Background

UN Capital Development Fund (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. 

UNCDF’s ‘Shaping Inclusive Financial Transformations’ (SHIFT) program aims to catalyze access to formal financial services to advance women’s economic empowerment and gendered financial inclusion for millions of women in the ASEAN and SAARC markets in the next four years. SHIFT leverages product innovation, data analytics, technical training and policy advocacy services at different levels to change the behavior of market players. Data crosscuts into all SHIFT’s activities as the shaping of inclusive financial transformations cannot be accomplished without the use of good data and research to inform and facilitate markets and address the gender research gap. SHIFT advocates evidence-based financial inclusion policies and practices that expand access and usage of financial services for women by facilitating, informing and incentivizing FSPs, regulators and governments and by stimulating collective dialogue between them.

As of now SHIFT programme has been investing in directly enhancing income, employment and overall livelihoods of low-income, women, micro and small businesses populations in Bangladesh, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam.  Indirectly it has been benefitting stakeholders and enterprises in other ASEAN and SAARC countries. 

The programme works through its four inter-related outputs:

Fund Facility: Support financial service providers to develop new prototypes and bring to scale viable business models that serve low-income individuals, micro-entrepreneurs, and small and medium businesses, especially women within these markets, in the ASEAN frontier economies; 

Learning and Skills Development Portal: Support business development service providers by leveraging ICT solutions to develop and bring to scale viable e-learning models for professionals in financial institutions to improve productivity and professionalism;

Data and Analysis Hub: Produce, consolidate and communicate data and information on supply, demand and regulation in financial markets to strengthen the evidence base and investment decisions of providers, regulators and policy makers, specifically targeted towards low-income individuals, micro-entrepreneurs, and small and medium business, especially women within these markets;

Policy and Advocacy: Influence policy makers, financial service providers and governments to enable financial markets to be more responsive to the wider development priorities of governments and its people.

Objectives of the assignment: 

Challenge fund support

The Intern will closely work with the Fund Facility Coordinator of SHIFT ASEAN and SAARC programme in supporting the implementation of the Challenge Fund Third Window, support Challenge Fund communication and knowledge management, support the implementation of the Challenge Fund Windows, and support the development of a concept for the Challenge Fund Fourth Window.

Data analytics and research

The Intern will closely work with the Data analytics specialist of SHIFT ASEAN and SAARC programme in undertaking sex disaggregated data analytics and research using FinScope, Intermediate and Findex data. Maintain Micro economic data sets such as global gender report, WDI, Mix market, FINDEX, Intermedia, FinScope etc. Maintain and utilize dashboard, conduct country and thematic deep-dive analysis (e.g. Agri, MSME, other) for SHIFT SAARC & ASEAN. Produce evidence-based presentations, blogs and infographics. Conduct Big Data Analytics.

Monitoring and evaluation

The Intern will closely work with the Program Analysts officer of SHIFT ASEAN programme in supporting the UNCDF - SHIFT M&E team to take forward the evaluations of programme performance and contribute inputs for internal learning feedback loops.   

Policy and private sector engagement

The Intern will closely work with the Programme Manager of SHIFT ASEAN and SAARC programme in developing and commencing private sector and public sector engagement strategies, that overall enables SHIFT programme to expand in existing and new countries within ASEAN and SAARC.

Programme expansion

The Intern will closely work with the Programme Manager of SHIFT ASEAN and SAARC programme in undertaking research, stakeholder discussions and development of strategic and proposal documents, that enables SHIFT to intensify its activities in existing countries of operations (Bangladesh, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam); and expand to new countries (Bhutan, Indonesia and Nepal).

Duties and Responsibilities

UNCDF’s ‘Shaping Inclusive Financial Transformations’ SHIFT Programme is looking for Internships in the following 5 areas, details below:

• Challenge Fund Support - 1 position
• Data Analytics and Research - 2 positions
• Monitoring and Evaluation - 1 position
• Policy and Private Sector Engagement - 1 position
• Programme Expansion - 1 position

Please indicate your preference/desired area of support in the internship application form

1. Challenge fund support

• Support for conducting background study on digital transformation of the financial sector needs
• Support developing concept notes on digital transformation of financial sector players
• Support developing digital transformation strategy for the financial sector players
• Provide support to other ad-hoc assignments

2. Data analytics and research

• Support in-depth data analysis to inform SHIFT’s programmes and policy publications. 
• Analyze, consolidate and communicate data and information on supply, demand and innovation challenge fund in financial markets to strengthen the evidence base;
• Produce and analyze and disseminate data on financial inclusion, with focus on sex, youth. household and other demographic and geographic disaggregated data analytics; 
• Conduct deep-dive research and thematic analysis on financial inclusion with specific reference to gendered financial inclusion, remittances, loans and savings mobilization, energy finance, digital financial services;
• Analyze regional trends and market segments at local, provincial, sector and national levels. 
• Produce and coordinate easy-to-use presentation and communication material including data dashboards, maps, graphs, charts, info-graphics, blogs and other presentation material. 
• Synthesize research outcomes and lessons learned into formats tailored to government, digital finance service providers, private sector and donors.

3. Monitoring and evaluation

• Complete and take forward quantitative and qualitative data analysis exercises, geolocation data points where possible and taking forward GIS mapping and analysis of financial service users and agents in CLMV countries.
• Code and annotate a range of qualitative data sources including quarterly report and back to office reports using NVivo software. Analyze results for trends and insights, and present these to the SHIFT team.  
• Support the coding of SHIFT grantee performance indicators and the input of data into the SHIFT data aggregation database and analyzing this for trends. This includes developing visual tools to convey any findings and insights.
• Research regional and industry trends in financial inclusion and identify benchmarks that can be used by the SHIFT M&E team.    
• Support the SHIFT M&E team to review and stream line its data management and reporting tools.
• Development of a findings document and key strategic findings for FSPs and UNCDF investment decision making. 
• Support the development of communications material including blogs about identified trends and insights.   
• Ad hoc support to the SHIFT team as needs arise.   

3. Policy and private sector engagement

Developing Private Sector Engagement mechanisms:

• Support the Programme Manager in developing an advisory committee constituting of selected experts from private sector institutions that contributes towards SHIFT’s future work on emerging technologies and specific sectors. 
• Undertake desk assessments, join discussions with market level leading experts and develop ToRs for setting up a private sector advisory committee for ASEAN and SAARC separately. 
• Coordinate and participate in the meeting of the first private sector advisory committee for SHIFT ASEAN and SHIFT SAARC. 
• Prepare presentations and reports for the committee 

Policy level Engagement:

• Undertake mapping of work being undertaken by selected ASEAN and SAARC level committees – on financial inclusion, MSMEs, Payment and Settlements, Gender etc. 
• Participate in SHIFT meetings along with the Programme Manager, with different ASEAN and SAARC level committees and working groups.
• Support the Programme Manager in development of SHIFT engagement strategy with specific committees by undertaking further research, developing documents on SHIFT’s relevant work. 
• Develop presentations and related documents that can be submitted to specific committees and engage in further discussions on partnerships with these committees.

5. Programme expansion

Expanding SHIFT’s activities in existing countries of operation:

• Undertake review of various intervention plans and leads worked on by SHIFT till now and undertake background research and stakeholder discussions to further develop these interventions into specific concepts or proposals. 
• Undertake research and stakeholder discussions on specific intervention themes related to real economy sectors, technology, and financial services and develop concept notes on interventions that SHIFT should implement in these countries. 
• Travel and participate along with the Programme Manager in country level stakeholder discussions with private and public-sector institutions to discuss on these concepts and proposals for partnerships. 
• Assist the Programme Manages in developing business development documents for engaging with donors and investors. 
• Based on opportunities of technical and financial collaboration identified by the UNCDF team, assist the Programme Manager in leveraging on these opportunities through further stakeholder discussions, development of concepts, presentations and proposals through research and review.

Country Expansion:

• Nepal – collate and summaries existing UNCDF operations in the country and in discussion with Programme Manager develop concept notes on SHIFT SAARC expansion in Nepal. 
• Bhutan – Based on stakeholder discussions held till now, undertake desk research and further stakeholder discussions for developing strategic interventions for SHIFT to operate in the country. Develop proposals and contribute towards engaging with donors for discussing on the strategic interventions developed.
• Indonesia – Based on work to be commenced on SME and FinTech, support the Programme Manager in undertaking further research on areas of intervention and engage in stakeholder discussions for developing SHIFT strategic interventions in the country.
• Based on opportunities of technical and financial collaboration identified by the UNCDF team, assist the Programme Manager in leveraging on these opportunities through further stakeholder discussions, development of concepts, presentations and proposals through research and review.

Note for Applicants:

Please indicate in your application/cover letter your preference/desired area of support from following 5 areas clearly. 

• Challenge Fund Support - 1 position
• Data Analytics and Research - 2 positions
• Monitoring and Evaluation - 1 position
• Policy and Private Sector Engagement - 1 position
• Programme Expansion - 1 position

Competencies

Core Competencies:

• Commitment to UNCDFs vision, mission, and strategic goals;
• Highest standards of integrity, discretion and loyalty;
• Excellent organizational, inter-personal, communication and administrative skills;
• Able to work effectively in a team and in an international environment.

Functional Competencies:

• Demonstrable skills in research, analytical thinking, and communication;
• Excellent writing and editing skills in English;
• Proven ability to manage diverse and complex tasks, with tight deadlines;
• Able to take initiative and work independently, with minimum supervision;
• Strong organizational, communication and interpersonal skills with ability to work under pressure within an international setting;
• Interest in the UN system and general knowledge of development issues is a plus;
• Ability to perform a variety of administrative tasks.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Candidate must be enrolled in a degree programme in Economics, Policy Relations, Finance or another related field or equivalent studies.
• Applicants to the UNCDF internship programme must meet one of the following requirements:

1. Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher);
2. Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent);
3. Have graduated with a university degree (as defined in (a) and (b) above) and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation.

Experience:

• Demonstrated experience, part or full-time, paid or volunteer, in economics, policy related work, finance, inclusive finance or related fields;
• Demonstrated research and analytical capacity;
• Excellent computer capabilities;
• Only for Data analytics and research position, experienced in STATA, R-Studio, Tableau, Nvivo, Power-BI, GIS Mapping software’s, or other similar (Big) data analytic tools. 

Language:

• Strong writing and speaking abilities in English.

Duration of Assignment: 

• Initial Internship Duration is three 3 months and can be extended for anotehr 3 months. Kindly mention the preferred duration (03-06 months) in the cover letter, along with clearly specifying the internship area you are applying for.

Conditions:

• Interns are not financially remunerated by UNCDF. The costs associated with the latter must be borne by the nominating institution, related institution or government, which may provide the required financial assistance to its students; or by the student, who will have to obtain financing for subsistence and make his/her own arrangements for travel, accommodation, etc. Proof of medical and life/accident insurance valid for the location in which the internship will be carried out (i.e. Bangkok, Thailand);
• The purpose of the Internship Programme is not to lead to further employment with UNCDF but to complement an intern’s studies; therefore, there should be no expectation of employment at the end of an internship.
• Please submit your Resume/CV and an application using the UNCDF Internship Application form: http://www.uncdf.org/download/file/127/2509/internshipdoc 

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.