Fund Manager Designate

Background

 The Department for International Development (DFID) has contracted Landell Mills Limited to act as Fund Manager to establish and run the Afghanistan Business Innovation Challenge Fund (ABIF) under DFID Afghanistan’s Supporting Employment and Enterprise Development (SEED) umbrella programme (2009-2013). The overall Goal of SEED is to increase economic opportunity delivered by the private sector, resulting in the creation of 20,000 jobs and a 10% increase in incomes of 200,000 Afghans by 2013. Its Purpose is to strengthen the private sector’s ability to invest and compete. The ABIF aims to support the SEED purpose and goal by catalysing innovative business models that improve access to markets and contribute to income and employment generation.

 Expected results of ABIF are as follows:

• An increase in pro-poor investment by the private sector;
• Increased profits of companies, resulting in increased Government revenue;
• Increased competitiveness of Afghan businesses;
• Large scale increases (e.g. through multiplier effects) in jobs and incomes for poor Afghan men and women (tentative targets under SEED are 5000 jobs (of which 1500 are for women) and a 10% increase in monthly incomes for 100,000 people);
• Systemic change in markets;
• Improved market access for the poor as consumers – access to previously inaccessible, cheaper, or better quality goods and services; and
• Improved linkagesbetween businesses and improved value chains, resulting in better inputs and markets for their products.

Purpose of the Position

 We currently intend to restructure Fund Management in a manner which is advantageous for effective fund management. It is recommended that a Fund Manager Designate is recruited to gradually take over more and more of the day-to-day fund management duties from the current Fund Manager, so that he can move to concentrating on providing high-level direction, advice and support, rather than day-to-day operational duties.

Tasks/Activities

 Process Oversight and Management

• Management of the team in the Fund Manager’s absence;
• Assisting with technical report writing;
• Acting as mentor to and delivering formal training to the Fund Analysts on issues of professional ethics and fiduciary responsibility, developing additional procedures to strengthen controls as necessary;
• Reviewing systems and processes, proposing and developing improvements (including helping to manage transition to the online application process), and training fund management staff in systems development and process management.

 Round Application Process (if Round 3 required):

Together with the fund analysts, and building their capacity through on-the-job training:

• Undertaking marketing visits and workshops for future rounds to stimulate the submission of high-quality concept notes;
• Reviewing and scoring the relevant project concept note(s);
• Management of due diligence and evaluation process and requirements (questionnaires, guidance notes, checklists etc);
• Training Fund Analysts on conducting due diligence including accompanying and supervising Fund Analysts on applicant visits;
• Supporting Fund Analysts in role as intermediary between Expert Pool and applicants (data collection and quality assurance, feeding experience from working with Afghan investors into a critical appraisal of business plans and assumptions etc) for future rounds;
• Assisting in developing, and quality checking, financial models and data inputs for calculating indicative grant offers, and training the fund analysts on such work;
• Working with the Fund Analyst to analyse data and make adjustments to  financial models based on new information that may become available as the project progresses
• Identifying any key financial stress points for applicants for future rounds;
• Devise a milestone payments structure that mitigates the risk of project failure but also protects the Fund Manager's interests;
• Helping to prepare for investment panel meetings.

 Grantee Project Support and M&E:

Together with the fund analysts, and building their capacity through on-the-job training:

• Helping to manage and support the portfolio of grants;
• Assisting with financial monitoring and evaluation and general progress of grantees.

 The above list is not exhaustive and additional tasks may be required.

 Inputs

 Full-time. 6 working days per week (Friday off). Approximately 3 months holiday per year.

 Location

 Kabul with visits to provinces as required, security pending.

 Application

 Please contact Cassie Yates at cassiey@landell-mills.comfor more information.