Association of Kenya Insurers (AKI) is a Member-Association for the Insurance companies in Kenya. The membership is open to any Insurance company duly registered under the Insurance Act to transact business in Kenya.

The Association's principle mandate is to protect the interests of its members, promote adherence to prudent business practices by its members and create awareness of insurance among the general public with a view of accelerating the growth of the insurance business in Kenya.

The Association of Kenya Insurers (AKI) recently carried out research titled Understanding the Uninsured Market through SBO Research company. Amongst the findings of this report indicated that the industry has not fully embraced modern Information and Communication Technology (ICT) which would enhance the level of service delivery, distribution of insurance products and support new modes of payment. Other findings of the research that can be facilitated by the use of ICT include:-

Information on Insurance

Many people lack information on the existing insurance covers, the types of risks to be insured and the processes of lodging a claim.

Customers lacked understanding on the importance of the submission of claim documents for quick settlement of claims.

Marketing

Most potential customers are unfamiliar with insurance. There is a lack of disposable incomes in the low income markets.

It is realistically not possible to design a product that pleases every potential client.

Taking this into consideration, AKI wishes to undertake another research aimed at establishing how ICT can be embraced to improve insurance business.

The objectives of the research are to:-

i) Establish the extent to which AKI Members have embraced the use of ICT.
ii) Establish how the Insurance Industry has made use of ICT to facilitate business.
iii) Assess ICT investment amongst AKI Members.
iv) Establish the levels of use and applicability of ICT amongst AKI Members.
v) Come up with recommendations on how AKI Members could utilise ICT to improve business.
vi) Come up with recommendations on ICT Best Practices and Guidelines for AKI Members.
vii) Come up with recommendation on Industry integration and connectivity.
viii) Identify ICT gaps that the Industry should address in terms of hardware, software and human capacity.
ix) Recommend measures that AKI members need to put in place to ensure that their IT investments are of value to the

business.

Apart from gathering and collecting data information and market-wide statistics from members for the purpose of determining market trends that are economically viable. It is intended that the research will be of benefit to AKI members by providing information and knowledge in the following areas:-
i) How investments in IT improve efficiency
ii) How IT can increase the business understanding of customer needs
iii) How IT can improve controls and reduce risk
iv) What IT can do to improve customer interaction efficiency
v) Which business processes within insurance companies e.g. policy and claims administration and finance can be fully

automated

5. Scope of work

The study is expected to be carried out across the entire population of AKI Membership with its forty two (42) members of differing sizes in terms of turnover, branch network and staff size.

The consultant is expected to provide AKI with a technical and financial proposal that will address the following;
A comprehensive approach to perform a field study i.e. gathering and analysing data to ensure a strong base of

evidence;

Adapted and diversified research tools (documentary research, questionnaires, interviews, case studies) to handle

the different issues and involve different types of stakeholders (if need be);
An organised and well managed work plan which will group and concurrently handle the different issues to be

covered;
Inception, interim and final reports in a readable and comprehensive format, combining primary and secondary data,

stakeholders opinions and an objective and independent analysis.