Digital Payments Specialist

The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s 46 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.

Established by the General Assembly in 1966 and with headquarters in New York, UNCDF is an autonomous UN organization affiliated with UNDP. 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’s financing models work through two channels: savings-led financial inclusion that expands the opportunities for individuals, households, and small businesses to participate in the local economy, providing them with the tools they need to climb out of poverty and manage their financial lives; and by showing how localized investments—through fiscal decentralization, innovative municipal finance, and structured project finance—can drive public and private funding that underpins local economic expansion and sustainable development. UNCDF financing models are applied in thematic areas where addressing barriers to finance at the local level can have a transformational effect for poor and excluded people and communities.

By strengthening how finance works for poor people at the household, small enterprise, and local infrastructure levels, UNCDF contributes to SDG 1 on eradicating poverty with a focus on reaching the last mile and addressing exclusion and inequalities of access. At the same time, UNCDF deploys its capital finance mandate in line with SDG 17 on the means of implementation, to unlock public and private finance for the poor at the local level. By identifying market segments where innovative financing models can have transformational impact in helping to reach the last mile, UNCDF contributes to many different SDGs and currently to 28 of 169 targets.

The Better Than Cash Alliance

The Better Than Cash Alliance is a partnership of over 80 governments, companies and international organizations accelerate the transition from cash to digital payments to reduce poverty, drive inclusive growth and accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Billions of dollars in cash payments and transfers are made daily in emerging and developing economies, including payment of salaries, social welfare and relief, payments to suppliers, remittances, etc. The problems with these cash payments include a lack of transparency, accountability, and security, as well as inefficiency.

Furthermore, the individuals who receive the cash payments are often part of the 1.4 billion excluded from the formal financial sector. This means they are excluded from access to a range of appropriate and affordable financial services to help them save safely, take advantage of economic opportunities, and reduce their vulnerability to risk.

Shifting these payments from cash to digital has the potential to improve the lives of low-income people, particularly women - who are twice as likely to be excluded from the financial system, while giving governments, the development community, and the private sector a more transparent, time and cost efficient, and often safer means of disbursing payments. Digitizing payments can also contribute to women’s economic participation by providing them with more control over family finances, increasing personal security, and improving economic opportunities.

The Alliance Secretariat works with its 80 members to navigate their digitization journeys, by:

• Providing advisory services based on member priorities.
• Sharing action-oriented research and fostering peer learning
• Conducting advocacy at national, regional, and global level 

The Better Than Cash Alliance Secretariat Core Values:

•            Achieving together

•            Striving for excellence

•            Service oriented

•            Results oriented.

The scope of this position will provide direct daily support to the Better Than Cash Alliance. In direct daily communication with the Deputy Managing Director and Head of Asia Pacific region and fellow Alliance colleagues, the Digital Payment Specialist will add value to the Alliance’s Bangladesh work and global initiatives on Advisory Services, Advocacy and Research as required. The NPSA Contract-Holder will also provide Advisory Services on Digital Payments, co-lead and manage of Alliance Member engagement, relations, and initiative development and fulfilment, in Bangladesh, as well as Quality Assurance for Research Products and Communications, as required.

The candidate will work under the direct supervision of Head of Asia Pacific of Better Than Cash Alliance, UNCDF.

Under the director supervision of the Head of Asia Pacific region, along with Deputy Managing Director and other Regional Leads wherever relevant, the Digital Payments Specialist will be driving the execution of quality research, learning, and advisory services under the Alliance thematic and in-country work in Bangladesh.

• Leading engagement with Key Stakeholders in the Government of Bangladesh’s Smart Bangladesh Programme
• Lead engagements with senior officials and stakeholders of Smart Bangladesh programme within the Central Government Ministries, State Government, Bangladesh Bank, UN agencies and other Alliance members present in Bangladesh to proactively identify opportunities for promoting adoption of responsible digital payments.
• Convene regular consultations with key stakeholders to lead on designing and implementing Alliance’s contributions to Smart Bangladesh Programme on various thematic areas related to Digital Public Infrastructure, wages digitization, enhancing women’s financial and digital inclusion, addressing climate resilience and humanitarian relief payments, etc which align well with Alliance’s Country and Global Strategy.
• Generate innovative ideas and convert them into action-oriented initiatives in collaboration with Alliance members and partners in Bangladesh.

Advisory Services and advocacy on Responsible Digital Payments in Bangladesh

• Manage resources and implement initiatives to catalyse effective action by members, develop mechanisms to collect data and propose narrative progress report from members on achievement of their digital payment commitments.
• Building on Alliance’s earlier initiatives on wage digitization in Readymade Garment (RMG) Sector, create opportunities to share learnings and experiences to promote responsible wage digitization in other economic sectors, focusing on women and informal workers.
• In partnership with senior officials from Government and private sector members, draft opinion pieces and advocacy messages focusing on UN Principles for Responsible Digital Payments, Reaching Financial Equality for Women, Call to Action: Responsible Digital Payments to Accelerate Climate Action, etc.
• Co-create opportunities with Alliance members and partners for Alliance’s participation in national and international events, conferences, and workshops focusing on digital financial services and gender equality.

Execution of high-quality action research

• Co-lead on global and regional research related to digital payments and climate resilience. Scope and develop payments digitization initiatives in Bangladesh to leverage the benefits of responsible digital payments in increasing climate resilience and adaptation.
• Develop effective processes to manage research, information collection and analysis to monitor initiative status, initiative learning documentation and ensure all initiatives are accurately updated on Asana and other internal systems.
• Keep abreast of trends and innovation related to digital payments and undertake background research to identify frontier issues in Bangladesh and globally.
• Prepare briefing notes and background material for Alliance Secretariat’s leadership team for senior level meetings in Bangladesh.

Knowledge building and Learning

• In partnership with the communications and M&E teams, track progress of the members as learning pieces for other members and RMF.
• Lead on design and organization of Alliance members’ peer exchanges and other learning initiatives between Bangladesh and other countries.
• Proactively share learnings from Alliance's initiatives in Bangladesh with teams in other regions and units.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.