UNCDF Jobs - 78545- Intern, Financial Inclusion Policy and Women’s Eco

Intern, Financial Inclusion Policy and Women’s Economic Empowerment United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)

Advertised on behalf of

UNCDF

Location :

New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Type of Contract :

Internship

Starting Date :

21-May-2018

Application Deadline :

06-May-18 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

Intern

Duration of Initial Contract :

3 Months

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

3 Months

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. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

Intern, Financial Inclusion Policy and Women’s Economic Empowerment,?United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)

UNCDF makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s 47 least developed countries. With its capital mandate and instruments, UNCDF offers “last mile” finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development. UNCDF’s financing models work through two channels: financial inclusion that expands the opportunities for individuals, households, and small businesses to participate in the local economy, providing them with the tools they need to climb out of poverty and manage their financial lives; and by showing how localized investments — through fiscal decentralization, innovative municipal finance, and structured project finance — can drive public and private funding that underpins local economic expansion and sustainable development. By strengthening how finance works for poor people at the household, small enterprise, and local infrastructure levels, UNCDF contributes to SDG 1 on eradicating poverty and SDG 17 on the means of implementation. By identifying those market segments where innovative financing models can have transformational impact in helping to reach the last mile and address exclusion and inequalities of access, UNCDF contributes to a number of different SDGs.

The Financial Inclusion Practice Area (FIPA) works to promote financial Inclusion, which is achieved when all individuals and businesses have access to and can effectively use a broad range of financial services that are provided responsibly, and at reasonable cost, by sustainable institutions in a well-regulated environment. Increased levels of financial inclusion – through the extension of savings, credit, insurance, and payment services – contributes significantly to sustainable economic growth.? UNCDF is supporting 31 LDCs (20 in sub-Saharan Africa and 11 in Asia), and serving 8 million active clients—65% of whom are women—through the Financial Service Providers (FSPs) in which it invests.

Duties and Responsibilities

Internship Main Objective: Support the financial inclusion policy agenda of UNCDF through research, analysis, proposal development, and other support, as needed.Key areas include:

Financial Inclusion and Economic Empowerment of Women and Girls
Responsible (Digital) Finance
Financial Inclusion/DFS and Humanitarian Response
Financial Inclusion and the Sustainable Development Goals

Supervisor: Policy Advisor, Financial Inclusion, UNCDF

Duration: 3 months, beginning as soon as available. (A further three-month extension may be considered, contingent upon performance & successful completion of initial 3 months)

Detailed Job Details & Description: The key result expected is support to the policy agenda of the Financial Inclusion Practice Area as directed by the Policy Advisor through research, analysis, and writing and other support as needed.? The activities below will be distributed amongst two interns, depending on interest and experience. One internship will be focused on advancing programme development related to access, usage and agency of women and girls to financial services so as to contribute to their economic empowerment and participation, and will perhaps include some additional related work. The other internship will be focused on responsible (digital) finance and financial inclusion in humanitarian assistance.

Specifically, the key activities of the intern will involve one or more of the following key areas, as requested by the Policy Advisor:

Financial Inclusion and Economic Empowerment of Women and Girls
- Contribute to the development of a financial inclusion and women’s economic empowerment programme, through research, engaging with peer organizations, proposal writing, and other support as requested.
- Research, identify evidence and use cases to advance women’s financial inclusion with focus on policy role in sex-disaggregated data, building ecosystems, and onboarding (e.g., through G2P, savings group linkages), and distill into high level points for advocacy.
- Support the Policy Advisor and the Gender Focal Points on the implementation of, monitoring of, and reporting on the UNCDF gender strategy.

Responsible Finance
- Assist in the development of curriculum for financial services providers, regulators, and other stakeholders on responsible digital payment principles
- Support dissemination of the responsible digital payment guidelines and track use cases on adoption of the guidelines.
- Conduct research on responsible finance issues, particularly client protection and financial capability, and responsible digital finance, and assist in researching and writing use cases.
- Monitor and analyze social performance of UNCDF partner financial services providers.

Financial Inclusion/DFS and Humanitarian Response
- Conduct research, engage in consultations, and draft section of roadmap on using digital payments and financial services for forcibly displaced persons in humanitarian contexts for a working group of the G20.
- If determination to move forward, assist in developing concept note for Better Than Cash Alliance to host a hub for DFS and Humanitarian Assistance, including engaging with members and potential funders.

Financial Inclusion and the Sustainable Development Goals
- Contribute to the ongoing discussions on SDG indicator framework and reporting on financial inclusion aspects of the SDGs and Financing for Development (FfD) agenda, as requested.?

Important Note: Internships are not remunerated. UNCDF policies do not provide for interns to be compensated for travel, salaries and living expenses.

Competencies

Demonstrated research and analytical capacity.
Proposal writing experience a plus.
Excellent organizational, inter-personal, communication and administrative skills.
Able to take initiative and work independently.
Proven ability to manage diverse and complex tasks.
Excellent computer capabilities.

Required Skills and Experience

Enrolled in or recently graduated from Masters programme in economics, finance, business or public administration or related field.Preference for some coursework in inclusive finance/finance, gender/women’s economic empowerment, technology/FinTech/ICT.
Demonstrated experience, part or full-time, paid or volunteer, in microfinance, inclusive finance, or related fields of finance, women’s economic empowerment, mobile money or technology for development, research, advocacy, and policy development.
English Fluency required. Strong writing and speaking abilities in English.
French Proficiency desirable.