Individual Consultant – Feasibility Study for the GCF Proposal – Access to Finance and Risk Insurance Specialist, Harare
UNDP in need of Individual Consultant
Organization: UNDP – United Nations Development Programme
Country: Zimbabwe
Office: UNDP Harare
Location : Harare, ZIMBABWE
Application Deadline : 28-Oct-16 (Midnight New York, USA)
Additional Category : Resilience and Climate Change
Type of Contract : Individual Contract
Post Level : National Consultant
Languages Required : English
Starting Date : (date when the selected candidate is expected to start) 01-Nov-2016
Duration of Initial Contract : 20 working days
Expected Duration of Assignment : 20 working days
Background
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is a financial operating entity of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which is established to contribute to the collective efforts of the international community to combat climate change. The GCF plans to fund programmatic approaches that provide an opportunity for a transformational shift in countries’ climate resilience and green economies, prioritizing a balanced approach between adaptation and mitigation. The GCF can be accessed directly by National Implementing Entities (NIEs) from developing countries and/or through accredited international and regional Implementing Entities (IEs). The Board of the Green Climate Fund has started Accreditation of National and International institutions for direct access
Led by the Zimbabwean Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate (MEWC), UNDP serving as the GCF Accredited Entity and CRIDF as the technical partner, an Adaptation project has been proposed for possible funding by the GCF. The proposed project entitled ‘Building climate resilience of vulnerable agricultural livelihoods in three river basins in southern Zimbabwe’ is intended to build resilience through strengthening the resilience of agricultural livelihoods of vulnerable communities, particularly women, in southern Zimbabwe in the face of increasing climate risks and impacts. The expected outcomes of the project are increased resilience and enhanced water and food security of the most vulnerable in the region. It is envisaged that the project will contribute to the national priorities in the National Climate Change Response Strategy.
The proposed project will have three interrelated outputs comprising of a number of indicative inputs with multiple activities. These are
Output 1: Scaled up climate-resilient agricultural production and diversification through increased access to water, climate-resilient inputs and practices, and markets;
Output 2: Increased access to climate information for improved water resource management and planning for climate resilient agriculture; and
Output 3: Enhanced institutional coordination, knowledge management, and access to finance and insurance for sustained climate risk management for agricultural livelihoods.
The proposal will be submitted to the GCF through UNDP, which is an accredited UN Agency by the GCF.
It is envisaged that the project will be implemented in southern Zimbabwe covering three river basins Save, Umzingwane and Runde and three provinces namely Manicaland, Masvingo and Matabeleland South. Targeted districts in each province are: Manicaland province, Buhera, Chimanimani and Chipinge Districts; Masvingo Province – Bikita, Zaka and Masvingo; and Matebeleland South Province – Beit Bridge, Gwanda and Insiza districts. The districts were selected based on the level of vulnerability to climate variability and climate change.
The project will be implemented through National Implementation Modality (NIM) arrangement of the UNDP. The Ministry of Environment Water and Climate (MEWC) will be the Implementing Partner with support from whilst the Irrigation Department, AGRITEX, Environment Management Authority, MET services, ZINWA and selected Civil Society Organisations who are currently operating in the Districts and irrigation sites will collaborate in implementation of different outputs of the project.
To validate and help finalize the project design, a detailed feasibility study is to be undertaken by a team of specialists that includes Value Chain Analyst, Energy Specialist, Irrigation Engineer, Weather and Climate Information Specialist, Access to Finance and Risk Insurance consultant, and a Lead consultant for the Feasibility Study to coordinate all the sub-assessments. The team of specialists will provide the feasibility analysis required to formulate a full project proposal. The proposed project is expected to catalyze and strengthen agro-based income generating opportunities for smallholder farmers in Southern Zimbabwe who will be connected to value chains through which they can sell some surpluses in informal local markets. A large portion of smallholders to be supported, particularly under irrigation schemes, will be connected to more structured climate smart value chains where they can access better inputs, information and secure markets.
Availability of finance and insurance services that vulnerable rural smallholder farmers can draw on determines how these agro-based enterprises will grow and sustain themselves in the face of climate change. Facilitating access to capital and other financial products plays an important role in the overall strategy to improve the productivity of smallholders, their livelihoods, incomes, and food security while promoting improved agricultural yields. In addition, other financial and risk mitigation services such as insurance and savings products may reduce the risk of external shocks such as climate vulnerability and climate change, smooth cyclical cash flows of farmers and help them manage their agro-activities as a viable micro-small enterprises.
While microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Zimbabwe were successful in developing techniques to provide financial services to low-income clients without traditional collateral, rural areas and smallholder farmers are still underserved by the microfinance industry. Applying proven microfinance lending techniques directly to smallholder farmers has turned out to be difficult especially in mitigating credit risk to low-income populations, which are considered higher risk. Smallholder farmers are exposed to further risks and costs inherent to agricultural finance, such as: Production & yield risks. Extreme weather events, such as severe droughts or heavy floods, can destroy an entire yield and thereby a whole year’s work. But also minor weather events such as irregular rains (either late rains or rains during harvest time) as well as pests and other plant diseases can severely affect yields. Climate change tends to exacerbate the negative effects of these events.
Alternative options to enhance access to finance and risk insurance for smallholder farmers are emerging and these need to be further explored for their viability and suitability in different situations. Apart from formal MFIs, informal and inclusive community managed schemes such as Village Savings and Lending (commonly known as mukando or fushai), SACCOs and others are being promoted countrywide.
The proposed project places great emphasis on viable climate smart value chains that include inclusive financial and risk insurance mechanisms. There is a need to design suitable mechanisms that are informed by detailed analysis. This terms of reference defines the services that are required from a competent financial and risk insurance specialist to appraise the feasibility of various inclusive formal and informal mechanisms for access to finance and risk insurance for smallholder farmers and recommend and design suitable strategies to be implemented that can contribute to the results intended by the project for building climate resilience.
Duties and Responsibilities
The overall objective is to assess and recommend well-designed mechanisms for enhancing inclusive financial and insurance services to dry land and irrigation smallholder farmers in Southern Zimbabwe. The National Consultant is required to thoroughly examine the proposed programme inputs under Output 3 for enhancing inclusive formal and informal financial and insurance (or broader risk mitigation/transfer mechanisms) services.
S/he will conduct a project feasibility appraisal of the available and potential inclusive rural financial and insurance services for smallholder farmers, propose viable mechanisms and implementation strategies to enable sustained climate resilient livelihoods and enterprise development among the at risk farmers.
The consultant will be expected to conduct a feasibility analysis of
- Existing informal community savings and loan schemes to promote inclusive rural financial services,
- Connections to formal financial institutions to support micro-enterprises where necessary,
- Existing formal and informal rural risk insurance provision including traditional practices of insurance against climate risk,
- Use of innovative digital finance – mobile, ICT platforms – for provision and use of finance and risk insurance services to smallholder farmers, and
- Identify and recommend appropriate services, design (including costing), and implementation strategies that can be supported through the project activities. The recommendations should also entail considerations and strategies for long-term sustainability of the schemes and an exit strategy for the project.
The feasibility study shall make use of both primary data already collected by the project preparation team at the feasibility stage; and available relevant primary secondary information from institutions (NGOs/projects) and community groups that have implemented similar inclusive financial and risk insurance schemes. Engagement with private sector played in the ICT sector will also be necessary to assess the ICT based options.
The scope of work will include the following tasks
- A desk review of existing products, institutions, key findings from the literature and current financial and risk insurance service offerings in line with preferred products and target markets as indicated by Concept Note and TOC;
- Provide a demand side assessment of the financial needs and related constraints, and climate and related risk exposure and insurance needs of the farmers and enterprises in line with preferred product and target markets in order to have a full picture of the opportunities;
- Review and provide a diagnostic of the insurance and saving and credit groups at community level and other mechanisms for securing funds for the sector at the community level and of the current informal and formal risk insurance mechanisms that are in place for smallholder farmers;
- Assess existing and explore opportunities for innovative mobile, ICT platforms for the provision of inclusive financial services and risk insurance;
- Based on the assessment above, provide detailed recommendations of specific customized interventions (costed where possible) for enhancing access to finance and risk insurance for smallholder farmers in the targeted area including proposed key support services and the service providers useful to support the effectiveness of the proposed inclusive financial and risk insurance mechanism including for the IT based interventions.
EXPECTED OUTPUTS AND DELIVERABLES
After thorough analysis of relevant parts of the project proposal supplemented by briefing from the Project Preparation Team, the national consultant will undertake the required feasibility study. It is expected that all work can be performed in Harare, although there may be need to conduct specific fact finding in select Districts. Based on this work the Consultant will prepare a comprehensive feasibility study report (according to the guidelines that will be provided), which will be annexed to the overall feasibility study report.
- Preparation of inception report with detailed technical approach and methods to the study and work plan;
- Stakeholder consultations and literature review;
- Draft report on feasibility study;
- Final report on the feasibility study (incorporating review feedback from Project Team).
Competencies
Core Competencies
- Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
- Advocates and 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.
Functional Competencies:
Professionalism
- Advanced knowledge of the use of information management in humanitarian response and recovery environments;
- Highly developed conceptual, analytical and innovative ability to identify and articulate the information management requirements of complex situations requiring a coordinated response between disparate actors;
- Demonstrated problem-solving skills and ability to use sound judgment to ensure the effective and timely completion of complex tasks.
Communication
- Excellent communication and training (spoken and written) skills including the ability to convey complex information management concepts and recommendations to staff at all levels, both orally and in writing, in a clear, concise style that can be readily understood by non-information management practitioners.
Teamwork
- Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals;
- Places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision.
Required Skills and Experience
Education
- Post graduate qualification in the field of Business Studies, Agriculture Economics, Risk and Credit, Management;
Experience
- A minimum of 10 years’ experience in financial institutions small business development support, financial services offerings for the smallholder agriculture sector with demonstrable expertise in design of inclusive financial schemes and risk insurance services;
- Demonstrated experience supporting access to finance and risk insurance to enable enterprise development;
- Demonstrated work experience with various stakeholders in the government as well as development partners micro finance and risk insurance models;
- Demonstrated work experience with various stakeholders in the government as well as development partners on micro finance and risk insurance models;
- Experience working in rural agriculture livelihood context with understanding of microfinance and insurance;
- Proven experience of conducting similar nature of assignment in past preferably for INGOs / UN organizations;
- Good inter-personal communication skills, flexibility;
- Knowledge in the area of resilience and disaster risk management;
- Familiarity with and experiences in the work of the MEWC and Ministry of Agriculture would be an asset;
- Excellent report writing skills; and
- Proven capability to meet deadlines and work under pressure.
Language
- Excellent command of written and spoken English.
Application procedure;
Applicants are requested to upload the following documents
- a copy of their latest updated P11 Form which can be downloaded from this website – http://www.sas.undp.org/Documents/P11_Personal_history_form.doc.;
- Technical Proposal;
Applications without Technical Proposals will not be considered.
Please group all your documents into one (1) single PDF attachment as the system only allows upload of one document;
Please note that only applicants who are short-listed will be contacted.