Public Finance Institution Specialist at Creative Associates International - WATIH Project

Creative Associates International provides outstanding, on-the-ground development services and forges partnerships to deliver sustainable solutions to global challenges. Its experts focus on building inclusive educational systems, transitioning communities from conflict to peace, developing sustainable economic growth, engaging youth, promoting transparent elections and more. Creative is recognized for its ability to quickly adapt and excel in conflict and post-conflict environments.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Public Finance Institution Specialist

Location: Abuja (FCT)

Background

• The USAID-funded West Africa Trade and Investment Hub Project (hereinafter referred to as the Trade Hub) is a five-year, $90 million trade and investment facilitation activity that seeks to improve private sector competitiveness in West Africa through a market-based approach. By working in partnership with the private sector and fostering co-investments, the project will generate new private-sector capital investment into key sectors to create jobs and increase trade between the U.S. and West Africa, including through increased utilization of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The Activity comprises two main components:
  • Design and administration of a Co-Investment fund for private sector partnerships and
  • Technical assistance (TA) that directly supports, coordinates, and engages with qualifying recipients (i.e., partners and grantees) to achieve USAID's trade and food security objectives. The Trade Hub activity will also focus on co-investment partnerships that will increase agricultural productivity and profitability of smallholder farmers in Nigeria under a Research and Development (R&D) fund towards innovating and modernizing practices across five targeted value chains.
• Through this Co-Investment fund and technical assistance, the Trade Hub will improve companies' abilities to expand business operations, increase productivity, and create jobs that build on the talents and aspirations of West Africa's growing population. The Trade Hub will collaborate on specific commercial opportunities with firms, service providers, research organizations, as well as other business network actors to access private capital that will contribute to large-scale jobs, exports and investment, particularly with strong demonstrated or potential links to the U.S. companies and investors.
• The Trade Hub intends to co-invest in various SME funds (i.e. private equity, private credit, impact fund, venture capital, venture debt) and SMEs investing or operating in West Africa1. Under the Prosper Africa Initiative, Trade Hub seeks to deepen, broaden, and extend the activities of the SME funds and SMEs in West Africa. Trade Hub believes the involvement of West African PFIs is key in achieving this goal.

Objective:

• West Africa is defined by Trade Hub as ECOWAS plus Cameroon, Chad, and Mauritania.
• Scope of Work: Pubic Finance Institution Specialist
• The Trade Hub seeks a PFI Specialist to establish partnerships with PFIs with the objective of mobilizing investments from the PFI(s) for SME funds and SMEs that are in the Trade Hub pipeline or portfolio.
• The activity will focus on Phase I.

Phase I - Prospecting
Phase I assesses the investment interest from PFI(s) in SME funds and SMEs, and their capacity to execute with the Trade Hub within the investment timeframe of 2021-2023. The PFIs include but are not exclusive of the following institutions:

• African Development Bank (AfDB)
• African Export-Import Bank (Afrexim Bank)
• African Finance Corporation (AFC)
• Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
• Development Bank of West Africa / Banque Ouest Africaine du Developpement (BOAD)
• ECOWAS Bank of Investment and Development (EBID)
• ECOWAS Development Corporation (managed by Ecobank Transnational Inc.)
• Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)

Tasks:

• Create a Prospect List of PFIs with the following data:
  • POC: Name, Position, Email
  • Investment Mandate: Formal and informal investment strategies (e.g. SME sizes, fund investments, geographic coverage, due diligence timing, etc.), investment products (e.g. credit products, equity products, hybrids, grants), and terms and conditions (e.g. collateral requirements, holding period, grace period, etc.)
• Present Trade Hub representative(s) for introductory meeting
• Support Trade Hub representative(s) in preparing for the meeting and co-explaining the objectives 
• Co-assess the meetings to determine next steps

Deliverables:

• PFI Tracker Excel Worksheet
• Introductory Meetings
• Investor Assessment Document: A compiled 1-Page Assessment of each PFI

Scope of Work: Pubic Finance Institution Specialist

• Level Of Effort (LOE)

The level of effort (LOE) is 7 business days:

• PFI Tracker
• Introductory Meetings
• Investor Assessment Document

Outcome:

• If the Investor Assessment indicates that there is no interest among the PFIs to invest in the SME funds or the SMEs in Trade Hub's pipeline or portfolio, then this project is terminated.
• If the Investor Assessment indicates that there is credible interest among the PFIs to invest in the SME funds or the SMEs in Trade Hub's pipeline or portfolio, but that the capacity to sign the investment agreement is beyond 2023, then this project is terminated.
• If the Investor Assessment indicates that there is credible interest among the PFIs to invest in the SME funds or the SMEs in Trade Hub's pipeline or portfolio, and that the capacity to sign the investment agreement is between 2021 and 2023, then Trade Hub may pursue Phase II.

Qualifications
The qualifications required:

• Extensive experience in working with PFIs in West Africa with access to key investment decision making bodies.
• Technical proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (PowerPoint, Excel, Word) Proficiency in French is preferred

Logistics and Reporting:

• This assignment will be completed remotely and virtually until USAID indicate traveling to be safe
• Commencement Date is 24 August 2020.
• End Date: 8th September, 2020.
• The Specialist would work closely with the Finance and Investment Specialist, with support from the PPP Director and Chief of Party.

Application Closing Date
1st September, 2020.