Terms of Reference (ToR) for Consultancy Service to produce a Situational Report on the Effects of Covid-19 to Women in Small Scale Business.
1.0. ABOUT HER INITIATIVE
HER INITIATIVE is an initiative that strives to reframe the value of girls, shape the new norms that break poverty and create financial resilience among girls and young women in Tanzania. This includes advocating for girls’ economic rights. Her initiative works with girls aged between 13 to 26 both in school and out of school. Her initiative is a registered organization with a registration number 00NGO/08687. Her Initiative creates a ‘new normal’ for girls. A world in which girls are not held back from reaching their full potentials, either by themselves, their families or their communities. A world in which girls can stay in school, get access to health services, realize their economic potential and make their own choices.
The main objectives of HER INITIATIVE:
– To achieve financial resilience among girls and young women in Tanzania
-To build a generation of young women entrepreneurs who are creating employment opportunities for other young women
-To prevent gender-based violence by reducing income inequality.
2.0. BACKGROUND OF THE COVID-19 PROJECT
The world is currently gripped with the largest acute health epidemic of the century. The spread of Corona Virus from December 2019 to date has continued at an exponential rate, quickly moving from country to country from what started as a localized outbreak in Wuhan China. Tanzania as many other countries has been hit by the virus which poses.
A significant health risk to all populations, and has gone beyond health impacts to shutting down entire economies. The new normal has posed several threats to businesses leading to unprecedented actions such as shut down and cut down of workers due to a decline in sells. Specifically, the new normal poses a greater risk to young female entrepreneurs who are running small and medium scale businesses because their businesses depend on regular sells.
Female entrepreneurs have to take drastic steps to survive their businesses and life in general. Some continued to keep their businesses open despite the growing risk of being infected with COVID-19 or being vectors of the virus. Demand for their goods and services has reduced and the future viability of their businesses is at grave risk.
For those that are remaining viable, they are having to make big cuts in what they pay employees, or to lay off their workers completely. Some are struggling with rising debt as they are no longer receiving the level of income they needed to service their loans. Unlike more astute economies like the UK, Germany and the US, the Tanzanian government doesn’t have the bandwidth to keep these small businesses viable during this period of uncertainty.
At a personal level, the slowing and shutting down of young women’s businesses places them at increased risk of experiencing gender-based violence as they will no longer have the financial agency to avoid exploitation and violence. The risk was also compounded by the Tanzanian government’s move out roll-out of a lockdown, which forced many young women stay home, regardless of how dangerous their home environment could be.
A significant proportion of young female entrepreneurs don’t have adequate health insurance. If young female entrepreneurs contract Corona Virus, they are at higher risk of developing adverse symptoms, which would otherwise be avoided if they received early healthcare through the applicable health insurance.
3.0. SCOPE OF WORK.
HER INITIATIVE is inviting a qualified consultant to apply for this assignment. The consultant will undertake the following tasks;
1. Conduct field research in Dar es Salaam and Pwani, identifying women facing a crisis in their business due to the outburst of Coronavirus in Tanzania.
2. Collect and review all the information obtained from the research and share the findings with the organization.
3. Submitting the first 2 drafts, to be reviewed by the organization before the final draft.
4. Editing and graphic designing the report before disseminating the report.
5 Draft the final recommended report.
6 Disseminating the report.
4.0. TIME FRAME and DURATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT
The task will take a total of 10 workdays as follows:
• 5 days for collecting and gathering information from relevant stakeholders and sources from both Dar and Pwani area.
• 5 days of intensive desk study/review of the relevant documents
That is; 1 day for the presentation of the findings for feedback, 3 days to consolidate the analysis and 1 day of issuing the situational analysis report.
The work will start from 18th June 2020 to 3rd July 2020.
5.0. DELIVERABLES
• First and second draft review report
• Final Comprehensive Covid-19 Situational Analysis Report
• A PowerPoint presentation of the report
6.0. RATES
Reasonable rates will be provided
7.0. MODE OF PAYMENT
• The consultant will be entitled to 40% of the total consultancy fee upon signing of the contract and the remaining 60% upon delivery and acceptance of deliverables within the specified period.
• The consultancy fee is subject to withholding tax at the rate of 5% as per income Tax Act.
8.0. QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE
The selected consultant must have the following basic educational and professional experience: (Minimum requirements):
i. LEVEL OF EDUCATION : Masters in social sciences, business, development studies or related field
ii. She/he should have a minimum of five years’ experience of working in research and development projects
iii. At least 5 years’ experience and knowledge on Gender, Economics, Development and Human rights.
iv. Fluent in both written and spoken Kiswahili and English language
Competencies:
•Demonstrates integrity by modeling the professionalism, values and ethical standards
•Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of the project
•Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
•Treats all people fairly and without favoritism.
9.0. SUBMISSIONS.
Interested Person will be required to submit the following details to the address below:
1. Letter of Expression with relevant evidence to have conducted the same nature of the assignment
2. Consultation invoice
3. Updated Curriculum vitae.
Kindly send this to;
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
HER INITIATIVE,
PO Box ,
Dar es Salaam.
The applications can also be sent via email info@herinitiative.or.tz , copy to lyen.charles@gmail.com and gloriangatuni@yahoo.com Or present the document physically to Her Initiative offices located at Ubungo, Rubada building.
The applications should reach the organization not later than 15th June 2020.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.