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Consultants to Review Applications from Financial Service Providers/Technical Service Providers in response to UNCDF MicroLead Expansion RFA

UN Capital Development Fund is the UN’s capital investment agency for the world’s least developed countries. It creates new opportunities for poor people and their communities by increasing access to microfinance and investment capital. UNCDF focuses on Africa and the poorest countries of Asia, with a special commitment to countries emerging from conflict or crisis. It provides seed capital – grants and loans – and technical support to help microfinance institutions reach more poor households and small businesses, and local governments finance the capital investments – water systems, feeder roads, schools, irrigation schemes – that will improve poor peoples’ lives.
UNCDF works to enlarge peoples’ choices: it believes that poor people and communities should take decisions about their own development. Its programmes help to empower women – over 50% of the clients of UNCDF-supported microfinance institutions are women – and its expertise in microfinance and local development is shaping new responses to food insecurity, climate change and other challenges. All UNCDF support is provided via national systems, in accordance with the Paris principles. UNCDF works in challenging environments – remote rural areas, countries emerging from conflict – and paves the way for others to follow. Its programmes are designed to catalyze larger investment flows from the private sector, development partners and national governments, for significant impact on the Millennium Development Goals, especially Goal 1: Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger, Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women, and Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability.
Established by the General Assembly in 1966 and with headquarters in New York, UNCDF is an autonomous UN organization affiliated with UNDP.
Despite the rapid growth of the microfinance industry in the past ten years, it is estimated that between two and three billion people still lack access to a broad range of financial products and services on a sustainable basis. UNCDF focuses its strategy on Financial inclusion, which is universal access, at a reasonable cost, to a wide range of financial services, provided by a variety of sound and sustainable institutions. The range of financial services includes savings, short and long-term credit, leasing and factoring, mortgages, insurance, pensions, payments, local money transfers and international remittances.

Recognizing (i) the importance of ‘market leaders’ to drive sector development and (ii) the demand for safe, convenient savings products by low income populations, in 2008 UNCDF launched, with the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the LDC Fund to Develop Savings-led Market Leaders, (see programme document at:

  • http://www.uncdf.org/english/microfinance/uploads/project/2008-10-27_21%20October_08_Savings_Led_Market_Leaders_LDC_FIF.pdf).
  • Based on proven business models, market leaders can rapidly scale-up their own operations offering a variety of products and services while accelerating the pace of sector development. The Fund, also known as “MicroLead,” provided loans and grants to leading financial service providers (FSPs) on a competitive basis to facilitate their entry into LDCs, including in post-conflict contexts, where access to finance is most limited. The Fund provided support to some of the leading FSPs from the South to expand their operations through green-fielding or technical assistance provision to existing FSPs, with a focus on saving-based models.
With the progress to date of MicroLead, UNCDF launched an expansion of the programme in 2011 with the support of The MasterCard Foundation (see programme document at

Duties and Responsibilities

UNCDF is seeking to engage up to three (3) senior consultants to assist in reviewing, analyzing and scoring applications from financial service providers (FSPs) and technical service providers (TSPs) which submit applications in response to the MicroLead Expansion RFA. The consultants will be required to conduct the assignment between 13 February and 13 April 2012. The consultants are expected to familiarize themselves with MicroLead Expansion documents (programme document and RFA, links to both provided above) prior to the start of the consultancy. The consultants will:
  • Review applications (FSP/TSP business plans in standard format) and provide written analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats (SWOT) as well as views on overall feasibility of each application; provide list of outstanding questions needing clarification, if any;
  • Based on criteria/weighting provided by UNCDF, score the applications and provide a ranking of all applications; for the highest ranking applications, provide suggestions on funding conditions;
  • Participate on weekly calls to discuss applications and provide expertise on the target countries/markets and the applicants.
Outputs (provided in English):
  • Individual SWOT for each application;
  • Score and rank all applications; and
  • Suggested funding conditions.
Total estimated time: initial contract for up to 30 working days.
Please note there is no travel required for this consultancy. Due diligence missions may be conducted after this consultancy is completed. If due diligence missions are deemed necessary, a separate TOR will be developed with missions conducted April-June 2012. Please note in your application whether you would be available for these missions.
Applications should include:
  • C.V. that highlights how the qualifications noted above are met.
  • Consultant’s daily rate in US dollars.
  • Confirmation of availability to conduct due diligence missions, if deemed necessary by UNCDF, in April-June 2012.

Competencies

  • Minimum of five (5) years experience in microfinance/pro-poor financial inclusion;
  • Experience developing or reviewing business plans for FSPs, microfinance operational experience, and/or conducting due diligence for investments in microfinance.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Master’s degree (Finance, Economics) or equivalent

Experience:

  • Extensive sub-Saharan Africa experience.
  • Experience in pro-poor savings mobilization.

Language:

  • Fluency in written and spoken English and French.

UNDP 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.

Consultants to Review Applications from Financial Service Providers/Technical Service Providers in response to UNCDF MicroLead Expansion RFA