Diagnostic Study for Program in the North (m/f)

Description

Background and Project Purpose

• According to available data, an estimated 90% of enterprises in Mozambique are micro or small businesses, and the two northern provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula host over 30% of all Mozambican enterprise. These micro-small-and-growing-businesses (MSGB) owners face major challenges in their pathway to growth. Their key constraints include limited access to business skills training, limited access to finance and limited access to markets
• TechnoServe Mozambique is working with a consortium of funding partners to design and implement a four-year program – INUKA, to drive inclusive economic development in northern Mozambique, by building the potential of women and youth-owned MSGBs, in high-potential sectors in the northern region, create economic opportunities and increase income generation through both catalytic and facilitative interventions. This one-year pilot is expected to develop a longer term strategy for implementation, based on lessons from this first year
• INUKA starts with a six-month market assessment and program design phase which will result in a proposal for a final program design to the consortium of funding partners at the end of the inception phase.

Project objectives and Consultant role

• The primary objective of this assignment is to support the TechnoServe Mozambique team to develop a deep understanding of the situation for women and youth-owned businesses in northern Mozambique (Nampula and Cabo Delgado) in order to identify key opportunities for the INUKA program pilot intervention
• The Consultant will conduct a diagnostic study, covering Nampula and Cabo Delgado to survey entrepreneurs in order to understand demographics, constraints specific to pre-entrepreneurs, MSGBs and MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises), and the socioeconomic context of the targeted geographies

Duties

• Survey entrepreneurs to define demographics, gender, and refine selection of program participants and tailor activities to each of their needs and adapt curriculum accordingly
• Identify and map youth-owned businesses to conduct interviews to further understand any specific barriers and constraints young entrepreneurs face
• Identify and map women-led businesses to conduct interviews to further understand gender-specific constraints and analyze gender dynamics of power, resources, and opportunities
• From a detailed landscape analysis of the surrounding ecosystem, evaluate the gaps between supply and demand per sector, evaluate the gap between the training offer vs actual needs in the market, mapping of local financial institutions, private sector stakeholders, TVETs, other donor projects and other interested influential partners
• Following this diagnostic, formulate recommendations to improve the project approach
• Inception Phase Diagnostic – Illustrative Data Collected in Nampula and Pemba
• Household (average age, marital status, # of dependents)
• Health (average age of first birth, access to family planning and health care centers)
• Education and literacy (% women with education, ability to read/write)
• Digital literacy, accessibility levels, and current usage patterns
• Income sources mapping (types of entrepreneurial activities)
• Share of entrepreneurs with formal identification (IDs) across women and youth demographics
• Access to financial services (% in a savings group, % with a bank account, % with a mobile money account)
• Number of internally displaced people (IDPs)
• How COVID-19 is affecting business and household life
• Monthly or annual sales volume of youth and women owned businesses

Proposed Timelines and Deliverables

• In order to execute the tasks above, TechnoServe proposes the assessments take place over 12 weeks starting from 24thJanuary 2022 up to 28th March 2022. Upon completion of the assessment, the consultant will produce an inception report in the form of a comprehensive Word document and a PowerPoint presentation (~65 - 75 slides) detailing the methodology used during the assessments, findings, and related analysis as well as recommendations for a systems-change strategy based on the constraints identified, according to the diagnostic objectives outlined here in
• Throughout this 12-week process, TechnoServe and the consultant will maintain regular meetings to track progress, and offer regular check-ins with the donor consortium to ensure the information collected and synthesized is aligned with the Program objectives in preparation for the implementation phase
• The inception report shall include but not limited to:

Provincial Context

• Macro economy
• Business climate
• Financial sector
• Typical business profile

Inuka Program Design

• Context and project description
• Situation analysis
• Assumptions validated
• Refinements proposed
• Project high potential locations
• Target beneficiaries profile assessment and intervention recommendations
• Selection criteria’s proposal
• Gender constraints

Ecosystem Mapping

• Key ecosystem players
• Support actors provide throughout the enterprise lifecycle
• Map of potential ecosystem synergies to INUKA

Cross Cutting Themes

• Gender
• Access to market and finance
• Supporting IDPs
• Rural focus
• Climate change

Requisites

• At least a degree in Business Management, Economics, Statistics or International Development, or relevant academic training in an analytical field, with proven analytical skills in market research/social science research
• At least 5 years’ professional experience in an analytical role such as strategy consulting
• Experience in implementing development projects focused on entrepreneurship and financial inclusion, with a particular focus on women and youth
• Experience in conducting qualitative and quantitative research in Mozambique
• Experience in Market Systems Development programs will be an advantage
• Proven facilitation and collaboration skills working with multi-level stakeholders, including technical and subject matter experts, government agencies, local partners, researchers and others
• Experience in topics related to women’s economic empowerment
• Demonstrated leadership skills, teamwork and relationship building Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills; able to represent TechnoServe in front of senior stakeholders
• Strong computer skills, including MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel
• Ability to work independently, flexibly and responsively
• Able to adapt to changing working conditions
• Self-directed, disciplined and driven
• Proficiency in both Portuguese and English is required.

Selection criteria

• Consultants will be evaluated on the following criteria, assessed through the Consultant’s proposal, CV of main consultant and subsequent interview with INUKA team. The proposal should be between 5-10 pages (excluding the CV)
• The date of submission is 17th January 2022
• Criterias Weighting
• Relevant experience in entrepreneurship/micro& small business development and financial services of Nampula and Cabo Delgado
• Knowledge and understanding of the micro & small growing businesses (MSGB) and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME)
• Knowledge and experience of the financial services industry and working with government agencies
• Knowledge in working within the entrepreneurial ecosystem, enabling a supportive business environment to women and youth led MSGB and MSME 30%
• Understanding of cross cutting themes:
• Knowledge and experience of issues around women’s economic empowerment
• Knowledge and experience in rural development with special focus on women and youth
• Knowledge and experience in climate change impact assessment
• Working in conflict-sensitive project management, enabling ecosystem support to IDPs 30%
• Personal and professional qualities:
• Pro-active, collaborative and dynamic work style
• Attention to detail, and able to think out of the box
• Fluency in portuguese and English, knowledge of local languages is an advantage 15% Cost
• Competitive financial proposal 25%
• Total 100%

Terms and Conditions:

• The Request for Quotes is not and shall not be considered an offer by TechnoServe
• All responses must be received on or before the date indicated on the RFP. All late responses will be rejected
• All unresponsive quotes will be rejected
• All quotes will be considered binding offers. Prices quoted must be valid for entire period provided by respondent
• All procurement will be subject to TechnoServe contractual terms and conditions and contingent on the availability of donor funding
• TechnoServe reserves the right to accept or reject any quotation or cancel the procurement process at any time, without assigning any reason, and shall have no liability to any vendors submitting RFPs for such rejection or cancellation of the procurement
• TechnoServe reserves the right to accept all or part of the quotation when awarding the purchase order/contract
• All information provided by TechnoServe in this RFP is offered in good faith. Individual items are subject to change at any time and all bidders will be provided with notification of any changes. TechnoServe is not responsible or liable for any use of the information submitted by bidders or for any claims asserted therefrom
• TechnoServe reserves the right to require any bidder to enter into a non-disclosure agreement
• The bidders are solely obligated to pay for all costs, of any kind whatsoever, which may be incurred by bidder or any third parties, in connection with the Response. All Responses and supporting documentation shall become the property of TechnoServe, subject to claims of confidentiality in respect of the Response and supporting documentation, which have been clearly marked confidential by the bidder
• Form/Content of response:
• All proposals shall:
• Be in the English or Portuguese language
• Contain proposed day rate in US Dollars or Meticais, with applicable Tax/Charges clearly
• identified, and provided against each of the categories of services described
• Describe the qualifications, experience and capabilities of the individual in providing the type of services being requested by this RFP. This can be in the form of a CV. Provide references for similar procurements with a description of the work done and the dates performed. [Optional]
• Include a contact name, email address, and telephone number to facilitate communication between TNS and the vendor
• A brief outline of the company and services offered (if not an individual), including:
• Full legal name, jurisdiction of incorporation, and address of the company
• Full legal name and country of citizenry of company’s President and/or Chief Executive Officer and/or all other officers and senior managers of the company
• Year business was established

Notes

• Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted
• The Consultant will report to the INUKA Program Manager. The Consultant would be expected to be self-driven but would be supported by members of TechnoServe’s local Mozambique team, and will have access to the Mozambique country offices. The Consultant will also have access to the regional Gender expert