Group Savings and Loans, Business Planning and Income-Generating Activity Support Consultancy under the GROW Project, West Pokot County

## **The full Request for Proposals (RFP) document is available at the following link:** [**https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1uov69XvQzz7njxqHmtIdwTmaIZF2ekdB**](https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1uov69XvQzz7njxqHmtIdwTmaIZF2ekdB)

## **The Organisation**

CEFA (the European Committee for Training and Agriculture) is an Italian non-governmental organisation established in 1972 and active in 10 countries in Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe. CEFA’s medium- and long-term interventions in the agricultural, environmental and human rights sectors are focused on the sustainable development of communities, achieved by involving local counterparts and by promoting the active participation of the beneficiaries.

## **Project Summary**

The GROW project – Gender-Responsive Opportunities for Water Access, Livelihood Recovery and Climate Resilience for Vulnerable Communities in West Pokot County (AID 012999/01/2) – is an 18-month initiative funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and implemented by CEFA, with PERUR – Rays of Hope as local partner, in West Pokot County, in the wards of Kodich, Kapchok and Kiwawa.

The project responds to humanitarian needs and promotes the resilience of vulnerable communities affected by recurrent climate shocks in arid and semi-arid areas, with particular attention to women, girls, children and persons with disabilities. Its integrated approach combines water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), agriculture and food security, livelihoods, gender equality, natural-resource management and disaster risk reduction.

In particular, to contribute to women’s economic empowerment and livelihood diversification, the project will:

- establish or strengthen nine women’s groups, comprising 20 members each and 180 women in total, across Kodich, Kapchok and Kiwawa Wards;
- deliver a five-day Training of Trainers course covering financial literacy, household financial management, Group Savings and Loans methodology and business planning for 27 representatives of the women’s groups;
- support the delivery of two-day cascade-training sessions to the nine groups, reaching all 180 women;
- support the groups in developing, reviewing and finalising viable business plans and income-generating activity proposals;
- provide eligible groups with start-up grants following CEFA’s approval of their business plans and grant-readiness documentation;
- provide technical assistance, on-the-job coaching and monitoring during the establishment and initial operation of the supported income-generating activities.

## **Tasks and Responsibilities of the Consultant**

Under the supervision of the Project Manager and in coordination with the Field Coordinator, the CEFA Gender/IGA Field Officer, the monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) function and other relevant project staff, the consultant will provide specialised support for the implementation and monitoring of Activity A.2.3. The assignment shall cover group assessment, development and delivery of training, review of business plans, preparation of grant-readiness recommendations, post-training and post-disbursement coaching, monitoring of Group Savings and Loans operations and evaluation of supported income-generating activities.

The consultant will coordinate closely with CEFA staff, the relevant West Pokot County technical departments and community structures in the target wards.

The consultant shall comply with AICS requirements and CEFA internal policies and procedures, including safeguarding, prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment, data protection, accountability to affected populations, safety and security, and conflict-sensitive implementation.

**Inception, Group Assessment and Planning**

The consultant shall:

- assess the organisational, financial and business capacity of each of the nine women’s groups;
- support confirmation of group membership and selection of three Training of Trainers representatives per group;
- establish an initial group and IGA baseline;
- prepare an inception report, detailed workplan, group-support schedule and monitoring framework.

**Development and Delivery of Training**

The consultant shall:

- prepare or adapt practical, gender-responsive and low-literacy-friendly training materials on financial literacy, GSL management, record keeping, group governance, business planning and basic business management;
- deliver a five-day Training of Trainers course to 27 representatives;
- assess participants’ learning through appropriate pre- and post-training tools;
- support and, where necessary, co-facilitate the two-day cascade training for each of the nine groups; and
- ensure that training promotes women’s meaningful participation and addresses possible household or community tensions.

**Business-Plan Review and Grant Readiness**

For each of the nine groups, the consultant shall:

- assess the proposed IGA’s market, organisational, technical and financial feasibility;
- review projected costs, revenues, cash flow, risks and required permits or approvals;
- verify that the proposed expenditure is realistic, eligible and consistent with the available grant;
- support finalisation of the business plan, budget, implementation schedule and performance milestones;
- assess the group’s governance, financial controls and grant-management capacity; and
- submit a documented recommendation on readiness for financing.

The consultant’s recommendation shall be advisory. Final approval of business plans and grant disbursements shall remain the exclusive responsibility of CEFA.

**Follow-Up and Technical Assistance to Supported IGAs**

Following disbursement of the first grant instalment, the consultant shall provide structured coaching and monitoring to each group throughout the four-month period preceding assessment for the second instalment. The consultant shall:

- verify use of grant resources against the approved business plan, budget and grant agreement;
- review financial, procurement, stock and sales records;
- coach groups on business management, pricing, marketing, record keeping and working-capital management;
- monitor GSL and IGA performance and progress against agreed milestones;
- identify challenges and agree corrective actions with clear deadlines;
- facilitate relevant market and institutional linkages; and
- document progress, lessons learned and issues requiring referral to CEFA.

At the end of the four-month period, the consultant shall assess each group’s use of the first instalment, business progress, GSL performance, governance and readiness for the second instalment, and submit a technical recommendation to CEFA.

**Monitoring and Evaluation of GSL Groups and IGAs**

The consultant shall develop and apply practical monitoring tools covering:

- GSL membership, attendance, savings, loans, repayments, arrears, social-fund management, records and group governance;
- IGA establishment, use of grant resources, sales, costs, cash flow, profitability, stock and assets, market access, achievement of business-plan milestones and sustainability; and
- corrective actions, outstanding risks and member participation.

The consultant shall use CEFA-approved attendance, monitoring and reporting templates and provide timely information to CEFA’s MEAL function, disaggregated where applicable by group, ward, age and disability, and contribute to measuring the percentage of trained women who initiate an IGA.

**Coordination and Synergies**

The consultant shall:

- coordinate regularly with the Project Manager, Field Coordinator, Gender/IGA Field Officer, MEAL staff and CEFA administrative personnel;
- liaise with relevant West Pokot County departments, including officers responsible for gender, cooperatives, trade, enterprise development, agriculture and livestock, depending on the selected IGAs;
- identify suitable market actors, suppliers, buyers, financial institutions and business-development services;
- promote practical synergies that add demonstrable value and do not create conflicts of interest; and
- participate in coordination, review and validation meetings requested by CEFA.

## **Duration and Timeline of the Consultancy**

The consultancy will commence upon contract signature and will be implemented on a part-time, deliverable-based basis during the GROW project period, ending no later than 30 September 2027. The maximum level of effort is 90 working days. The consultancy shall cover the full implementation cycle from the initial group assessment and training through to the completion of the four-month period between the first grant instalment and the assessment for the second instalment. The exact dates of the four-month monitoring period will depend on the actual date on which the first instalment is disbursed to each group. Where first-instalment disbursement dates differ among groups, the consultant shall adapt the workplan accordingly and maintain a separate monitoring schedule for each group.

The consultancy days shall be distributed on a non-consecutive basis throughout the assignment. The workplan shall provide for regular and meaningful contact with each group during the four-month monitoring period, rather than concentrating all consultancy days at the beginning or end of the assignment.

## **Minimum Requirements**

This procurement procedure is open exclusively to individual consultants. To be eligible for evaluation, the applicant must meet and provide evidence of all the following minimum requirements:

1. Hold at least a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Economics, Finance, Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Agribusiness, Cooperative Management, Development Studies or another field directly relevant to the assignment;
2. Hold a valid Tax Compliance Certificate at the application deadline;
3. Be legally authorised to undertake paid consultancy services in Kenya for the entire duration of the assignment;
4. Be available to personally perform the assignment, including regular field visits to Kodich, Kapchok and Kiwawa Wards in West Pokot County, in accordance with the approved workplan and implementation schedule; and
5. Have the professional and technical capacity required to carry out the tasks and deliverables described in these Terms of Reference.