Mennonite Economic Development Associates is hiring a
Project Title: EMERTA
Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) invites applications for a Consultant to join our dedicated and talented team on our mission to create business solutions to poverty!
Background
More than 80% of Ethiopians live in rural areas where small-scale agriculture and artisanal mining activities are the dominant industries. Yet, despite the two industries’ importance, the two sectors underperform. MEDA’s EMERTA (Ethiopians Motivating Enterprises to Rise in Trade and Agribusiness) project supports workers, farmers, and businesses in the rice, vegetable, and gemstone sectors. The project focuses on the agriculture (rice and vegetables) and gemstones sectors (such as SMEs and lapidaries) to assist the Ethiopian government’s focus on driving economic growth (as identified in its Growth and Transformation Plan II).
EMERTA is working to strengthen the competitiveness and profitability of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and small-scale producers by:
• Identifying gaps and opportunities in value chains and encouraging market actors to take advantage of these opportunities.
• Using a business development approach that supports clients to overcome common challenges to achieve business success.
• Delivering impact by working with rural extension agents and Farming Training Centers (FTCs), in rural communities. These FTCs promote effective agronomic practices and provide women and men farmers with reliable market information.
• Including a gender and environmental sustainability focus in its work. This focus encourages more women farmers and workers to participate in the labor force and ensures that the work in these sectors is done in an environmentally sustainable manner.
EMERTA also works with local and national governments to foster policies that help small businesses to succeed. The project aims to increase decent employment opportunities and the incomes of women and men in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. The project is also working to improve the business performance of agricultural producers and of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that buy and supply inputs, equipment, and services. Additionally, the project supports participating business service providers, training institutions, and government bodies to achieve impact.
EMERTA’s Ultimate Outcome: Increased sustainable employment and income generation by women and men in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia in rice, vegetable, and gemstone sectors, with a focus on women. This is achieved through three Intermediate Outcomes:
1. Improved business performance of producers, particularly women, to participate competitively in the market.
2. Improved business performance of MSMEs, particularly women-led, for stronger market linkages
3. Improving gender-sensitive business environment for fostering growth of producers and MSMEs
Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI):
EMERTA focused on women’s empowerment (WE) and mainstreamed gender equality (GE) throughout project activities. The project’s Gender Equality Strategy (GES) is informed by various gender-based analysis conducted by the project, such as a study on women’s agency, a gendered time and labour constraint study, as well as regular monitoring of GESI-specific activities. In addition, the GES seeks to align the EMERTA project with Global Affairs Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) with the key gender equality outcomes of (1) enhanced protection and promotion of the human rights of women and girls; (2) increased participation of women and girls in equal decision making, particularly when it comes to sustainable development and peace; and (3) women and girls’ more equitable access to and control over the resources they need to secure ongoing economic and social equality.
Environment and Climate Change (ECC):
EMERTA identified best practices to improve upon poor environmental management practices and identify appropriate approaches for the Amhara Region. These sought to make use of available local resources, be affordable, and be a self-sustaining long-term solution. The project utilized an Environmental Strategy to track all environmental activities and impacts. The strategy was developed in line with GAC’s FIAP and environment and climate change best practices.
MEDA conducts learning and evaluation studies of all significant projects that help in documenting results, discovering lessons learned, and designing future programs. This is a summative evaluation intended to assess the outcomes of the project.
Evaluation and Learning Purpose
The purpose of the final evaluation is to:
• Assess the performance of the project against intended results, identify the unanticipated results and project impact, assess the project’s Theory of Change (ToC) and test the assumptions underlying the ToC; and how the project pivoted when needed
• Identify facilitating and inhibiting factors vis-à-vis project results (in particular, how the security situation in Amhara and COVID-19 impacted the project and the remedial actions or alternative solutions taken)
• Provide recommendations on future designs (including any policy recommendations for MEDA as well as GAC)
The results of this evaluation are intended for use by MEDA and external stakeholders, including the donor, to assess and communicate the project outcomes. Results and findings may also be shared with other key stakeholders such as project clients and industry stakeholders. However, the key utility of this summative study is that the findings will build evidence on the results achieved by the project.
Study Scope and Criteria
The evaluation and learning will consider all the activities, outputs and results produced during the life of the project (March 2016 – March 2024) and will gather data from multiple stakeholders and geographies where project activities are implemented.
The study will apply the following OECD/DAC and MEDA evaluation criteria :
1. OECD/DAC
2. Priorities
The criteria should be applied thoughtfully to support high quality, useful evaluation. They should be contextualized – understood in the context of the individual evaluation, the intervention being evaluated, and the stakeholders involved. The evaluation questions (what you are trying to find out) and what you intend to do with the answers, should inform how the criteria are specifically interpreted and analysed.
Evaluation and Learning Approach and Methodology
The evaluation will make use of Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach that maximizes learning and action as much as possible. However, considering the diverse stakeholders involved, the evaluator can propose innovative and practical approaches to the evaluation. In light of security concerns, the evaluator will utilize remote data gathering activities, such as phone calls, or other proposed solutions. An Evaluation Advisory Committee (EAC) may be formed comprising key project stakeholders to guide the process of evaluation. The evaluation will use multiple lines of evidence, both qualitative and quantitative, to triangulate findings. The study will make use of existing IKM data (e.g. baseline and monitoring data) to develop data gathering instruments.
Data gathering tools and findings must also capture progress and results related to such Cross-cutting themes as gender equality and environmental sustainability. The sampling methodology utilized by the consultant should ensure equitable representation of diverse men, women, young men and young women across the project’s target geography and sectors. Ideally, tools should be co-created and validated with respondents. Considering the security situation where EMERTA operates, the consultant will suggest innovative data gathering methodologies.
Evaluator’s Tasks and Responsibilities
Under the overall guidance of the EAC, the Consultant will prepare a detailed work plan that provides information on the evaluation to be carried with timelines of each activity. At minimum, the work plan should include the following:
• Overview of the project, including GESI strategy and Environmental Management Plan and relevant additional data sources (e.g., special technical studies, case studies, etc.)
• Evaluation methodology, including sampling strategy that is representative of project clients.
• Data gathering tools.
• Data analysis and reporting
• Evaluation schedule/timeline
Evaluation deliverables
The following products will be produced as part of the evaluation.
• Evaluation work plan, including matrix. The evaluation matrix is a framework that includes evaluation criteria, questions, proposed indicators, any existing data and / or targets, data sources, instruments, sampling considerations, and analysis.
• Draft evaluation report, including raw data.
• Final evaluation report
Logistical Arrangements
The project team will be responsible for making logistical arrangements for scheduling interviews with stakeholders. Due to the changing political situation in Ethiopia, and the Amhara region in particular, some travel will be restricted to ensure the safety of all those involved. Therefore, in the case of restricted travel, remote data collection in the form of phone interviews/surveys will be conducted. The Evaluator is encouraged to propose practical and innovative solutions to remote data collection in the case of restricted travel.
Time frame
All activities will be conducted during the following timeframe.
Recruitment Process December 20, 2023-January 5, 2024
Kickoff call with EAC January 15, 2024
Submission of Evaluation and Learning Methodology and Work Plan (sampling, tools, evaluation matrix, etc.) January 25, 2024
Data gathering (secondary and primary) January 25 – February 10, 2024
Preliminary data analysis report meeting with EAC February 20, 2024
Draft report submitted and presented to EAC February 28, 2024
Final report submitted March 5, 2024
Submission of proposals
Interested consultants/researchers are encouraged to send their responses (i.e. proposals) by January 5, 2024 by 4:00 pm ET. Proposals should include daily rates, level of effort required, and any other support required to carry out this assignment. Past similar experience or examples of previous work could be appended to the proposal.