The Digitization of Youth Savings and Lending Groups (YSLGs) under the Employment and Entrepreneurship Project

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Background

SNV is implementing the second phase of the Scaling Up Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship in Agriculture Initiative (YEE)+ project in Zambia. The four-year YEE+ Phase II project builds off successes, lessons learned and evaluations to date from the Phase I project in Zimbabwe and Zambia, other SNV youth employment projects and the YEE programme in Tanzania. The YEE+ Phase II program aims at fostering a strengthened approach to youth employment programming by addressing structural barriers, offering tailored support, and promoting collaboration among community, private sector, and government stakeholders to create dignified livelihoods for young people.

The key objectives of the project are to:

1. Increase access to employment and entrepreneurial skills development opportunities.
2. Match young people to economic opportunities in their communities, using market development systems (MDS) and increased financial inclusion.
3. Contribute to and support an enabling environment via company partnerships, community engagement, and improved government coordination.

The YEE project will experiment with consultant digital recordkeeping application for groups based in central and southern provinces. Digitizing recordkeeping improves accounting accuracy, streamlines group meetings, simplifies the share-out process and creates financial histories for members as well as their groups.

The project will define and describe the use case for solution, providing details on the costs and level of effort required to implement it. This will enable SNV to make an informed decision on future investments in this area. Given the magnitude of project investment on access to finance components, the number of Youth Savings and Lending Groups (YSLGs) in existence and projected through the project period, this is an important decision for the project to get right.

Implementation Approach

SNV propose to undertake the action of learning in two provinces, central and southern by:

• Testing the application in different locations (urban and rural) of each province, to learn about the suitability of the App in different contexts.
• In each province, the initial training will be co-led by SNV advisors with the consultant.
• In each Province, Youth Champions will be selected based on interest, commitment and having a suitable portfolio of mature groups. Each YC will then be expected to train one (1) of their YSL groups on the App assigned to them (with some exceptions noted below).
• If possible, one YSL group will be invited to each App training, to provide realistic training conditions.
• LSPs in the two provinces will directly oversee the training of the first three (3) YSL groups different YC (or more, if the YC encounters challenges on infrastructure).

To roll out the applications to be tested, each LSP will decide a smartphone acquisition strategy based on local context, smartphone availability and group financial capacity. Under all scenarios, YSL groups will then be responsible for charging their smartphone and for data costs, as this will become an ongoing group responsibility whose viability must be tested. Options for smartphone acquisition by order of preference will be:

• Members or groups will use a smartphone they already possess, or purchase smartphones
• Project to provide each group with smartphone specifications and/or links them to an approved seller (such as MTN) on a payment plan
• LSPs to provide smartphones, to be repaid by the groups at the end of their cycle

The consultant will be responsible for:

1. Digitize 110 Youth Savings and Lending Groups (YSLGs),50 from Phase I and 60 from Phase II, in each of the five implementing provinces, though.
2. Design and implement solutions to enhance the functionality and security of YSL groups. 
3. Develop a user-friendly digital application that provides group members with a secure payment platform for contributions, loan transactions, and disbursements via mobile money or bank transfers. 
4. Establish collaborations with formal financial institutions to enable group members to access credit and tailored youth financial products. 
5. Conduct Know Your Customer (KYC) verification processes to authenticate group members and ensure their eligibility for partnerships with formal financial service providers. 
6. Collaborate with insurance companies to secure loans for targeted groups, mitigating risks in case of unforeseen circumstances. 
7. Guarantee that loan or savings disbursements are directly transferred to members’ mobile wallets or bank accounts, ensuring quick and secure access to funds. 
8. Expected Outcomes
9. Digitized operations for 500 groups (250 per province), reducing risks of fraud and improving efficiency. 
10. A fully operational digital application that simplifies financial transactions and ensures data security for group members. 
11. Formal partnerships established with financial institutions, leading to increased access to credit and youth-focused financial products. 
12. Successful implementation of KYC processes, ensuring group members are legitimate and attractive to financial service providers. 
13. Partnerships with insurance companies established, securing group loans against unforeseen circumstances. 
14. All loan and savings disbursements processed directly through mobile wallets or bank accounts, providing fast and secure access to funds for group members.
15.  
16. Scope of Work

17. The consultant will:

18. Design and implement suitable solutions to improve group operations and safeguard member data and their funds
19. Create an intuitive platform for group members to manage contributions, loans, and disbursements seamlessly via mobile money or bank transfers.
20. Build partnerships to provide group members with access to credit and youth-focused financial products. 
21. Implement Know Your Customer processes to verify group members’ identities and ensure eligibility for financial service partnerships
22. Collaborate with insurers to secure loans for targeted groups, reducing risks from unforeseen circumstances

23. Deliverables

    the consultant is expected to deliver the following:

24. Deliver a tailored, reliable, and secure system specifically designed to meet the unique requirements of the YSL group. This system will incorporate advanced security measures to safeguard sensitive data, ensure operational efficiency, and provide scalability for future growth. It will undergo rigorous testing to guarantee its functionality and will be accompanied by comprehensive documentation and user training to ensure seamless adoption.
25. Develop a user-friendly digital application equipped with secure and in-built payment functionalities. The application will allow group members to conduct transactions effortlessly, track payment histories, and access financial tools. The payment integration will support multiple methods, including credit cards, bank transfers, and digital wallets, ensuring convenience and flexibility for users. Additionally, the app will feature a responsive design for optimal performance across devices.
26. Establish strategic partnerships with reputable financial institutions to provide tailored financial products and services for YSL group members. These agreements will include preferential rates, flexible terms, and tailored solutions that align with the needs of the group. The partnerships will be formalized through detailed contracts and will aim to enhance financial accessibility and benefits for members.
27. Create and maintain a comprehensive database of YSL group members that complies with Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations. The database will be verified to ensure accuracy and authenticity, safeguarding against fraud and identity theft. It will include essential details such as identification documents, contact information, and membership status.
28. Comprehensive Inception Report: detailing how the consultant understands the task, development of a roadmap and a detailed timeline of the assignment in consultation with the SNV Advisor within the first 5 days of taking up the assignment.
29. Comprehensive Report: This report will provide detailed findings from the desk review, stakeholder consultations and any other workshops.

Consultant Profile

• A suitable consultant should have the following:

1. A minimum of seven (7) years of experience in youth employment and entrepreneurship, and related fields.
2. A strong understanding of the context and challenges facing young people in Zambian local communities. (Including gender related issues)
3. Excellent Facilitation and communication skills with demonstrated ability to work with diverse stakeholders.
4. Strong analytical and reporting skills, with the ability to produce high quality reports.
5. A Masters’ university degree in social sciences and related field is an added advantage

Tentative Timeline

The consultancy is expected to be completed within five (5) months- October 2025 to February 2026 from the start date. please see the link below for more deadlines:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/18tzATiPdKwXoyvgcq9q6C_-suQY1Y7_p/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=103167951601550017484&rtpof=true&sd=true

Working at SNV

SNV offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package. We offer a challenging work environment, opportunities to lead and innovate, and a commitment to growing your skills in a fulfilling and diverse working environment. Our staff benefit from, and contribute to, an internal global network of experts.

SNV strives to be an inclusive employer, thriving on the diversity of its people and does not discriminate based on disability status, religion, ethnic origin, gender and sexual orientation, etc.

How to apply

If you meet the requirements and are excited about this opportunity, we would love to hear from you. Apply today by uploading your CV and motivation letter on Smart Recruiters by 09 October 2025.

Reference & vetting check : At SNV, we conduct thorough background and reference checks for all candidates applying for internationally determined positions, with a strong focus on safeguarding. You will be asked to provide contact details for two individuals who can serve as references. Please note, we will only contact your referees with your explicit permission.

As a participant in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, our reference checks also include a request to your previous employers to complete a "Statement of Conduct" questionnaire. This questionnaire addresses any instances of misconduct, including sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment, in line with the Scheme's definitions.

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