Access to Finance and Grants Specialist

Responsabilités

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT Position: Access to Finance and Grants Specialist Organization: UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) – Malawi Project: UCHI Strengthening Agricultural Commercialization Project Location: Lilongwe, Malawi Application Link: estm.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com . About UNDP Malawi Since 1964, UNDP has been active in Malawi, aiding the Government in its development agenda by supporting policies, establishing partnerships, and enhancing institutional capacities to achieve national development goals and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The UNDP Malawi's Country Programme Document (CPD) for 2024-2028 aligns with the Malawi Vision 2063 and its first 10-Year Implementation Plan, aiming to support Malawi in meeting the SDGs by 2030. This comprehensive program addresses the interconnected challenges of poverty, inequality, and vulnerability to shocks, organized within two principal portfolios: Governance: This portfolio focuses on strengthening effective, accountable, and inclusive governance. It promotes civic engagement, human rights, the rule of law, peace, and democracy, alongside improving data generation and analysis. Resilience and Sustainable Growth (RSG): This portfolio focuses on economic innovation, inclusive business, job creation, and renewable energy access. It also aims to help Malawi adapt to climate change and build resilience to disasters. About the RSG Portfolio The RSG Portfolio adopts a multifaceted approach combining inclusive growth, sustainability, climate adaptation, resilience to shocks, and agricultural development. It integrates natural resource management, poverty-environment linkages, disaster risk management, and agricultural value chain commercialization. UNDP's resilience programming within the RSG Portfolio specifically targets the mitigation of threats, risks, and impacts of climate change and related economic and social shocks. The RSG Portfolio also includes a dynamic private sector development program that employs various de-risking financial instruments to support private sector investments in the country. About Agriculture and Commercialization in Malawi Agriculture is the backbone of Malawi's economy, employing over 70% of the population and significantly contributing to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at 24.7%. Women contribute over 70% of the agricultural labour force, yet they face persistent gender barriers, including limited land ownership and reduced access to extension and climate-smart technologies, and significantly lower access to finance. Since 2014, UNDP has actively supported the private sector in advancing sustainable development through diverse initiatives and partnerships in agriculture, collaborating closely with mainstream government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs). About the UCHI Project The UCHI Strengthening Agricultural Commercialization Project will provide the technical expertise, resources, and networks necessary to tackle challenges related to agricultural commercialization and generate market and financial opportunities for smallholder farmers (SHFs). The project advocates market-oriented business practices and stimulates market and financial opportunities within priority value chains. One of the UCHI Project Outputs is "Improved Financial Access for FOs and Women-Led Agricultural MSMEs". This output aims to improve financial access for Farmer Organizations (FOs) and SMEs, with a particular focus on empowering women-led agribusinesses. The program will provide financial management training, facilitate access to loans, and establish an UCHI Commercialization Facility (matching grant and blended finance solutions) to support productive investments. Position Overview UNDP is seeking to recruit an Access to Finance and Grants Specialist to design, roll-out, and oversee the management and implementation of the UCHI Commercialization Facility and to lead on the financial access and investment stream of work under the UCHI Strengthening Agricultural Commercialization Project. Scope of Work Advised on Fiduciary Management Oversee the roll out and implementation of the UCHI Commercialization Facility. Facilitate development of milestones for each of the grantees (FOs/SMEs) in consultation with the project team and the grantees and align the same with disbursement amounts. Facilitate development of the UCHI Commercialization Facility's matching grant milestone verification tools. Lead the review of disbursement requests against milestone achievements. Oversee a portfolio of grants and other financial products under the UCHI Agriculture Commercialization Project, ensuring adherence to financial agreements and monitoring progress against milestones. Ensure that payments are linked to milestones outlined in the contractually binding grant agreements. Track and verify expenditures, ensuring that funds are used efficiently and as intended by grantees. Maintain detailed records of payments, disbursements, and financial reports, ensuring transparency and accountability for all grants. Provide regular financial updates to the Project Manager, Project Specialist, and UNDP management. Monitor the disbursement of funds to grantees and prepare detailed records with all documentary evidence. Participate in due diligence exercises on selected FO/SMEs. Ensure that grant selection, due-diligence, and contracting processes integrate gender-responsive criteria, including prioritization of women-led agribusinesses. Develop milestone templates that incorporate gender KPIs such as proportion of women benefiting, women in leadership roles, and gender-responsive budgeting. Ensure Monitoring and Reporting Work closely with the UCHI Project's M&E Specialist to develop and implement a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) system to track grant progress. Monitor grantee progress, identifying any risks or delays and ensuring corrective actions are taken. Prepare quarterly and annual progress reports on the performance of funded projects. Work closely with the UCHI M&E Specialist and the UNDP Malawi CO M&E team to integrate grants data into the Project's overall performance tracking system. Continuously monitor grantee performance and alert the Project Manager of any existing or possible unsatisfactory grantee performance. Work with the M&E Specialist to ensure preparation of baseline reports and end-line impact reports for each contracted grantee. Contribute to presentations on progress during monthly meetings and other scheduled meetings. Track and report sex-disaggregated data for all grantees. Conduct gender-sensitive risk assessments and ensure corrective measures address barriers faced by women and vulnerable groups. Lead Financial Access and Partnerships Lead engagement with financial service providers to facilitate access to finance for project beneficiaries. Design and implement financial solutions tailored to the needs of FOs and MSMEs, including blended finance mechanisms and risk-sharing approaches. Build strategic partnerships with banks, microfinance institutions, and other funding entities. Advocate for financial products that align with the commercialization needs of FOs and MSMEs. Research and facilitate development of other relevant financial instruments for the UCHI Project. Work closely with UCHI Value Chain Specialists to ensure FOs and SMEs receive guidance on integrating climate-smart agriculture practices. Advise and Support Financial Literacy and Capacity Building Develop and oversee gender-sensitive financial literacy training programs. Integrate modules on women's economic empowerment, financial negotiation skills, and leadership. Support the implementation of capacity-building initiatives to enhance financial planning, investment readiness, and business sustainability. Provide ongoing technical expertise to project beneficiaries on innovative financing, financial and grant management skills, and business development strategies. Support the Business Development Specialist in offering business advisory services to grantees. Facilitate knowledge-sharing and learning among grantees. Strengthen financial management and record-keeping systems for grant recipients. Provide technical assistance to FOs and MSMEs to ensure proper budgeting and financial sustainability. Perform other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary. Institutional Arrangement The Access to Finance and Grants Specialist will be based at the UNDP Malawi's UCHI Agriculture Commercialization Project Office in Lilongwe, with frequent in-country travel to support grantees in various districts. The Specialist will report to the UCHI Project Manager and work in close collaboration with the UCHI Project Specialist and other relevant Project staff.

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