Background

The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) is a UN organization with a capital mandate (unique in the UN System) focused on reducing poverty and inequality first and foremost in the least developed countries (“LDC”s).   

UNCDF’s financing models work through three channels: (1) inclusive digital economies, which connects individuals, households, and small businesses with financial eco-systems that catalyze participation in  the local economy and provide tools to climb out of poverty and manage financial lives; (2) local development finance, which capacitates localities through fiscal decentralization, innovative municipal finance, and structured project finance to drive local economic expansion and sustainable development; and (3) investment finance, which provides catalytic financial structuring, de-risking, and capital deployment to drive SDG impact and domestic resource mobilization. 

The UNITLIFE programme is an innovative financing instrument hosted by the UNCDF dedicated to the fight against chronic childhood malnutrition in two priority areas: (a) reducing child stunting and other immediate effects of malnutrition; and (b) closing the gender gap in climate-smart agriculture. UNITLIFE has an innovative financing approach and instruments. The funds raised through these instruments will be directly channelled to funding in high impact projects addressing the immediate effects and root causes of chronic malnutrition. 

UNITLIFE funds interventions at different points of the food value chain that (i) position improved nutrition as a primary outcome; (ii) promote nutrition-sensitive and climate-smart agriculture; and (iii) place women at the center. Priority is given to (i) projects that are integrated and/or collocated with complementary interventions addressing other determinants of chronic malnutrition based on the context such as access to health services and adequate water, sanitation and hygiene; (ii) projects that demonstrate a strong sustainability approach to maximize long-term impact; and (iii) projects that include an innovation component.

To date, the portfolio of projects is focused on Sub-Saharan Africa, the region with the highest prevalence of chronically malnourished children. 

Scope of Work

The UNITLIFE Secretariat is seeking the services of a Individual Consultant with experience on field projects implementation, management and monitoring.

The Consultant will be requested to engage in specific tasks associated with the UNITLIFE projects portfolio. She/he will work under the supervision of UNITLIFE Programme Manager. The Consultant will work closely with UNITLIFE implementing partners, and UNITLIFE fund administrator, namely UNDP Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) office. 

In order to perform the tasks, the Consultant will have full access to UNITLIFE’s Standard Operating Procedures, as well as the MPTF processes and templates and all strategy documents developed, as well as in general,  all available literature. 

Description of  Responsibilities:  

Key results expected for this assignment are as follows: 

Months 1 - 2: For an on-going project and in close collaboration with the implementing partner, submission of one Board approved Project Document,  budget and logframe, together with a signed fund Transfer Request to the MPTF. 

Months 3 - 4: For 3 new projects and in close collaboration with the implementing partners, submission of one Board approved Project Document, budget and logframe, together with a signed Fund Transfer Request to the MPTF.

Months 5 - 6: Coordination of the audit of one project. This includes drafting the Terms Of Reference for the audit and ensure cooperation of the project’s main implementing partner. At the end of the audit, the Consultant is expected to validate the auditors report.

Months 7 - 8: Coordination of a field visit (monitoring visit) of an on-going project. This includes drafting the Terms Of Reference for the assignment, leading the visit on the field, and writing the final report.

Institutional Arrangement

The Consultant is expected to work under the supervision of UNITLIFE Programme Manager, in close collaboration with UNITLIFE Innovative Finance Specialist and the MPTF team in charge of disbursement and administration of funds. 

For more information, please refer to UNDP Jobs page as follows: https://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_job.cfm?cur_job_id=106961