Consultant on Behavioural science for accelerating the financial inclusion of underserved groups in the Arab region

Result of ServiceThis consultancy is expected to result in a paper presenting the concept of a policy framework for accelerating the financial inclusion of underserved groups in the Arab region, guided by behavioural science. The deliverable will serve as a foundation for the development of the regional framework. The paper will be in English and should be 25-30 pages in length to be submitted electronically as an MS Word file. Work LocationRemote Expected duration2 months Duties and ResponsibilitiesFinancial inclusion is a critical enabler of inclusive economic growth and social development. Enabling access to and use of financial products and services empowers vulnerable populations, supports entrepreneurship, reduces poverty, and contributes to sustainable development. But despite growing efforts, the Arab region continues to face challenges in advancing financial inclusion. Compared to global averages, access and usage rates remain low. Barriers include weak regulatory frameworks, limited financial literacy, high service costs, complex procedures, and geographic remoteness. These challenges disproportionately affect vulnerable groups such as women, persons with disabilities, low-income individuals, youth, rural populations, migrant workers, refugees, and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). While various policy and institutional measures in the Arab region have improved access to financial services, a persistent gap remains between access and usage. This highlights the need for more nuanced approaches that address behavioural factors influencing financial decision-making and service uptake. Behavioural science offers promising tools to bridge this gap. By understanding how individuals perceive, interpret, and respond to financial services, behavioural interventions can improve access and usage. These approaches move beyond traditional push strategies, focusing instead on user-centric design, and behavioural nudges. ESCWA is implementing a regional project to accelerate financial inclusion for underserved groups in Arab countries. The project provides targeted policy advice, promotes stakeholder engagement, and aligns with the “leave no one behind” and “whole-of-society” principles of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. As part of this project, ESCWA seeks to develop a policy framework for accelerating the financial inclusion of underserved groups in the Arab region, guided by behavioural science. Accordingly, the services of a Consultant will be hired to develop a concept for such a framework, identifying key components, behavioural interventions and examples of good practices. The consultant will outline the framework’s structure and identify elements where behavioural science could add value in the policy making cycle related to financial inclusion (policy design, consultations, implementation, evaluation, and other relevant elements). For each proposed element, the consultant will explain the rationale and relevance from a behavioural perspective. The consultant will take into consideration the specificities of different underserved groups including women, persons with disabilities, MSMEs, and others. The consultant will also include examples of good practices from the Arab region or globally. Areas to be explored could include – but are not limited to: 1. Diagnostics and gap analysis: integrating behavioural science into research and diagnostic efforts that aim to uncover barriers to financial inclusion - such as trust deficits, cognitive biases, low financial literacy, social norms and others. This component informs policy or strategy development. 2. Policies and Regulations: identifying methodologies to design, assess or review financial inclusion policies, regulations, or circulars through a behavioural lens. 3. Design of financial products and services: applying behavioural principles to the development of inclusive financial products and services, including procedures to access such products or services, how much they are intuitive, aligned with user needs and decision-making patterns and other considerations. 4. Digital financial products: embedding behavioural design in digital financial services, or fintech, to improve user experience, trust, sustained quality usage and other positive outcomes. 5. Other elements: exploring other relevant areas such as multistakeholder consultations, capacity building, ethical considerations, testing and monitoring, among others. The consultant will also provide concrete recommendations to ESCWA on how behavioural science can be integrated into ongoing activities related to financial inclusion. 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. Qualifications/special skillsA Master's degree in economics, finance, international development, behavioural science, public policies, or related area is required. All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. A minimum of 5 years of professional work experience in financial inclusion, development research, policy analysis or behavioural science is required. A focus on underserved sectors or populations 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 position, fluency in English 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.