Internationally we specialise in a wide-ranging and Innovative Approach to Development Finance Solutions. The management and delivery of development finance to small to medium sized business and individual entrepreneurs in developing countries can be provided through a variety of mechanisms. These mechanisms are designed to ultimately assist poverty alleviation down to village level through the provision of small and large-scale development finance, institutional capacity enhancement and human resource development.

Trust Funds

Brian Bell has acted as New Zealand’s representative on the Tuvalu Trust Fund Advisory Committee since its inception in 1989. He has also undertaken consultancy work for the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to evaluate options to extending the trust fund concept to outer island development in Tuvalu and the feasibility of establishing trust funds for the Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI), and the Federated States of Micronesia. Together with Mr Jock Struthers, he undertook similar work for the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) in Niue.

Relevant work examples >

Development Finance

Development Banking

The Nimmo-Bell team has been involved with Development Banking activities since working for the Papua New Guinea Development Bank in the early 1980’s. We have since worked in, or visited on assignment, eleven development banks in the Pacific Region, including the co-ordination of the New Zealand Government’s inputs into the reconstruction of the Development Bank of Kiribati and a number of regional development banks in Indonesia for Asian Development Bank. Brian Bell has undertaken assignments for the Development Banks of Cook Islands, Tuvalu and Tonga, including responsibility for the current New Zealand assistance programme for the Tonga Development Bank.

Microfinance

Jock Struthers has closely reviewed the operations of the WOSED woman’s microfinance programme in Fiji and recommended strategies for its establishment as an NGO. He has widely studied microfinance schemes in Asia and the Pacific, including the Grameen Bank and UNDP programme in Laos. He has assessed the differences between the Asian and Pacific operating requirements and sustainability.

Rural Finance

As a specialist rural financier to executive management level, Jock Struthers has extended his twenty years experience in New Zealand & Canadian rural finance to developing countries. He has been involved with the financing of a wide range of agricultural activities, from large Coffee / Cocoa / Rubber plantations to small holder operations in village vegetable and livestock production and processing facilities through a range of mechanisms. Brian Bell has undertaken assignments in the Asia / Pacific region involving assessment of rural finance requirements.

Commercial Banking

Jock Struthers and Andrew Thomas have been employed for many years in commercial lending from individual loan appraisal to senior executive loan and bank business management. They have first hand experience of the differing requirements of commercial, development, and microfinance lending in ‘developed’ and developing countries.

Leasing, Venture Capital, Loan Guarantee Schemes

Equipment Leasing, Venture Capital, and Loan Guarantee schemes are all credit enhancing mechanisms used to provide specialised sources of finance to business and entrepreneurs. Nimmo-Bell has studied the use of credit enhancement mechanisms in the Pacific. A number of loan guarantee schemes, including those in Samoa, Solomon Islands and the Philippines have been closely assessed in consideration of their possible replication in the FSM.

Using a range of well proven methodologies and in-house frameworks we undertake work across the primary industry sector in the following:

• Forecasting and planning
• Prioritising resource allocation for research and development
• Quantified risk analysis(QuRA)
• Investment appraisal
• Capital structuring
• Finance raising
• Macro economic modelling

Advisory Services

Supported by many years experience in policy development we assist government and industry organisations across a range of areas including:

Rural Appraisal

Brian Bell, Bruce Koller, Andrew Thomas and Jock Struthers are all qualified in agriculture with significant rural extension / consulting experience. Brian and Bruce have both worked for the NZ Ministry of Agriculture, Bruce becoming Director, National Business for MAF Technology, responsible for the conversion of the government agriculture advisory services to commercially focussed, Management Consultancy Services.

Economic Appraisal

Brian Bell has reviewed the Tonga Passionfruit and Dairy Industry, presented a paper on International Competitiveness of Pacific Islands Agriculture, and as project economist for two years in Vanuatu, appraised a wide range of development projects in that country. In Asia he has undertaken a pre-feasibility study for integrated dairy and beef smallholder production in central Java, Indonesia, reviewed a Bali Cattle project, the dairy industry in Thailand and integrated small holder development pre-project identification in Viet Nam.

Financial Appraisal

Jock Struthers has been registered in New Zealand as a Farm Management Consultant 1975 – 1999, specialising in this work for 4.5 years, and maintaining his involvement for over twenty years through his rural and development finance activities in New Zealand, Canada and 11 countries in the Asia/Pacific region.

Rural Project Management

Bruce Koller was project leader for the New Zealand Government’s bilateral aid project in Puno, Peru, developing a pastoral and animal base and a district based extension service. Bruce has also undertaken a review of the sheep meat industry in Saudi Arabia, quality requirements of the pip-fruit industry, reviewed a Fresh Produce Development Company in Papua New Guinea and irrigation systems in Tasmania.

Advisory Services to Small & Medium Business Enterprise

Development finance is closely linked with business advisory services. In developing countries, often the only security for repayment of loans is the supervised management of the individual borrower’s business and cash flow. Nimmo-Bell consultants have all managed and provided management advice to commercial businesses.

HRD /Training

Development Finance project work is usually linked to capacity building, both institutional, systems and most importantly Human Resource Development / training. All Nimmo-Bell international consulting staff have had extensive involvement in staff training, from on the job, workshop, seminars to running and participating in longer term training programmes in New Zealand and countries in the Asian / Pacific region.

Privatisation / Commercial business management /Business Management / Restructuring

Nimmo-Bell’s international consultants have all managed and provided management advice to commercial businesses. In addition to New Zealand experience, Nimmo-Bell consultants have provided strategic and operational business management advice recently to the following New Zealand Government projects:

• The Bukidnon Forestry Inc. Philippines
• The Tonga Development Bank
• The Development Bank of Kiribati
• The WOSED Women’s microfinance programme, Fiji.

Bruce Koller was responsible for the establishment of the NZ Ministry of Agriculture’s Advisory services as a commercial Consulting service as part of the New Zealand Government’s privatisation programme. He was a member of a four person Establishment Board that managed the merger of two divisions of the Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries, (1600 staff), including corporate planning and strategic management. He has provided advice on the privatisation process to other NZ Government Bodies and advised on strategies for organisational reform of the Ministry of Agriculture in Uruguay.

Change Management

Jock Struthers has been involved with the corporatisation process as senior manager for the Government owned Rural bank as it moved to privatisation, and with the restructuring at senior executive level of a commercial rural finance company and an agri-business service centre.
Bruce is leading a team, assisting the privatisation of the New Zealand / Philippine Bukidnon Forestry Inc. project in Mindanao, Philippines. This project has required input into Strategic and Business policy and planning, including assistance to associated government departments with the development of corporatisation / privatisation policy.

Bruce Koller and Jock Struthers have significant ‘hands on’ experience of organisational change management at line manager and executive level, and as consultants, and are sensitive to the human and cultural requirements of the process, both in New Zealand and overseas countries.

Governance, Strategic Planning, Policy Development

Nimmo-Bell consultants are experienced in the requirements of corporate governance, strategic planning, and policy development, particularly in the role of directors, the governance requirements of a commercial Board of directors, the delegation of authorities and essential organisational reporting requirements and controls.

Operational Planning and Financial Planning

All Nimmo-Bell international consultants have experience in New Zealand and international best practice concerning strategic, operational and financial planning as incorporated in the regular business planning and management process. These skills have been associated with the development of both New Zealand and overseas projects.

Human Resource Development

HRD Strategy development and implementation is an essential part of all business management and organisational change activities. Nimmo-Bell international consultants have all been closely associated with HRD activities including organisational planning, job descriptions, staff performance objectives, appraisal, and reward with appropriate cultural sensitivity and gender issue awareness. Internationally this has been particularly important in recent restructuring/ re-establishment projects in Kiribati, Tonga, Fiji, and Philippines.

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