Consultant on Financial Inclusion in the Handicraft Sector in Egypt

Result of ServiceThe objective of this consultancy is to provide strategic advice and technical support to accelerate the financial inclusion of underserved groups in Egypt, focusing on the handicraft sector. 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. Work LocationRemotely Expected duration3 months Duties and ResponsibilitiesBackground: 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. Egypt has made significant strides in expanding access to financial services since prioritizing financial inclusion in Egypt Vision 2030 and the National Strategy for the Empowerment of Egyptian Women 2030, alongside the adoption of a national financial inclusion strategy in 2022. These policy frameworks laid the groundwork for targeted initiatives and reforms aimed at overcoming systemic barriers to financial inclusion. As a result, the number of adults with a transaction account – including bank accounts, Egypt Post accounts, mobile wallets and prepaid cards – has nearly tripled, rising from 17.1 million in 2016 to 52 million in December 2024. 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. Duties and Responsibilities: The initial phase of the project will be implemented in Egypt as a pilot country. This initial phase will essentially include a scoping study and a national multistakeholder consultation. National activities are intended to help synthesize lessons learned and develop scalable, replicable approaches and actions to inform financial inclusion initiatives across different underserved groups and other ESCWA Member States. Accordingly, ESCWA is seeking to hire the services of a consultant to work under the direct supervision of the Cluster Leader of the 2030 Agenda and SDG Coordination Cluster and/or delegated staff to undertake the main activities detailed below: 1. The consultant will support ESCWA in assessing key barriers to financial inclusion within the handicraft sector in Egypt. 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 in the handicraft sector. The questionnaire will target a sample of workers in the handicraft sector as respondents. The consultant will ensure that the questionnaire: - is complemented with background research to justify the rational 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. ESCWA will run a pilot survey using its existing databases and stakeholder lists and will provide the consultant with captured primary data. The consultant will: - support this pilot run to improve the response rate, as needed; - 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 Egypt focused on financial inclusion within the handicraft sector. 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 and securing their participation in the consultation, particularly institutions representing the handicraft sector (e.g., cooperatives, artisans, associations, 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 Egypt’s efforts in enhancing financial inclusion within the handicraft sector. 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. 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 timeline agreed upon with ESCWA. Qualifications/special skillsA post-graduate university degree in economics, finance, international development, behavioral science, public policies, or a related field is required. All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. At least 10 years of professional work experience in financial inclusion, development research, or policy analysis is required. Proven experience in designing and implementing surveys and questionnaires is required. Demonstrated experience in organizing and facilitating multi stakeholder consultations, workshops, or policy dialogues is required. A focus on underserved sectors or populations is desirable. Familiarity with the handicraft sector and/or MSMEs in the Arab region, particularly Egypt, is desirable. Experience in data analytics or a related area is desirable. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat; and Arabic is a working language of ESCWA. For this consultancy, fluency in English and Arabic is required. Note: “Fluency” equals a rating of ‘fluent’ in all four areas (speak, read, write, and understand) and “Knowledge of” equals a rating of ‘confident’ in two of the four areas. Additional InformationNot available. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.