Request for Proposal October 2022-Consultancy Services to do a Mid-Term Evaluation for the Finance for Inclusive Growth (FIG)-Somalia at Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF)

PURPOSE FOR THE EVALUATION

The purpose of the FIG-Somalia midterm evaluation is to review the project’s implementation and propose any correct management actions for the remaining period of implementation. The evaluation should assess or identifyed on:

1. Substantial microfinance practices in alignment with Islamic finance principles
2. Risk management of lending in Somalia
3. Support provided or required to mitigate risk
4. Necessary changes may be required to meet the programme goals.

KEY EVALUATION QUESTIONS

• To what extent has the programme design supported the increased access to finance for women and young people in productive sectors in Somalia?
• Have the financial intermediaries disbursed the funding made available?
• Who has been reached with the concessional financing?
• Has the technical assistance training provided to the bank staff been effective in addressing identified capacity gaps?
• Has the technical assistance provided to end beneficiaries improved business performance and improved repayment rates?
• What have been the development impacts achieved to date for the various categories of beneficiaries, particularly on the number of jobs created and the average income generated per beneficiary?
• Is the programme on course to generate the development impact for end beneficiaries expected?
• How has the programme impacted the business performance of the two financial intermediaries? This should focus on their revenues, profits, jobs, branches, geographic coverage, products, technology, etc.
• To what extent has the programme been impacted by government policies affecting lending in Somalia, and what can be done by the EU and other stakeholders to improve the financial business environment?
• Has loan default guarantee facilitated the banks to venture into new sectors with their funds?

QUALIFICATIONS.

The selected consultant firms should meet or exceed the following minimum qualifications:

• A banking specialist with 8-10 years’ extensive experience in agricultural value chains analysis, and women and youth integration in programmes, with substantial experience in private sector development.
• At least 5 years of practical experience in conducting market assessments, stakeholder, and data analysis; stakeholder consultations, human-centred design, and programme design in the development sector.
• Good knowledge and understanding of the Somalia financial sector, with in-country survey capacity among the team members.
• Good knowledge and understanding of SME finance and solutions to increase access to finance for women-owned/led businesses.