Background
The social and economic development of Cambodia have been improved in recent decades. However, limited employment opportunities in the domestic labour market and low wages relative to other neighbouring countries are still the obstacles. Due to this, an increasing number of Cambodians, especially young people, have been moving abroad to find jobs with higher wages in the region. Approximately 1,100,000 Cambodians work abroad, equivalent to 6 percent of its total population. It is estimated women represent half of this figure[1]. Thailand is the main destination for Cambodian labour migrants followed by South Korea and Malaysia.
Remittance, therefore, significantly increase over the past decade until 2019. The World Bank data reported that remittance inflow was about USD 1.6 billion in 2019, representing 5.9 percent of GDP and more than half is from Thailand[2]. There are still constraints in sending remittance, one of which is the cost of transferring remittances. The World Bank’s Remittance Prices[3] shows that average remittance transaction costs for low value remittances of USD 200 from Thailand to Cambodia is 11.69 percent in the fourth quarter of 2020. That is far above the 3 percent global target for remittance transaction costs. Women, who were found to send more money than men even if they receive lower wages[4], therefore shoulder more burden than men. The digitalization of remittance transfer through digital channels is an effective solution. Money transfer operators who offer digital remittance channels charge less than 3 percent[5]. In addition, this form of transfer is less sensitive to economic lockdowns, faster, cheaper, more secure and could be linked to other financial services.
With that concern and consideration, the Joint Programmes (JP) on the Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF) to Catalyze Blended Finance for Transformative CSDG Achievement has proposed a diagnostic study on how to maximize the remittance flow to Cambodia, especially from Thailand, examining the potentials of digital transfer, its implementation constraints, challenges, and risks, and recommending solution/mechanism to maximize the flows.
[1] ILO, “TRIANGLE in ASEAN Programme Quarterly Briefing Note: Cambodia (January – March 2021),” 2021, https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/documents/genericdocument/wcms_735105.pdf.
[2] Robin Gravesteijn, “Mobilizing Remittances through Digital Innovation” (Cambodia, December 9, 2020), https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/Robin%20Gravesteijn_UNCDF%20Cambodia-Remittances%20Webinar%20-8-12-2020.pdf.
[3] World Bank, “Sending Money from Thailand to Camboda,” Remittance Prices Worldwide, March 23, 2021, https://remittanceprices.worldbank.org/en/corridor/Thailand/Cambodia.
[4] Linda Deelen and Pracha Vasuprasat, “Migrant Workers’ Remittances from Thailand to Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar – Synthesis Report on Survey Findings in Three Countries and Good Practices” (ILO Regional Office for Asia Pacific, 2010), https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/documents/publication/wcms_122089.pdf.
[5] Gravesteijn, “Mobilizing Remittances through Digital Innovation.”
Duties and Responsibilities
The Consultant is expected to deliver the following within the duration of this assignment:
Submitting work plan indicating timebound milestone deliverables and list of required meetings and consultations to enable the work to be completed;
Reviewing international best practices on digitalization of remittance transfer, including the transfer from Korea to Cambodia and innovative remittance products with gender focus;
Providing design inputs conjoined to IOM’s survey of migrants in Cambodia, including questionnaire design to capture cost and challenges of remittance transfer, tools or agents used, access to bank and digital service and willingness to use digital remittance transfer service. ;
Conducting analysis of IOM’s survey and synthesize the findings into the whole report and connect to each component of the scope of this assignment;
Conducting diagnostic review on remittance inflows from Thailand to Cambodia by conducting discussions and consultations with related ministries, stakeholders, and private sector including banks and money transfer agencies (to be identified and discussed with UNDP team). The diagnostic review should cover the assessment on benefits, constraints, challenges faced by female/male migrant workers and risks of implementation or promotion of digital remittance transfer, including political economy and stakeholder analysis of countries involved. It should also encompass migrant women’s attitude towards technology for transfer;
Identifying how to promote digital remittance transfer, particularly among female migrants, including innovative remittance products, effective mechanism and solutions to key issues on security, Know Your Customer (KYC), etc.;
Producing a report compiling of, but not limited to the best practices review, diagnostics, proposed mechanism and solutions to promote digital remittance transfer and way forward;
Presenting the findings during the meetings, workshops and report launching.
Competencies
Functional competencies:
Understanding of and comprehensive knowledge on migration and remittance-related requirements, remittance transfer and its constraints, and digital transfer service and security are an advantage.
Ability to work collaboratively with team members by sharing information openly and displaying cultural awareness and sensitivity
- Superior written/ oral communication skills, with the ability to convey complex development concepts and recommendations
Corporate competencies:
Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards.
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
Treats all people fairly without favoritism.
- Fulfils all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- At least Master’s degree in economics, financial economics, development finance, development studies, public policy or similar field
Experience:
At least 5 years of relevant work experience in conducting research, especially on remittance, migrations, gender, digitalization, and financial sector
Experience in collaborating with private sector and senior policy/decision makers with technical knowledge of the stated assignment
Ability to lead consultations with senior government officials from ministries, private sector and other key stakeholders in the field required.
Experience of data gathering and analysis (quantitative and qualitative)
- Experience of similar assignments in similar international or Cambodian development contexts
Language Requirement:
- Fluency in written and spoken English
Interested offeror must read the Individual Consultant (IC) Procurement Notice, which can be viewed at https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=83442 more detail information about term of references, instructions to offeror, and to download the documents to be submitted in the offer through online.
UNDP reserves right to reject any applications that is incomplete.
Please be informed that we don’t accept application submitted via email.
Interested Offerors are required to submit application via UNDP jobsite system as the application screening and evaluation will be done through UNDP jobsite system. Please note that UNDP jobsite system allows only one uploading of application document, so please make sure that you merge all your documents into a single file. Your online applications submission will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an email acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. In such cases, please resubmit the application, if necessary. Please combine all your documents into one (1) single PDF document as the system only allows to upload maximum one document.
Interested individual offeror must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:
1. Proposal:
(i) Letter of intertest explaining why they are the most suitable for the work
(ii) A sample of work to prove superior written with the ability to convey complex development concepts and recommendations
2. Financial proposal (Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP)
3. Personal CV including past experience in similar projects and at least 3 references
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