UNCDF strategy ‘Leaving no one behind in the digital era’ is based on over a decade of experience in digital finance in Africa, Asia and the Pacific. UNCDF recognizes that reaching the full potential of digital financial inclusion in support of the Sustainable Development Goals aligns with the vision of promoting digital economies that leave no one behind. Please refer to UNCDF Global Strategy: Leaving No One Behind in the Digital Era.

https://www.uncdf.org/article/4931/global-strategy-leaving-no-one-behind-in-the-digital-era

UNCDF in Sierra Leone

In partnership and with financing from USAID, UNCDF started DFS activities in Sierra Leone in 2014.

Sierra Leone made significant gains in the area of digital financial services (DFS) in 2018. The number of registered DFS customers increased by more than one million, from 4,214,866 in 2017 to 5,438,888 in 2018. Additional growth in DFS adoption and usage is expected in 2019 as providers consider and implement changes in strategy.

Despite this growth, primarily driven by customers in major towns and cities, there is still a need to improve access to and usage of DFS among new and existing customers, including previously excluded segments of the population such as rural inhabitants, women and youth. For instance, only 8% of women and 15% of men have a bank account in Sierra Leone, according to a survey of smallholders conducted by the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and funded by the European Union through the Boosting Agriculture and Food Security project.

Under the strategy of ‘Leaving no one behind in the digital era,’ UNCDF will continue to work with various players and support multiple key industry initiatives such as improved data analytics, better agent network management and more innovation. UNCDF is focusing on building inclusive digital economies by empowering youth, women, migrants and micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises—customer segments that are often marginalized and denied digital innovations.

UNCDF is very encouraged by the results thus far achieved and remain committed to providing support to Sierra Leonean partners in order to enhance the understanding, willingness and ability of stakeholders to develop, improve and expand DFS in the country.

UNCDF requires the services of a Digital Financial Services Consultant to provide technical advice  to UNCDF’s country strategy and programme interventions as well providing capacity building expertise  to UNCDF’s partners.

Area of intervention 1. Inform UNCDF’s programme interventions that enable financial inclusion interventions in Sierra Leone.

1. Conduct/ support market research to inform financial inclusion interventions for the Sierra Leone programme, including understanding the supply and demand side for digital innovations for key segments (Small holder farmers, refugees, women and youth including evaluation and drafting of the National financial Inclusion strategy with the Central Bank.
2. Based on the market research above, write publications (blogs, white papers, reports) on financial inclusion and DFS solutions in Sierra Leone and the findings of the research.
3. Providing technical inputs and advisory services to UNCDF’s local Working Groups: (1) financial client-centric products, (2)  financial literacy (3) education s and  smallholder farmers groups.
4. Conducting a technical analysis of the UNCDF’s Annual Provider Surveys (APS).
5. Conducting  the ecosystem mapping exercise with  the Directorate of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI ).

Area of intervention 2. Provide technical expertise to UNCDF interventions related to digital solutions and digital innovations in Sierra Leone.

1. Designing at least 2 innovation challenges or Requests for Applications (RFAs) to select companies and start-ups & FinTech’s to provide innovative solutions that  unlock current market constraints.
2. Perform project spot checks : for at least four of the partners selected in the challenges, design project documents, project appraisal documents, project workbooks (including results measurement frameworks, targets, work plans, risk management tools, budget tracking tools).
3. Design and  development go-to-market plans, strategies and implementation plans for UNCDF partner institutions.
4. Designing training materials and facilitate at least 4 think-tank sessions / workshops with partners on lessons learnt from ongoing and previous projects and research studies.

Area of intervention 3. Facilitate the exchange of insights, experiences and technical expertise through hosted workshops, peer-to-peer exchanges, conferences and meetings within the country.

1. Facilitating the exchange of insights, experiences and technical expertise through hosted workshops, peer-to-peer exchanges, conferences, working groups and meetings within the country.
2. Advise  Bank of Sierra Leone (BSL) on  draft consumer protection guidelines
3. Draft a consumer protection guidelines diagnostic report.
4. Provide technical inputs to public-private workshops on the following themes  draft consumer protection guidelines, innovation solutions, digital identification , open payment ecosystem, G2P solutions, smallholder farmers.
5. Writing publications (blogs, white papers, reports) on the key results and lessons learnt emerging from the implementation.

The table below outlines the list of key deliverables, due date and level of effort foreseen:

Institutional Arrangement

• The Consultant will be based in Free Town, Sierra Leone, and will work under the supervision of the Digital Country Lead in Sierra Leone.
• Reporting will be done through weekly meetings with the Digital Country Lead.
• All deliverables will be approved by the Digital Country Lead.

Duration of the Work

• Maximum number of working days required for the assignment is up to 400 days spread over two years.

Location of the Work

The Consultant will be based in Free Town, Sierra Leone, with potential travels inside the country, or as may be requested by UNCDF.

Travel:

The consultant might quote 2 travel cost to her/his duty station. The unit price for tickets should be provided on most direct economic class (business and first-class airfare are not permitted as per UNDP rules and regulations);

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

Facilities provided by UNCDF:

UNCDF will provide an office space. The consultant will be responsible for providing his/her own laptop during his/her engagement with UNCDF.

Progress controls:

The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the UNCDF Sierra Leone Country Lead, who is based in Free Town, Sierra Leone. c

Payments:

Payments will be made on periodical basis upon satisfactorily achieved deliverables under each assignment and submission of time sheet in accordance with number of days worked. All payments are subject to the clearance and approval of the direct supervisor. Final payment shall require a signed performance evaluation of the consultant.

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 Digital Country Lead 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.

Payments will have the following payment schedule.

• Excellent organizational and analytical skills complemented by sound interpersonal skills and the ability to work in a multicultural environment.
• Proficient in MS Office Software applications, data analysis and technical presentations.
• Strong communicator
• Results-driven, problem-solver with structuring and analytic capabilities
• Ability to establish strong working relationships with various stakeholder institutions in the public and private sector

• Master Degree in economics, international development, or related field.

Experience:

• 5 years of experience in in managing large-scale, high-impact programme delivery schemes for improving access to financial services for the most marginalized populations (refugees, women, youth) particularly in in low/middle income countries is mandatory.
• 3 years of professional experience in digital payments, financial services, financial inclusion, ICT4D, economic development or digital government is required
• Experience in managing innovation processes, bootcamps and acceleration programs is preferable
• Experience working in Africa and fragile economies is preferred, but not mandatory.
• Experience working with the UN system or an international organization is preferred.

Language requirements:

• Proficiency in written and spoken English is mandatory.

Timeline, total number of working days, duty station:

• Timeline: 24 months.
• Total Number of Working Days for Assignment: up to 400 working days.

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 DOCUMENTS THEREFORE APPLICANTS MUST MAKE SURE TO UPLOAD ALL REQUIRED DOCUMENTS IN ONE FILE). Proposers who shall not submit below mentioned documents may not be considered for further evaluation.

All applications must contain the following information:

• A cover letter responding to competency criteria indicating why the candidate considers himself/herself suitable for the required consultancy as well as stating earliest availability.  Please paste this letter into the “Resume and Motivation” section of the electronic application.
• CV or P11, indicating all past experiences from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email, telephone, skype) of the Candidate with contact details of at least three (3) professional references (e-mail addresses, telephone numbers).  Link to P11: http://sas.undp.org/documents/P11_Personal_history_form.doc
• Earliest availability and proposed schedule for consultancy.
• Financial proposal that indicates the all-inclusive daily fee. If an Offeror is employed by an organization/company/institution, and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNCDF under Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the Offeror must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNCDF.  Please use the form available at http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_file.cfm?doc_id=29916

The Financial Proposal shall indicate (1) The all-inclusive daily fee and (2) the travel costs indicated in the travel section, (3) living costs if any.

When applying for this consultancy position, please apply with your official name as shown in the government issued identification document (e.g. passport and/or driver license). Contract award is subject to this verification.

Incomplete applications may not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials.

In general, UNCDF shall not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources.In the event of unforeseeable travel not anticipated in this TOR, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and the Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.

Evaluation: 

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 (20% desk review + 30%written test+30% interview) and 30% financial.

Step I: Screening: 

Applications will be screened and only applicants meeting the mandatory criteria below will progress to the pool for shortlisting:

• Master Degree in economics, international development, or related field
• Minimum 5 years of experience in in managing large-scale, high-impact programme delivery schemes for improving access to financial services for the most marginalized populations (refugees, women, youth) particularly in in low/middle income countries is mandatory.
• At least 3 years of professional experience in digital payments, financial services, financial inclusion, ICT4D, economic development or digital government is required

Step II: Shortlisting by desk review (20 % out of technical assessment): UNCDF will produce a shortlist of candidates and technically evaluate candidates by evaluating the following criteria with corresponding points (100 points):

UNCDF will conduct a desk review process to shortlist and technically evaluate candidates as per the following criteria:

• Master Degree in economics, international development, or related field (20 points)
• 5 years of experience in in managing large-scale, high-impact programme delivery schemes for improving access to financial services for the most marginalized populations (refugees, women, youth) particularly in in low/middle income countries is mandatory. (30 points)
• 3 years of professional experience in digital payments, financial services, financial inclusion, ICT4D, economic development or digital government is required (20 points)
• Experience in managing innovation processes, bootcamps and acceleration programs (15 points)
• Experience working in Africa and fragile economies. (10 points)
• Experience working with the UN system or an international organization. (5 points)

Only the top candidates obtaining a minimum of 70 points in the review of profile will be considered for written test.

Step III: Written Test (40 % out of technical assessment), 100 points:

A written test shall be conducted with the top candidates who score at least 70 points in Step 2. Candidates will be tested on the following:

• Technical Knowledge
• Analytical skills
• Written Communication Skills

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% on the total of Step III: Written Test will be considered as technically qualified and will be invited to Step IV (Interview)

Step IV: Interview (40 % out of technical assessment) , 100 points: 

A competency-based Interview shall be conducted with the top three candidates who score the highest in Step III (minimum of 70 points). Candidates will be tested on the following:

• Relevant experience
• Sector Knowledge
• Oral Communication Skills.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% on the total of Step II (Desk Review), Step III (Written Test) Step IV (Interview) will be considered as technically qualified and will be reviewed further for financial evaluation.

Step IV: Financial Evaluation:

The following formula will be used to evaluate the financial proposal:

Lowest priced proposal/price of the proposal being evaluated x 30%.

Step V: 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 (desk review score *20%; written test score*40% & Interview score*40%) 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.

Interested candidates should click here to apply.

The Blue Peace Movement is a global movement led by the Government of Switzerland that aims to develop a culture of peace and preserve freshwater resources, while achieving equitable and sustainable use of water across boundaries, sectors and generations. Blue Peace Movement promotes solutions from international organizations, governmental agencies, the private sector, NGOs, research institutes, artists and young people. Using a variety of diplomatic, political, technical and financial tools, the Blue Peace Movement advocates for creative and innovative thinking on how to use, manage and invest in water resources.

Under the supervision of the Regional Technical Advisor for Local Development Finance Practice, the Communications Specialist will work on the following areas of intervention:

Item 1: Conceptualize and execute local community engagement strategies around the Blue Peace Freetown initiative:

• Meet and follow up with community leaders and influencers to ensure active participation in planning and implementing Blue Peace UNCDF-FCC interventions;
• Identify community-based resources that UNCDF could access to provide education about interventions;
• Build strategic and accountable partnerships with civil society, community-based organizations and local groups which support buy-in from community stakeholders.
• Identifies opportunities for greater coordinated community liaison and engagement;
• Best practice examples on steps to strengthen civilian liaison and engagement and cross-component coordination of community liaison and engagement; and
• Recommended strategic guidance to enhance cross-component coordination of community liaison and engagement.

Item 2: Lead the development and implementation of creative communication strategy to communicate on the Blue Peace Freetown initiative:

• Develop and implement communications plans which includes a timeline of key communications material;
• Develop and maintain close working relations with UNCDF and Freetown City Council (FCC) team;
• Identify subjects/stories of interest pertaining to UNCDF and FCC’s efforts to develop communications products such as feature stories, press releases and social media posts;
• Focus on the UNCDF and FCC key audiences, which include communities, public authorities, donors etc.;
• Set targets, alongside a strong monitoring and evaluation protocol.

Item 3: Design relevant media, communication and engagement materials to support communication on Blue Peace Freetown initiative:

• Conceptualize a set of new engaging documents to inform stakeholders and the general public about UNCDF and FCC co-response and collaboration, co-develop, as relevant, high quality media tools, including audio-visual, photographic and printed materials, television and radio programmes, multimedia presentations, social media, videos and press releases, bulletins etc., to promote Blue Peace Freetown’s visibility, achievements and success stories;
• Conceptualize, draft and coordinate the development of innovative visual assets such as infographics, animations and video clips with colleagues, vendors and partners;
• Organize interviews and filming opportunities to support high visibility of Blue Peace UNCDF-FCC project achievements through television, radio and newspapers, etc.
• Re-package, write, edit, re-write, and commission of information/stories including those submitted by UNCDF and FCC for dissemination via UNCDF-FCC major non-UNCDF/FCC channels to global audiences;
• Prepare communication materials to be used for Resource Mobilization in convincing and encouraging donors;
• Organize learning events, press interactions and meetings to increase the visibility of UNCDF and FCC and knowledge about their co-response and collaboration;
• Ensure highest standards of accuracy and editorial content in all external outputs;
• Maintain an up to date database of partners, journalists and media organizations, respond to media enquiries (requests for interviews, statements) on deadline, and build dialogue with individual journalists, editors and news-desks;
• Perform any other communication specific related duties, as required by the functional supervisor.

EXPECTED OUTPUTS

• Communication targets have a good understanding and visibility on actions and benefits of the Blue Peace Freetown initiative;
• Support provided to the UNCDF-FCC team on communication related matters such as press releases, news stories and blogs;
• Provide leadership and strategic vision to activities promoting community engagement in municipal governance.
• Strengthen capacity of local officials to engage with citizens, include them in participatory planning processes, and incorporate their priorities into planning documents.
• Facilitate citizen participation in collaborative decision making, management, and monitoring related to municipal service delivery.
• Promote productive interactions between communities, civil society, and municipality that facilitate upward flow of information on community needs and priorities.
• Contribute to work plans, donor reports, success stories, and other deliverables.
• The successful implementation of various communication activities;
• The successful organization of key events around the Blue Peace Freetown initiative;
• The enhancement of the visibility and positioning of UNCDF WCA as the leading agency on local development finance matters.

Travel across the sub-region and other relevant locations may be required and will be compensated on 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 in amounts not exceeding the UN established Rate.

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.

PROVISION AND MONITORING OF PROGRESS CONTROLS

• The Communications Specialist will work under the direct supervision of the Regional Technical Advisor for Local Development Finance Practice based in Dakar;
• Payments will be made based on the percentage of contract price, in line with the payment schedule below, and upon confirmation of UNCDF’s Regional Technical Advisor that the individual has delivered on the contract obligations in a satisfactory manner based on the completed deliverables stated under the Section 2 above;
• Final payment shall require a signed performance evaluation of the consultant.

The payment schedule will be based on the following deliverables:

In addition to the general deliverables mentioned in the table above, specific deliverables will be requested by UNCDF, and their receipt and validation will condition the payments mentioned above. These deliverables include:

• Mission Reports;
• Advocacy and power analysis papers
• Multimedia contents;
• And other reports that may be required

The following supporting documents will serve as conditions for disbursement:

1. Submission of an invoice and Certificate of Payment (COP);
2. Review, approval and written acceptance of each deliverable by the UNCDF Regional Technical Advisor and/or his designate;
3. Submission of all deliverables / workplan / progress report with relevant supporting documentation; and;
4. An authorization of payment disbursement from a direct supervisor.

1.  Innovation : The ability to make new and useful ideas work; possesses analytical and conceptual abilities to formulate a plan with positive impact; this competency is not only focused on having visionary ideas  or conceptual thinking, but also involves turning ideas into action.

2. Communication: The ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform - effective in working with peers, partners, and others, to positively impact business performance. Explaines process to clients, listens and eager to develop professional voice, shares information, and listens to develop awareness for client needs; avocates and build trust and creates lasting partnerships.

3. Delivery: The ability to get things done; drives for continuous improvement of business results and sustainable growth; meets goals and timelines for team deliverables, understands responsibilities and expectations

APPLICATION PROCESS

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information 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:

1. Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability;
2. Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and the names of at least three (3) professional references (e-mail addresses, telephone numbers);
3. Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment, and a methodology, if applicable, on how they will approach and complete the assignment.
4. Signed Financial proposal for the assignment outlining: All-inclusive fee (including professional fees and?other professional expenses, such as housing, insurance, taxes, etc.). Available at?http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_file.cfm?doc_id=29916).

If an Offeror is employed by an organization/company/institution, and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNCApplications 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 (30% desk review + 40% interview) and 30% financial.DF under Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the Offeror must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNCDF.

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 (30% desk review + 40% interview) and 30% financial.

Step I: Screening:

Applications will be screened and only applicants meeting the following minimum criteria (listed under education and experience) will progress to the pool for shortlisting:

• Master’s Degree in Communications, Political Sciences, Public Information, International Relations is required.
• Minimum of 4-years’ experience in Communications and Community engagement.
• Experience in developing creative communication strategies
• Experience in conceptualizing community engagement plans
• Proven experience in designing communications products and using fundraising tools.
• Proven experience in taking photographs or filming video which are of professional quality.
• Prior working experience with Local authorities, UN or with an international nongovernmental organization;?
• Fluency in both French and English

Step II: Shortlisting by Desk Review (100 points)

UNCDF will conduct a desk review process to shortlist and technically evaluate candidates as per the following criteria:

• Education (20 points):
  • Master’s Degree in Communications, Political Sciences, Public Information, International Relations is required.
• Experience (50 points):
  • A minimum of 4 years of relevant experience in:
    • Developing creative communication strategies. This involves communications plans which includes a timeline of key communications products, a set of targets and channels, alongside a strong monitoring and evaluation protocol. (15 points)
    • Conceptualizing and executing community engagement plans (15 points)
    • Taking photographs or filming video which are of professional quality (10 points)
    • Organizing key events (workshops, conferences, field visits, etc). (10 points)
• Additional Competencies (20 points):
  • Demonstrates ability to (10 points):
    • Use graphic design and video/photo editing software packages as well as web-based management systems;
    • Manage social media accounts;
  • Basic Knowledge of (10 points):
    • UNCDF mandate/mission;
    • Local Development Practice area. This includes good understanding of key actors, opportunities and challenges;
    • Resources Mobilization is a plus.
• Language (10 points):
  • Fluency in both French and English

As applicable, only the first top 3-4 ranked applicants achieving minimum 70 points shall be invited for an interview.

Step III: Technical interviews

A competency-based Interview shall be conducted with the top three or four candidates who score the highest in Step II (minimum of 70 points). Candidates will be tested on the same key work areas, in greater depth, with the same weighting, namely:

• Relevant experience
• Communications technical skills
• Understanding of the organization/mission

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% on the total of Step II: Desk Review and Step III: Interview will be considered as technically qualified and will be reviewed further for financial evaluation.

Step IV: Financial Evaluation:

The following formula will be used to evaluate financial proposal:

Lowest priced proposal/price of the proposal being evaluated x 30%.

Step V: Award Criteria:

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

• Responsive/compliant/acceptable vis-à-vis the requirements of the TOR and the project operating environment; and
• Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical (70%) and financial (30%) criteria.

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.

UNCDF 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.

CONSULTANT PRESENCE REQUIRED ON DUTY STATION/UNDP PREMISES: Full Time

Interested candidates should click here to apply.