Expression of Interest: Digital Savings Group Management Platform for Saving for Transformation

TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR)

Assignment Tittle: Digital Savings Group Management Platform for Saving for Transformation (S4T) groups

1. Background

World Vision Somalia is implementing the Savings for Transformation (S4T) approach to strengthen financial inclusion, savings mobilization, and economic resilience among vulnerable households, women, and youth. Through S4T, community members organize into savings groups, mobilize savings, access internal lending mechanisms, and strengthen financial literacy and economic participation.

Currently, savings group records and transactions are managed manually, creating challenges related to data quality, transparency, reporting efficiency, auditability, and real-time performance monitoring.

To improve operational effectiveness and strengthen programme management, World Vision seeks to identify and deploy an existing digital savings group management solution that aligns with S4T operational requirements and has been successfully implemented in similar contexts.

2. Purpose of the Assignment

The purpose of this assignment is to identify, configure, deploy, and support an existing digital platform for management of S4T savings groups.

World Vision is not seeking development of a new application. The selected service provider shall propose an existing, operational, and tested solution with demonstrated experience supporting savings groups, Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA), community finance groups, microfinance initiatives, or similar target populations.

The solution should strengthen record management, financial tracking, reporting, transparency, and programme monitoring while remaining practical for low-connectivity environments.

3. Objectives

The assignment aims to:

• Digitize savings group operations and records and reduce reliance on paper-based recordkeeping.
• Improve transparency and accountability of savings, loan, and other group transactions.
• Enable timely, accurate, and accessible operational and programme reporting.
• Strengthen programme monitoring and decision-making through dashboards, analytics, and performance information.
• Improve accessibility, security, integrity, and controlled access to programme data.
• Strengthen auditability and compliance of savings group activities.
• Provide a sustainable digital solution with appropriate technical support, maintenance, upgrades, and data portability.

4. Scope of Assignment

• The selected provider will be responsible for supplying, configuring, deploying, rolling out, and supporting an existing digital savings group management platform. The provider will be expected to work closely with World Vision Somalia to assess the fit of the proposed platform against S4T operational requirements, identify any gaps, configure the solution, conduct user acceptance testing, train relevant users, support rollout, and provide post-deployment technical support.
• The proposed solution should require limited configuration or customization rather than full software development. Any proposed customization must be clearly described, justified, and agreed with World Vision before implementation. The provider shall demonstrate how the platform can be rapidly deployed and maintained over the required implementation period and beyond.

4.1 Existing Solution/platform Requirements

• The proposed solution must be an existing, proven, and fully operational platform that has been successfully implemented or is currently in use by organizations managing savings groups, VSLAs, community finance, microfinance, or comparable financial inclusion programmes.
• The provider should demonstrate relevant experience working with women, youth, rural communities, vulnerable populations, or similar target groups.
• The solution should require limited configuration and customization rather than full software development and should be capable of being deployed within a practical implementation timeframe.
• The proposed platform must be available for demonstration during the technical evaluation, including demonstration of core functionality, reporting, user access, security, and offline or low-connectivity capabilities where applicable.
• The provider shall provide relevant case studies, client references, or other evidence of previous successful implementations.
• The provider shall demonstrate its capacity to provide long-term technical support, maintenance, system updates, troubleshooting, and upgrades.

4.2 Functional Requirements

4.2.1 Savings Group Management

The platform shall support comprehensive savings group administration and management, including:

• Registration and management of savings groups;
• Assignment of unique group identification numbers;
• Registration of group profiles and leadership structures;
• Designation and management of three (3) Group Administrators per group;
• Member registration, onboarding, and profile management;
• Group invitations Through mobile numbers;
• Membership acceptance and onboarding through SMS, USSD, mobile application, or web portal;
• Maintenance of group records and membership history.

4.2.2 Savings Contributions

The platform shall support the management of member savings and group financial contributions, including:

• Daily, weekly, monthly, and configurable contribution schedules;
• Recording and tracking of savings contributions;
• Maintenance of individual member transaction records;
• Automated reminders for pending or overdue contributions;
• Real-time visibility of individual savings balances;
• Real-time visibility of overall group balances;

4.2.3 Loan Management

The platform shall provide end-to-end loan management functionality, including:

• Submission of loan applications by group members;
• Configurable loan approval workflows;
• Loan approval by designated Group Administrators;
• Recording and tracking of loan disbursements;
• Tracking and monitoring of loan repayment and schedules reminders;
• Tracking of outstanding and overdue loans;

4.2.4 Transparency and Member Access

The platform shall promote transparency and accountability by providing members with access to:

• Group savings balances;
• Individual savings records and transaction history;
• Contribution summaries and account statements;
• Details of active and outstanding loans;
• Transaction confirmations and reports;

4.2.5 Access Channels

To ensure accessibility for all users, the platform shall support multiple access channels, including:

• Mobile application;
• Web-based access;
• USSD functionality;
• SMS alerts, reminders, and notifications;
• Secure user authentication across all channels;
• Offline functionality and data synchronization capabilities.
• The platform shall function effectively in low-connectivity and remote operating environments

5. User Roles and Permissions

5.1 Group Members

The platform shall enable Group Members to:

• Make savings contributions;
• Request and loans;
• View individual balances;
• Monitor loan repayments and outstanding balances;
• Access transaction history;
• Receive transaction confirmations and notifications;

5.2 Group Administrators

The platform shall enable Group Administrators to:

• Manage group membership, including member registration and approval;
• Review and approve loan requests;
• Monitor savings contributions and loan activities;
• Access group financial reports;
• Monitor group balances and financial transactions;

5.3 World Vision Users

The platform shall provide World Vision users with:

• Monitoring and reporting access;
• Access to real-time dashboards;
• Group performance monitoring capabilities;

6. Security, Data Protection and Compliance

The provider shall implement:

Authentication and Security

• Secure user authentication;
• Role-based access control;
• Activity audit logs.

Data Protection

• Encryption of data at rest and in transit;
• Secure data storage practices;
• Controlled access to beneficiary information.

Infrastructure Security

• Data backup and disaster recovery procedures;
• Continuous system monitoring;
• Regular security updates and patching.

Compliance

The platform shall support compliance with:

• KYC requirements, where applicable;
• AML/CFT obligations;
• World Vision safeguarding policies and requirements;
• Donor reporting and audit requirements.

7. Reporting and Analytics

The system shall generate reports:

Operational Reports

• Savings performance;
• Loan portfolio performance;
• Membership reports.

Programme Reports

The system shall provide:

• Active groups and active members;
• Total savings mobilized;
• Loan trends and performance;
• Dashboard analytics

Audit Reports

The system shall generate:

• User logs;
• Transaction records;
• approval tracking.

8. Deliverables

8.1 Platform Demonstration and Fit-Gap Assessment

The provider shall demonstrate the proposed existing platform and its core functionality. Following the demonstration, the provider shall conduct a fit-gap assessment against the S4T requirements in this TOR, identifying available functionality, configuration requirements, limitations, and any proposed limited customization.

8.2 Configuration and Deployment Plan

The provider shall prepare a detailed implementation and deployment plan setting out activities, milestones, timelines, roles and responsibilities, dependencies, risks, mitigation measures, training arrangements, testing, rollout, and post-deployment support.

8.3 Platform Configuration, Setup and Deployment

The provider shall configure and set up the platform in accordance with the agreed requirements, complete any approved limited customization, establish required user roles and permissions, and support deployment and rollout to the agreed S4T users and groups.

8.4 User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

The provider shall develop or agree UAT scenarios and test cases covering core platform functionality. The provider shall support World Vision staff and relevant S4T facilitators in testing the platform, document issues identified, resolve agreed defects, and obtain confirmation that the platform is ready for rollout.

8.5 Training and User Support

The provider shall deliver practical training for World Vision staff and S4T facilitators on platform administration, user management, savings and loan transactions, reporting, dashboards, data security, troubleshooting, and other relevant functions. Training materials and user guidance shall be provided.

8.6 Technical Documentation

The provider shall provide relevant technical documentation, including system administration guidance, configuration documentation, user guides, data management procedures, and other documentation required for effective system operation.

8.7 Service Level Agreement (SLA)

The provider shall provide an SLA defining support arrangements, service availability commitments, incident classification, response and resolution timelines, escalation procedures, maintenance, upgrades, and responsibilities of both parties.

8.8 Post-Deployment Support and Maintenance

The provider shall provide post-deployment support to address technical issues, user support requests, system maintenance, updates, and agreed improvements. The provider shall clearly describe its support channels, response times, escalation mechanisms, and arrangements for system continuity.

9. Hosting, Support and Sustainability

The proposal shall specify:

• Hosting model, whether cloud-based, on-premise, or hybrid.
• Data backup and recovery arrangements.
• Business continuity and disaster recovery measures.
• System availability and uptime commitments.
• Technical support and maintenance arrangements.
• Incident response, escalation, and resolution timelines.
• System upgrade and maintenance arrangements.
• Long-term sustainability and scalability of the proposed solution.

10. Data Ownership and Exit Strategy

• All programme and beneficiary data shall remain the property of World Vision;
• Providers shall act only as data processors;
• World Vision shall retain unrestricted access to exported data;
• Data portability shall be supported;
• Providers shall support migration where required;
• Providers shall securely delete data upon contract completion unless legally required to retain it.

11. Mandatory Requirements

Applicants must submit:

• Certified copy of Business Registration Certificate;
• Certified copy of Tax Registration Certificate;

Other mandatory requirements

• Company Profile detailing organizational structure and relevant experience;
• Evidence of at least two (2) similar assignments completed involving deployment of existing digital savings group, VSLA, community finance, financial inclusion, or comparable digital platforms;
• At least two (2) client reference letters or completion certificates;

12. Technical Evaluation and Selection Methodology

The evaluation process will consist of two stages: (i) Preliminary Screening/Supplier Eligibility and (ii) Technical Evaluation.

12.1 Preliminary Screening/Supplier Eligibility

All submitted proposals will first be reviewed against the mandatory requirements specified in Section 11. The mandatory requirements will be assessed on a pass/fail basis.

First Round Evaluation (Preliminary Evaluation)

Evaluation Criteria

Supplier Eligibility

Submission of mandatory legal documents including valid business registration/license, TIN certificate, VAT registration (where applicable), and other statutory requirements - Pass/Fail

Technical Proposal

Assessment of the bidder's responsiveness to the Terms of Reference, including the technical proposal and supporting documentation. - 100%

12.2 Technical Evaluation

Eligible bidders will be evaluated based on the quality and responsiveness of their technical proposals. The technical evaluation will use a point-based scoring system with a maximum score of 100 points. The evaluation will assess the bidder's understanding of the assignment, proposed methodology and implementation approach, suitability and functionality of the proposed digital savings group management platform, relevant organizational experience, technical capacity, and experience implementing digital solutions in comparable low-connectivity and rural operating environments.

Bidders must provide sufficient evidence to substantiate their technical proposals, including descriptions of relevant previous assignments, client references or completion certificates, information on the proposed technical team, and details of the proposed digital platform. Bidders may also be required to demonstrate the proposed platform and its core functionalities as part of the technical evaluation.

The minimum passing score for the technical evaluation is 70 out of 100 points. Only bidders achieving a score of 70 points or above will be considered technically qualified.

Technical Evaluation Criteria

1. Methodology, Technical Approach and Proposed Plan - 45 Marks

1.1: Understanding of the TOR, methodology, technical approach, and implementation strategy - 15 Marks

1.2: Clear deployment work plan, implementation timeline, roles and responsibilities, and anticipated outcomes. - 10 Marks

1.3: Availability, suitability, and demonstration of a proven and functional digital savings group platform - 20 Marks

2. Relevant Experience and Technical Capacity - 55 Marks

2.1: Experience implementing similar digital savings group, VSLA, community finance, or financial inclusion platforms, supported by client references - 20 Marks

2.2: Experience deploying existing digital platforms, including configuration, limited customization, rollout, user training, and user adoption support - 10 Marks

2.3: Availability and qualifications of a dedicated technical team to provide system administration, maintenance, user support, issue resolution, and platform updates - 15 Marks

2.4: Experience deploying digital solutions in low-connectivity and rural environments, including experience with women, youth, or other vulnerable populations - 10 Marks

Total Technical Score - 100 Marks

Minimum Passing Technical Score - 70 Marks

12.3 Financial Proposal and Contract Negotiation

Financial proposals shall be submitted separately from the technical proposal in accordance with the instructions provided.

Following completion of the technical evaluation, technically qualified bidders will be ranked in order of their technical scores. The bidder achieving the highest technical score will be ranked first and invited to submit or open its financial proposal for review and contract negotiation, (in accordance with the CQS method).

13.Submission of Proposals:

More Details to be provided in full ITB upon Expression of Interest.

We hereby invite Expression of Interest from registered, approved and reputable consultants to provide above-named services to World Vision Somalia.