UNICEF Job Vacancy – National Consultant – Financing Consultant, Basic Sanitation Fund (Open to Ghanaian Nationals Only)

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For every child,

UNICEF Ghana has been supporting the Government of Ghana (GoG) to implement the Urban Sanitation Programme (USP) since 2015. Initially implemented in Tamale, Ho, and Ashaiman metropolitan, municipal assemblies (MMAs), the Programme was extended to two new MMAs, Cape Coast and KEEA in 2020. Sanitation financing is one of the core components of the USP. The Basic Sanitation Fund (BSF) which was launched in December 2018 aims to make financing affordable and accessible to increase sanitation uptake. The fund is administered through the ARB Apex Bank (Apex Bank), with Rural Community Banks (RCBs) on-lending to households and/or small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for the explicit purpose of building household toilets in targeted urban areas.

Initially, significant interest was shown by households and SMEs in borrowing money to build household toilets, resulting in over 300 household and 11 business loans disbursed in the first 5 months in 2019 through the BSF. However, the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 affected BSF progress due to economic impacts on families and subsequent difficulties for RCBs in organizing community consultations, mass registration, and other events to promote new loans. As a result, few loans were disbursed in 2020. However, RCBs took the opportunity to focus on improving repayments through intense follow-up, loan rescheduling, and, as a last resort, prosecution, which helped improve recovery levels.

A social and financial impact assessment of the BSF was undertaken in the second half of 2020. Both the assessment and the experience to date indicate that enhanced focus on loan uptake and repayment by both SMEs and households is required

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How can you make a difference?

The purpose of this consultancy is to provide technical expertise to accelerate the implementation of BSF with more households and SMEs taking loans and with an improved rate of re-payment. The consultant will coordinate existing BSF activities on disbursement and repayment at the field level by working closely with Apex Bank and RCBs, FIs, FNGOs, CSOs, MMDAs, BSF beneficiaries (Households and SMEs) and other stakeholders. The consultant will also identify opportunities for further scaling up of the BSF.

Specific Tasks include

• Accelerating BSF loan disbursement for financing household toilets

• Support Apex Bank and RCBs in improving fund disbursement and recovery rates.
• Work with Apex Bank, RCBs, and other partners in identifying digital solutions to improve the efficiency of BSF application, disbursement, and re-payment processes.
• Support Apex Bank in scoping and selecting suitable RCBs, FIs, CSOs, and WASH FNGOs.
• Strengthening Mutual Savings and Loans Associations (MSLAs) to enable accessing BSF (support formation of MSLAs where no such structure exists).
• Support establishment of BSF in new MMAs of Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi;

• Support Apex Bank, RCBs, CSOs, and MMAs in product design and marketing.

• Support better marketing of the toilets through clear specification and designs for different options
• Support sanitation SMEs in planning and management practices, including accessing loans and repayments.
• Support MMAs in organizing sanitation fairs to bring suppliers and buyers together.
• Support capacity development of artisan associations to develop into a strong group with increased coverage of communities with sanitation services and products.
• Support sanitation businesses to foster linkages with other stakeholders in the municipalities and metropolitan authorities.

• Support MMAs and communities in better access to loans through BSF

• Provide capacity-building support to MMAs on BSF and its operations.
• Support MMAs in improving the awareness among households and SMEs about the BSF loan for a household toilet.
• Support partner CSOs to effectively mobilize the communities to access BSF.
• Support partner CSOs to mobilize and develop the MSLA groups into viable entities to access BSF loans and construct household latrines.

• Support in monitoring and evaluation.

• • Ensure monthly disbursement and recovery data are collected, analysed, and used for decision-making. Use the existing data collection tool or update it as necessary.
  • Carry out routine monitoring of RCBs performance (contact each RCB at least once in three months in person or by virtual means) to ensure that BSF is being operationalized in the field and achieving results.
  • Develop or modify the performance evaluation templates of sanitation SMEs, FSPs (RCBs, FIs, FNGOs, CSOs) and MSLAs and support the performance evaluation.
  • Update and report on the progress of sanitation businesses, financial institutions and MSLAs.
  • Update monthly BSF factsheet.

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Expected Deliverables

• • By end of 3rd week, a detailed workplan developed to rollout the key BSF Impact study recommendations 2021-2022.
  • By end of 6th week, the internal processes of RCBs/FIS/CSOs are reviewed and bottlenecks/risks mapped for improvement towards a lean and robust loan processing system (Target: 2-4 paged report)
  • By 10th week, loan application formats and templates are reviewed for swift loan processing in consultation with Apex Bank, RCBs, artisans, SMEs, MMAs and communities (Target: Updated formats)
  • By 15th week, RCB/FIs staff, MMDA staff, target community leaders, artisans, SMES, MSLAs are trained on a loan application and disbursement tools and formats (Target: 4 MMAs).
  • By 20th week, household latrine design promotion package developed in a simple and attractive format withdrawing, BOQs, cost estimate for the use of sanitation SMEs. (Target: 4 latrine options are available)
  • By 20th week, guidelines on mutual savings and loan association (MSLA) updated. Based on which, support to MSLA (new formation or strengthening existing ones) project MMAs (Target: 6 MSLAs).
  • By 26th week, latrine artisans and MSLA members are trained on sanitation business development based on RBF guidelines and household latrine product package (Target: 50 artisans and 50 MSLA members)
  • By 24th week, the first and by 30th week, the second sanitation fairs organized involving all sector partners and local sanitation businesses (Target: 2 Cape Coast/KEEA & Kumasi/Accra)
  • By 30th week, database to track loan disbursement to businesses and households is updated and in operation (Target: monthly disbursement and re-payment records available)
  • By 40th week, Sanitation SME’s in 4 MMAs have received at least one follow-up support in improving product promotion financial management capacity (Target: 15 SMEs operational)
  • By 44th week, at least two follow-up supports received by RCBs and FIs in each MMA on loan disbursement and recovery improvement (Target: 500 new loan issued)
  • Monthly report and end of assignment report capturing work completed in 11.5 months

NOTE: Detailed TOR for this assignment is attached here.TOR - BSF Financing Consultant.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• • An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Financing, Banking, Business Development, or any other related field linked to financing, micro-credit, and business management.
  • Additional qualification in Management and Business Administration will be an asset.
  • A minimum of three years progressive experience in development financing, banking, micro-credit, business development, and sanitation marketing.
  • Experience of working with Mutual Savings and Loan Association (MSLA), micro-finance, credit, and loan institutions and rural banks in Ghana is desirable.
  • Proven experience of supporting Financial Service Providers (FSPs) and knowledge of SPs, knowledge of lending mechanisms, would be a valuable asset
  • Proven planning and organizational skills and a strong drive for results
  • Ability to formulate strategies and concepts
  • Innovative and analytical skills
  • Effective coordination of skills, networking and influencing
  • Good communication and report writing skills

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For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are...

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Application Procedure

Interested candidates should apply online to the link provided attaching current CVs and indicate their daily professional fees in Ghana Cedis. Also, attach a two-page write-up on how he/she intends to accomplish this assignment within the given time frame. The applications will be evaluated based on CV/Resume and the write-up. There may be an assessment for shortlisted candidates.

Remarks

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

How to Apply

Qualified and interested individuals should click on the button below to apply.

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