Development & Implementation of Business Requirement Document (BRD) for Loan Management System

 

1. Accelerate Prosperity (AP) – Background

Accelerate Prosperity (AP) is an initiative of the AKDN in Central and South Asia aimed at developing more formal structures to support and catalyze sustainable small and growing businesses. Started 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.
AP’s mandate is to facilitate the creation of start-ups, sustainable small and growing businesses (SGBs). AP extends tailored training, advice, and technical assistance to aspiring and existing entrepreneurs to help them launch or expand their innovative business ventures, most of which are undocumented in nature. However, AP’s key activity is to extend tailored financing to start-ups and SGBs to help them unlock external investments and improve their bankability and investment readiness. The current and future plans include the use of several financing modes, namely, (i) debt financing, (ii) cash guarantees against financing from partner financial institutions, (iii) quasi equity financing (e.g., convertible loans), and (iv) equity financing.
AP was launched in late 2016 starting with Tajikistan and Pakistan as pilot/startup phase. Following this, AP was launched in Kyrgyz Republic in 2019 and Afghanistan in 2021. As AP scales its operations, there is a need to adopt a robust loan management system to streamline investment operations; enhance portfolio management; optimize fund management; improve financial, operational and impact tracking; and ensure compliance.
To ensure a successful system implementation, AP is seeking to engage a qualified consultant / consulting firm to develop a comprehensive Business Requirements Document (BRD) that will guide the development, customization, and implementation of the loan management system.

2. Objective of the Assignment

The objective of this consultancy is to support AP in preparing for the successful implementation of a loan management system within the Microsoft 365 environment by developing a comprehensive and fit-for-purpose Business Requirements Document (BRD).
The consultant will work closely with internal stakeholders to assess and articulate AP’s current and future business needs related to the full investment lifecycle – from deal origination to exit – including performance tracking, recovery and delinquency management, risk management, impact measurement, compliance, reporting, and portfolio monitoring.
A key focus of this assignment is to ensure that the recommended requirements take into account AP’s existing digital ecosystem, with particular attention to the Microsoft 365 platform and other tools already in use (e.g., Microsoft Dynamics, Excel, SharePoint, Power BI). The BRD should reflect whether the desired functionality can be supported through:

• • • Customization of an existing solution within Microsoft 365 (or other tools in use),
    • Fully developing a solution within Microsoft 365 environment fit for AP’s needs.

The ultimate objective is to provide a well-structured, detailed and validated BRD that will enable AP to:

• • • Confidently engage with solution providers or developers,
    • Evaluate the feasibility of different solution options (build vs. integrate),
    • Ensure functional alignment with operational and impact objectives,
    • Optimize for cost, usability, scalability, and long-term value.

Technology Alignment: This assignment must emphasize alignment with AP’s existing technology infrastructure, including the Microsoft 365 ecosystem and related productivity tools (e.g., Dynamics, Business Central, SharePoint, Outlook, Power BI, and Teams etc.). The consultant will assess compatibility and integration requirements to ensure that any proposed loan management solution
can operate efficiently within the current IT environment. The BRD should reflect a preference for solutions that minimize system fragmentation, support data interoperability, and align with AP’s broader digital transformation plans.

3. Scope of Work

The consultant will lead the development of a comprehensive Business Requirements Document (BRD) through a structured and participatory process. The work will be carried out in close collaboration with key staff and stakeholders of AP. The key activities include, but are not limited to:

3.1 Stakeholder Engagement & Needs Assessment

• • Identify and engage key internal stakeholders e.g., management, investment, risk, technical assistance, finance etc.
  • Conduct interviews, surveys, and/or workshops to understand workflows, pain points, system needs, and future aspirations.
  • Identify change management requirements e.g., potential resistance and reasons thereto.
  • Review organizational strategy, current tools (Excel, reporting tools, document management, accounting platforms), and data flows.

3.2 Business Process Mapping

• • Map existing end-to-end investment lifecycle processes including:
    • • Deal sourcing and screening
      • Due diligence and risk assessment
      • Investment committee approval(s) [all tiers]
      • Legal documentation and deal closing
      • Capital deployment and drawdowns
      • Ongoing portfolio monitoring and risk reviews
      • Impact measurement and management
      • Financial reporting including revolving fund and sustainability fund balances
      • Exit procedures
  • Identify inefficiencies, manual bottlenecks, or risks in current workflows.
  • Propose high-level improvements or automation and digitalization opportunities where relevant.