Country Director, Accelerate Prosperity
Candidate Pack – 17^h October 2022



Executive Summary

The Aga Khan Development Network's (AKDN) Accelerate Prosperity initiative (AP), founded in 2016, provides integrated technical support — including incubation, acceleration, and networking – and brokers or offers "patient" capital to new or small enterprises with growth potential. Accelerate Prosperity's ultimate goal is to catalyse entrepreneurship, consequently generating employment opportunity and increasing incomes towards broader development objectives.

AP operates in Tajikistan, Pakistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Afghanistan. The initiative is run by the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development's Industrial Promotion Services (AKFED-IPS).

AP's Country Director, jointly appointed by AKF and AKFED-IPS, is broadly responsible for the initiative's success in Tajikistan. The Country will be based in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, with frequent travel to GBAO, Sughd and Khatlon and other target areas.

The ideal candidate will have significant enterprise-related experience including strategic, analytical, relationship-building and management skills; the ability to thrive in dynamic or ambiguous contexts; a track record in dealing with risk, investment, and business model analysis in early-stage enterprises; sound business acumen; fluency in English, Tajik and Russian languages. Deeply committed to women's active participation in the economy as a catalyst for economic growth and for women's economic empowerment, AKDN welcomes interest from those driving this agenda.


The deadline is midnight (23:59 hours) on Thursday, 10^th November 2022.

The Aga Khan Development Network

Founded and guided by His Highness the Aga Khan, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) brings together several development agencies, institutions, and programmes that work primarily in the poorest parts of Asia and Africa. A central feature of AKDN's approach to development is to design and implement strategies in which its different agencies participate in particular settings to help those in need, achieve a level of self-reliance and improve their quality of life.

Accelerate Prosperity

Accelerate Prosperity (AP) is a joint initiative of the Aga Khan Foundation and Industrial Promotion Services of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development. It is one of the new initiatives of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in Central and South Asia, which provides a formal structure to catalyze enterprises, where economic opportunities remain insufficient. AP's mission is to inspire rising entrepreneurs in emerging regions to grow new markets, create sustainable employment and strengthen communities. Through patient capital and tailored business advisory to startups and existing businesses, AP inspires entrepreneurship, offering lean startup incubation and facilitating mentorship from industry leaders, getting promising enterprises investment-ready, and creating linkages to angel and investment financing.

Aga Khan Foundation

The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), alongside its sister AKDN agencies, has implemented innovative, community-driven solutions to development challenges for over 50 years. The Aga Khan Foundation brings together human, financial and technical resources to address some of the challenges faced by the poorest and most marginalised communities in the world. Special emphasis is placed on investing in human potential, expanding opportunity and improving the overall quality of life, especially for women and girls. AKF's main programme areas: Agriculture and Food Security; Economic Inclusion; Education; Early Childhood Development; Health and Nutrition; and Civil Society.

Responsibilities:

Objective 1: Management of AP Tajikistan, including Strategy, Program and Investment Portfolio

1. Oversee design, marketing, promotion, delivery and quality of AP services to startup and SGBs in Tajikistan, including awareness-raising and inspiration/ideation events, training and technical assistance to start-ups and SGBs, business mentorship, investment due diligence and structuring, patient investments, repayment and recoveries as well as virtual acceleration (online) activities.

2. Catalyze entrepreneurship and SGBs in target geographies in Tajikistan, benefiting youth, women and men, directly through AP services as well as through partnerships.

3. Organise quarterly AP local board meetings and brieft them about progress against plans as well as compliance requirements.

4. Organise National Investment Committee meetings, which is the investment review and decision making committee of the AP local board and keep all decisions well documented.

5. Facilitating access to new sources of capital and technical assistance from partners, including banks, startup and SME funds and business service providers.

6. Develop systems for strategic financing and portfolio oversight.

7. Regularly report to the AP Regional Executive Director on performance and strategic matters.


Objective 2: Donor and Grant Management, including resource mobilization, oversight and compliance

1. Lead AP's financing strategy and resource mobilization efforts, including co-designing new projects for partner donors and corporate sponsors, with support of AKF and AP Regional Executive Director.

2. Ensure effective grants management and compliance in multiple donor funded projects.

3. Establish and ensure adhered to effective data management, MERL and insights practices.


Objective 3: Strategic Engagement, including local partnerships and legal compliance

1. Develop/revise effective financial, human resources and operational structures that are consistent with AKDN's internal policies and ethical standards and that meet current laws and regulations of Tajikistan and donor agencies.

2. Lead AP's engagement and coordination with AKDN stakeholders in Tajikistan - AKF (Tajikistan), AKFED (IPS), University of Cental Asia, the First Microfinance Bank, etc.

3. Lead AP's engagement of external stakeholders - International Donor Community, Government of Tajikistan, International Partners.

4. Represent AP Tajikistan in National and International forums.

5. Engagement with other stakeholders – Startup and SME Funds and global technical partners in consultation with AKF leadership and AP Regional Executive Director


Any other task: as may be required and/ or given by Chairman AP board and Regional Executive Director

Location

Dushanbe, Tajikistan with frequent travel to GBAO, Sughd, Khatlon and other target regions.



Person Specification

The ideal candidate will have significant enterprise-related experience including strategic, analytical, relationship-building and management skills; the ability to thrive in dynamic or ambiguous contexts; a track record in dealing with risk, investment, and business model analysis in early-stage enterprises; sound business acumen; fluency in English, Tajik and Russian languages. Deeply committed to women's active participation in the economy as a catalyst for economic growth and for women's economic empowerment, AKDN welcomes interest from those driving this agenda.

• Bachelors or Master's degree or equivalent in business, finance, economics, or relevant fields.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience.
• Sound business acumen and entrepreneurial disposition.
• Possess excellent leadership, communication, interpersonal, analytical, writing, partner relations skills, and keenness to visit and oversee the quality of program in the field.
• Must be client-oriented, proactive, creative, results-oriented and meet tight timelines.
• Familiarity with Tajikistan demography, business environment and investment opportunities.
• The ability to align to broader considerations institutionally, including carefully managing risks.
• Proficiency in English, Tajik and Russian languages is required.

Appointment Details and How to Apply.

Applicants should submit a CV (max. 2 pages) and a short cover letter (max. 1 page–explaining why he/she is the best candidate) via email with the subject line "Country Director" to: hr@accelerateprosperity.org, with copy to info@accelerateprosperity.org or at AKDN websites.

The deadline for receipt of applications is Thursday, 10^th November, 2022.

Local and women candidates are especially encouraged to apply.


Stages:

• Q&A session for all interested candidates
• Master class and office tour
• Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a series of job-related tests, case sdudies and interviews taking place in November 20222.

An appointment will be made subject to receipt of satisfactory references. The appointed candidate will be offered a salary that is commensurate with their experience and the seniority of their new role.

AKF Safeguarding Statement

AKF is committed to acting ethically and upholding safeguarding standards towards all staff, volunteers and beneficiaries of the organisation.

It is the responsibility of all AKF staff, representatives, and visitors to ensure that they serve the needs and protect the well-being of children and vulnerable adults to whom they have a special duty of care, including those with whom they work, are in contact with or who are affected by their activities. For this reason, AKF has policies and systems in place to prevent abuse, neglect and exploitation and to safeguard children and vulnerable adults, their staff and everyone they come in contact with (detailed in AKF's Safeguarding Policy).

This post is subject to a range of vetting checks including a criminal records disclosure.

Appendix: Accelerate Prosperity – Overview

Pilot Launched:

• October 2016

Countries:

• Tajikistan (2016), Pakistan (2017), Kyrgyz Republic (2018) and Afghanistan (2021)

AKDN Commitment:

• AKDN financed the 2016-17 pilot phase and is now building partnerships to scale up regionally.

Services/Products:

• Incubation and acceleration programs, with an emphasis on business modeling and entrepreneur-led mentoring, Investment-readiness, start-up and growth financing, and post-financing TA

Loans & Investments:

• Start-up capital: Up to US$20,000
• Growth capital: Up to US$50,000
• Intermediated capital: <US$500,000

Impacts Promoted:

• A thriving entrepreneurial culture
• Innovative, profitable and investment-ready business models
• Increased private capital deployments
• New jobs for youth, women and men

Sector Focus:

• Innovative and disruptive ideas from any industry are accepted, with a focus on high-potential sectors such as agri-business, commercial services, digital content, textiles and touris

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are vital economic drivers that create jobs, boost productivity, and encourage innovation. In fragile states, the success of SMEs is critical for development - helping foster socio-economic stability, reduce migration, and enable self-employment and work opportunities for youth, women and men. Yet the support needed for firms to grow and scale is largely absent, leaving many aspiring entrepreneurs without access to technical support and risk-tolerant, affordable capital.

In 2015, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) began to assess the landscape of SMEs, with a focus on financing and technical assistance in four countries where it has operated for decades: Pakistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and the Kyrgyz Republic. The AKDN began initiating SME ecosystem assessments and consultations with women and men business managers and owners. The assessments found that, despite risk-mitigating schemes, existing financial institutions are still not providing the kind of financing required for SMEs to grow and thrive in these countries, with terms that are too short (maximum three years), collateral that is too high (100-120%), and standard, inflexible repayment terms based on predictable cash flows and short grace periods. As a result, most start-ups still fail, while existing SMEs get stuck in a low-growth trap, limited by a lack of longer-term investment capital and customized technical assistance.

AKDN's Response: Accelerate Prosperity

Accelerate Prosperity (AP) is part of a new global initiative of the AKDN in Central and South Asia aimed at developing more formal structures to support and catalyse sustainable small and growing businesses. Started in 2016 as a joint initiative of the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development's Industrial Promotion Services (AKFED IPS), AP aims to inspire entrepreneurship, facilitate innovative business models, coach promising entrepreneurs, create networks and mentorship opportunities, and accelerate business growth.

Participation in the program is competitive, and participants pitch their business idea to a panel of experts in to pass each stage. Investment decisions are based on set criteria, including a clear market niche, competitive advantage, strong revenue and profit models, potential for growth and employment creation, and potential to promote gender equality. For investment-ready enterprises, AP offers "patient" capital, even if uneven cash flows render them poorly suited for traditional bank financing, together with customized pre- and post-financing technical assistance.

Progress to Date

Since 2016, AP has been implemented across Tajikistan, Pakistan, Kyrgyz Republic and Afghanistan. AP is gaining business expertise in these geographies and has built a network of mentors in the most promising industries, including commercial services, agri-business, tourism, ICT and textiles.

The approach has been widely embraced in its initial years, engaging over 25,000 people through inspirational workshops and speakers, entrepreneurship competitions and business model reviews. AP works with partners - like the University of Central Asia's School of Professional and Continuing Education entrepreneurship programme - to link graduates to mentors and provide prospective facilitation or provision of financing.

AP has received over 16,000 applications from entrepreneurs to enter its incubation and acceleration programmes: 2,528 of these entrepreneurs have accessed intensive incubation and acceleration services; and 336 are financing recipients of about US $19,000 on average, enabling supported businesses to unlock almost an equal amount from local banks, new investors and partners including AKDN's financial institutions. These 336 financed businesses have in turn created over 2,000 new full-time jobs almost half by women, and benefiting tens of thousands along their value chains.


The Way Forward

Over the next 5 years, AP is looking to support over 7,000 startups and SGBs through technical and financial services across Central and South Asia, with a focus on youth and women-led businesses who are promoting innovation, creating jobs and actively pursuing and providing "green solutions" in their respective geographies. More specifically, it aims to invest directly in over 1,000 businesses which will potentially create and sustain more than 20,000 jobs directly and benefit more than 40,000 existing jobs through backward and forward supply chain linkages. Moreover, these businesses are expected to reach and provide services to more than 300,000 clients across Central and South Asia. By 2030, around 50% of the AP's portfolio (around 5,000 startups and SGBs that receive AP services) is xpected to consist of startups and SGBs that are promoting "green solutions" and promoting "green jobs".