Short-Term Technical Consultancy

  1. Agribusiness/ Finance Specialist
  2. Credit and Risk Expert
  3. M&E Specialist

          Job Reference: NBC/GIRSAL/AGRA/001/2023

Job Location: ACCRA, GHANA

BACKGROUND

The National Banking College (NBC) is a Professional Training Institute that focuses on training and developing bankers and other financial services professionals in Ghana and other parts of the world. The College was established in 1994 as the premier specialist financial service Training, Research/Development, and consultancy institute in Ghana. NBC is a company limited by guarantee under the auspices of the Bank of Ghana and the universal banks in the country.

The financial sector perceives agriculture as high risk and hence over the years receives less funding compared to the other sectors of the Ghanaian economy. Despite the immense contribution of the agricultural sector to the economy of Ghana, it is constrained by low access to finance due to several factors on the side of either the farmers or the financial institutions (FIs).

It is a fact that the strategic directions of the financial institutions in terms of allocations of resources especially loan approvals, come from the Board of Directors and is implemented by the management.

NBC therefore in collaboration with AGRA and GIRSAL is designing and roll-out a training program dubbed “Making a Business Case for Agriculture Lending” which aims to provide specialized training sessions for the Board of Directors and the senior executives of the financial institutions who have signed on to GIRSAL scheme.

To support this vision, NBC is seeking the services of the following qualified and experienced consultants:

TOR for Agribusiness/Finance Specialist & Credit Risk Expert

  1. Scope Of Work

 To Implement the training program “Making a Business Case for Agriculture Lending” will require the development of a curriculum and training materials to guide the teaching of members of the Boards and the senior executives of financial institutions to build their capacities in agricultural risk identification, assessment, and mitigation strategies.

The resource persons who would be engaged will have the responsibility of:

  • Development/design of the training curriculum
  • Development of appropriate training materials
  • Delivery of the training program to the participants.
  • Specific Tasks and Responsibilities
  • Review the current curricula and training materials used by the National Banking College for the “GIRSAL’s Agriculture and Agribusiness Lending Course” in the training of staff of Financial Institutions (FIs)
  • Conduct desk reviews of agriculture credit and finance training curricula for banks in Ghana or outside of the jurisdiction of Ghana and identify best formats and practices,
  • Identify any gaps or shortcomings,
  • Conduct interviews/consultations with some selected senior officials for their expectations of the training being proposed under this assignment. This will help identify areas of need or knowledge gaps.
  • Work with the National Banking College to propose curricula and training materials that are aligned with those of the Institute.
  • Draft curricula and training material developed at this stage would be presented to NBC, GIRSAL and AGRA for validation. Inputs from this validation stage would be used to develop the final drafts.
  • Deliverables

The Consultants are expected to submit final drafts of:

  • The training curriculum for the members of the Board of Directors and Executive Management members of financial institutions in agriculture and agribusiness lending.
  • A technical reference material for training staff in the two proposed modules for members of the Board of Directors and executive management members.
  • Recommendations on the most appropriate methods and tools of delivering the training to the target audience.
  • Duration Of Assignment

The assignment shall be delivered within 4 weeks period beginning 1st February 2023 to 10th March 2023. The consultants will require about 20 man-days each for the execution of the assignment during the contract period.

5. Qualification & Required Experience of Consultant(s)

A.     Agribusiness/finance specialist

  • A minimum of a master’s degree agriculture-related field including Agriculture, Horticulture, Agronomy, Agric Economics, Agribusiness, and other related fields
  • PhD in Agric Economics, Economics or Finance will be an added advantage.
  • Other professional qualifications ACIB, CIM, ICA, CFA, CIMA will be an added advantage.
  • Must have held senior management position for a minimum of not less than 5 years.
  • Must be a practitioner with experience in the banking sector local and international or both.
  • A minimum of 10 years of practical experience in the areas of agricultural project development and project cycle, working with agribusinesses, and institutional arrangements with development partners within the agricultural sector.
  • Computer-based data management skills is a requirement.
  • Capability to Design learning solutions for Adult Learners
  • Expertise in facilitation and presentation for Adults Learners
  • In-depth knowledge in risk and regulations in the banking sector

B.   Credit and Risk Expert

  • A banking and finance specialist with expertise in credit and risk evaluation, portfolio management and credit policy framework.
  • A degree in an agriculture-related field including Horticulture, Agronomy, Agric Economics, Livestock, Agribusiness, and professional qualifications in ACIB, CIM, ICA, CFA, CIMA would be an advantage.
  • A minimum of 10 years of working experience and other experience in training bankers
  • A minimum of 5 years of practical experience in Credit Management, Appraisal and Approval in a financial institution at the senior management level.
  • Excellent report-writing skills.
  • Capability to Design learning solutions for Adult Learners
  • Expertise in facilitation and presentation for Adults Learners
  • In-depth knowledge of risk and regulations in the banking sector

7. Application Procedure

Interested candidates should kindly submit a CV indicating educational background, professional qualification, relevant experiences, and contact details; A brief proposal outlining the methodology; and a financial proposal that indicates the all-inclusive total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs.

Applications should be submitted via email to info@nbc.edu.gh noting to quote the job reference number in the subject of the email)

8. Application Deadline:

To be considered, applications must be received on or before 22nd February 2023.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. NBC is an Equal Opportunity Employer

TOR for ME Specialist

  1. SCOPE OF WORK

The M&E consultant is expected to undertake the following tasks:

  1. Initial Consultation
    Engage with project stakeholders (NBC, AGRA, GIRSAL) to understand project objectives, activities, target beneficiaries, and expected outcomes.
  • Develop an M&E framework and Plan.

Develop an activity plan, a comprehensive set of M&E indicators to track the project’s progress and impact. Ensure that the indicators are relevant, measurable, and aligned with the project’s goals and objectives.

  • Program Monitoring

Regularly monitor and report on the implementation of project activities and progress towards project objectives.

  • Quarterly Reporting

Prepare and submit quarterly reports to project stakeholders on project progress, achievements, challenges, and recommendations. Analyze data and provide insights on project performance, as well as recommendations for improvement.

Support the project team in preparing and submitting quarterly M&E reports to AGRA.

  • Project Evaluation

Conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the project to assess its impact and outcome and make recommendations for improvement and produce inspiring stories to showcase project achievements.

  • DELIVERABLES

The Consultant is expected to submit final drafts of:

  • A work plan /schedule for the assignment
  • An M&E Framework, complete with indicators and tracking tools.
  • Quarterly progress reports to the project management team
  • Quarterly AGRA Narrative Reports
  • Project evaluation report
  • Stories showcasing achievements.

The above deliverables must be submitted in both electronic and hard copy to the Director of Studies and Training at the National Banking College

5. DURATION OF ASSIGNMENT

The assignment is expected to cover a period of 28 working days starting in February 2023 and ending in December 2023.

6. Qualification & Required Experience of Consultant(s)

  • Advanced degree in international development, agricultural economics, monitoring and evaluation, or a relevant field (At a minimum a bachelor’s degree, Master’s preferred).
  • At least three years of relevant work experience in project/programme monitoring responsibilities in Government, multilateral, or bilateral development agencies, using computer-based data management tools.
  • A minimum of two years of practical experience in project/programme evaluation and excellent skills in survey methods.
  • Excellent ability to write clearly, synthesize research findings and draft summary reports, briefing papers, etc.
  • Ability to travel to the field on short notice.
  • Good knowledge, experience and skills in photography, videography, and editing (Can be outsourced).

7. Application Procedure

Interested candidates should kindly submit a CV indicating educational background, professional qualification, relevant experiences, and contact details; A brief proposal outlining the methodology; and a financial proposal that indicates the all-inclusive total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs.

Applications should be submitted via email to info@nbc.edu.gh noting to quote the job reference number in the subject of the email)

8. Application Deadline:

To be considered, applications must be received on or before 22nd February 2023.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. NBC is an Equal Opportunity Employer