Model Scope of Work: Legal and Regulatory Reform for Access to Finance Policy & Programming Toolkit

Publication Date: Dec 2005
Published by: USAID - U.S. Agency for International Development
Document Type: Toolkit

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Is there need for a transparent microfinance policy environment?

This toolkit, “Model Scope of Work”, was developed to accompany the “Legal and Regulatory Frameworks for Access to Finance: Policy and Programming Tool”.

The toolkit:

• Provides practical knowledge for United States Agency for International Development (USAID) staff members, practitioners and other stakeholders in the field;
• Presents guidelines for assessing the need for legal and regulatory reform that would increase access to finance for poor households and micro-entrepreneurs;
• Consists of the following steps:
  • Assessing the existing situation for financial services,
  • Analyzing the conditions for reform,
  • Determining what is feasible.

The paper presents:

• An overview and objectives of the toolkit;
• Analyses for the three steps detailed above;
• The need for a background section, which would elaborate on USAID’s interest in the sector and any previous efforts made;
• The contents of the “statement of work”;
• A list of the tasks that the contractor has to carry out;
• A list of deliverables at the end of the analysis, which include:
  • Status reports,
  • Worksheet and draft recommendations,
  • Stakeholder workshop,
  • Final recommendations for program design.

The paper concludes with the recommendation that:

• The analysis team consists of one microfinance specialist and one local financial regulatory specialist;
• The “period of performance” should be about three weeks.