Access to Credit Intervention Manager

Job Description

Nathan Associates is currently seeking for a national based consultant as Access to Credit Intervention Manager to support the M4P component of the DFID-funded Land Investment for Transformation Programme (LIFT) in Ethiopia.

Objective of the Programme

The Land Investment for Transformation (LIFT) programme is a five year programme that has been developed by DFID and the Government of Ethiopia with the objective of improving the incomes of the rural poor, through support to the Government of Ethiopia in the implementation of second level land certification (SLLC) covering 14 million parcels, introduction of sustainable land administration systems, and the use of the Making Markets Work for the Poor (M4P) approach to leverage the economic benefits of increased tenure security. Currently in its second year of implementation, the LIFT programme is expected to be completed by 2020.

The M4P component has developed a first set of interventions that address the constraints identified in three sectors: rural land rental, access to credit and environment & conservation agriculture. Current interventions linked to access to credit are detailed below along with a cross section of activities that the IM would be involved in:

1. Promote development of new agricultural individual loan products linked to SLLC.

• Support activities of technical expert working with partner MFIs to develop loan products linked to SLLC
• Oversee piloting of new products and collate learning from these
• Support partner MFIs to scale-up new lending activities based on successful pilots
• Provide awareness raising for EPLA Bureaux and offices around the features, functions and requirements linked to new SLLC-linked products.
• Capture relevant lessons from SLLC linked products for dissemination within the wider financial sector

2. Promote development of new products in agricultural finance (credit related)

• Support activities of product development experts conducting feasibility assessments (demand/supply) for different agricultural products
• Where needed, co-ordinate the expansion of product development to other niche areas (Islamic finance etc)
• Oversee the piloting of new products by different partner MFIs, monitoring key metrics and indicators
• Support scale-up and cross-regional learning for successful pilots and products

3. Promote partnerships in finance to overcome risk and market limitations

• Engage interested donor agencies in discussions about alternatives for refinancing MFIs
• Manage interaction and communication with MFIs interested in accessing funds from a re-financing mechanism,
• Facilitate signature of contracts or MOUs linked to refinancing as needed

4. Improve knowledge and information on supply and demand of rural financial services

• Improve financial institutions understanding of the specific needs, requirements and challenges of women and smallholder farmers in accessing demand-driven credit facilities.
• Increase the awareness of smallholder farmers concerning what credit instruments are available
• Increase the awareness of farmers around calculating the value of the produce of their land, and how this can be used to access credit.

Scope of Work

Anticipated Start Date: 14^th March

Basis: 2 years on a full time basis (with an annual renewal and possible extension beyond 2 years)

The intervention manager (IM) will be responsible for LIFT’s front-line work within access to credit. He/she will be responsible for the general implementation of the portfolio of interventions, overseeing the work of coordinators across 4 individual regions. The intervention manager will also analyse the wider sector to identify emerging opportunities that may influence the work of LIFT and which could benefit rural, low-income households. The IM will work closely with stakeholders who have a genuine interest in serving this market, identifying and proposing new interventions and activities as needed.

The IM will need to understand the ‘big picture’ of the economy in general and the access to finance sector in particular, to recognise the constrains faced by LIFT’s intended beneficiaries when trying to access the economic benefits of increased tenure security. The IM will work in partnership with stakeholders and service providers at all levels of the project to develop sustainable solutions for improving incomes and supporting greater land productivity in target areas.

The tasks of the IM will be wide-ranging, and evolve with the needs of the project. Summary areas of work include:

1. Analysis and problem-solving: Gather data and information, either primary or secondary, to understand and diagnose opportunities and constraints for poor people and businesses.
2. Reporting and presentation: Prepare and present sector strategies and intervention plans internally. Conduct general awareness raising and pitch specific opportunities to stakeholders externally.
3. Business planning: Support business to develop bankable business plans to convince internal management and external partners to invest.
4. Project and results management: Work with the identified intervention partners, facilitate and track implementation to assess and communicate results for further decision-making and investment.

Specific Responsibilities

The specific responsibilities of the IM will include the following:

• Manage relationships and partnerships with stakeholders (regional EPLAUs, microfinance institutions, cooperatives) who will be LIFT’s key implementing partners in all interventions.
• Continuously identify and establish relationships with new stakeholders who LIFT could partner with.
• Manage the activities of sub-facilitators/sub-contractors/grantees who support LIFT in the implementation of the interventions. Review monitoring reports and undertake spot-checks to ensure accuracy.
• Continually oversee the access to credit interventions, identifying any need for revision, expansion or discontinuation
• Explore opportunities for development of new interventions that supplement the existing portfolio.
• Coordinate with other programmes working in access to finance to identify potential areas of synergy and collaboration. Regularly review the effectiveness of these partnerships to understand where they need further deepening and/or renegotiation.
• Lead key knowledge management activities including training, dissemination workshops, developing case studies and articles to be shared through a number of channels on the lessons learned from LIFT interventions.
• Present monthly and quarterly progress reports on all interventions to the M4P Coordinator.

Desired competencies

The IM will be an entrepreneurial, creative, analytical, a team-player, a good listener and thoughtful communicator. He/she will be able to lead others, have strong interest in financial sector development, enjoy travelling to rural areas, understand the big picture but also work-out the details. The individual will need to be highly motivated, systematic and methodical and, above all, have a great curiosity for how to make things better, especially to economically empower women.

LIFT does not expect to find all of these competencies in a candidate from day-one, but a subset of them from which to develop candidates whose professional aspirations match the requirements of a successful IM.

Qualifications and experience

1. Minimum bachelor’s degree. An advanced degree in business and/or economics is an advantage.
2. Minimum 5 years of financial sector experience, preferably in a microfinance or access to credit setting. Product development experience would be highly desirable.
3. Experience of working in the agricultural sector is an added advantage.
4. Excellent analytical skills, including demonstrated experience of monitoring an access to credit project.
5. Strong communications skills, in particular the ability to communicate effectively with government institutions, financial institutions and cooperatives.
6. Strong command of English and Amharic, preferable also other Ethiopian languages.

Reporting and relationships

The Intervention Manager – Access to Credit will report to the M4P Coordinator. He/she will be expected to work closely with team sector members to ensure complementarity of interventions and knowledge as well as with cross-cutting functions.

Application Deadline:

8^th February 2016 (interviews are expected to take place during the week commencing 22^nd February 2016)

Application Process:

Candidates wishing to apply for this position should submit their CV and Covering Letter detailing their relevant experience for this position to Maximilian Schulz MSchulz@nathaninc.com with the email entitled LIFT A2C Intervention Manager Application.

Any enquiries about this position should be directed to Max Schulz

About the Organization

Nathan Associates London is a leading provider of economic and management consultancy services worldwide. For over 15 years, we have successfully delivered more than 250 projects in over 50 countries throughout Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America, including working in many post-conflict environments.

We work with the private sector to align business interests with development objectives; design, implement and manage programmes that generate institutional and policy reform, private sector innovation and improved livelihood strategies for the poor; provide advice to governments and donors on strategies for inclusive growth. Our approach is to maximise the impact of all projects and programmes by understanding the political economy of change and the need to provide incentives to help overcome vested interests.

Our expertise encompasses three key areas: private sector development; agriculture and rural livelihoods; and financial sector development.

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