessments carried out by other partners identifying innovative sources of finance;
- Identify any on-going efforts to access innovative sources of finance that can be leveraged for improved fund capitalization;
- Develop country specific fund capitalization strategies.
This vacancy announcement aims to establish Long Term Agreements (LTAs) for consultants who will be deployed to countries (francophone or Anglophone or Spanish speaking) where the MPTF Office administers funds, as well as to develop generic tools and advise on their use. Consultants who are issued a Long-Term Agreement may be requested to conduct similar work for other funds, as part of the advisory services provided by the MPTF Office.
Duties and Responsibilities
Consultants are expected to conduct any of the following tasks under the overall guidance provided by the MPTF Office Executive Coordinator and the Portfolio Manager to prepare the deliverables detailed below. Consultants will also be expected to liaise with UN, national, international and private sector development partners:
Tasks and Deliverables Identifying and defining the financing needs and potential sources of finance
Task - Define and / or assess fund financing needs / gaps based on the Fund's objectives and expected results. Deliverable - Document indicating the extent to which the financing needs defined are realistic, and recommendations for any adjustments. For funds which have not defined the financing needs, a document defining the financing gaps.
Task - Identify the potential sources of innovative financing mechanisms that can be leveraged for improved fund capitalization.
Deliverable - Paper describing the different options of potential innovative financing mechanisms, including defining who the investors / customers are, what return is expected (financial, environmental, social).
Task - Identify potential donor sources of financing based on a review and analyse contributors' funding strategies and priorities, including both traditional and non-traditional contributors, private foundations, and global/IFI funds.
Deliverable - Document identifying potential contributors, most appropriate outreach strategies, and links to which financing gap such funding sources are most appropriate to address.
Task - Develop a generic tool for fund managers to use to define financing gaps and identify potential contributors.
Deliverable - Generic assessment tool to identify financing gaps.
Feasibility assessments
Task - Assess the overall feasibility, including the amount of revenue financing mechanisms may generate, the cost of establishing the mechanisms, the level of risk of the proposed financing tools and whether the appropriate technical, financial and infrastructural capacity exists to mitigate risks and guarantee acceptable returns. Where the appropriate capacities do not exist, assess the capacity gaps and the extent of changes required to implement new financing mechanisms (e.g. changes in polices, laws, public awareness etc).
Deliverable - Paper outlining the overall feasibility of identified funding instruments, the advantages, disadvantages; risks and opportunities associated with each option; the institutional / technical / financial requirements, commitments and capacities needed; the investment/costs required and estimated returns; and the estimated time to establish/access such mechanisms. Where the appropriate capacities do not exist, the paper should also assess the capacity gaps and the extent of changes required to implement new financing mechanisms. The paper should include recommendations on the most appropriate mechanisms for specific financing needs/gaps.
Task - Develop a generic tool for fund managers to use to conduct a feasibly assessments of innovative sources of financing.
Deliverable - Generic assessment tool to assess feasibility of innovative sources of financing.
Fund capitalization strategies and design of financing instruments
Task - Develop fund capitalization strategies and/or options for fund capitalization, including donor specific approaches, combining and sequencing different financing instruments and accessing global funds and mechanisms.
Deliverable - Paper detailing fund capitalization strategies, and/or action plan on options, steps and milestones to mobilise resources to capitalize the fund. Options should also include donor specific approaches, sequencing and combining different financing instruments, and accessing global finance.
Task - Design of financing instruments
Deliverable - Detailed design specifications of financial instruments Implementation and management of fund capitalization strategies
Task - Determine the steps, actions, lead organizations and budget implications required to implement financing instruments.
Deliverable - Document detailing the steps, actions, lead organizations, budget implications and any other information required to implement financing instruments.
Task - Develop a capacity development plan to strengthen financial, technical and infrastructural capacities to enable effective access to financing instruments.
Deliverable - Detailed action plan on steps and milestones for developing technical, financial, institutional and infrastructural capacities to create / access financing instruments.
Task - Determine monitoring indicators in assessing the success of the financing instruments.
Deliverable - A set of monitoring indicators that could be used in assessing the success of the financing instruments.
Time-frame: Will vary depending on the task(s) requested. May range from 2 to 4 weeks per task, to a protracted assignment to support national governments to design and implement financing instruments. This assignment envisages that the consultant maintains regular contact with the MPTF Office, Government stakeholders, international and UN partners, and the private sector. The consultants will work from home but will also be requested to travel and must demonstrate a willingness to work in a collaborative manner while taking responsibility for individual deadlines and deliverables as outlined above and in the contract.
Competencies
- Strong ability to think strategically and creatively, and analyze and synthetize information to provide well-structured and high quality products (feasibility studies, options and action plans);
- In-depth and up-to-date knowledge and understanding of resource mobilization strategies and innovative sources of financing;
- Strong organizational skills and readiness to work flexible hours to ensure that the agreed upon timeline is adhered to;
- Ability to build consensus with government officials and development partners, including the private sector;
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills;
- Proven capacity to work collaboratively in a multi-cultural settings, while taking responsibility for individual deadlines and deliverables.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Advanced university degree in development studies, public administration, business administration, finance or other relevant social science.
Experience:
- Equivalent of 7 years relevant professional experience in development, or financial management systems;
- Experience working for/with IFIs, multi-lateral organizations or contributing partners;
- Experience working in resource mobilization and financing instruments;
- Experience in climate finance (or with other types of development finance);
- Experience of working in or with developing countries;
- Excellent writing skills: and
- Good computer skills.
Language Requirement:
- Fluency in either English and/or French or Spanish is required. Working knowledge of the other languages is desirable.
Application Process:
Candidates should indicate which Tasks under Duties and Responsibilities they are interested in conducting, as well as provide a description of the work approach or work methodology they would take. Candidates are not required to select all of the Tasks under Duties and Responsibilities but may choose 1 or more Tasks. Candidates should also indicate their area of financing instruments expertise. Interested candidates should follow the UNDP standard online application procedure, mindful of the following instructions: After submitting the online form, please upload a document containing a cover letter specifying the Task(s) you would like to do, the Financial Proposal in USD and Description of Approach per Task along with your CV.
Selection Process:
- The selection process will be led by the UNDP MPTF Office;
- Short-listed candidates will be requested to: Provide the Personal History Form (P11); Submit sample options and work plans in English or French; and Participate in an interview with the selection panel.
The technical selection will be based on a balanced assessment of the candidate(s)': (i) knowledge and analysis of the subject matter; (ii) relevance of previous experience and technical expertise; (iii) educational background; and (iv) language skills. The selection of the Consultant will be made in accordance with the quality and cost based selection method (70% technical component and 30% price/cost component).
Contracting Arrangements:
The successful candidates will be requested to enter into a Long Term Agreement (LTA) and will be included in the MPTF Office's list of LTAs for a period of 3 years. The LTA does not necessarily mean that a contract with the MPTF Office is guaranteed. This will depend on forthcoming needs. Where a request for services arises, the MPTF Office shall directly contract the consultant without the need for further selection process. A specific Terms of Reference (ToR) outlining the outputs for each assignment shall be provided and an Individual Contract (IC) or a Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), whichever is applicable, will be issued to the consultant, detailing the time frame. Conditions of a particular assignment may be negotiable.
Estimated Timeframes:
It is expected that the consultant(s) will sign an LTA for a period of 3 years. The Individual Consultant (IC) contract or Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA) contract, whichever is applicable, as mentioned above under Contracting Arrangements will be generated for the assignment outlined in the ToR. The length and timeline of the consultancy will be based on the specific assignment to be completed, with the estimated total number of days and the time period for the work assignment.
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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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