Mission and objectives

UNDP partners with people at all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. On the ground in 177 countries and territories, UNDP offers global perspective and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations.

Context

Access to finance poses a significant barrier for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Small Island Developing States such as Antigua & Barbuda and St. Lucia. Due to systemic inequalities and lack of access to traditional financial services, women and youth-owned enterprises encounter additional challenges. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is implementing a project funded by the Joint SDG Multi-Party Trust Fund to address the financing gap for MSMEs, focusing on women and youth-owned enterprises in these countries. The objective is to contribute to the broader Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda, including gender equality, decent work, economic growth, and innovation. The current commercial financing landscape for MSMEs is characterized by a mismatch between the demand for and supply of financing products. MSMEs often need accessible, flexible, and affordable financial solutions to meet their diverse needs, but they face numerous barriers to securing these resources. In response to these challenges, governments and development partners have increasingly focused on improving the MSME financing ecosystem. Efforts to address the financing gap include establishing dedicated MSME lending programmes, credit guarantee schemes, financial literacy training, and promoting alternative financing models such as venture capital, crowdfunding, and peer-to-peer lending.

Task Description

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the Joint Programme Officer or their designated mandated representative(s), the UNV National Officer will: 1. Support Programme to Enhance Access to Financing for MSMEs o Support the Project Coordinator with developing and implementing initiatives that improve access to commercial financing for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), particularly in under-served sectors in St Lucia and Antigua & Barbuda where necessary 2. Participate in conducting a Comprehensive Analysis of the Financing Landscape: o Assist the Project Coordinator with leading efforts to evaluate the existing commercial financing products and services available to MSMEs, identifying gaps, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement in St Lucia and Antigua & Barbuda where necessary 3. Facilitate Stakeholder Engagement: o Support, establish, and maintain effective communication and coordination with the Project Coordinator, Financial Economic Specialist, contractors, and key stakeholders, including government agencies, financial institutions, MSME representatives, and development partners, to ensure collaborative efforts in strengthening MSME financing. 4. Support Effects to Address Barriers and De-Risk Financing: o Support the Project Coordinator and Financial Economic Specialists with financial institutions and other stakeholders to develop strategies for de-risking MSME lending, including establishing risk-sharing mechanisms and credit enhancement schemes. 5. Collaborate with Development Partners: o Work closely with the Project Coordinator, Financial Economic Specialists, and international organizations, including UN Women and other development agencies, to align national MSME financing efforts with broader development goals and initiatives. 6. Contribute to Comprehensive Reporting: o Prepare high-quality reports and recommendations to the Project Coordinator based on analyzing financing gaps, stakeholder consultations, and programme progress, ensuring alignment with national priorities and project objectives. · Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the Project Coordinator. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities during their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities: · Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and actively participating in UNV activities (for instance, in events that mark International Volunteer Day). · Be acquainted with and build on traditional and local forms of volunteerism in the host country. · Provide annual and end-of-assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results, and opportunities to the Project Coordinator. · Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.; · Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers. · Promote or advise local groups on using online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible. Results/expected outputs: · As an active UNDP team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly, and high-quality support rendered to St Lucia and Antigua & Barbuda, when necessary, and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of their functions, including: · Programme Coordination and Implementation: o Assist the Project Coordinator with administering the day-to-day implementation of activities related to MSME financing programmes, ensuring alignment with national policies and priorities. o Coordinate with the Project Coordinator and local stakeholders, including government agencies, financial institutions, and the private sector, to ensure the successful execution of programmes. o Support the Project Coordinator, Financial Economic Specialists, and agencies in identifying and mitigating risks in programme delivery. o Assist the Project Coordinator with organizing and facilitating training sessions, workshops, and knowledge-sharing events to enhance national capacity in MSME financing. · Stakeholder Engagement: o Act as the primary liaison between the Project Coordinator and national stakeholders, including government bodies, MSME associations, private sector entities, and international partners in St Lucia and Antigua & Barbuda, when necessary o Assist the Project Coordinator and the Financial Economic Specialist with facilitating meetings, workshops, and consultations with key stakeholders to ensure inclusive participation and buy-in. o Collaborate with the Project Coordinator and Financial Economic Specialist to ensure effective communication between different agencies involved in MSME financing. o Support the Project Coordinator and Financial Economic Specialist with the capacity-building of national counterparts, including government officials, MSME representatives, and other stakeholders, on issues related to MSME financing in St Lucia and Antigua & Barbuda when necessary · Monitoring and Reporting: o Assist with monitoring the progress of programme activities, ensuring targets and milestones are met under the work plan. o Prepare detailed progress reports, identifying achievements, challenges, and adjustment recommendations to the Project Coordinator o Track key performance indicators (KPIs) related to MSME financing programmes and provide regular updates to the Project Coordinator and relevant stakeholders · Technical Support: o Provide technical input and support to the Project Coordinator and Financial Economic Specialist to develop MSME financing policies and strategies, ensuring they are adapted to the national context. o Work closely with the Project Coordinator and Financial Economic Specialist to integrate commercial financing gap analysis findings into national-level interventions. o Support the Project Coordinator and Financial Economic Specialist with identifying challenges in the financing landscape and provide recommendations for addressing them nationally. · Collaboration with Development Partners: o Collaborate with the Project Coordinator to support international organizations, including UN Women and other development partners, to ensure coordinated approaches to MSME financing. o Support the Project Coordinator, Financial Economic Specialist, and other consultants in integrating national insights into broader programme design and recommendations. · Age, Gender, and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated, and documented in all activities throughout the assignment

Competencies and values

Technical Expertise in MSME Financing: o Understanding MSMEs’ challenges in accessing finance, particularly in developing contexts in St Lucia and Antigua & Barbuda, when necessary o Capacity to identify barriers and bottlenecks in financing for MSMEs and develop practical strategies to address them in St Lucia and Antigua and Barbuda, when necessary · Programme Management and Implementation: o Proven track record of managing projects and coordinating activities in a structured and results-driven manner. o Ability to work effectively under pressure, manage multiple tasks, and meet deadlines. o Experience in monitoring and evaluating programmes to ensure alignment with objectives and efficient delivery of results. · Teamwork: o Ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team, ensuring coordination and information sharing. o Experience working with other consultants or project teams to achieve common objectives. o Strong capacity to contribute to joint reports, action plans, and recommendations in a cooperative and results-oriented manner. · Commitment to continuous learning · Planning and organizing practical organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate, and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities. o Strong analytical capabilities to assess financing gaps and identify innovative solutions for improving access to finance. o Ability to synthesize complex data and trends into clear, actionable insights and recommendations. · Communication: o Proven ability to engage and collaborate with various stakeholders, including government agencies, financial institutions, MSME representatives, and development partners. o Strong facilitation skills for organizing and conducting stakeholder consultations, workshops, and meetings. o Excellent interpersonal skills and cultural sensitivity to work effectively in diverse settings. · Flexibility: o Demonstrated ability to adapt to changing priorities and respond proactively to new challenges. o Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, take initiative, and drive projects forward. o Commitment to continuous learning and keeping up to date with MSME financing and economic development developments. · Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity, self-reliance, commitment to UNDP mission and vision, and the UN Core Values. ·Professionalism · Integrity

Living conditions and remarks

Eastern Caribbean countries and territories are characterized by notable political stability, with open and competitive democratic systems. Social indicators are relatively good among ECA countries/territories, which points to the commitment of governments to improving the quality of life of its residents. As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging their own housing and other living essentials. The contract lasts for the period indicated above with possibility of extensions subject to availability of funding, operational necessity and satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectation of renewal of the assignment. The applicable Volunteer Living Allowance is provided monthly to cover housing, utilities, and normal cost of living expenses. Life, health, and permanent disability insurance are included (health insurance for up to 3 dependents), as well as final repatriation (if applicable) and resettlement allowance for satisfactory service. Specific UN Volunteer entitlements, including insurance coverage, Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA), are available at https://app.unv.org/calculator. The complete UN Volunteer Conditions of Service is available at https://explore.unv.org/cos Note: Nationals from CARICOM member States holding a Skills Certificate are welcome to apply for this position.