Agency background

Expertise France (EF) is a public agency created on 1st January 2015, under the supervision of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs along with the ministry of Economy and Finance. EF is a result of the 6 French public agencies merging and has a strong inter-ministerial vocation. EF offers programme engineering and technical assistance by developing and implementing international cooperation actions worldwide. EF operates in various fields of development and institutional cooperation including safety and security reform, post-crisis/ stability, public health, human rights, strengthening of institutions and NGOs and governance. Carrying out large-scale, multi-stakeholder programmes, EF can ensure the cooperation between individuals, teams and institutions with very different backgrounds, cultures and specialisations. Besides, EF has acquired a sound experience in administrative and financial management of large-scale international programmes.

Project Overview

The Iraqi Women Economic Empowerment (IWEE) project aims to strengthen women's economic participation through entrepreneurship, capacity building, and enhanced financial access. The project focuses on addressing barriers faced by women in business and developing the capacity of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to provide ongoing support to women-led businesses. Key interventions include ecosystem development, tailored entrepreneurship programs, and capacity-building activities for CSOs across Iraq, with a focus on regions impacted by conflict and social instability.

Objectives of the Assignment

The primary goal of this assignment is to:

• Enhance technical knowledge on loan and lending management such as loan cycle management, risk assessment, repayment tracking, and client communication.
• Strengthening operational collaboration between CSOs and MFIs to build trust and communication channels between both actors, and promoting joint planning, monitoring, and reporting practices for IWEE Project.

Standardized tools, templates, and processes for loan management to unify loan application and screening forms, standard repayment tracking templates, and agreed-upon loan policies.

Scope of Work and Responsibilities

The expert will support the IWEE project by working with EF, partner CSOs (partner CSOs), and Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) to design and implement standardized working and reporting modality. The goal is to streamline coordination and enable consistent data collection, reporting, and analysis across all partners.

Key tasks include:

-          Conduct training needs online assessment: Carry out a rapid assessment of the current collaboration practices between partner CSOs and MFIs to identify capacity gaps and reporting challenges.

-          Develop a tailored training curriculum and materials: Design training content on loan and lending management, covering the loan cycle, risk analysis, repayment tracking, and ethical lending practices, aligned with the specific needs of IWEE partners.

-          Deliver practical training sessions: Facilitate interactive sessions to enhance coordination between partner CSOs and MFIs and clarify roles within the loan process using real-life case studies and practical exercises.

-          Design a standardized reporting modality: Create a unified reporting system (forms, templates, procedures) to be adopted by all partner CSOs and MFIs, enabling IWEE to manage and analyze incoming data more effectively.

-          Recommend joint procedures and tools: Propose practical workflows and communication tools that improve collaboration and information exchange between CSOs, MFIs, and IWEE project management.

-          Provide a final technical report: Submit a summary report that includes training highlights, feedback, lessons learned, challenges faced, and detailed recommendations for further technical support or capacity building. The report should also include finalized tools and templates developed.

Expected Deliverables

Required Qualifications and Skills

Reporting and Coordination

• The expert will report to the IWEE Project Manager and work closely with other project team members and partner organizations.
• Regular meetings with IWEE management to track progress.

Travel Requirements

• The expert will be expected to travel within Iraq and conduct a training with CSOs and other partners.

Travel costs will on applicant expenses.