Afghanistan: Microfinance sector expert

Chemonics seeks a short-term microfinance sector expert for USAID’s ongoing five-year, $108 million Financial Access for Investing in the Development of Afghanistan (FAIDA) project. The FAIDA project assists Afghan partners in building their capacity to deliver effective financial products, links lenders to businesses in need of financing, helps to develop regulations across all financial sectors, and provides technical assistance to Afghanistan’s mobile network operators to provide growth and employment opportunities for all Afghans. The microfinance sector expert will prepare a “State of the Sector” report for the Afghanistan Microfinance Association (AMA). The report will serve as the first step in developing a comprehensive strategy for increasing market penetration and furthering financial inclusion in Afghanistan. The consultant will be based in Kabul, Afghanistan. We are looking for individuals who have a passion for making a difference in the lives of people around the world.

Responsibilities:

• ​Consult with AMA member institutions to receive their input regarding the contents of the report


• Meet with relevant Microfinance Investment Support Facility for Afghanistan (MISFA) personnel to receive input regarding the report


• Deliver a pre-report workshop on the purpose and the methodology of the report


• Prepare the first draft of the report with the following sections: (a) the overall role of the microfinance sector in Afghanistan; (b) the degree to which Afghanistan’s microfinance industry has achieved orderly growth; (c) the sources of financing microfinance in Afghanistan; (d) the role of the microfinance sector in reducing the financial inclusion gap in Afghanistan; (e) the potential presented by the recently enacted Deposit Taking Microfinance Institutions Regulation; (f) a critique on how the sector has made use of emergent technology to maximize financial inclusion; and (g) the policy and regulatory environment


• Deliver a post-report workshop on report contents

Qualifications:

• ​Relevant academic and professional credentials


• At least 10 years of experience in the fields of development economics, rural finance, and/or microfinance


• Strong track record exhibiting successful completion of similar consultancies


• Experience authoring at least one report similar to the final deliverable


• Strong written and oral communications skills


• Experience advising and training professionals in the financial sector in Afghanistan preferred


• Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity


• Fluency in English required

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