Gender Expert for Building Private-Sector Capacity for Gender-Smart, Data-Driven Financial Solutions

Consultant

Contract

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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 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 in support of the Sustainable Development Goals aligns with the vision of promoting and financing 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 Sustainable Development Goals.

Inclusion is at the heart of UNCDF’s strategy to promote digital economies that leave no one behind, which can only be achieved if digital economies are developed at the national level and if there is a focus on making them inclusive—without any new form of exclusion. We place particular importance on youth, women, migrants, refugees, and MSMEs, customer segments that are often marginalized and denied digital innovation and technology due to social norms, societal status, limited revenue and capacity. We place the empowerment of these customer segments at the center of UNCDF initiatives to develop innovative services in various sectors.

Our approach focuses on accelerating the development and financing of inclusive digital economies at the country level with the government, the private sector and academia, with specific attention given to the development and financing of the right services to reduce the digital divide and to empower key customer segments.

To implement the UNCDF strategy, we apply a country-level market development approach. The objective being to understand and intervene in select market systems to address underlying market dysfunctions in order to improve efficiencies, effectiveness and sustainability. The approach seeks to (1) leverage the roles and behaviors of current players in the marketplace, support them to do what they do better or to change their behavior; (2) strengthen the systems and relationships among the various market and sector actors; and (3) work with current players to de-risk new business models in order to make digital solutions more inclusive for key segments and reduce the digital divide.

Data is also central to financial sector regulators’ ability to supervise markets, protect consumers, and advance financial inclusion. In parallel to working with the private sector to enhance digital financial solutions, UNCDF will work with the government to design and build solutions to automate the collection, validation, and analysis of data generated through those digital solutions. While the focus of this TOR is working with FSPs on data and GSPD, the scope of work will entail understanding FSPs’ regulatory reporting requirements and identifying any challenges and potential opportunities at the intersection of enhanced data capacity among regulators and GSPD.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objective of the Assignment

Many stakeholders in the public and private sectors in Tanzania are committed to developing digitally enabled, data-driven solutions that advance financial inclusion, especially for women. The proliferation of digital products and services, along with digitalization across various sectors of the economy, means that data is being generated in many parts of people’s lives. As a result, financial service providers and policymakers interested in creating evidence-based, gender-smart solutions often have the data required to do so; what they lack is the technical capacity to turn that data into meaningful information.

For example, many financial service providers (FSPs)-including banks, microfinance institutions (MFIs), and financial technology (fintech) companies)-offer digital financial solutions (DFS) that generate data on product terms, transactions, and consumer experiences. While these data could help FSPs identify ways to better meet customer needs, it is often not sex-disaggregated; if it is, FSP staff may not have the capacity for nuanced, gender-intentional data analysis. In other cases, because FSPs do not have training on gender-mainstreaming and/or human centered design, attempts to design products for women take a “one-size-fits-all" approach and fail to deliver.

It is in this context that UNCDF is building private sector capacity to leverage the power of data and digital technology to facilitate the development of gender-smart solutions that advance financial inclusion for women. This will be done by supporting up to 3 FSPs that are currently generating data through their digital solutions, MIS, or CBS to enhance their capacity for data-driven, gender-smart product development (GSPD)

B. Approach and Scope

UNCDF is looking for a consultant that can work directly with selected FSPs and a data expert/firm (heron “data expert”) to: 1) assess the FSPs’ existing capacity for gender-intentional product design and 2) provide technical assistance (TA) for capacity building in these areas. Specifically, the consultant will be responsible for the following:

• Performing a gender diagnostic assessment for each FSP to identify the systems, competencies, gaps, and plans to serve women
• Working with the data expert to ensure gender is mainstreamed in plans to enhance FSPs’ data systems/processes or to pilot a gender-smart product, service, or operational change
• Delivering training to FSPs on relevant topics, e.g., gender-mainstreaming, gender-intentional data collection and analysis, and human-centered design
• Supporting UNCDF to disseminate lessons learned to a wider audience through publications, webinars, and workshops with targeted audiences

Phase 1: Gender Diagnostic Assessment

The project will begin with a gender diagnostic assessment, which will entail discussions with representatives from the selected FSPs to understand the extent to which gender is mainstreamed in the company systems, competencies, and plans. The diagnostic assessment would consider questions including but not limited to the following:

Focus area

Questions for exploration

Organizational policies

• Mission/Vision: Does the organization have a clear strategy or objective for serving women or improving women’s economic empowerment?
• Leadership and Human Resources:
  • What percentage of the organization’s leadership is female?
  • What percentage of the organization’s employees and agents are female?
  • Does the organization have a formal non-discrimination, equal opportunity, and/or gender equality policy or strategy? If yes, how is this implemented?
  • Does the organization take measures to ensure gender equality in recruitment practices for full time staff and agents?
• Professional Development:
  • Does the organization take measures to ensure gender equality in professional development and promotion practices?
  • Does the organization offer training for staff on women’s empowerment or other gender-focused topics (e.g., domestic violence, sexual harassment)?

Products and services targeting women

• Products Offered:
  • What types of products and services does the organization offer?
  • Does the organization have any products and services that specifically target women?
  • Can the organization articulate a business case for designing products specifically for women?
• Product Design/Development:
  • Does the organization conduct market research to inform product development? If yes, how is research conducted? Are results analyzed by gender or other characteristics (geography, age, etc.)?
  • Which gender differences in access/usage to financial products and services do those products and services aim to address?
  • What are specific design features of products and services targeted to female customers?
  • Does the organization regularly adapt existing products and services based on market research and customers’ needs (both for men and women)?
• Product Distribution:
  • How does the organization reach and attract potential clients? Does the organization have a marketing strategy? Is it gender-sensitive?
  • How are women-centric products marketed and distributed? How does this differ from other products/services? What channels are preferred for reaching women?

Data Systems and Analytical Capabilities

• Transactional Data:
  • What transactional data is generated / collected through MIS/CBS and at what level is it disaggregated (e.g., by gender, age, geography, client type (individual, joint, MSME), etc.)?
  • What data points/indicators are analyzed by gender? (e.g., number of new customers, loans disbursed, non-performing loans, savings accumulated, profitability, client satisfaction)
• Customer Feedback/Complaints:
  • Does the organization have a systematic approach to gathering feedback from clients? If so, are results analyzed by gender? How is feedback gathering different for men and women?
  • Does the organization have a customer complaints mechanism? If so, are complaints and resolutions disaggregated by gender? What are current figures and gender differences in the results?
• Organizational Data: Does the organization collect organizational/HR-related data by gender for staff and agents? (e.g., recruitment/hiring, turnover, promotion, complaints)
• Human Resources and Capacity: What staff are responsible for data analysis? (What are their roles, gender, how many, what are the major skills gaps or capacity needs)? Do they receive gender training as part of their work?

Plans

• Does the organization have a formal strategy, targets and allocated budget for better-serving women?
• Does the organization have a formal strategy, targets and allocated budget for enhancing gender equality within the organization?
• Does the organization have a public commitment to better-serve women and/or promote gender equality?

The output of the diagnostic assessment will be a report covering these topics. It will conclude with mapping and prioritization of opportunities for strengthening GSPD.

Phase 2: Alignment with Data Diagnostic Assessment

The gender expert will work with the data expert to:

• Share results of the gender diagnostic
• Become familiar with the results of the data diagnostic
• Ensure a gender-lens is applied in the plans for the way forward.

Phase 3: Technical Assistance

Based on the results of the diagnostic and gender assessments, the consultant will provide technical assistance to support data driven GSPD. This may include:

• Delivering training on gender mainstreaming or gender-intentional human centered design. This training will complement training on data analytics for product ideation and build FSP staff capacity to analyze sex-disaggregated data for GSPD and to do market research on specific segments of female customers. This training will be theoretical and practical, ideally making use of real transactional data.
• Supporting gender-intentional analysis of lean data surveys
• Supporting a pilot for a specific product/service (or product/service enhancement) or operational change geared towards increasing the number of female customers or increasing product usage among female customers

Phase 4: Roadmap for the Future

Recognizing there are multiple use-cases for enhancing data-driven GSPD, and that the Phase 3 TA will be limited in scope to one of these, the data and gender experts will develop a roadmap for how the FSP could prioritize and implement additional interventions. In addition to creating a roadmap that is FSP/product-specific, the consultants will also create a toolkit to enable other FSPs to conduct similar self-assessments and roadmaps for their own companies.

D. Expected Outputs and Deliverables

As per attached Terms of Reference

E. Institutional Arrangement

Evaluation

The consultant will work under direct supervision of UNCDF Tanzania’s Research and Insights Specialist.The consultant will be responsible for providing his/her own portable computer during his/her engagement with UNCDF. It is to be noted that this assignment is ‘home-based’ and the candidates will work remotely from any location provided that they have the necessary connection/home-office arrangeemnts that will allow them to deliver on the expected outcomes and work in-person with the UNCDF team and project stakeholders as needed.

Payments

Payment shall be made upon satisfactory completion and UNCDF’s written acceptance of each deliverable duly approved by the supervisor, UNCDF Tanzania’s Research and Insights Specialist and UNCDF IDE Country Lead for Tanzania.

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

The following supporting documents will serve as conditions for disbursement:

• Submission of invoice detailing deliverables achieved as stated in the contract.
• Submission of all deliverables/ workplan/ progress report with relevant supporting documentation; and review.
• Approval and written acceptance of each deliverable by the UNCDF’s Tanzania Digital Finance Advisor and/or other IDE project management unit.

Language

· Fluent written and Spoken English Language is required.

· Knowledge of Kiswahili is desired.

Duration:

• Timeline: January 2023 - December 2023

Total Number of Working Days for Assignment: 60 working days spread over one year

Duty station: The consultant shall be home-based, except when called by UNCDF to conduct missions and/or to attend meetings. Travel, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses shall be agreed upon as per UNCDF policy, between the respective business unit and Individual Consultant, prior to travel. Please note that this consultancy is a home-based assignment, therefore, there is no envisaged travel cost to join duty station/living expenses

Competencies

Technical competencies

• Strong knowledge of gener-mainstreaming and human-centered design for financial services, with a minimum of five years’ experience.
• Experience working with banks, MFIs and financial technology firms on gender-smart product
• Experience supporting piloting and/or scaling of gender-smart digital financial solutions
• Track record in facilitating discussions or understanding best practices for gender-mainstreaming and gender-smart product deisgn
• Demonstrated experience in developing and implementing projects/ programs at the intersection of gender and DFS is reqbuired
• Previous working experience in Tanzania is required
• Experience of carrying out feasibility studies or gap analysis assessments.
• Ability to translate complex technical ideas to a non-technical audience both verbally and in writing.
• Understanding of need for sensitivity and confidentially of information involved in dealing with regulators.
• Excellent writing and presentation skills including ability to publish case studies and reports of international standards.

Functional competencies

• Strong ability to communicate and function effectively in local/international/multicultural environment.
• Excellent networking skills with a demonstrated ability to build and maintain professional relationships.
• Ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure.
• Project management skills.
• Excellent PowerPoint and Excel skills.
• Strong technical writing skills
• High level planning, organizational and time management skills, including flexibility, attention to detail and the ability to work under pressure to meet changing deadlines.
• Well-developed interpersonal skills, including the ability to liaise effectively at senior levels, including government.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills of a high order, including the ability to formulate recommendations and advice.
• Pro-active, constructive attitude, open to feedback.

Required Skills and Experience

(a) Personal Profile:

• Cover letter
• Methodology and approach to assignment

• A Curriculum Vitae (CV) or completed and signed P11 - Personal History Form (available at http://sas.undp.org/documents/p11_personal_history_form.doc), stipulating applicant’s official name the qualifications and professional experiences (with similar projects) relevant to the assignment/TOR and the contact details (email address, telephone numbers) of 3 professional references.

  (b) A signed financial proposal for the assignment,

• Completed and duly signed Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability, quoted in US dollars, outlining the all-inclusive fee, supported by a breakdown of reimbursable – direct and indirect – costs (if applicable ). (see click here for document)

(c) Optional: Demonstrated experience

• Up to 3 published materials authored by the consultant to demonstrate relevant experience/expertise

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

Proposal should be submitted at the following email [email protected] with subject line: “Data expert for Gender- smart product development ” no later than 20 December 2022

Evaluation:

Applications will be rated on both technical and financial submissions. The following selection method will be used: Highest rated proposal using the combined scoring method. The weight distribution shall be 70% technical and 30% financial.

Step I: Screening:

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

• Masters Degree in Economics, Finance, Banking, Development, Business Management, Information Communication Technology or equivalent in work experience.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in capacity building for gender-smart product design.
• Experience working with banks, MFIs, and/or financial technology firms on gender-mainstreaming and gender-smart product design

Step II: Shortlisting by desk review (30% of technical assessment):

UNCDF will produce a shortlist of candidates and technically evaluate candidates by using the following criteria with corresponding points (100 points):

• Minimum 5 years of experience in gender-mainstreaming and gender-smart product design for digital financial services. 30 points.
• Experience working banks, MFIs, and financial technology firms on conducting gap analyses for gender-mainstreaming and gender-smart product design. 20 points.
• Experience delivering capacity building and technical assistance for gender mainstreaming and gender-smart product design. 30 points.
• Excellent written command of the English language: 10 points
• Experience publishing case studies and/or reports that adhere to international standards. 10 points.

As applicable, the applicants achieving 70% of the points at this stage shall be invited for an interview via Skype.

Step III: Interview (70% of technical assessment)

Only candidates obtaining a minimum score of 70% at the desk review stage shall be invited to a competency-based interview.

Step IV: Financial Evaluation: (30%)

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% on the total of Step II (Desk review 30 % + Interview 70%) shall be considered as technically qualified and will be reviewed further for financial evaluation.

The following formula will be used to evaluate the 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 has been evaluated and determined as:

• Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and
• Having received the highest combined weight: (technical scores)70% + financial 30%= 100%.

The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and

b) Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation. Example 70%-30%.

Individual consultants and persons employed by a company or institution are invited to apply. Any individual employed by a company or institution who would like to submit an offer in response to a Procurement Notice for individual consultant must do so in their individual capacity by providing a CV so that their qualifications may be judged accordingly.

Women candidates or women-owned businesses are strongly encouraged to apply.

UNCDF 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.

Any request for clarification must be sent in writing, or by standard electronic communication to the address or email [email protected] . UNCDF will respond in writing or by standard electronic mail and will send written copies of the response, including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry, to all consultants.

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

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Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: jobs.undp.org