Development Finance Specialist (Open to Ethiopian Nationals Only) 61 views

Background

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UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background and Organizational Context 

Ethiopia has developed the Homegrown Economic Reform Programme (HGER), that aims to address structural issues and sustain a rapid and inclusive economic growth setting the country on a path to prosperity. The HGER call for building a resilient and diversified middle-income economy, driven by the private sector; eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; building human capabilities; creating a modern policy and institutional framework; and creating an efficient, resilient, and well-functioning financial market. The HGER will implement a forthcoming 10-Year Perspective Plan, which is based on five strategic pillars: macroeconomic stability; quality of economic growth; productivity and competitiveness; implementation capacity at all levels; and a resilient green economy. The government of Ethiopia is committed to transform the finance sector; as enabler for economic growth while aspiring to make the sector inclusive, innovative and digitalized. In this perspective, National Bank of Ethiopia is now crafting a strategy to digitalize finance.

Aligned fully with this reform and guided by the UNDP strategic offer for Africa and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), the Country Programme Document (CPD) 2020-2025 approved in June 2020 is assisting Ethiopia to overcome its structural challenges as it strives to become a democratic, peaceful and prosperous middle-income country. UNDP will support a successful transition to democratic governance, address drivers of conflict to consolidate and build peace, foster enabling conditions for expanded job creation by the private sector (especially MSMEs) and accelerate the transition to a green economy resilient to climate change.

In line with the above context and towards ensuring the implementation of the Country Program Document (CPD) for the period of 2020 – 2025, the UNDP CO has identified major focus areas in supporting structural reforms in Ethiopia. Among these areas is promoting access to innovative and inclusive finance, promotion of innovation and digitalization as well as entrepreneurship development in support of businesses (MSMEs) towards intensive job creation. These interventions are advanced by the Inclusive Economic Transformation (IET) unit, one of the three Units in the CO established following the reconfiguration exercise.  UNDP Ethiopia CO is already working with the National Bank of Ethiopia, Ethiopian Capital Markets Authority as well as the Development Bank of Ethiopia, among other institutions of government in advancing reforms in these areas. Currently, UNDP along with NBE and ECMA has co-created the innovative fiancé lab (IFL) that is expected to play a strategic and catalytic role to address the challenges of financing MSMEs and start-ups using a three-pronged approach: (a) mobilizing a catalytic capital to address the supply constraints through the Enterprise Financing Facility (EFF); (b) capacity building and project development through technical assistance facility (TAF) to harness the demand side gap; c) bridging the gap by harnessing the potential of the knowledge sharing unit (KSU) that promotes policy and regulatory reforms; and d) promote regulatory sandbox to advance testing of new instruments and do policy advocacy for market-oriented innovative and inclusive finance solution for MSMEs and the broader digital and financial ecosystems.

Position Purpose 

The incumbent will be responsible for the overall management of the UNDP programme in the area of promoting access to finance for all, innovative and cost-effective approaches including digitalization and creating an enabling environment and ecosystem specifically for the MSMEs and the overall financial market. The Programme Specialist works in close collaboration with the Country Office (CO) projects and programme staff, operations team, programme staff in other UN Agencies particularly with UNCDF, UNDP HQs staff, Sustainable Finance Hub, and Government officials, technical advisors and experts, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors and civil society to successfully implement the UNDP programme. The Programme Specialist works on a daily basis with colleagues in the UNDP CO and at the project level, necessitating that the incumbent be able to develop and maintain viable working relationships with colleagues across the organization and in government offices as well as financial institutions, and be able to work with them in a responsive client orientation and in results oriented and problem-solving manner. As part of the CO’s commitment to innovation, the incumbent will work with the Accelerator Lab team and other colleagues to explore, experiment and apply innovative approaches in the area of innovative finance including adopting protocols that are supported by evidence and best practices.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Summary of Key Functions: 

• Lead analytical work and provide high-quality technical advisory services.
• Ensure effective planning and implementation of programmes and projects to expand development finance and financial inclusion.
• Develop and sustain strategic partnerships including successful resource mobilization, focusing on achievement of the following results:
• Policy and strategic advisory services to the CO in the areas of development finance and specifically financial inclusion and access to innovative finance for MSMEs;
• Knowledge management and thought leadership in areas of development finance.

Key Duties and Accountabilities

1.) Lead analytical work and provide high-quality technical advisory services. 

• Co-designs, organizes and participates in the execution of analytical work that builds a strong knowledge base on development finance issues in Ethiopia, working closely with the in-house Policy Unit and with national and international partners, drawing on global good practice;
• Provides high-quality, expert level and evidence-based advice to government and other partners on institutional, policy, legal and regulatory issues and options for expanding the scope, scale and effectiveness of development financing and financial inclusion in Ethiopia (e.g. impact, green bonds, blended finance, microinsurance, microfinance);
• Participates in technical work related to the rollout of new and innovative financing instruments (e.g. legislation, regulatory rules, taxes and subsidies);
• Functions as the Head a.i. of the UNDP Innovative Finance Lab, playing a central technical role in its design, launch and on-going operations, including testing/prototyping of new instruments, business models, delivery systems, working closely with the UNDP Accelerator Lab.;
• Synthesizes good practices and lessons learnt that are directly relevant to policy development and programme design and implementation.

2.)  Ensure effective planning and implementation of programmes and projects to expand development finance and financial inclusion 

• Designs and formulates programmes and projects for development finance and financial inclusion ecosystem reform and development that address the areas of work outlined in the Country Programme Document (CPD); Manages, supports and coordinates timely, transparent and effective implementation of programmes and projects collaborating closely with implementing partners and responsible parties at federal and regional levels;
• Provides technical advice to Government in assuming leadership and strategic oversight of the planning, budgeting, implementation and monitoring of programmes and projects;
• Ensures programmatic collaboration and performance monitoring of ecosystem reform and development portfolio across the Country Programme, working closely with other programme staff (e.g. Policy Unit, Accelerator Lab, innovation ecosystem, ICT start-ups);
• Provides technical support and expert advice for monitoring and reviews of the UNSDCF and the Country Programme in the area of development finance and financial inclusion.