- Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
- Country: Senegal
- City: Dakar
- Office: UNDP Senegal
- Follow @UNjobs
Closing date: Friday, 4 November 2016
Consultant, Digital Financial Services (French Speaking) - Better Than Cash Alliance (BTCA)
Advertised on behalf of : Location : Dakar, SENEGAL
Application Deadline : 04-Nov-16 (Midnight New York, USA)
Type of Contract : Individual Contract
Post Level : International Consultant
Languages Required : English French
Duration of Initial Contract : 6 months with possibility of extension up to 1 year
Background
UNCDF is the UN's capital investment agency for the world's least developed countries (LDCs). Established by the General Assembly in 1966 and with headquarters in New York, UNCDF is an autonomous UN organization affiliated with UNDP which creates new opportunities for poor people and their communities by increasing access to microfinance and investment capital. UNCDF focuses on Africa and the poorest countries of Asia and the Pacific, with a special commitment to countries emerging from conflict or crisis. It provides seed capital - grants and loans - and technical support to help financial service providers reach more poor households and small businesses, and local governments finance the capital investments - water systems, feeder roads, schools, irrigation schemes - that will improve poor peoples' lives.
UNCDF works to enlarge peoples' choices: it believes that poor people and communities should take decisions about their own development. Its programmes help to empower women - over 50% of the clients of UNCDF-supported microfinance institutions are women - and its expertise in microfinance and local development is shaping new responses to food insecurity, climate change and other challenges. UNCDF works in challenging environments - remote rural areas, countries emerging from conflict - and paves the way for others to follow. Its programmes are designed to catalyze larger investment flows from the private sector, development partners and national governments, for significant impact on the Millennium Development Goals, especially Goal 1: Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger, Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women, and Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability.
UNCDF operates several global thematic initiative (GTI) programmes (see http://www.uncdf.org/en/global-programmes) that are offering needed and innovative financial services. The Better Than Cash Alliance (BTCA, see http://betterthancash.org/) is housed at UNCDF and works closely with these other programmes.
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The Better Than Cash Alliance is a partnership of governments, companies and international organizations that accelerates the transition from cash to digital payments in order to reduce poverty and drive inclusive growth. Billions of dollars in cash payments are made daily in emerging and developing economies, including payment of salaries, social welfare and relief, payments to suppliers, etc. The problems with these cash payments include a lack of transparency, accountability and security, as well as inefficiency. Furthermore, the individuals who receive the cash are excluded from the formal financial sector. There were approximately 2 billion people excluded from the formal financial sector in 2015.
Shifting payments from cash to digital has the potential to improve the livelihoods of low-income people by advancing financial inclusion and enabling people to save, while giving governments, the development community and the private sector a more efficient, transparent and often safer means of disbursing payments.
The Better Than Cash Alliance partners with governments, companies, and international organizations that are the key drivers behind the transition to make digital payments widely available by:
- Advocating for the transition from cash to digital payments in a way that advances financial inclusion and promotes responsible digital finance;
- Conducting research and sharing the experiences of its members to inform strategies for making the transition;
- Catalyzing the development of inclusive digital payments ecosystems in member countries to reduce costs, increase transparency, advance financial inclusion-- particularly for women-- and drive inclusive growth.
- Getting service providers the technical support they need on-site;
- Supporting the development better products that are based on customers' needs and demands;
- Building a stronger, more extensive network of financial service agents;
- Assisting central banks and other policy makers to build an enabling environment;
Duties and Responsibilities
Outputs and Deliverables
This incumbent will be accountable to the Head of Member Services and will work closely with the West Africa team of the Mobile Money 4 the Poor programme (MM4P).
Support Better Than Cash Member Governments: Work with Better Than Cash Alliance members and partners in francophone member countries to lay the foundation for an inclusive digital payments ecosystem:
- In collaboration with the MM4P programme, elaborate an overall strategy for BTCA's activities in Senegal and Benin, working closely partners present in both countries;
- Build and manage relationships, diplomatically and effectively, with the key local actors to promote the development of an open and inclusive digital payments ecosystem including continuous communication between public and private sectors. Develop relationships with government members including Ministry of Finance and Central Banks, C-suite executives and senior members of BTCA partners;
- In collaboration with BTCA's Member Services team and MM4P, plan and organize events, workshops and other meetings as required. This will include Digital Payments Ecosystem Convenings that bring together key stakeholders in those countries' digital payments ecosystems, including government, international development organizations and private sector to discuss key barriers to a digital ecosystem and identify actions that can be taken individually and collaboratively to enhance the country's digital ecosystem; Peer-Exchange activities and other activities as required.
- As requested by Governments, provide high quality technical inputs on matters such as a roadmap and action plan for digitization, digital finance project design, priorities, partnership opportunities for technical collaboration, and quality control of deliverables;
- As requested by Governments, provide high quality technical inputs on matters related to Government-to-Person payments;
- Provide technical inputs on relevant 'frontier' issues in digital payments such as shared infrastructure platforms, international payments systems, and financial technology (fintech) companies;
- Design, advise and/or contribute to the implementation of diagnostic studies, surveys and interviews that will help identify risks and challenges in terms of national payment regulation, service providers, payment infrastructure, delivery channels, payment solutions, product design, marketing and communications. This may include support for diagnostic activities managed by third parties;
- Provide input and strategic advice for knowledge and research products;
- Gather information on activities and progress within the digital payments ecosystem in these countries, and share key learnings or developments with other BTCA team members.
- Track progress towards digitization of payments by government entities and support ongoing monitoring and reporting on activities in country;
- Help establish key indicators to evaluate BTCA's performance, including, but not limited to, Member Services related activities;
- Undertake speaking and representation engagements for the Better Than Cash Alliance and UNCDF as directed. Ensure that BTCA's messages and knowledge products are communicated in an effective manner;
- In coordination with the Advocacy team, contribute to current advocacy efforts in other francophone countries in process of membership such as Cote D'Ivoire, Madagascar, Burkina Faso and Mali;
- Ensure cooperation and mutual alignment between Better Than Cash Alliance and MM4P activities.
Functional Competencies:
- Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment;
- Self-development, initiative-taking;
- Acting as a team player and facilitating team work;
- Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively;
- Creates networks, manages relationships and promotes initiatives with partner organizations;
- Managing conflict;
- Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others;
- Effective spokesperson, engaging stakeholders and groupings, both government ministries and private sector leaders, to advance the development of non-cash payments and transfers;
- Excellent presentation and representation skills in multicultural contexts;
- Ability to translate complex technical ideas to a non-technical audience in both verbally and in writing;
- Excellent oral and written French communication skills - native standard suitable for dealing with highest levels of professionals and government officials;
- Excellent attention to detail, a proactive approach to achieving key results, and a high level of thoroughness in a complex multitasking and matrix management environment;
- Excellent MS Office skills are required.
Education
- A Master's degree in economics, public/business administration, social sciences, public policy, or related discipline or the equivalent experience;
- A Bachelor's degree with an additional two years of experience could also meet this requirement;
- Additional training related to digital financial services is highly desirable.
- A minimum of five (5) years dedicated experience in digital finance, payment systems, inclusive finance or electronic payments is required;
- A minimum of three (2) years of progressively responsible experience in international development at international level is desired;
- Extensive experience working on digital payments and/or financial services in francophone countries required;
- Experience in working with high levels of government;
- Experience in effectively leading or managing services to a very diverse group of clients or members and maintaining positive relationships with peers;
- Working knowledge of current developments including innovative payment methods (e.g., mobile financial services, pre-paid cards, etc.) essential;
- Knowledgeable about national and regional payments infrastructure at a retail and wholesale level;
- Knowledgeable about national and regional payments regulation and supervision as well as the regulatory frameworks through which governments receive and make payments;
- Understanding of issues related to financial inclusion, highly desirable;
- Experience in project management.
- Full proficiency in French. Fluency in English.
Both individual consultants and individual employed by a company or institution are welcome to apply. Any individual employed by a company or institution who would like to submit an offer in response to a Procurement Notice for IC must do so in their individual capacity (providing a CV so that their qualifications may be judged accordingly).
Interested individuals must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:
- Detailed and up to date CV and/or P11 outlining the work experience.
Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the Best Value for money approach, where Technical Criteria weight is 70% and Financial Criteria weight is 30%.
Step I: Screening
Applications will be screened and only candidates meeting the following minimum criteria will progress to the pool for shortlisting:
- Education: A Master's degree in economics, public/business administration, social sciences, or related discipline or Bachelor degree with two years working in a dedicated role relevant to this position;
- Experience: A minimum number of years of experience required as indicated in the Qualifications Section;
- Language: Fluent in French (written and oral) and English;
- Mandatory submission of CV and/or UNDP Personal History form (P11). The link to P11 is posted at the bottom of this vacancy announcement.
UNCDF will conduct a desk review to produce a shortlist of candidates. The short list will be composed of individual consultants whose offer have been evaluated and determined as:
- Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and
- Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.
Criteria for Technical evaluation (100 points maximum)
- Adequacy of Competencies for the Assignment: 35 points;
- Relevance of Local Experience:25 points;
- Years of Relevant Experience:15 points;
- Relevance of Education/ Degree:10 points;
- Language:15 points:
As a final step at least the top 3 shortlisted candidates will be requested to participate in a competency-based interview.
Step IV: Final Evaluation 100 per cent:
- Desk Review of CV/ P11 - 20%;
- Interview- 50%;
- Review and assessment of Financial proposal - 30%.
The highest ranked/ highest scored candidate in the final evaluation will be considered technically qualified and will be offered to enter into an Individual Contract (IC) with UNCDF or Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA) if a successful applicant is employed by a company or institution.
Application Information:
- Completed PH 11 Form will be required at the time a consultant signs an Individual Contract (IC) or his/her employer, if employed, signs a Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA) for work associated with this assignment. UN Personal History form (UN PH11) can be downloaded from: here: http://sas.undp.org/documents/P11_Personal_history_form.doc;
- General Terms and Conditions for ICs is provided; here http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/documents/procurement/documents/IC%20-%20General%20Conditions.pdf
UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
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