1.0. ABOUT HER INITIATIVE
Her Initiative is an organization that reframes the value of girls and shapes new norms that break the cycle of poverty and create financial resilience among adolescent girls and young women and girls in Tanzania to achieve gender equality and inclusive economic growth. Her Initiative creates a ' new normal' for girls; a world in which girls are not held back from reaching their full potential, either by themselves, their families, their communities, or by their financial status. Her Initiative stands for a girl who has empowered herself enough to address her social-economic problems. Her Initiative aims to reach out to adolescent girls and young women and girls aged between 15 to 35 years. Her Initiative’s team is a resilient group of social change-makers who personally identify with the experiences of the young women and girls we reach and who are tenacious enough to tackle Tanzania’s challenging economy head-on through bold, young women and girls-led initiatives. It is young women’s and girls’ ideas that are at the center of the solutions we provide, ensuring that we don’t waste resources on ideas that don’t reflect the needs.
2.0. BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT
The project’s main purpose is to enhance the existing platform by creating a digitally inclusive environment for various groups of young female entrepreneurs to explore information, and share skills, and resources related to their business operations. In addition, the initiative wants to increase the movement’s interconnectedness, agenda, and engagement of young female entrepreneurs in how to react to sextortion challenges. The project will react to the following objectives in order to attain this goal:
- To contribute to bridging the Gender Digital Divide and the Rural-Urban Digital Divide by developing an offline model of learning and networking via an Artificial Intelligence-powered SMS system using USSD code, as well as strengthening the existing online movement for young women to gain access to skills, knowledge, resources, and opportunities to accelerate business growth and achieve financial freedom.
- To improve the existing movement’s capacity and engagement among young women entrepreneurs on how to respond to sextortion challenges.
We successfully built a movement on the Panda Digital platform for young female entrepreneurs to access information, and exchange skills, and resources related to their business operations via the initiative. The movement also aimed to spark discussion and debates about problems affecting their business development opportunities, such as sextortion, business formalization, and capital mobilization.
Despite its success, the movement has some elements of digital exclusion because it primarily benefits a group of young female entrepreneurs in urban areas, particularly Dar es Salaam, which has a high number of digital users, as evidenced by the number of people who signed up on Panda digital platforms. This was owing to the fact that the majority of persons living in rural regions lacked fundamental digital skills as well as access to digital tools.
While mobile technology has expanded rapidly, it has not done so equitably, with women adopting mobile technology at a lesser rate. Even if women possess a mobile device, they are less likely to utilize it for more complex services like mobile internet and mobile money. According to a GSMA study, women face several challenges to owning and using mobile phones, including cost, network quality, safety and harassment concerns, and digital abilities. This is supported by the results of the Financial Inclusion Insights (FII) Wave 4 survey, which was conducted on September 26, 2016.
3.0. SCOPE OF WORK.
HER INITIATIVE is seeking a qualified consultant to undertake the development of Panda Digital’s offline artificial intelligence SMS Hackathons model for dissemination to young women entrepreneurs. The consultant will undertake the following tasks;
- Customize the Business Model Canvas Course and Digital Marketing Course to SMS Model in a simple and clear language so that it can be well understood by young women entrepreneurs.
- Develop a well comprehensive Artificial Intelligence offline learning and networking SMS Model Hackathons for young women entrepreneurs.
- Submit a draft, of the developed offline learning and networking SMS Model Hackathons to be reviewed and tested by the organization before the final draft.
- Improve the developed Artificial Intelligence offline learning and networking SMS Model Hackathons after being reviewed and tested.
- Develop a new feature on Panda Digital which provides a space for young women entrepreneurs to anonymously report sextortion cases on the platform.
- Add Telegram link for business operation groups on Panda Digital platform for the young women entrepreneurs to join as a result of practicing the skills and knowledge acquired.
- Ensure Maintenance of Panda Digital’s website and offline SMS Model for disseminating content to young women entrepreneurs for a period of 6 months
4.0. TIME FRAME AND DURATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT
The task will take a total of 6 months including the weekend as follows:
3 days of customizing the Business Model Canvas Course and Digital Marketing Course to SMS Model in a simple and clear language so that it can be well understood by young women entrepreneurs.
20 days of developing a well comprehensive Artificial Intelligence offline learning and networking SMS Model Hackathons for young women entrepreneurs.
5 days of testing and reviewing the developed offline learning and networking SMS Model Hackathons.
7 days to work on improving the Artificial Intelligence offline learning and networking SMS Model Hackathons.
4 days to develop the new feature on Panda Digital which provides a space for young women entrepreneurs to anonymously report sextortion cases on the platform.
1 day to add a Telegram link for business operation groups on the Panda Digital platform for the young women entrepreneurs to join as a result of practicing the skills and knowledge acquired.
5 months of maintaining Panda Digital’s website and offline SMS Model for disseminating content.
5.0. DELIVERABLES
- A content package of the Business Model Canvas Course and Digital Marketing Course in SMS Model that is in a simple and clear language so that it can be well understood by young women entrepreneurs.
- A well-developed Artificial Intelligence offline learning and networking SMS Model Hackathons for young women entrepreneurs.
- An Improved SMS Model after being tested and reviewed to be disseminated to young women entrepreneurs.
- A new feature on Panda Digital which provides a space for young women entrepreneurs to anonymously report sextortion cases on the platform.
- A Telegram link for business operation groups on Panda Digital platform for the young women entrepreneurs to join as a result of practicing the things they learned.
- Maintaining Panda Digital’s website and offline SMS Model for disseminating content to young women entrepreneurs.
6.0. RATES
Reasonable rates will be provided
7.0. MODE OF PAYMENT
The consultant will be entitled to 50% of the total consultancy fee upon signing of the contract and the remaining 40% upon delivery and acceptance of deliverables within the specified period. And 10% of the remaining consultancy fee upon testing the AI SMS Hackathons system
The consultancy fee is subjected to withholding tax at the rate of 5% as per the Income Tax Act.
8.0. QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE
The selected consultant must have the following basic educational and professional experience: (Minimum requirements):
- LEVEL OF EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Software Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Science, or related fields.
- She/he should have a minimum of three years experience of working in Application and Website Designing and Development, Cyber Security, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, etc.
- At least 3 years of experience and knowledge of Application and Website Designing and Development, Cyber Security, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, etc.
- Fluent in both written and spoken Swahili and English language
Competences:
Experienced working with entrepreneurs is an added advantage.
Demonstrates integrity by modeling 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 Persons/company will be required to submit the following details to the address below:
- Letter of Expression with relevant evidence to have conducted the same nature of the assignment
- Consultation invoice
- Updated Curriculum vitae.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
HER INITIATIVE,
P.O Box 66
Dar es Salaam.
The applications can also be sent via email to info@herinitiative.or.tz, copied to janeth@herinitiative.or.tz, and Or presented the document physically to Her Initiative offices located at 10 Asmara 02 St, Mikocheni, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
The applications should reach the organization no later than 6th August 2022.
- Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.