Consultancy to Feasibility Study – Oromia Pastoralist Association
Consultancy and Training
Oromia Pastoralist Association
Background
The Oromia Pastoralist Association (OPA) is a non- government, non-for-profit, community-based organization established in 2006 by committed pastoralist community members from Bale, Borana, Fentalle, Guji and Hararge dry-land areas in Oromia region. OPA’s overall aim is to promote positive changes in the lives and livelihoods of pastoralists through strengthening local capacities of communities and their governance structures to participate in effective policy processes and development actions that help improve their peaceful coexistence, food security and livelihoods.
As part of its local efforts for empowering women both socially and economically to exercise greater control over their lives, OPA would like to identify all visible local economic activities in which its target women program participants would be supported to engage in and improve their income generation schemes. For this, OPA would like to contract a skilled and professional consultancy firm to conduct a visibility study in Dire Woreda, Borana zone inn Oromia Region, on existing possible local business areas with possibility for the application of Market System Development (MSD) Approach help to link the target women economic groups to the wider markets in the future and grow their business and entrepreneurships.
Therefore, interested consultancy firms could participate in this consultancy announcement.
Purpose and Objectives
The overall purpose of the consultancy service is to undertake a feasibility study of the local business opportunities as well as innovative ways to link with existing market systems and stimulate the uptake of customer connections for project target Women groups in Dire Woreda, Borana zone, Oromia region.
Specific objectives of the assessment are:
- Identify visibility of the locally existing or potential business applicable for the project target women groups to engage and improve their income to Increasing women’s economic leadership
- Identify and Propose possible/practical methods through which the identified visible business areas could be linked to the wider markets through the application of MSD Approach and increasing domestic connections through effective promotional activity and customer engagement.
- Assess the challenges of unpaid role of women and unequal power relation to economic wellbeing of women
The targeted possible local businesses would likely be in the areas of Milk and milk products, chicken and eggs production, Aloe Soap Production, cultural dressing etc. These are our initial ideas but the consultant should use their independent judgement in recommending appropriate business activities to focus on.
The consultant is also expected to assess possible lessons learned from the application of some of the identified businesses through assessing experiences of similar interventions by other organizations within and beyond the project target areas.
Scope of Work:
The Consultant, using both qualitative and quantitative representative data, will undertake the tasks listed below for the feasibility study:
a) Historical analysis of Women’s groups participation in small productive business activities and existing lessons in conjunction with evaluation of the project area
- study the geography, locations and characteristics of the project area against feasibility for business, including proximity to main roads and local market centers
- Mapping of the project areas and focus on the occupation and livelihood activities
- Mapping the market opportunities and challenges that impede Women in the target villages and nearby markets.
b) Conduct a Micro-business opportunities survey and assess the potential business areas with the possibility for expansion amongst the already connected businesses and the potential of new businesses within and beyond the project area.
- Mapping the market opportunities within and across the wider area/zone and beyond and identify feasible business sectors relevant to the context and the livelihoods of the target areas including potential productive use centers within the project area.
- Assess the consumption patterns or need for consumption of each identified potential business activity for the domestic users/consumers.
- Review existing infrastructure and conditions, lessons learned from similar business activities in the past/present including operational considerations for the project target women groups to engage in the identified local business areas.
c) Assess the potential for domestic connection/linkage for the identified business areas with financial service providers and other business actors
- Identify potential and existing linkages for the identified business sector with other finical sectors using Market System Development Approach.
- Define promotional strategy in the existing network and the planned network based on the aforementioned analysis
d) Assess willingness of the project target women’s possibility to engage in some of the identified feasible business sectors and recommend areas of support from the project to help the target women to realize their dream by engaging in the potential business sectors identified.
e) Gauge challenges in transport and connectivity, addressing concerns around safety and security of women
f) Assess existence of physical markets equally welcoming to female and male entrepreneurs despite the widely entrenched gender norms
g) Assess the resilience of women entrepreneurs to climatic and economic shocks
Methodologies
- Proposed methodologies to conduct the visibility study are:
- Assign skilled and professionals to conduct the study
- Prepare and present detail implementation plan to OPA for review
- Collect secondary data and conduct desk review
- Collect Primary data and analyses using appropriate tools and samples (interviews, group discussions,)
- Prepare initial finding report and share for feedback
- Present findings at a validation workshop
- Prepare final report using the feedbacks provided and submit both in soft and hardcopies to OPA.
Deliverables:
The Consultant is expected to deliver a full feasibility study report both in soft copy and hard copies to OPA before end of the contract period.
- Draft Research report
- Facilitate Validation workshop
- Final research report
- Dossier of secondary information:
A summary of the structure of the study is provided under Annex 1.
Timeframe:
The timeframe for the feasibility study is estimated at 6 weeks, with the duration of specific activities as follows:
- Desk review -1 week
- Surveys, data collection and meetings – 3 weeks
- Mapping & Analysis – 1 week
- Report writing and finalization – 1 week
Key Responsibilities
- The Consultant will be responsible for:
- organizing the work and delivering the outputs of the assignment. The firm will
- work closely with the OPA to collect and analyze data and undertake all necessary measurements, and report on the progress of key activities.
- Assign skilled and professionals to conduct the study
- Prepare and present detail implementation plan to OPA for review
- Collect secondary data and conduct desk review
- Collect Primary data and analyses using appropriate tools and samples (interviews, group discussions,)
- Prepare initial finding report and share for feedback
- Present findings at a validation workshop
- Prepare final report using the feedbacks provided and submit both in soft and hardcopies to OPA.
- Work closely with assigned staff of OPA
- Prior to the completion of the assignment, the Consultant will hand over the feasibility study and data behind it to OPA.
OPA is seeking a reputable firm who have a strong background in the following areas to undertake the feasibility study:
- Excellent knowledge and skills in conducting scientific research and assessments
- Strong skills in surveys and consultation with good analytical and drafting skills
- Experience in conducting similar studies around small-business particularly those managed by women self-help groups or cooperatives. Knowledge of MSD approach is an asset.
- Have appropriate Legal documents (Licenses)
- Assign experts with fluency in English and Afan Oromo
- Knowledge of the culture and social conditions of the area is ideal
- knowledge of and/or proven expertise in participatory approaches in conducting assessments and facilitating strategic planning processes
Required Documents
Interested applicants should submit copies of the following key documents before the deadline to the address specified under section 8 below:
- Letter of Expression of interest to provide the requested service
- Narrative Proposal constituting of:
- Contact information (full name and address, telephone, e-mail address,) of the consultancy firm and a contact person.
- Brief institution’s background, and experience (CV) particularly related to the service requested.
- Methodologies intended to be applied by your firm to deliver the requested service (management, human resources, implementation approach)
- Implementation plan
- Detail Financial Proposal
- Soft Copies of legal documents
