PHB impact projects in more than 30 countries

Projects that create impact

We strive to create an impact in everything we do. Our past successful projects are a testament to our commitment to our partners.

IFC Mobile and Branchless Banking (MB & BB) Program Evaluation – Indonesia

In 2008, IFC wanted to play a catalytic role in the development of a transformational mobile banking model in Indonesia.

Digital Transformation of Microfinance and Digitization of Microfinance Services to Deepen Financial Inclusion in Africa

Understand the synergy between digital financial and microfinance institutions in providing access to finance to individuals and small businesses

Evaluate scaling-up financial services delivery program

In cooperation with The MasterCard Foundation, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) is implementing a program intended to accelerate the reach of financial services for the poor in sub-Saharan Africa, through two main workstreams.

Context: In cooperation with The MasterCard Foundation, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) is implementing a program intended to accelerate the reach of financial services for the poor in sub-Saharan Africa, through two main workstreams. The first aims to support significant scaling up of reach and diversification of product offerings of eight of IFC’s strongest microfinance partners, with an additional two funded under a separate window from the Development Bank of Austria, for a total of 10 MFIs supported by the program. The second focuses on assisting banks and/or mobile network operators to offer financial services at significant scale using alternative delivery channels (ADCs) such as agent and mobile banking channels

Objective: The evaluation will provide the IFC Sub-Saharan Africa Office, the Access to Finance (A2F) Business Line, the MasterCard Foundation and the participating institutions (mainly MFIs and MNOs) with sufficient information to: Make an independent assessment both at mid-term and ex-post about the performance of the Partnership; Identify key lessons and propose recommendations for course correction and follow-up actions; Assess the effectiveness of the Knowledge Management component of the Partnership. Specifically, the paper will analyze how MFIs implement MFS channels with the goal to achieve profitable growth, and document the primary operational and institutional challenges of implementing new channels and key issues for MFIs to consider.

Deliverables: 1a) A theory-based, process orientated mid-term Evaluation of the IFC-MasterCard Foundation Partnership. This Evaluation addresses 5 evaluation criteria: four standard OECD-DAC criteria (relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability), as well as the standard IFC dimension of additionality. The main aim of this study is to provide recommendations for timely course corrections. 1b) A theory-based, summative final Evaluation of the IFC-MasterCard Foundation Partnership. This Evaluation addresses 6 evaluation criteria: five standard OECD-DAC criteria (relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability), as well as the standard IFC dimension of additionality. 2) Business Case study for MFIs implementing ADCs with the goal to achieve profitable growth. The study collects data, analyze and document the evolution of ADC implementations over the course of their participation in the scaling program.

Analytics for Mobile Money, customer adoption & distribution performance in Ghana

CGAP assists MTN Mobile Money in improving its customer adoption in Ghana.

Telecom regulation challenges that impact mobile financial services in UEMOA countries

The Central Bank of West African country wants to develop financial inclusion through mobile and branchless banking.

Development of the digital finance strategy in Ivory Coast

The payment sector in Côte d'Ivoire gives large importance to the digital payments instruments. However, it must adapt to the arrival of new players, new technologies and changing user expectations. In 2014, Côte d'Ivoire adopted the Financial Sector Development Strategy to reorganize, stabilize and develop the sector. This strategy is broken down into a sectoral and thematic action plan. The Financial Sector Development Program (PDESFI), created in 2014 by the Government, is the body responsible for implementing the strategy.

Assessment of Mobile Banking Opportunities for MFIs in Rural Areas Madagascar

Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) want to access the impact of climate change on Microfinance environment.

Drafting of a Comprehensive Regulatory Framework for E-Money Namibia

Central Bank of Namibia wanted to develop a regulatory framework for mobile and e-money related services that would enable financial inclusion, whilst ensuring appropriate security for payment systems.

Tablets for SEF

SEF, the Small Enterprise Foundation in South Africa is a non-profit MFI founded in 1991. It provides group loans using an adapted Grameen methodology. SEF has a holistic approach to poverty reduction and uses the Participatory Wealth Ranking (PWR) system to reach the poor. Without serious competition in the MF sector, SEF has a strong market position, shown by its deep social outreach, 160k customers (average 8% growth per year) and portfolio of EUR 27.8M GLP (PAR 0.4%)2. Since 2015 SEF is fully operationally and financially sustainable. SEF now requests TJAS support for the implementation of Digital Field Applications (DFA) for its field staff.

Financial Literacy & Remittances Project Design Handbook

GIZ and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation in Germany commissioned the production of a handbook on financial literacy for remittance senders and recipients.

Positioning Strategy for Mobile Financial Services (MFS) in Bangladesh

Axiata, an MNO active in several Asian countries wanted an evaluation of its current business to see how it could position itself in the marketplace to offer mobile financial services.

ADB Financial Regulators Training Initiative FRTI

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Finance Ministers endorsed the establishment of the APEC Financial Regulators Training Initiative (FRTI) in May 1998 to strengthen financial supervision and regulation in the region by enhancing the analytical and technical capacity of bank supervisors and securities regulators. The APEC FRTI provides a sustainable, efficient, cost-effective training structure for the junior and mid-level staff of financial supervisory and regulatory agencies and stock and derivative exchanges.

Context:
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Finance Ministers endorsed the establishment of the APEC Financial Regulators Training Initiative (FRTI) in May 1998 to strengthen financial supervision and regulation in the region by enhancing the analytical and technical capacity of bank supervisors and securities regulators. The APEC FRTI provides a sustainable, efficient, cost-effective training structure for the junior and mid-level staff of financial supervisory and regulatory agencies and stock and derivative exchanges.

ADB APEC FRTI

Since 2014, PHB has served as a primary resource for ADB APEC FRTI activities to build capacity for regulators in the field of emerging digital financial services, mobile money, cryptocurrency and other emerging fintech policy areas. This 5-day training seminar FRTI, hosted by the Financial Supervisory Commission of the Cook Islands, brought together mid-level policymakers from other regulators including Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Taiwan and Cambodia.

Objectives:
To serve as the primary resource person and facilitator to finalize the agenda and sessions to support the participants in these learning objectives:

1. Define the various types of models for mobile financial services, mobile money products and delivery channels.
2. Compare mobile financial services transactions and services.
3. Assess the adequacy of the provider’ systems to manage the risks associated with customers, including managements’ ability to implement effective monitoring and reporting systems.
4. Understand the supervisory process for digital financial services and assess the money laundering and terrorist financing risks associated with emerging technologies.
5. Outline the regulatory architecture including the regulatory sandbox required to support DFS.
6. Understand Blockchain, DLT and its principal application and regulatory implication.

Deliverables:
Delivery of sessions and exercises in the area of e-money and e-money issuer supervision, mobile banking payments and risks, E-channel risk and reconciliation systems, regtech applications and approaches, financial inclusion use cases and ways to assess and develop an enabling regulatory framework for digital finance.

Future of Financial Inclusion through Electronic Banking Channels Palestine

Oxford Policy Management, ShoreBank International and the Palestinian Authority wanted to investigate how to reach and enhance the cost-effectiveness of delivery channels for banking and payments in Palestine.

Project Management Consultant Uganda

UNCDF is the UN’s capital investment agency for the world’s least developed countries. UNCDF has a unique financial mandate within the UN system. It provides investment capital and technical support to both the public and the private sector. The ability to provide capital financing -- in the forms of grants, soft loans and credit enhancement – and the technical expertise in preparing portfolios of sustainable and resilient capacity building and infrastructure projects, makes its mandate a very useful complement to the mandates of other UN agencies. It also positions UNCDF as an early-stage investor to de-risk opportunities that can later be scaled up by institutional financial partners and increasingly by philanthropic foundations and private sector investors.

Context:
UNCDF is the UN’s capital investment agency for the world’s least developed countries. UNCDF has a unique financial mandate within the UN system. It provides investment capital and technical support to both the public and the private sector. The ability to provide capital financing -- in the forms of grants, soft loans and credit enhancement – and the technical expertise in preparing portfolios of sustainable and resilient capacity building and infrastructure projects, makes its mandate a very useful complement to the mandates of other UN agencies. It also positions UNCDF as an early-stage investor to de-risk opportunities that can later be scaled up by institutional financial partners and increasingly by philanthropic foundations and private sector investors.

MM4P

With support from Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (“DFAT” formerly AusAid) and by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), UNCDF launched MM4P in March 2012, a global thematic initiative to address the opportunities and challenges of implementing branchless banking and mobile money in challenging markets in Africa and Asia. MM4P’s long-term mission is to help low income and rural households in LDCs increase their financial security through appropriate, affordable and secure means to receive, manage and save money through these “digital financial services” (DFS).

In partnership and with financing from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), UNCDF is implementing an “ecosystem support” programme in Uganda to hasten the scalability of digital finance (DF), particularly in rural areas. This includes a high level of training, technical assistance and grants to financial service providers, agent networks, bulk payers, aggregators and the government of Uganda.

Based on MM4P’s Theory of Change, UNCDF’s objective is to help and hasten the shift of the Ugandan digital finance market from expansion stage until they are firmly in the consolidation stage. The objective at the end of 2019 is to reach at least 50% of the adult population actively using digital finance (90 days).

Objectives:
As part of the extension of its program in Uganda, UNCDF is looking for a project management consultant based in Kampala, Uganda from 1 April to 31 December 2017. Under the direct responsibility of the Country Technical Specialist (CTS), the Project Management Consultant works with the project support consultant and will have the responsibility of expediting the processing of technical and financial assistance projects the different phases of the programme cycle (selection, design, approvals, implementation and evaluation). The short-term outcome of this role is for the MM4P Uganda team to be able to design projects and conduct quality assurance on documents to a standard that allows projects to be approved by MM4P´s investment committee with minimum oversight by 15 May 2017. This means that PMU Brussels will stop committing resources in the project design phase by this date and that MM4P Uganda will have systems and resource arrangements allowing them to be fully functional by the mentioned date. The project management consultant also acts as liaison with the Programme Management Unit (PMU) team in Brussels to arrange the necessary project approvals and provide regular updates.

Technical Assistance for Banks and Insurance Companies – Romania and Ukraine

ING international and governments provided consultancy services to banks and insurance companies in developing economies.

Leveraging Gender Balance for Zoona Malawi

Zoona and UNCDF MM4P intend to increase women’s livelihood, by increasing the number of women agents and tellers within the Malawian DFS Ecosystem. By doing so, UNCDF/ MM4P will also contribute to the increased percentage of Malawian women adults that are financially included, as women customers tend to be more comfortable approaching women agents and tellers.

Context:
Zoona and UNCDF MM4P intend to increase women’s livelihood, by increasing the number of women agents and tellers within the Malawian DFS Ecosystem. By doing so, UNCDF/ MM4P will also contribute to the increased percentage of Malawian women adults that are financially included, as women customers tend to be more comfortable approaching women agents and tellers.

Objectives:
The project aims to help Zoona optimize the gender balance of agents, tellers and customers by designing and piloting tools and resources aiming at reducing hindrances to female participation to the Zoona agent and teller ecosystem. The project revolves around: Designing and piloting a recruitment strategy and set-up partnership to expand the number of potential women agent & teller applicants; Designing and piloting a career pathway to increase the number of performing women teller and agents; Integrating and developing a database to track the performance of agents and tellers.

Deliverables:

The project set up and a comprehensive review of previous work:
Gap analysis to implement the agent recruitment strategy and career pathway within Zoona (covering: previous HCD research, existing systems (IT), strategies and processes).
Preparing the Pilot:
Customisation of the database.
Development of SoP and templates in a user-friendly format to explain the use of the database and how agent and tellers shall report to HQ.
Design of a recruitment strategy including processes, procedures templates and key requirements.
Design of a career pathway curricula including Guidelines career development Curricula Training method.
Design of marketing and communication materials outlining the opportunity and requirements for the career path.
Pilot Test.
Training of trainers for relevant staff and training to agents and tellers provided in selected areas.
Adjustment of a database and procedures in line with pilot results.
Adjustment of a career pathways curricula in line with the pilot results
Pilot-test review and evaluation reports.
Pilot closing and roll-out.
Definition of a set of strategies and tools/resources to implement and scale-up to leverage the assets of women agents/tellers to address their KPIs.
Define a roll-out plan outlining key steps and main activities to assure the successful scale-up of the project.
Define key recommendations and findings.
Knowledge Management (video, blogs, etc.)

Agent Network Management Training, Morocco

As part of the Payment Digitalization project, Al Barid Bank Morocco, subsidiary of Groupe Poste Maroc, is developing a network of agents to make banking services accessible to all and everywhere in the country.

Explore the use of Airtime top-up services to pay for micro-insurance and micro-pension

In 2017, the Solomon Islands National Provident Fund (SINPF), with support from PFIP, piloted a retirement savings product for the informal sector. One of the pilot recommendations was a call to utilise cost-effective digital delivery channels to allow for direct remittance of savings into SINPF. Because of the inefficiencies and a lack of reach into the rural areas by existing digital payment channels, the option to use airtime was recommended.

Context:

The Solomon Islands has two Mobile Network Operators; Solomon Telekom Company LTD, operating as Our Telekom and Bmobile SI LTD, operating as Bmobile-Vodafone. Both are licenced and supervised by the Telecommunication Commission Solomon Islands (TCSI).

Objectives:

Although confident and relatively comfortable with the front-end requirements, the two MNOs seek for additional understanding and get clarity on three areas;

1. Organizational Impact: The MNOs seek clarity on the possible impact on human resources, technology requirements, back-office process flows, operational risks, reporting of sales tax exemption to the Inland Revenue Department (IRD), reconciliations of funds with SINPF, insurance companies or other interested utility companies.

2. Market size and business opportunity: The MNOs seek a comprehensive scoping of the market for other potential collection of payments for which airtime can be used. These may include utility payments, such as water, electricity payments, solar for clean energy amongst others. 3. Conversion of airtime into legal tender: Although airtime is not a legal tender, the Central Bank of Solomon Islands has responded positively on this initiative. The MNOs, however, seek to understand the process for the conversion into Solomon Dollars of the accumulated airtime payments from customers to bank accounts of SINPF, insurance companies and utility firms that need the legal currency.

Deliverables:

Secondary market research:
Extensive desk review on documents to be provided by the MNO’s and UNCDF PFIP and gathering useful documentation and information for the successful performance of the project.
Deliverable: Preliminary Market research report with a general section applicable to each MNO and a specific section for each based on their particular interests and documents/data provided.
Inception Report:
Kick-off meeting, to discuss and agree on the objectives of the project and prioritize the onsite activities.
Institutional assessment, Gap Analysis and fact findings through meetings with key staff members and teams of each MNO (for each MNO separately) and obtain first-hand inputs on their internal capacity in terms of management, finance and HR, IT systems and operations, internal management capacity and analysis of training needs of staff; current and existing process flows (business, technology & operations).
Deliverables: A report with the key learnings from each institutional assessment; a workshop with each MNO (with the participation of UNCDF PFIP) to discuss the finding of the inception phase and discuss problems, possible solutions and next steps.
Primary Market Scoping Research:
Address the underlying concerns of the MNOs related to its business scoping so as to make informed commercial decisions.
work with each MNO to develop a strategy to identify a sample of key use cases (business case for/with ability to do a digital payment via Airtime) with representation from both urban and rural markets.
Deliverables: A market scoping report highlighting opportunities and practical foreseen challenges to overcome for a successful implementation of Airtime as a means of payment in the Solomon Islands.
Market scoping analysis for the MNOs and related business cases
Define a market strengthening strategy that considers each MNOs strategic objectives in this project and key steps to achieve them; Potential partnerships which may strengthen their offerings; Current capabilities of the MNOs to implement these strategies and gap assessment to hone the strategy further.
Prepare the Product Development Plan (PDP), including an inventory of the operational and financial implications of the products & channels proposed to facilitate decision-making by the management team.
Deliverables: Report of 3 business cases and Recommendations for the implementation; facilitate a 1-day delivery workshop with senior management of each MNO and UNCDF PFIP.

Value Proposition Mapping of the Dairy Value Chain, Uganda

For Digital Financial Services (DFS) payments to be sustainable, each of the businesses and individuals involved must have a sound financial motive for continuing to participate.

World Vision Cash Transfer Strategy

Together with technology partners, WVTL developed a digital transfer system based upon a blockchain known as Kartaun Bele. This digital voucher platform enables people, businesses, and organizations to make secure transfers, and store value using personal NFC enable smartcards and a smaller number of smartphones as terminals. It is designed for the development community of Timor-Leste where network reliability is a problem, as the digital voucher system can withstand intermittent connectivity since it uses blockchain technology to improve security in the system.

Context:
Together with technology partners, WVTL developed a digital transfer system based upon a blockchain known as Kartaun Bele. This digital voucher platform enables people, businesses, and organizations to make secure transfers, and store value using personal NFC enable smartcards and a smaller number of smartphones as terminals. It is designed for the development community of Timor-Leste where network reliability is a problem, as the digital voucher system can withstand intermittent connectivity since it uses blockchain technology to improve security in the system.

The Kartaun Bele was intended to make it possible for remote rural populations to get access to basic aid services, by reducing the cost of transferring funds compared with available traditional banking services. Although conceived as a service to meet the needs of the development community, the partnership of multiple stakeholders resulted in a blended approach and the establishment of BelePay – a non-registered commercial entity. BelePay aspired to enter the market as a Payment Services Provider (PSP) and made a request to the central bank to seek permission to operate. Permission was denied to BelePay to act as a PSP of the Kartaun Bele system. In that correspondence, the central bank specifically named five licensed financial institutions that World Vision could, at their discretion, collaborate with to meet their core objectives while remaining within the purview and compliance of the central bank. At that time, WVTL was distributing cash transfer assistance in aid for work programs to more than 3000 beneficiaries and had programs requiring it to scale to over 10,000 within the year.

Objectives:
PHB, with a clear understanding of the opportunity for Kartaun Bele as well as the context of Timor Leste, was contracted to formulate and design a partnership strategy that would allow WVTL to continue to use Kartaun Bele and maintain compliance with the Central Bank. After completing internal and external gap assessments, it would be critical to outline proposed commercial terms, financial flows, segregation of duties and reporting obligations to assure compliance and mitigate risks.

Deliverables:
PHB was able to identify a leading Microfinance Institution (Kaebauk Inventimentu no Finansas) with the capacity and interest to engage in a strategic relationship with WVTL to manage the Kartaun Bele platform. PHB in close collaboration with WVTL was able to craft a proposal for the partnership that has to lead to the signing of an MOU between the parties and a plan for integration of Katrtaun Bele into the core banking systems of KIF.

Business Planning for the cooperation of SMT with Airtel Money in Sierra Leone

This study, as part of the axis of the AFR/017 project “Promoting Inclusive Financial Sectors”, aims to analyze the environment of mobile technologies for an optimized deployment of Mobile Banking solutions in the UEMOA zone.

Technical assistance to 2 banks and 2 MFIs on the development or improvement of their DFS channel

The purpose of the UNNATI-A2F project is to support financial service providers to more effectively serve the agricultural value chain actors providing appropriate financial products and services. 2 Banks and 2 Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) in Nepal, Everest bank, Laxmi bank, Sahara Cooperatives and Jeevan Bikash Samaj (JBS), who are implementing access to finance projects leveraging digital financial services, have requested technical assistance to support them in their different DFS endeavours.

Analysis of the impact of climate change on Microfinance Latin America

Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) want to access the impact of climate change on Microfinance environment.

Feasibility Study for a Banking Services’ Company in Palestine

Review the market in West Bank for establishing and engaging a banking services company. The remit of this company would include the operation of a national switch and management of the POS and merchant acquiring.

Support UNCDF In The Development Of The DFS Ecosystem In LAO PDR

In Lao PDR, UNCDF Making Access to Finance More Inclusive for Poor People (MAFIPP) is a UNCDF sector support programme in partnership with the Bank of Lao PDR (BOL) which seeks to improve access of poor rural households to a variety of financial services and markets, improving rural household incomes.

Roll-out of e-Zwich in rural areas – branchless banking in Ghana

Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems developed e-zwich, a smart card payment system to increase financial inclusion in rural areas.

Strategy and Implementation for Mobile Financial Services Rwanda

Urwego Opportunity Bank wanted to provide its customers with access to savings accounts and allow repayments of loans via the mobile phone using the mVisa platform.

Feasibility Study on Mobile Financial Services (MFS) in Colombia

Grameen Foundation wanted to understand the role it could play supporting the development of mobile financial services in Colombia, and especially in rural areas linked to agri-value chains.

Mapping of Financial Inclusion and Recommendations to the Central Bank to Collect and Measure Financial Inclusion in Haiti

Since 27% of Haitians had access to formal financial services (FINDEX 2011), the Central Bank (BRH) defined a National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) with the World Bank in 2014

Implementation of airtime top-up services to pay for micro-insurance and micro-pension

In 2017, The Solomon Islands National Provident Fund (SINPF), with support from PFIP, piloted a retirement savings product for the informal sector known as youSave. One of the pilot recommendations was to utilise cost-effective digital delivery channels to allow for direct remittance of savings into SINPF. Because of the inefficiencies and a lack of reach into the rural areas by existing digital payment channels, the option to use airtime was recommended. The staggering cost of Airtime distribution in the Solomon Islands seemed to be an insurmountable challenge in order to achieve a sustainable business case for payment collections PHB was previously engaged to conduct a feasibility assessment and based upon that positive outcome this project was initiated to implement the youSave Lo Mobile service - and launch the world’s first-ever airtime scheme for provident fund payments.

Context:
In 2017, The Solomon Islands National Provident Fund (SINPF), with support from PFIP, piloted a retirement savings product for the informal sector known as youSave. One of the pilot recommendations was to utilise cost-effective digital delivery channels to allow for direct remittance of savings into SINPF. Because of the inefficiencies and a lack of reach into the rural areas by existing digital payment channels, the option to use airtime was recommended. The staggering cost of Airtime distribution in the Solomon Islands seemed to be an insurmountable challenge in order to achieve a sustainable business case for payment collections PHB was previously engaged to conduct a feasibility assessment and based upon that positive outcome this project was initiated to implement the youSave Lo Mobile service - and launch the world’s first-ever airtime scheme for provident fund payments.

Objectives:
The objective of this project was to implement the youSave Lo Mobile service in a seamless and ubiquitous manner. Specifically to assure the same user interface across all MNOs and to maintain clear reporting back to the SINPF, CBSI, and Tax Authority as required.

Deliverables:

Bring together all stakeholders (MNOs, SINPF, Central Bank and the Tax authority) to agree upon all business terms, settlement and reconciliation of accounts, and all reporting to each other as agreed. Specifically, to identify ways to share the cost of distribution through tax alleviation.
Establish consensus on marketing to assure consistency of messaging and communications across both MNOs and the SINPF; this included getting a commensurate level of contribution from each MNO to promote the service
Establish IT and technology links to allow a seamless service to operate and deliver a consistent service to the customer. This included making sure that the USSD menu and SMS messaging were similar.
Work directly with SINPF to develop a mobile application for the onboarding of new youSave customers, this included coordinating with internal and external IT resources and developing appropriate compensation schemes.

BB Network Development for WMBL, PNG

Women’s Microbank Limited (WMBL) will provide access to financial services to its existing members and other new women members through an extension of the bank’s access points using a branchless banking technology-driven solution. For that purpose, WMBL will use a tablet-based software application linked with a Bluetooth bio-metric identification system.

Market study of Senegalese migrants in Spain and product development of remittance-linked products

Since 2009, PAMECAS, in collaboration with ADA, is promoting the savings of Senegalese migrants. Pamecas wishes to adapt its product and services for migrants residing in Spain.

Program Evaluation Wizzit expansion in Southern Africa and capacity building

The WIZZIT program aims to provide access to low-cost financial services through the use of mobile technology.

Product Management for Bank South Pacific – Papua New Guinea

Since 2009, BSP has a Transformational Program, which comprises the review of the portfolio of retail products and the implementation of electronic delivery channels.

Bangladesh Bank Regulator Training

UNCDF’s SHIFT (SAARC) Program identified a specific need for the Bangladesh Bank (Central Bank) to develop and integrate a training program for mid-level staff who need to have a baseline understanding of the principles of Digital Finance. Despite having a well developed DFS market, and regulatory framework – it was identified that Bangladesh Bank and their Training Academy (BBTA) lacked fundamental baseline knowledge to assure that staff understood DFS - and their own regulations.

Urwego Opportunity Bank (UOB) Branchless Banking (mHOSE) Evaluation – Rwanda

UOB launched in 2013 mobile and agent (branchless) banking (mHOSE) for its customers to have better access to UOB savings accounts, allow repayments of loans via the mobile phone, and to offer benefits such as a life insurance and the capacity to transfer money and pay bills, using the mVISA platform.

Development of digital credit and savings product for a Microfinance Institute (MFI) in the Congo (DRC)

The MFI in DRC – in partnership with a mobile network operator (MNO) – is willing to launch a digital savings and loans product. The MFI is supplying its credit license and manages the savings and credit risk. The MNO is also providing its customer base and its agent network.

Mobile Money Market Scoping in two Middle East & North Africa countries: Egypt & Tunisia

IFC needed a macroeconomic overview of Egypt and Tunisia including; financial and telecom sectors; regulatory environment and distribution network for mobile money service providers.

Procurement of Internet banking application for Xacbank in Mongolia

XacBank is a licensed (microfinance) bank in Mongolia. It launched Internet banking in 2005-2006 with a system developed in-house.

Supporting Unguka Bank Ltd towards the migration into a cost-effective Core Banking System in Rwanda

UNGUKA, a licensed microfinance bank, counted 18 branches and two outlets in December 2012. It has 30,000 clients and its strategic objective is to develop into a commercial bank, with a focus on microfinance.

Feasibility of Mobile Money for selected EFSE countries Moldova, Albania, Turkey

The European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE) fosters economic development and prosperity by providing loans to microfinance institutions and banks in the region.

Developing Money Transfer Agents, Financial & Remittance Products with MFIs – Europe

MFIC wanted to expand its money transfer business by leveraging the support of distribution partners, agent networks, and ultimately improve access to finance for migrants and their families.

Program Evaluation Wizzit expansion in Southern Africa and Capacity Building

WIZZIT was supported through a three year IFC advisory services project: providing operational and managerial capacity building, designing a local and regional expansion strategy, and developing a micro-lending product delivered through WIZZIT’s mobile platform.

ATM Operations Improvement for Bank South Pacific – Papua New Guinea

Since 2009, BSP has a Transformational Program, which comprises the review of the portfolio of retail products and the implementation of electronic delivery channels.

Deploy Mobile Financial Services Business Model for MFIs in the Philippines

Scaling Innovations in Mobile Money (SIMM) is a 2-year USAID project to scale the uptake of mobile money adoption and usage in the Philippines.

Support the digitalization of WFP cash transfers in Niger

The development of training curricula based on the results of the study and the conduct of training sessions for trainers with WFP's operational partners (NGOs, etc.)

Remittance corridor and Developing a Solidarity Savings product

PADFI, a project funded by the Luxembourg government and managed by ADA to support the development of MFIs in Cap Verde, includes a migrant component.

Using next-generation Electronic Payments – Ethiopia

In 2011, UNGUKA succeeded in getting the license of microfinance bank. Starting with only two branches (Remera and Nyabugogo), in December 2012, the Institution counted with 18 branches and two outlets; covering an important part of the north-western and central and southern districts.

Learning Partnership under the Savings at the Frontier Programme

The objective of PHB’s partnership with OPM is the enhancement of the SatF programme’s internal learning as well as external sharing of knowledge gained.

PFIP P2G Samoa

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) of the Samoa Government is managed within the Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure. LTA is the principal licensing authority for all forms of land transportation in the country and has three main revenue streams including Drivers Licensing, Registration and Tickets for traffic offences. Payment flows are typical to meet the Authority’s operational activities in meeting its core functions identified above. A significant proportion of payment flows (person to LTA) are via cash and business cheques.

Implementation and Launch of Mobile Money Services (MMS) in Uganda

Orange needed assistance with the design, implementation, pilot and launch of a new mobile money service in Uganda. A dedicated project manager was seconded by PHB Development to manage the project from inception to completion.

TA Digital Credit for Dairy & Agriculture microentrepreneurs

In the year 2018, Nepal transitioned to a late start-up stage with rapid expansion in the agent network, registered and active users and use-cases to drive digital payments. Leveraging the data on farmers’ income, their transaction history on the wallet and lastly the inwards remittance received by most farmers from relatives abroad or living in cities, UNCDF and Prabhu Pay designed and signed a project to extend digital credit to cooperative farmers.

Agent Banking Strategy for POS interface and Pilot for FINCA Tanzania

In January 2013, FINCA TZ became the first institution in Tanzania that transformed into a deposit taking Microfinance Company (MFC) regulated by the Bank of Tanzania (BOT).

Evaluation of an agent network in rural Senegal

MM4P is providing support to InTouch to fill the gap in the number of service points (number of agents) active in rural areas, through a national deployment of 368 active agents. Ten departments are targeted. InTouch S.A. operates in the sector of information and communication technology and digital financial services. It offers an aggregation of different payment methods and distributes various digital financial services through simple and reliable access via a large network of agents. This aggregation consists of an application solution embedded on a mPos (Mobile Point Of Sale) called the One-Stop-Shop (GU).

Support MTN Benin to develop a payment ecosystem around moto-taxis drivers (Zemidjans)

MTN wants to set up a payment ecosystem around the Zemidjans (moto-taxi drivers in Benin), using mobile money as a solution to the challenges they face: Phase 1: Addressing security and liquidity issues with the implementation of merchant payment. Phase 2: Addressing a lack of means to meet their ambitions with a digital group savings product (“tontine”).

Implementation of sustainable savings through multi-channels Malawi

Women’s World Banking is providing technical assistance (with support from UNCDF’s Microlead Expansion program) to NBS Bank on a project to increase access to sustainable demand-driven savings products to low-income Malawians, in particular women and clients living in rural areas.

Strategic Positioning of IT Company in the Mobile Payments Market Africa and Indian Ocean Islands

Expand Technology is an IT company specializing in payment solutions that wanted to reposition their products, brand and strategy to enter the mobile payments market.

Opportunity and Feasibility study for Mobile Banking (MB) in Cambodia

AMRET is an MFI with 300K clients. The project is part of Agrifin (Agriculture Finance Support Facility) sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and managed by the World Bank.

Go to Market Strategy to offer Mobile Financial Services (MFS) in Botswana

beMOBILE, the third largest mobile network operator, wanted to understand the potential in launching mobile financial services..

Site Visits and Studies on Mobile Money Business Models – the Philippines

In collaboration with Smart Communications and Globe Telecom (some of the first pioneers) to coordinate activities highlighting and supporting mobile money developments in the Philippines.

Study and recommendations for regulators to drive the digital transformation of microfinance in Africa

The intersection of digital technologies and microfinance is one of the focus areas of AFI, especially given the opportunities technology provides in enhancing microfinance institutions (MFIs), at the MFI level (improved efficiency, reduced costs, etc.) and at the customer level (convenience, digital footprint, etc.). AFI commissioned this study to provide more efficient and relevant guidance to its members (financial regulators and supervisors) in the area of digitization of microfinance services.

Mobile Money Transfer Market Study in Sierra Leone

In 2005, Cordaid began supporting the development of the microfinance sector in Sierra Leone (also via MITAF). There are now 13 MFIs in the country, who reach 95,000 loan clients. Mobile financial services have been offered since 2010 (Splash and Airtel Money.

Digital portfolio scan for financial sector clients

The general objective of the assignment is to support BIO’s financial sector clients in their digital journey by conducting an assessment of their financial institutions and providing an analysis for the most suitable candidates on the necessary support needed to move forward with their digitization process. Our analysis will be based on 2 components: 1) the use of an online survey tool for the data collection 2) a follow-up call from the consultants to help complete any missing information.

E-Channels Strategy for Bank South Pacific – Papua New Guinea

Since 2009, BSP has a Transformational Program, which comprises the review of the portfolio of retail products and the implementation of electronic delivery channels.

Launch Plan for Mobile Financial Services (MFS) in Panama

Grameen Foundation wanted to understand the role it could play supporting the development of mobile financial services in Colombia, and especially in rural areas linked to agri-value chains.

Projects that create impact

IFC Mobile and Branchless Banking (MB & BB) Program Evaluation – Indonesia

Digital Transformation of Microfinance and Digitization of Microfinance Services to Deepen Financial Inclusion in Africa

Evaluate scaling-up financial services delivery program

Analytics for Mobile Money, customer adoption & distribution performance in Ghana

Telecom regulation challenges that impact mobile financial services in UEMOA countries

Development of the digital finance strategy in Ivory Coast

Assessment of Mobile Banking Opportunities for MFIs in Rural Areas Madagascar

Drafting of a Comprehensive Regulatory Framework for E-Money Namibia

Tablets for SEF

Financial Literacy & Remittances Project Design Handbook

Positioning Strategy for Mobile Financial Services (MFS) in Bangladesh

ADB Financial Regulators Training Initiative FRTI

ADB APEC FRTI

Future of Financial Inclusion through Electronic Banking Channels Palestine

Project Management Consultant Uganda

Technical Assistance for Banks and Insurance Companies – Romania and Ukraine

Leveraging Gender Balance for Zoona Malawi

Agent Network Management Training, Morocco

Explore the use of Airtime top-up services to pay for micro-insurance and micro-pension

Value Proposition Mapping of the Dairy Value Chain, Uganda

World Vision Cash Transfer Strategy

Business Planning for the cooperation of SMT with Airtel Money in Sierra Leone

Technical assistance to 2 banks and 2 MFIs on the development or improvement of their DFS channel

Analysis of the impact of climate change on Microfinance Latin America

Feasibility Study for a Banking Services’ Company in Palestine

Support UNCDF In The Development Of The DFS Ecosystem In LAO PDR

Roll-out of e-Zwich in rural areas – branchless banking in Ghana

Strategy and Implementation for Mobile Financial Services Rwanda

Feasibility Study on Mobile Financial Services (MFS) in Colombia

Mapping of Financial Inclusion and Recommendations to the Central Bank to Collect and Measure Financial Inclusion in Haiti

Implementation of airtime top-up services to pay for micro-insurance and micro-pension

BB Network Development for WMBL, PNG

Market study of Senegalese migrants in Spain and product development of remittance-linked products

Program Evaluation Wizzit expansion in Southern Africa and capacity building

Product Management for Bank South Pacific – Papua New Guinea

Bangladesh Bank Regulator Training

Urwego Opportunity Bank (UOB) Branchless Banking (mHOSE) Evaluation – Rwanda

Development of digital credit and savings product for a Microfinance Institute (MFI) in the Congo (DRC)

Mobile Money Market Scoping in two Middle East & North Africa countries: Egypt & Tunisia

Procurement of Internet banking application for Xacbank in Mongolia

Supporting Unguka Bank Ltd towards the migration into a cost-effective Core Banking System in Rwanda

Feasibility of Mobile Money for selected EFSE countries Moldova, Albania, Turkey

Project Consultant:

Developing Money Transfer Agents, Financial & Remittance Products with MFIs – Europe

Program Evaluation Wizzit expansion in Southern Africa and Capacity Building

ATM Operations Improvement for Bank South Pacific – Papua New Guinea

Deploy Mobile Financial Services Business Model for MFIs in the Philippines

Support the digitalization of WFP cash transfers in Niger

Remittance corridor and Developing a Solidarity Savings product

Using next-generation Electronic Payments – Ethiopia

Learning Partnership under the Savings at the Frontier Programme

PFIP P2G Samoa

Implementation and Launch of Mobile Money Services (MMS) in Uganda

TA Digital Credit for Dairy & Agriculture microentrepreneurs

Agent Banking Strategy for POS interface and Pilot for FINCA Tanzania

Evaluation of an agent network in rural Senegal

Support MTN Benin to develop a payment ecosystem around moto-taxis drivers (Zemidjans)

Implementation of sustainable savings through multi-channels Malawi

Strategic Positioning of IT Company in the Mobile Payments Market Africa and Indian Ocean Islands

Opportunity and Feasibility study for Mobile Banking (MB) in Cambodia

Go to Market Strategy to offer Mobile Financial Services (MFS) in Botswana

Site Visits and Studies on Mobile Money Business Models – the Philippines

Study and recommendations for regulators to drive the digital transformation of microfinance in Africa

Mobile Money Transfer Market Study in Sierra Leone

Digital portfolio scan for financial sector clients

E-Channels Strategy for Bank South Pacific – Papua New Guinea

Launch Plan for Mobile Financial Services (MFS) in Panama