Contractor to conduct Market Systems Analysis (MSA) in Mozambique

Description

• About TechnoServe and WIN: TechnoServe is a US-based non-profit organization which works with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses, and industries. TechnoServe has been operating in Mozambique for about 25 years, and is well known for its work in developing inclusive agricultural value chains for farmers and working with urban and peri-urban entrepreneurs
• Women in Business (WIN) is a program launched in 2018 by the Swedish Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and implemented by TechnoServe Mozambique. WIN seeks to help women in Mozambique become more economically empowered by developing solutions where women can benefit. WIN works with carefully-selected partners who can positively influence the lives of women, especially micro-entrepreneurs, through their roles in the private or public sector. The program applies a market systems development (MSD) approach, addressing system-level constraints for gender-transformative impact on the lives of women. WIN provides time-bound, technical and financial support to partner organizations to develop new ways of working that improve the partner’s business and the lives of low-income women concurrently. Partners also contribute their own resources into these shared initiatives, sending a clear signal of their intent to sustain improved ways of working well into the future. During the first phase, we worked with 36 partners and impacted 42,050 women

Background for this work

• Phase two of the program launched on 1st July 2023 and will run until the 31st of December 2025. The main goals of the program’s 2nd phase are to:
• Continue to impact thousands more women through private and public sector partnerships, research and market-level activities for system change
• Continue to work innovatively towards women’s access and agency
• Continue to work with low-income women nationwide, especially micro-entrepreneurs and including women as employees and customers
• Continue to promote self-employment and formal and informal job opportunities
• To accomplish these goals, the program will continue using a MSD approach and leverage on proven inclusive business models tested in the first phase, written resources of the first phase and partnerships with other networks or development programs (e.g. FTF Premier)
• The program proposal outlines four verticals - functions, services or rules/norms in the market - that were selected due to their high relevance for low-income women to grow their income, assets, or control over these
• Following are the selected verticals:
• Financial services
• Equipment
• Management tools and information

Rules and norms

• Note: Program proposal and all necessary background desk review documents will be shared with the selected contractor at the beginning of the assignment for more details and context
• Despite many similarities with the first phase of WIN, some changes were introduced to the program’s target group, namely:
• Target more rural women living and working outside of Maputo and provincial capitals
• Stronger focus on young women (18-35 years old) but not exclusive to this age group
• Target women in agribusinesses more intentionally
• Note: For the remaining TOR, the target group segments mentioned above will be referred to as the ‘extended target group’
• Taking into account these changes, WIN is looking for a contractor to conduct a Market Systems Analysis with the following main goals:
• Deeper understanding of the extended target group
• Deeper understanding of the proposed verticals and suitability
• Assessment of potential new entry points and partnerships to engage the partly new target group
• Assessment of opportunities for positive, regenerative impact on the environment and natural ecosystem in which rural women live and work
• Assessment of conflict dimensions that affect low income women in northern Mozambique
• Validate/review/update project documents based on above findings. This includes:
• Theory of Change, results framework/logframe indicators
• Approach for the 2nd phase, namely proposed verticals and their scope/definition
• Proposed learning agenda

Objectives of the Market Systems Analysis (MSA)

• The contractor is expected to conduct a Market Systems Analysis in Mozambique. While the geographic scope of the proposal is nationwide, several specific geographic areas will be identified to conduct more in depth mapping activities, including one in of the provinces in Northern Mozambique
• The MSA is mainly aimed at allowing WIN to understand more about:
• Extended Target Group
• Key economic activities undertaken by the extended target group and gender dynamics/roles of women within those activities/value chains
• Access and consumption habits of the extended target group around financial services, equipment, media and management tools and information
• Access and use of other basic digital enabling infrastructure/tools (e.g. phone network, cell phone ownership, smartphone ownership) of the extended target group
• Key needs (e.g. in terms of information, products, services and support) of the extended target group to achieve economic empowerment
• Key challenges/constraints/barriers of the extended target group to achieving economic empowerment
• Social and gender norms that are barriers to economic empowerment of the extended target group
• Applicability of selected verticals to extended target group

Market actors

• Key market actors in the proposed verticals, whether they are serving the extended target group and their incentives and capacity to do so (Will/Skill analysis)
• Real appetite and capacity of the private sector actors to pay for gender related services
• Whether policies/regulations in the proposed verticals offer incentives for gender inclusiveness of the private sector
• How crowded the proposed verticals are in terms of development programs (and where)
• Potential new entry points and partnerships/interventions to engage the extended target group
• Positive environmental impact
• Environmental Impact
• Potential opportunities for positive, regenerative impact on the environment and natural ecosystem in which the extended target group lives and works
• Conflict
• Dimensions in which conflict affects low-income women in the Northern Mozambique and potential opportunities for positive program impact

The MSA should cover an analysis of the following market actors

• Extended target beneficiaries for WIN 2.0 (see above)
• Main market private sector actors (vertical market providers) in the proposed verticals
• Main public-sector actors in the proposed verticals
• Main development programs in the proposed verticals
• Methodology should include mainly qualitative primary data collection, participative mapping activities where relevant and desk review. The contractor should ensure a sufficient number of beneficiaries of the extended target group is consulted so that findings can be reliable. Brief quantitative surveys may be conducted if/where needed

Proposed activities and deliverables

• For the selection process, the contractor is expected to share with WIN:
• A technical proposal with the details of the proposed methodology and timelines to conduct the MSA (WIN proposes to use team members for some of the data collection)
• CVs of those involved in the implementation of the MSA
• Example(s) of similar MSA done recently
• Detailed financial proposal (which should disaggregate personnel fees and logistic costs)

The selected contractor is then expected to conduct the following mandatory activities

• Read key project documents shared by the WIN team (e.g. program proposal)
• Organize a kick-off meeting with the WIN team
• Share with WIN a detailed plan of activities for WIN’s approval
• Review secondary research/conduct desk review
• Develop tools for data collection (e.g. questionnaires, will/skill matrix, market system maps, stakeholder maps) and share approach
• Work jointly with the program team on data collection and mapping exercises
• Carry out data collection in the field based on the tools developed
• Compile findings and recommendations in a final report
• The contractor can propose, in the technical proposal, further activities to be conducted to fulfill the goals of this MSA, such as participatory data collection and mapping activities methods, market systems mapping and others
• The selected contractor is expected to deliver at the end of the assignment a final comprehensive MSA report in English that respects the following:
• Containing activities listed above
• Containing practical recommendations for the proposal for WIN 2.0
• Responds to all objectives listed above in this TOR
• Responds to all goals listed above in this TOR

The contractor is expected to work closely with the WIN team

• WIN team members will participate in, and lead some, data collection activities, accompanying team members from the selected contractor’s team. For this, the contractor is expected to involve and build the capacity of the team to conduct some of the data collection and mapping activities
• The contractor is expected to host weekly check-ins with the Program Director on MSA implementation status
• The contractor is expected to organize a workshop with the WIN team to present preliminary findings at the end of the data collection phase
• The contractor is expected to organize a workshop with the WIN team at the end of the assignment to present main recommendations and practical steps to implement these
• The contractor may also be requested to present the final MSA report to WIN and SIDA

Remuneration

• Based on the financial proposal submitted, the selected contractor will be paid according to the final agreed amount between WIN and the contractor, based on deliverables completed and approved by WIN. The financial proposal sent by the contractor should include:
• Detailed costing – including all travel fees
• Clearly include taxes applicable
• Payment plan proposed (WIN proposes 25% at contract signing and 75% once final report is submitted and approved by WIN)

Timeline

• WIN proposes the following high-level timeline:
• Kick-off meeting: Beginning of first week after contract signature (August)
• Detailed plan of activities: End of first week after contract signature (August)
• Data collection set-up: End of August/Beginning of September
• Data collection: September
• Compilation of findings: October

Requisites

Selection criteria

• Contractors will be evaluated on the following criteria, assessed through the contractors’ proposals. In case it is not possible to select the contractor purely from information in the proposal, WIN reserves the right to hold interviews with shortlisted firms

Criterion Weighting

• Relevant knowledge, experience and resources:
• Knowledge and experience in MSD approach
• Knowledge and experience in Women’s Economic Empowerment
• Knowledge and experience conducting Market System Analysis
• Knowledge and experience working in Mozambique or other African countries
• Expertise in drafting MSA finding reports 40%

Proposed approach

• Methodology for findings and selecting market actors to interview
• Minimum number of market actors planned to be interviewed
• Methodology for collecting data
• Processes for ensuring data quality and rigor 20%

Professional competencies

• Collaborative and dynamic work style
• Attention to detail and critical sense
• Discipline in the fulfillment of deadlines
• Mastery of languages required 10%

Cost

• Competitive financial proposal
• All details requested are included in proposal 30%
• Total 100%

Notes

• Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted
• The first draft of the MSA report should be submitted to WIN no later than the 10th of October. WIN will then review and make comments on the first draft. Final draft should be submitted to WIN no later than the 24th of October (final report needs to be submitted by WIN to SIDA by the 31st of October)
• All the proposal must be e-mailed to the addres below with your proposal attached in one or more files (PDF preferred). You will receive auto-confirmation upon receipt. DO NOT email your proposal to any employee of TechnoServe or deliver your proposal in hard copy to a TechnoServe Office. Failing to adhere to these instructions may make your proposal ineligible for consideration
• Email for proposal submisson: buy+MZ+P00222993@tns.org
• Women led and Mozambicans companies are encouraged to apply