Ref.
2025/EODPPIAF/14069
Job offer type
Experts
Type of contract
Service contract
Deadline date
2025/11/03 12:00
Duration of the assignment
Beaded expertise
Contract
Freelancer
Duration
5 month
Expert on Digital Payments, Payment Infrastructures, and Fintech (M/W)
Département Géographique - GEO > DP Tunisie/Lybie
Published on : 2025/10/16
NORTH AFRICA / MIDDLE EAST
LIBYA
Mission description
Expert on Digital Payments, Payment Infrastructures, and Fintech – Capacity-Building Program for the National Monetary Authority
The National Monetary Authority (NMA) has made financial inclusion one of its key strategic priorities under the National Financial Inclusion Strategy 2025–2029. A cornerstone of this strategy is the development and regulation of digital payments systems, which play a vital role in providing wider access to financial services, improving efficiency, and enhancing transparency across Libya’s financial sector.
To achieve these goals, NMA has established a dedicated team responsible for the implementation and supervision of electronic payment solutions, infrastructures, and regulatory frameworks. This team must ensure that Libya’s payment ecosystem aligns with international standards, regional best practices, and the broader goals of financial inclusion and innovation.
Given the fast-changing nature of digital financial technologies, there is a pressing need to strengthen the technical knowledge, supervisory skills, and regulatory capacity of this team. Building these capacities will enable NMA to:
· Oversee the effective rollout of e-payment infrastructures.
· Enforce regulatory and supervisory frameworks for digital payments.
· Support financial inclusion objectives by ensuring that payment systems are secure, efficient, and accessible.
The proposed training program is therefore designed to provide a structured, phased learning process, combining foundational knowledge, applied skills, and advanced regulatory practice. It will be conducted by senior professionals with proven experience in central banks and financial regulatory authorities in the MENA region.
Objectives and desired results
1) General objective
To strengthen the technical capacity of NMA staff working in digital payments and fintech, supporting the modernization of payment infrastructures and enhancing financial inclusion.
2) Specific Objectives
· Develop practical knowledge in managing payment infrastructures, including RTGS, ACH, card systems, and mobile wallets.
· Enhance understanding of fintech applications and innovation models in central banking.
· Strengthen capacity in risk management, cybersecurity, and operational resilience of payment systems.
· Support the adoption of international standards and frameworks such as ISO 20022, PCI DSS, and CPMI-IOSCO.
3) Anticipated Results
· Improved technical knowledge and operational practices of NMA teams in managing and overseeing payment infrastructures.
· Enhanced readiness to integrate innovative digital financial solutions.
Strengthened resilience and security of national payment systems
Description of the assignment
Assignment Preparation
- Review NMA’s strategic documents, regulatory frameworks, and training needs.
- Finalize the training curriculum in consultation with NMA.
- Deliver technical sessions on payment systems architecture, interoperability, and modernization.
- Introduce case studies from leading regional central banks and fintech regulators.
Conduct workshops on operational resilience, cybersecurity, and risk management frameworks. - Provide hands-on exercises on payment infrastructure monitoring tools and performance indicators.
- Develop recommendations for improving the digital payment ecosystem.
- Facilitate simulation exercises and policy workshops.
- Support the drafting of supervisory tools, reporting templates, and checklists.
- Deliver guidance on sustainability and continuous capacity building.
Post-Assignment Follow-Up
- Conduct pre- and post-training evaluations.
- Submit a final recommendations report to ensure institutional sustainability.
- Prepare an inception note, training materials, and a final report summarizing outcomes and recommendations.
Anticipated Intermediate and Final deliverables
|
Deliverables |
KPI |
Verification sources |
End Date |
|
Deliverable #1: Inception Report & Final Training Curriculum |
- Inception report approved by NMA and Expertise France. - Training curriculum aligned with NMA priorities |
- Signed approval from the project manager - Training plan and agenda shared. |
Week 4 |
|
Deliverable #2: Phase I Training Delivery Report |
- Average post-test improvement ≥ 20%. |
- Attendance sheets. - Participant feedback forms. - Phase II report with agreed outlines |
Week 12 |
|
Deliverable #3: Phase II Training Delivery Report |
- Practical case studies adapted to Libya. - Minimum 80% of participants report increased confidence in applying skills. |
- Attendance sheets. - Participant feedback forms. - Phase II report - online satisfaction surveys |
Week 18 |
|
Deliverable #4: Phase III Training Delivery Report |
- Minimum 2 simulation/policy exercises conducted. - ≥ 70% of participants apply acquired knowledge in follow-up tasks.. |
- Training reports. - Feedback from NMA supervisors. - Online surveys |
Week 21 |
|
Deliverable #5: Final Report with Sustainability Recommendations |
- Comprehensive report delivered on time. - At least 3 recommendations for sustainable capacity building. - NMA endorsement of next steps. |
- Final report. - Meeting minutes from presentation to NMA. - Written confirmation/feedback from NMA. |
Week 22 |
Project or context description
The EU4Skills project is designed to tackle the pressing issue of unemployment in Libya, addressing the urgent need for a comprehensive approach to employability. As of 2020, Libya faced an unemployment rate of 19.6%, disproportionately impacting women and youth. The barriers to accessing quality employment opportunities are multidimensional, necessitating a strategic and integrated response.
Libya’s economy is heavily reliant on oil and gas, which, despite being a primary source of national income, employs only 2% of the workforce. This highlights a significant mismatch between job opportunities and available employment. Although Libya has a high enrolment rate in higher education, with a ratio of 60.5% for both genders, the quality of education is lacking, as evidenced by its ranking of 102 out of 144 countries in quality performance and 133rd out of 144 in labour market efficiency.
Required profile
Given the specialized nature of this assignment, proposals must include experts with a proven track record in the relevant field. Applications may be submitted either by individual consultants or by consulting firms; however, the evaluation will focus primarily on the qualifications, experience, and technical background of the proposed expert(s) rather than the company’s profile.
1. Profile of Designated Expert
a. Qualifications and Experience
- Advanced degree (Master’s or equivalent) in information technology, computer science, finance, or related field.
- Minimum 10 years of professional experience in digital payments, payment infrastructures, fintech solutions, or central banking technology.
- Proven experience working with central banks, financial regulators, or payment authorities in the MENA region.
- Demonstrated ability to deliver specialized technical training and advisory services.
- Previous experience in fragile or transition economies, preferably in Libya or neighboring countries.
b. Technical Skills
- Expertise in design and management of payment systems (RTGS, ACH, card networks, digital wallets).
- Strong understanding of fintech innovation, open banking, and digital ID frameworks.
- Knowledge of cybersecurity, operational risk management, and incident response.
- Familiarity with international standards such as ISO 20022, PCI DSS, and CPMI-IOSCO.
c. Language of Proposal Submission
- Proposals and supporting documents must be submitted in English.
- The training program and related materials must be delivered in Arabic, given the target audience.
- Working proficiency in English is required for reporting and coordination purposes.
d. Regional Experience
- Demonstrated track record of assignments in the MENA region, preferably involving cooperation with central banks or financial authorities.
Reporting and Coordination
- The expert or institution will report to the Chief of Component. Regular progress reports will be required throughout the assignment, detailing milestones achieved, challenges encountered and proposed next steps.
- Coordination with the Central Bank of Libya is crucial for the success of this assignment.
- The expert will be expected to provide regular updates to all key stakeholders and maintain open lines of communication.
Additional information
Application Process
Interested institutions or experts are invited to submit the following documents
- Technical Proposal: detailed proposal outlining the training approach, methodology, and tools to be applied across all three phases (foundational, applied, advanced), with clear alignment to the objectives of the assignment and NMA’s financial inclusion priorities.
- Curricula Vitae (CVs) of Experts: Detailed CVs of the proposed experts, highlighting:
o Proven experience working with central banks or financial regulators in the MENA region.
o Demonstrated expertise in digital payments, regulation, and financial inclusion.
o Relevant technical and training experience in capacity-building programs.
o Language skills, with proficiency in Arabic and English essential.
o At least two reference letters from central banks, regulatory authorities, or international financial institutions confirming the experts’ previous assignments and performance.
- Detailed Work Plan: A comprehensive work plan with a realistic timeline (up to 9 months), sequencing of activities, and milestones for training delivery, follow-up, and reporting.
- Financial Proposal: A transparent and detailed budget breakdown for each activity. Costs should be presented clearly and should exclude travel and accommodation, which will be covered separately.
The implementation period of five months (November 2025 – March 2026) covers the three phases of the capacity-building program. Nevertheless, each expert will be contracted for a maximum of 15 working days.
Proposal Assessment
The evaluation of submissions will focus on transparency and completeness of the documents. The assessment will verify that both the financial proposal (including a detailed cost breakdown) and the technical proposal are complete, transparent, and fully aligned with the requirements set out in this TOR
Selection criteria for applications
The selection process for candidates will be based on the following criteria :
- Candidate’s training/skills/experience
- Candidate’s experiences linked with the expert mission
- Candidate’s expected linguistic understanding
- Candidate's knowledges related to local context (country or region intervention)
- Candidate’s understanding of cooperation project stakes
Deadline for application : 2025/11/03 12:00
Expertise France is the public agency for designing and implementing international technical cooperation projects. The agency operates around four key priorities :
- democratic, economic, and financial governance ;
- peace, stability, and security ;
- climate, agriculture, and sustainable development ;
- health and human development ;
In these areas, Expertise France conducts capacity-building initiatives and manages project implementation, leveraging technical expertise and acting as a project coordinator. This involves combining public sector expertise with private sector skills to drive impactful results.