Digital Finance Services Consultant

Duties and responsibilities:

Under the supervision of the UNCDF ́s Regional Technical Specialist Digital Finance Zambia (RTS DF) the consultant will support the following activities and deliverables tied to the project.

Providing technical in outs to TS in procuring consultants and consulting firms for DF projects at selected partners. Including:

• Technical assistance in supporting 2 Go to Market Strategies for two different DFS providers to decrease customer dormancy and increase women and youth customers
• Technical Assistance in leading a Design Sprint with at least 3 DFS providers to improve/create design of financial products suited for Zambian women
• Technical Assistance to Bank of Zambia: Improve Data for Decision Making Automation
• Technical Assistance to at least 2 organizations to develop and pilot innovative agent network expansion models.
• Co-create at least 2 Feedback2Action Workshops engaging public and private DFS sectors on issues of common interest

To reach the above objectives the consultant would undertake the following activities and the deliverables. The below activities have been outlined based on the some of the broader outcomes that have been outlined above and are representative and can be more than that.

Professional:

· Takes on innovation and new approaches and fosters innovation in others.

· Creates an environment that fosters innovation and innovative thinking.

Client Orientation:

· Anticipates constraints in the delivery of services and identifies solutions or alternatives.

· Ability to interact and adapt communication with various management level at our partners.

· Proactively identifies, develops and discusses solutions for internal and external clients, and persuades management to undertake new projects or services.

· Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities, and resolve problems.

· Focus on impact and results for clients and stakeholders.

· Builds trust in interactions with others, facilitates partnerships; excellent networking capabilities to link people/businesses from diverse horizons.

• Approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude and responds positively to feedback

Education:



· A Master’s degree in technology, economics, public/business administration, social sciences, or related discipline or the equivalent experience is mandatory.



Experience:



· A minimum of four years-experience in progressively more responsible positions in the financial services and/or telecommunications field is mandatory.



· A minimum of three years- experience working with branchless banking and mobile financial services is mandatory.



· Experience in working with the implementation of branchless banking and mobile financial services projects.



· Experience in project management.



· Experience in writing project and programme documents or similar type of documents is preferred, but not mandatory.



· Experience in Zambia, East or Southern Africa is a plus.



Languages:

• Excellent written and oral English is mandatory.

Timeline, total number of working days, duty station:

• Timeline: 20 May 2019 – 20 May 2021;


• Total Number of Working Days for Assignment: 480.


• Duty station: Lusaka, Zambia.

Travel:



Payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.



Please note that UNCDF cannot guarantee residence permits or visas for consultants. Consultants are responsible for securing their work documentation. In the case of national consultants, applicants that are not nationals of the duty station requested will have to prove their residence status.



Please note that consultants residing in the duty station will not be compensated for living expenses.



Provision of Monitoring, Progress Controls & Payments:

• The primary contact for reporting for this TOR shall be the UNCDF Regional Technical Specialist Digital Finance in Zambia;


• Payment will be made at the end of each phase against satisfactorily achieved deliverables. All payments are subject to the clearance and approval of the Regional Technical Specialist Digital Finance in Zambia.


• Final payment shall require a signed performance evaluation of the consultant.

Application process:



Interested individuals must submit the documents mentioned below as proposals in order to demonstrate their qualifications (Note: the system does not allow multiple uploads of documents. Applicants must make sure to upload all documents in one PDF file).



All applications must contain the following information:

• Cover letter with a summary statement of competencies in relation to the Terms of Reference (TOR);


• Earliest availability and proposed schedule for consultancy;


• Curriculum Vitae;


• Completed and signed P11, Personal History Form with names and current contacts of 3 referees (available from .undp.org/documents/p11personalhistoryform.doc)


• Signed financial proposal for the assignment outlining: All-inclusive fee (including professional fees and other professional expenses, such as insurance, taxes, etc.), and relocation travel costs (e.g. daily subsistence allowance (DSA) and the cost of one return ticket to Lusaka, Zambia from place of origin) (if applicable). Available at http://procurement-notices.undp.org/viewfile.cfm?doc_id=29916). The consultant’s hosting is provided by UNCDF, therefore no DSA or living allowance is to be quoted in the financial proposal.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials.



Selection process:



Step I: Screening: Applications will be screened and only applicants meeting the minimum criteria will progress to the pool for shortlisting.



Step II: Technical Evaluation:



Shortlisting (20 points): UNCDF will produce a shortlist of candidates and technically evaluate candidates as per experience requirements in the Terms of Reference. As applicable, only the first top 3 ranked applicants shall be considered for an interview. Criteria for shortlisting:



20- Education/Qualification;



20- Functional competencies for assignment (technical, analytical and writing skills);



30- Experience



Interview (80 points): An interview shall be conducted for the top 3 shortlisted candidates.



Step III: Financial Evaluation: Only candidates with scores above 70% of the technical evaluation (70 Points or above) will be considered.



The following formula will be used to evaluate financial proposal: lowest priced proposal/price of the proposal being evaluated x 30%.



Award Criteria



The contact 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 scores) 70% + financial 30%= 100%.



Both individual consultants and individual employed by a company or institution are welcome to apply.



Any individual employed by a company or institution who would like to submit an offer in response to a Procurement Notice for IC must do so in their individual capacity (providing a CV so that their qualifications may be judged accordingly). Women candidates or women-owned businesses are strongly encouraged to apply.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.



UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.