EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

(Individual Consultant)

AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK

Financial Intermediation and Inclusion Division (PIFD1)

Financial Sector Development Department (PIFD)

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

PAYMENT SYSTEM & DIGITAL FINANCE SERVICES EXPERT – TECHNICAL CONSULTANT

1. The African Development Bank (AfDB or the Bank) seeks expressions of interest from suitably highly-qualified Individual Consultants to take part and assist in the implementation of a grant to the “Banque Centrale des États de l’Afrique de l’Ouest” (BCEAO). This grant aims to support the implementation of the Digital Financial Services (DFS) interoperability platform across the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), which is expected to have a significant impact on financial inclusion across this region. The Digital Financial Services Interoperability Project in the WAEMU zone is the result of cooperation between the Central Bank of WAEMU zone (BCEAO) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) with the support of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation ;

2. Thanks to the Digital Financial Services (DFS) interoperability platform within the WAEMU zone, customers with electronic money accounts or bank account will no longer be limited to sending and receiving money from other customers of the same financial service provider. With interoperability, they will be able to send and receive money from all other accounts both domestically and across borders. This DFS interoperability platform is expected to be a game changer as far as financial inclusion in the region is concerned ;

3. The potential Technical Consultant will primarily support the technical implementation of the DFS interoperability platform. The Consultant will dedicate most of his/her working time (60%) to this project’s implementation but will also assist the Financial Inclusion and Intermediation Division of PIFD (PIFD1) in managing, monitoring and evaluating other ongoing projects and help identifying new projects up to 30% of his/her working time. Up to about 10% of his / her working time, the Consultant will provide ad hoc support to the Division and Task Managers. In particular, he/she will be expected to :

For the DFS interoperability platform project :

• Ensure the alignment of the BCEAO’s vision on financial inclusion and digital payments with stakeholders’ specific objectives for the project ;
• Ensure the establishment of a robust digital financial services interoperability platform in WAEMU countries (choose the right technology, architecture, support real-time retail payments, system based on open international standards, etc.) ;
• Provide technical assistance and demonstrate monitoring skills during the different steps of the implementation of the digital payment interoperability project (Technical vendor selection based on technical specification set up, Technical equipment acquisition, Digital platform installation, User Acceptance Test, Go Live pilot phase, Expansion phase, etc.) ;
• Monitor the work of consultants/technical service providers and actively participate in stakeholder consultations, mid-term evaluation and impact assessment studies ;
• Provide technical advice relating to the operationalization of the Digital financial services interoperability platform, risk and fraud management.

For other PIFD1 projects and initiatives :

• Assist and support the Division (PIFD1) in identifying new projects and monitoring and evaluating ongoing projects within its portfolio ;
• Support the Division on engaging in daily interactions with projects stakeholders ;
• Assist and advise stakeholders in the projects’ implementation ;
• Participate in stakeholder consultations ;
• Participate in the projects mid-term evaluations and the impact assessment studies ;
• Participate in monthly check-in meeting to follow up the projects ;
• Work closely with other sectoral/segment Experts of financial inclusion team within AfDB, to maximize the cross learning and deliver impact ;
• Provide support and perform any other tasks required by the Task Manager and the Division Manager.

4. The Bank invites suitably highly qualified Consultants to submit their expression of interest in providing the consultancy services described above. The Bank is expected to recruit one (1) Consultant to work alongside the project team. Interested Consultants must provide information on their capacity and experience indicating that they are qualified to perform the services required (CV, fluency in French, references, etc.) ;

5. The eligibility criteria, establishment of the shortlist and the selection procedure shall be in conformity with the Bank’s Rules and Procedure for the Use of Consultants. The AfDB is under no obligation to shortlist any consultant who expresses interest ;
6. The duration of the consultancy is estimated at 12 months and can be renewed upon satisfactory performance. The Consultant will be based in the AfDB regional office in Dakar (Senegal) ;

7. Interested Consultants may obtain further information on the nature and requirements of the consultancy at the below email address during office hours: 8AM to 5PM – Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) local time ;

8. Expressions of interest must be emailed to the project team using the below email addresses no later than 23 October 2020 at 5PM GMT mentioning “Interoperability of DFS in WEAMU – Payment Systems & Digital Finance Expert” in the subject line of the email to : M.KALIF@AFDB.ORG copy to B.AKA@AFDB.ORG

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SHORTLIST :

9. A shortlist of three (3) to five (5) individual Consultants will be established at the end of this request of expressions of interest. The Consultants on the shortlist will be judged on the following criteria on the basis of their resumes :