Consultant for Impact Measurement, Assessment and Management

Background

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outline a compelling vision of a desired future for our planet and the people within it. Achieving these global goals will cost an annual estimated $5-7 trillion dollar and will likely shape the next 15 years of financing for development.

Approximately half of these investments in the SDGs can be privately financed. In this context, new sources of capital that can help finance SDGs are required, ranging from large institutional investors to the private wealth industry to help promote sustainable development.

The UN’s Financing for Development Conference held in Addis Ababa in July 2015, recognized the role of the private sector as an increasingly important source of financing for development.

About UNDP Social Impact Finance

Established in January 2017, UNDP SDG Impact Finance (UNSIF) has a singular objective: to accelerate financing for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

We enable informed decision-making based on balanced risk, return and SDG-aligned impact. Our partnerships with public, private and civic sectors are designed to maximize value and benefits for all stakeholders and together, build a better world with no one left behind.

UNSIF is a unique and transparent co-investment partnership structure where the public sector and private sector can combine blended financing models to create both economic and social returns while facilitating the transition from grant-only project-based development to blended financed market-based development. Our primary focus are the initiatives in Asia - Pacific region.

Impact Measurement and Management (IMM) is one of the most fundamental pillars in impact investments and is considered as a must component for rational, substantiated and sensible decision making and validation processes for assessing contribution of the impact activities towards SDGs. In this regards, one of the UNSIF’s primary service offerings includes supporting impact investment initiatives in understanding and application of IMM, specifically in helping to generate advance understanding of impact and enhancing it across several areas and multiple stakeholders in the context of SDGs. UNSIF has been supporting certain works  contributing to further elaboration of the IMM  approaches, and is currently  looking for an experienced professional to continue the efforts and focus on practical applications in the target region.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work

Transparency in impact data and results is important to advancing IMM practice and to UNDP.  UNSIF is  targeting to establish common impact-based principles for investing, consideration of impact data in decision-making with equal emphasis and rigor to financial risk and return, and development of a UNDP impact benchmark that is fully aligned with the SDGs.

We require an experienced candidate to design the measurement plan, propose tests, monitor and evaluate a complete impact measurement and management system for all UNSIF projects over a period of time continuously in a cycle.  The initiatives where IMM will be applied may include funds, funds of funds, direct investment projects, activities funded through other financial instruments. Initial framework of our IMM approach is built on SDGs and IRIS metrics and an advanced approach towards setting, measuring and managing the impact allowing for alternative intensity of impact consideration.  However, the practicality and applicability of those approaches are to be explored further and could be modified during piloting phase.

The duties and responsibilities of the Consultant will include:

Design Phase (3 months):

• As the SDGs are the required framework for UNDP, research and explore complimentary frameworks that would create a unique and value-added IMM proposition for internal and external stakeholders;
• Assess current impact assessment methodologies, metrics, processes and approaches in the context of how they can complement and/or be integrated into internal UNDP M&E (Monitoring and Evaluation) processes;
• After assessments, recommend a service offering package and once approved, design the UNSIF Impact Measurement and Management M&E framework that will be used to measure, evaluate, and report UNSIF development results in the region.  This will include:
  • Defining the full assembly of internal processes
  • Defining integration points with internal UNDP Enterprise Risk Management and M&E frameworks
  • Assess and recommend data collection and structuring methods for adequate monitoring and evaluation of investments and/or technical assistance projects
  • Outline and draft guideline booklets/user manual explaining to internal M&E units, unit leaders and senior management as well as to external stakeholders about the UNSIF IMM process
  • Establish a process to produce quarterly, semi-annual and annual development results reporting to a) internal and b) partnering and c) government stakeholders
  • Establish a process and guidelines booklet for the preparation of evidence-based case studies to tell the “impact” story, including activities, results and long-term outcomes
• Prepare a comprehensive policy and procedure guideline in the areas of monitoring and evaluation of impact investments for SDG-aligned projects;
• Collaborate with clients and internal units to define assessment model of data collection and data management, including baselines, follow-up surveys and end of project data repositories

Pilot Phase (3 months):

Once established, we will pilot the IMM application to our premier fund(s) and other impact investment projects.  The candidate will be required to:

• Support UNSIF and a fund manager to implement the IMM framework as well as monitor and evaluate the results during a complete investment decision cycle;
• Develop the project post-implementation impact assessment research methodology, collect research findings, analyze and develop the final report and recommendations and present findings;
• Manage and coordinate the collection of data into the monitoring and evaluation data collection systems, facilitating data capture and checking for completeness and accuracy;
• Analyze and evaluate monitoring and evaluation findings and data by following the approach and framework, develop insights and update recommendations;
• Tracking success of acceleration progress and post acceleration development of impact ventures.

Work with specially assigned officers in UNDP country offices to train and mentor them in IMM framework and application methodology.

Deliverables/Outputs		Est. weeks	Approvals Required
Presentation	Assessment of current IMM methodologies	Week 1	Project Manager, Senior Advisers
Presentation	UNSIF ‘Best Fit’ IMM framework presentation and research results	Week 2
Document	1st Draft of UNSIF IMM process	Week 3-5
Document + Presentation	2nd Draft of UNSIF IMM process	Week 6
Document + Presentation	Final UNSIF IMM process for testing	Week 7-8
Publication + Presentation	DRAFT Guidelines and Booklet to explain process and procedures for internal purposes	Week 9-10
Publication + Presentation	DRAFT Guidelines and Booklet to explain data collection, quality and analysis process and procedures for general purposes	Week 12-13
Publication + Presentation	DRAFT Guidelines and Booklet to explain process and procedures for Public purpose including full branding and service delivery narrative	Week 14-15
On-site application of IMM on test case	On-site implementation with assigned officers from UNDP Country Office or implementing partners from start to finish of the full IMM process for stress testing	Week 16-19
Publication + presentation	Results of stress test and any modifications to the IMM framework	Week 20
Publication + Presentation	FINAL Guidelines and Booklet to explain process and procedures for internal purposes FINAL Guidelines and Booklet to explain data collection, quality and analysis process and procedures for general purposes FINAL Guidelines and Booklet to explain process and procedures for Public purpose including full branding and service delivery narrative	Week 21-24

Institutional Arrangement

The Consultant will be engaged on short-term base, up to 100 working days during 6 months’ period under Individual Contract arrangement, under the direct supervision of the Head of UNSIF and within the overall support of UNSIF and UNDP team members.

Duration of the Work

1 August 2018– 28 February 2019 (up to 100 working days).

Duty Station

Duty station is home based, with frequent travel to Bangkok and possible travel to other locations as needed.

Competencies

• Strong knowledge of major impact investment developments, IMM and M&E methodologies
• Expert knowledge on standard M&E and IMM processes, tools, frameworks and approaches
• Knowledge of UNDP internal M&E processes appreciated;
• Experience in the survey design
• Excellent quantitative and analytical skills
• Ability to work under the pressure, with minimum supervision and on-distance;
• Demonstrated initiative, tact and high sense of responsibility and discretion;
• Strong teamwork skills;
• Excellent communication skills, written and oral;
• Strong computer literacy and data analytical proficiency

Required Skills and Experience

Educational Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in business administration, social sciences, economics, finance, international development, statistics, or relevant disciplines

Experience

• A supporting qualification in monitoring and evaluation is preferred
• Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible professional experience in a performance monitoring and/or evaluation role with international development organizations or sustainability-oriented organizations or impact investment funds
• At least 3 years of experience in practical application of impact measurement approaches following IRIS metrics as well as advance knowledge relevant methodologies i.e. GIIRS, SROI etc.
• Demonstrated ability in data analysis, project design, monitoring, and evaluation of development activities. Experience developing results frameworks, logical frameworks, or similar tools is required
• Experience of working in international development organization is an advantage.

Language requirements

• Proficiency in written and spoken English

Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

The contract will be based on Lump Sum

Consultant must send a financial proposal based on Lump Sum Amount. The total amount quoted shall be all-inclusive and include all costs components required to perform the deliverables identified in the TOR, including professional fee, travel costs, living allowance (if any work is to be done outside the IC´s duty station) and any other applicable cost to be incurred by the IC in completing the assignment. The contract price will be fixed output-based price regardless of extension of the herein specified duration. Payments will be done upon completion of the deliverables/outputs and as per below percentages:

• Deliverable 1: 10% of total contract amount upon a submission of Inception Milestone;
• Deliverable 2: 25 % of total contract amount upon a completion of finalized IMM process document;
• Deliverable 3: 25% of total contract amount upon a submission of Draft Guidelines and Booklets
• Deliverable 4: 40% of total contract amount upon a submission of final tested Guidelines and Booklet

In general, UNDP 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.

Travel costs shall be reimbursed at actual but not exceeding the quotation from UNDP approved travel agent.  The provided living allowance will not be exceeding UNDP DSA rates. Repatriation travel cost from home to duty station in Bangkok and return shall not be covered by UNDP.

Evaluation Method and Criteria

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology;

Cumulative analysis

The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as a) responsive/compliant/acceptable; and b) having received the highest score out of set of weighted technical criteria (70%). and financial criteria (30%). Financial score shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal received by UNDP for the assignment.

Technical Criteria for Evaluation (Maximum 70 points)

• Criteria 1: Relevance of educational background (15 points)
• Criteria 2: M&E Experience designing, working with and implementing IMM frameworks for investment projects (30 points)
• Criteria 3: Experience in financial, economic, social and environmental impact analysis of projects (15 points)
• Criteria 4: Knowledge of the SDG indicators and experience of SDG M&E, familiarity with existing UNDP (or similar) framework and reporting processes (10 points)

*Shortlisted candidates would be invited for an interview*

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Documentation required

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Please group them into one (1) single PDF document as the application only allows to upload maximum one document:

• Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided in Annex II.
• 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 at least three (3) professional references.
• Financial proposal, that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs (in USD currency)as per template provided in Annex II. Note: National consultant must quote price in U.S. Dollar. 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 UNDP 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 UNDP.

 Incomplete proposals may not be considered. The shortlisted candidates may be contacted and the successful candidate will be notified.

To download P- 11, and other forms, please click the link below:

http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=47478