Local Consultant for Partnerships and Development Finance

Background

The United Nations Office of the Resident Coordinator operates under the strategic guidance of the UN Resident Coordinator, as the most senior representative of the Organisation of the United Nations in the country. The Office supports the UN Resident Coordinator and UN Country Team (UNCT) in the development, implementation, monitoring and reporting of the UN Cooperation Framework (former UNDAF). The Office facilitates mechanisms that ensure full participation of all members of the UNCT in consultations and decision-making processes. In line with priorities of the UN Cooperation Framework, but also mandates of UN agencies, the UN Coordination Office supports coordination of common programming in relation to Agenda 2030, joint programmes and development coordination work.

Within the UN Reform launched by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in early 2019, the UN Resident Coordinator Office is in charge of following core responsibilities:

• Strategic planning;
• Development economics;
• Partnerships and development finance; 
• Data and results management and reporting; 
• Communications and advocacy.

Beyond the core functions and supported by the Office of the High Commissionaire for Human Rights, a Human Rights Adviser operates as an integral part of the Office of the Resident Coordinator in Montenegro.

Through announcing this vacancy, the Office of the Resident Coordinator is seeking to hire temporary consultancy that will help the team to carry out the portfolio of the Partnerships and Development Finance officer. The incumbent is expected to support the team in the forthcoming robust process of preparing the Common Country Assessment and the UN Cooperation Framework.

 

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Functions:

• Assists in providing substantive support for strategic planning for and coordination of UN Country Team (UNCT) partnerships.
• Participates in joint resource mobilization for the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF).
• Provides substantive support on financing for accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as directed.
• Supports knowledge management and capacity development.
• Provides support throughout the UN Cooperation Framework drafting and negotiation process

Description of Functions:

I Provides substantive support for strategic planning for and coordination of UNCT partnerships; 

• Provides substantive support to the Resident Coordinator (RC) and the UNCT in identifying risks and opportunities related to specific partnerships, and suggests mitigation measures as relevant;
• Prepares inputs on due diligence processes of potential investment and partnership opportunities, in accordance with UN regulations and procedures;
• Provides substantive support to RC/UNCT to develop and implement locally-tailored partnerships and resource mobilization strategies and initiatives;
• Contributes to dialogues with partners to improve development assistance policies and practice;
• Assists in liaison and coordination with UN entities at country, regional and HQ levels, to help package and define UN business strategies, including differentiated value propositions to attract partners, both traditional and non-traditional.

II Participates in joint resource mobilization for the UNDAF

• Contributes to the design, formulation, implementation, monitoring and reporting of joint programmes and programming processes for use in joint resource mobilization;
• Assists in the production and distribution of marketing materials to raise awareness about opportunities for working with the UN on SDG investment;
• Contributes to building the UN brand via events, media and public relations opportunities targeted to the diverse partners, in close collaboration with the UN Communications Group. 

III Provides substantive support on financing for accelerating the achievement of the SDGs, as directed 

• Provides substantive support on financing for development options, instruments, modalities to the RC/UNCT, in alignment with the Common Country Analysis (CCA), UNDAF, MAPS (Mainstreaming, Acceleration and Policy Support) and similar processes;
• Analyzes trends and provides substantive support on new and innovative financing mechanisms for development and SDG acceleration;
• Provides inputs for briefing papers and discussion points on issues related to financing for development for consideration by RC/UNCT;
• Assists in engaging with external stakeholders - including the national government, international financial institutions and others - on financing for SDG acceleration;
• Contributes to the design and execution of innovative proposals to strengthen the UNCT engagement and reputation, and to generate greater financial resources in support of the SDGs.

IV Supports knowledge management and capacity development

• Assists in the development, maintenance and sharing of knowledge and intelligence, to inform and position the RC/UNCT to effectively generate and harness opportunities to meet its resource mobilization targets;
• Contributes to knowledge networks and communities of practice at national, regional and global levels;
• Undertakes activities to strengthen the capacity of UNCTs to mainstream and promote SDG investment partnerships.

V Provides support throughout the UN Cooperation Framework drafting and negotiation process

• Lead on finalisation of the Common Country Assessment from the aspect of sustainable development financing, through but not only related to the Financing chapter of the Common Country Assessment;
• Take active role is supporting the UN Cooperation Framework drafting and negotiation process, gathering of information and soliciting partnerships for implementation of the programme.
• Support organisation of the Strategic Planning Retreat and provide necessary support to successful organisation and follow-up to the process through, but not only related to systemisation of knowledge gathered through the process so to harness new partnerships and financing for programme implementation;
• Provide support to finalisation of the UN Cooperation Framework document from the aspect of partnerships and development finance. 
• Take lead on the processes related to funding framework, as required by the latest UN Cooperation Framework Companion Pieces.

Timing of the workThe assignment will last during the period of October 2020 – June 2021.

Time duration and travelConsultancy services will be performed on site, subject to change due to Covid-19 situation where work from home is also envisaged. Duty station is UN Eco House, Stanka Dragojevica bb, Podgorica. 

ReportingThe position is located in the United Nations Office of the Resident Coordinator and reports to the Senior Development Coordination Officer, Strategic Planning and RCO Team Leader.

Competencies

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting;
• Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Demonstrates good oral and written communication skills;
• Demonstrates ability to manage complexities and work under pressure, as well as conflict resolution skills; 
• Ability to synthesize complex issues drawing synergies and linkages between development issues (governance, inclusive growth, human rights, poverty, environment, etc.);
• Ability to work with, and analyse data, using appropriate tools/computer programs (Excel, SPSS, STATA, online survey tools or similar) to present findings.

 

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent degree) in business or public administration, sustainable development, social sciences, education or related area. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• A minimum of two years of progressively responsible experience in providing strategic support to partnerships, project/programme management, resource mobilization or development finance in the context of development cooperation or related area is required.

Language skills:

• Fluency in English and Montenegrin is required. 

Criteria for selection:

Combined Scoring method will be used. When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should be made to the inidividual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as: (i) responsive, compliant, acceptable, and (ii) having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

• Technical criteria weight - 70% (Background and education 10%; Relevant previous experience 20%; Substantial knowledge/Required competencies 30%; Required language 10%);
• Financial criteria weight - 30%.

Only offerors obtaining a minimum 490 points for technical criteria will be considered for the financial evaluation. For more information on procurement methodology for Individual Contractors, please refer to Procurement Notice.

Application procedure:

Interested applicants are requested to submit their applications by September 24, 2020 by using the Apply now button. The application should contain a duly completed CV or Personal History Form (P11) that can be downloaded from https://www.me.undp.org/content/montenegro/sr/home/jobs.html .

Please note that UNDP jobsite system allows only one uploading of application document, so please make sure that you merge all your documents into a single file.

Only the short-listed applicants will be contacted and requested to submit a letter of interest including a price quotation indicating the lump sum (in EUR) requested for the work envisaged in the section "Description of Responsibilities".