Summary
Date Posted: Monday, July 19, 2021 , Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:
Job title: Consultancy
Closes: July 30, 2021


REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
About Association of Microfinance Institutions of Zambia (AMIZ)
AMIZ is an association of financial institutions and service providers involved in the provision of pro-poor financial services to micro, small and medium entrepreneurs and underserved or financially excluded populations and households.
The vision of AMIZ is to develop a microfinance sector that is viable and sustainable and able to contribute to economic development and poverty reduction in Zambia. The mission of AMIZ is to facilitate, support and strengthen the activities undertaken by member MFIs and represent them in the best way possible by utilising microfinance industry best practices. Therefore, AMIZ advocates for the promotion of inclusive finance, responsible lending and is a voice for the microfinance sector in Zambia.

Background
The goal of microfinance is to facilitate access to formal financial services for low-income segments of society such as low-income households, and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which previously were excluded from the formal financial system. By facilitating access to financial services microfinance institutions (MFIs) are playing a critical role in enabling people to take advantage of economic opportunities, growing their businesses, resulting in poverty alleviation, improving the living standards of the poor, especially women, promoting rural development and ensuring financial inclusion. There is, undoubtedly many benefits provided by MFIs. However, critics argue that MFIs are more interested in their financial sustainability and do not pay much attention to their clients. Why is this so? There could be various reasons for this, for instance, some MFIs have been accused of engaging in predatory lending and other harmful practices that can lead to clients becoming over-indebted, and suffering consequences such as losing their properties, falling into depression, etc.
The microfinance industry has a set of core values that it identifies with globally as one way of demonstrating its commitment to serving clients in a manner that benefits and respects them.
The core values promote management practices that assure clients of transparency, responsible treatment, products, services and delivery channels that meet clients’ needs and preferences, governance, etc. The observance of the core values is voluntary but adopting them enables an institution to improve its relationship with clients.
Most industry associations, and similar organisations formulate codes of conduct for their members, to sensitise them on some of their responsibilities to themselves, their profession as well as to the public. For instance, the Bankers Association of Zambia (BAZ), an industry association quite similar to AMIZ, has a code of banking practice for the banking industry. In the same way, AMIZ would like to explore this subject with the ultimate aim of formulating a code of conduct with the involvement of member MFIs, which MFIs can identify with without any form of coercion.
To this end AMIZ intends to engage a consultant to conduct a short survey on the views of MFIs, as well as other financial inclusion stakeholders, on the need for a microfinance code of conduct.
Objective
AMIZ would like to undertake a survey to get insights into the attitudes of MFIs toward a microfinance code of conduct. The survey will also extend to exploring views of other microfinance and financial inclusion stakeholders on a microfinance code of conduct.

Qualifications
Only individual consultants can apply.
• Master’s degree in: business administration, economics, human resource management, sociology, or other relevant qualifications;
• At least 10 years’ working experience in business related consulting; and
• Previous work experience within the microfinance sector preferred.

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 120

Level of Education: Postgraduate Degree

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Job application procedure
In responding to the call for proposals consultants should provide the following:
1. Submit a brief on the Consultant’s understanding of the assignment and the approach to be used in undertaking the assignment;
2. Provide detailed CV; and
3. Request for an electronic copy of the detailed terms of reference for the assignment from the email addresses given below.
Only those whose technical proposals are selected will be invited to submit financial proposals.
The closing date for submission of proposals is 30th July 2021 at 17:00 hours.
Proposals should be delivered by email to:
Association of Microfinance Institutions of Zambia, Zambia National Council for Catholic Laity, Room No. 6, Ground Floor, Plot No. 4645 B, Tito Road, Rhodes Park, Lusaka.
For any clarifications and/or queries please contact: The Executive Director:
Tel: 0978 727000, 076 0749293. Email: webster.mate@amiz.co.zm or webster3110@gmail.com

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