Vacancy title:
Program Officer (Short Term Consultancy)

Jobs at:
Finance Equal at International Finance Corporation (IFC)

Deadline of this Job:
18th September 2018

Duty Station:
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Summary
Date Posted: 5th September 2018 , Base Salary: Not Disclosed , Employment Type: Full-Time

Financial Institutions Group (FIG) Agrifinance Advisory Services Program aims to reduce the agribusiness finance gap in emerging markets and achieve large scale impact on the availability of financing for agriculture and the food supply chain, by leveraging IFC's long track record of investment and advisory services through its network of clients in the financial seryices industry and the agribusiness sector. The

JOB DETAILS:
Job description
This Terms of Reference relates to the procurement of a Consultant to provide Advisory Services (AS) under IFC's Agrifinance Program to XYZ Bank in Tanzania. Backgroundr'General Description International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, promotes sustainable private sector investment in developing countries as a way to reduce poverty and improve people's lives. In addition to its investment work. IFC provides a number of advisory services by developing targeted programs and projects to strengthen financial institutions and markets. Agrifinance Advisory Services Program In developing countries today, agribusiness constitutes a large market with a large financing gap. The lack of broad access to financial services limits opportunities for agribusiness enterprises and small holders to adopt efficient technologies and efficient resource allocation.

Program contributes to this overall target by increasing access to finance to the agriculture supply chain from the small holder farmer to commercial farms to micro and small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs) operating in the agribusiness sector. Its main clients are Financial Institutions, Non-Bank Financial Institutions and Agribusiness Companies that support the whole agricultural supply chain: key beneficiaries are local MSME's in the agriculture supply chain (local input suppliers. producers, traders, processors etc.). The assignment is expected to commence injune 2018 and the specific modules are expected to be completed within 10 - 12 weeks.

B The Client
XYZ is a leading bank in Tanzania. The Bank has approached IFC to support them in their strategy to develop and implement a customized Agrifinance value proposition for its customers along the agri value chain. This will enable the bank retain its leadership position as the foremost lender to the agribusiness sector in Tanzania. The advisory seryices to XYZ will assist the bank to:

• review & refine existing agri business strategy with a view to setting up a well-structured strategy,
• design customer value propositions and create differentiated agri products. 
• embed Agri value Chain Financing principles in the bank's processes to tap overall value from corporate agri businesses,
• refine agribusiness credit risk management processes especially in the corporate agribusiness space.
• utilize the bank's extensive alternative delivery channels and digital financial service offerings to reach SME agri businesses in order to increase low cost deposit volumes St diversify the agri loan portfolio and
• Assess Staff training needs: develop a robust training program in order to build the capacity of the stafftouch points across the agribusiness space and deploy the training program appropriately.
  

Scope of Work
The project is intended to assist XYZ to optimize its footprints in the agribusiness space. The consultant will be an Agri credit risk management expert that will conduct the assignment at >(YZTanzania during a 10 - 12 weeks period. The consultant is expected to review the credit risk framework and existing tools to analyze agrifinance credit risks. Her'She will revise andror develop tools to allow efficient agri finance credit risks analysis and management framework and also handle the capacity building (assessment, development St deployment) of XYZ staff involved in agri finance.

EXPECTED DELIVERABLES
Credit Processes & Risk Management
Agri-Business credit policy refinement (especially in corporate agri-business) Work with credit and business teams to define credit risk appetite for the agri segment. Review proposed agri credit policy and make suggestions to improve the policy. Finalize agri credit policy with buy-in from key stakeholders. Provide support to the Bank's project team to obtain required internal approvals for revised policy. Risk appetite for the agri segment documented and agreed. Development of revised agri policy that has buy-in from key stakeholders. Inputfassistance to the process of obtaining internal approvals.

Credit Processes & Risk Management

• Optimization of Corporate Agri & SME Agri credit processes
  
• Review processes end-to-end using process walkthrough methodology to determine detailed process steps.
  
• Identify gaps and assess Turnaround Times (TATs).
  
• Review interface between branches and Head Office and provide recommendations to streamline and improve the interface.
  
• Advise on process workflows from origination through to collections in agri portfolio,’ identify areas that could be streamlined.
  
• Understand root causes of NPLs (based on agri portfolio data analysis) in agri portfolio and provide recommendations to address same.
  
• Develop an Early Warning System (EWSI for agri sector portfolio.
  
• Provide advice and recommendations on improvements in monitoring and collectionsfrecovery policies and processes in line with established best practices, for agri businesses.
  
• Agribusiness banking process guidelines, including: Credit approval process; Credit monitoring mechanism; Collections & Loan recovery process
  
• Suggestions for streamlining credit processes NPL root cause analysis for the agri portfolio and recommendations to address same
  
• Design of Early Warning System (EWSI framework for agri portfolio
  
• Recommendations for improvements in monitoring. collectionsrrecovery policies and processes
  

Capacity Building

• Cross functional Training Needs Assessment
  
• Be involved in the interview of select members of agri business team e.g. corporate banking Relationship
  
• Managers, Branch Managers. Sales Officers, credit and special assets management teams.
  
• Provide input into the performance of a comprehensive skills gap analysis and skills assessment test in the
  
• Risk Management area on all internal key stakeholders serving agri businesses.
  
• Review interview results to identify the key areas of gaps. especially in the Risk Management area.
  
• Discuss the existing training curriculum to shortlist additional training modules required, especially in the Risk Management area
  
• Identification of role-based training needs, with focus on the credit risk management area.
  The Consultant will present andror regularly update the following:
  
• Work Plan (Gantt chart): The Consultant will produce a work plan outlining all elements of this project,’ setting out what needs to be done, broken down by tasks, time and resources needed to successfully deliver this project. This plan is mainly for the Consultant's use but it will be reviewed, discussed and approved by the Bank and IFC. The plan may be revised over the course of the project if circumstances change.
  
• Final Reports and deliverables: At the end of the Project. the Consultant will submit comprehensive reports and deliverables as stated above. This would highlight the approach adopted, the activities carried out and the results achieved.
  Supervision
  

The Consultant shall report to the IFC Project Leader who shall coordinate and manage the assignment on behalf of IFC. The IFC Program Leader will have a dual reporting line to the Bank appointed representative.

Timeframe
The project is expected to be completed within 18 months. The expected start date of the project is:june 2018.

Confidentiality and Project Delivery
All materials produced or acquired under this project. which are not already in the public domain shall be held by the consulting team, including all field consultants. in strict confidence and shall not be disclosed to any party whatsoever without the express written consent of IFC. The Consultant is expected and encouraged to add, expand or include any other aspects, which in hisfher professionaljudgment, would add to the quality of lFC's service to the client or facilitate the successful implementation of the project.

Selection Criteria:

• A seasoned banker with at least 10 years of progressive Credit Risk Management experience in Agri- business finance.
  
• Experience should preferably across different countries in Africar'East Africa.
• Experience working in Tanzania will be a distinct advantage
  
• A Bachelors or advanced degree in any of the following disciplines: Accounting, Banking, Agronomy, Finance, Economics, or any ofthe related Social Sciences. Graduates with Professional certification (ACCA. CPA. CIMA. CA of CFA) will have a distinct advantage
  
• Strong familiarity with credit risk management practices at commercial banks. with a bias to Agribusiness enterprises. The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate knowledge of Prudential regulations as they apply to the banking sector in Tanzania and implications of IFRS 9 to the sectors credit risk management practices
  
• Fluency in written and spoken English is a requirement. Proficiency in Kiswahili will be an added advantage.
  
• Organizational and communications skills. including the ability to represent IFC work credibly at senior executive levels. Advanced user level proficiency in MS Office is required.
  
• Willingness and ability to travel to and extensively within Tanzania on short notice semis