TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT FOR MOBILE BANKING SERVICE
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS – Modification #1
USAID LOCAL ENTERPRISE SUPPORT PROGRAM (USAID LENS)
TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT FOR MOBILE BANKING SERVICE
FOR NATIONAL MICROFINANCE BANK
RFP No. / NMB_05052016RFP Date of Issuance: / May 5, 2016
RFP Modification #1 Date of Issuance: / May 20, 2016
Due Date for Questions: / May 15, 2016; Submission of questions or requests for clarification in writing via email to by 17:00 hours local time in Jordan.
Please note that inquiries and answers to inquiries will be shared with all registered Offerors.
Please do not contact any USAID LENS or NMB employees regarding this RFP. Contacting individual employees shall be cause for disqualification. NO TELEPHONE INQUIRIES WILL BE ANSWERED.
Deadline for Proposals: / June 5, 2016; Submission of proposals (including technical proposals and budgets) via email to by 17:00 hours local time in Jordan.
Emailed submissions must contain the subject line “USAID LENS – Technological Development for Mobile Banking Service.”
Anticipated Start Date: / August 2016; Start date is subject to change.
STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)
I. PURPOSE STATEMENT
The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to solicit proposals from prospective Jordanian subcontractors to support FHI 360’s implementation of the USAID Jordan Local Enterprise Support Project (LENS), funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Award No. AID-278-LA-14-00001.
USAID LENS is a five-year project to encourage the long-term economic growth and development potential of underserved Jordanian communities. The project will help empower local communities to design and to implement collaborative local economic development initiatives and will support the vitality and competitiveness of micro and small enterprises (MSEs) that are often at the heart of individual, family and community livelihood within vulnerable populations. In its inter-related activities, the project will work with public and private sector partners at the municipal, governorate and national levels to develop local environments conducive to investment and MSE growth.
FHI 360 is seeking a firm to provide technical assistance services for technological development for a mobile banking service for National Microfinance Bank (NMB).
This RFP is issued as a public notice to ensure that all interested, qualified and eligible organizations legally registered for business in Jordan that fulfill USAID-designated Geo Code 937 country (meaning Jordan, the US and other developing countries[1]) have a fair opportunity to submit proposals for funding.
II. PROJECT BACKGROUND
NMB is a Jordanian private shareholding, non-profit microfinance institution that finances income-generating projects for underserved segments of society – spreading a culture of entrepreneurship and microcredit. Founded in 2006 and operating 30 branches in 12 governorates, it provides an array of loan products and non-financial services to more than 62,000 clients – the majority unbanked – throughout the country. It projects to grow by 20 percent per year in the near future.
NMB implemented tablet technology in 2014 to streamline its loan application process. Loan officers visit clients to complete applications remotely, and this has decreased the application-to-disbursal period from 72 to less than 24 hours – freeing up resources to allow loan officers to serve 10 to 15 percent more clients. However, clients must still visit branches to receive loans and to make repayments.
NMB intends to develop a mobile banking service, written in Arabic, to facilitate loan repayment. It will consist of an application with client- and agent-facing portals and a dashboard. The client portal will enable clients to locate agents, to make repayments, to check balances and to manage receipts. The agent portal will enable agents to accept repayments, to check balances and to manage receipts. The dashboard will enable NMB to visualize and to monitor all activity from its branches and headquarters. The service will benefit NMB by introducing an avenue to better reach and to serve clients, and it will benefit clients by allowing them to conduct business with NMB at any time from places convenient for them, thereby saving money and time.
III. OBJECTIVE
Mobile penetration reached 152 percent in Jordan by June 2015, but a mobile banking service tailored for the microfinance sector has yet to be developed – not only in Jordan but also in the Middle East and North Africa. Based on a design informed through user research and testing conducted by Continuum, a global design and innovation consultancy, a mobile banking service compliant with the Central Bank of Jordan’s strategy for e-banking will be developed and accessible through the country’s telecommunications networks.
IV. ACTIVITIES & TASKS
The activities and tasks of the Firm will be divided into four phases: preparation, customization, training and pilot.
Before the project begins, the Firm and NMB will independently enter a contract for continued technological maintenance of the mobile banking service. NMB intends to pilot the service with four agents and 20 clients near two to-be-determined branches. Over time, it anticipates providing it to an extensive agent network and all clients throughout the country. The Firm should build the service with growth and scalability in mind.
Phase 1: Preparation
Workshop participation. The Firm will attend a three-day workshop led by Continuum in Jordan. They will review all research and knowledge gathered from client and agent interviews and will conduct a round of prototype testing in the field. By the end of the workshop, the Firm will understand how and why the service design was developed and selected.
Technology review. The Firm will assess NMB’s technological infrastructure to understand how the organization captures information within its management information system (MIS), which utilizes a web services layer and is based on Database Oracle 10G and client desktop application form and reports 6I. It will review NMB’s loan lifecycle to understand how the organization approves loans and processes repayments. With this knowledge, it will identify the points needed to integrate NMB’s MIS and the mobile banking service.
Phase 2: Customization
Software coding and design. The Firm will build the dashboard and code the software for the application – preferably from open-source material. (Annex A details the mobile banking service’s technical specifications.) It will design the service’s user interface (UI) and experience (UX) to correspond to users’ needs and preferences – increasing the probability that clients and agents will embrace and adopt the service.
Technology integration. The Firm will ensure the quality assurance (QA) of the mobile banking service and its integration with NMB’s MIS, compatibility with relevant third-party platforms and accessibility through the country’s telecommunications networks.
Phase 3: Training
Knowledge transfer. The Firm will train NMB staff, who will train other NMB employees, on how to use the mobile banking service. It will also train selected agents for the pilot.
Phase 4: Pilot
Service testing. The Firm will fix bugs and provide technological support during testing of the mobile banking service. NMB will conduct a pilot with four agents and 20 clients near two to-be-determined branches. By the end of the pilot, the service will operate without technological problems in the field.
V. DELIVERABLES
The Firm will be responsible for preparing and submitting the following deliverables:
DELIVERABLE / DUE DATEPhase 1: Preparation
Participate in a three-day workshop led by Continuum. / August 2016
Create a blueprint mapping integration points between NMB’s MIS and the mobile banking service. / September 2016
Phase 2: Customization
Build the dashboard. / November 2016
Implement the dashboard within NMB’s technological infrastructure. / November 2016
Code the software for the application. / February 2017
Design the UI and UX for the application. / February 2017
Perform QA. / February 2017
Integrate the application with NMB’s MIS, relevant third-party platforms and telecommunications networks. / February 2017
Phase 3: Training
Train NMB staff and selected agents. / February 2017
Phase 4: Pilot
Fix bugs. (dashboard) / February 2017
Fix bugs. (application) / May 2017
NOTE: Deliverables dates subject to change.
VI. TIMELINE & LOCATION
To foster collaboration, communication and problem-solving, NMB expects the Firm to provide in-person, weekly updates at NMB’s headquarters. More frequent communication by telephone or in person is encouraged.
Application and dashboard
· August 2016: workshop participation – three days at NMB’s headquarters
· August – September 2016: technology review – at NMB’s headquarters
· February 2017: knowledge transfer – at NMB’s headquarters
Dashboard
· September – November 2016: building and design – at the Firm’s office
· November 2016: technology integration – at the Firm’s office
· December 2016 – February 2017: service testing – at the Firm’s office
Application
· December 2016 – February 2017: software coding and design – at the Firm’s office
· February 2017: technology integration – at the Firm’s office
· March – May 2017: service testing – at the Firm’s office
SUBMISSION INFORMATION
VII. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
This section contains general and specific requirements for submitting the technical and cost proposals. Please ensure completed forms, including the Evidence of Responsibility and Independent Price Determination, along with a copy of your legal registration, are included with the technical proposal otherwise your proposal will be rejected.
1. This RFP is issued as a public notice to ensure that all interested, qualified and eligible organizations legally registered for business in Jordan that fulfill USAID-designated Geo Code 937 country (meaning Jordan, the US and other developing countries[2]) have a fair opportunity to submit proposals. Qualified international firms should have local experts in Jordan available to provide these services. All staff involved must be fluent in Arabic and be able to deliver services in Arabic, but must report to USAID LENS in English. In addition, no international travel will be included in this award, as the nature of the separate maintenance contract to be entered into directly with NMB will require an ongoing presence in Jordan; therefore, Offerors should not propose bringing in international staff for this work. Any proposed subcontractors or partners must meet Geo Code 937 requirements.
2. The Offeror is requested to submit a proposal directly responsive to the terms, conditions and clauses of this RFP. The overall proposal shall consist of two (2) physically separated parts: Technical Proposal and Cost Proposal. Technical Proposals shall not make reference to pricing.
Alternative proposals will not be considered. Proposals not conforming to this solicitation may be categorized as unacceptable and eliminated from further consideration.
Offerors are allowed to submit one proposal. If an Offeror participates in more than one proposal, all proposals involving the Offeror will be rejected.
3. Proposals shall be written in English. Cost proposals from Jordanian Offerors shall be presented in Jordan Dinar. Cost proposals from US or other Geo Code 937 qualified Offerors shall be presented in US Dollar.
4. Proposals must remain valid for a minimum of ninety (90) days. The Offeror may submit its proposal by the following means:
Electronically – Internet email with up to two (2) attachments per email compatible with MS WORD, Excel and Adobe Acrobat in a MS Windows environment to: .
5. The person signing the Offeror’s proposal must have the authority to commit the Offeror to all the provisions of the Offeror’s proposal.
6. The Offeror should submit its best proposal initially as FHI 360 intends to evaluate proposals and make an award without discussions. However, FHI 360 reserves the right to conduct discussions should FHI 360 deem it necessary.
7. Proposals must be clearly and concisely written and must describe and define the Offeror’s understanding and compliance with the requirements contained in the STATEMENT OF WORK. All pages must be sequentially numbered and identified with the name of the Offeror and the RFP number.
PART A: TECHNICAL PROPOSAL
The Technical Proposal shall be straightforward and concise, describing how the Offeror intends to carry out and satisfy the ACTIVITIES & TASKS and DELIVERABLES described in Sections IV and V above. No contractual price information is to be included in the Offeror’s technical proposal in order that it will be evaluated strictly on its technical merit.
Technical proposals shall be limited to fifteen (15) pages in total. Pages in excess of 15 pages will not be read or evaluated.
Detailed information should be presented only when required by specific RFP instructions. Items such as graphs, charts and tables may be used as appropriate but will be considered part of the page limitation. Key personnel resumes, bio-data sheets, references and dividers are not included in the page limitation. No material may be incorporated in the proposal by reference, attachment, appendix, etc. to circumvent the page limitation.
1. Organizational Information:
o Organization’s legal name
o Contact name and position or title
o Organization’s E-mail address, physical address and telephone number
o Evidence of Responsibility and Independent Price Certification Form (includes confirmation that firm is a USAID-designated Geo Code 937 country – meaning Jordan, the US, and other developing countries) – Annex E
o Copy of legal registration for business in Jordan, the United States or other USAID Geographic Codes 937.
2. Technical Approach: In a narrative – not to exceed four (4) pages – the Offeror will demonstrate its understanding, ability and overall approach to performing the requirements described in the Scope of Work, Activities & Tasks and Deliverables. Provide a detailed timeline required to complete the project.
3. Capability Statement: A narrative – not to exceed three (3) pages – that explains the Firm’s capability to perform the scope of work, activities & tasks and deliverables. The Offeror will demonstrate it has the necessary organizational systems and procedures (e.g., personnel policies, travel policies, project management, equipment, supplies and personnel) in place to successfully comply with the contract requirements and to accomplish the expected results.
4. Past Performance: Not to exceed five (5) pages, the Offeror will submit a list of current and past similar work and assignments completed in the past five years that were similar in size, scope and complexity – preferably in banking, technology and telecommunications sectors – with particular attention paid to those performed in Jordan. Please use the Past Performance Reference Form template in Annex F.