APPEL A MANIFESTATIONS D’INTERET

BANQUE AFRICAINE DE DEVELOPPEMENT

“Permanent Address: Avenue Jean-Paul II, 01 B.P. 1387, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

Financial Sector Development Department/ PIFD 1

Email: adfi@afdb.org

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST AS DIGITAL FINANCIAL SERVICES AND PAYMENTS CONSULTANT FOR AFRICA DIGITAL FINANCIAL INCLUSION FACILITY (ADFI) – CÔTE D’IVOIRE

The African Development Bank (AfDB) “the Bank” hereby invites Individual Consultants to indicate their interest in the following Assignment: Digital Financial Services (DFS) Consultant for the Africa Digital Financial Inclusion Facility, in the Financial Sector Development Department (PIFD).

The Bank working with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), Agence Française de Développement (AfD) and the Government of Luxembourg (the Initial Donors) have established the Africa Digital Financial Inclusion Facility (ADFI). ADFI comprises a multi-donor trust fund and debt funding from the Bank and has a projected ten-year (10) investment horizon. Through catalytic and strategic investments in digital financial services (DFS) throughout Africa, ADFI seeks to break down the barriers to DFS growth and uptake inorder to advance financial inclusion. ADFI’s design is informed by an in-depth market assessment that looked at the factors affecting DFS growth and uptake in several countries and regions in Africa.

The coordination unit set up by the Bank to operationalise ADFI is seeking to contract two (2) highly experienced DFS consultants with deep understanding of payment systems to support its program objectives. The consultants will need to have extensive and demonstrable expertise in DFS and payment systems preferably in developing and emerging countries. The DFS and payment consultants under the general supervision of the ADFI Coordinator will work in collaboration with the Bank’s officers based at the headquarters and in the field offices as well as with ADFI donors.

The ADFI DFS Consultants will primarily be responsible for project origination, project structuring and design, project terms negotiation, project implementation and monitoring and technical advisory services to project sponsors and implementation teams. By virtue of their engagement with key DFS ecosystem players, the DFS consultants will also support ADFI’s advocacy activities and fundraising efforts by ensuring consistently high-quality project development and implementation as well as effective networking with DFS ecosystem stakeholders. Specifically the DFS consultants’ functions and responsibilities will include but not be limited to:

Core Functions

1. Reviewing of project applications to assess their suitability for funding
2. Identification and origination of projects aligned to ADFI
3. Designing and structuring of identified projects for approval by ADFI Governing Council and AfDB Board of Directors as appropriate
4. Negotiation of grant and loan agreements with project sponsors/funding beneficiaries
5. Client management e.g. corresponding with project sponsors for clarification and documentation provision
6. Provide strategic advice on development of payment scheme rules, implementation of payment systems, and on the structures of payment system operators, delivery vendors, and relationship of software/hardware providers and payment system operators;
7. Align advice on payment systems to low cost payment systems that follow the Level One Principles (leveloneproject.org ); The Level One Principles are key design principles for building a pro poor payment system that is open loop, push payment, real-time, irrevocable, governed by participants, offering same day settlement, operating on a cost-recovery basis and a shared fraud detection and management service.
8. Provide project management oversight and technical support to identified project sponsors and project implantation partners.
9. Provide advice and develop materials to inform key stakeholders on the importance of key technical payment topics – e.g. security frameworks, biometrics, business continuity planning, APIs, transaction volume estimations, etc. that may arise during the project
10. Managing of assigned project portfolio through continuous monitoring and evaluation against set performance parameters
11. Identification and proactive management of potential project challenges that may result in delayed timelines and affect expected outcomes
12. Facilitation of meetings and communication with project stakeholders throughout the project life cycle to build and sustain momentum as well as ensure transparency of relevant project information to appropriate audiences
13. Development of a strong project pipeline for consideration by ADFI governing council and to ensure optimal utilisation of available funding
14. Participation in project stakeholder engagement sessions and steering committees for sponsored projects

Other Duties

1. Providing monthly project status reports on projects within their portfolio
2. Producing quarterly and annual reports on assigned project portfolio for review by the unit Coordinator, the Banks management and the ADFI Governing Council
3. Engage with external funders to work on co-financing mechanisms, arrangements and opportunities
4. Maintaining an effective relationship with existing donors and proactively work to mobilise additional grant resources to contribute to ADFI.
5. Performing any other duties assigned by ADFI Coordinator, the Bank’s management and the Governing Council
6. Contribution to the coordination units knowledge development and dissemination objectives as well promoting knowledge creation and management within assigned projects
7. Representation of the coordination unit at major events and conferences

Key Competencies

1. Strong and proven understanding of digital financial services (DFS) with emphasis on digital payments systems, DFS infrastructure and DFS regulation
2. Project management with demonstrable experience in managing complex and proven experience in project origination, design and structure, analysis and implementation and monitoring
3. Excellent analytical, writing and verbal skills that are critical for influencing a broad and diverse audience
4. Ability to communicate complex ideas and recommendations to a diverse set of stakeholders both technical and non-technical
5. Highly analytical with ability to identify and design solutions to complex challenges
6. Experience in networking, fundraising and knowledge of the international donor community
7. Encourages knowledge sharing and learning
8. Disseminates specialised knowledge and experience

Key Attributes

1. High integrity and accountability
2. Ability to communicate fluently, both orally and in writing, in English. Fluency or a working knowledge of French will be an added advantage.
3. Adaptable and displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity
4. Adept at networking

Qualifications

1. At least 10 years experience in DFS and payment systems. Experience in developing and emerging economies will be an added advantage
2. A master’s degree in any of the development disciplines with a bias to development economics, finance, engineering, ICT

The African Development Bank invites Individual Consultants to submit their expression of interest in providing the aforementioned services. The position is for two (2) consultants. Interested Individual Consultants must provide the information below to demonstrate their qualifications:

1. Cover letter detailing suitability for the role
2. Resume detailing qualifications, experience and description of similar assignments/projects specifying their specific role and project referees. The role of the referees to the projects should be indicated together with their email address and telephone contact.

Short-listing and the selection procedure shall be in accordance with the “Rules and Procedures for the use of Consultants”, for projects financed under the African Development Bank window, May 2008 edition, revised in July 2012 which is available on the Bank’s website at http://www.afdb.org. The Bank is under no obligation to shortlist any consultant who expresses interest. Shortlisted applicants will be further evaluated and invited to provide financial proposals.

The contract will be for one year with the option of renewal based on satisfactory performance. The consultants will be based at the African Development Bank Headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The expected commencement date is from 1 May 2019.

Interested Individual Consultants may direct any enquiries on the request to the address adfi@afdb.org

Establishment of the Short List

A shortlist of three to six individual consultants will be established at the end the request of expressions of interest. The consultants on the shortlist will be evaluated on the following criteria on the basis of their updated resume.

Expressions of interest must be delivered by email to address adfi@afdb.org with the title ‘ADFI DFS Consultant’ by 13 March 2019 at 24.00 hrs Abidjan time (GMT)

The Bank and ADFI is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender. Women candidates are encouraged to apply for the positions. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.