Procurement Notices

Background

The United Nations 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 several different SDGs.

Inclusive digital economies

UNCDF manages initiatives to develop inclusive digital finance ecosystems which offer a wide range of financial services specially for low-income vulnerable communities. Specifically, UNCDF provides a mix of policy, technical and financial support to a range of government and private sector actors in each country, as well as invests in research and other public goods to benefit all market actors. By supporting the development of digital finance ecosystem in these countries, UNCDF aims to increase the financial security of low income and rural households through access to appropriate, affordable and secure means to receive, manage and save money.

Recently, UNCDF has formulated its strategy ‘Leaving no one behind in the digital era’ based on over a decade of experience in digital finance in Africa, Asia and the Pacific. UNCDF recognizes that reaching the full potential of digital financial inclusion aligns with the vision of promoting digital economies that leave no one behind. The vision of UNCDF is to empower millions of people by 2024 to use services daily that leverage innovation and technology and contribute to the SDGs. UNCDF will apply a market development approach and continuously seek to address underlying market dysfunctions.

For more information, please see: https://www.uncdf.org/article/4567/uncdf-launches-digital-economy-strategy-leaving-no-one-behind-in-the-digital-era

Policy Accelerator

UNCDF has been working with national governments to improve access to financial services for over 25 years. In the last decade, we have focused specifically on the role that digital technologies play in accelerating usage of financial services by low-income people. In our role as a technical assistance provider and neutral broker, UNCDF works closely with global and national partners to build capacity and support governments to engage with industry to facilitate solutions to key market constraints at the local and regional level.

For more information, please see: https://policyaccelerator.uncdf.org/

Duties and Responsibilities

UNCDF is looking for a Community Organiser to support our work on digital financial services (DFS) with a particular focus on Ethiopia and women’s digital and financial inclusion. The Community Organiser will need to have significant experience in stakeholder engagement, media relations, campaign management, and events coordination. He/she will support UNCDF’s advocacy work, proactively engaging with multiple internal and external stakeholders, influencing decision-makers, and delivering a communications campaign that is relevant to the country context.

Scope of Work

Build strategic relations and engage the local community

• Identify and proactively develop relationships and partnerships with policymakers, private sector representatives, academia, members, and other stakeholders with expertise in gender.
• Network, develop, and sustain a positive relationship with a range of people from different backgrounds, including community leaders and local organisations.
• Develop and deliver a strategy to increase networking and mutual learning among UNCDF’s partners in Ethiopia and Eastern and Southern Africa.
• Support the team to understand the needs of local communities by helping to build trust and ensure that UNCDF projects are effectively implemented.

Managing communications and media relations

• Build and maintain relationships with local media outlets and journalists to advocate, increase visibility of, and disseminate information on UNCDF’s work.
• Support the development of a local communications strategy and act as a key focal point for engagements with the media in Ethiopia.
• Maintain up to date records of contacts / organizations / collaborations in CRM and identify communications, engagement and outreach opportunities based on these inputs.
• Support marketing activities across various platforms to ensure key messaging reach a wide range of audiences.

Coordinate strategic events

• Plan, assist in procurement and coordinate the organization of conferences, workshops, technical working groups and webinars, and participate as necessary.

Provision of Monitoring, Progress Controls and Payments

Weekly calls will be held with the Gender Lead for the Policy Accelerator and the Gender Country Lead to discuss progress towards deliverables and operational challenges. The consultant will also be expected to join the Ethiopia country calls and participate in the Policy Accelerator’s monthly objectives meeting where priorities will be discussed and agreed.

The following supporting documents will serve as conditions for payments to an Individual Contractor(s): (i) submission of Certificate of Payment (COP); (ii) submission of all deliverables / workplan / progress report with the relevant supporting documentation; and (iii) review, approval and written acceptance of each deliverable by the Gender Lead of the Policy Accelerator.

Disbursement of the final payment shall require a signed performance evaluation of the consultant.

Institutional Arrangement

The consultant will work under the primary supervision of the Gender Lead for the Policy Accelerator.. S/he will work in close collaboration with the Policy Accelerator team and the Country, Regional and Communications teams.

Duration of work

The work shall be undertaken over 12 months with possibility to extend for another six months.

Duty station

This is a national consultancy, and the Community Organizer Consultant will be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. S/he is expected to report to the Gender Country Lead on a mutually agreed schedule.

Travel, as deemed relevant by UNCDF, will be approved and arranged by UNCDF, following UNDP/UNCDF Travel Policy.

For full details, please see the Terms of Reference attached and UNDP Job link: UNCDF Jobs - 106036- Community Organizer Consultant – UNCDF Policy Acce (undp.org)