Consultant on the Financial Inclusion of Micro-Entrepreneurs

Client of United Nation careers

The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Cluster Leader of the 2030 Agenda and SDG Coordination Cluster and/or delegated staff. Coordination and follow-up with the consultant will be done through e-mails, phone calls and virtual meetings. The consultant will be required to provide updates on progress and submit phased deliverables, as per the agreed timeline. The main activities under this consultancy are detailed below.

1. The consultant will support ESCWA in assessing key barriers to financial inclusion amongst micro-entrepreneurs in Jordan. To achieve this, the consultant will undertake the following activities:

1.a. Design and develop a structured questionnaire aimed at uncovering the main barriers to financial inclusion facing micro-entrepreneurs. The questionnaire will target a sample of workers as respondents. The consultant will ensure that the questionnaire: - is complemented with background research to justify the rationale behind question selection and design, - builds on selected FII indicators as an overarching reference framework, - in addition to questions on access and usage of financial services, integrates a behavioural science approach to capture: attitudes and perceptions toward financial services and products, usage patterns of financial products and services, trust in financial institutions, and financial literacy, - enables disaggregation of data by gender, region, socioeconomic status, education level, and age, The consultant will collaborate with ESCWA to validate the questionnaire and incorporate additional disaggregation factors, as needed.

1.b. The consultant will lead administering the survey with support from ESCWA using its existing databases and stakeholder lists. The consultant will: - take action to maximize the response rate; - conduct an analysis of the data, including visualizations and insights; - utilize this pilot run to assess the reliability and validity of the questionnaire and identify any methodological challenges.

1.c. Develop a report summarizing key findings from the pilot survey. The report will also include recommendations for revising the questionnaire and its methodological approach.

2. The consultant will support the organization of a national multistakeholder consultation in Jordan focused on financial inclusion of micro-entrepreneurs, and potentially MSMEs in general. The consultation will serve as a platform to gather stakeholder insights, identify priorities, and define actionable measures. The consultant will undertake the following activities:

2.a. Support the overall design of the consultation and provide substantive input to the agenda. The consultant will participate in the consultation to facilitate discussions, deliver presentations, and/or moderate sessions.

2.b. Contribute to identifying stakeholders particularly institutions representing micro-entrepreneurs (e.g., cooperatives, associations, business support institutions etc.), financial institutions (e.g., banks, microfinance providers, foundations), and private sector actors such as fintech companies.

2.c. Provide input/insights to a report summarizing the outcomes of the consultation including key discussion points, identified gaps and priorities, opportunities for collaboration and follow-up.

3. Develop an action plan to guide Jordan s efforts in enhancing financial inclusion of micro-entrepreneurs. This strategic document will synthesize findings from the pilot survey and national consultation, identify persistent gaps particularly behavioural in access and usage of financial products and services, and highlight opportunities for policy reform as well as targeted interventions by different stakeholders, with clear linkages to the FII.

4. The consultant will develop a roadmap for scaling and replication in other countries. Replication will involve identifying potential financial inclusion initiatives that can be adapted and implemented in other Member States. This process will also highlight common barriers and opportunities faced by underserved groups across different contexts. Scaling will focus on expanding to the regional level, paving the way for the development of a regional framework for financial inclusion.