Consultant, Pooled Fund Review, ICS11/IICA 3 – 100 day contract

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

SUN Movement Pooled Fund

From 2017-2021, the SUN Movement Pooled Fund (aka “Pooled Fund”) was established to act as a last resort, catalytic and innovative funding mechanism providing support to SUN countries and their efforts in scaling up nutrition interventions. The Pooled Fund was hosted by UNOPS and managed by a seven-member team. It worked towards the strategic objectives of the second SUN Movement Strategy and Roadmap (2016-2020) by providing grant funding at the global level. The Pooled Fund grew from an initial USD 3 million investment to a multi-phased budget of USD 18.5 million in just three years. The Pooled Fund supported 85 grant projects across 45 SUN countries. In collaboration with SUN Network secretariats, the contracts were allocated through a competitive process to select SUN Country projects to support in-country nutrition network capacities and their nutrition advocacy activities.

THE REVIEW

Over the course of 2020, the SUN Movement has renewed its strategy. It has set the course for this third phase of operations and delivery for the years 2021–2025. This direction is outlined in the SUN 3.0 Strategy.^[1] Key findings of the 2018 Midterm Review and the Strategic Review of the SUN Movement indicated the need for the Movement to further strengthen its country-led, country-driven, and impact-oriented character. The Pooled Fund should play a role in realising this vision.

The SUN 3.0 Strategy identified the SUN Movement Secretariat’s Pooled Fund as a potential country support mechanism in the new phase. In line with the reorientation of the SUN Movement, the Operationalisation Group (aka “Ops” Group) recommended a review of the Pooled Fund mechanism.^[2] In their report, they stated that the exercise should “assess the fund orientations to support leveraging of country finance and development of country finance capacity for this, but also to support fund replenishment.”

PURPOSE & GOALS

The purpose of the review will therefore be (1) to “assess the requirement and scope for a SUN Pooled Fund” or broader grant-making with maximal 10 strategic recommendations and (2) to identify potential design options for a new programme with pro’s and con’s.

The Review will gather evidence from key stakeholders, make strategic recommendations, and ultimately propose a business case for a Pooled Fund that will be coherent with the SUN Movement 3.0 Strategy and integrated with the broader SUN Movement stewardship arrangement and processes at global levels. The review will result in a business plan with options that will reflect current and potential future value add of the Pooled Fund, including taking into account suggestions made by the Ops Group.

Purpose and Scope of Assignment

The SUN Movement Secretariat seeks a Consultant with demonstrated experience in the technical design of grant programs, the structure of international multi-donor funds, and excellent proposal/business plan writing skills.

The Consultant will work under the overall responsibility of the SUN Movement Coordinator as Chair of the Pooled Fund Consultative Group and under the supervision of the Lead Consultant. The Consultant will be expected to collaborate with the Lead Consultant. The Consultant will be responsible for Deliverable No. 4. The Consultant will be expected to translate the findings and recommendations from the Lead Consultant into the technical/operational design of the new Pooled Fund in Deliverable No. 4 in a harmonious manner.

GUIDING QUESTIONS

Looking ahead at grant support in SUN 3.0 The following optional guiding questions were formulated to understand the scope of this review and the design of future grant support. The consultant may develop their own questions and present the highlights during the inception meeting.

1.In what ways can Pooled Fund grant-making support the objectives of SUN 3.0, while incorporating organisational changes of the SUN Movement Secretariat, lessons learned from the Pooled Fund SUN 2.0?

1.1 How can the Pooled Fund include progress in reaching SUN Strategy 3.0 – Strategic Objective No. 3: Build and strengthen country capacity to develop, prioritise, finance, implement and track country actions through strengthened technical assistance and knowledge management.

1.2 How can the Pooled Fund support the June 2021 Ops Group recommendations related to building SUN Country capacity:

1.2.1 Recommendation 9 – ‘…to establish a technical assistance and a capacity development framework, including a risk self-assessment, building on existing tools, to better assist and respond to SUN Countries’ needs and requests, particularly in FCAS.’
1.2.2 Recommendation 11 – ‘….to facilitate an effective, transparent, and dedicated finance capacity development platform, with dedicated finance training, TA, internal and external expertise, and funding – to allow countries to tailor, implement, renew, and sustain new and innovative financing; foster cross-country capacity development’
1.2.3 Recommendation 12 – ‘….a staged framework to be piloted in a group of countries that aims to provide best practices and models for other countries and create a virtuous cycle of finance in countries by allowing for: better use of existing finance, leveraging additional financing, and notably piloting innovative financing.

2.How can grant support contribute to knowledge-sharing within the SUN Movement?

3.What should the governance and oversight of grant support look like in the SUN Movement?

4.In what ways can a “pooled fund” approach support (innovative) funding approaches at the country level?

5.Exit Strategy: What has to be put in place (structures/investments) so that by 2030 Pooled Fund grant support will be able to close down?

Where appropriate, the consultant may recommend, from their experience, best practices from multi-donor funds in other sectors, which could be applied in the context of the SUN Movement and these deliverables.

TIMETABLE

The consultants are expected to deliver all deliverables prior to 28 February 2022 according to the schedule presented. All written reports will be concise and in line with UNOPS Rules and Regulations. The reports will be submitted in standard English. The language used should be direct, free of SUN Movement jargon (to the extent possible), avoid euphemisms in describing problems and weaknesses, and be reader-friendly. The use of graphics to illustrate existing structures and design recommendations is strongly encouraged. Annexes and appendices should be included only if there is a clear rationale for doing so.

The duration of the entire Pooled Fund Review is estimated to take from October 2021 to February 2022. This translates to an estimated 45 days for the Consultant, or as negotiated in the division of work.

AUDIENCE

• SUN Country members (SUN Government Focal Points, government employees, parliamentarians, Civil Society Alliance (CSA) members, UN staff members, donors, businesses).
• Implementing Partners: SUN Movement Global Support System (GSS) consisting of four SUN Networks and the SUN Movement Secretariat.
• Decision Makers: The SUN Movement Pooled Fund Consultative Group (funding partners of the Pooled Fund, made up of donors and SUN Network secretariat leads.)
• Decision Makers: The SUN Movement Coordinator and Executive Committee for endorsement.

APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY

The consultant will work in consultation with the GSS to propose an approach and methodology to meet the objectives. This proposal should be refined during the inception period and presented as part of the Inception Report.

Deliverable 1: Inception Report

● An Inception Report, outlining the approach and methodology that will be used for each component of the exercise. Clarification on key issues including on the scope of work, any relevant observations, or any limitations. (Maximum 10-page report and a virtual presentation). This report, along with the negotiated division of labour for both consultants, will be presented and feedback integrated before proceeding to the next phase.

Deliverable 2: Business Case/Project Proposal of SUN 3.0 Pooled Fund approach

● The Associate Consultant holds primary responsibility for this deliverable and ensures that the technical/operational design is in harmony with the recommendations in Deliverable No. 3.
● A Business Case/project proposal, translating the analysis, findings, and recommendations outlined in the Final Report that will meet two objectives:
○ Objective 1: using the format of a business case, guide the operational aspects of grant support as it transitions from SUN 2.0 to SUN 3.0;
○ Objective 2: provide a budget and funding proposal, for use by potential donors and partners to use to mobilise needed resources.
● The consultant(s) will present the draft Business Case to stakeholders for their feedback and questions, and to provide clarifications.

The Business Case should include – but is not limited to – the following components:

a. Introduction to proposed Pooled Fund model
b. Market analysis of similar programmes and funding landscape
c. Organigramme/Process Models for grant support d. Matching/alignment with high-level SUN 3.0 objectives and/or work plans with the grant support model(s).
e. Process model for data flows from grant projects to existing databases and networks (referencing required resources or design necessities if needed).
f. Streamline Pooled Fund data management aligned with SUN Movement Secretariat’s integrated reporting requirements.
g. Outline of a co-funding model (if applicable)
h. Narrative outline of personnel and resources required, with consideration of the new organizational chart of the SUN Movement Secretariat, monitoring and evaluation requirements. Recommendations/options for streamlined governance within the SUN Movement.

Qualifications and Experience

Education
● Advanced Masters degree in communication, English language, public or business administration, accounting and finance, public policy, or related field is required.
● A Bachelor degree with two additional years of relevant experience may be acceptable in lieu of the advanced degree.

Work Experience
● Minimum 7 years of relevant experience in international pooled financing/grant-making mechanisms for development with multi-stakeholder governance is required.
● ability to translate recommendations in effective business and fundraising proposals.
● Ability to coordinate and review/edit proposal inputs from a variety of stakeholders.
● Experience designing and writing grant selection criteria, investment frameworks, and business cases/fundraising proposals with technical, management, staffing, and/or other narrative sections.
● Experience designing and/or managing a variety of pooled financing mechanisms for development including a thorough understanding of latest developments in terms of fund policies, strategies, governance, guidelines and programmes.
● Knowledge of projects/programmes managed through a hosting arrangement with a UN entity.

OWNERSHIP & CONFIDENTIALITY

All intellectual property will become the property of the SUN Movement Secretariat and UNOPS. All data remains the sole property of the organizations. The consultant shall further agree to keep information related to any and all contracts with the SUN Movement Secretariat and UNOPS in strict confidence, including, but not limited to, the terms of the contract(s) and any confidential business information or proprietary information learned through its dealings.