Background

Better Than Cash Alliance

Project Description 

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 inclusive finance 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 can provide seed capital both grants and loans as well as technical support 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. 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.

Based in UNCDF, the Better Than Cash Alliance (BTCA) is a partnership of governments, companies and international organizations that accelerates the transition from cash to digital payments in order to reduce poverty and drive inclusive growth by:

• Advocating for the transition from cash to digital payments in a way that advances financial inclusion and promotes responsible digital finance.
• Catalyzing the development of inclusive digital payments ecosystems in member countries to reduce costs, increase transparency, advance financial inclusion-- particularly for women-- and drive inclusive growth; and
• Conducting research and sharing the knowledge and experiences of our members to inform strategies for making the transition.

Billions of dollars in cash payments and transfers are made daily in emerging and developing economies, including payment of salaries, social welfare and relief, payments to suppliers, remittances, etc. The problems with these cash payments include a lack of transparency, accountability and security, as well as inefficiency.

Furthermore, the individuals who receive the cash payments are often part of the 1.7 billion excluded from the formal financial sector.  This means they are excluded from access to a range of appropriate and affordable financial services to help them save safely take advantage of economic opportunities and reduce their vulnerability to risk.

Shifting these payments from cash to digital has the potential to improve the lives of low-income people, particularly women, while giving governments, the development community and the private sector a more transparent, time and cost efficient, and often-safer means of disbursing payments.

The Better Than Cash Alliance Team’s Core Values are the following: 

• Achieving together
• Striving for excellence
• Service oriented
• Results oriented

BTCA is looking to hire a Consultant for Research and Analysis for Digitization of Payments, Africa.

For more information on BTCA, please visit the website: http://www.betterthancash.org/

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Africa Regional Lead the incumbent will support the implementation of BTCA’s Africa Regional Strategy, including the following duties:

In-country government and corporate advisory in Africa:

• Draft background notes for missions, meetings and/or presentations for conferences and workshops on the digitization of payments in support of the Africa Lead, Private Sector Lead and Francophone Africa Lead with
• Draft project concept notes and seek input from relevant team members and experts, as needed;
• Track progress of in-country initiatives and ensure liaison with management and procurement teams to ensure delivery of project milestones;
• Monitor key indicators in support of the Africa and M&E teams to track activities to feed into donor and internal reports;
• Provide administrative support to missions including mission preparation, scheduling meetings, conference calls etc., accompany the Africa Lead and/or other members of the team for in-country missions as needed;

Research:

• Conduct background research on governments, companies and international organizations   operating in the Alliance country members including on initiatives related to the digitization of payments.
• Conduct thorough background research on the whole sector in a country (other stakeholders, donors) work on the digitization of payments and digital financial inclusion in focus countries and focus corporate sectors to ensure Alliance USP in all activities;
• Conduct in-depth research on topics related to digital payments, digital financial services and financial inclusion in specific markets to inform the regional strategy and the drafting of concept notes for in-country initiatives

Advocacy:

• Working closely with the Africa team, monitor and identify advocacy opportunities for the Alliance, including potential targets, conferences, UN, regional and corporate events in Africa, 

Communications and events:

• Collaborate closely with the Africa team and the advocacy, media and communications teams for the organization of events, conferences and specialized workshops;
• Share news and stories from Alliance member countries for social media and other communications channels, as needed;
• Other activities, as requested

Estimated Outputs and Deliverables

Institutional Arrangement

The consultant shall be under the supervision and direction of the BTCA Africa Regional Lead.

Duration of the Work

This is an assignment that will have an initial duration of twelve (12) months with 250 working days.  However, the performance control/ monitoring mechanism will be applied from the start date. Additionally, before the end of the twelve (12) months, UNCDF will determine the viability of extension subject to availability of funds and the performance.

Duty Station

1. The duty station/location for the contract duration is Kigali, Rwanda.
2. If there is any approved travel, UNCDF will pay separately travel expenses (economy airfare, terminal expenses and per diems which include hotel and food expenses) according to standard UN rates based on evidence of approved and actual travel.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

• Good analytical, and diplomatic skills;
• Strong inter-personal skills and a demonstrated capacity to forge effective relations with colleagues and counterparts from different backgrounds essential;
• Ability to work collaboratively and effectively as part of a team as well as individually;
• Excellent attention to detail, a proactive approach to achieving key results, a high level of thoroughness in a complex multitasking environment and a strict adherence to deadlines;
• Builds strong relationships, focuses on impact and results;
• Comfortable working with senior level management and officials;
• Establishes and maintains relationships to understand needs and gain support;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and positive, constructive attitude;
• Ability to work under pressure; and
• Proven networking and communication skills.

Functional Competencies:

Professional

• Ensures the full implementation of a project to obtain results;
• Conceptualizes more effective approaches to programme development and implementation and to mobilizing and using resources;
• Anticipates constraints in the delivery of services and identifies solutions or alternatives;
• Makes effective use of UNCDF’s and other BTCA member resources and comparative advantage to strengthen partnerships;
• Creates networks and promotes initiatives with partner organizations;
• Creates an environment that fosters innovation and innovative thinking;

Technical:

• Working knowledge of current developments in payment technologies, including innovative payment methods (e.g., digital government, mobile financial services, pre-paid/reloadable/other cards, etc.);
• Understanding of key issues and international good practice relating to financial inclusion and digital payments
• Excellent presentation and representation skills in multicultural contexts
• Ability to translate complex technical ideas to a non-technical audience in both verbally and in writing

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree in international affairs, development, political science, or other relevant field.

Experience:

• Minimum 3 years of relevant professional experience, including at the international level;
• Knowledge of digital payments and digital financial inclusion essential,
• Demonstrated excellent writing, editing and communications skills to an international standard including correspondence, reports, talking points and briefing material essential;
• Demonstrated experience in multilateral, government relations or inter-government processes in Africa desirable;
• Experience engaging with governments and the corporate sector in Africa, desirable;
• Experience conducting research on digital payments, digital financial services and financial inclusion and knowledge of the main research sources and development partners working on digital payments and financial inclusion, desirable;
• Experience in event management and supporting the organization of high-level meetings desirable. Experience organizing events within the UN system an asset;
• Computer literacy, including familiarity with spread sheets and power point presentations essential.
• Experience working with Asana or salesforce or other contact data bases, an asset.

Languages:

• Fluency in English, both oral and written, is required.
• Working proficiency in French or other UN languages highly desirable.

Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

Payments will be made monthly upon confirmation of UNCDF that the individual has delivered on the contract obligations in a satisfactory manner based on the completed deliverables stated in Section D above. 

Recommended Presentation of Offer

The following documents are requested:

1. Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability;
2. Personal CV indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references;
3. Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment, and a methodology, if applicable, on how they will approach and complete the assignment.
4. Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive Daily Fee price. If an Offeror is employed by an organization/company/institution, and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNCDF under Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the Offeror must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNCDF: https://popp.undp.org/_layouts/15/WopiFrame.aspx?sourcedoc=/UNDP_POPP_DOCUMENT_LIBRARY/Public/PSU_%20Individual%20Contract_Offerors%20Letter%20to%20UNDP%20Confirming%20Interest%20and%20Availability.docx&action=default

Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer

Step I: Shortlisting by Desk Review:

UNCDF will conduct a desk review to produce a shortlist of candidates and technically evaluate them.

As applicable, only the first top 4 ranked applicants achieving 70% of the points at this stage shall be invited for an interview.

Step II: Interview:

A competency-based interview shall be conducted for the candidates.

Step III: Financial Evaluation:

Technical proposal = Review of a profile through desk review (30%) + Technical Interview (40%) + Financial proposal (30%)

Financial proposal: Lowest priced proposal/price of the proposal being evaluated x 30%.