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WIZZIT Expansion and Capacity Building

Request For Expressions of Interest

General Information
Country:   South Africa
Notice/Contract Number:   10-0564
Publication Date:   Nov 20, 2009
Deadline:   Nov 28, 2009
Funding Agency:   World Bank
Buyer:   World Bank Trust Funds
Original Language:   English

Contact Information
Address:   John Ngahu
IFC - Country Office
1224 Avenida Kenneth Kaunda
Maputo
Mozambique
Telephone:   258-21 482-366
Email:   Click here
Web Site:   www.worldbank.org/corporateprocurement

Assignments

 

Original Text

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Consultant - WIZZIT Expansion and Capacity Building

Request for Expressions of Interest


A. Objectives/Purpose of Assignment

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, is a global investor and advisor committed to promoting economically beneficial, financially and commercially sound, and environmentally and socially sustainable investment in developing countries. IFC's mission is to promote sustainable private sector investment, helping to reduce poverty and improve people's lives. IFC’s Advisory Services team in Africa designs and delivers advisory services and technical assistance programs throughout Sub-Saharan Africa to promote private sector development.

The ICT linkages Program works with IFC's information and communications technology (ICT) clients to provide improved access to ICT services for underserved populations, and to provide capacity building support to SMEs in their distribution network. Under the Africa Mobile Banking program, IFC seeks to address the challenge of lack of banking and financial service facilities to the rural areas through innovative channels such as mobile banking.

WIZZIT is a South African company that provides mobile banking services to a large population of rural South Africans who would otherwise not have access to commercial banking facilities due to high underlying costs, low-incomes and distant location of the banks that are normally located in urban areas. WIZZIT plans to expand its product range to include the provision of credit facilities. This consultancy will work with WIZZIT to design an expansion/replication strategy in selected countries that demonstrate a clear opportunity for the WIZZIT offering.

Summary objective of the program

To provide low cost financial services to rural and marginalized communities through the use of mobile Information Communication Technologies

B. Scope of Work

Duties and Accountabilities:

Feasibility and market demand assessment in selected target countries across Africa.

• Assess market for mobile money opportunities based on market conditions, including competition and impact to increase the unbanked population in these markets.
• Review other existing mobile money programs and establish the additionality of launching the WIZZIT product
• Review the legal regime in expansion countries and analyze its impact on introducing WIZZIT to the market.
• Organize site visit/scoping mission with potential partner to get a complete understanding of how WIZZIT operations and the initial discussions of integration/partnership models.

Development of Expansion/Replication modeling

• Design an expansion/replication strategy in qualified countries covering on-the-ground coordination for replication/expansion support from a regulatory, implementation and project management perspective (i.e. budgeting, M&E).
• Design a ‘lab to market’ (marketing) strategy in conjunction with the micro-credit consultant that will be used to launch the product in the new markets

Selection Criteria:

• A Masters degree in one or more of the following disciplines: economics/ finance/ business/ public policy.
• Experience in the use of ICT for development. Specific mobile banking experience would be an added advantage.
• Over 10 years experience in product/service development and distribution.
• Self-starter, mature and flexible personality; able to work in multicultural, fast-paced team environment.
• Excellent organizational, communications and inter-personal skills.
• Experience in managing people/teams.
• Excellent written, oral and communication skills.
• Fluency in English is essential. French would be an added advantage.

C. Deliverables / Specific Outputs Expected from Consultant

Key deliverables will include:
1. Country specific feasibility study reports
2. Country specific replication/expansion strategies with budgets, financial model and implementation plan
3. Monthly progress reports, quarterly supervision reports, and other ad-hoc program reports as may be required

D. Specific Inputs to be provided by the Client:

The Consultant will report to the ICT Program Manager - Mozambique. The Consultant will also be provided with the relevant background materials on the program including: project early review and approval documents, supervision reports, donor reports, and other relevant Micro-credit documentation.

E. Special Terms & Conditions / Specific Requirements

None

F. Confidentiality Statement

All data and information received from IFC for the purpose of this assignment are to be treated confidentially and are only to be used in connection with the execution of these Terms of Reference. All intellectual property rights arising from the execution of these Terms of Reference are assigned to IFC. The contents of written materials obtained and used in this assignment may not be disclosed to any third parties without the expressed advance written authorization of the IFC
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