Project Overview and Role:
The Feed the Future Ghana Mobilizing Finance in Agriculture (MFA) Activity is a USAID-supported activity that will improve access to finance for farmers and agribusinesses in Ghana. The Activity enables transaction advisors to support agribusinesses to secure loans and investment. MFA also assists diverse financial institutions to expand financing of farmers and agribusinesses, so that enterprises can purchase agricultural inputs (like seeds and fertilizers), invest in processing, expand production, and scale operations. From 2020 to 2024, MFA is to help 81,493 enterprises access $261 million in finance, leading to $500 million in new sales.
MFA drives investment into the maize, soy, groundnut, cowpea, mango, cashew and shea value chains and other high-value export commodities. MFA supports farmers and agribusinesses in 17 selected districts (Feed the Future Zone of Influence) in the Northern, North East, Upper East, and Upper West Regions. Enterprises in other parts of Ghana buying from or selling to producers of these crops in the four regions are also eligible for assistance. MFA is also supporting Ghana’s agricultural financing system to mitigate the impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the agricultural sector and ensure resiliency against future shocks.
Although Ghana has over the past years made great progress creating the infrastructure and conditions to expand financing to agribusinesses, lending to the agriculture sector remains insufficient. currently less than 4%[1] of the total credit distribution, due to real and perceived risk associated with the sector.
Despite the potential of risk mitigation tools (RMTs), including those provided by GIRSAL, Eximbank, Allianz Insurance and GAIP to enable increased agricultural lending by reducing credit risk, and MFA’s effort to link FIs to these tools, there is limited uptake of these tools by both FIs and end beneficiaries. In order to address the limited uptake of risk mitigation tools to minimize risks associated with agricultural lending, MFA seeks to recruit a team of qualified consultants, made up of a team lead/Risk Mitigation Expert and a Finance Expert)to undertake a detailed study on risk mitigation utilization among the key stakeholders.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
The consultants shall conduct a detailed study on current utilization of risk mitigation tools among selected financial institutions and end beneficiaries, barriers limiting the utilization, recommendations and a draft strategic approach to inform increased and sustainable utilization of risk mitigation tools for agricultural lending.
Scope of Work
The consultants shall complete the following tasks for the assignment:
- Review literature on utilization of risk mitigation tools in Ghana, identify challenges and success factors.
- Conduct risk mitigation tools utilization assessment among the key stakeholders. Develop assessment tools including individual direct interview, key informant interview and focus group discussion guides targeting different key stakeholders such as policy makers, financial institutions, risk mitigation service providers and end beneficiaries. The consultants shall submit interview guides to MFA for review, comments and finalization prior to implementation. The assessment should help to identify the utilization level, barriers/challenges and opportunities. Again, the assessment should help to establish which RMTs are best suited for which type of FIs, end beneficiaries and recommend actions to address identified barriers to increase utilization.
- Organize agricultural lending risk mitigation roundtables with key stakeholders in northern and southern Ghana in collaboration with MFA team to validate findings of the diagnostic and integrate feedback into the RMT strategic approach for implementation.
- Develop a strategic approach to be implemented by the key stakeholders including policy makers, financial institutions and risk mitigation service providers to inform policy and product refinement/modification and expand marketing of products to potential users.
- Engage MFA’s transaction advisors to understand RMTs so that they can encourage FI integration of RMTs during loan application process and continue to raise FI awareness of the benefits of the RMTs.
Deliverables
The consultants shall prepare and submit the following deliverables:
- Submit an inception report outlining, detailing and confirming consultant understanding of the research objectives, approach and methodology to be employed to achieve the overall objective.
- Submit field assessment report documenting key stakeholders engaged and findings including utilization level, barriers/challenges, opportunities and recommendations.
- Organize agricultural lending risk mitigation roundtables in northern and southern Ghana with relevant stakeholders
- Develop a strategic approach to inform policy and product refinement and marketing of products to potential users.
- Submit assignment completion report
Required Qualifications:
The assignment will be delivered by a team of consultants, including a Team Leader and Risk Mitigation Expert and a Finance Expert. This job announcement is for the Team Leader position.
- Degree in actuarial science, economics, finance, insurance, business administration or other relevant discipline;
- Minimum of 10 years of financial sector, insurance, credit guarantee and banking experience, particularly those related to MSMEs and agricultural lending, product development, risk analysis and pricing, credit guarantee, credit administration and analysis, loan portfolio management among others;
- Experience in risk mitigation tools and utilization;
- Track record in the design, deployment and management of successful risk mitigation tools;
- Fluent in English (written and spoken)
Company Overview:
About Palladium – Palladium is a global leader in the design, development and delivery of Positive Impact – the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value. We work with governments, businesses, and investors to solve the world’s most pressing challenges. With a team of more than 3,000 employees operating in 90 plus countries and a global network of over 35,000 experts, we help improve economies, societies and, most importantly, people’s lives.
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