Office/Unit/Project Description:
UNCDF and IDE in Bangladesh
Since 2016, UNCDF’s programmatic agenda in Bangladesh, has responded to the persisting exclusion of low-income people, especially women, that can limit the potential of individuals and businesses to contribute to and benefit from economic growth. While it started focusing on increasing access and usage of financial services; it has recently evolved to a more comprehensive strategy anchored in the need of building an inclusive digital economy to enable low-income people, especially women, accessing economic opportunities and reduce poverty. UNCDF’s new Inclusive Digital Economy Strategy (2021-2025) leverages the work we have done in the country since 2016 and expands the use of digital solutions to further tackle the main development challenges of the country through the following workstreams:
Policy Workstream:
In joint implementation with UNDP, UN Women and ILO, UNCDF has been developing the Integrated National Financing Framework in Bangladesh supported by Joint SDG Fund, with UNCDF’s activity focus on SDG 7 and Digital Finance Ecosystem. UNCDF’s Inclusive Digital Economy Scorecard (IDES) and Digital Finance Ecosystem (DFS) Assessment have also been conducted towards this project achievements. In addition, UNCDF is looking at working with public sector stakeholders, associations, and policy makers towards institutionalizing digital financial literacy and seek opportunities to create policy environment needed for female garment workers and other vulnerable groups to achieve financial independence.
Digital Payments Infrastructure Workstream:
UNCDF is now currently exploring ways to support the country to strengthen and catalyze government led interoperability implementation in Bangladesh. This includes working with public and private sector stakeholders and associations to support in developing joint solutions/infrastructure to improve social protection or welfare delivery systems for female garment workers and other vulnerable groups.
Innovation Workstream:
Through our work on innovation, we are focusing on women owned MSMEs, resilience from the COVID-19 pandemic, remittances and migrants and agritech solutions. Also, we are supporting the growth of innovative digital finance solutions addressing health, well-being, security, safety, finance, and digital, financial, and legal literacy needs for female garment workers (e.g., health insurance, microcredit, digital wallets). We will also work towards supporting digital innovations focused on provide linkages to affordable primary healthcare and quality nutrition.
Skills Workstream:
The majority of the projects under the innovation workstream have either a digital or a financial capabilities component. In addition to that, in partnership with VISA Inc. UNCDF has been building digital and financial capabilities of small and micro businesses in partnership with e-commerce platforms. Also, UNCDF works with providers to deliver gender-sensitive Digital Financial Literacy (DFL) training at scale to female garment workers and other vulnerable groups and support them to leverage these trainings to increase financial independence.
Additionally, UNCDF through its global Migrant Money programme has engaged partners in the public and private sectors at the global level (multilateral, standards-setting bodies and global money transfer operators), regional level (regional economic communities and monetary unions) and country level (line ministries, regulators and financial institutions) to address constraints at the ecosystem, institution, and product levels. This aims to transform the policy, regulatory and innovation landscapes and thus start meeting the needs of migrants and their families by overcoming all the above obstacles. To build onto this, the Bangladesh country office is implementing a project focusing on migrants and their families, focusing on digital financial literacy, skill referrals, entrepreneurship development, financial innovation and policy enforcement aspects.
In addition to the above mentioned initiatives, the project that the National Green Financing Analyst will mostly focus on is supported by the Embassy of Switzerland and aims to address the vulnerabilities of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in Bangladesh to climate-related risks. Focused on green financing, knowledge-sharing, and capacity development, the Access to Green Finance (A2GF) initiative recognizes the crucial role of SMEs in economic growth and their susceptibility to climate-induced disruptions. By bridging existing gaps in policies and financial access, the initiative seeks to empower SMEs, especially women-focused enterprises, to implement climate-smart solutions.
Scope of Work
Under the direct supervision of the Country Lead Technical Specialist (Access to Finance), the incumbent will perform the below mentioned duties and responsibilities.
a) Enhance Capacity and Information for Policymakers and Regulators and provide policy influencing support related to green finance
b) Ensure Stakeholder Engagement and Market Alignment for Green Financing in Bangladesh
c) Support strategic partnerships and resource mobilization
d) Increase UNCDF’s visibility through learning, communication, knowledge sharing and collaboration
Enhancing Capacity and Information for Policymakers and Regulators and provide policy influencing support related to green finance.
Ensure Stakeholder Engagement and Market Alignment for Green Financing in Bangladesh
Support strategic partnerships and resource mobilization
Increase UNCDF’s visibility through learning, communication, knowledge sharing and collaboration
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization
Institutional Arrangement
The National Green Financing Analyst will be supervised by the Country Lead Technical Specialist (Digital Finance), and will work closely with project team members, consultants, partners, and other colleagues within the Country Office.
Expected Demonstration of Competencies
Core Competencies
Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
Enable Diversity and Inclusion LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination
Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies
System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.
Results-based Management: Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results.
Project Management: Ability to plan, organise, prioritise, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals.
Knowledge Generation: Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.
Partnerships Management: Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts, and others in line with. UNDP strategy and policies.
Operations Management: Ability to effectively plan, organize, and oversee the organization business process to convert its assets into the best results in the most efficient manner. Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanism
Effectiveness: Project Quality Assurance
Required Skills and Experience
Education
Experience, Knowledge, and Skills
Desired additional skills and competencies
Language(s):
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