Background

UNCDF is the UN’s capital investment agency for the world’s least developed countries. It 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, with a special commitment to countries emerging from conflict or crisis. It provides seed capital – grants and loans – and technical support to help microfinance institutions 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. All UNCDF support is provided via national systems, in accordance with the Paris principles. 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.

Established by the General Assembly in 1966 and with headquarters in New York, UNCDF is an autonomous UN organization affiliated with UNDP. Despite the rapid growth of the microfinance industry in the past ten years, it is estimated that between two and three billion people still lack access to a broad range of financial products and services on a sustainable basis. The situation is particularly dire in the LDCs, where often more than 90 per cent of the population is denied access to financial services from the formal financial system. UNCDF focuses its strategy on Financial inclusion, which is universal access, at a reasonable cost, to a wide range of financial services, provided by a variety of sound and sustainable institutions. The range of financial services includes savings, short and long-term credit, leasing and factoring, mortgages, insurance, pensions, payments, local money transfers and international remittances.

Recognizing (i) the importance of ‘market leaders’ to drive sector development and (ii) the demand for safe, convenient savings products by low income populations, in 2008 UNCDF launched, with the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the LDC Fund to Develop Savings-led Market Leaders (MicroLead).  In 2011, with the support of The MasterCard Foundation, the MicroLead Expansion programme was launched which continues with the focus on microsavings while also emphasizing outreach to rural areas and women, technology innovations, responsible finance, and financial education and broadens the programme’s target countries to include non-LDCs as well as LDCs*.  MicroLead provides loans and grants to leading financial service providers (FSPs) and technical service providers (TSPs) on a competitive basis to facilitate their entry into underserved areas, including in post-conflict contexts, where access to finance is most limited. The Fund has provided support to some of the leading FSPs from the South to expand their operations through green-fielding or technical assistance provision to existing FSPs, with a focus on saving-based models.

To date, MicroLead and MicroLead Expansion have made 15 awards with an additional 13 projects approved (and moving to agreement) in 2012. Based in Addis Ababa, the Programme Specialist will join the MicroLead Programme Management Unit and report to the Financial Inclusion Regional Team Leader (Africa based) for issues related to general workplan, organization, administrative processes, and coordination and with the rest of the FIPA team regionally and in the field, and to the MicroLead Programme Advisor (New York based) for all technical issues related to the implementation of the MicroLead program. The Programme Specialist will work collaboratively with the existing Programme Specialist to support the expansion, monitoring and evaluation and knowledge generation of MicroLead/MicroLead Expansion. 

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This is a Development Project funded position.

*For programme documents, see  http://uncdf.org/sites/default/files/Project/MICROLEAD_00060661_prodoc.pdf and http://uncdf.org/sites/default/files/Project/microlead_expansion_00079668_prodoc.pdf

Duties and Responsibilities

Functions / Key Results Expected:

The key result expected is the successful implementation and attainment of targets of the MicroLead/MicroLead Expansion savings-led programme, including coordination with/reporting to all stakeholders, FIPA internal team and the funders of the programme. The Programme Specialist will support the Programme Advisor to pursue the following key results of the programme:

 

• Sustainable FSPs (Greenfield/TA) providing access to affordable, demand-driven, responsibly-delivered, savings-focused financial and non-financial products and services to low income people in underserved areas;
• Knowledge generated and disseminated among FSPs, TSPs, policy makers, donors and other stakeholders related to savings mobilization,  Greenfield operations and technical assistance provision; and,
• An efficiently-managed and evaluated programme with top talent and expertise meeting or exceeding all targets.

 

Key Functions:

Programmatic Quality Assurance & Portfolio Management (65%)

• Support the Programme Advisor in management of the delivery of programme purpose and outputs on time and to budget.
• Help prepare annual plans and budgets.
• Support the management of the request for application (RFA) processes and selection of grantees, including managing consultants hired to review applications, undertaking due diligence missions, and ensuring applicants meet minimum eligibility criteria.
• Support preparation of recommendations to FIPA Investment Committee (IC) for award of grants and/or loans to successful RFA applicants.
• Support Programme Advisor on FIPA IC presentations summarizing applicants, scoring, and recommend conditions for funding.  Communicate results to applicants.
• Support preparation, negotiation and finalization of performance-based agreements (PBAs) with successful RFA applicants.
• Support process of obtaining government endorsement of (i) programme document and (ii) individual FSP/TSP awards.  Provide support to FIPA’s network of Regional and Country Technical Advisors to support their efforts in obtaining government endorsements and informing local ICs of MicroLead programming.
• Support the preparation of quarterly, mid-year and annual progress reports (APRs), as required by funders and/or UNCDF.  Ensure financial and performance reports are issued to development partners on time as per Cost-Sharing Agreement requirements.
• Ensure vendor profiles are entered into ATLAS for selected FSPs/TSPs and payments effected in timely manner.
• Support Regional Technical Advisors/Managers to ensure FSPs’/TSPs’ smooth introduction to key local actors, start-up and constraints removed.
• Assure, track and analyze quarterly portfolio reporting.
• Report project achievements, delivery and other areas of accountability to FIPA for input to regular UNCDF performance monitoring and reporting.
• Monitor FSP/TSP progress toward disbursement conditions, results, and targets.  Provide technical assistance to FSPs/TSPs as needed.  Recommend actions to be taken if FSP/TSP targets not achieved including suspension/termination/extension of PBAs and/or loan agreements, as necessary.  Develop monitoring tool to ensure consistency in monitoring.
• Effective and efficient use of ATLAS in line with project cycle with Atlas approval authority at Level 2 and in compliance with UNCDF Internal Control Framework.

Knowledge Management (30%)

• Support MicroLead programme knowledge generation and dissemination, including case studies, briefs, research documents, client impact evaluations, and mid-term and final evaluations.  Draft TORs, manage consultants. 
• Manage process of convening national and regional stakeholders to share lessons learned.
• Contribute to knowledge-sharing networks on microfinance and inclusive finance initiatives regionally and globally either by direct participation or via Teamworks by flagging important discussions to FIPA’s global practice community.
• Collaborate with key partners and microfinance practitioners for research and development of innovative, cutting-edge strategies and approaches to sharpen delivery of microfinance products and services in order to better achieve programme objectives.
• Participation and contributions to UNDP sub-practice in microfinance and small/medium enterprises for knowledge management and cross-country learning.
• Ensure key documentation is available on the UNCDF Intranet to facilitate UNCDF staff access to programme information.
• Develop and provide annual Learning Plan to FIPA KM Specialist and attend approved trainings; share debriefing and value of training with the wider Practice community through Teamworks.
• Become familiar with UNCDF KM Strategy and other relevant resources (KM Strategy, HR Strategy, Learning Strategy, and UNCDF Document Management Policy).• Develop an online presence by creating and updating a bio page on Teamworks.

Corporate Support and Resource Mobilization (5%)

• Support annual and cumulative UNCDF results analyses and substantive inputs into Unit work plan and UNCDF and FIPA Business Plans.
• Support the development of UNCDF programme and business strategies and to annual reviews; contribute to quarterly global teleconferences.
• Provide advice to UNCDF senior management on technical issues and business development opportunities, including inputs into corporate presentations and reports; share perspectives through Teamworks to increase outreach and foster innovation.
• Support efforts of UNCDF to mobilize additional resources for MicroLead and/or other programming.

Impact of Results

• Un- and under-banked low-income populations receive financial services, particularly savings, in a responsible manner.
• Substantive partnerships strengthened with leading Financial Service Providers and Technical Service Providers to expand their savings-led methodologies globally.
• UNCDF FIPA Regional and Country Technical Advisors/Managers supported to facilitate programme implementation and more inclusive financial sectors.
• Planned programme outputs and outcomes are fully achieved in a timely manner, consistent with the expectations of private sector actors, and optimal output quality assured, through sound and efficient internal business, quality assurance, monitoring and evaluation and reporting processes.
• Profile of UNCDF and its development partners as leaders in financial inclusion strengthened.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:    

Advocacy/Advancing a Policy-Oriented Agenda

Analysis and creation of messages and strategies

• Contributes to the elaboration of advocacy strategies by identifying and prioritizing audiences and communication means
• Performs analysis of political situations and scenarios, and contributes to the formulation of institutional responses

Building Strategic Partnerships

Identifying and building partnerships

• Effectively networks with partners seizing opportunities to build strategic alliances relevant to UNDP’s mandate and strategic agenda
• Sensitizes UN Partners, donors and other international organizations to the UNCDF’s strategic agenda, identifying areas for joint efforts
• Develops positive ties with civil society to build/strengthen UNCDF’s mandate
• Identifies needs and interventions for capacity building of counterparts, clients and potential partners
• Displays initiative, sets challenging outputs for him/herself and willingly accepts new work assignments

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing

Developing tools and mechanisms

• Makes the case for innovative ideas documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches
• Identifies new approaches and strategies that promote the use of tools and mechanisms
• Develops and/or participates in the development of tools and mechanisms, including identifying new approaches to promote individual and organizational learning and knowledge sharing using formal and informal methodologies

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise

In-depth knowledge of the subject-matter

• Understands more advanced aspects of primary area of specialization as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines
• Serves as internal consultant in the area of expertise and shares knowledge with staff
• Continues to seeks new and improved methods and systems for accomplishing the work of the unit
• Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally
• Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments
• Demonstrates comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments

Creating Visibility for UNCDF/Supporting UNCDF’s Capacity to Advocate

Developing promotional projects and organizational messages

• Identifies and develops activities to enhance the visibility of UNCDF
• Develops promotional activities based on monitoring/evaluation information identifying areas requiring higher visibility
• Reviews documents and materials intended for use within and outside the organization in order to ensure consistency and validity of messages
• Creates and cultivates networks of partners to promote UNCDF’s image
• Conducts assessments of activities to improve impact and effectiveness

Global Leadership and Advocacy for UNCDF’s Goals

Analysis and creation of messages and strategies

• Performed analysis of political situations and scenarios, and contributes to the formulation of institutional responses
• Uses the opportunity to bring forward and disseminate materials for global advocacy work and adapts it for use at country level

Conceptual Innovation in the Provision of Technical Expertise

Developing innovative and creative approaches

• Leverages different experiences and expertise of team members to achieve better and more innovative outcomes
• Leverages multi disciplinary, institutional knowledge and experience of other countries and regions to promote UNCDF’s development agenda
• Participates in dialogue about conceptual innovation at the country and regional levels

Client Orientation

Contributing to positive outcomes for the client

• Anticipates client needs
• Works towards creating an enabling environment for a smooth relationship between the clients and service provider
• Demonstrates understanding of client’s perspective

Core Competencies:

• Promoting ethics and integrity, creating organizational precedents
• Building support and political acumen
• Building staff competence,  creating an environment of creativity and innovation
• Building and promoting effective teams
• Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication
• Creating an emotionally intelligent organization
• Leveraging conflict in the interests of UNCDF & setting standards
• Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and    learning 
• Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing are the responsibility of each staff member
• Fair and transparent  decision making; calculated risk-taking

Required Skills and Experience

Education: 

• Master’s Degree in Economics, finance, business or public administration or related field.

Experience:

• 7 years of relevant experience at the national or international level. Extensive experience in inclusive finance, with an emphasis on savings mobilization at formal financial institutions or related fields of finance, development, research.
• Deep technical knowledge and experience in (Micro) finance good practices for industry building, and development of inclusive financial markets and products in emerging markets, especially through private sector partnerships.
• Strong networking capabilities and ability to associate him/herself with a range of actors (including policy makers, regulators, FSPs, TSPs and donors) with a view to building relations and facilitating links.
• Strong programme management experience with emphasis on monitoring, evaluation and incorporating lessons learned into microfinance projects and programmes.
• Experiences with similar assignments in developing countries, with a focus on LDCs and Africa.
• Excellent presentation skills.

Language Requirements: 

• Fluency in English and French is required.