EAP Mobile Banking Consultant

IFC seeks to recruit a consulting firm and/or individual consultant (“the Consultant”) for a short term assignment. The Consultant will provide guidance to and support the work of regional and national advisory experts and teams in accelerating the development of mobile phone banking (m-banking) in East Asia and the Pacific as a means to bank the unbanked. The EAP M-Banking Program will be a phased initiative that aims to sow the seeds for private sector and IFC investment in m-banking across the region.

The program will focus on two areas:
1) working with partners to create sustainable business models for m-banking (especially interoperable, open systems) including development of concrete pilot projects; and
2) providing advice to regulators and market players across the region to ensure that progressive, prudent regulatory measures are in place to support m-banking.

The specific projects and partners will be different for each country, although every opportunity to promote cross-learning and cross-country investments will be sought. Potential ideas for specific initiatives in the Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam, are outlined below. In addition, the proposal is to continue pursuing ideas and partners for similar projects in Lao PDR and the South Pacific. The work will be coordinated with other regional initiatives in this area in Thailand, China and the Philippines.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Consultant will be expected to:

• Manage the EAP m-banking program across the region and individual m-banking projects in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
• Work with local, regional and international partners to assess the regulatory framework for m-banking and advocate for open, interoperable m-banking solutions.
• Launch at least one pilot project in the region.
• Develop work plans to guide the roll-out of the m-banking program in East Asia and the Pacific.
• Travel within the region and internationally to monitor key regional/national initiatives, and represent IFC in meetings and conferences on m-banking issues.
• Prepare periodic reports on the progress, issues, and outcomes of EAP m-banking program in timely manner.

• Extensive practical experience in the development of transformational m-banking models: capacity to carry out market assessments, identify technology solutions, as well as evaluate conditions related to customer acceptance, merchant development, and the regulatory framework.
• Strong knowledge of cellular and banking operations.
• Emerging markets experience. Experience working in the region is a plus.
• Experience in doing sector/strategy reviews on developing markets and institutions in emerging markets.
• Strong analytical and writing ability.
• Ability to engage effectively with senior public and private sector officials and obtain needed information and insights into the local environment.