Component B Credit Guarantee Consultant

Job Description

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

USAID’s Strengthening Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development (SEED) in Egypt project is part of the Trade and Investment Promotion in Egypt (TIPE) project. The project focuses on strengthening the development of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and entrepreneurship. More specifically, the purpose of the contract is to increase employment and income of MSMEs and entrepreneurs, especially those owned by women and youth, by: (1) stimulating entrepreneurship and innovation; (2) enhancing formalization of private enterprises; (3) improving financial and non-financial services to MSMEs; (4) integrating MSMEs and entrepreneurs in progressive value chains; and (5) addressing enabling environment policy reform initiatives to facilitate MSME development that is aligned to the Government of Egypt’s (GOE) plans and commitment, and subject to the emergence of champions who will advocate for these reforms.

SEED supports the growth of MSMEs and promotes entrepreneurship in Egypt by working with and through intermediary service providers to improve their management and operational skills, products and services, and marketing and outreach to their clients and our ultimate target beneficiary. SEED funds are primarily designated for training, capacity building, and technical assistance using both domestic and foreign firms and individuals.

SEED’s stakeholders and counterparts include but are not limited to the following:

• MSMEs and entrepreneurs;
• Government of Egypt stakeholders;
• Public organizations;
• Public sector reform champions;
• Private sector reform initiatives;
• Academic sector reform initiatives;
• Business Development Service Centers (BDSCs);
• Capacity building consultants, trainers, mentors and coaches;
• Business associations;
• Banks;
• Non-Bank Financial Institutions (NBFIs);
• Investors; and
• Large domestic and international corporations.

SEED will collaborate with other development partners (donors) and other USAID contractors to take full advantage of synergistic opportunities in achieving results. Special focus will be given to disadvantaged areas and population groups such as women and youth. Youth is defined for the purpose of this activity as individuals who are between ages of 15 and 29 years old.

OVERALL RESPONSIBILITIES OF COMPONENT B

“Support private and/or public institutions, to develop new financial products suitable for MSMEs and entrepreneurs in Egypt”

Egypt’s MSMEs underperform due to lack of access to finance from banks and other financial providers, which limit their ability to grow, and integrate into larger and more established value chains. Facilitating and improving access to finance will help MSMEs to obtain the required fund to grow and expand their businesses and ultimately succeed.

Component B’s core function is to improve the quality and accessibility of financial and non-financial services for MSMEs, including but not limited to develop new financial products, build capacity and MSME market awareness in bank and non-bank financial institutions, and ultimately improve MSME access to applicable financial products and services. Component B also includes the application of new technology such as ICT, mobile, SMS, and internet based approaches to increase access to finance for women and youth and help overcome Egypt’s cultural, social, and spatial constraints. Expand the use of demand-driven financial products at banks, MFIs and other NBFIs emphasizing new financial instruments such as crowdfunding, leasing, venture capital, and factoring. Of particular interest to SEED will be improving the capability and capacity of the Credit Guarantee Company (CGC), banks, and other financial providers.

TASKS

Key Stakeholders for Component B Tasks: Credit Guarantee Company (CGC), Banks, and Non-bank Financial Institutions (NBFIs).

General Tasks:

Working with Component B, primarily on the SEED project’s Financial Services efforts, to contribute directly and specifically to the following tasks:

• 2.1 Sub result: Increased capacity of public and private institutions to develop, use, and market financial products and funding mechanism for MSMEs.
  • 2.1.1 Task: Financial institutions and MFI capacity to adapt/develop, use, and market financial products for MSMEs strengthened.

Specific Tasks:

The Consultant’s tasks will include, but not be limited to:

• Participate as a speaker in the international conference organized by the CGC (Regional Guarantee Conference II) which will be held in Egypt on 11 and 12 of May 2016. The topic of this speech will be related to credit guarantees as a tool to increase access to finance for MSMEs and/or the US Government’s SBA approach to facilitating financial access to MSMEs.
• Conduct a primarily secondary source desk study on the current context in Egypt with regard to credit guarantee programs, past and present, with a specific focus on the services and performance of the CGC. The results of this analysis should contribute to helping develop a set of recommendation to help the CGC improve its organizational and functional management structure, service offering, and outreach practices.
• Complement the desk study with a field assessment of CGC’s activities including a detailed market demand, market understanding, performance and SWOT analysis. This should result in a comprehensive analyses report with a detailed capture of findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
• Identify proven, transferrable and applicable Credit Guarantee Schemes (CGSs) best practices in Egypt and internationally based on Egypt’s socio-economic context. S/he will then recommend the most appropriate practices to develop a stable of high performing and market driven credit guarantee and related services applicable to the mission, vision, and mandate of the CGC. These recommendations will take into consideration the problems, limitations, and key opportunities within the MSME eco-system in Egypt.
• Develop a detailed capacity building plan for the CGC based on the findings and conclusions of the assessments above and write the scope of work for a subsequent consultant to deliver the program for the CGC.
• Working closely with SEED staff and the COP by contributing to meetings, presentations, and events as requested.

DELIVERABLES

• A comprehensive paper as well as Power Point Presentation reflecting the success stories and best practices in credit guarantee schemes in USA to be presented in the international conference conducted by CGC in Cairo. Where possible, this should include relevant details offered by the US Government’s Small Business Administration (SBA).
• A SWOT analysis on CGSs being used in Egypt, elaborating on key constraints and areas with potential for improvement in efficiency and effectiveness CGSs through SEED interventions.
• A comprehensive assessment report on CGC as Egypt’s only credit guarantee model, including a section on international best practices, and with recommendation on the most relevant practices applicable to the Egyptian market.
• Develop a comprehensive organizational and functional model for CGC based on best practices, local needs, experience, expectations, and the social, economic, and political context.
• A fully inclusive and operational capacity building plan, based on the model above, that can be used for the improvement of CGC and CGSs in Egypt.
• A SOW for a consultant to implement the capacity building plan.
• A power point presentation of the overall findings, conclusions, recommendations in providing Credit Guarantee Services (CGS) to facilitate access to finance for MSMEs in Egypt. This summary presentation will be conducted for SEED, USAID and possibly other MSME-focused donor groups.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum of 15 years of experience working in management, assessment and organizational development with respect of credit guarantee firms;
• Strong international experience in credit, and credit risk mitigation using CGSs;
• Prior focused in-depth experience working with MSME funding institutions, including but not limited to banks and other financial services providers;
• Multiple developed and developing country experience is addressing the obstacles and challenges to finance MSMEs. Experience in Egypt is a plus;
• A degree in finance, banking, credit, risk management or related field;
• An understanding of the Egyptian governmental, semi-governmental and private sector, with a comprehensive knowledge and research interest/study in the greater national MSME agenda and potential reforms required;
• Familiarity with the financial mechanisms used and promoted by the US Government’s Small Business Administration (SBA) is a plus;
• Experience in working with Credit Guarantee Companies and other financial providers from the perspective of the additional issues facing women and youth. Experience in this area in Egypt is a plus;
• Experience in consulting for international development projects preferred, with prior USAID experience a plus; and
• Awareness of key stakeholders and players in the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Egypt, with a focus on financial services providers.

About the Organization

AECOM is a premier, fully integrated professional and technical services firm positioned to design, build, finance and operate infrastructure assets around the world for public- and private-sector clients. With nearly 100,000 employees — including architects, engineers, designers, planners, scientists and management and construction services professionals — serving clients in over 150 countries around the world, AECOM is ranked as the #1 engineering design firm by revenue in Engineering News-Recordmagazine’s annual industry rankings, and has been recognized by Fortune magazine as a World’s Most Admired Company. The firm is a leader in all of the key markets that it serves, including transportation, facilities, environmental, energy, oil and gas, water, high-rise buildings and government. AECOM provides a blend of global reach, local knowledge, innovation and technical excellence in delivering customized and creative solutions that meet the needs of clients’ projects. A Fortune 500 firm, AECOM companies, including URS Corporation and Hunt Construction Group, have annual revenue of approximately $19 billion. More information on AECOM and its services can be found at www.aecom.com.

About the Governement Business Line:

AECOM’s Global Support Services (GSS) organization resides within AECOM’s Government business line and is comprised of three divisions — International Development, Operations and Mission Support, and Global Programs. GSS has the international presence, personnel networks and procurement infrastructure to deliver support for any mission, anywhere. We optimize the reliability, availability and sustainability of equipment, logistics systems and facilities for clients around the world. GSS supports the U.S. Government, non-U.S. Governments and industry clients with worldwide program management, planning, design, operations and maintenance, logistics, aviation services, security, international development, environmental and civil engineering and mission and intelligence support.