We are pleased to inform you that the East African Women in Business Platform now invites eligible and qualified individual to apply for consultant to conduct Baseline Survey for the incereased market access for women owned SMEs in East Africa

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR A CONSULTANT TO CONDUCT A BASELINE SURVEY FOR THE INCREASED MARKET ACCESS FOR WOMEN OWNED SMES IN EAST AFRICA 

I.Introduction

The East African Women in Business Platform (EAWiBP) is a forum that brings together business and professional women from across the East African Community (EAC). Its membership comprises of; national apex bodies/associations / networks of business women (including associations of women formal and informal cross-border traders); professional women associations; and regional civil society organisations working to promote business women and women’s socio-economic advancement. The Platform works in each East African country through national business and professional associations across the region and by virtue of this; currently represents over 30,000 business and professional women in the region. Platform’s vision is becoming “A Women’s Centre of Excellence for Intra and Extra-EAC Trade”. Its mission is; “Position and Catalyse the Participation of Women in EAC’s Integration Process”.  The Platform is taking proactive steps to increase women’s participation in intra – EAC trade, EAC integration process and economic empowerment and thereby works towards the following result areas: 

1. Increased effective participation of women in business in the EAC integration processes
2. Improved economic contribution of women in business in the EAC Partner States
3. Increased progression of women-owned enterprises in the EAC from informal to formal status

EAWiBP works towards achieving its goals through policy advocacy and by linking business women to information, markets, capital and technical assistance. The specific areas of intervention include;

1. Trade related knowledge strengthening of its membership
2. Policy research and advocacy on issues related to trade participation and women’s economic empowerment
3. Business to Business (B2B) linkages and networking
4. Business Development Skills including use for ICT to grow business
5. Business advisory and dissemination of information and business intelligence

 The Platform works closely with the following national focal points among others.

1. Association of Media Women in Kenya (AWMIK)
2. Association of Women in Agri Business Network (AWAN) Kenya
3. Burundi Women Entrepreneurs’ Association (AFAB)
4. Federation of Women Entrepreneurs Association in Kenya (FEWA-K)
5. Rwanda Chamber of Women Entrepreneurs (RCWE)
6. Tanzania Women’s Chamber of Commerce (TWCC)
7. Uganda Women Entrepreneurs Association Limited (UWEAL)   

II.Background of EAWiBP/TMEA Project

 The TMEA project- “Greater Inclusion of Women in Trade Regional Programme” is a Regional and Country Programmes targeting Improved environment (policy/regulatory/institutional) for women in trade, Improved capacity (knowledge and skills) of women traders to participate in trade and Increased access to markets and trade-related services for targeted women traders.

The purpose of the Women in Trade programme is to contribute to the greater inclusion of women in trade as one of the pathways to increased business competitiveness and increased trade in the EAC.

EAWiBP uniquely seeks to support business women to participate more effectively in intra-EAC trade by linking them to information, technical assistance, regional and international markets. The platform seeks not only to strengthen capacity for national associations but also to facilitate women entrepreneurs to access information, markets, capital, skills and technology as well as influence policy reforms towards a favorable business environment that takes into consideration the needs and priorities of business women. This proposed 2nd Phase EAWiBP/TMEA project is anchored on the following overall objectives

(i): Improved policy/regulatory enabling environment for women SMEs, focusing specifically on Common External Tariff (CET), AfCFTA and other emerging gender/trade issues.

(ii) Increasing access to regional and global markets by women SMEs.

III Objective 

The main objective of the assignment is to collect and provide baseline data for the project. The baseline data will be used to assess the impact of the project as well as whether the end of the project goals will have been achieved.   EAWIBP-TMEA end of project outcome is to increase the trade value by targeted women SMEs in EAC.

IV Tasks of the Consultant

The consultant will interview at least 150 women respondents and stakeholders from the EAC partner states including Government officials, private sector institutions, the EAC Secretariat, donors etc. The key responsibilities include:

1. Provide data on the trade value of targeted women SMEs in EAC

2. Review the status of the current policy/regulatory environment for women SMEs

3. Assess the access to market and trade related services for the targeted women SMEs

4. Assess the legal status and the uptake of access to government procurement opportunities in all EAC partner states

5.Assess the current business management and trading practices of women SMEs and provide relevant data and information on bottlenecks faced by women SMEs in accessing the EAC market

6 Assess how women SMEs have responded to and are preparing for the AfCFTA

7. Provide an overview of the current institutional capacity of EAWIBP

8. Review the project monitoring plan with the EAWIBP Coordinator to assess any other areas where baseline data needs to be collected.

V. Methodology

The assignment requires substantial fieldwork to obtain the views of relevant players in women in business across the EAC. The consultant(s) should convene consultations meeting to discuss findings and provide feedback to key stakeholders such as women traders associations, women owned enterprises, women cross border traders and other key stakeholders.

The consultant should submit an inception proposal outlining how the work will be conducted. This should be submitted prior to the start of the assignment for agreement with EAWiBP and EABC. Specific tasks include:

• Defining the scope of work and methodology for the study and preparing an outline inception report
• Hold an inception meeting with EAWiBP, EABC, TMEA and key actors for discussion
• Develop survey tools and sampling techniques (the specific indicators to be collected will be agreed at the inception meeting)
• Conduct the field work / survey

•  Collecting, reviewing and analysing existing documents
• Preparation of draft report and final reports on the assignment with executive summary and recommendations
• Presentation of summary findings, recommendations and planned roadmap to EAWiBP, EABC and TMEA
• Finalise the preparation of the project monitoring plan including the findings from the baseline survey
• The consultant/consultancy firm will design and elaborate a technical proposal that details an approach and plan of work to undertake this research study, methodology and the tools to be used.
• The consultant/ consultancy firm will conduct a desk review of existing project documents including previous evaluations, reports studies etc. before designing fieldwork activities.
• The consultant/consultancy firm will share and work on feedback on the inception report and research tools to be used, conduct interviews with 150 women respondents and 50 other stakeholders.
• The consultant / consultancy firm will provide timely updates on progress of work and present a draft of the research report to the internal validation team of EAWiBP, EABC and TradeMark East Africa.
• The consultant/consultancy firm will incorporate comments provided by the internal validation team and submit a final report to EAWiBP within the deadline agreed upon.

VI: Deliverables

1. Inception report with proposed methodology for undertaking the assignment
2. Survey tools e.g. questionnaires, interview guides
3. Draft report incorporating findings from desk reviews and surveys on women businesses and other relevant stakeholders
4. Final report

VII: Reporting and Coordination

The work of the Consultant will be coordinated through a joint working group between EAWIBP, EABC and TMEA. The consultant will specifically work closely with the EAWIBP Coordinator and the TMEA Project Lead.

VIII: Duration

The entire duration of this assignment is 30 days including desk reviews, fieldwork, validation meeting and final reporting effective upon signing of the contract.

Report title:

Submitted to:

Date of submission:

Inception report with proposed methodology for undertaking the assignment

EAWiBP and EABC

10 working days after the contract has been signed.

Survey tools e.g. questionnaires, interview guides

EAWiBP and EABC

5 working days after validation of the inception Report.

Draft report incorporating findings from desk reviews and surveys on women businesses and other relevant stakeholders

EAWiBP and EABC

10 working days after receipt of feedback from EAWiBP/EABC/TMEA

Final report

EAWiBP and EABC

5 Working days after receipt of feedback from EAWiBP/EABC/TMEA

IX. Required skills and experience

The ideal consultant/team’s profile should include:

• Master’s Degree in Trade, Economics, Development studies, Business Administration or related field.
• Minimum of 5 years experience in research, data collection and analysis.
• Demonstrate experience in conducting research on women in trade and business and/or project design and implementation in the EAC.
• Demonstrate experience in conducting baseline surveys with supporting references from at least 2 organizations.
• Knowledge of EAC Regional Integration process at all levels, international trade and demonstrated knowledge of gender-related challenges.
• Experience in gender analysis.
• Excellent communication skills and Reporting Skills.
• Demonstrate an understanding of issues affecting women in business, SMEs and trade in EAC Region.

X. Application process

The consultant/consultancy firm is requested to submit a technical proposal containing CVs with academic and professional/ training certificates of the proposed team and financial proposal to the Executive Director East African Business Council, Email: procurement@eabc-online.com, ngitonga@eabc-online.com, director@eabc-online.com not later than 10/01/2020.

December, 2019