Framework Agreement for 4 Financial Appraisals Consultants for Climate Change Adaptation Programming

Background

For UNDP, adaptation to climate change means climate-resilient economic development and sustainable livelihoods, especially for vulnerable populations – the poor, women, and indigenous peoples. UNDP supports these goals by assisting over 80 countries to integrate current and future climate risks and uncertainties into national and sub-national development efforts. UNDP works with governments, the private sector, communities, and other partners to build responsive state institutions and public policies; strengthen public and private sector capacities to manage climate change risks and uncertainties; and formulate, finance and implement climate-resilient initiatives.

Together with partners, UNDP supports climate change risk management in the context of agriculture and food security, water resources, coastal zone development, public health, and climate change-related disaster risks. To finance this work at the national, sub-national and community levels, UNDP helps countries secure climate change adaptation finance that is available through vertical funds such as the Least Developed Countries Fund and the Special Climate Change Fund (both of which are managed by the Global Environment Facility, GEF), Green Climate Fund, as well as other multilateral and bilateral sources. Countries are supported to optimize the use of these public funds by also leveraging and catalysing private finance for adaptation.

Within the Environmental Finance unit, the work focuses on resilient livelihoods, food and agricultural systems, water management, climate information, resilient ecosystems and ecosystem-based adaptation, making the use and supply of energy more environmentally sustainable, affordable and accessible, to promote low emission and climate resilient urban and transport infrastructure, and to improve water and ocean governance and management and to sustain livelihoods at the local, national, regional and global scales.

In the context of the above, Environmental Finance unit is seeking four consultants who will provide financial appraisal service including: prepare a report of the findings of the financial appraisal conducted with the justification for the optimal financial structure for the proposed intervention including amount of financing necessary from each type of financial instrument used in the proposal, and Conduct financial appraisals for targeted UNDP-supported projects.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of work:

The consultants will work under the guidance and supervision of the Head of Climate Change Adaptation. The scope of work will vary depending on the specific assignment, but would include one or various of the below tasks:

• Review draft project concepts/full proposal documents and advise UNDP COs and liaise with RTAs on identification of information needs required for making a case for and conducting the financial appraisal of targeted projects;
• Organize, lead, and coordinate with UNDP COs and liaise with RTAs, both on-field and remotely, to gather data, documentation, contacts, and insights relevant to the analysis;
• Complete a financial appraisal of the project to inform the UNDP COs and liaise with RTAs of the implications of the project design in terms of performance metrics (such as payback time, IRR and NPV) and, where relevant, in terms of financial additionality (e.g. the IRR of the targeted project with funding vs a base-case or benchmark IRR);
• Conduct the financial appraisal in a timely manner to ensure it does not result in delays in the concept development or proposal development in order to meet submission deadlines to the donor;
• Based on the conducted appraisal findings advise UNDP COs and liaise with RTAs on different financial instruments/structures appropriate for the project’s risk/reward profile. The proposed structures should, as appropriate, aim to minimize concessional funding (in particular grants) and catalyse other forms of public and private investment;
• Prepare a final financial appraisal of the project, including sensitivity analysis of critical elements of the project (Excel model is required);
• Prepare a report, up to 15 pages, on the financial appraisal methodology, description of data, assumptions and justifications, results and conclusions in term of financial viability of the proposed project. Specifically describing how the financial structure is adequate and reasonable for achieving the targeted project’s objectives, including the addressing of existing bottlenecks and/or barriers without crowding out private and other public investment;
• As necessary, advise and make recommendations to financial appraisal related issues to UNDP staff for further discussion during stakeholder consultations undertaken during project development.

Specific outputs:

An indicative list of outputs includes:

• Complete financial appraisal for the targeted projects with excel models with sensitivity analysis of critical elements of the project, implications of the project design in terms of performance metrics (such as payback time, IRR and NPV) and, where relevant, in terms of financial additionality (e.g. the IRR of the targeted project with funding vs a base-case or benchmark IRR);
• Completed report, up to 15 pages, on the financial appraisal methodology, description of data, assumptions and justifications, results and conclusions in term of financial viability of the proposed project.

Information on Working Arrangements:

• The overall objective of these Framework Agreements is to facilitate and expedite the process by which the Environmental Finance unit can hire the services of Climate Change Adaptation Financial Appraisals consultant once there are specific assignments over the next 3 years;
• Estimated level of effort including travel: approximately 120 working days over 12 months for each consultant. Maximum working days over the 3-year period would be 521 days per consultant;
• UNDP does not guarantee that any quantity of services will be purchased during the term of the Framework Agreement as this will depend on forthcoming needs, good performance, and availability of resources;
• IC as a Framework Agreement is non-exclusive (i.e. it does not prohibit UNDP from entering into another such framework agreement with other individuals or entities);
• The Framework Agreements will be for a fixed all-inclusive daily fee;
• Once the Framework Agreements are signed, if there is a specific assignment, the focal person at UNDP would contact the Consultant by email informing of the specific deliverables required, and timeline for delivery;
• The consultant must advise within 48 hours whether s/he is available to deliver the requested service;
• Thereafter a Purchase Order will be raised. Financial commitments will only be established each time the services are requested within the scope of the Framework Agreement through the transmitted email and purchase order;
• Given the consultations to be undertaken during this assignment, the consultant is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability for such consultations taking into consideration different time zones;
• The Consultant will be given access to relevant information necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment;
• The Consultant will be responsible for providing her/his own work station (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to a reliable internet connection;
• The consultant will engage regularly with the supervisor by email and Skype on a weekly and/or as needed daily basis.;
• The consultant shall submit to the Supervisor a monthly progress report on the status of the implementation of tasks;
• Payments will be made upon submission of a detailed time sheet (including deliverables and their timely execution) and certification of payment form, and acceptance and confirmation by the supervisor on days worked (with “a day” calculated as 8 hours of work) and outputs delivered.

 

Travel:

• International travel may be required. An estimated 3-4 missions during the first year (destinations to be identified) with expected total travel duration of approximately 4-6 days per mission. Expected mission travel would be discussed upon commencement of assignment and updated quarterly;
• Any necessary mission travel must be approved in writing and advance by the Head of Climate Change Adaptation;
• The BSAFE Online Security Awareness Training Course must be successfully completed prior to commencement of travel;
• Consultants are responsible for obtaining any visas needed in connection with travel with the necessary support from UNDP;
• Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have insurance and vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director;
• Consultants are required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under https://dss.un.org/dssweb/;
• The consultant will be responsible for making his/her own mission travel arrangements in line with UNDP travel policies;
• All related travel expenses will be reimbursed as per UNDP rules and regulations upon submission of an F-10 claim form and supporting documents. Costs for mission travel (including air tickets, living allowances) should not be included in the financial proposal

Competencies

Corporate

• Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s vision, mission and values;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
• Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Technical

• Knowledge of methodologies, tools, systems and apply practical experience in planning, monitoring, evaluating and reporting;
• Ability to plan, organize, motivate, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.
• Analytic capacity and demonstrated ability to process, analyse and synthesise complex, technical information;
• Proven experience in the developing country context and working in different cultural settings.

 

Functional

Professionalism

• Results-driven, initiative-taking, ability to work under pressure and to meet deadlines;
• Remains calm and in control even under pressure, and consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Ability to work under minimum supervision;
• Highly motivated with a positive attitude and problem-solving approach;
• Self-motivated with ability to accept responsibility and accountability for decisions and actions;
• Manage conflicting priorities and deadlines.

Required Skills and Experience

Education (15 points)

• Bachelor’s degree in public finance, international monetary and financial policy or other closely related fields,
• Master’s degree in the same fields will be an advantage.

Experience:

• Minimum 10 years of relevant work experience in areas such as application of project finance, investment appraisal for development projects involving grant and concessional finance including experience with financial modelling for revenue generating projects to determine appropriate mix of grant/concessional finance (max 20 points);
• Experience with investment structuring, capital markets and corporate finance expertise including conducting of assessments and due diligence related to private equity, venture capital and project finance (max 20 points);
• Experience with building financial and valuation models involving various financial instruments including grant, debt and equity finance (max 15 points);
• Experience with financial appraisal of adaptation and/or mitigation projects, with preference given to experience with GCF and/or GEF submissions or similar projects (max 10 points);
• Familiarity with the UN System, in particular UNDP, UNCDF and/or Multilateral Development Banks (ADB/World Bank/African Development Bank) is preferred (max 10 points);
• Knowledge of the main vertical funds (GEF, AF and GCF) dedicated to climate finance is desirable (max. 10 points)

Languages:

• Proficiency in written and spoken English. (Pass/ fail)

Evaluation Method:

• Only those applications which are responsive and compliant will be evaluated.  Incomplete applications will not be considered;
• Offers will be evaluated according to the Combined Scoring method – where the technical criteria will be weighted at 70% and the financial offer will be weighted at 30%;
• The technical criteria (education, experience, language [max. 100 points] and interview [max. 30 points]) will be based on a maximum 130 points;
• Only the top 10 candidates that have achieved a minimum of 70 points from the review of education, experience and language will be considered for the interview;
• Candidates obtaining 21 points or higher in the interview will be deemed technically compliant and considered for financial evaluation;
• Financial score (max 100 points) shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal of those technically qualified;
• The financial proposal shall specify an all-inclusive daily fee. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal must additionally include a breakdown of this daily fee (including all foreseeable expenses to carry out the assignment);
• Top 4 applicants receiving the Highest Combined Scores and have accepted UNDP’s General Terms and Conditions will be awarded the contract.

Documentation to be submitted:

• Applicants must submit a duly completed and signed UNDP Personal History form (P11) and/or CV including Education/Qualification, Professional Certification, Employment Records /Experience;
• Applicants must reply to the mandatory questions asked by the system when submitting the application;
• Applicants must submit a duly completed and signed Annex II Offeror´s letter to UNDP confirming interest and availability for the Individual Contractor (IC) assignment to be downloaded from the UNDP procurement site.

Links:

UNDP Personal History form (P11): P11.

General Conditions of Contract for the ICs: IC GTC.

 

YOUR APPLICATION MUST BE SUBMITED THROUGH UNDP eTENDERING SYSTEM  

LINK -https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=67366

 

APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED HERE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

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