Consultancy – DPG Technical Advisory Lead with Focus on Fintech 

GENERAL CONTEXT

The Rwanda ICT Chamber is an arm of the Private Sector Federation (PSF). Established in 2011, the Rwanda ICT Chamber is the leading partner for organizations to share experiences, network, and connect with key players in the Rwandan ICT sector. At the ICT Chamber, we assist our members in collaborating with the right associations, companies, and individuals, ensuring they acquire the necessary skills, opportunities, and tools for growth. 

GENERAL SCOPE OF WORK 

1. RATIONALE 

Rwanda aims to become a high-income country by 2050, as outlined in Vision 2050, the current national development strategy. Achieving rapid structural transformation and economic growth requires the emergence of high-value-added, knowledge-based service sectors.

One such crucial sector prioritized by the Government of Rwanda (GoR) is FinTech - financial technology. FinTech is emphasized in various national strategic plans, including the ICT Hub Strategy, which envisions Rwanda as the leading ICT Hub in Africa, and the Rwanda National Payment System Strategy, which envisions a cashless and financially inclusive society.

FinTech in Rwanda intersects two strategic priorities: positioning Rwanda as a global financial center and a world-class innovation hub while ensuring financial system stability and depth to drive economic and social transformation. Therefore, FinTech is inherently a cross-cutting priority, and developing a robust FinTech solution will build upon the efforts of several GoR institutions, including the Ministry of ICT and Innovation (MINICT), Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MINECOFIN), Ministry of Trade and Industry, National Bank of Rwanda (BNR), Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency (RURA), Rwanda Information Society Authority, Kigali Innovation City (KIC), and Rwanda Finance Limited (RFL), among others, to ensure that every Rwandan adult has access to formal Financial Inclusion.

Rwanda already has a foundation for FinTech development. In 2018, BNR launched a FinTech regulatory sandbox to allow innovators to test and pilot new technologies in a secure environment. This initiative is built upon efforts to regulate mobile money aggregators and enable instantaneous inter-banking transfers. In 2019, the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) conducted a landscape assessment reviewing the regulatory environment and ecosystem capacity. Most recently, in 2020, MINICT, MINICOM, UNCDF, KIC, and the ICT Chamber launched the FinTech hub, a sector-specific virtual accelerator for FinTech startups.

2. OBJECTIVES

We are seeking a Technical Advisory Lead to support engagement with the Digital Public Goods Alliance. This consultancy will involve designing and piloting pathfinding activities in close collaboration with the Digital Public Goods Alliance Secretariat and the Government of Rwanda. The DPG (Digital Public Goods) Technical Advisory Lead will lead the design and implementation of DPG Technical Assistance locally to UNDP Country Offices, Governments, and local digital ecosystem stakeholders.

The DPG Technical Advisory Lead will assist in prioritizing and developing responsive and agile technical assistance support for countries to implement DPGs. These DPGs will be demand-driven and selected based on their potential to serve excluded communities and bridge the digital divide. Specific DPGs will be identified through a consultative process and needs assessment led by the government and supported by UNDP. 

3. RESPONSIBILITIES 

Key responsibilities include establishing the technical assistance facility to: 

Baseline Analysis and Opportunity Identification

• Lead in prioritizing DPGs for development, focusing on building blocks and use-cases that can close the digital divide and lead to inclusive digital transformation.
• Support in setting up DPG coordination groups with relevant stakeholders, with women leaders represented.
• Support the government through the Ministry of ICT and Innovation in operationalizing open data exchange platforms/portals between ministries and the private sector.
• Identify country capacity gaps in DPGs and work closely with the DPG Learning & Product Lead to create learning opportunities.
• Identify technical assistance needs for legal and policy reforms.
• Identify and support reforms in procurement policies.
• Lead evaluations of how digital systems affect the communities they serve and establish clear ways to reform the systems.
• Assist the government in developing the digital payment ecosystem, trade tech, and cashless adoption in Rwanda in collaboration with Smart Africa. 

DPG Identification & Assessment

• Lead in identifying potential DPGs through a requirement-gathering process for identified needs, including code audits for responsible technology.
• Support in shortlisting DPGs and identifying areas for customization/additional features.
• Leverage the DPGA registry and key initiatives like GovStack.
• Support in assessing if DPG is the right choice.
• Support in developing the scope of work, incorporating DPG standards and responsible principles of safeguards in system design and architecture.

DPG Implementation, Adoption, and Support

• Lead in local vendor engagement and local capacity development for start-ups.
• Identify the budget and financing plan.
• Document key lessons from implementation.
• Manage and lead support to countries in DPG contributions to global registries. 

Country Requirement

• Throughout the assignment, the consultant will be expected to conduct activities, including but not limited to the following:
• Develop a framework and guidelines for creating an enabling environment for FinTech, including appropriate legislation, regulation, institutions, and policies suitable for the Rwandan context that allow rapid innovation while maintaining system stability and protections.
• Develop a framework for Innovation facilitation to support Rwanda's vision as an innovation hub encouraging new ideas, business models, and innovations.
• Develop a framework for capacity building, talent upskilling, and talent sourcing/attracting within academia and the public and private sectors to advance financial innovations and services.
• Lead the digitization of Government payments, starting with the G2P payment use case.
• Engage in any other activities related to the development of FinTech, digital payments, and e-commerce solutions.

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS 

Required skills

Technical:

• Demonstrated experience implementing digital projects and technical assistance in emerging markets, especially on digital public goods.
• Demonstrated experience designing technical assistance support for diverse stakeholders, especially governments.
• Proficiency in required technical areas, including open-source license types, documentation, and community management.
• Experience in leading teams and resources to deliver guidance, technical support, and mentorship to individuals, teams, start-ups, or other groups on complex challenges.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with excellent technical communication with peers and non-technical stakeholders.
• Understanding of different contexts and experience working in developing countries.
• Ability to synthesize technical information and translate it into accessible products and systems.
• Knowledge of international development and key challenges affecting marginalized and vulnerable people in developing countries. 

Core behavioral:

• Self-motivated, capable of working and thriving in a dynamic fast-paced environment with a highly-distributed team.
• Strong intrapreneur/entrepreneur spirit; enjoys building new initiatives with a high degree of uncertainty and iteration.
• Effective interactive communication.
• Client service and people-oriented.
• Relationship/community building.
• Teamwork and cooperation.
• Handles confidential and politically sensitive issues with maturity. 

Min. Education requirements 

• An advanced university degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or other relevant areas.
• A bachelor's degree in the above fields, combined with four additional years of qualifying experience, may be accepted in lieu of a master's degree or equivalent. 

Min. years of relevant work experience and expertise required 

• Minimum of 7 years (with a master's degree) or 9 years (with a bachelor's degree) of relevant experience in the financial technologies industry, with at least 5 years in top positions related to fintech regulation and policy, digital financial services, financial innovation/technology, and technology policy development.
• Demonstrable experience in FinTech issues in Sub-Saharan Africa, ideally working with policymaking, regulatory, and innovation institutions, including central banks and innovation agencies. Prior relevant experience in Rwanda is an advantage.
• Knowledge of the FinTech landscape and financial technological solutions for regulatory and supervisory technology (e.g., FinTech and RegTech applications) and their linkages to deepen financial inclusion.
• A sophisticated understanding of and experience analyzing regulatory oversight and supervision issues around financial technology.
• Experience supporting regulators and governments in designing and piloting effective policies and programs that facilitate innovation in financial services.
• Demonstrated experience in developing and negotiating partnership and entrepreneurial strategies.
• Experience in coordinating and monitoring complex projects, product development, business growth, and using ROI metrics.
• Experience in working with and coordinating diverse groups of stakeholders.
• Knowledge of open licensing and digital public goods.
• Some knowledge of technology for development or experience working in a relevant work or volunteer experience related to open-source initiatives will be considered an advantage.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergencies is considered an asset.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish) or a local language (Kinyarwanda) is an asset.

This organization is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes candidates from diverse backgrounds. 

Compensation and Benefits:

Compensation and benefits will be competitive and commensurate with experience.