Background

UNCDF is the UN’s capital investment agency for the world’s least developed countries (LDCs). 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 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 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.  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.

Of the 2.5 billion people who live on less than $2 per day, an estimated 80 percent lack access to formal financial services. As a result, most poor households operate almost entirely in the informal and cash economy. This means that they use cash, physical assets (e.g. jewelry and livestock), or informal institutions (e.g. money lenders and payment couriers) to meet their financial needs – from receiving wage remittances, to saving up to buy fertilizer, to insuring against illness. These informal tools, however, tend to be insecure, expensive, and hard to use. And when large problems arise, such as a major illness in the family, the tools often break down completely, leaving households exposed.

One of the reasons it is too costly to provide poor people formal financial alternatives is because most poor households conduct most or all of their financial transactions in cash. The best way to reduce the costs of reaching poor people with financial services is to help shift the majority of their cash-based financial transactions into digital form through mobile phones or other digital interface. The digitization of cash also creates opportunities for delivering value beyond cost savings.

Electronic payment technologies offer a more effective, efficient, transparent and often safer means of disbursing payments while also promoting financial inclusion and advancing aid effectiveness. Notwithstanding these benefits and success in a few countries, such as Kenya, electronic payment technologies have not been globally adopted especially in countries where a large percentage of the population has no relationship with the formal financial services sector and remains “unbanked”.

Through its public-private partnership the Better Than Cash Alliance (BTCA) will bring together a broad cross section of private sector companies, host country governments, multilateral and bilateral donors, U.N. Agencies and international NGOs to create a global independent alliance. The partners who join the BTC Alliance will demonstrate their shared commitments to:

• Broader recognition of the benefits of replacing the use of physical cash with electronic payments;
• Improved understanding and sharing of approaches and lessons learned in replacing the use of physical cash with electronic payment systems; and
• Increased use of electronic payments systems in organizations’ programs and operations to promote financial inclusion, increased transparency and efficiency.

In support of the BTCA mission and part of the team, this position is responsible for its communications and event-related activities of the Better Than Cash Alliance. The Specialist will report to the Managing Director, Better Than Cash Alliance and work to leverage the considerable communications resources of BTCA partners.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of key functions:

• Provide leadership as part of the BTCA team in the development, formulation and implementation of an integrated BTC Alliance-wide communications strategy focused on supporting the Alliance’s strategic objectives;
• Coordinate the writing, development, design, production and dissemination of diverse publications, (for example toolkits, case studies, donor reports) and news releases, through print, video and other media, utilizing the resources of BTCA partners, where possible;
• Oversee the content development, expansion and continual assessment of the quality and relevance of web-based information services and related databases;
• Promote optimum visibility of BTCA  activities through effective media relations, placement and distribution of information material and creative partnerships with bi, multilateral and non-governmental organizations and private sector companies;
• Oversee the organization of BTCA conferences / workshops, events or panels at international or national level;
• Manage BTCA’s Secretariat communication budget, including communication services providers and consultants.

Provide leadership as part of the BTCA team in the development, formulation and implementation of an integrated BTC alliance-wide communications strategy, focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Play a lead role as part of a team in meeting BTCA’s communications needs;
• Ensure BTCA communications support the alliance’s strategic objectives including advocacy, technical assistance and knowledge management;
• Manage BTCA’s secretariat communication budget to meet BTCA needs, including procurement of communication service providers and consultants;
• Optimal working relations in BTCA internal and external communication with partners.

Manage the writing, development, design, production and dissemination of diverse publications (for example toolkits, case studies, donor reports) and news releases through print, video and other media, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Well-reasoned innovative suggestions and approaches to address communications issues;
• As part of a team, develop key messages for various stakeholder segments including: governments, (ministries of finance, social welfare, central banks); donors and development partners; and global and local private sector firms, financial service providers); 
• Timely delivery of communications outputs, in accordance with BTCA objectives and policies and utilizing the resources of BTCA partners, where possible;
• Coordination of BTCA communications and media activities and the provision of timely communications support to members.

Oversee the content development, expansion and continual assessment of the quality and relevance of web-based information services and other databases, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Ensure website content strongly and effectively reflect BTCA principles, messages, branding and priorities;
• Regularly updated information on the website consistent with BTCA messages;
• Innovative ways of enhancing BTCA’s information dissemination using the internet and social media;
• Ensure databases in support of all BTCA communication activities are frequently updated.

Promote visibility of BTCA messages and activities through effective media relations, placement and distribution of information material and creative partnerships including global or local events or conferences, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Contract and manage communications individuals or firms(s) that can implement the global strategy as well as tailored communication strategies for different media, regions and stakeholder segments;
• Oversee excellent organization of conferences, events, panels at the international or national level as needed with consultants and partners. This could include strategic partnerships with international and regional organizations’ and non-governmental organizations’ media centers, alternative press and information networks;
• Strong relations with UN  and other UN system agencies, and BTCA partners’ media focal points to promote visibility of BTCA messages;
• Optimum visibility of BTCA activities through innovative outreach initiatives with diverse national, regional and international stakeholders;
• Enhanced dissemination of BTCA information materials.

The Communications Specialist is expected to take on other duties as required.

Impact of Results

The key results have an impact that increases the positive global and national visibility of the messages of BTCA and BTCA as a brand in member and targeted member countries and with the private sector so that we achieve our goals on membership and messaging.

Competencies

Core Values/Guiding Principles

Integrity:

• Demonstrating consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UNDP/UNCDF in actions and decision in line with the UN Code of Conduct.

Cultural Sensitivity/Valuing Diversity:

• Demonstrating an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff;
• Demonstrating an international outlook, appreciating the differences in values and learning from cultural diversity.

Corporate Competencies

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP/UNCDF/BTCA;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism.

Functional Competencies

• Technical knowledge in the field of communications, print and electronic publishing;
• Fully proficient computer skills and use of relevant software and other applications; web design and maintenance; internet;
• Familiarity with UNDP and UN system and the donor community

Coordination and Leadership

• Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Demonstrates good oral and written communication skills;
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
• Works with teams effectively and shows mentoring as well as conflict resolution skills;
• Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills.

Development and Operational Effectiveness

• Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting;
• Ability to lead the formulation and monitoring of management projects.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in journalism/communications, international development, public policy, economics and/or other relevant social sciences.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of successful professional experience in an international level in journalism, public and /or private communications or advertising required;
• Experience in event coordination including some exposure to a global event and responsibilities dealing with senior private sector (C-level) and/or Government counterparts, highly desirable;
• Experience in sales, marketing, PR, social media or writing also highly desirable;
• Subject matter knowledge in financial inclusion and electronic payments highly desirable;
• Experience working with international organizations, developing country governments, donor agencies, and/or NGOs and other civil society groups engaged in diverse sectors of international development highly desirable;
• Demonstrated comfort with both private sector and multilateral environments is also valuable;
• Evidence of successful project management, team coordination and reporting highly desirable.

Language Requirements:

• Evidence of excellence in written and spoken English;
• Fluency or knowledge of French or Spanish highly desirable;
• Another UN official language is an asset.

Note:

Applicants are strongly encouraged to upload (as a *pdf attachment) the completed and signed UNDP Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from http://sas.undp.org/Documents/P11_Personal_history_form.docx  Completion of all the fields is required.