CARE Ethiopia
Call for Consultants
Care Ethiopia would like to invite potential consultants to submit their proposal as per the below terms of reference
Terms of Reference – Market Assessment Study
Background: About the project and the market assessment study
Low-income women in business or who want to engage in new business face several challenges due to minimal access to financial services, bad business decisions, lack of skills, knowledge and attitude in running a business and potentially a lack of market demand. Micro Scale Enterprises (MSEs) are considered particularly important for women since they offer a more flexible, less restrictive form of employment. However, MSE development requires access to capital, licenses, skills, market linkages, working space, access to quality raw material, awareness and information about institutions and service providers. Current conditions often present constraints for the start-up and the growth of especially women-operated enterprises.
H&M Conscious Foundation, CARE Ethiopia and Mission for Community Development Program have partnered and designed Women for Women project for three years in three sub-cities of Addis Ababa. The project is aimed at empowering women entrepreneurs from low-income urban communities in Addis Ababa to reach their full potential. The project supports women in developing business opportunities to generate income, build confidence and enhance self-esteem.
Purpose and scope of the Market Assessment Study
This study is intended to be a practical input for CARE in linking the targeted women entrepreneurs with the identified potential new and existing markets signposting women towards the business sector with sufficient profitability and sustainability, whilst helping them avoid over-saturated areas. The project would like to know new and existing potential markets in urban areas, various value chain sectors/sub-sectors with opportunities to respond to the competitive market prospects, capital requirements required to set up viable businesses in a range of sectors that offer potential for and sustainability.
A second key objective for this study is to provide information on predicted future economic and market opportunities to allow women to proactively position themselves in seizing emerging market potentials. At the same time as identifying opportunities, the study will assess barriers and requirements in accessing these opportunities.
The overarching objectives of the study can be summarised as follows:
1. Identification of potential new businesses in urban setting
1.1 Identification of promising and viable 2-4 new businesses
The identification of the new viable businesses should be originated from the existing social problems and look for new opportunities/ new social enterprises/ new business models that have never been done before.
The identified new viable businesses should necessarily encompass customer segments, customer relationships, channels, value propositions, key activities, key resources, key partners, cost structure, revenue streams, profit margin, and ability to compete, duration of the opportunity, growth potential, risks and rewards.
2. Identification of most promising 4 value-chain sectors and sub-sectors in urban setting
Q Identify all actors in value chains including details on urban businesses
Q Map each value chain in detail including main actors, flows of products, money and information, enabling environment and supporting organizations;
Q Identify profit makers within the value chain and those who are disadvantaged —who is getting good economic returns and properly managing their financial expenditures in the value chain and how can the project help in enhancing equity in the value chain. And the percentage end price at various nodes of the value chain.
Q Assess the state of institutions, technology, service providers, policies, and other production conditions within the identified value-chain sectors.
Q Inventory the existing infrastructure, assess its state, its capacity usage, its adequacy or gaps; if there will be a need to invest in additional infrastructure, the analysis must show what type of infrastructure is needed, where it should be installed, by whom (private sector, public entities or in partnership) and how it could be managed and sustained.
Q Detail the constraints at each value chain step to competitively service the demand identified.
Q Identify the gaps in the value chain
Q Indicate the actions to address each constraint/gap,
Q Confirm the activities/investments needed and cost to overcome these constraints,
Q Indicate the benefits of addressing major constraints
Q Assess the potential difficulty in overcoming each competitive constraint in a sustainable manner,
Q Construct scenarios of the economic impact (change in market share, increased exports, women economic empowerment, gender equality, incomes, profits, jobs and wages) that the proposed changes would have
Q Indicate the degree to which investments are scalable and sustainable by the private sector independent of project intervention
Q Identify key policy constraints limiting development in the identified sectors
Q Develop detailed recommendations, specific value chain interventions and on how to “upgrade” the selected value chains.
Q Assess the existing market situation and nature of bargain taking place between different market players in the study area (relationships, attitudes and behaviours).
Q Analyse the capacity of low-income entrepreneurs and their enterprises to access services, credit, information and resources.
Q Suggest improvements in the value chain system to ensure direct linkages of the women entrepreneurs with the major markets and increased incomes from their produces
Geographic Focus
The study shall cover all districts of Addis Ababa.
Time frame
The work should take place within a period not exceeding 48 working days, expected to commence on May 2017 through July 2017.
Deliverables
The following deliverables are expected from the consultant;
Q An inception report, including: planned timeline and work plan, literature review of all relevant secondary sources, detailed methodology / approach, planned stakeholders to be consulted and sampling framework, data collection and analysis tools, qualitative and quantitative protocols for data collection and analysis
Q Field note/journal for the carried out field study
Q Minute for the conducted bi-weekly progress briefing sessions with the project team
Q Draft report for feedback
Q Final report that addresses these terms of reference/ Overall analysis
Q Organized stakeholder workshop to disseminate findings
Reporting requirements
The study is expected to be performed within 48 working days commencing May 1, 2017. The consultant will be expected to submit a draft report by the end of week 6. The report should include raw data together with key illustrations where these will add to clarity of data or its analysis. Final payments will be effected once CARE Ethiopia have received final report and sign it off.
The structure of the final report should cover the following:
Q Executive summary
Q Brief project background
Q Main findings (Overall analysis-, analysis and interpretation relating to the study questions
Q Conclusion and recommendations for future action
In addition, the final report should contain at least the following annexes:
Q Terms of Reference
Q Literature review
Q Itinerary
Q List of meetings attended
Q List of persons/offices/organizations/firms interviewed
Q Details of methodology
Q Summary of field visits
Q List of documents reviewed
Q Any other relevant material, including data collection tools
Q Further technical data and sources
Type of contract
The consultant will be offered a fixed-price contract to include all the activities and deliverables listed above.
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