Software and IT system Support — Lebanon Green Agrifood Transformation for Economic Recovery (GATE)

Request for Expressions of Interest (REoI) Country: Lebanon Project: Green Agri-Food Transformation for Economic Recovery (GATE) Project Implementing Agency: Kafalat SAL Assignment Title:Information System and LMS officer (Sub-component 1.2) Reference No.: LB-KAFALAT-513788-CS-INDV I. Project Background The Council for Development and Reconstruction, as a representative of the Republic of Lebanon (The Borrower), will implement the Green, Agri-food Transformation for Economic Recovery project (“GATE” or “Project”), funded by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). The total project cost is US$200 million and the project closing date is December 2028. Kafalat SAL will implement Subcomponent 1.2 under a Subsidiary Agreement with CDR and has established a Project Management Unit (PMU) responsible for the overall management of the sub-component. Kafalat will be extending direct loans to SMEs operating the Lebanese agri-food and agro-tourism sector including procurement and will be responsible for the financial management, E&S safeguards, monitoring and evaluation, and oversight of the SME loan program. Kafalat SAL is a Lebanese financial institution historically mandated to provide loan guarantees to SMEs through commercial banks. Under Subcomponent 1.2 of the GATE Project, Kafalat has been mandated, for the first time, to provide direct lending to eligible SMEs in the agri-food and agritourism sectors, with a total allocation of USD 47.6 million. Operating from a single office in Beirut with no branch network, this represents a fundamental operational transformation requiring the development of entirely new lending instruments, procedures, and supporting systems. A key pillar of this operational transformation is the procurement, implementation, and ongoing management of a Loan Management System (LMS), a dedicated Information System to automate the end-to-end SME lending operations of the PMU, covering loan origination, credit assessment, approval workflows, collateral management, disbursement, repayment tracking, early warning, environmental and social compliance, portfolio monitoring, and reporting. The LMS is being procured through a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process in accordance with the World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers (November 2020). II. Objective of the Assignment The objective of this assignment is to engage a full-time Information Systems and LMS Officer to support the GATE PMU from the LMS implementation phase through to the end of the GATE Project. The Officer will work alongside the Short-Term IT Consultant/Advisor during the implementation phase, focusing on monitoring vendor deliverables, supporting system testing and handover, and building the operational knowledge required to independently administer the LMS after the consultant's engagement concludes. III. Scope of Work and Responsibilities The Officer's responsibilities are as follows: Work directly with the LMS Supplier and the Short-Term IT Advisor throughout the implementation lifecycle, serving as Kafalat's primary technical point of contact with the Supplier during requirements specification, system design, development, testing, and deployment. Participate actively in the definition and review of the system architecture proposed by the LMS Supplier, ensuring it is appropriate for Kafalat's operational environment, compliant with the RFP technical requirements, and aligned with the LMS TOR. Flag any architectural concerns to the IT advisor and PMU Manager. Monitor vendor deliverables against the implementation milestone schedule throughout the full project lifecycle, maintaining a deliverable tracker and promptly reporting delays, gaps, or non-conformances to the PMU Manager.. Ensure effective delivery across the entire LMS lifecycle by actively tracking progress through requirements specification, system design, development, testing, and deployment, and maintaining a consolidated implementation log of decisions, issues, and resolutions. Conduct glitch and defect analysis during testing phases, identifying, documenting, and classifying system defects, integration errors, and performance issues, and working directly with the Supplier's development team to ensure timely resolution before go-live. Participate in User Acceptance Testing (UAT), testing all mandatory LMS modules and integration scenarios, logging and tracking defects, verifying resolution, and confirming that the system performs as expected before sign-off. Review integration design and test results for the Conduit Bank SFTP/API interface and accounting system interface, working with the Supplier and the Conduit Bank's technical team to resolve any integration issues during development and testing. Attend all user and system administrator training sessions delivered by the LMS Supplier, ensuring full operational proficiency in all system modules, administrative functions, backup and recovery procedures, and vendor escalation processes. Actively participate in the go-live readiness activities and the formal handover of the LMS from the Supplier to Kafalat alongside the Short-Term Consultant, ensuring complete familiarity with all system configurations, integration specifications, open issues, and post-go-live support procedures. Serve as the primary LMS System Administrator, managing user accounts, roles, access rights, and system configuration, ensuring full segregation of duties is maintained at all times. Monitor system performance, availability, and backup procedures, ensuring compliance with the SLA agreed with the LMS Supplier and escalating any performance or availability issues promptly. Ensure compliance with Kafalat's information security policies and procedures relating to user access management, password controls, audit logging, backup verification, and protection of confidential borrower information, and promptly report any suspected security incidents to the PMU Manager. Serve as the primary point of contact with the LMS Supplier for all technical support requests, bug reports, maintenance activities, and system updates, tracking all issues through to resolution and escalating unresolved matters to the PMU Manager. Manage the SFTP-based data exchange with the Conduit Bank, ensuring timely and accurate transmission and receipt of all exchange files and resolving any file format, transmission, or validation errors promptly. Generate standard reports and dashboards from the LMS as requested by the PMU Manager, CFO/Finance Officer, Credit Officers, and E&S Officer, and extract LMS data as required to support financial management requirements including financial reporting, CDR reporting, and World Bank supervision missions. The Officer shall ensure that the Financial Management team at the PMU has full and uninterrupted access to all financial data within the LMS, and that any system configuration changes affecting financial data fields, reporting templates, or accounting interfaces are reviewed and approved by the CFO and the PMU manager before implementation. Monitor portfolio utilization against the two allocation tranches and alert the PMU Manager when either tranche approaches its allocation limit. Coordinate with the LMS Supplier on system updates, version upgrades, and new module releases, testing all changes in the test environment before deploying to production. Maintain appropriate documentation for all system configuration changes, software updates, and production releases, ensuring that changes are properly tested and approved before deployment. Train new PMU staff on LMS usage, provide day-to-day user support, and maintain up-to-date system documentation including configuration records, integration specifications, and user access logs. Prepare a monthly LMS operational report for the PMU Manager and CFO summarizing system performance, user support activities, vendor performance, outstanding issues, implemented changes, and planned activities, and support World Bank implementation support missions, annual audits, and Third-Party Monitoring Agent (TPMA) assignments by providing timely access to system information, reports, logs, and documentation. Perform any other information systems-related duties reasonably assigned by the PMU Manager that are consistent with the objectives of this assignment. IV. Qualifications and Skills Academic Qualifications: University degree (Bachelor's minimum) in Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field. A Master's degree is an advantage. Professional Experience: Minimum 5 years of professional experience in information systems, with a focus on financial sector IT systems such as Loan Management Systems (LMS), core banking systems, or financial information systems for banks, microfinance institutions, or development finance institutions. Demonstrated experience in at least one LMS or financial IS implementation or administration role, including system configuration, user management, and report generation. Hands-on experience with system integration, specifically SFTP-based or API-based data exchange between financial systems and commercial banking platforms. Experience with relational databases (SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, or equivalent) and ability to run basic queries for data extraction and verification. Prior experience in IT procurement support, including preparation of technical specifications, evaluation of vendor proposals, or participation in a technical evaluation committee, is highly desirable. Familiarity with World Bank or other IFI-financed project IT procurement processes is an advantage. Knowledge of SME lending workflows, credit appraisal processes, or loan portfolio management is desirable but not mandatory. Understanding of data security principles, backup and recovery procedures, and user access management. Skills and Competencies: Strong technical analytical skills with the ability to review and assess complex system specifications. Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to non-technical users and stakeholders. Strong attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy and system integrity. Ability to work independently, manage multiple tasks simultaneously, and deliver outputs under tight deadlines. Strong written communication skills in English; Arabic is required; French is an asset. High standards of professional integrity, confidentiality, and impartiality, particularly during the procurement evaluation phase. Team player with the ability to work effectively within a small, multidisciplinary PMU team. V. Commencement of Assignment and Duration The Information Systems and LMS Officer is expected to commence duties on The duration of the contract is from the commencement date through to the GATE Project closing date of 31 December 2028, subject to annual performance review. The contract is renewable on a yearly basis based on satisfactory performance as assessed by the PMU Manager. The assignment is full-time (Time Base Payment) and dedicated exclusively to the GATE PMU at Kafalat SAL. The Officer shall be based at Kafalat's offices in Beirut, Lebanon. VI. Reporting Arrangements The Information Systems and LMS Officer will report directly to the PMU Manager and the CFO/Finance Officer at Kafalat SAL throughout the full duration of the assignment. During the implementation period, the Officer will work under the technical guidance of the Short-Term IT Consultant/Advisor, who will mentor the Officer's technical activities. All formal decisions and approvals remain the responsibility of the PMU Manager. On a day-to-day basis, the Officer will coordinate with the CFO/Finance Officer, E&S Officer, Credit Manager, and the LMS Supplier for data exchange, report generation, and technical support matters. All material technical issues shall be escalated to the PMU Manager. The Officer shall prepare a brief monthly IT activity report for the PMU Manager summarizing system performance, issues encountered, vendor interactions, and planned activities for the following month."