AI-Driven Alternative Credit Scoring
Phase 1 — Regulatory Mapping & Data Governance Setup
Objective: Establish a legally compliant, secure, and ethically governed data environment.
Key Activities:
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Assess regulatory boundaries with central banks and data-protection authorities.
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Map all data sources (utility bills, QR-payment history, telco data, transactional behavior, employment patterns).
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Develop government-endorsed data-privacy protocols and consent frameworks.
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Define credit model risk guidelines and compliance with AI/ML fairness standards.
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Set up a secure data lake and encrypted storage systems.
Phase 2 — Data Acquisition & Multi-Source Integration
Objective: Gather alternative datasets that reflect real financial behavior beyond traditional credit files.
Key Activities:
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Integration with QR payment ecosystems for behavioral spending patterns.
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Partner with utilities, telcos, and payroll systems for real-time data feeds.
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Government integrations for public records (where legally allowed).
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Ensure standardized formats and API-based ingestion.
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Data cleansing, normalization, and outlier detection.
Phase 3 — AI Model Development & Scoring Framework Design
Objective: Build a transparent, explainable, and bias-mitigated AI scoring model.
Key Activities:
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Feature engineering from alternative data sources (payment reliability, income stability, merchant interactions).
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Train ML models (Gradient Boosting, Neural Networks, GraphAI for behavior patterns).
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Perform fairness checks to avoid demographic or socioeconomic bias.
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Create explainability layer (XAI) required by governments and financial institutions.
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Develop multiple risk tiers: Nano, Micro, MSME, and Informal-Sector Scoring.
Phase 4 — System Infrastructure & API Deployment
Objective: Deploy a scalable infrastructure to generate scores in real time.
Key Activities:
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Build secure scoring APIs for banks, lenders, fintechs, and government agencies.
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Implement risk-engine rules for credit limits, repayment patterns, and alerts.
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Integrate real-time monitoring dashboards for underwriters and regulators.
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Develop merchant and MSME credit profiles.
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Test for extreme loads and transaction bursts (finance-grade stress testing).
Phase 5 — Pilot Testing & Field Validation
Objective: Test the scoring model on targeted demographics to validate accuracy and inclusivity.
Key Activities:
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Pilot with micro-lenders, government MSME programs, and community banks.
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Compare predicted risk vs. actual repayment performance.
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User testing with informal workers, delivery riders, market vendors, etc.
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Calibration of score boundaries and risk coefficients.
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Fine-tuning based on ground-truth feedback and regulator observations.
Phase 6 — Full Rollout & Market Adoption
Objective: Launch the scoring system across multiple financial ecosystems.
Key Activities:
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Provide scoring services to banks, fintechs, BNPL platforms, and government funds.
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Enable instant credit lines for QR users based on behavioral trust scores.
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Onboard merchants to build MSME credit visibility.
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Educate the public about alternative scoring to increase trust.
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Coordinate with government support programs (MSME loans, social credits, youth financing).
Phase 7 — Continuous Monitoring, Governance & AI Evolution
Objective: Maintain scoring accuracy while expanding capabilities.
Key Activities:
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Continuous model retraining with new datasets.
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Bias audits, compliance checks, and AI ethics reporting.
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Expand to cross-border scoring for migrant workers and expats.
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Introduce advanced layers: prediction of financial stress, spending patterns, and micro-loan eligibility.
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Quarterly reviews with regulators and partner institutions.
Phase 8 — National Integration & Future Enhancements
Objective: Position the scoring system as a national digital infrastructure for financial inclusion.
Key Activities:
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Integrate scoring into national ID systems or digital wallets (if approved).
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Use scores to unlock government-backed MSME lending programs.
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Deploy AI scoring for public services such as rent guarantees or utility deposits.
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Explore CBDC scoring alignment (transactional stability indicators).
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Regional expansion across GCC, MENA, and South Asia through government MOUs.