Opportunity Mapping and Training on Emerging Technology Trends in Finance for a SACCO, Nairobi 146 views0 applications

Position Description

Opportunity Mapping and Training on Emerging Technology Trends in Finance for a SACCO

Location Kenya

Department Programs

Employment Type Volunteer

USAID-Funded

Farmer-to-Farmer Access to Finance Program

Scope of Work

Opportunity Mapping and Training on Emerging Technology Trends in Finance for a SACCO

Description of the Program:

Improving Economies for Stronger Communities (IESC) serves as the lead implementer for the Farmer-to-Farmer Access to Finance Program (F2F A2F) to address deficits in the financial ecosystem hindering investment and growth in agriculture for individual farmers, as well as micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises through the delivery of volunteer technical assistance . IESC has designed a thematic F2F program to generate sustainable, broad-based economic growth and create jobs in the agricultural sector with a special focus on assistance to women and youth. Focusing on Kenya, Tanzania, and Liberia, the F2F A2F Program will work with local partner organizations and volunteer hosts to field pro bono experts from the U.S. agriculture, corporate, and banking sectors to address systemic capacity constraints for farmers and lenders in each targeted country and unlock finance for improved agricultural production leading to utilization of agricultural technologies and increased sales and incomes.

Problem Statement:

T echnology and innovation in the financial sector have helped streamline operations and offer new digital financial products and services to customers at a low cost . Furthermore, many customer-facing services are being replaced with application-based digital processes . Consumers have benefitted from improved access to financial services, increased convenience, and greater selection. Howev er , the increased use of technology creates new risks that could become systemic and question the stability of the global financial system.

Financial s ervice technology is currently undergoing a profound transformation, a nd financial institutions must prepar e to modernize their technology and expand digitization of both the front and back ends of their businesses. Technologies , such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), 5G, and quantum computing , are collectively reshaping financial services, and bringing new opportunities to firms and consumers alike. Most major financial institutions are aware of the imperative for action and have embarked on the necessary transformation s . However, many SACCOs and Microfinance banks in Kenya are challenge d by lack of funding, increased complexity, and limited talent availability .

A rural Savings and Credit Cooperative (SACCO) that operates in the central parts of Kenya require s a finance technology expert to train its staff on emerging technology trends in the finance sector and guide it in an opportunity mapping exercise to identify growth areas for innovation and technological advancements . The opportunity mapping exercise will review the current system ‘s use, process goals, cycle time, previous improvement attempts, challenging process segments, pain points, technical constraints, business constraints, process measurement and ideal outcome s . Therefore, F2F A2F is recruiting a U.S. citizen or permanent resident volunteer expert to work alongside the SACCO in Kenya and support its team in this endeavor. This support will enable the SACCO to adapt and become more effective and efficient in a dynamic business environment.

Objectives:

1. Train SACCO staff on emerging technology trends in finance
2. Map technology opportunities that the SACCO can adopt for efficiency and effectiveness

Deliverables:

1. Training materials developed and list of people trained
2. Technology o pportunities mapping report
3. A final trip report detailing work completed as well as recommendations for the host organization
4. A PowerPoint presentation for debriefing purposes

Anticipated In-Country Schedule:

Day

Activity

Location

Estimated days

Pre-departure

• Review: Volunteer Manual, Country Guide, Host Profile, Environmental Materials, ICT system currently in use

Home country

2

Day 1

• Depart from the US

USA/KEN

1

Day 2

• Arrive in

•  Nairobi Kenya.

Nairobi

1

Day 3

• Briefing meeting at IESC offices in the morning
• Drive to the field location ( Timau ) in the afternoon.

Nairobi – Timau

1

Day 4

• Hold inception meeting with the host representatives to finetune the work plan and expected outcomes.
• Conduct i nterviews with senior leadership to understand the vision and strategy of the institution.
• Conduct interviews with departmental heads to understand technology deployed, its effectiveness and shortcomings .

Timau

1

Day s 5- 7

• Train staff and management on emerging technology trends in finance

Timau

3

Day 8

• Develop technology opportunity mapping tools

Timau

1

Day 9

• R est
• Drafting of trip report

Timau

1

Day 10- 11

• Conduct t echnology opportunity mapping with heads of core business units

Timau

2

Day 1 2-13

• Draft the technology opportunity mapping report.
• Present the technology opportunity mapping report to a select team for consideration and feedback.
• Finalize the trip report , power point presentation and any other deliverable.

Timau

2

Day 1 4

• Exit/ debriefing meeting with host and the F2F representative.
• Travel back to Nairobi in the afternoon

Timau -Nairobi

1

Day 15

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• Depart for USA in the evening

Nairobi- USA

1

Total

15

Volunteer Outreach:

USAID and IESC encourage all F2F A2F volunteers to participate in public outreach. An important objective of the program is to increase awareness of Americans’ good work in developing countries. Volunteers should select at least one outreach activity from the list below, to be completed within one month of return to the US:

• Write an entry for the IESC website.
• Post a photo, video, or text related to the F2F A2F assignment on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, personal website or other social media site, and send a link to IESC staff.
• Send a press release to a local newspaper in the volunteer’s hometown. (IESC can provide a template)
• Write something for an alumni or professional association newsletter, or other publication. (IESC can help as needed).
• Give a presentation about the F2F A2F assignment to colleagues, students, religious group, rotary club, etc.
• Send an email about F2F A2F to friends, family, or colleagues.

Requested Expertise of Volunteer Expert:

• A bachelor’s degree in IT, c omputer

   Science, c omputer e ngineering, banking or a related field

  At least 5 years of experience implementing ICT solutions in finance set ups.

  A good grasp of emerging technology trends in the finance sector

  Experience in ICT support and/or h elp desk in finance set ups

  Knowledge of c orporate ICT security (Firewall, IPS, VPN, Electronic Signature etc.) , malware protection systems and e xcellent PC hardware troubleshooting skills.

  Excellent knowledge of video conferencing such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, etc.)

  Ability to review a variety of data, identify and adjust discrepancies.

  Ability to provide advice and guidance.

  Strong leadership and communication skills and capacity to plan strategically and flexibly.

  Experience delivering group training and individual coaching

  Sufficiently physically fit, with appropriate medical clearance.

  Fluency in spoken and written English is required .

  Writing Skills: reporting requires good computer skills including working and generating reports with MS Word. Experience with PowerPoint presentations is desirable.

  All F2F A2F volunteers must be US citizens or permanent residents.