Duties and Responsibilities
Background: Financial inclusion is a critical enabler of inclusive economic growth and social development. Access to and use of financial products and services empower vulnerable populations, foster entrepreneurship, alleviate poverty and inequality, and promote sustainable development. The Arab region continues to face significant challenges in financial inclusion, remaining underserved by formal financial institutions compared to other regions globally. According to the ESCWA Financial Inclusiveness Index (FII), the Arab region ranks second to last globally, outperforming only sub-Saharan Africa. In 2024, 197 million people – 61% of adults across the 22 Arab countries – were financially excluded, far exceeding the global average of 21%. This exclusion disproportionately affects vulnerable populations while also presenting substantial challenges to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). The region also exhibits the highest financial exclusion of women globally, with 68% of women lacking access to a bank account or mobile money service, compared to 23% globally. Jordan has demonstrated strong commitment to advancing financial inclusion, particularly through the launch of its second National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) for 2023–2028, which builds on the achievements of the 2018–2020 strategy. Aligned with Jordan’s Economic Modernization Vision and the SDGs, the NFIS prioritizes access to financial services for underserved groups including women, youth, refugees, MSME and the bottom 40 per cent. The number of adults in Jordan with a transaction account ownership increased over a ten-year period from 25 per cent in 2014 to 46 per cent in 2024 – according to the World Bank Findex database. Against this backdrop, ESCWA is implementing a project to accelerate progress toward the financial inclusion of underserved groups across Arab countries. The project aims to provide targeted advice to policymakers on actionable measures for advancing the financial inclusion of underserved groups. It promotes stronger stakeholder engagement by advocating for the meaningful participation of both demand- and supply-side representatives in policy processes, advancing the “leave no one behind” and “whole-of-society” principles of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Accordingly, ESCWA is seeking to hire the services of a consultant to provide strategic advice and technical support to accelerate the financial inclusion of underserved groups in Jordan, focusing on micro-entrepreneurs, within the wider context of MSMEs. The consultancy is also expected to synthesize lessons learned and develop scalable, replicable approaches and actions to inform financial inclusion initiatives across different underserved groups and other ESCWA Member States. Duties and responsibilities: 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.
Qualifications/special skills
A Master's degree in economics, finance, international development, behavioral science, or a related area is required. All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. A minimum of 10 years of professional work experience in financial inclusion, development research, or policy analysis are required. Proven experience in designing and implementing surveys and questionnaires is required. Demonstrated experience in organizing and facilitating multistakeholder consultations, workshops, or policy dialogues is required. Knowledge and experience in behavioral science is desirable. Experience in data analytics or a related area is desirable. A focus on underserved sectors or populations is preferable. Familiarity with MSMEs and micro-entrepreneurs in the Arab region, particularly Jordan, is desirable.
