Background

The United Nations Capital Development Fund (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. Established by the General Assembly in 1966 and with headquarters in New York, UNCDF is an autonomous UN organization affiliated with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Based at UNCDF, the Better Than Cash Alliance’s mission is to catalyze a global movement from cash to digital payments to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Specific benefits include efficiency, transparency, women’s economic participation and financial inclusion, helping build economies that are digital and inclusive.

The Alliance has 75 members, including national governments from Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America, companies and international organizations which have committed to digitizing payments.

The Secretariat works with the Alliance members on their journey to digitize payments by:

  • Providing advisory services based on member priorities.
  • Sharing action-oriented research and fostering peer learning.
  • Conducting advocacy at national, regional and global level.

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. The problems with these cash payments include a lack of transparency, accountability and security, as well as inefficiency. Individuals who receive cash payments are often part of the 1.7 billion excluded from the formal financial sector, the majority of whom are women. 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

The Better Than Cash Alliance is looking to hire a Digital Communications Expert , Better Than Cash Alliance. For more information about the Better Than Cash Alliance, please visit our website: www.betterthancash.org.

Duties and Responsibilities

The role in a nutshell

Our Alliance is looking for an excellent team player that creatively leads our digital engagement efforts, at global, regional and national level. This includes, crucially, our member countries in Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America.

Under the supervision of the Head of Communications, the consultant will work very collaboratively with the Alliance’s Digital Payments Innovation Hub, Regional and Country Leads, other key colleagues, as well as members and partners.

Our team needs a strong writer and strategist who understands the role that digital payments play in igniting progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A core function of the role is designing and implementing innovative and well-targeted digital communications strategies, on social media and beyond, seeking new opportunities for effective engagement and creating cogent content.  

The consultant is also expected to provide support to broader communications and advocacy strategies and plans.

Main responsibilities

1. Lead the design of a bold 2020 Better Than Cash Alliance’s Digital Communications Strategy, by working closely with key colleagues at global, regional and national level. The strategy should:

  • Serve the Alliance’s strategic goals sitting across advocacy and advisory services. The latter includes tactics, tools and platforms to effectively disseminate content to support our new learning agenda. This focuses on equipping our members with practical tools on how to accelerate their transition from cash to digital payments.
  • Focus on the Alliance’s key audiences, which include governments from Asia, Asia-Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean, global brands and international organizations.
  • Set targets, alongside a strong monitoring and evaluation protocol. 

Throughout 2020, the consultant is expected to keep the strategy updated by identifying new opportunities for digital engagement, keeping abreast of new trends in the digital communications space.

2. Lead the implementation of the 2020 Better Than Cash Alliance’s Digital Communications Strategy by:

  • Managing the Alliance’s social media channels on a daily basis. This includes boosting followers and engagement on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and other relevant channels that the consultant might advise to use. In this regard, the consultant is expected to develop target lists for effective engagement.
  • Undertaking research to identify and engage with new tools and platforms to help advance the Alliance’s mandate. These could include blogging platforms, channels such as WhatsApp or e-blasts through Mailchimp.
  • Working closely with the Alliance’s Digital Payments Innovation Hub, other key colleagues, and members on content creation. Draft and edit a wide range of communications materials, including social media posts, comment pieces, presentations, newsletters and other innovative learning products.
  • Working closely with the Alliance’s Digital Payments Innovation Hub, and other key colleagues, to identity key learning resources from external sources to share with our members.
  • Collaborating with members and partners around key moments by developing strong social media packages with key messages and visuals.
  • Conceptualizing, drafting and coordinating the development of innovative visual assets such as infographics and animations with colleagues, vendors and partners.
  • Helping maintain updated content on our website by creating content, sourcing and posting.
  • Increasing social media usage by colleagues, by providing training and suggesting sample posts.
  • Monitoring the Alliance’s mentions on media and social media and inform the Head of Communications on possible risks for the organization.
  • Submitting evaluation reports on the impact of the Alliance’s communications activities on social  media and other digital platforms, and taking action to continue innovating and improving.

3. Provide broader support on communications and advocacy

  • Work with colleagues to help identify communications and advocacy opportunities at regional level and in key countries.
  • Work with colleagues to help implement communications and advocacy strategies and plans at regional level and in key countries. This includes advising on messages, helping prepare presentations and providing support around events and meetings.

Institutional Arrangement

The consultant will work under the supervision of the Better Than Cash Alliance’s Head of Communications, working closely with other key colleagues across the globe.

Duration of the Work

The assignment will have an initial duration of twelve months, with a  contract that could range from 5 to 20 days of work per month (part-time or full-time).  An extension of another one (1) year is possible depending on performance, continued need for the services and availability of funds. The performance control/monitoring mechanism will be applied from the start date.

Duty Station

  1. The possible locations for the contract duration are Delhi, Manila, Kigali or New York.
  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 provided by UNCDF official travel agency, and based on evidence of approved and actual travel.

IMPORTANT:  Applicants must be willing to be relocated to any of the possible duty stations listed above.  The act of submission of application to this advertisement shall be understood as a full acceptance of this condition.

Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

Payments will be made based on corresponding deliverables agreed to in work plan and upon confirmation of UNCDF that the individual has delivered on the contract obligations in a satisfactory manner. 

Competencies

Core competencies

  • Demonstrates ethics and integrity.
  • Demonstrates political acumen and calculated risk taking.
  • Impeccable diplomatic skills and knowledge of protocol.
  • Builds own competence, creating an environment of creativity and innovation.
  • Creates and promotes open communication.
  • Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure.
  • Conducts fair and transparent decision making.
  • Displays cultural and gender sensitivity and adaptability.
  • Shows strong corporate commitment.

Functional Competencies:

Professional

  • Sets high standards for quality of work and consistently achieves project goals.
  • Proven ability to conceptualize, plan and execute ideas.
  • Anticipates constraints in the delivery of services and identifies solutions or alternatives.
  • Makes effective use of UNCDF’s and other Better Than Cash Alliance 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

  • Demonstrates strategic thinking, creativity and innovation; positive, proactive, “can do” approach.
  • Ability to listen and collaborate with a wide range of colleagues, members and partners.
  • Ability to work independently, being pro-active and taking the initiative and smart risks, but also able to identify threats in the use of social media and other digital platforms.
  • Ability to translate complex policy ideas and technical concepts into plain and snappy language.
  • Seeks and proposes opportunities for advancing the Better Than Cash Alliance’s mission.
  • Negotiates effectively by exploring a range of possibilities.
  • Demonstrates and shares detailed technical knowledge and expertise.
  • Ability to juggle competing priorities, whilst maintaining attention to detail and meeting deadlines.
  • Excellent writing, editing and verbal skills in English is required.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

  • Bachelor Degree in Communications, Journalism, International Relations or a related field.

Experience & knowledge

  • At least five years of successful experience in designing and implementing innovative digital engagement strategies at international and/or national level in Africa, Asia-Pacific or Latin America. This should include experience with:
    • Social media channels, particularly Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, and monitoring tools;
    • Other tools and tactics to effectively share learning content with governments in Africa, Asia-Pacific or Latin America, companies and international organizations.
  • At least five years of experience in writing and editing outstanding communications products, including social media posts, newsletters, comment pieces and power point presentations.
  • At least three years of experience providing support on advocacy and communications towards governments, companies, international organizations, including donors.
  • Knowledge of how digital financial inclusion and digital payments help advance progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals is required. This includes good understanding of key actors, opportunities and challenges.
  • Experience working in a multi-cultural environment is highly desirable.  
  • Basic skills in graphic design and video editing are an advantage.

Languages

  •  Written and oral fluency in English

  • Knowledge of the local language in any of the potential duty stations will be an advantage.

Recommended Presentation of Offer

The following documents are requested:

  • Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability and Financial proposal that indicates the all-inclusive daily fee (for each of the noted locations). 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. Template for this is available at http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_file.cfm?doc_id=29916).
  • Personal CV or P11, 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;
  • 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.

Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer

Applications will be screened and only applicants meeting the minimum criteria will progress to the pool for shortlisting.  UNCDF will produce a shortlist of candidates and technically evaluate candidates as per experience requirements.

Shortlisted candidates will be evaluated based on UNDP’s cumulative analysis method. When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract shall be made to the consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

 Responsive/compliant/acceptable vis-à-vis the requirements of the TOR and the project operating environment; and

  • Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical (70%) and financial (30%) criteria.

The technical evaluation will consists of two parts:

  • Written test (40 points)
  • Interview (60 points)