TechnoServe is seeking proposals from qualified consultants for the following scope of work. For information on timeline, application requirements, and evaluation criteria, please review the full Request for Proposals #P0016818 here. Please submit your proposal for this consultancy to buy+KE+P0016818@tns.org by January 6, 2023.

CONSULTANCY- STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW):

East Africa Entrepreneurship Strategy

Role: Lead Consultant for developing EA Entrepreneurship Strategy

Location: Remote

Timing: 2-month duration, starting 15th January to 15th March 2023

Background and Project Purpose

Everyone deserves the opportunity to build a better future. This simple idea has been at the heart of TechnoServe’s work around the world for over 50 years. TechnoServe is a pioneer in leveraging the power of business and markets to create sustainable pathways out of poverty. The low-income communities in which we work are full of enterprising people. Their small-scale farms and businesses are the keys to economic development. But they face many challenges: low literacy, lack of access to jobs and markets, unpredictable political dynamics and, increasingly, the effects of climate change. For many women and young people, the challenges are even more daunting. Working with TechnoServe staff, people around the world are lifting themselves out of poverty. The results are amazing...when incomes increase and living conditions for families get better, they are able to access health care and education previously out of reach. Communities and countries are better off.

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are key drivers of inclusive economic growth in the developing world. They serve as the primary source of goods, services, and jobs for low-income populations and annually contribute up to 40 percent of national GDP in EA countries. Entrepreneurship is often the only significant income-earning opportunity for youth, women, and other vulnerable groups, and it attracts hardworking, talented individuals who are committed to improving the circumstances of their families and communities. However, the sector faces a myriad of challenges and the donor landscape keeps on changing.

TechnoServe seeks to develop an Entrepreneurship strategy for the EA region that scans for rich insight from the ecosystem and to determine the priorities and options of leading funders and implementers, how they are evolving and how they are likely to be disrupted.

The Strategy will also identify trends in the allocation of funding from major donors, possible future trends and possible new donors and opportunities for each of the EA countries. The strategy will support the countries to develop strong in-country positioning, engage donors and stakeholders, and propose Entrepreneurship program designs that are aligned with current donor thinking, trends and aligned with TechnoServe Strategy .

The Scope of Work

The Consultant will work closely with the Regional Program Manager for Entrepreneurship to conduct the following tasks.

• ECOSYSTEM ACTORS/ LANDSCAPE ASSESSMENT —Map out an entrepreneurial ecosystem in EA, including:
  • Main stakeholders- Financiers, Financing Schemes, Technology providers, BDS providers;
  • Key Donors, potential donors and partners including private sector, government entities interested in enterprise development in East Africa;
  • Key programs and initiatives;
  • Best practices/approaches; and
  • Analyse country specific trends in the labour market and relate to the current global standards, requirements, opportunities and priorities.
• DESIGN/TOOLS IDENTIFICATION— Propose program designs and up-to-date tools that will promote intensive employment creation and enterprise development interventions that can be applied in multiple situations including post-crisis situations (building from COVID 19 pandemic lessons).
• JOB CREATION, FOOD SYSTEMS AND REGENERATIVE BUSINESS / YOUTH AND WOMEN ANALYSIS— Research, analyse, and advise effective jobs and entrepreneurship programing that will give the countries opportunity to intervene across these TechnoServe Strategic priorities, while integrating cross cutting theme in the projects.
  • Youth and women economic empowerment programs
  • Youth and women programs focusing on job creation, regenerative entrepreneurship and food systems.
  • Understand and identify the opportunities and constraints related to economic engagement of youth and women in the region identifying the major drivers for change, including assessment of:
• STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT—Create a strategy and recommend specific interventions for TechnoServe to advance entrepreneurship programs in the region through a new project, taking into consideration best practice approaches, existing efforts as well as TechnoServe’s capabilities and value proposition
• BUSINESS CASE DEVELOPMENT IN KENYA: Build a basic financial case/model that can be leveraged to quantify reach, unit cost, multiple funding streams, etc. This should be included in a short project design template that can capture a public/private approach to micro retail. The template should identify critical metrics to measure in programming (eg living wage, job creation), and best practices on how to define/calculate those metrics

Suggested Approach

• Kick- off meeting (Week 1): Meet with EA Regional PM, Business Development team, and Country Directors to review the assignment, present initial work plan, schedule meetings on calendars.
• Conduct initial desk research (Weeks 1-2): Through desk research, map out key stakeholders in the region, entrepreneurship and economic engagement landscape and review relevant internal documents. Draft a framework for a situational assessment of the entrepreneurship landscape in the region.
• Conduct “field” research via informant interviews (Weeks 3, 4 & 5): Use stakeholder interviews, and other primary data collection methods (focus groups or other suggested methods) to build upon and deepen desk research findings:
  • Update stakeholder map with special focus on partners for potential intervention/partnership, including Government , donor organisations, private sector companies, financial institutions, and INGOs (donors are a secondary priority in this, and just to be noted in case they come up during the course of research/interviews).
  • Analyse and develop a written report of the findings, including slide deck and written report.
• Internal presentation of preliminary findings to CDS.EAD.RPM. PMS (Week 6):
• Develop a strategy and intervention design (Weeks 7-8): Finally, develop a strategy and intervention recommendation for TechnoServe to pursue.
• Adjust strategy and intervention design based on feedback received (Week 9).

Deliverables

Skills and Requirements

• Degree qualifications in business, economics, social studies, agriculture or other relevant fields of study required; a Masters degree preferred.
• Experience in management and/or strategy consulting preferred.
• Experience working in EA preferred
• Demonstrated ability to analyse large volumes of data and filter key information.
• Strong analytical and communication (oral and written) skills.
• Strong MS Powerpoint, Excel and Word skills.
• Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills, ability to structure independent work.
• Language: English fluency required; swahili is a plus

Logistics

This project does not require physical presence in the EA region and can be done remotely with support from RPM and Country Directors. The project does not provide any provisions for accommodations or per diems while in the region. TechnoServe will pay Consultant a fixed daily fee for services completed, based on actual days, with 40 as a maximum. If there are valid and necessary reasons for the Consultant to exceed 40 days, the Consultant must seek contract modification and approval from TechnoServe in advance. TechnoServe will cover Project-related travel costs in countries. No vaccinations, health/medical insurance or emergency evacuation insurance will be included.