Curriculum Vitae Robert Hickson

CURRICULUM VITAE ROBERT HICKSON
1. / PROPOSED POSITION FOR THIS PROJECT / : / Financial InclusionSpecialist
2. / NAME OF FIRM / : / Microfinance Services Pty Ltd
3. / NAME / : / Robert Hickson
4. / DATE OF BIRTH / : / 04/10/1961CITIZENSHIPAustralian
5. / PERSONAL ADDRESS
TELEPHONE NO.
E-MAIL ADDRESS / :
:
:
/ PO Box 8599Gold Coast MC, Qld. 4217, Australia
+61 7 5574 3232
+61 400 690966

6. / EDUCATION / : / M.Ag.Sc. (Agricultural Economics/Microfinance) University of Qld, 1991.
B.V.Sc., University of Queensland, 1984.
7. / MEMBERSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES / : / AVA
8. / OTHER TRAINING / : / 2000, CGAP Training of Trainers, Sabetta, Kenya
2000, CGAP Financial Analysis, Sabetta, Kenya
2000, CGAP Delinquency and Interest Rate Setting, Sabetta, Kenya
2000, CGAP Business Planning using MicroFin, Sabetta, Kenya
2001, MicroSave Market Research for Microfinance Product Development, Wright, Kenya
9. / COUNTRIES OF WORK EXPERIENCE / : / Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Malawi, Mozambique, Myanmar, Pakistan, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
10. / LANGUAGE & DEGREE OF PROFICIENCY / : / Language / Speaking / Reading / Writing
English / Native / Native / Native
French / Fair / Good / Fair
Thai / Fair
Lao / Fair
11. / EMPLOYMENT RECORD / :
FROM 1/07/1993 / TOPresent
EMPLOYER / : / Microfinance Services Pty Ltd
POSITION HELD / : / Managing Director / Senior Consultant
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES / : / Overall strategic management, poverty reduction and microfinance consultant.
FROM 1/07/1991 / TO 1/07/1993
EMPLOYER / : / International Development Support Services Pty Ltd
POSITION HELD / : / Rural Development Specialist
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES / : / Livestock agricultural rural finance adviser. Also responsible for advising on NGO development philosophies and approaches.
12. / SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCE
I have 30 years’ experience in development consulting with the last 25 years focusing specifically on poverty reduction, microfinance regulation, micro-, rural and digital finance. An agriculturalist and economist by training, I have, become widely experienced in the fields of financial inclusion and poverty reduction. I have extensive experience in design, implementation and evaluation of financial inclusion/microfinance programmes as well as in assisting governments and donors in policy developmentto support financial inclusion. I have been involved in the development of, and subsequent delivery of, CGAP microfinance training and consulting materials including the CGAP Institutional Appraisal Format and Business Planning Format. I also have practical experience in project management, in the role of Team Leader and Project Director.
I have strong experience in the design and conduct of microfinance market research leading to the development of client-focussed products and cost-effective delivery systems as well as the financial analysis of microfinance institutions and central bank regulation and supervision of microfinance.
I have a specific interest in the design of sustainable microfinance products adapted to the financial needs of micro-entrepreneurs, and which are capable of including the very poor and remote rural communities. This includes the use of digital solutions such as mobile phone banking which has the potential to revolutionise access to microfinance in remote regions and dramatically reduce costs and efficiency of product delivery. I have worked in widely differing environments throughout Asia, the Pacific and Africa. I have worked for the ADB, the World Bank, GEF, CGAP, DFID, AusAID, USAID, AfDB, Finnida, UNDP, IFAD, FAO and a variety of international and local NGOs.
13. WORK UNDERTAKEN THAT BEST ILLUSTRATES CAPABILITY TO HANDLE TASKS ASSIGNED
2017 PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST –CENTRAL ASIA – EUROPEAID “PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT REVIEW” (4 mth) / Detailed analysis of the economic, social and political environment, opportunities and constraints for private sector development in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Preparation ofcomprehensive recommendations for EUROPEAID’S development assistance the private sector in Central Asia.
2015-17 RURAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST – CHINA – ADB&GEF “Shaanxi Weinan Luyang Integrated Saline Land Management Project” (4 mth) / Detailed economic assessment of low income households in the project area and identification of alternate and improved business opportunities. Preparation and conduct of workshops to discuss business development opportunities in the region. Development of detailed strategy for implementation of business development program.
2014 MICROFINANCE SPECIALIST/ ECONOMIST – LAO PDR – ADB “PPTA Northern Region Livestock Commercialization Project” (1 mth) / Design of appropriate rural finance facility and indicative products for small and medium sized livestock enterprises under proposed NRLCP. Development of a detailed financial model depicting the financing requirements based upon loan requirements, implementation costs and expected income revenues. Assess financial viability and interest rate sensitivity. Identification and assessment of local financial institutions.
2012-14 PROJECT DIRECTOR, MICROFINANCE CONSUMER PROTECTION, and INFORMATION SYSTEMSSPECIALIST – THAILAND – ADB “Development of a Strategic Framework for Financial Inclusion” (30 months intermittent) / Project Director for comprehensive project on the development of policy for financial inclusion incorporating; microfinance and micro-insurance, digital payment systems,product development microfinance and micro-insurance regulation, consumer protection and financial literacy. Specifically: conduct of quantitative and qualitative research on consumer protection in Thailand leading to the development of new policy; anddevelopment of a financial inclusion database for Thailand.
2011 MICROFINANCE SPECIALIST – LAO PDR – ADB “Northern Region Sustainable Livelihoods Project” (2 mths) / Evaluation of microfinance program under NRSL. Identification of constraints and opportunities for institutional and financial sustainability of microfinance program. Evaluation of Lao PDR microfinance regulation and supervision.
2011 REGULATION SPECIALIST – PALESTINE – USAID “Regulation for MFIs and Specialised (deposit taking) Banks” (2 mths) / Responsible for finalisation of regulation and instructions for MFIs and deposit-taking (Specialised) Microfinance Banks. Mediated regulation discussions with microfinance sector. Provided training to the Palistinian Monetary Authority (PMA) in on and off-site supervision of MFIs.
2011MICROFINANCE DEPOSIT& MOBILE BANKING SPECIALIST – CAMBODIA – IFC “AMK Digital Savings Products” (1.5 mths) / Team Leader for team of 3 consultants responsible for review and redesign of existing AMK savings products and design of new digital products based upon market research and analysis and, financial impact analysis.Development of comprehensive pilot testing/marketing strategy.
2010 MICROFINANCE SPECIALIST – CHINA – ADB “Rural Innovation Project” (1 mth) / Analysis of rural financeproviders (banks & MCCs) and development of a rural finance statistical system for People’s Bank of China.
2010 MICROFINANCE REGULATION SPECIALIST – MOROCCO – USAID (1 mth) / Led study tour to Bank Al Maghrib (Moroccan central bank) to study microfinance regulation framework and supervision practices to determine appropriateness to the Palestine situation.
2010 MICROFINANCE REGULATIONAND OUTREACH SPECIALIST – PAPUA NEW GUINEA– ADB “Microfinance Expansion Project” (3 mths) / ADB PPTA. Review of BPNG’s microfinance and Savings and Loan Society legislation, microfinance regulation and supervision practice. Developed extensive recommendations for legal and regulatory reform and improvements to on and off-site supervision. Responsible for designing Phase II project components relating to improving microfinance outreach through financial education campaigns and the development of mobile phone banking technologies.
2009 MICROFINANCE REGULATION SPECIALIST –PALESTINE – USAID (2 mths) / Review and reform of Banking Law as it applies to Microfinance Institutions. Development of new regulation policy and drafting of articles of regulation. Training of Palestine Monetary Authority in On and Off-site supervision.
2009 MICROFINANCE SPECIALIST –RWANDA– DFID “National Microfinance Strategy Review” (2mths) / Review of Rwanda’s National Microfinance Strategy achievements and recommendations for Phase II. Review included regulation and supervision policy, MFI sector institutional and financial capacity and savings and loan products, loan guarantee scheme, deposit insurance scheme and integration with capital markets.
2009 TEAM LEADER MICROFINANCE APPRAISAL SPECIALIST –BANGLADESH – AusAID “Evaluation of BRAC North West Expansion Microfinance Project” (2 mths) / Evaluation of a major five-year expansion by the BRAC Bank into the north west region of Bangladesh (50,000 new clients). This programme has been specifically targeted at the extremely poor and has been closely linked to BRAC's renowned Income Generation for Vulnerable Group Development Programme (IGVGDP) which identifies and provides entrepreneurial training and support to the very poorest women in Bangladesh.
2006-08REMOTE RURAL FINANCE RESEARCH– ETHIOPIA, KENYA, TANZANIA AND MOZAMBIQUE– IFAD “Remote Rural Microfinance Research and Development Programme” (10 mths) / Identification of high potential innovations and conduct of action research in remote rural poverty reduction & microfinance. Studies included alternate financial models for Ethiopian pastoralists. Evaluate lessons from the action research and disseminate for policy dialogue with IFAD, regional governments and central banks with respect to rural finance policy and legislation and IFAD’s rural finance programme monitoring and evaluation procedures.
2006- June 08MICROFINANCE DEPOSITS AND REGULATIONSPECIALIST – CAMBODIA – ADB “Microfinance Deposit Services in Rural Cambodia” (10 mths) / Team Leader for team of 4 consultants responsible for:Conduct of market research to determine demand for micro-savings services; Appraisal of 16 MFIs; Revision of microfinance regulation and legislation including the new regulation for Deposit-Taking MFIs; Training of Central Bank in microfinance legislation and regulation andMFI monitoring & supervision. Training MFIs in market research for product development, mobile banking for microfinance, business-planning, accounting and financial analysis & product marketing.
2005-06 MICROFINANCE REGULATION AND MFI SPECIALIST – CHINA – ADB “Rural Finance Reforms and Development of Microfinance Institutions” (5 mths) / Conduct of market research to determine demand for microfinance services and feasibility of 2 private MFIs. Training of PBOC, RCC and CBRC staff in microfinance ‘best-practice’ &MFI supervision; led national microfinance study tour, drafted tender documents for the licensing of the first private retail financial institution in China.
2005 TEAM LEADER MICROFINANCE SPECIALIST – MOZAMBIQUE – UNDP “Evaluation of Upstream Microfinance Project” / Final evaluation of 2-year project designed to enhance capacity of the Central Bank and Min. Planning and Dev. to effectively legislate, regulate and supervise MFIsinvolved in rural financein Mozambique.
2005 MICROFINANCE TRAINING SPECIALIST – CHINA – Citigroup “Market Research for Product Development” / Provision of training to 5 MFIs and CICETE in market research, product development and product pilot testing. Product development included analysis & evaluation of product profitability and poverty impact.
2004 MICROFINANCE TRAINING SPECIALIST – BANGLADESH – DFID “FSP Joint Donor Project Design” / Responsible for the development of microfinance sector capacity building component of large multi-donor microfinance poverty reduction project. This involved designing; a capacity building programme for local private sector training service providers, a demand-side subsidy (voucher) scheme and extensive programme impact monitoring and quality control.
2003-04 MICROFINANCE SPECIALIST -BANGLADESH- UNDP/BURO Tangail “Extreme Poverty Programme Evaluation” / Market research, assessment of, and recommendations for Buro Tangail’s pilot “extreme poverty” savings & credit programme.
2003/4 MICROFINANCE SPECIALIST – MOZAMBIQUE – EU “SME Market Research and Product Evaluation and Design” / Evaluation of existing microfinance products, market research and design of new financial products for small and microenterprises for the MFI AMODER.
2003 MICROFINANCE ANALYIST – MOZAMBIQUE – Min. Ag. &RD “Small Scale Irrigation Project Evaluation” / Evaluation financial viability of small holder irrigation project.
2003 MICROFINANCE SPECIALIST – KENYA – WORLD BANK “Arid Lands Res. Mngt. Project Phase II” / Evaluation of LRMP Phase I microfinance component. Design of Phase II remote rural microfinance & microenterprise programme incl. training needs assessmentmicrofinance programme design.
1999-03 MICROFINANCE TRAINING & CONSULTING SPECIALIST – ETHIOPIA,EAST AND SOUTHERN AFRICA – CGAP/DFID “AFCAP – Microfinance Capacity Building Programme in Africa”
Please refer Section 13 for full list of assignments undertaken/ supervised. / Responsible for training, mentoring and coaching of African-based microfinance consultants and trainers while they provided technical assistance to MFIs operating in Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Approximately 30 assignments and studies mentored and coached covering; microfinance policy development, market research and product development for MFIs (including digital finance and products for remote rural locations), MFI business planning (Microfin-based), financial analysis, MFI institutional appraisals, management information system (MIS), programme evaluations & design, MFI fraud and internal control diagnostics, impact assessment and performance rating of MFIs (both MicroRate & PlanetRate methodologies). The training of trainer programme utilised CGAP financial management analysis courses and MicroSave Africa’s market research for product development courses.
2001-04 MICROFINANCE PROJECT DIRECTOR - CHINA-AusAID “Chongqing Comp Poverty Alleviation Project” / Project Director for the Chongqing Comprehensive Poverty Alleviation Project Microfinance Programme and assisting GoPRC in development of microfinance policy.
1999 MICROFINANCE SPECIALIST – PACIFIC REGION – OXFAM - “Feasibility Study for Proposed Oxfam Bank” / Designed and supervised the implementation of “Oxfam Bank” feasibility study in the Pacific Region.
1999 MICROFINANCE SPECIALIST – KENYA – DFID “Review of Six Microfinance Programmes in Kenya” / Responsible for institutional analysis and evaluation of the microfinance delivery systems and financial products of 6 DFID supported MFIs in Kenya (KREP, KWFT, FAULU, WEDCO, COOP Bank Retail, COOP Bank Wholesale).
1999 MICROFINANCE SPECIALIST – CHINA – AusAID “Guangxi Microfinance Feasibility Study” / Feasibility study and design of microfinance component of a proposed $4 million microfinance programme in Guangxi province. The design included the development ofM&E procedures for AusAID.
1999 MICROFINANCE SPECIALIST – MOZAMBIQUE – AusAID “Country Programming Mission” / Evaluationof AusAID country programme for Mozambique and development of AusAID’s next 4 year bilateral assistance. Specifically responsible for identifying opportunities and policy for AusAID to support private sector development and the microfinance sector. This involved the appraisal of NGO and multilateral programmes.
1999 MICROFINANCE SPECIALIST – AFRICAN REGION – African Development Bank “Development of a Framework for Country Surveys for Microfinance” / Preparation of guidelines for surveying African countries for the potential to support and develop sustainable MFIs.
1998-2000 MICROFINANCE SPECIALIST/PROJECT DIRECTOR - INDIA, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Bangladesh, the Philippines - AUSAID “Training in Microfinance for IMY Microfinance Programme” / Management of Training and capacity building for the Indira Mahila Yojana Microfinance programme. Led team of trainer of trainers TOTs and designed the in-country training programme. The training involved a study tour of MFIs in which participants were trained to undertake a critical analysis of a variety of Asian microfinance programmes.
1998 MICROFINANCE SPECIALIST - ZAMBIA - USAID “Institutional Review and Training Needs Assessment of the Microfinance Institution - Credit Management Services” / Undertook institutional assessment of CMS programme performance and training needs assessment of staff and clients. In addition, responsible for providing on-site training/tutoring to branch and head office staff in programme management, portfolio analysis, management information systems (MIS) and monitoring and evaluation.
1998 MICROFINANCE SPECIALIST/TEAM LEADER - MYANMAR - UNOPS “Mid-Term Evaluation of UNDP Microfinance Projects” / Evaluationof 3 UN funded Microfinance programmes in Myanmar. This included a review of their: programme management, portfolio analysis techniques, management information systems (MIS) and monitoring and evaluation systems.
1998 MICROFINANCE SPECIALIST - BANGLADESH - UNDP “Research Paper: Reaching Extreme Poverty; Financial Services for the Very Poor” / Study of innovations in which microfinance services have been adapted to the needs and conditions of extremely poor households. This study will form a chapter in a book to be produced by the UNDP-SUM titled “Private Finance for Human Development”. The paper was presented by the author at the Second Annual Seminar on New Development Finance in Frankfurt in September 1998 and published in the Small Enterprise Development Journal.
1998 MICROFINANCE SPECIALIST - PAPUA NEW GUINEA - UNDP “Liklik Dinau Institutional Review and Phase 2 Project Design” / Member of a team of microfinance / microenterprise specialists responsible for reviewing the Liklik Dinau MFI and design of Phase 2 of UNDP support to the PNG microfinance sector. The review focused upon design issues relating to targeting and sustainability, and examined closely past financial performance and projections, institutional capacity and staff training needs of MFI. The project design supported the development of a MFI policy and regulatory environment and support to existing and emerging MFIs and Apex organisations.
1997 MICROFINANCE TRAINER- AUSTRALIA - AusAID (Australian Agency for International Development) “AusAID’s in-service Microfinance Training Programme” / Preparation and presentation of materials for 2 training courses; “The Fundamental Principles of Microfinance” and “Analysis and Evaluation of Microfinance Programmes”. The first course provided a foundation for understanding the core elements that contribute to microfinance programme success. The second course was designed to aid AusAID staff in the analysis of microfinance project proposals with regard to institutional and financial sustainability.
1997-8 MICROFINANCE SPECIALIST – Australia, United Kingdom, Italy and USA – OXFAM INTERNATIONAL “Feasibility Study for an Oxfam Development Finance Institution” / Investigation of the feasibility of the establishment of a global facility capable of providing commercial finance and technical support to MFIs. This study reviewed the institutional capacity of the Oxfam group and their local partner organisations. It explored potential avenues of grant and commercial financing, developed an outline of the likely institutional and capital structure of the proposed entity and gave an indication of the financial and technical products which may be provided. Discussions were held with AusAID, ADB, World Bank, DFID and IFAD.
1997 MICROFINANCE SPECIALIST – PAPUA NEW GUINEA– AusAID “PNG Microfinance Sector Review” / Review of microfinance policy and institutions in PNG with particular reference to the social & financial performance of the Liklik Dinau/Abitore Trust microfinance programme in the Eastern Highlands of PNG. Assessment was made of the opportunities and constraints facing microfinance development in PNG. Detailed analysis was made of LLDAT’s financial performance, its achievements against objectives and the programme’s long-term sustainability.