Kenya Payments Platform Project: Project Manager

1. BACKGROUND

The Kenya Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) programme was established in early 2005 to support the development of financial markets in Kenya as a means to stimulate wealth creation and reduce poverty. Working in partnership with the financial services industry, the programme’s goal is to expand access to financial services among lower income households and smaller enterprises. It operates as an independent trust under the supervision of professional trustees, KPMG Kenya, with policy guidance from a Programme Investment Committee (PIC).

The payments system provides a foundational infrastructure which is increasingly set to drive the future of retail finance in Kenya.  All retail financial services necessarily ride on the rails of the payment system to some degree.  The impact of payment system related transaction costs is usually especially significant in relation to the relatively small-sized transactions in which low-income households are engaged. From a supply-side perspective, who can participate in the payments system and on what terms has significant implications for competition and the long-term evolution of the market.

Retail banking has developed rapidly over the last decade in Kenya with significant innovations in the channels used to provide services.  Collectively these channels represent a critical part of the payment system.  While previously the bank branch was the channel through which the vast majority of customers accessed services, today we see ATMs, debit and credit cards, internet banking, mobile phones and more recently bank agents.  This has revolutionised the cost, convenience and quality of services.  However much of this channel infrastructure has been built through the initiative of individual banking institutions.  The result is that there is little sharing of infrastructure.  It is estimated, for example, that the average bank customer in Kenya is able to access less than a quarter of the ATMs in the country (within a price of KShs 100 or less per transaction).   A number of banks are now building out proprietary agent networks.  Although the regulatory guidelines prohibit the imposition of exclusivity there are few indications – as yet – that these agents will be actively shared.

The Kenya Bankers Association (KBA) recognizing the central role of the banking industry in the payment system established the Integrating Payment Systems (IPS) project in 2012 to address the challenge of creating a more integrated retail payment system in Kenya.Various options were explored and the KBA membership mandated the Association to pursue a solution involving the establishment of an integrated payment platform.  Provisionally named the Kenya Interbank Transaction Switch (KITS), it is envisioned that the system will provide the banking industry with a platform to significantly improve the sharing of payment system infrastructure. KITS has the potential to assist the banking industry and Kenya’s financial regulators in meeting their shared objectives of promoting increased efficiency and financial inclusion. This will be achieved by lowering interbank switching costs to banks and, with appropriate interchange pricing, enabling banks to lower prices to consumers while simultaneously increasing the accessibility and convenience of banking services. The vision here is to support the transition to a ‘cash-lite’ economy by 2020 driven by the ubiquitous adoption of digital money.

FSD Kenya has established a project to support the wider development of Kenya’s payments platform as a part of its digital financial inclusion strategy.  A core component of this project will be providing support to KBA’s IPS project.   However FSD’s Kenya Payments Platform (KPP) project will need to take a somewhat broader perspective, specifically looking to help ensure that the evolution of the retail payments system in Kenya reflects the interests of a wider stakeholder group from other non-bank industry players to regulators and policymakers.  FSD also has a role in seeking to maintain the focus on the financial inclusion objectives here.  A project manager is required to drive this work forward.

 

2. OBJECTIVES
The KPP Project Manager who will be responsible for day-to-day implementation of FSD’s KPP project, under which a major responsibility will be in supporting the implementation of KBA’s IPS project activities.

 

3. SCOPE OF WORK

3.1 IPS project management
• Develop a plan for the implementation of the IPS project in close coordination with KBA management team.
• Provide day-to-day management of the IPS project implementation.
• Track project progress against plan on a regularly basis -a ‘hands on’ approach will be required to maximise the prospects for project success.
• Regular project monitoring to maximise project performance, swiftly identifying and resolving implementation challenges.
• Manage project resources for effectiveness – this will involve developing terms of reference and participating in procuring resources in line with KBA’s policies and procedures.
• Develop and manage a regular meeting schedule for oversight of the IPS project, providing meeting agendas, necessary background materials and other necessary support.
• Generate adequate documentation for all meetings to summarise key decisions and actions required.

3.2 Technical assistance to KBA
• Provide direct technical advice to KBA in the course of the implementation of the IPS project.
• Develop comprehensive plan for technical inputs that will be required in the implementation of the IPS project within the various institutions and develop methodologies to provide them for a sustainable outcome.
• Identify specific technical assistance requirements to support the effective implementation of the project determining recommendations for funding from either KBA (IPS) or KPP (FSD) resources.
• Manage performance of consultancy contracts to maximise value for money, outputs and impact and in full compliance with relevant KBA/FSD policies and procedures.
• Document all technical assistance developed and delivered as well as the tangible results both expected and achieved.

3.3 Support the development of an enabling implementation environment
• Provide information to KBA, CBK and other stakeholders to support activities related to improvements in the implementation environment for the Kenya payments platform.
• Establish and maintain links with key institutions and support programmes relevant to the development of an enabling environment.

3.4 Stakeholders engagement
• Work with KBA management team to ensure that the KBA membership is appropriately briefed on project progress
• Engage critical stakeholder institutions in Government to establish clear route to mainstreaming activities within the national payments system
• Ensure the broader stakeholder community is strongly engaged in line with the objectives of creating a national (cf bank-only) payments platform.

3.5 Technical assistance to other industry stakeholders
• Provide direct technical advice to other industry stakeholders (such as mobile network operators, payment business service providers, MFIs and SACCOs) as required.
• Identify specific requirements for technical assistance and studies relevant to ensuring the effective involvement of relevant stakeholder groups.
• Develop terms of reference and oversee FSD procurement process to engage relevant inputs.
• Manage performance of consultancy contracts to maximise value for money, outputs and impact and in full compliance with relevant KBA/FSD policies and procedures.

3.6 Communication and information dissemination
• Represent KBA in relevant project and other stakeholder forums.
• Write regular (at least quarterly) progress reports and distribute to all stakeholders.
• Prepare press releases on relevant announcements, provide briefings to journalists and provide point of contact for media enquiries.
• Identify creative ways of disseminating project results to maximize impact on financial inclusion.

3.7 Manage research 
• Identify significant issues for which further research and analysis is required.
• Ensure appropriate research is undertaken to support the KPP objectives, working closely with FSD’s knowledge team.
• Keep abreast of all relevant developments in the market including technological advances and new products.
• Keep abreast of changes in the landscape including expansion of financial institutions and changes in strategy.

3.8 FSD KPP project management
• Track progress on the KPP project against planned activities using standard internal FSD reporting mechanisms.
• Organise monthly meetings of the FSD KPP working group (including FSD’s Head of Future
• Generate standard FSD project monitoring sheets (PMS) and other reports as necessary.
• Participate in other FSD activities relevant to the wider objectives of the project as required.

4. REQUIREMENTS
• Relevant qualification in social sciences (minimum masters level)
• Over 8 years experience with a minimum 3 years successful project management  and 5 years working at a management level in a relevant industry
• Relevant work experience in the financial services industry

How to apply: 
Send your application including a cover letter indicating your desire to work with our client; a detailed CV highlighting relevant experience, details of current and expected salary, a daytime phone contact, email address, and the names of three professional referees to:

Adept Systems
MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS
P O Box 6416, Nairobi, GPO 00100
Email: recruit@adeptsystems.co.ke
Web: www.adeptsys.biz

Only short listed candidates will be contacted.
Please note that we do not charge fees for receiving or processing job applications. 
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Closing date: 3rd September 2013