Candidate Brief. Senior Advisor Financial Inclusion and Technology

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Pierce Gibson
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1 Candidate Brief Senior Advisor Financial Inclusion and Technology November

2 Dear Candidate, Thank you for the interest you have shown in our position. The Women s Economic Empowerment Senior advisor Financial Inclusion and Technology is one of a team of advisors and programme officers in the Women s Economic Empowerment Team. The Advisor will work on the development and delivery our global Financial Inclusion portfolio, while contributing to the broader financial inclusion strategy specifically around the technology portfolio. We are recruiting an experienced Senior Financial Inclusion Advisor who can provide leadership on high profile grants being implemented in Uganda and Kenya. Our program is based on the hypothesis that informal savings groups, such as VSLA, not only provide valuable financial services to the ultra poor, but can also provide an opportunity for formal financial inclusion. Pilot initiatives linking VSLA with Financial Service Providers (FSPs) resulted in both increased financial access for VSLA participants as well as high repayment rates for the banks. Our strategy for financial inclusion is to look at VSLAs as the foundation to move excluded individuals into the financial system. The projects managed by the incumbent will give us the opportunity to refine our financial inclusion model and to test it at scale with partners. These partnerships will include critical learning that will be shared with the broader industry through the development and dissemination of a business case for financial institutions linking to VSLA groups and their members. This position will dedicate 25% of it s time to leading the development and implementation of a technology strategy and supporting systems for CARE s financial inclusion programming. CARE is increasingly engaging with cutting edge technolgies in order to deliver our programming priorities. The strategy will be implemented globally with strong coordination with the country offices. The incumbant will be required to show leadership in engaging with private sector technology partners and developing innovative platforms and solutions. If you feel you have the skills and experience to become a Senior Advisor at CARE, we welcome an application from you. Lauren Hendricks Executive Director Financial Inclusion Women s Economic Empowerment 2

3 Background Information CARE is one of the world s leading humanitarian and development organisations. Founded nearly 70 years ago with the CARE package, CARE now fights poverty and injustice in 84 countries and has built up a strong reputation for innovation and impact. CARE s programmes focus on achieving lasting change by tackling the underlying causes of poverty and strengthening the capacities of poor communities to help themselves. In everything we do, CARE places special focus on gender issues and working alongside poor women and girls because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty. Women are a vital part of CARE s community-based efforts to improve food and nutrition security; protect life and resilience in humanitarian crisis; increase access to quality healthcare and education and expand economic opportunity for all. CARE helps poor people have a greater say about the decisions and policies that affect their lives, supporting them with information and skills so they can challenge decision-makers. CARE s advocacy efforts also bring evidence from our programmes of what works to change policy and practice at both a local and global scale. CARE is a non-sectarian and nonpartisan organisation. 3

4 About the CARE Confederation CARE International operates in 84 countries, but is held together by 13 national members. These national agencies are separate legal entities but operate through one presence in each country and work together under the CARE International Board and Secretariat, based in Geneva. They are bound together by the CARE code. Globally CARE employs 8,000 staff, with over 95% of them locally sourced and has an annual income of $800m. CARE has just agreed a new global Program Strategy which will govern all of our work and which will mean that by 2020, CARE and our partners will support 150 million people from the most vulnerable and excluded communities to overcome poverty and social injustice. About CARE International UK CARE International UK is an important part of the global CARE International confederation and one of the largest and most influential members. We employ 115 staff and generate around 45 million a year for CARE s poverty-fighting work. As well as raising money for CARE s humanitarian and development work around the world, we provide programme expertise in four key areas: Humanitarian response With a long-term presence in many of the world s most vulnerable places, we take a comprehensive approach to emergency response including preparedness, immediate assistance and long-term recovery. We have a particular focus on women and girls; shelter in emergencies, and building resilience through our climate change adaptation and food security work. Women s Economic Empowerment We are working with poor women to give them access to economic resources through programmes on financial inclusion, supply chains and workers rights. The private sector has a critical role to play in reducing poverty and supporting women s economic empowerment. We take an innovative approach to engage with the private sector at global, national and local levels to improve the impact of their activities so that real opportunities are created for poor people. CIUK has also launched Lendwithcare a new solution for financial inclusion which offers the chance for people in the UK to make small loans to poor entrepreneurs. 4

Preventing and responding to sexual violence in conflict In an increasingly turbulent world, we provide expertise and support to our field operations in countries experiencing conflict, by supporting

5 Preventing and responding to sexual violence in conflict In an increasingly turbulent world, we provide expertise and support to our field operations in countries experiencing conflict, by supporting programmes spanning peace-building, reconciliation and rehabilitation. Protecting women from violence and increasing their participation in peace-building is a major advocacy priority. Governance The capacity of poor people to influence the institutions that govern their lives is fundamental to addressing the underlying causes of poverty. We work at a local level to help the most vulnerable and marginalised hold public authorities and other power holders to account for how they take decisions and allocate public funds. Within the CARE confederation, we have five strategic roles. We: 1. Design and deliver quality programmes that address the underlying causes of poverty and specifically examine and address the disproportionate impact of poverty on women and girls. 2. Advocate for policies to help the poorest, and change government and business practices to bring about lasting social change among communities living in poverty and affected by crises. 3. Raise strategic and transformational funding for CARE s poverty-fighting programmes in the world s poorest and most vulnerable communities. 4. Support CARE International s global transformation to achieve broader and deeper impact in our fight against poverty by providing strategic direction, resource and expertise. 5. Value our staff and strengthen our organisational effectiveness and accountability. 5

6 Background to the job/the team CARE International (CI) is one of the world s leading multi-mandate aid agencies, fighting poverty and injustice in over 80 countries around the world and helping 65 million people each year to find routes out of poverty, with a specific focus on the empowerment of women and girls. CARE Internationals work is guided by its Global Programme Strategy -with Women s Economic Empowerment as a key Programme Goal with CARE International UK (CIUK) is now responsible for leading the development of a global platform. The Women s Economic Empowerment programme is seeking to address the exclusion and marginalisation of women from economic processes and systems which contribute to their exploitation and their vulnerability, and which prevents them from participating fully in all aspects of life. The team is recognised across INGOs, Global Institutional donors including DFID and The Gates Foundation, Corporates and policy arenas as providing leadership in developing and delivering innovative pro-poor models for Women s Economic Empowerment. Placing women s economic empowerment at the heart of our work we have three core thematic areas of focus; value chain development, financial inclusion and dignified work. Our team works to improve practice by providing technical support and expert advice to country office teams, by supporting, designing, and testing innovative programming, supporting, demonstrating impact, and enhancing and sharing critical thinking and across the CARE confederation and contributing to research, publications & public debate. The Women s Economic Empowerment Senior advisor Financial Inclusion and Technology is one of a team of advisors and programme officers in the Women s Economic Empowerment Team. The Advisor will work on the development and delivery our global Financial Inclusion portfolio, while contributing to the broader financial inclusion strategy specifically around the technology portfolio. CARE is recruiting an experienced Senior Financial Inclusion Advisor who can provide leadership on high profile grants being implemented in Uganda and Kenya. CARE s program is based on the hypothesis that informal savings groups, such as VSLA, not only provide valuable financial services to the ultra poor, but can also provide an opportunity for formal financial inclusion. Pilot initiatives linking VSLA with Financial Service Providers (FSPs) resulted in both increased financial access for VSLA participants as well as high repayment rates for the banks. CARE s strategy for financial inclusion is to look at VSLAs as the foundation to move excluded individuals into the financial system. The projects managed by the incumbent will 6

7 give CARE the opportunity to refine our financial inclusion model and to test it at scale with partners. These partnerships will include critical learning that will be shared with the broader industry through the development and dissemination of a business case for financial institutions linking to VSLA groups and their members. This position will dedicate 25% of it s time to leading the development and implementation of a technology strategy and supporting systems for CARE s financial inclusion programming. CARE is increasingly engaging with cutting edge technolgies in order to deliver our programming priorities. The strategy will be implemented globally with strong coordination with the country offices. The incumbant will be required to show leadership in engaging with private sector technology partners and developing innovative platforms and solutions. The Advisor will provide high quality technical advice and programme design support across a range of institutional contexts, including direct assistance to country office teams as well as to corporate partners. The Advisor will work predominantly with Country Offices globally, working collaboratively with other teams as well as managing major initiatives with supervision. The Advisor will ensure consistently high programme quality, help measure impact and foster learning across CARE and with our external partners. The Advisor will also actively contribute to strengthening CARE s conceptual thinking and approach to Financial Inclusion and Women s Economic Empowerment Key policy and advocacy positions for the organisation will be informed by this role through engagement with Advocacy Teams across CARE International. This will involve some external representation, engaging with decision makers and peers to influence practice, promote CARE s work, and develop new partnerships. Organogram Executive Director - Financial Inclusion Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist Contracts & Finance Officer Advisor - Financial Inclusion (Asia) Senior Advisor - Financial Inclusion (LInk Up) Senior Advisor - Financial Inclusion & Technology Senior Advisor - Financial Inclusion (Knowledge Management and Learning Senior Advisor - Financial Inclusion (Banking on Change) 7

8 Job Description 1. Overview Post Title: Department: Responsible to: Accountable to: Senior Advisor Financial Inclusion and Technology Women s Economic Empowerment Team Programme & Policy Department Executive Director - Financial Inclusion Director Women s Economic Empowerment Base Location: London with international travel (up to 30%) CARE International UK reserves the right in consultation with employees to change base location according to organisational and departmental requirements. Line Management Responsibility: No staff report to this post. The Advisor may at times be responsible for supervising volunteers, consultants, and colleagues on specific pieces of work. Budgetary Responsibility: The Advisor will have some budgetary responsibility and will be responsible for making a contribution to team fundraising targets. External Contacts Internal Contacts Institutional donors and including senior policy-makers Multinational corporations Counterparts in other NGOs Representatives of universities and research institutes For-profit and not-for-profit consultancies and companies Relevant networks Women s Economic Empowerment team Private Sector Engagement team Other global priority areas Fundraising teams across CARE Advocacy teams across CARE Programme Management Team across CARE Assistant Country Directors and Programme staff of relevant CARE International country offices Counterparts from other CARE International members Relevant Communications colleagues The above list is provided for guidance only and is not an exhaustive list of all the contacts with whom the post-holder may be required to liaise. 8

9 2. Background Programme Quality and Impact Actively Contribute to strategic thinking and development of Financial inclusion Strategy and its role with the delivery of CARE s Women s Economic Empowerment Strategic Goal Support the development of technical resources, materials and knowledge products to improve practice around value chain development and its interlinkage with financial inclusion, entrepreneurship and dignified work. Provide high quality technical advice and capacity building across a range of institutional contexts, including direct assistance to country offices and private sector partners Collaborate across team functions to promote CARE s approach of fostering gender equality, inclusive governance and resilience within the financial inclusion work Provide strategic, operational and management oversight and leadership to the implementation of project which the incumbernt manages Lead the planning and implementation of project activities, overseeing all aspects (programmatic, financial, administrative, personnel). This includes, but is not limited to, overseeing the preparation of the annual workplans, identifying external technical support needs, ensuring that appropriate management practices are being used in project implementation and the monitoring and evaluation systems are being used to provide timely management information. Ensure that all project interventions are of a high quality and lead to measurable impact. Ensure that all project resources are being used efficiently, effectively and transparently towards meeting project objectives. Organize project implementation/review meetings with project staff to follow-up on project progress, recommend and implement/oversee corrective measures as required, to address problem areas. Undertake monitoring visits. Lead and participate in the development of the project s learning and research strategy. Ensure its timely implementation. Participate in the dissemination of results, learning and knowledge products (see Representation). Prepare high-quality quarterly narrative reports. Ensure the timely submission of quarterly financial and narrative reports. Communicate with the donor as necessary on project implementation Technology Strategy Develop a technology strategy in coordination with all Financial Inclusion Advisors to understand the needs and opportunities across programs. Engage private sector partners who can help to achieve the strategy Provide support and technical leadership to colleagues who are leading projects with technology components 9

10 Engage colleagues and partners in blue-sky thinking to come up with new and innovative solutions Linkages The STA is responsible for the technical leadership on the linkage component of the projects, facilitating linkages between VSLA groups and financial service providers (FSPs). Guide the identification and selection of FSP partners. Develop and maintain the relationship with financial institution partners. Lead on the planning of linkage components with country office staff and FSP partners. Provide direction and capacity building to country office staff implementing linkage components of the project. Portfolio Growth, oversight and delivery Responsible for portfolio development and oversight New Funds and Resources Support in attracting and identifying significant resources in line with fundraising targets, including working with the programme funding and private sector engagement teams to identify new opportunities for the value chain portfolio Meet cost recovery targets for technical assistance to donors, foundations and companies in association with country offices and CIUK s fundraising team Enhance the confederation s commitment to raise awareness about CARE s work in Women s Economic Empowerment Multiplying Impact With programme, policy and advocacy colleagues proactively contribute to/lead on efforts to multiply CARE s impact around women and markets through scale up, replication, policy change Drive learning and knowledge management by authoring, commissioning and contributing to publications, policy documents, and other resource materials for internal and external audiences Stay abreast of current debate and practice related to economic empowerment and private sector development, in particular value chain development (from local to global). Represent CARE externally Report against global indicators Participate in public fora and networks to raise awareness of our financial inclusion work, particularly in Asia. Liaise with key donors to keep them abreast of the progress on the project implementation. 1. Any additional duties as may be reasonably required by a senior manager within the scope of the above. 10

11 2. This document forms part of the post holder s contractual terms and conditions of employment. 3. The document is not an exhaustive list of core elements of the role. This job description is a working document and may be amended from time to time by mutual agreement. 11

12 Person specification Essential Education & MA in development or related subject, or Qualifications MBA, or equivalent expertise. Skills & In-depth understanding of key concepts in Expertise Financial inclusion and experience in applying these to development programmes. Knowledge of key technology approaches to financial inclusion. Knowledge of how companies operate and both the challenges and opportunities of engaging them in development. Ability to support and advise non-specialist colleagues, communicate complex ideas clearly, and facilitate learning and reflection activities. Ability to summarise and synthesise learning into plain English and produce high quality publications Strong negotiation, influencing and networking skills. Problem Solving Strong project management and budgeting skills. Understanding of principles of participation, gender equity and women s empowerment. Skills in numeracy, budget management, and basic statistical analysis. Experience Experience in advising on and implementing development programmes involving private sector, financial inclusion or economic development Experience managing major development initiatives, including budget management experience Experience representing an organisation in public spaces Experience designing and leading research initiatives, monitoring and evaluating projects/programmes, and demonstrating impact Experience working with colleagues from different cultures. Other Capacity to relate effectively to a variety of audiences. Desirable Statistical skills Knowledge and awareness of development approaches that promote gender equality and women s economic empowerment Knowledge of key macro and micro economic approaches Experience implementing development programmes in Asia. Experience of working on hybrid and complex partnership with a range of stakeholders Experience working in the private sector. 12

13 Takes responsibility for problem solving and delivering quality results. Keeps others informed. Aware of others' work priorities Willingness to undertake overseas travel 13

14 Application Process To apply please send your completed application form via to quoting C734, in the subject line or Via post to Human Resources Department, CARE International UK, 9 th floor, 89 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TP. Closing date: 10am Monday 23 rd November 2015 Interview date: week commencing 7 th December 2015 For further information please visit Facebook 14

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