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Summary

The Farmer to Farmer Access to Finance (F2F A2F) program is seeking an experienced U.S. citizen or permanent resident volunteer expert to support a rural SACCO in Kenya. The volunteer expert will evaluate the effectiveness of its current product offerings and develop at least one loan product tailored to the needs of smallholder farmers that encompasses the unique considerations necessary to serve youth and women smallholders. Additionally, the volunteer expert will provide training to key staff on product testing and roll-out. This will enable the SACCO to expand its offerings and reach more farmers, SMEs, women, and youth.

Objectives of the Assignment:

• Analyze the SACCO’s current portfolio of products and assess their effectiveness and impact on smallholder farmers, particularly youth and women, and profitability for the SACCO
• Identify gaps in the current product portfolio, map opportunities, and develop or improve at least one loan product
• Build the capacity of the SACCO’s staff on product testing and roll out

Deliverables:

• Products analysis report including proposed products
• One improved or developed financial product
• Power point presentation highlighting process and recommendations
• Trip report

Requested Expertise of Volunteer Expert:

• Degree in banking, business intelligence or analytics or equivalent with 10+ years of experience
• Relevant experience (10+ years) in Agri finance and digital finance in (Sub-Saharan) Africa
• Excellent analytical, and presentation skills. Maximum attention to details and quality of outputs
• Experience in rural financial product(s) development using Human-Centered Design (HCD), Agile approaches (5+ years)
• Experience in loan product testing and roll out
• Experience in providing technical support to financial service providers (Banks, MFIs, SACCOs) to develop, test, adapt and automate credit scoring scorecard solutions (5+ years)
• Familiarity and experience in working in expanding access to financial services to SMEs and implementing innovative financial products and/or facilities
• Familiarity with the activities required for SME lending development and scaling
• Experience in credit risk evaluation and management, especially for SMEs
• Familiarity with software/API integrations, APS systems, core banking systems, etc.
• Strong organizational and facilitation skills and the ability to handle complex tasks with tight deadlines
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• All F2F A2F volunteer experts must be US citizens or permanent residents