JOB DETAILS:
Department Programs
Employment Type Volunteer
Problem Statement : M anaging loans effectively requires a deep understanding of the loan lifecycle and implementing best practices from origination to repayment. Each stage in the loan lifecycle has its own set of considerations and challenges that lenders must address. U nderstanding these stages and implementing best practices is essential to mitigat ing risks, enhanc ing borrower experience, and maximiz ing loan performance.

One input fund in Tanzania has been providing input loans to individuals, businesses, and groups of farmers in an effort to increase Tanzanians farmers, youth and women access to quality agriculture inputs as the most important yield-enhancing technologies for crop production. However, the input fund has been facing challenges in managing the se loans ; therefore, it wants to develop the skills of its management and staff on basic lending principles , and best practices throughout the loan life cycle. Advanced knowledge in this area will enable management and staff to better assess lending opportunities, operating systems, and capital investment cycles for the input fund . Additionally, the input fund will have a greater capacity to understand the general viabilit y of borrowers and manage lending to micro, small business and small and medium enterprise ( SME ) lending.

Therefore, the Feed the Future Tanzania Agri Finance P roject is recruiting a lending expert to develop and facilitate a tailored , hands-on lending training for the input fund ‘s m anagement and staff in Dodoma. This training will enhance the input fund’s ability to lend to smallholders’ farmers, youth and women fa rmers and agribusinesses, and increase their understand ing of basic lending principles, the loan lifecycle and best practices.

Objectives of the Assignment:
1. Develop and facilitate tailored , hands-on lending and lending best practices training to the input fund ‘s management and staff.
2. Work with the input fund to review, design, and introduce key lending tools, techniques, and best practices.

3. Recommend further initiatives to improve the input fund ‘s lending operations , loan recovery and ability to effectively deliver input loans to Tanzania farmers youth and women to increase their farms productivity and incomes

Tasks to be Performed:
Pre-Assignment Tasks
• Hold call with the Feed the Future Tanzania Agri-Finance Project Chief of Party and Project Agri-Lending Specialist to discuss the needs of assignment and strategy .
• Develop draft of lending training materials including training aids and gears (posters, case studies, role play, examples etc.)

• Work remotely with the input fund team to understand how the input fund operates its input lending business to understand/clarify knowledge gaps.
Assignment
• Attend in-country orientation hosted by the Feed the Future Tanzania Agri Finance Project staff.
• Hold kickoff meeting with the input fund to review and finalize assignment objectives and plan.
• Work with the input fund to v erify , further customize and finalize the training and materials for the input fund .

• Prepare for the delivery of training to the Input fund management and staff in Dodoma
• Deliver hands -on lending training designed for the Input fund .
• The lending training may cover the following topics:
•
• Introduction to lending
• Loan lifecycle- Loan Origination, Loan Underwriting, Loan Closing, Loan Disbursement, Loan Servicing and Loan Repayment
• Basic Principles of Lending
• Micro, Small business , and SME lending
• Work with the input fund to review, design, and introduce key lending tools, techniques, and best practices.
• Identify and develop recommendations for further initiatives to improve the input fund ‘s lending operations , loan recovery and ability to effectively deliver financial services (credit services) to Tanzania farmers youth and women .
• Hold debriefing with host organization to share recommendations.
• Hold debriefing with F eed the Future Tanzania Agri-Finance Project team.
• Draft final report for assignment and submit to Project Agri finance Specialist.
End of Assignment Report and Other Deliverables Required
• Finalized training materials and tools developed for the input fund
• Final trip report detailing work completed over the course of the assignment as well as recommendations for the input fund

Schedule for Assignment:
Day
Activity
Location
Estimated days
Pre-Travel Tasks
• Hold call with the Feed the Future Tanzania Agri-Finance Project Chief of Party and Project Agri- Lending Specialist to discuss the needs of assignment and strategy .
• Develop draft of lending training materials including training aids and gears (posters, case studies, role play, examples etc.)
• Work remotely with the input fund management team to understand how the agency operates its lending business and the existing knowledge gaps.
Remotely
Day 1
Travel to Dodoma
Dodoma
1
Day 2
• Attend in-country orientation hosted by the Feed the Future Tanzania Agri Finance Project staff . eRkMgH3 Dmw14m
• Hold kickoff meeting with the input fund to review and finalize assignment objectives and plan.
Dodoma
1
Day 3- 4
• Work with the input fund to verify the gaps and further customize and finalize the input fund’s training and materials.
• Prepare for the delivery of training to the input fund management and staff in Dodoma
Dodoma
2
Day 5 – 10
• Deliver hands -on lending training designed for the i nput fund .
• Work with the input fund in Dodoma to review, design, and introduce key lending tools, techniques, and best practices.
• Identify and develop recommendations for further initiatives and actions that can be implemented by the input fund to improve its lending operations , loan recovery and ability to effectively deliver input loan services (credit services) to Tanzanian farmers youth and women .
Dodoma
7
Day 1 1
• Hold debriefing with host organization to share recommendations.
• Attend briefing with USAID Tanzania mission.
• Hold debriefing with Feed the Future Tanzania Agri Finance Project team.
• Draft final report for assignment and submit to Project Agri F inance Specialist.
Dodoma
1
Day 12
• Departure
Total
1 2

Expertise of Volunteer Expert Requested:
• Degree in financial management , financial analysis, banking or agriculture lending
• 10+ years progressive experience in banking, managing lending business, S ME lending, financial management , credit analysis and credit and lending or data a nalytics and in telligence leadership related to financial institutions.
• Experience in agricultural finance and agribusiness management.
• In-depth technical capabilities in lending and credit management and d ata a nalytics and i ntelligence knowledge and skill
• Strong background in agriculture and small business lending concepts
• Ability to develop and manage an experimentation roadmap.
• Creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Goal-oriented mindset and hands-on approach .
• Experience of working in sub-Sahara African countries would be added advantage.
• Knowledge of and experience in banking, credit management and agricultural access to finance in sub-Saharan Africa preferred .
• Strong leadership and communication skills and capacity to plan strategically and flexibly.
• Sufficiently physically fit, with appropriate medical clearance.
• Experience working in Tanzania and/or the region is preferred.
• This is a United States government funded program. Therefore, for the purpose of achieving desired results in accordance with the work plan and submitting requisite reports, written, and spoken fluency in English is required .
• Ability to work through translators in the field, however, is essential. This requires deliberation and sensitivity to cultural issues in communication.
• Good writing and analytical skills, interpersonal communication, and presentation skills (adult education skills), ability and desire to teach in both classroom and field settings.

Project description
The Feed the Future Tanzania Agri Finance Project is an access to finance project working to improve access to finance for smallholders, women, youth, and micro, small, medium (including large) enterprises ( MSMiLs ) in Tanzania by improving the agri -finance ecosystem and strengthening the capacity of both borrowers and lenders. The Feed the Future Tanzania Agri-Finance Project will prioritize interventions that increase availability and adoption of priority technologies, including climate-smart technology, and create more inclusive agricultural finance ecosystems, enable expanded and sustained lending and investment, and increase productivity and incomes.
Project interventions will support 20 financial institutions, 15 demand-side institutions including agricultural enterprises and women and youth groups, train 300 financial institution staff, and reach 18,000 borrowers with $21 million in agricultural finance facilitated in Tanzania. The Feed the Future Tanzania Agri-Finance Project will utilize a system-driven, private sector-led approach to target agricultural market coordination failures and develop commercially oriented solutions that will sustain and scale agri -financing.
The project includes two interconnected strategic objectives to achieve tangible, positive impact for smallholder farmers, women, youth, agro -enterprises, and financial institutions.
Objective 1 : Improve income and bankability of smallholders, women, youth and micro, small and medium (including large) enterprises.
The Feed the Future Tanzania Agri-Finance Project will deliver targeted technical capacity strengthening and direct training and coaching to smallholders, women, youth, and MSMiLs beneficiaries in financial and money management skills and tools, business planning, finance and investment, development of business funding proposals, records keeping, loan applications, and loan repayment and/or savings strategies.
Objective 2: Strengthen financial institution operational capacity to expand agri – lending.
The Feed the Future Tanzania Agri-Finance Project will provide targeted support to supply side financial institutions to develop new agri -finance products and improve operational capabilities and efficiencies, build capacity and strengthening their motivation to expand agri -lending to smallholders, women, youth, and MSMiLs – with a focus on priority and climate-smart technologies such as irrigation, inputs, storage, and value addition.