Background

The “Making access to Finance more Inclusive for Poor People” is a programme of the UNCDF, nationally implemented by the Bank of the Lao PDR (BOL) on behalf of the Government of the Lao PDR (GOL).  The programme was approved by the BOL on 05 July 2010. It aims to increase access to financial services by low-income households and micro-entrepreneurs on a sustainable basis, expanding the sector from 30,000 active clients in 2010 to over 140,000 by 2014. To achieve this, the programme adopts a sector based approach to deliver change at the macro (policy and regulatory environment), meso (financial sector infrastructure) and micro (retail) levels.

The MAFIPP programme will contribute to improved and equitable access to land, markets and social and economic services, as well as to an enabled environment for growth with equity.  It will specifically increase access to financial services by low-income households and micro-entrepreneurs on a sustainable basis from 30,000 active clients in 2010 to over 140,000 active clients in 2014.

To achieve this, the programme will adopt a sector based approach to deliver change at the macro, meso and micro levels through three mutually reinforcing programme outputs including:

  • Macro-level Output: Policy makers more able to improve the policy and regulatory environment in line with operational realities of financial service providers nationally and accepted good practice internationally;
  • Meso-level Output: The financial sector develops infrastructure more capable to meet the needs of financial service providers;
  • Micro-level Output: Financial service providers become more responsive to the financial service needs of poor households and micro-entrepreneurs.

An integral part of the MAFIPP project results framework, in both Macro and Micro levels is to increase capacity of BOL so that the institution becomes a more effective regulator and supervisor for the sector, and also to provide support to FSPs such as SCUs by improving good governance and good operation practices.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of work

The Bank of the Lao PDR (BOL) recognizes that training is essential to promote an inclusive and sustainable microfinance sector in Lao-PDR. The MAFIPP has been requested to organize this consultancy on saving mobilization, credit management and credit expansion for the BOL and SCUs to support the ongoing professional development of these institutions. These Terms of Reference (TOR) are developed to outline the material for enhancing the capacity of BOL and SCUs.

To address these needs, MAFIPP is seeking for a qualified international firm to develop guidelines and conduct training on Credit Management and Credit Expansion for the BOL and SCUs.

The consultant will be responsible for submitting the following Deliverables:

  • A set of Guidelines to be used by BOL and SCUs for their reference in credit management and expansion. The Guidelines shall result in a standardized format addressing, among other things, the issues specified under the scope of work of these TORs. This package of material will include the documents created during the assignment and materials gathered from other sources but excluding any proprietary or confidential information;
  • The consultant shall provide the MAFIPP Manager with a half day (or longer as determined by BOL) briefing at the conclusion of the document preparation to introduce the Guidelines to BOL Management and explain the means for implementing them;
  • Conduct 5 days training to BOL and SCUs staff;
  • Upon completion of the training, the consultant shall provide a final report which also contains recommendations for additional training and further professional development requirements based upon needs identified during the training.

All final products delivered by the consultancy must be provided in hardcopy and softcopy to MAFIPP. Any and all secondary source materials must clearly recognize original authorship and copyright.

Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Prepare guidelines for future Credit Management and Expansion so SCUs can use as a reference;
  • To ensure that all relevant issues required in a quality assurance for credit management and expansion are addressed and included in the guideline and to introduce a scoring method accordingly;
  • To conduct training and coaching for BOL and SCUs staff on how to apply both training areas with case studies and examples;
  • To prepare a final report.

Content of Training Topics:

Objectives of the course are to enable the Staff of BOL and FSPs to improve the quality of credit and delinquency management in FSPs:

Topics to be included (but not limited to):

  • Definition of credit and delinquency management;
  • Importance of credit and delinquency management;
  • Best Practice Credit and delinquency Management as it applies to SCUs;
  • Important elements of Credit Policies and Procedures (including templates and tools in developing credit policies and procedures) including regulatory aspects;
  • Loan approval processes and documentation, such as the 5C model of clients appraisal, credit term, credit risk control, collection policies;
  • Credit review process and frequency, in compliance with SCUs regulation.

Competencies

Functional Competancies:

  • Demonstrate good understanding towards the characteristics of SCUs and relevant legal framework regarding the implementation of SCUs;
  • Share and apply relevant knowledge and experience to meet job demands;
  • Demonstrated ability on the theories of microfinance credit management and expansion;
  • Excellent data analysis and technical report writing skills;
  • Communicate in a transparent/open manner in order to facilitate clear messages and support learning.

Corporate Competencies:

  • Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
  • Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
  • Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
  • Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment;
  • Good interpersonal communication skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • At least Master’s Degree or equivalent in Banking, Finance, Economics or related field.

Experience:

  • Minimum 7 years experience in microfinance operations, credit management and credit expansion;
  • Sound knowledge and understanding of the Microfinance sector in Lao PDR and the region;
  • Solid understanding of institutional strengthening, restructuring and development.

Language:

  • English proficiency required.

Requirements for submission of proposals: 

All interested and qualified candidates should apply on-line using the following links: 

In order to make submission please read the relevant documents which are  available on our web-site at http://www.la.undp.org/content/lao_pdr/en/home/operations/jobs/:

  • TOR (Annex I);
  •  Individual Contract & General Terms and Conditions (Annex II);
  • Offeror’s Letter to UNDP (Annex III);
  • Reimbursable Loan Agreement (for a consultant assigned by a firm) & General Conditions (Annex IV).

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals:

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

  • Technical and Financial Proposal as per Annex III “Offeror's Letter to UNDP confirming interest and availabity”
  •  Explaining why you are the most suitable for the work;
  • Providing a brief methodology on how you will approach and conduct the work including the work schedule for the delivery of outputs/deliverable;
  • CV including past experience in similar project and contact reference of at least 3 references for whom you have rendered preferably the similar services.

Note:

The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables (i.e. whether payments fall in installments or upon completion of the entire contract). Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR.  In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (including travel, per diems, and number of anticipated working days). All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. UNDP accept travel costs not exceeding of an economy class air ticket.

Instructions for on-line submissions:

  • Step 1: Please prepare all required documents electronically;
  • Step 2: Combine all documents in one sigle file (preferably in PDF however Word format can be also accepted) and upload to the UNDP Jobs using the links above;
  • Step 3: After that you will receive an auto reply from the UNDP jobs if your offer is received successfully.

Incomplete proposals or proposals received after the deadline will be rejected.

  • Project’s background;
  • Scope of work and Responsibilities;
  • Timeframe for the work;
  • Deliverables;
  • Requirements for Experience and Qualifications.

Cumulative analysis: The award of the contract will be made to a consultant who offer has been evaluated and determined as:

  • Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and
  • Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria: Technical Criteria weight; [0.7] and Financial Criteria weight; [0.3]

Only a consultant obtaining a minimum of 50 points in the technical rating would be considered for the financial evaluation.

Note: 

Any request for clarification must be sent in writing to the following e-mail: info@mafipp.org or thilaphong.oudomsine@uncdf.org

UNDP Lao PDR will respond in writing by standard electronic mail and will send written copies of the response, including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry, to all consultants.

The copies of the response will be also placed on our web-site at:   http://www.la.undp.org/content/lao_pdr/en/home/operations/jobs/ and linked to the current Procurement Notice.

All interested candidates are encouraged to visit the above web-site for updates.

Please note that only short-listed candidates will be notified.

Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

For more detailed information about UNDP Lao PDR please visit our website at http://www.la.undp.org/lao_pdr/en/home.html