NGO JOBS

TERMS OF REFERENCE

National Consultant to Develop Baseline and Road Map for Benadir Region in South Central Somalia

No of Jobs: One (01)Duty Station: MogadishuDuration: 35 daysStarting Date:
Closing Date:

Overview of CTG GlobalCTG Global is a Personnel Management Service Company specialised in Recruitment, Management Consultancy, and Human Resources in countries experiencing or emerging from armed conflict, natural disasters, or acute social and economic crisis worldwide. CTG Global provides tailored personnel management support enabling a growing number of public and private sector agencies and individuals to achieve their objectives in complex and challenging environments. CTG Global clients currently comprise UN agencies, non-government organizations (NGOs), and different corporate organisations such as security companies.

Overview of the Position

Organizational Context/BackgroundOur client’s Poverty Reduction and Environment Protection (PREP) Programme is focusing on and contributes to improving livelihoods systems and means for targeted groups of poor households, in rural as well as urban areas, through:

1. Integrated area-based projects with primary focus on community capacity development and building productive community-based infrastructure for improved watershed, natural resource and natural disaster risk management; and
2. Strengthening of the enabling environment for viable development of micro, small and medium scale enterprises that would enhance opportunities for employment creation and private sector activities with focus on developing conducive legal, regulatory and institutional frameworks, as well as developing of inclusive finance sector including microfinance sub-sector.

The current Private Sector Development project within the PREP Programme addresses the private sector issues in general, in all Somali regions, and has three envisaged broad areas, which our client’s PSD strategy in Somalia is going to support, they are:

1. Establishing the framework for regulatory, legal and institutional enabling environment
2. Developing financial sector’s enabling policy environment and institutional capacity for improved access to finance
3. Supporting access to ‘knowledge-based services’ through a Business Challenge Fund

After the collapse of the central government of Somalia in 1991 all financial systems including banking sector collapsed. Subsequently, there are no commercials banks and there are few financial service providers (FSPs) other than remittance companies, which dominates the sector. In addition, The central bank established in Somalia is very weak. Therefore, it is indispensable for the development of the private sector in Somalia to put our efforts into re-establishing inclusive financial sector, although rebuilding the financial systems after a period of sustained conflict is a very challenging task.

Given the importance of the Microfinance sector as an important element in an inclusive financial sector in all Somali regions, the intervention will aim at producing one key result which is “Entrepreneurs, in particular women and poor households, have access to microfinance and other financial services”. This component directly responds to the strategic outcome 5 for the UN system in Somalia and to the outcome 3 of proposed UNSAS as well as outputs under Pillar 3 of the RDP.

To systematically approach the microfinance sector; baseline assessment is very crucial to get the clearer picture about the sector, and it will identify the gaps, constraints, opportunities and the recommendations or the way forward as well as the possible corrective measures of what is already in place. Subsequently and building on the findings of the baseline assessment the development of microfinance policy and microfinance strategy will be the most important entry points into the sector to frame the suitable guidelines and give the right direction to all different interventions from the different players in the sector.

The partnership with the private sector as well as the public in developing the microfinance sector in all Somali regions so that vulnerable and poor households get access to the financial services they are in need of, can be an effective means to accelerate progress towards achieving the MDGs as the overall results would impact upon all of the eight development goals.

Objectives of the assignmentThe main objective of this engagement is to get the picture of the current status of the sector and develop the necessary tools that will help in establishing a Microfinance policy framework and strategic direction for Banadir region in particular and SC in general. The policy framework and strategy will provide the direction for strategic interventions and an action plans in the areas identified for support.It is in this context our client seeks to engage one National Consultant to assist in conducting a study to assess the Microfinance sector in Banadir region and recommend mechanisms through which our client as well as Government counterparts can facilitate effective development response. The national consultant will also assist in developing a road map that will define the different elements required to institutionalize Micro-finance in Somalia. The Draft Road map will be discussed at the national level as well as in a regional workshop.

General Functions

Expected Outcomes:1. A rapid assessment report of the current status of the Micro-finance sector identifying gaps, challenges and opportunities to determine how the microfinance sector can be improved and sustained. 2. Conduct a mapping of existing policies pertaining to the microfinance sector in Bandir region 3. Develop a road map that will guide in establishing an institutionalized Micro-Finance sector in South Central Somalia. The findings and recommendations of the assessment and the draft road map will be discussed at a workshop in Mogadishu where our client and other international partners and experts, government counterparts and those engaged in the sector, including private sector, will come together to validate and develop a common approach for future interventions in the sector. 4. Final Assignment report, both in soft and hard copy with all the annexes

Under the leadership of the PREP PSD Project Manager, the consultant will perform the following duties:

• Undertake a literature review of all materials pertaining to the Micro-Finance Sector as well as undertaking review sessions with the active players in the Microfinance sector with a view of assessing their contributions, roles and challenges. • Undertake consultation sessions with key Government stakeholders to identify priority areas, support required and future plans;• Identify measures required to build close partnerships between the UN and the key Somali players in the Microfinance sector on the provision of financial services to the vulnerable and poor households to enhance their livelihoods and strengthen the linkage with small, micro and medium enterprises to provide more effective, sustainable and timely local response and access.
• Write the baseline survey report, road map and present the findings in a national workshop• Identify the capacity building requirements for the sector in Bandir region including required polices and legislations

Monitoring and Progress ControlsThe National Consultant will prepare a work plan and progress updates that can be reviewed from time to time as the situation dictates to assess whether the work performed meets the standards set by PREP Programme.

Final Product/Deliverables• Inception report with activities detailed out in a matrix with a timeline. The report should contain a methodology for the survey; a set of questionnaires; and the proposed outline of the assessment report. • A draft assessment report to be presented to our client first and subsequently at the validation Workshop.• One draft Microfinance Road Map for Banadir region to be presented to our client first and subsequently for discussion at the Workshop. • Final Documents, both in hard and soft copy, incorporating comments and recommendations from the Workshop. • A final version of the cleaned data set in a soft copy.

Deliverables Completion date Duty station Payment upon completionInception report with activities detailed out in a matrix with a timeline. The report should contain a methodology for the survey; a set of questionnaires; and the proposed outline of the assessment report. 15 October 2012 Mogadishu 10%A draft assessment report to be presented to our client first and subsequently at the validation Workshop. 30 October 2012 Mogadishu 10%One draft Microfinance Road Map for Banadir region to be presented to our client first and subsequently for discussion at the Workshop. 12 November 2012 Mogadishu 30%Final Documents, both in hard and soft copy, incorporating comments and recommendations from the Workshop. 15 November 2012 Mogadishu 30%A final version of the cleaned data set in a soft copy. 20 November Mogadishu 20%

Review/Approval TimeUpon completion of each deliverable, the consultant will submit a short narrative report along with the deliverable. The report will be submitted to the Sustainable Livelihood Project Manager who will review the report and give comments as needed. One validation workshop will be organized in the first week of November 2012 in Mogadishu to discuss the findings of the report as well as the draft road map. The consultant will submit the final report and the final draft road map incorporating comments from our client and from the workshop by mid-November. Moreover, the documents produced by the Consultant will also be reviewed and technically enhanced by the international Micro-Finance Consultant whom our client is recruiting.

Other InformationPayments will be made at the successful accomplishment of each pre-determined milestone. The final report of the assessment, with the findings, recommendations, the draft policy and strategy should be submitted a week prior to the end of the contract duration. The expert will be required to have a personal lap top computer

Essential Experience• An advanced degree in Microfinance, Finance, Economics and/or other field relevant to economic development and research specialization preferably in post-crisis countries.• A minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience at the national and/or international level with extensive experience in research and policy-level analysis. • Specific expertise or demonstrated knowledge of economies of conflict, transition, or post-conflict countries essential.• Specific expertise or demonstrated knowledge of microfinance sector in post-conflict countries • Experience in policy design from transition or post-conflict countries desirable.• National Consultant

Languages• Strong written and spoken English skills. Knowledge of Somali language is required