UNCDF’s financing models work through two channels: financial inclusion that expands the opportunities for individuals, households, and small businesses to participate in the local economy, providing them with the tools they need to climb out of poverty and manage their financial lives; and by showing how localized investments — through fiscal decentralization, innovative municipal finance, and structured programme finance — can drive public and private funding that underpins local economic expansion and sustainable development. By strengthening how finance works for poor people at the household, small enterprise, and local infrastructure levels, UNCDF contributes to SDG 1 on eradicating poverty and SDG 17 on the means of implementation. By identifying those market segments where innovative financing models can have transformational impact in helping to reach the last mile and address exclusion and inequalities of access, UNCDF contributes to a number of different SDGs.

The UNITLIFE programme is an innovative financing instrument hosted by the United Nations dedicated to the fight against chronic childhood malnutrition (stunting) 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 plans to introduce an innovative financing approaches and instruments including, but not limited to developing a voluntary micro-donations platforms for payment transactions, leveraging sports events and star power to drive social giving, and devising creative donation matching and revenue- sharing schemes with private partners. This is the underlying concept behind the application of innovative finance for UNITLIFE — shaving small amounts off targeted transactions and channel them towards development actions that respond to chronic malnutrition needs in developing countries. The funds raised through these instruments will be directly channeled to funding in high impact projects addressing the immediate effects and root causes of chronic malnutrition. Recognizing UNCDF’s expertise in development impact investments and partnerships in digital and traditional financial partners in both the public and private sector, UNCDF has been requested to host the Secretariat function of UNITLIFE in Paris, France in its initial phase of three years.

Scope of Work

Support the deployment of UNITLIFE’s innovation workstream:

• Explore Station F’s network of innovators, build relationships with Station F’s most promising start-ups and identify partnership opportunities for UNITLIFE’s interventions within Station F’s ecosystem.
• Explore innovation networks outside of Station F and globally, including within the UN innovation networks, and build bridges between innovation / accelerator labs, and UNITLIFE.
• Support the Portfolio specialist in identifying nutrition specific entrepreneurs / start-ups with relevant solutions along the agri-food value chain, that could be deployed through UNITLIFE’s programme.
• Assess innovation possibilities with regard to project-related technologies: results tracking, early warning systems, and support the portfolio specialist in developing integration in UNITLIFE’s work.

Research and data analysis in support of UNITLIFE’s innovative funding model:

• Support UNITLIFE’s partnership specialist with global research and analysis on potential partners, identify possible areas of cooperation and / or innovative partnership proposals to generate additional financial resources in support of UNITLIFE.
• Analyze trends in innovative finance for development, with a specific focus on new / frontier markets, private sector companies, non traditional industries and innovative schemes.

Content production of UNITLIFE Project Portfolio 

• Produce or Update projects factsheets in close collaboration with UNITLIFE Portfolio Specialist.
• Liaise with implementing partners selected by UNITLIFE Executive Committee to support due diligence process and required information in the framework of funds allocation with MPTF (project documents, logframe, budget and workplans).
• Support the Portfolio Specialist in all activities related to project implementation including evaluation, audits, and monitoring processes.
• Research and constantly update the Programme team on awareness campaigns conducted by other actors in the field of malnutrition and food insecurity.

Content production and platform management

• Support the Programme Manager with annual reports, narrative reports and Executive committee reports.
• Support the Portfolio specialist in the management of the digital platform for project selection.
• Support UNITLIFE’s online and social media platform management, including twitter, linkedin, and the website.
• Act as the manager of UNITLIFE’s applications.

Support the programme manager in identifying innovative internal platforms for the team’s day to day work, and act as the manager for such platfoms.

Institutional Arrangement

Working under the supervision and guidance of the UNITLIFE Programme Manager and in close collaboration with the UNITLIFE Portfolio Specialist and Partnership Specialist, Operations Analyst, the junior programme management analyst will support UNITLIFE’s strategic innovation mandate by providing high quality research, analysis and content.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

Achieve Results:   
LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline

Think Innovatively:   
LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking

Learn Continuously:   
LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning

Adapt with Agility:   
LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible

Act with Determination:    
LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously

Engage and Partner:   
LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:   
LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross-functional Competencies:

Business Management: Project Management

• Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers’ needs.
• Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy.
• Look for ways to add value beyond clients’ immediate requests.
• Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.

Business Management: Partnerships Management   

• Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.

Business Management: Digital Awareness and Literacy   

• Ability and inclination to rapidly adopt new technologies, either through skillfully grasping their usage or through understanding their impact and empowering others to use them as needed.

Business Management: Communications   

• Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.
• Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.

Business Development: Knowledge Generation

• Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need

Digital & Innovation: Social Media

• Knowledge of social media and ability to advise the use of social media for development outcomes

Digital & Innovation: Data Literacy

• Understand the potential as well as the limitations of using data driven innovation.
• Ability to use a mix of data sources (quantitative, qualitative or real-time techniques) to develop understanding, identify patterns to inform decision making or identify opportunities for further exploration.

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful IPSA

Minimum Educational requirements:   

• Master degree in Social Sciences, Economics, Public Health, or other health-related fields.

Experience requirements:

• Relevant formal working experience in project management and data analysis related work, preferably in the field of food security and nutrition, agriculture and climate.
• International experience through studies or work.

Required  skills:    

• Fully computer literate (including proficiency in database management support, website management platforms, MS Office, etc.); HTML, CSS and R considered an asset.
• Knowledge and familiarity with research on food security and/or climate.
• Previous experience in social innovation will be considered as an advantage.

Language(s):    

• Good written and spoken English and French are required; a third language will be considered an asset.