Location : | Home-based in Kigali, Rwanda with travel to the field (refugee camps and host communities) |
Application Deadline : | 11-Sep-19 (Midnight New York, USA) |
Type of Contract : | Individual Contract |
Post Level : | International Consultant |
Languages Required : |
English |
Starting Date : (date when the selected candidate is expected to start) |
01-Oct-2019 |
Duration of Initial Contract : | Up to 60 working days per year |
Expected Duration of Assignment : | 12 months, with the possibility of extension for two (2) more years |
Background |
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The UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s 47 least developed countries. With its capital mandate and instruments, UNCDF offers “last mile” finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development. UNCDF’s financing models work through two channels: financial inclusion that expands the opportunities for individuals, households, and small businesses to participate in the local economy, providing them with the tools they need to climb out of poverty and manage their financial lives; and by showing how localized investments—through fiscal decentralization, innovative municipal finance, and structured project finance—can drive public and private funding that underpins local economic expansion and sustainable development. By strengthening how finance works for poor people at the household, small enterprise, and local infrastructure levels, UNCDF contributes to SDG 1 on eradicating poverty and SDG 17 on the means of implementation. By identifying those market segments where innovative financing models can have transformational impact in helping to reach the last mile and address exclusion and inequalities of access, UNCDF contributes to a number of different SDGs.UNCDF in RwandaFinancial services have a critical role to play in mitigating refugee situations and assisting in a manner that is effective, accountable and ensures resilience especially for forcibly displaces persons and their host communities in protracted situations. Affordable access to financial services can help refugees and underserved members of communities in the surrounding areas cope with negative shocks, reduce exposure to risk and stimulate economic activity at community levels. As part of its Expanding Access to Finance for Refugees and Host Communities in Rwanda programme, UNCDF Rwanda is championing the provision of appropriate and sustainable formal and informal financial services complemented with digital and financial literacy for refugees and host communities. Informal financial services will be delivered through the creation and strengthening of savings groups whereas formal financial services will be delivered through partnerships established with financial services providers (FSPs) and mobile network operators (MNOs) invested in reaching unbanked populations in refugee camps and surrounding rural areas. Because participation in savings groups and usage of mobile financial services can have a clear and direct impact on livelihoods, economic growth, and inclusive social and economic development, UNCDF supports these interventions, along with the necessary financial and digital literacy to use them, in and around the refugee camps in Rwanda, benefiting both the refugee and host communities, with a focus on women and youth. UNCDF is cognizant of the fact that to be successful, FSPs must acquire and serve potential refugee and host community customers cost effectively. One of the main benefits of targeting camp-based refugee customers and host community members in a specific district is the opportunity to sign up customers in bulk, which will reduce the average cost of acquisition. The choice of channels (branches, automated teller machines [ATMs], agents, and mobile money) deployed by FSPs and the proximity of these resources to refugee and host community populations, impacts costs for both FSPs and refugee and host community customers, and drives the likelihood that they will use the product. Bank and mobile money agents are examples of channels that will be deployed and enhanced within refugee camps relatively quickly and without the capital expenditure associated with branches and ATMs. Also, agents will be trained to explain how products work and help customers to perform simple transactions. During the life of the programme, UNCDF will work with two or more FSPs to improve their product offerings and enable them to reach more refugees and host community members. You may also like:
Access to Finance for Refugees and Host Communities There are currently over 150,000 refugees in Rwanda who remain “thinly” financially included, and who do not yet use available financial services regularly or to their greatest benefit. Both formal services and informal services, such as savings groups, have yet to reach a great number of refugees, particularly women and youth. The lack of access to a broad range of beneficial financial services exacerbates problems faced by refugees and limits their opportunities for economic growth and self-reliance. Limited access to financial products and services means that refugees have a limited ability to grow their businesses and further increase income via savings, investment and credit. This means that refugees often have low resistance to financial shocks given a lack of safeguards such as insurance, social funds (via savings groups), or assets that could be sold in a time of need or urgency. Outside of the refugee camps, a high number of Rwandan adults, 89%, are considered financially included, however, only 68% of these have access to and use formal products. The underserved Rwandans, 65% of whom are women, face many of the same challenges as refugees and can benefit from more accessible, convenient and affordable services. UNCDF’s expertise in the promotion and strengthening of savings groups – for both citizens and refugees – provides a natural point of linkage between the formal and informal financial worlds. Through a market-led approach, starting with savings and adding product offerings, along with complementary digital and financial literacy, UNCDF sees the potential to produce positive change in Rwanda for both refugees and host communities. By using savings groups as a point of entry, UNCDF will reach refugees and members of the surrounding Rwandan host communities, a majority of whom are women and youth, with demand-driven, client-centric financial services supported by targeted financial and digital literacy programmes that will help them make good financial choices and increase their households’ incomes. Project objectives are to provide:
Objectives of the Assignment UNCDF is looking for a consultant with experience in Digital Financial Services (DFS) and supporting Financial Service Providers (FSPs) to provide technical expertise and inputs to its FSP partners in the Expanding Access to Finance for Refugees and Host Communities in Rwanda programme. The overall objective of the assignment is for the consultant to provide technical expertise and support to UNCDF’s financial service provider (FSP) partners on the following activities:
Financial products for refugees and host communities, with a focus on savings first;
This solicitation is for a Framework agreement, also known in UNCDF as the Long-Term Agreement (LTA) which has a duration of one year with the possibility of extension for two (2) more years, based on the satisfactory performance of an individual consultant, project needs and funding availability. An “LTA” refers to a mutual agreement whereby the Consultant will provide services as required, over a specific period. It specifies the unit price (daily rate) allowing for an LTA to be used when the Consultant’s services are needed. Purpose of the Framework Agreement UNCDF would like to enter into a non-exclusive Framework Agreement, also known as Long-Term Agreement (LTA), with the consultant who will perform the services described below on a need-basis. In UNCDF, an LTA is a framework agreement by and between UNCDF and a company or individual where the latter may, at any time within the duration of the LTA, be required to render the agreed services at the agreed and fixed unit prices for a minimum period of 12 months, with potential extension for up to two (2) additional years, depending on satisfactory performance. Under an LTA, UNCDF does not guarantee that any specific quantity of services shall be purchased during the term of this agreement. The LTA does not form a financial obligation or commitment from UNCDF at the time the LTA contract is signed and that such an agreement is non-exclusive. Where a request for service arises, UNCDF can engage the individual on LTA through a “call-off” of the LTA. Every call-off shall have specific tasks, scope of services and outputs to be delivered within a specific period. For this work, the call-off shall be formalized through the issuance of a Purchase Order, attaching thereto the TOR, and any other document relevant to the call-off. Financial commitments will only be established each time a Purchase Order for the specific services/TOR for Individual Contractor is committed. The LTA shall have a cumulative ceiling amount that may accrue to the individual contractor during the life of the LTA, but said amount shall remain as an upper limit, and must not and cannot be interpreted nor understood as neither a financial commitment nor guarantee of business volume. |
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Duties and Responsibilities |
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Under the direct supervision of the Programme Coordinator and the Programme Specialist, the Financial Service Provider (FSP) Consultant will be responsible for:
Final Products
Duration of Assignment, Duty Station and Expected Places of Travel Contract duration: The assignment, under this Framework Agreement (On Call basis), is expected to have a duration of one year with the possibility of extension for two (2) more years, based on the satisfactory performance of an individual consultant, project needs and funding availability. Number of working days: up to 60 working days per year. Duty station: The individual contractor is expected to be home-based in Kigali, Rwanda with travel to the field (refugee camps and host communities) as needed. The schedule of travel will be negotiated with the consultant according to the requirements of each task. Travel: Travel costs associated to the assignment will be paid as reimbursable basis and following the UNDP/UNCDF rules and regulations which states that consultants shall only be paid the most direct and most economical ticket, as will be quoted by the official UN travel agency. Any amount in excess of the said quotation, such as class and airline preference of the consultant, shall be borne by the consultant and the daily living allowance will be paid as per UN Rate. Monitroing and Progress Control The consultant will work under direct supervision of the UNCDF Programme Specialist and/or his designate, and in close collaboration with in-country team. The consultant is responsible for providing his/her own laptop during the course of his/her engagement with UNCDF. Payment to an Individual Contractor will be made based on the actual number of days agreed with UNCDF as reflected in the call off (PO) and upon certification of satisfactory performance, and acceptance of the output by the UNCDF Programme Specialist and/or his designate. The following supporting documents will serve as conditions for disbursement: (i) submission of an invoice and Certificate of Payment (COP); (ii) review, approval and written acceptance of each deliverable by the UNCDF Programme Specialist and/or his designate; (iii) submission of a time-sheet and expenses with relevant supporting documentation; and (iv) an authorization of payment disbursement from a direct supervisor. Where payment is based on days worked and not on milestone outputs, the submission of time sheet and expenses with relevant documentation may be required by UNCDF. UNCDF shall closely monitor the performance of the Individual Contractors, and such monitoring shall include the detailed tracking of cumulative payments ensuring that they do not exceed the approved limit of the LTA. If the consultants fail to meet performance requirements detailed above, s/he will receive in first instance, a communication requesting an improvement in performance. Continued failure to meet performance requirements may result in termination of the call-off PO, the non-utilization of the LTA, until its expiration, and eventually non-extension of the LTA. |
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Competencies |
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Professional
Client Orientation
Desired Attributes
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Required Skills and Experience |
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The consultant must provide evidence of having the technical capacity to undertake this assignment. This includes capacity to deliver the results in the timeframe provided as well as indication of prior experience (experience managing and supporting the implementation of digital financial services and providing technical assistance to FSPs).
Education
Experience
Language Requirements
Application Process Interested individuals must submit the following as proposals in order to demonstrate their qualifications: (NOTE: the system does not allow multiple uploads of document. Applicants must make sure to upload all documents in one PDF file). All applications must contain the following information:
Failure to submit all the below mentioned documents may result in rejection of the application. Evaluation Criteria Applications will be rated on both technical and financial submissions. The following selection method will be used: Highest rated proposal using the combined scoring method, which assigns the weight distribution between the technical and financial proposals. The overall combined score will be 100 points, where weight distribution shall be 70% technical (40% desk review + 30% interview) and 30% financial. Step I: Screening
Step II: Shortlisting criteria by Desk Review – 40% (100 points):
Only the top three candidates that obtained a minimum of 70 points shall be invited for an interview. Step III. Interview – 30% (100 pts) :
Step IV: Financial Evaluation – 30% : The following formula will be used to evaluate financial proposal: Award of Framework Agreement The award of the LTA will be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined: (i) Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and UNCDF reserves the right to increase or decrease this number depending on the quality of the applications that will be received. 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. 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. If you are experiencing difficulties with online job applications, please contact jobs.help@undp.org. |
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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. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks. |