PRIM - SME Engagement Consultant.

Vacancy Number: Qu23/02680

Location:Chisinau, Moldova
Application Deadline: 16 Mar 2023, 16:30 (GMT+2:00)
Application Extended deadline:
23 Mar 2023, 16:30 (GMT+2:00)
Application Extended deadline:
30 Mar 2023, 16:30 (GMT+2:00)
Starting date: 01 Apr 2023
Reference to the project: Resilient Inclusive Markets Projects
Expected Duration of Assignment:110 working days
Submission Instructions:

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is currently implementing a Resilient and Inclusive Markets (PRIM) that requires the services of a National Consultant to provide local capacity development support to the Project Team in the implementation of key activities under the Project’s second Outcome as described in this document.  She/he is expected to work closely with the Project Manager, Project Component Manager, beneficiary localities and stakeholders to deliver professional, effective, and qualitative contributions to the Project’s community-level interventions.

In consideration of your qualifications, we are hereby inviting you to submit an offer for this particular assignment.  To assist you in understanding the requirements of this assignment, we have attached hereto the following : 

  • The Terms of Reference for the assignment described above;
  • The standard Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability, which you must accomplish and submit to UNDP;
  • The Individual Contract and its General Terms and Conditions, which you would be expected to sign in the event you are the selected Offeror in this procurement process.  

Should you be interested and decide to submit an offer for this assignment, kindly submit directly in the online supplier portal no later than the deadline indicated in the system.

Offers must be submitted directly in the Quantum Supplier Portal following this link: http://supplier.quantum.partneragencies.org  using the profile you may have in the portal (please log in using your username and password).

Follow the instructions in the user guide to search for the competition using search filters, namely Negotiation ID: UNDP-MDA-00084 and subscribe to the competition in order to get notifications in case of amendments of the competition document and requirements.

In case you have never registered before, follow this link to register a profile:

https://estm.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/fscmUI/faces/PrcPosRegisterSupplier?prcBuId=300000127714247

based on the instructions in guides available in UNDP website: https://www.undp.org/procurement/business/resources-for-bidders.

Do not create a new profile if you already have one. Use the forgotten password feature in case you do not remember the password or the username from previous registration.

Should you require further clarifications on the application through the Quantum online portal, kindly contact the Procurement Unit at sc.md@undp.org. Please pay attention that the proposal shall be submitted online through the Quantum system and any proposal sent to the above email shall be disqualified.

Should you require further clarifications on the Notice, Terms of Reference or other requirements, kindly communicate using the messaging functionality in the portal.

Deadline for Submission of Offers (Date and Time), which is visible in the online supplier portal will be final. The portal will not accept submission of any offer after that date and time. It is the responsibility of the applicant to make sure that the offer is submitted prior to this deadline for submission.

Applicants are advised to upload offer documents and to submit their offer a day prior or well before the date and time indicated under the deadline for submission of Offers. Do not wait until last minute. If Applicant faces any issue during submitting offers at the last minutes prior to the deadline for submission, UNDP may not be able to assist on such a short notice and will not be held liable in such instance. UNDP will not accept any offer that is not submitted directly through the System.

If any discrepancy between deadline in the system and in deadline indicated elsewhere, deadline in the system prevails.

We look forward to your favourable response and thank you in advance for your interest in working with UNDP.  

Sincerely,

UNDP Moldova

Supporting Documents:
10188303_UNDP Quantum - User Guide for Suppliers - Russian
10188314_UNDP Quantum - User Guide for Suppliers - English
10188345_IC_Statement of Health_Individual Contractors
10188374_IC_Offerors_Letter_to_UNDP_Confirming_Interest_and_Availability
10188422_ToR - PRIM SME Engagement Expert
UNDP General Conditions of Individual Contract

Contacts:

Ms. A Moraru.

a.moraru@undp.org

Mr. Dorin Toma.

dorin.toma@undp.org


Background

The Swiss-UNDP project “Resilient, Inclusive Markets in Moldova” (PRIM) is set to contribute to the promotion of integrated approaches to inclusive and sustainable local economic development and employment creation, in partnership with ILO and SDC, targeting both local populations, as well as returning migrants and refugees.

Previous and ongoing SDC – UNDP efforts to address the positive impact of migration and engage migrants in local socio-economic development, along with design and piloting of local economic developments models and partnerships shaped a favorable enabling environment to expand the current work and take it to another level. In this context, Moldova has a number of comparative advantages that can be harnessed to steam up the growth, broaden its geography, and make it more socially inclusive.

In order to do so, UNDP Moldova will further advance the successful LED interventions by scaling up the focus from local to (micro)-regional, while at the same time leveraging revenue generation, strengthening business support services and value chains to increase the competitiveness of local economy, retention of human capital and facilitate local socio-economic development.

The role of the SMEs, including owned and led by migrants, is crucial, being potentially the most efficient transmission between the economic growth and welfare of the employed persons, particularly in the remote rural communities and small towns. Also new political and socio-economic development required new approaches, taking into consideration the need to build more resilient, inclusive, and innovative local communities and local markets.

Hence, the strategic goal of the PRIM project is to enhance the SMEs-based sustainable economic development and promote equal access to decent work at the local and (micro)-regional levels, targeting both local populations, as well as returning migrants and refugees. It leverages the enhanced multi-stakeholder cooperation, improved business support services and complementary regulatory frameworks at the level of individual communities and micro-regions.

The Project will enhance sustainability of the results from the previous efforts supported by the Swiss Government, shape them to new political and socio-economic developments, by embracing and promoting relevant policy and community-action innovations and by ensuring engagement of all relevant stakeholders in the design and implementation of local development solutions for building responsive institutions, inclusive economy, and resilient communities.

In light of the regional security environment that is expected to remain turbulent even in the most optimistic scenarios, the Project is intended to bring a valuable contribution to the triple humanitarian-development-peace nexus at the local/regional level.

The strategic goal of the PRIM project is to enhance the inclusive, competitive, and sustainable economic development, and promote equal access to decent work at the local and (micro)-regional levels, by leveraging the enhanced multi-stakeholder cooperation, improved business support services and complementary regulatory frameworks. The Project targets three interrelated Outcomes.

As part of Outcome 1, policy and institutional frameworks create an empowering environment for inclusive and sustainable economic development in the targeted economic sectors.

Outcome 2 assumes that local/regional communities including private sector representatives, meaningfully cooperate in cluster formats to enhance value chains and improve their competitiveness.

As part of Outcome 3, the people of Moldova, especially women, youth, returning migrants and refugees, will benefit from improved economic opportunities in the pilot micro-regions.

Scope of work

The Project seeks to contract a National Consultant (hereinafter “the Consultant”) to provide local capacity development support to the Project Team in the implementation of key activities under the Project’s second Outcome. She/he is expected to work closely with the Project Manager, Project Component Manager, beneficiary localities and stakeholders in order to deliver professional, effective, and qualitative contributions to the Project’s community-level interventions.

Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager and in collaboration with the Project Component Manager and Senior Project Officer, the Consultant is expected to carry out the following tasks:

  • Provide support to the PRIM project in identifying sectoral regulatory gaps related to the targeted value chains through advisory support and expertise (particularly in the field of SME development, employment, and overall business activity).
  • Provide support to the PRIM project on the conceptualization of feasible mechanisms for SME to facilitate the access to finance and diaspora financial engagement in national/local economic development.
  • Contribute to the design and piloting of a facilitation/incentives mechanism for boosting employment within the SMEs from the selected value chains.
  • Advise on the enhancement of the National Employment Agency’s capacities to increase its engagement with the private sector beneficiaries from the targeted micro-regions (via its territorial offices).
  • Perform any other relevant activity-related tasks, as requested by the Project Manager and/or Policy Component Manager, for the successful implementation of the assignment.

Requirements for experience

Academic Qualifications:

  • University degree (or higher) in Economics, Business Administration, Finance, or other relevant fields.

Experience and knowledge:

  • At least 3 (three) years of progressive experience (at the local or national level) in the field of economic policy development, enhancement, and support programme implementation for SMEs. Recent work experience at local level will be considered a strong advantage.
  • At least 2 (three) years of experience in providing advisory and capacity building support for SMEs.
  • Proven record in coordinating, monitoring, and/or evaluating projects with private sector and employment support components will be considered a strong advantage.
  • Proven record in contributing to the conceptualization and/or implementation of a private sector support program will be considered a strong advantage.
  • Previous experience within an UNDP Project and/or other international organization(s) will be considered an advantage.

Competencies:

  • Ability to perform and deliver expected results in a fast-paced working environment.
  • Strong sense of initiative and ability to work independently.
  • Strong written and communication skills, with analytic capacity and ability to identify relevant findings and prepare analytical documents in a clear and concise manner.
  • Demonstrated interpersonal skills, as well as the ability to communicate effectively and build meaningful partnerships with all stakeholders.
  • Fluency in Romanian (verbal and written) is a must. Strong knowledge of English considered as an advantage.

Personal qualities:

  • Responsibility, flexibility and punctuality, ability to meet deadlines and prioritize multiple tasks.
  • Proven commitment to the core values of the United Nations, in particular respecting differences of culture, gender, religion, ethnicity, nationality, language, age, HIV status, disability, and sexual orientation, or other status.

The UNDP Moldova is committed to workforce diversity. Women, persons with disabilities, Roma and other ethnic or religious minorities, persons living with HIV, as well as refugees and other non-citizens legally entitled to work in the Republic of Moldova, are particularly encouraged to apply.

Documents to be included

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

  • Signed and filled-in Offeror’s letter to UNDP confirming interest and availability for the individual contractor (IC) assignment, incorporating Financial proposal in Annex 2 (in USD, specifying a total requested amount per working day, including all related costs, e.g. fees, phone calls etc.). Annex 2 to the Offeror's letter, incorporating the Financial Proposal, shall be filled in mandatorily and includes the detailed breakdown of costs supporting the all-inclusive financial proposal;
  • Proposal (Motivation Letter): explaining why they are the most suitable for the work including previous experience in similar Projects (please provide brief information on each of the above qualifications, item by item, including information, links/copies of documents for similar comprehensive studies);
  • Duly updated CV with at least 3 references.

 

Important notice: The applicants who have the statute of Government Official / Public Servant prior to appointment will be asked to submit the following documentation:

  • a no-objection letter in respect of the applicant received from the Government, and;
  • the applicant is certified in writing by the Government to be on official leave without pay for the entire duration of the Individual Contract.

Financial proposal

The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables (i.e., whether payments fall in installments or upon completion of the entire contract). Payments are based upon output, i.e., upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR. To assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (including fees, taxes, travel costs, accommodation costs, communication, and number of anticipated working days)