MINISTRY OF GENDER, YOUTH, SPORTS, ARTS, CULTURE AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
PATHWAYS TO SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS PROJECT (PSLP)
ADVERT FOR DIGITAL PAYMENTS COORDINATOR
1. Background Information
The Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho through the Ministry of Gender, Youth, Sports, Culture and Social Development (MoGYSC&SD) has secured credit from the World Bank in the amount equivalent to US$26.5 million toward implementation of Pathways to Sustainable Livelihoods Project (PSLP) for a five (5) year period up to 2027. The Ministry intends to use part of the proceeds of this credit for an individual consultant to act as a Digital Payments Coordinator. The consultant shall support the implementation of component 3 of the Project.
2. Background of the Assignment
Digital payment scale-up component of the PSLP.The objective of the PSLP related to digital payment roll out is to expand the share of social assistance transfers from the CGP, PA and OAP – that are made through efficient and secure digital payments from the current small CGP pilot to 60% for each program in the next 2 years. To reach the objective of 60% digital payments, work is needed to strengthen the payment management and information systems (MISSA and GOLSABS), communication and awareness raising with beneficiaries, and building strong relationships and networks with payment service providers.
Over the next 2 years the following activities will be carried out by the ministry under the PSLP project: a) updating and building out the digital payment features of the MISSA and GOLSABS MIS systems and constructing the modules necessary in a payment gateway to allow integrated program management (ISSN process); b) sensitizing, enrolling and onboarding more beneficiaries of the CGP, PA and OAP programs to the payment provider chosen; c) contracting and working closely with Vodacom, Econet and other payment providers to establish their roles and responsibilities, link them to the payment gateway and pilot payments; d) revise MGYSACSD business processes and manuals, train and reorganize staff duties and reporting arrangements to support the new digital payment modalities. The activities would be financed through the PSLP project, and as needed, possibly also through funding from the EU/UNICEF (TBD).
The digital project activities are carried out by a team inside and outside MGYSACSD, namely:
• Inside MGYSACSD: IT team, payments team, business teams of CGP, PA and OAP programs, finance department, communications officers, auxiliary social workers, district officers, and MGYSCASD management.
• Outside MGYSACSD: PSPs, vendors, WB technical expert consultants, other expert consultants.
To oversee all digital payments activities described above under component 3 of the PSLP, as well as to ensure coordination among all teams working in this area, the Project needs to hire a Digital Payments Coordinator (consultant) who will be responsible for all planning, implementation coordination, monitoring and reporting functions for the digital payment scale up activities under the PSLP. The digital payment activities under the PSLP will also be supported by international payments system experts, recruited by the World Bank who will provide guidance and global solutions and help set up a project implementation plan.
3. Roles and Responsibilities of the Digital Payments Coordinator
To coordinate and lead the implementation of the roll-out of the digital payment’s activities. His/her responsibility is to lead the various MGYSACSD team members and other consultants to achieve the PSLP project’s objective to transition 60% of the beneficiaries of CGP, PA, and OAP to efficient and secure digital payments in 18 months. In this sense, the Digital Payments Coordinator Serve as a rapid-results digital payment roll-out project manager.
Specific Objectives and deliverables
The Digital Payments Coordinator will be in charge of a number of activities which have to be undertaken and coordinated jointly over time to contribute to the overall objective and annual milestones.
a. Drive and oversee the implementation of the overall digital payment roll-out project for the PSLP towards its expected results:
- Develop with MGYSACSD a detailed implementation schedule including quarterly milestones and activities for a project implementation period of 18 months for the CGP, PA and OAP program digitization process;
- Oversee and report on the timely execution of the digital payment roll-out project activities undertaken by consultants, vendors, and MGYSACSD own staff according to the agreed schedule;
- Manage for results: report on milestones, results, and achievements of the digital payments roll-out project;
- Guide team members and facilitate meetings and information sharing across the digital payment roll-out project larger team;
- Ensure day-to-day administrative, operations and financial activities are carried out in a smooth manner to support PSP technical delivery;
- Serve as liaison between the WB technical payments consultants and the social assistance programs implementers at the MGYSACSD;
- Organize and attend meetings of the Working Group/Technical Committee as needed and support the work of any Ministry-specific working groups that may be created;
- Contribute to discussions with stakeholders, building client capacity among key staff and organize working groups, defining the work plan details;
- Contribute to long-term implementation efforts of the MGYSACSD digital payments strategy implementation plan that involves the participation of identified stakeholders;
- Coordinate capacity building of digital payments implementation team and other stakeholders in order to ensure long-term sustainability of the project outcomes.
b. Ensure digital information systems necessary for digital payments are improved to securely administer digital payments processes:
- Assist in identifying system level constraints (MISSA, GOLSABS, administrative systems, procurement, financial management etc.) to digital payments of social grants and identify solutions;
- Coordinate between WB technical experts, IT vendors and MGYSACSD team to implement agreed IT and system level solutions and actions in a timely manner;
- Coordinate between MGYSACSD IT team, business teams, and payments team to review and verify the digital registration data;
- Coordinate IT and system development activities necessary to make it possible for the PA and OAP programs to be brought into the digital payments roll-out project.
c. Support MGYSACSD in the registration of pay-points, as well as planning and implementation of the roll out plan for data collection, awareness raising, and communication activities at pay-points being converted from cash to digital:
- Ensure that pay-points in 20 to 25% of community councils have been registered digitally each 6 months over the 18 months project period;
- Support MGYSACSD on training and coordinating data collection agents, preparing training for data collectors and PSPs, plan the logistics for data collection and awareness events at pay-points on a gradual manner;
- Manage communication and discussions with MGYSACSD districts officers and auxiliary social workers regarding strengthening of payments systems.
d. Communication and customer service with beneficiaries – onboarding, digital awareness:
- Ensure that sensitization amongst selected community councils have been thoroughly and properly communicated prior to mobile number registration;
- Work closely with MGYSACSD auxiliary social workers in all selected community councils to ensure that beneficiary gatherings, awareness session and registrations of phone numbers are implemented according to procedures and plans;
- Ensure that beneficiaries have adequate support in the use of mobile technology;
- Liaise with Social Assistance Payments team and Communications team in communicating actions to beneficiaries including leverage all communication channels, direct communication with beneficiaries and communicating the availability of cash withdrawal points;
- Contribute to the support of field teams with required logistics (transportation) and supplies as required;
- Identify and document community level constraints (beneficiary constraints, mobile phone and sim cards) and channel these to relevant stakeholders for action.
e. Business processes, functions, manuals and training
- Support MGYSACSD to identify changes in business processes and functions for program operations and staff assignments related to moving from cash to digital payments;
- Support MGYSACSD to update and revise manuals and process protocols and train staff on changes to be implemented in business operations;
- Support MGYSACSD to sustain required business process changes.
f. Reporting and monitoring:
- Report monthly and annually on all digital payments’ activities progress, and as requested by PSLP PFU Coordinator, WB and MGYSACSD directors;
- Gather and share data and information regarding the current state of digital payment toll out and digital payment systems in MGYSACSD;
- Monitor digital payments budgets.
Deliverables
The consultant will be remunerated based on submission based on deliverables. Deliverables must be validated by the Project Coordinator.
- Implementation plan: it should include 6-months milestones and detailed activities for a project implementation period of 18 months for the CGP, PA and OAP program digitization process with clear roles and responsibilities of each stakeholders involved. Deadline:1 month from contract signing.
- Progress reports every six months: progress reports on key milestones and results reached, showing progress on the achievement of each objective as well as reporting on the overall objective of digitalization of at least 60% of payments. The report must be validated by the Project coordinator. The reports must explain challenges identified and technical solutions identified related to:
- IT recommendations made by the WB payment expert team in 2022
- Number and quality of awareness session, training, and registrations of phone numbers implemented according to the implementation plan.
- Number of pay-points and beneficiaries who have been digitized, (min of 20% of pay-points in selected community councils, every 6 months).
- Progress on revision of manuals, protocols, or any other (physical/ electronic) document/process required.
- Deadline:every 6 months starting at contract signing.
- Final report on all digital payment scale-up activities conducted with evidence of objectives reached and status of digital payment delivery system updating. Deadline: After 18 months starting at contract signing.\
4. Qualifications and Requirements:
- Minimum Masters’ degree in Economics/ IT/ International Development and public policy or related.
- Minimum of 10 years’ experience in project management, managing for results, coordinating multidisciplinary team to delivery for results.
- A minimum of 5 years of experience with the social grant payment system, pay-point system organization, communications with social grant beneficiaries, preferably in Lesotho.
- Excellent understanding of digital payments systems, including payments IT infrastructure and applications, services of digital payment service providers, and customer due diligence requirements.
- Knowledge of budgeting, financial analysis, resource allocation processes and service delivery channels.
- Ability to provide leadership to team and build bridges to other program teams
- Negotiation and communications skills providing continued development of donor and partner relationship
- Strong implementation, coordination and organizational skills, communications skills and ability to mobilize different department units and decentralized stakeholders around digital payments and systems as well as previous digital payments experience is highly preferable
- Fluency in English reading and writing, fluency in Lesotho local language is a plus
- Proven experience in working with different types of stakeholders, including public sector, private sector, NGOs and/or development organizations.
5. Reporting
He/she will report directly to the PFU Coordinator and work closely with the Director of Social Assistance, the Social Assistance Manager, the MIS manager and the Social Assistance Payments team of the MGYSACSD, as well as coordinate closely with the World Bank.
6. Period of the Assignment
The duration of the contract is one year renewable, subject to satisfactory performance and project needs.
7. Remuneration
Salaries and benefits are market related. [Logistics arrangements, office space, internet services, or transport arrangements…etc. may be provided by the Client, if applicable]
8. Arrangements Process
The position will be based in Maseru, at the Ministry of Gender, Youth, Sports, Arts, Culture and Social Development offices, but with extensive field visits to the selected districts and community councils, as needed.
9. Selection Arrangement
Selection of the position holder, Individual Consultant, will be in accordance with the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for ICs. Interested candidates must send a letter of expression of interest and suitability for the position as well as a Curriculum Vitae, in English and two reference letters, before 16:30pm on 27/03/2023 to the following addresses:
Ministry of Gender, Youth, Sports, Culture and Social Development
P.O. Box A222
MASERU 100, LESOTHO
Tel: (+266 27003549
Email [email protected] copy to [email protected]
Qualified persons with disabilities and female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. Applications can be hand delivered or emailed and applications received after the closing date will not be considered.