Historique

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.  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.
 
The Better Than Cash Alliance 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. 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 2 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 partners with governments, companies, and international organizations that are the key drivers behind the transition to make digital payments widely available by:

• Advocating for the transition from cash to digital payments in a way that advances financial inclusion and promotes responsible digital finance.
• Conducting research and sharing the experiences of our members to inform strategies for making the transition.
• 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.

For more information about the Better Than Cash Alliance, please visit the website http://www.betterthancash.org/
The Access to Information (a2i) Programme is an UNDP and USAID supported project (programme) having its office at the Prime Ministers’ Office. The overall objective of the project is to provide support in building a digital nation through delivering services at the citizen’s doorsteps. The programme aims to improve quality, widen access, and decentralize delivery of public services to ensure responsiveness and transparency.

The Better Than Cash Alliance and a2i are looking to hire a Business to Person (B2P) payments consultant to assist a2i to design, implement and advocate the B2P payments strategy and roadmap for the private sector with specific focus on the FMCG and Garment sectors in Bangladesh. The initiative will be implemented by a2i in close collaboration with the Finance Division, the B2P taskforce, Bangladesh Bank and various business organizations and associations.

Devoirs et responsabilités

Under the supervision of the a2i Program Coordinator and closely supported by the Better Than Cash Alliance Programme Specialist for Asia, the incumbent will support the design, implement and advocate the B2P payments strategy and roadmap for the private sector with specific focus on the FMCG and Garment sectors in Bangladesh. Key duties include:

Strategy and Roadmap Implementation (150 days)

• In close coordination with a2i’s DFS lab+ - provide inputs into design recommendations and implementation roadmap for digitizing the B2P (salary, payroll and benefits) payments stream;
• Work closely with a2i and the B2P taskforce to identify priority business sectors and partners to drive B2P digitization in Bangladesh;
• Define relevant partnerships with identified business partners to implement pilots and projects;
• Design and provide project management support for key pilots/projects;
• Assist to design innovative digital B2P payment solutions for business organizations and evidence business case with them;
• Convene B2P taskforce regularly to create a platform to discuss B2P digitization efforts, challenges, new opportunities and to share progress on roadmap activities;
• Work with relevant stakeholders to review legal, regulatory and policy environment for B2P payments and provide recommendations for increased digitization.

Key Deliverable: Project Implemented as per agreed project implementation plan, aimed at digitizing the B2P (salary, payroll and benefits) payments stream.

Monitoring and Evaluation (50 days)

• In coordination with a2i DFS lab+ and other stakeholders, provide the inputs to gather and analyze data from implementation of initiatives (by working closely with a2i's result management team to ensure monitoring and evaluation of the project activities);
• Lead on developing all required project management and reporting tools, reports and indicators, required for efficient, effective reporting;
• Ensure timely and accurate submission of reports to stakeholders and others.

Key Deliverable: Monitoring tools and a compliance monitoring process approved and in place to support a2i's result management team effective monitoring and evaluation of the project activities.

Advocacy and communication (50 days)

• Communicate and manage relationships with businesses, business associations and financial service providers;
• Design and organize various meetings, workshops, orientation sessions and policy dialogues across the stakeholders engaged in B2P payment stream;
• Coordinate publication and documentation of various B2P relevant documentation (e.g. case studies, focus note, research papers, event reports);
• Draft articles and reports for website and blog post;
• Support promotional and public communications events.

Key Deliverables: effective organization of the meetings, workshops, orientation sessions and policy dialogues across the stakeholders engaged in B2P payment stream with coordinated publication and documentation of various B2P relevant documentation.

The key task expected is the successful implementation the B2P roadmap.  The consultant will support the following key tasks of the roadmap:

• Overall execution of B2P roadmap activities;
• Increased engagement of B2P taskforce;
• Expanded membership of B2P taskforce;
• Increased engagement between a2i and private sector organizations on digitizing payments;
• Implementation of selected B2P digital payment pilots/projects;
• Overall increase in B2P digital payments across Bangladesh.

Compétences

Technical

• Working knowledge of B2P payments (preferred digital payments experience);
• Working knowledge of current developments in payment technologies, including innovative payment methods (e.g., mobile financial services, pre-paid/reloadable/other cards, etc.);
• Experience in business case development;
• Experience in project management;
• Understanding of key issues and international good practice relating to financial inclusion;
• 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;
• Working knowledge of private sector, government ministries/entities and international donor organizations.

Professional

• Good analytical, and diplomatic skills
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision (self-development, initiative-taking)
• Acting as a team player and facilitating team work
• Ability to build and leverage networks (internal and external) to identify pilot and stakeholder needs and opportunities
• 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;
• Proven ability to manage conflict and facilitate /encourage open communications in the team, to promote effective communication
• Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing from self and others
• Informed and transparent decision making
• Ability to work under pressure
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Effective spokesperson, engaging stakeholders and groupings, both private sector senior corporate leaders and government ministers, to advance the implementation of the B2P payments infrastructure pilot.

Qualifications et expériences requises

Education

• A Master’s degree in a public/business administration, finance, social sciences, or related discipline;
• Additional training related to digital financial services, and project management is highly desirable.

Experience   

• At least 5 years working experience in private sector;
• Experience in working with business sector/financial institution/ supply chain will be given preferences;
• Demonstrated experience in project management;
• Experience in design and organization of different workshop, events;
• Excellent MS Office and internet skills are required.

Language

• Excellent oral and written English communication skills;
• Fluency in local language -Bengali is preferred.

Evaluation Method

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the combined scoring method. The formula for the rating of the Proposals will be as follows:

Rating the Technical Proposal (TP): 70%
TP Rating = (Total Score Obtained by the Offer / Max. Obtainable Score for TP) x 100
Rating the Financial Proposal (FP): 30%
FP Rating = (Lowest Priced Offer / Price of the Offer Being Reviewed) x 100
Total Combined Score:
(TP Rating) x (Weight of TP, e.g. 70%)+ (FP Rating) x (Weight of FP, e.g., 30%)

70%: Technical (based on CV, written test and interview)

• Experience (20%)
• Written test (20%)
• Interview (30%)

30%: Financial Proposal
 
Total maximum obtainable score for Technical proposal = 100 points. Only candidates obtaining a minimum score of 70 points under Technical evaluation will be considered for the financial evaluation

Financial proposals will be requested only from the shortlisted candidates.

Other

Contract Award Criteria

The contract shall be awarded to the applicant whose offer have been evaluated and determined as:

Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and having received the highest combined weight (technical proposal & Interview) 70% + financial 30%= 100%.

Payment

Contract will be based on a daily rate basis in US dollars. Payments are made to the Individual Consultant based on receipt of the Certificate for Payment (CoP) and acceptance of the work by Project Manager will be attached to the agreed deliverables.

Travel

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.

References

UNDP’s Individual Consultant’s General Terms and Conditions are provided here:
http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/documents/procurement/documents/IC%20-%20General%20Conditions.pdf
 
Application Guidelines

Interested candidate should submit the following information as part of the application package:

• When applying for this consultancy position, please apply with your official name as shown in the government issued identification document (e.g. passport and/or driver license). Contract award is subject to this verification;
• Detailed updated CV including past experience in similar projects or P11 link: http://sas.undp.org/documents/P11_Personal_history_form.doc;
• One page of cover letter describing why the candidate is the most suitable for the assignment;
• Confirmation of availability to take up assignments for the whole period;
• Three professional references including name, affiliation and email addresses.

Those candidates who have already applied, do not need to apply again.