Consultant for Baseline Assessment

COSPE is searching for an external Consultants to undertake the baseline assessments in the Palestinian Occupied Territory (OPT) of the regional project “InclusiveNissa’: reinforcement of the social and economic role of women through the promotion of their financial inclusion” (Code NDICI-GEO-NEAR/2023/450-077), funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by COSPE, in partnership with various NGOs in Lebanon, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco.

►Background

The leading organisation

COSPE is a private, secular and non-profit association established in 1983. It operates in 23 countries around the world with about 80 projects, alongside thousands of women and men for a change that ensures equitable and sustainable development, respect for human rights, peace and justice among peoples. COSPE works for the construction of a world in which diversity is considered a value, a world of many voices, where the encounter enriches everyone and where social justice is achieved through the access of all to equal rights and opportunities. COSPE has been engaged in the southern Mediterranean country for several years, focusing on gender equality and women empowerment, promotion of economic and social rights, support cooperatives and small enterprises.

The partners

The partner organizations of the Project are:

-ABAAD (Lebanon)

-UCASC (Occupied Palestinian Territory)

-The Next Women Tunisia (Tunisia, associate)

-FARD (Algeria),

-RESOFEM (Morocco)

-IMPACT HUB (Austria)

-JENGALAB (Italy)

Project description

The EU-funded project “InclusiveNissa” is implemented as part of the EU’s regional cooperation in the Southern Neighbourhood, in support to women economic empowerment. It is implemented in complementarity and synergy with a second EU-funded project led by the OECD, which will engage policy makers, financial institutions and women entrepreneurs’ networks in order to promote policy and regulatory reforms towards “Enhancing Women Entrepreneurs’ Financial Inclusion and Access to Finance in the Digital Age”. The present baseline assessment will be closely coordinated with the OECD inception consultancy.

The Project main objectives are: 

• Women in Southern Neighborhood space strengthen their empowerment and their role as social and economic actors
• Women living in rural and marginalized areas in the Southern Neighborhood countries use gender-sensitive financial and non-financial tools to boost their economic activities

The project focuses on 3 axes of work and outputs:

• Financial Institutions in the target countries offer appropriate gender-sensitive tools and services for women in marginalized areas
• Women entrepreneurs living in rural and marginalized areas of the targeted countries increase their capacities to use financial and non-financial tools to develop their economic activities
• Local, national and regional stakeholders promote an enabling environment for women socio-economic empowerment and inclusion.

►Purpose and objectives of the baseline assessments

1- To analyze the level of women entrepreneurs’ financial inclusion, assessing, in the OPT:

-the existing legislative framework

-the financial system governance

-the existing policies to implement the governance systems

-the baseline values for the Logical Framework indicators of the Project

-the Financial Institutions active in the OPT, as well as regionally, including local CSOs and NGOs working on finance and micro-finance

-the financial tools and schemes available for women’s economic activities and their level of actual implementation and usage by women (accessibility, conditions, information, etc.), including EU-supported blending facilities

-the specific barriers that women entrepreneurs face in terms of financial inclusion and access to finance

-the digital financial ecosystem, including fintech modalities

-the Islamic finance mechanisms

-non-financial tools, and financial inclusion / financial literacy projects and initiatives in each country and regionally

-formal and informal tools

-eventual experiences and best practices of mutual financial support implemented by women for women, for their economic activities

-legislative frameworks and practices allowing women to access finance without the requirement of fixed collaterals (i.e. registry of mobile collaterals; community lenders; social collaterals; union of savings and credits)

2-To re-mobilize partners and target groups in the OPT, at the beginning of the Project implementation

3-To identify the Project target areas in the OPT

4-To map relevant stakeholders

5-To suggest training and capacity building for the FIs

6-To formulate recommendations on the implementation of the Project activities, also at the regional dimension

►Intended user of the baseline assessments

The primary intended users of the baseline assessments will be COSPE and the partners of the Project.

Moreover, as the Project will be implemented in strict cooperation and synergy with EU, including the EU Delegation in the OPT, and OECD implementing a complementary project, they will be also privileged recipients and users of the baseline.

Finally, CSOs, as well as public and private institutions in the OPT will be users of the baseline assessments, for their work in the same sector.

►Principles and approaches guiding the baseline assessments

The principles underpinning the approach to the baseline assessment are:

• Impartiality and independence of the baseline process from the programming and implementation functions;
• Credibility of the baseline assessment, through appropriately skilled and independent Consultant and the transparency of the process, including dissemination of results;
• Gender perspective approach, as all the Project is designed under a comprehensive gender approach;
• Participatory approach, to ensure the full participation of women in the process;
• Intersectional approach, to guarantee that multi-discrimination processes are duly considered;
• Cultural sensitivity, in order to include all different cultural aspects related to each group or minorities in the target areas;
• Coordination of the baseline assessment with the ones carried out in the other countries, in order to guarantee the regional dimension
• Participation of stakeholders in the baseline process, to ensure that different perspectives and views are taken into account;
• Usefulness of the findings and recommendations, through timely presentation of relevant, clear and concise information to decision makers.

►Methodology and timeframe

The baseline assessment will be carried out by an external Consultant, selected by the Steering Committee of the Project, and contracted by COSPE. The baseline assessment will be conducted within a 6-month timeframe, including periodic report meetings to be held by the Consultant together with the Steering Committee of the Project and OECD representatives to receive feedback, according to the following tentative calendar: 

• 1 meeting at the inception phase
• 1 meeting after 3 months
• 1 meeting at the final stage of the baseline assessment elaboration.

Extra meetings will be organised between the Consultant and the Contractor if necessary.

The final version of the baseline assessment will be shared with the Steering Committee of the project, OECD and the EU.

The Consultant will engage a wide array of target groups and stakeholders, by visits, interviews, focus groups and similar tools, as well as getting information from official sources, such as laws, regulations, statistic data, studies, tools available and similar sources.

The Consultant is expected to analyse the Project document, the logical framework and the Theory of Change (ToC) chart, to better tune the contents of the baseline assessments to the Project impacts and outcomes.

The Consultant will be based outside COSPE offices and will use his/her own necessary resources (laptop, telecommunication, etc.).

The baseline assessment will be produced in English.

Travel and mission costs will be included in the total amount contracted by COSPE with the Consultant.

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►Synergies and collaboration

• The Steering Committee of the Project will also contribute to the baseline assessment drafting. Their members will provide information on the several aspects to be taken into account
• The Consultant will be also supported by COSPE Gender Expert (on gender perspective) and by Jengalab (on digital tools)
• The baseline assessment should create synergies with relevant programs already operating in the OPT, with the involvement of the EU Delegation
• The baseline assessment should be coordinated with the EU-OECD project “Women’s Economic Empowerment in the Southern Mediterranean: Enhancing Women Entrepreneur’s Financial Inclusion and Access to Finance in the Digital Age”.

 ►Qualifications and experience

The Consultant must possess expertise in the following areas:

• Bachelor or post-graduate degree in social or economic sciences
• At least 5 years of experience in social research
• Expertise in quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis
• Previous experience and knowledge of the target area
• Experience with work on gender equality in the MENA region
• Adequate technical knowledge on access to finance for women entrepreneurs in the OPT and in the MENA region
• Expertise in participatory methodologies
• Exposure to working for/with international and regional organizations
• Arabic mother tongue
• Proficiency in English, including excellent writing skills
• Computer skills; knowledge of statistical applications is an asset.

Interested candidates should submit a resume (max 5 pages including publications) outlining their qualifications and experience and a technical and financial offer to:  [email protected].

Please include "Name_Baseline InclusiveNisaa OPT " in the subject line of your email. Applications that do not meet these criteria will be automatically excluded.

COSPE is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals, including those with diverse backgrounds and those with disabilities.

Application Deadline: 05/05/2024