Terms of Reference for a Consultant to Conduct “a Sectoral and Gender Analysis Survey on Areas of Business Interest for MasterCard Foundation Scholars” 

1. About Camfed

Camfed is an international non-profit organisation established in 1993 with a mission to multiply girls’ access to education and accelerate the benefits to individuals, their families and communities in Africa. Camfed works to tackle poverty and inequality by supporting girls to go to school and succeed, and empowering young women to become leaders of change. Camfed invests in girls and women in the poorest rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa, where girls face acute disadvantage but where their empowerment transforms communities.

Camfed was founded simultaneously in Zimbabwe and the UK in 1993 and currently operates in Ghana, Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Zambia with offices in each country as well as in the UK and USA. Camfed Ghana started operating in 1998 and by 2016 was active in 31 districts and 860 schools, having supported 67,362 students to complete secondary school.

Camfed breaks the mould in the field of girls’ education by creating a new model of systematic change founded in power-sharing at the grass roots. Camfed’s model mobilises an entire social infrastructure around girls to support their development. By placing a high degree of responsibility over decisions, strategies and resources in the local community, Camfed ensures that community members own a system that is transparent, responsive and accountable. In 2016 there were 40,620 community activists working with Camfed Ghana through structures to enhance girls’ education and promote young women’s leadership and enterprise in Ghana.

As of 2017, Camfed Ghana’s alumnae association, Cama, had a membership of over 23,600 young women. Cama members are united by a background of commitment to plough back into their communities, with profound demonstrated impacts at the family, community, national and international levels. Cama members are involved in efforts to enable children to remain in school with material assistance and mentoring. Members are also involved in training other young people in key areas such as reproductive health, financial literacy, business skills, and women and children’s rights, and advocacy for change. For more information, please visit https://camfed.org/.

2. About the Camfed-Mastercard ‘Enable young women to transition from school to entrepreneurship, further study and transformative leadership in rural Ghana and Malawi’ Project (2016-2026)

This project builds on our long-standing partnership with Mastercard Foundation, founded on shared values and a mutual commitment to learning. The project extends Camfed’s partnership with the MasterCard Foundation in four regions of Ghana (Northern, Upper East, Upper West and Central regions) – all areas where Camfed has established community structures and partnerships dedicated to supporting girls’ education and young women’s empowerment and leadership.

The first component of the project focuses on supporting academically-gifted girls and young women from disadvantaged rural backgrounds who show leadership potential, including a commitment to strengthening their communities. It involves supporting them in selected high performing partner secondary schools. As MasterCard Foundation Scholars, 1,500 girls will receive bursary scholarships with further ‘wrap around’ support provided by Teacher Mentors and Head Teachers at school level. Other personal development and enrichment activities such as an annual Leadership Camps during long vacation breaks are undertaken to enable Scholars develop their understanding of ethical leadership and develop ideas and plans to put leadership into action.

Building on the foundation of a quality secondary school education, the second component of the Project supports the secondary school graduates to make a successful transition to further study, entrepreneurship or work. Part of this support includes the training of a network of Core Trainers located in each of the project districts to provide cascaded training and advice on life skills, financial literacy, business skills, sexual and reproductive health and career planning, so that young women are equipped to make informed choices. In turn, through training and support, the secondary school graduates will go on to share their skills and knowledge with school children and community groups, focusing on topics including financial literacy, business skills, effective study habits, reproductive health and advocacy against child marriage through a structured community give-back initiative. It is anticipated that each Scholar will reach a minimum of 75 children and young people in her community.

The third component of the Project, as applicable to the Camfed Ghana programme, involves the active encouragement of Scholars to explore entrepreneurship as a route to self-employment and income generation, building on the introductory elements included in the transition program.  A business plan competition for interested Scholars will be the entry point to the Entrepreneurship Program. The Entrepreneurship Program will combine internships, mentoring, linkages to a network of supportive partner organizations, asset kits and the option of applying for affordable loans to enable young women to launch and grow new businesses in rural Ghana.

3. Rationale for the consultancy assignment

Between 2010 and 2015, Camfed collaborated with MasterCard Foundation to pilot a unique initiative – the Innovation Bursary Program – to support youth livelihoods in rural Africa. The successful pilot enabled rural women to become successful entrepreneurs and employers in their communities. Camfed, through this Project, plans to build on the experience of the Innovation Bursary Program in Ghana to offer a new, lower cost, Entrepreneurship Program to secondary Scholar graduates who have an interest in launching and growing businesses.

The Entrepreneurship Program will be developed and delivered across broad geographic areas in Ghana, in order to serve the most needy and talented. It will be specifically targeted at young, rural, women and include a broad range of interventions ranging from training and internships, to mentoring, linkages, local support, assets and affordable business finance to enable young women to fulfil their potential as entrepreneurs.

This consultancy assignment focuses on informing the third component of the project which relates to promoting entrepreneurship as a route to self-employment and income generation. To inform the overall design of the Entrepreneurship Program, including the design of technical training modules, sourcing of relevant internship opportunities as well as targeting of advice to young entrepreneurs on potential business opportunities; it  is essential for us to conduct  a detailed sectoral survey  to help identify attractive and viable business opportunities in the target districts and regions.  Such a detailed survey will also benefit from the involvement of various stakeholders and partners to inform triangulation of perspectives.

4. Purpose and scope of work

Drawing on, amongst others, the identified areas of businesses interests expressed by potential entrepreneurs in the phase one study, the current assignment will further explore the viability of the various identified sectors. This includes, but not limited to, identifying the stages or processes involved in setting up these businesses and propose recommendations in addressing any obvious challenges.  Secondly, the consultant would have to pay particular attention to contextual factors such as geographic locational factors, competitive advantage and other economicfactors like easy access to banking and credit facilities for business enterprises in various sectors.

In conducting the wider sectoral survey, it is important that a gender analysis piece is conducted in consultation with young women, IBP Scholars and partners to ensure a full understanding of the target group's needs and constraints. The results of the gender analysis component of the work will also informthe design of the Entrepreneurship Program.

5. Specific objectives of the study

The specific objectives of the study will be to:

1. Conduct detailed sectoral analyses, drawing on amongst others, the identified areas of business interests proposed by potential entrepreneurs in the phase one studyand other related businesses with focus on gender, geographic and economic factors that informbusiness opportunities.

2. Conduct gender analysis piece in consultation with young women, IBP Scholars and partners to ensure a full understanding of the target group's needs and constraints

3. Map out preferred levels of operation ranging from micro to small scale, medium and large sized enterprises by sector.

1. Assess the underlying drivers that will inform the viability and success of the identified businesses and other related businesses.

Identify and assess support systems, available networks and business linkages that may serve to either enhance or limit prospective areas of business interests.

6. Approach and methodology

• We anticipate that a qualitative approach will be relevant and appropriate for this study and the issues to be explored.


• We encourage the adoption of strong Participatory Learning Approaches, and possibly involvethe representation of Cama Advisory Persons.

7. Activities to be undertaken

To achieve the overall goal of the sectoral study, the consultant shall undertake the following specific activities:

• Targeted consultative meetings with relevant business sector representatives and stakeholders. Desk review of relevant documents.


• Otherstakeholder consultative meetings, where necessary, with parents and community members to triangulate information and solicitperspectives.


• Validation meeting with relevant stakeholders to validate preliminary findings emerging from fieldwork and inform the drafting of the study report.

8. Duration and expected deliverables

9. Submission of a work plan and an inception report outlining the proposed methodology and sample, detailed timeline for the work, draft field instruments for interviews, and any other screening questionnaires.


10. Camfed will review and approve this Plan ahead of the work being undertaken. Camfed will provide logistics support to the consultant.


11. A brief review of secondary sources on the topic area. The review will be used to inform the development of the study report and will be attached as an annex to the main report.


12. Data collection in the field.


13. Validation meeting and sharing of preliminary findings.


14. Submission of draft report and findings, which should not be longer than 40 pages (excluding annexes).


15. This report will be reviewed by Camfed and comments shared with the consultant.


16. Submission of the final report, incorporating comments and suggestions from Camfed, and any additional information gathered in the interim.


17. Fees and payment terms

7. Project management

Overall management of the Scoping study on a day-to-day basis, including the receipt and review of deliverables, will be coordinated by Camfed through a Steering Committee. The Committee will include designated members of Camfed Ghana, Camfed International and Cama Advisory Group members who will report to the National Director of Camfed. The Steering Committee will ensure that the sectoral survey proceeds in a collaborative, ethical and participatory manner.

8. Proposal submission

Interested consultants are requested to submit a proposal of no more than 5 pages (excluding CVs) outlining:

1. How you would approach this job.


2. Previous relevant experience.


3. The team composition and reporting lines.


4. One report sample of a similar study conducted. The report should be relevant, or similar to, the subject area of this study.


5. Two professional references.


6. Curriculum Vitae of all team members should be no longer than 3 pages.

The proposal deadline is 30^th March, 2018. Please submit your application with “Sectoral and Gender Analysis Survey” clearly in the subject line to:

camfedghanasurveys@gmail.com

Closing Date: 30 March, 2018