Request for Proposal: Terms of reference – Consultancy for capacity building of business groups to adopt a more collaborative intra-household decision-making processes under the Investing in Women in the Blue Economy in Kenya Programme.

Written by AECF

 1.0 The Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund

The AECF, LLC (Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund) is a leading non-profit development organisation that supports innovative enterprises in the agribusiness and renewable energy sectors with the aim of reducing rural poverty, promoting climate resilient communities, and creating jobs.

We catalyze the private sector by surfacing and commercializing new ideas, business models and technologies designed to increase agricultural productivity, improve farmer incomes, expand clean energy access, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve resilience to the effects of climate change. We finance high risk businesses that struggle to access commercial funding; we are committed to working in frontier markets, fragile contexts, and high-risk economies where few mainstream financing institutions dare to go.

To date, we have supported over 510 businesses in 26 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, impacted more than 33million lives and created over 35,000 direct jobs.

AECF is headquartered in Kenya and has offices in Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania, Nigeria, South Sudan, Benin, and Somalia.

2.0 About the Investing in Women in the Blue Economy program

Investing In Women in the Blue Economy in Kenya (IIW-BEK) is a five-year gender equality and economic inclusion programme (February 2022, to February 2027) being implemented by AECF with the generous support of Global Affairs Canada (GAC). The programme contributes to unlocking the potential for positive socio-economic and environmental outcomes in Kenya’s blue economy in Lake Victoria and Indian Ocean regions.

The main goal of IIW-BEK is to contribute to enhanced economic empowerment of women and young women-owned enterprises, their suppliers, and those that produce for them along key supply chains where women are discriminated against in the blue economy in Kenya.

The programme seeks to:

  1. Support women’s economic participation in non-traditional sectors of the blue economy.
  2. Enhance private sector engagement of women as economic actors across the blue economy value chain.
  3. Increase private and public sector investment in women and young women-owned Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
  4. Reduce systemic gender inequalities that hinder women’s effective economic participation in the blue economy.

3.0 Purpose of the Assignment

The IIW-BEK program promotes a gender equality and human rights-based approach, recognizing that gender equality is not only a fundamental human right but also essential for unlocking human potential and achieving sustainable development. This approach requires creating an enabling environment that values women as equal contributors to economic growth. However, gender inequalities and barriers continue to persist across blue economy value chains, often rooted and perpetuated within households. Through this consultancy, AECF aims to train both women and men to foster more collaborative decision-making processes at the household level, ensuring that livelihoods are sustained, and development outcomes are improved in a more gender-equitable manner

Based on this background, AECF hereby invites qualified individual consultants to express their interest in providing the trainings to the 140 groups to identify economic gender barriers and find solutions through participatory sessions in the targeted companies and counties

3.1 Scope of work

This consultancy will contribute to the 4 objectives above and will target micro level business organized in 140 groups and linked to three medium businesses in Siaya and Homa Bay counties.

Rio Fish Ltd 50 groups with an average membership per group of 20
Bolena Enterprises Company Ltd 30 groups with an average membership of 20
Greatlakes Feeds Ltd 60 with an average membership of 20

 

The consultant(s) will be responsible for designing and delivering training to the groups in the targeted companies and counties to address economic gender barriers and foster equitable decision-making processes. Key activities will include

a) Needs Assessment

  • Conduct an initial desktop assessment to identify specific gender-related barriers in the blue economy value chains at the household and community levels.
  • Engage with a sample of targeted trainees in the targeted companies and counties to gather insights on existing challenges and opportunities for advancing gender equality.

b) Prepare training materials

  • Use the GALs (Gender Action Learning System framework) to tailor training materials that addresses gender inequality in intra-household decision-making, economic barriers, and the role of women as contributors to economic growth.
  • Ensure that the training materials adopt a participatory and inclusive approach, using a gender-sensitive approach.

c) Delivery of the training

  • Design a training plan in cohorts that include several grpu[s in one session
  • Facilitate participatory sessions with the 140 groups, comprising women and men, in the targeted regions using the GALs methodology. These sessions should focus on:
  • Identifying economic gender barriers in the blue economy.
  • Developing collaborative decision-making processes at the household level.
  • Exploring solutions for sustainable livelihoods and improving development outcomes through gender equity.

d) Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration

  • Engage with county officers, private sector associations and departs of blue economy to ensure broad support and collaboration for the training sessions.

e) Monitoring and Evaluation

  • Develop a monitoring tool to track the impact of the trainings on participants’ knowledge and attitudes,
  • Recommend approaches for follow-up assessments to measure changes at household level
  • Provide a report documenting lessons learned, success stories, and recommendations for future interventions.

f) Final Report and Recommendations

  • Prepare a comprehensive report detailing the training outcomes, insights gained, challenges encountered, and practical recommendations for scaling the initiative to other regions or sectors

4.0 Qualifications Experience

  • Advanced university degree (master’s or higher) in Social Sciences, Gender Studies, International Development, Women studies or any other degree related to this assignment.
  • At least 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience at international levels and demonstrated track record in gender and development/humanitarian set up.
  • Strong, technical, programmatic, and research skills related to gender, along with sectoral expertise in blue economy, women empowerment, young women engagement, disability, and women intersectionality’s.
  • Proven understanding of GALs methodology
  • Proven Experience in facilitating household dialogues, conducting gender trainings for men and women
  • Fluency in English and Kiswahili

5.0 Duration

The assignment should be executed in 60 days (November 2024-January 2025)

6.0 Reporting

The consultant will report to the AECF Gender Department

7.0 Proposal submission

Interested companies/individuals must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications.

a) A technical proposal, max 15 pages (excluding annexes) including the following:

  • A profile of the lead consultant (max. 3 pages) explaining why they are the most suitable for the work
  • CVs of the team composition, qualification and experience.
  • An understanding of the consultancy requirements.
  • Methodology and work plan for performing the assignment.
  • Detailed reference list indicating the scope and magnitude of similar assignments.
  • Letters of references/recommendation from previous companies/assignments
  • Relevant services undertaken. Sample of past work: applicants are requested to submit a sample of similar tasks to demonstrate the experiences required by this Terms of Reference
  • Registration and other relevant statutory documents (this apply to Institutional consultants).

b) A financial proposal

  • Financial proposal in KES clearly showing the proposed team member, roles, and proposed days and the proposed professional fee. The financial proposal shall also include an indication of reimbursables (travel, communication etc.)

8.0.   Pricing

The AECF is obliged by the Kenyan tax authorities to withhold taxes on service contract fees as well as ensure that 16% VAT, is charged where applicable. Applicants are advised to ensure that they have a clear understanding of their tax position with regards to provisions of Kenya tax legislation when developing their proposals.

9.0 Evaluation Criteria

An evaluation committee will be formed by the AECF and may include employees of the businesses to be supported. All members will be bound by the same standards of confidentiality. The consultant should ensure that they fully respond to all criteria to be comprehensively evaluated.

The AECF may request and receive clarification from any consultant when evaluating a proposal. The evaluation committee may invite some or all the consultants to appear before the committee to clarify their proposals. In such event, the evaluation committee may consider such clarifications in evaluating proposals.

In deciding the final selection of qualified bidder, the technical quality of the proposal will be given a weighting of 70% based on the evaluation criteria. Only the financial proposal of those bidders who qualify technically will be opened. The financial proposal will be allocated a weighting of 30% and the proposals will be ranked in terms of total points scored.

The mandatory and desirable criteria against which proposals will be evaluated are identified in the table below.

Key Areas for Evaluation/ Assessment Weighted Award 
(A)  TECHNIAL PROPOSAL  70
i) An understanding of the consultancy requirements; 15
·       Demonstrate an understanding of the Assignment 5
·       An in-depth understanding of the GALs methodology or any other approaches for facilitating household gender dialogues.

·       Understanding Gender Lens Investing, women economic empowerment, male engagement, the blue economy value chains will be added advantage.

 10
ii) Methodology and work-plan that will deliver the best value on the Assignment: 30
·       Demonstrate the strategy and capacity to deliver each of the task(s) within a realistic timeline, underpinned by value for money. 25
·       Strategy that demonstrates capability to deliver a large part of this Assignment in onsite meetings

·       Demonstrate capacity and availability for physical community engagements

 5
iv) Relevant services undertaken by the bidder in the past engagements:  15
·       Demonstrate relevant experience and recent engagements with private sector companies in Gender lens Investing. Experience in supporting micro-enterprises and women-led groups in addressing gender barriers  

 

15

 
v) Detailed reference list indicating the scope and magnitude of similar assignments: 10
·       At least 3 signed Letters of reference from past customers, where you have implemented related assignments 10
(B)  FINANCIAL PROPOSAL  30
 

·       Financial proposal guided by the proposed methodology or your cost structure, for example a daily fee in KES (inclusive of any applicable tax). Separate the professional fee and logistical costs including travel, accommodation, communications and meals)

 30
Total score 100

10.0 Application details

The AECF is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The AECF considers all interested candidates based on merit without regard to race, gender, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

  • Interested consultants are requested to submit their technical and financial proposal to aecfprocurement@aecfafrica.org by 21st October ,2024, 5pm (EAT).
  • All questions should be directed to the procurement email by 14th October 2024, 5pm (EAT).
  • The subject of the email should be CAPACITY BUILDING OF BUSINESS GROUPS TO ADOPT A MORE COLLABORATIVE INTRA-HOUSEHOLD DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES. The AECF shall not be liable for not opening proposals that are submitted with a different subject or responding to questions that did not meet the deadline as indicated.

11.0 Disclaimer

AECF reserves the right to determine the structure of the process, number of short-listed participants, the right to withdraw from the proposal process, the right to change this timetable at any time without notice and reserves the right to withdraw this tender at any time, without prior notice and without liability to compensate and/or reimburse any party.

NB: The AECF does not charge an application fee for participation in the tender process and has not appointed any agents or intermediaries to facilitate applications. Applicants are advised to reach out directly to the AECF PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT. 

Finance Officer

Written by AECF

About the role

The finance officer will be part of the core finance team at AECF which is responsible for overall financial management. The incumbent will serve as the finance liaison to AECF’s donors and will represent AECF at any donor and program partner meetings and ensure consolidation of the periodic award budgets, financial reports, strong tracking of program expenditures, continual analysis of program cash flow, ensuring compliance with AECF’s and donor policies.

The role holder will also be responsible for the programme’s general ledger monthly review, ensuring ledger data is up to date and accurate to assist in preparing financial reports for management, donors, and the board.

This role will report to the Senior Finance Officer.

Key Responsibilities

  • Assist with financial planning, including preparing project budgets, project cash flow forecasts, and implementing appropriate budgetary controls.
  • Producing monthly actual vs budget (variance) reports for programs and participating in quarterly meetings with portfolio teams to review the reports.
  • Ensure timely processing of program financial and accounting data, confirming that such data is in accordance with the laid-down procedures and policies, accurate, complete, adequately supported by all underlying appropriate documents, correctly assigned to appropriate expenses and project budget lines, and donor conditions.
  • Monthly review of project ledger, ensuring accuracy of postings and alignment to program design and budgets.
  • Prepare bank reconciliation statements for select bank accounts on a monthly basis.
  • Maintain primary relationships and correspond with donors on all requests relating to budgets and donor financial reports.
  • Tracking of cost share for programmes that require a contribution.
  • Assist in external audit coordination of the project including preparation of relevant audit schedules or as may be assigned.
  • Preparation of project financial reports in an accurate and timely manner, in line with program reporting templates and donor and AECF policies.
  • Review and approve travel advance requests and surrenders as per policy.
  • Support of proposal budgets.

Qualifications:

  • Have a bachelor’s degree in economics, statistics, commerce, or finance from a recognized university.
  • Have professional qualifications in finance (CPA, ACCA) or related field.
  • Be a member of a professional body.
  • Have at least five (5) years of experience managing the finances of >$20 million international non-profit organization with a mix of funding sources, preferably bilateral donors.
  • Have working experience with FCDO, GAC, Kfw, IFC, EU, World Bank and SIDA.
  • Experience working in an ERP environment.
  • Have strong proficiency in advanced Excel features.
  • Be fluent in English. Proficiency in additional languages, such as French, is preferred.

Application

The AECF is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants will be considered based on merit without regard to race, sex, colour, national origin, religion, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. AECF does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, processing, training, or any other fees).

If you believe you can clearly demonstrate your abilities to meet the relevant criteria for the role, register and apply at https://recruitment.aecfafrica.org . To be considered, your application must be received by 8th October 2024.  For more information, please visit our careers page at www.aecfafrica.org

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Manager, Energy & Climate Programme (Kenya)

Written by AECF

About the role

The Renewable Energy and Adaptation to ClimateTechnologies (REACT) Team within the programs department is dedicated to implementing initiatives that strengthen the resilience of rural and marginalized communities across Sub-Saharan Africa. Specifically, the REACT Kenya program aims to overcome market barriers that prevent private sector growth in clean energy solutions. Using a Challenge Fund model, it aims to support companies that promote productive use of energy (PUE) and e-mobility, provide solar home systems (SHS) to underserved areas, and use recycled products to drive waste management in peri-urban and informal areas, primarily through results-based financing (RBF) and milestone-based grants.

Key Responsibilities

  •  Provide strategic leadership in portfolio construction, driving competition promotion, refining scoring criteria, and leading the assessment and selection of applications.
  • Lead the drafting and presentation of investment memos to internal and external investment committees, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives.
  • Direct the execution and management of program goals, ensuring investees’ adherence to AECF’s grant implementation principles while optimizing efficiency, effectiveness, and impact throughout the project lifecycle.
  • Build high-level professional relationships with investees and service providers, ensuring value for money and transparency and minimizing fraud and inefficiency across the portfolio.
  • Oversee the comprehensive monitoring and evaluation of grant implementation, ensuring timely tracking of milestones, compliance, and deliverables.
  • Provide strategic oversight of site visits, periodic reporting analysis, and actionable feedback to investees for optimal performance.
  • Lead financial oversight of fund disbursement requests, ensuring timely and well-informed recommendations that promote effective allocation and utilization of resources to maximize impact.
  • Direct the preparation of high-level performance reports, identifying deviations or delays, and driving collaborative efforts with internal teams and investees to resolve challenges and optimize outcomes.
  • Ensure robust site visit protocols and lead evaluations of operational and financial performance to guarantee the consistent achievement of program objectives.
  • Lead the identification and coordination of technical assistance, ensuring investees receive tailored support to enhance their capacity and performance.
  • Champion the development of management and donor reports, providing strategic insights into portfolio achievements and challenges while positioning the portfolio for continued growth.

Qualifications:

  • An advanced university degree in finance, business administration, international development, social sciences, development finance, or a related field.
  • At least eight years of investment or grant-making experience in the Kenyan RE sector.
  • Extensive experience in investment, grant-making, due diligence processes, and grant management in the Kenyan RE sector.
  • Experience and/or good understanding of the circular economy, including waste management, e-mobility, energy access, and productive uses of energy solutions within the Kenyan context.
  • Extensive knowledge and understanding of program design and development, project cycle management, financial budgeting, and reporting.
  • Experience working alongside a wide range of grantees/investees with skill and sensitivity, including private sector players and public institutions in Kenya.
  • An in-depth understanding of the work and challenges of renewable energy companies in Kenya.
    Strong leadership and communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across teams and with high-level stakeholders.

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