UNCDF
Background
UNCDF is the UN’s capital investment agency for the world’s 47 least developed countries (LDCs). 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. This last mile is where available resources for development are scarcest; where market failures are most pronounced; and where benefits from national growth tend to leave people excluded.
UNCDF developed the MM4P programme to ensure that the opportunities and benefits of digital finance would reach low-income people in difficult markets. UNCDF provides a mix of technical, financial and policy support to policymakers, regulators, providers, distributors and users of digital finance in order to expand access to and usage of services that contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
UNCDF has helped to accelerate the use of digital financial services in Zambia and intends to continue to try to close the financial exclusion gap. MM4P requires a Communications & Knowledge Management consultant to further establish and consolidate its presence in Zambia and ensure that there is a strong learning and communications component to this endeavor. It will be critical to be learning from the 6-8 other UNCDF MM4P countries on their best practices and lessons learned, as well as sharing out to the larger community what Zambia is learning. This person will also be complementing the work of Mercy Corp’s Agrifin Accelerate, RUFEP & the Financial Sector Deepening Zambia (FSDZ), which are some of the many MM4P’s partners on the ground in Zambia.
The Communications & Knowledge Management consultant will be expected to interact effectively with senior levels of partner organizations, collaboratively support the Technical Specialist and DFS Experts, support project development with partners and provide knowledge management and project management support. The successful candidate for this position must be highly motivated, entrepreneurial and results-oriented.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the direct supervision of the Regional Technical Specialist for Digital Finance and Knowledge Management Senior Associate, the Communications and Knowledge Management Consultant will provide support to UNCDF’s communications and sharing strategy in Zambia.
Assist in developing activities that raise stakeholders’ knowledge and capacity on Digital Finance.
Result: MM4P has held results-oriented events in Zambia that receive consistent positive feedback from participants during which action items are pursued. MM4P is considered an expert and reference programme in Zambia.
Deliverables:
- Bulk Payments Workshop
- Feedback2Action Workshop,
- DFS State of the Industry Launch
- Report on Rural agents
- Briefing Note 1
- Feedback2Action Workshop
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
Masters Degree in communication, journalism, social sciences, business, or related discipline is preferable. A Bachelors Degree with significant (5 years or more) of relevant experience is mandatory.
Experience:
- At least 2 years of progressively responsible experience in communications, development or other relevant field is required at the national or international level is required;
- Experience in branding, communications, graphic design and video production, with a portfolio of communication assets gained from provious experiences is required.
- Experience in media relations, has developed a network of media contacts in previous experience and obtained media coverage on national or international level.
- Experience in overseeing document and report production, print and electronic publishing;
- Exposure to financial services industry, the donor community or the development field;
- Exposure through previous experience to technology, financial services, and/or digital financial services ;
- Fully proficient computer skills and use of relevant software and other applications, web design and/or maintenance;
Language:
Fluency in English.
Ideal but not mandatory: fluency in Zambian local languages – Nyanja and Bemba.
Timeline, duration of assignment, duty station and expected places of travel:
Timeline: 12 months
Location: Lusaka, Zambia.
Total Number of Working Days for Assignment: 264 work days.