OPINION: Integrity or Farce? The ABLP’s Legacy of Corruption Unmasked

TERMS OF REFERENCE (ToR)

REF. no:

(Consulting Services – Accountant)

Background

The Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECPCGC) was created to increase the amount of financing available to MSMEs in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU). The programme provides guarantees of up to 80% on loans made by private sector lenders to qualifying micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). ECPCGC became operational in 2020 and its staff is working with banks in the six nations that comprise the ECCU. In general, both banks and MSMEs are unfamiliar with guarantee schemes and the credit enhancement that they can provide. The process is that the entrepreneurs approach the financial institutions for loans, armed with their financial documents, projections, business history, and a clear idea of the purpose of the loan. The institutions would review the documents, adjudicate the loan, and if approved, send an application to ECPCGC for a guarantee to make up for the collateral deficit. In the absence of proper records, the financial institutions are unable to complete their assessments.

The Current Issue

The banks have cited the following issues that are prevalent among the customers:

• A high level of informality among the businesses
• Incomplete financial records
• Unrealistic business projections

Consequently, the institutions have requested that the clients get their files organized so that proper assessments may be made of the businesses and the need for financing. Many clients are cash constrained and are unable to afford the fees for an accountant to prepare the requisite statements. They, therefore, do not return to the banks with the documentation and so lose out on the opportunity to participate in the guarantee programme.

As the economies rebound from COVID 19, it is expected that the demand for guarantees will pick up, and there may be many more under prepared clients trying to access the guarantees. ECPCGC will send referrals to the accountant so that the required reports can be prepared for submission to the financial institutions. 

The Purpose of the Assignment

ECPCGC is looking to obtain the services of an experienced accountant who has worked with MSMEs nationally and has experience in creating financial reports and projections from incomplete records. 

The consultant would have the following responsibilities:

1. Facilitate meetings with the clients for whom referrals are made
2. Retrieve records from the client – invoices, receipts, bank statements, and other records, depending on the type of business that the client owns
3. Use the records provided and other information obtained from the client, to compile financial records that would provide a clear indication of the financial standing of the business
4. Provide business projections, supported by the statements that were compiled above

Fees will be paid on a “per client” basis.

Requirements

The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 10-15 years of accounting experience and would have substantial prior engagement with MSMEs. 

Term of the Engagement

The engagement will last between 6 and 12 months beginning in June 2022. 

Expression of Interest:

Interested applicants whose qualifications and experience are in line with the Terms of Reference are invited to submit their CV, a letter of application stating suitability for the position, two professional references on or before May 24, 2022 at 11:59 Atlantic Standard Time (AST) to [email protected] with the job reference number KN-ECPCGC-293793-CS-IDV in the subject line of the email.

Key Personnel 

The following are key organizational staff that you may contact regarding any questions on the position: 

Bernard Thomas, Chief Financial Officer, 869-466-8251, [email protected]

Carmen Gomez-Trigg, Chief Executive Officer, 868-620-8144, [email protected] 

Terms of Reference for Marketing/Technical Assistance Expert for the Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation

May 2022

Background

The Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECPCGC) was created to increase the amount of financing available to SMEs in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU). The scheme provides guarantees of up to 75% on loans made by private sector lenders to qualifying small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The scheme recently became operational and is working with banks in the six nations that comprise the ECCU. In general, both banks and SMEs are unfamiliar with guarantee schemes and the credit enhancement that they can provide. 

The Current Issue

The ECPCGC was designed with a staff of four to five people to handle marketing, processing guarantee applications, and monitoring lender performance. During the initial operational phase, the need for training and implementation of the web portal has stressed the ability of the staff to keep up with day-to-day activities as well as handle the training. While the current staff has provided training on the web portal and terms and conditions of the guarantee scheme, it is likely that loan officers will have questions regarding both the terms and conditions of the scheme and web portal operations when they use the program for the first time. 

The Covid virus has slowed business on the islands, including the requests for bank lending. When lending picks up, it is likely that loan officers will have questions regarding program operations and using the web portal. In addition, one of the concerns banks raise repeatedly is that many applications are not complete when submitted, requiring substantial additional time to get all of the information in a format that can be used for a credit application.

The Purpose of the Assignment

The ECPCGC is looking for an experienced bank or non-bank loan officer who has worked with SMEs in the Caribbean region and has experience in the Sales and Marketing of financial products. The consultant would have five main responsibilities. 

1. The first will be marketing the scheme to staff at the Participating Lenders, including line or branch loan officers. The idea is to convince the loan officers to consider the guarantee before declining any loan applications. 
2. The second will be to develop training in pipeline building and sales for the Loan Sales Officers.
3. The third responsibility will be answering questions from officers at Participating Lenders regarding the guarantee scheme. The consultant would be required to become familiar with the electronic portal that is being used to accept applications from the Participating Lenders.  While a significant amount of time has been invested in the current training regimen on the portal, experience has shown that there will be questions from loan officers when they have a case in front of them that may qualify for a guarantee. 
4. The fourth facet of the engagement will be working with loan officers at Participating Lenders to get their SME loan application packages ready for submission to the ECPCGC. This includes suggestions on structuring the transaction and may include determining that the applicant is not creditworthy.
5. The fifth responsibility will be to meet with selected lenders that are not currently participating in the scheme. These meetings will be via video conference and in person. The purpose will be to assess the SME lending capability of a lender.  This may involve reviewing policies and procedures, learning about their target market, and discussing credit analysis with them. Selected lenders may include banks and credit unions. 

Requirements

The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 10-15 years of SME lending experience in the Caribbean region, preferably in the countries of the ECCU.

Experience with marketing, sales, and/or working with a guaranteed lending scheme would be beneficial. 

Term of the Engagement

The engagement will last between 6 and 12 months beginning in June 2022. 

Expression of Interest:

Interested applicants whose qualifications and experience are in line with the Terms of Reference are invited to submit their CV, a letter of application stating suitability for the position, two professional references, and a current Police Certificate of Good Character on or before May 20, 2022 at 11:59 Atlantic Standard Time (AST) to [email protected] with the job reference number KN-ECPCGC-292033-CS-INDV in the subject line of the email. 

Key Personnel 

The following are key organizational staff that you may contact regarding any questions on the position: 

Bernard Thomas, Chief Financial Officer, 869-466-8251, [email protected]

Carmen Gomez-Trigg, Chief Executive Officer, 868-620-8144, [email protected]

Terms of Reference for Marketing/Technical Assistance Expert for the Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation

April 2022

Background

The Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECPCGC) was created to increase the amount of financing available to SMEs in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU). The scheme provides guarantees of up to 75% on loans made by privatesector lenders to qualifying small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The scheme recently became operational and is working with banks in the six nations that comprise the ECCU. In general, both banks and SMEs are unfamiliar with guarantee schemes and the credit enhancement that they can provide.

The Current Issue

The ECPCGC was designed with a staff of four to five people to handle marketing, processing guarantee applications, and monitoring lender performance. During the initial operational phase, the need for training and implementation of the web portal has stressed the ability of the staff to keep up with day-to-day activities as well as handle the training. While the current staff has provided training on the web portal and terms and conditions of the guarantee scheme, it is likely that loan officers will have questions regarding both the terms and conditions of the scheme and web portal operations when they use the program for the first time.

The Covid virus has slowed business on the islands, including the requests for bank lending. When lending picks up, it is likely that loan officers will have questions regarding program operations and using the web portal. In addition, one of the concerns banks raise repeatedly is that many applications are not complete when submitted, requiring substantial additional time to get all of the information in a format that can be used for a credit application.

The Purpose of the Assignment

The ECPCGC is looking for an experienced bank or non-bank loan officer who has worked with SMEs in the Caribbean region and has experience in the Sales and Marketing of financial products. The consultant would have fivemain responsibilities.

1. The first will be marketing the scheme to staff at the Participating Lenders, including line or branch loan officers. The idea is to convince the loan officers to consider the guarantee before declining any loan applications. 
2. The second will be to develop training in pipeline building and sales for the Loan Sales Officers.
3. The third responsibility will be answering questions from officers at Participating Lenders regarding the guarantee scheme. The consultant would be required to become familiar with the electronic portal that is being used to accept applications from the Participating Lenders.  While a significant amount of time has been invested in the current training regimen on the portal, experience has shown that there will be questions from loan officers when they have a case in front of them that may qualify for a guarantee. 
4. The fourth facet of the engagement will be working with loan officers at Participating Lenders to get their SME loan application packages ready for submission to the ECPCGC. This includes suggestions on structuring the transaction and may include determining that the applicant is not creditworthy.
5. The fifth responsibility will be to meet with selected lenders that are not currently participating in the scheme. These meetings will be via video conference and in person. The purpose will be to assess the SME lending capability of a lender.  This may involve reviewing policies and procedures, learning about their target market, and discussing credit analysis with them. Selected lenders may include banks and credit unions. 

Requirements

The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 10-15 years of SME lending experience in the Caribbean region, preferably in the countries of the ECCU.

Experience with marketing, sales, and/or working with a guaranteed lending scheme would be beneficial. 

Term of the Engagement

The engagement will last between 6 and 12 months beginning in June 2022. 

Expression of Interest:

Interested applicants whose qualifications and experience are in line with the Terms of Reference are invited to submit their CV, a letter of application stating suitability for the position, two professional references, and a current Police Certificate of Good Character on or before May 3, 2022 at 11:59 Atlantic Standard Time (AST) to [email protected] with the job reference number KN-ECPCGC-156400-CS-INDV in the subject line of the email.

Key Personnel 

The following are key organizational staff that you may contact regarding any questions on the position: 

Bernard Thomas, Chief Financial Officer, 869-466-8251, [email protected]

Carmen Gomez-Trigg, Chief Executive Officer, 868-620-8144, [email protected]

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTING SERVICES – INDIVIDUAL SELECTION)

OECS MSME Guarantee Facility Project

Loan No.: IDA-62670, IDA-62660, IDA-62640, IBRD-88830, IDA-62650

Assignment Title: Senior Operating Officer (SOO)

Reference No. KN-ECPCGC-207852-CS-INDV

The Governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have received financing in the amount of US$10 million equivalent from the World Bank towards the cost of establishing a partial credit guarantee scheme, and they intend to apply part of the proceeds to payments for goods, and consulting services to be procured under this project. 

The consultant will serve as the “Senior Operating Officer (SOO)” for the ECPCGC and should possess extensive knowledge of MSME lending with some direct experience lending to Micro, small and medium-sized businesses, knowledge of the internal control processes necessary for a lending operation and the ability to design and implement risk mitigation procedures. The ideal candidate should possess an Undergraduate Degree from a reputable college or university, preferably in Business, Accounting, Banking or related field, with a minimum of 5 years’ experience in lending, inclusive of MSME lending. The initial employment period will be for two years on a contractual basis. Renewal of the contract will be subject to a performance evaluation at the end of the contractual period. The assignment is expected to begin on September 30^th, 2021.  The consultant will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer of the ECPCGC.

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be viewed by following the attached link below. 

https://bit.ly/3yOG8F6

The Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECPCGC) now invites eligible “Consultants” to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have:

• An Undergraduate Degree from a reputable college or university, preferably in Business, Finance, Banking or related field; and
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in MSME lending. Applicants should also have:
• The ability to design and implement risk management procedures 
• Extensive knowledge of MSME lending with some direct experience lending to small and medium-sized businesses
• Extensive knowledge of MSME banking operations
• Knowledge of the internal controls necessary for a lending operation and the ability to design and implement risk management procedures
• Experience developing and presenting information in public, including responding to questions in real-time
• Experience lending to MSMEs located in the ECCU
• Knowledge of marketing and communicating with the MSME sector
• Ability to draft procedures to be used in a lending operation
• Familiarity with the mechanics of a loan guarantee program
• Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills, and
• Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office suite.

The attention of interested Individual Consultants is drawn to Section III, Paragraphs 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers July 2016, [revised November 2017] (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Approved Selection Method for Individual Consultants set out in the clause 7.34 of the World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers. 

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours 0800 to 1700 hours:

Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation

Bird Rock, Basseterre,

St. Kitts.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form by e-mail by August 25^th, 2021, to [email protected]. 

For further information, please contact:

Carmen Gomez-Trigg                                                            Bernard Thomas

Chief Executive Officer                                                          Chief Financial Officer

Tel: 868-620-8144                                                                  Tel: 869-765-2385

Email: [email protected]                                          [email protected]

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REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTING SERVICES – INDIVIDUAL SELECTION)

OECS MSME Guarantee Facility Project

Loan No.: IDA-62670, IDA-62660, IDA-62640, IBRD-88830, IDA-62650

Assignment Title: Senior Operating Officer (SOO)

Reference No. KN-ECPCGC-207852-CS-INDV

The Governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have received financing in the amount of US$10 million equivalent from the World Bank towards the cost of establishing a partial credit guarantee scheme, and they intend to apply part of the proceeds to payments for goods, and consulting services to be procured under this project. 

The consultant will serve as the “Senior Operating Officer (SOO)” for the ECPCGC and should possess Extensive knowledge of MSME lending with some direct experience lending to small and medium-sized businesses, knowledge of the internal controls necessary for a lending operation and the ability to design and implement risk management procedures. The ideal candidate should possess an Undergraduate Degree from a reputable college or university, preferably in Business, Accounting, or related field; and a minimum of 5 years’ experience in MSME lending in a financial services institution. The initial contracted employment period will be for two years subject to a performance review and an expression of further contracted employment three months before the expiration of the existing contract. The assignment is expected to begin on April 15, 2021. 

The consultant will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer of the ECPCGC and the ECPCGC Board of Directors.

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be viewed by following the attached link below. 

https://tinyurl.com/yygezdt9

The Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECPCGC) now invites eligible “Consultants” to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have:

• An Undergraduate Degree from a reputable college or university, preferably in Business, Accounting, or related field; and
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in MSME lending in a financial services institution.

Applicants should also have:

• Extensive knowledge of MSME lending with some direct experience lending to small and medium-sized businesses
• Extensive knowledge of MSME banking operations
• Knowledge of the internal controls necessary for a lending operation and the ability to design and implement risk management procedures
• Experience developing and presenting information in public, including responding to questions in real-time
• Experience lending to MSMEs located in the ECCU
• Ability to draft procedures to be used in a lending operation
• Familiarity with the mechanics of a loan guarantee program
• Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills, and
• Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office software.

The attention of interested Individual Consultants is drawn to Section III, Paragraphs 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers July 2016, [revised November 2017] (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Approved Selection Method for Individual Consultants set out in the clause 7.34 of the World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers. 

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours 0800 to 1700 hours.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form by e-mail by February 16, 2021 to [email protected]

Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation

Brid Rock, Basseterre,

St. Kitts.

For further information, please contact:

Carmen Gomez-Trigg                                                            Bernard Thomas

Chief Executive Officer                                                         Chief Financial Officer

Tel: 868-620-8144                                                                    Tel: 869-765-2385

Email: [email protected]                                       [email protected]