Job Summary

Ethiopia has been going through multiple, overlapping and recurring shocks since the onset of COVID- 19 followed by conflict, climate-related disasters, internal displacement, refugee influx, and economic and fiscal deterioration – all of which have had, and continue to have, negative impacts on the most vulnerable households and children. Social Protection, both through the Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP) and through Humanitarian Cash Transfers (HCT) – both government-led and supported by UNICEF and other development partners – has been a major response to the crises experienced in Ethiopia since 2020.

Acknowledging the multifaceted barriers families and children face, UNICEF Ethiopia is determined to not only advocate for their rights but also to enhance their inclusion across all societal dimensions and support them to build resilience. To this end, the Social Policy section is set to enlist the expertise of an international consultant.

The consultant is anticipated to support overview of contracts with financial service providers to design and deliver financial inclusion services, including linkage of cash transfer and other program beneficiaries to uncollateralized microloans through a revolving fund for livelihood support/restoration and resilience-building.

Scope of Work:

Through the Government of Ethiopia, including federal, regional and community levels of administration, UNICEF has implemented humanitarian cash transfers over the past four years in response to the multiple and overlapping shocks experienced. With the view and overarching need to sustain the social protection gains, a move towards innovative financing, economic inclusion, and economic empowerment becomes a major thrust. This involves adapting the ongoing humanitarian cash response to focus on life-saving and traditional cash+ linkages, economic inclusion and individual (and household) economic empowerment. The large-scale humanitarian cash programs continue to be a major intervention to support those most in need. However, the ‘sustainability’ of large-scale cash programming in the current environment, and essentially, the need to leverage the development system to adapt the humanitarian approach, and also, the reverse to adapt the humanitarian response to strengthen a livelihood and individual empowerment-focused social protection approach is needed.

The humanitarian-development-peace nexus, and the drive for durable, localized and flexible solutions, and against the background of extensive consultations with multiple partners and stakeholders (including federal and regional government, shock-affected communities, donors, civil society partners, private sector), has led to a re-think of the existing social protection approach, especially the need to move to greater economic inclusion of affected populations and more innovative means to promote the sustainability of social protection in emergencies. The approach is predicated on economic inclusion interventions intentionally built within the humanitarian and development cash support pipeline and as a nexus towards lifting beneficiaries out of poverty and supporting their resilience-building. The lack of this crucial support to the household predisposes them to eventual negative effects during emergencies and humanitarian situations. Hence the case for more durable, long-term social protection and linkages support that includes facilitating livelihoods, skilling, entrepreneurship, and overall economic inclusion

To be able to implement the above efficiently and effectively and have the programmatic flexibility in ways that create win-win solutions between vulnerable/affected populations, private banks, the federal and regional governments, and UNICEF, UNICEF Ethiopia Country Office has established a direct programmatic engagement with private banks across different regions of the country. Following the establishment of LTAs with assessed and vetted financial service providers (FSPs), UNICEF will be working with the FSPs to develop revolving/loanable funds with support from other stakeholders, including regional bureaus of women and social affairs as needed. These funds will in turn be made available for the most vulnerable households, including IDPs and refugees, as uncollateralized microloans with favorable payment conditions to facilitate their access to financing to kick-start livelihood activities that help them build resilience against ongoing and future shocks.

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks/Milestone:

• Support the implementation of financial inclusion interventions and improve access of financial products to vulnerable populations across different regions in Ethiopia
• Conduct feasibility, performance and risk assessments of the financial/banking sector
• Support the development and operationalization of revolving funds amongst FSP that hold LTAs with UNICEF
• Support, manage and enhance the potential financial offerings that are agreed upon for financial inclusion and access interventions
• Strengthen partnership, institutional linkages, and working relationships with FSPs
• Provide regular and strategic reporting to UNICEF on all above activities

Deliverables/Outputs:

• 4 quarterly reports on the review of available and potential loan/financing products (20 Days)
• 2 reports submitted bi-annually on the financial/banking sector (10 Days)
• 12 monthly performance reports on the revolving funds (30 Days)
• 1 report on mapping and strategic options (5 Days)
• 2 reports submitted bi-annually as progress and final reports (10 Days)
• Inception, progress and close-out (6 reports) – (30 Days)

Duty Station: Addis Ababa. The assignment will mostly be remote with some travel to the duty station

Notice for consultancy advert:-

Please note that applications submitted without a fee rate will not be considered.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Economics, finance/financial markets, banking, public policy, business administration, or any other relevant social science field.
• A minimum of 7 [Seven] years of relevant professional experience at the international level in banking, engagement with financial service providers in the development context, payment mechanisms for social protection or related fields. Work experience and knowledge of the Humanitarian Cash Transfer programing, youth employment, and resilience-building is an asset.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the legal and regulatory frameworks for governance around financial services, preferably in Ethiopia.
• Strong capacity to work effectively with external government and non-governmental partners and stakeholders.
• Experience in the UN system and knowledge of UNICEF’s work is highly desired
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of: 

• Care
• Respect
• Integrity
• Trust
• Accountability
• Sustainability

Core Competencies:

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
• Works Collaboratively with others (1)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
• Drives to achieve impactful results (1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)
• Innovates and embraces changes (1)