BRAVE Women Nigeria calls for applications for Mobile/Field Officer in Gombe state

Terms of Reference for the Provision of Mobile/Field Officer Services on the BRAVE Women Nigeria Program

Background

Women Entrepreneurship Finance Initiative (We-Fi) is a multi-donor fund consisting of the G20 countries (hereinafter referred to as the “Fund”) currently being administered by the World Bank under the Business Resilience Assistance for Value-Added Enterprises (BRAVE) Women Program (hereinafter referred to as the “Program”) designated Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDBG) as one of the Implementing Partners (IPs) to support in the implementation of projects approved by the Fund. The BRAVE Women Program is a 5-year multi-donor fund implemented in Yemen, Nigeria and Burkina Faso.

On 1st April 2020, the Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDBG) signed the Framework Agreement with the Federal Republic of Nigeria (represented by the Federal Ministry of Finance) regarding the support in the implementation of the BRAVE Women Nigeria Program. In 2019, prior to signing the agreement, IsDBG officially appointed the Bank of Industry (BOI) as the Local Execution Agency (LEA) of the BRAVE Women Nigeria Program, which is to be implemented in Edo, Kano and Gombe States.

BRAVE Women Nigeria Program focuses on developing and increasing the economic opportunities for female entrepreneurs through skills training aimed at business viability (that is, profitability) in targeted country-specific value chains. It will enhance the bankability, entrepreneurial and market development skills of female-owned/led Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) that are critical to sustainable local growth and job creation. Furthermore, it will promote pro-poor growth by targeting the value chain in the market segments and sectors where the majority of the poor earn their living and tackle gender disparities in economic opportunities by targeting women entrepreneurs. The program would also increase access to finance through a matching-grant scheme.

The investments in local PMUs and Information Technology (IT) components will provide the local implementation agencies with additional human, operational and technology capabilities towards that objective.

Specific to Nigeria, the BRAVE Women program shall have the following six components:

Component 1 Business Resilience Capacity Building: Training of at least 600 small and medium-sized businesses on how to assess risks and determine their business priority by preparing a Business Continuity Plan (BCP).

Component 2 Business Recovery Support (BRS): Grant matching scheme for at least 500 small and medium enterprises, in pre-selected value chains, on a cost-sharing basis for the procurement of capital goods, and services to support business recovery/growth.

Component 3 Value Chain Resilience: Work with at least 20-30 lead firms and 10 Business Associations to support them in protecting vital value chains and upgrading the chain performance, impacting on many more MSMEs.

Component 4 IT Platform: An online IT platform will be developed to handle Client Relations Management (CRM), Monitoring/Reporting and knowledge sharing among project stakeholders.

Component 5 Impact Evaluation and Financial Audit: A rigorous impact evaluation will be undertaken through a Randomized Control Trial (RCT) to help assess what works and what does not work for women MSMEs in fragility In accordance with the project’s financial reporting and auditing requirements, at least two sets of financial reports will be prepared and submitted by the PMU and the project’s partner banks to the ICD, the unaudited interim financial reports and the annual financial reports of the project which will be subject to audit.

Component 6 Executing Agency and Project Management Unit (PMU): This Will be established of dedicated full-time professionals and market recruits in each country. The capacity of the PMU will be developed to allow national scaling beyond program boundaries.

The values chains prioritized for support on the Nigeria Program include Agribusiness, Education, Energy, Fashion and Textiles and Healthcare.

Objectives of Assignment

The program beneficiaries include women-owned/led SMEs, Lead Firms and Business Associations. In order to meet the Nigeria program goals, the BRAVE Women Nigeria Program requires the services of one (1) Mobile/Field Officer based in Gombe State to provide wide-ranging support to its promotion, implementation, as well as Monitoring and Evaluation.

Scope of Work

The Mobile/Field Officer would support the implementation of the Program by:

 

• • Promoting the project idea.
  • Conducting site visits to selected firms to provide the Project Officer with required updates from the firms Following up with local banks for the firm’s procurement procedures
  • Visiting the suppliers to ensure some of the required assets (cost, quality) from the firms
  • Supporting data collection under the supervision of the Project Manager and Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Officer
  • Liaising with local stakeholders on the field and facilitating the field implementation of the other related projects.
  • Facilitating training sessions for firms and Business Advisors
  • Monitoring and reporting on the implementation of project field activities by firms to the Project Officer
  • Facilitating and assisting visits by the Project Manager and Project Officer and consultants in their studies, meetings and project activities
  • Regularly communicating with the Project Officer to identify project support needs, monitor project field activities and report project progress

 

 

Deliverables 

• Participation in marketing and promotion of the project.
• Verification of information during baseline and other monitoring, evaluation accountability and learning activities of the project.
• Reports of activities on the project.

 

 

Reporting Requirements

The Mobile/Field Officer will work closely with the Project Officer in Gombe state.

He/She is expected to establish close, cooperative and open working relationships with the BRAVE Nigeria Project Manager, members of the BRAVE Project Management Unit and with the Teams of the BOI Office in Gombe State. In addition, He/She will be required to provide frequent updates to the BRAVE Project Manager and will make himself/herself available for relevant meetings and conference calls.

 

Qualifications and Experience

• WAEC/SSCE with at least three years of experience in project management, business administration, administration, economics with NGOs, bilateral or multilateral developmental agencies. HND/Bachelor’s degree is preferred
• Ability to work collaboratively with multi-disciplinary teams and stakeholder groups
• Adept skills in project cycle management
• Ability to learn new concepts and methods of work
• Ability to focus on impact and results
• Ability to work under pressure
• Ability to communicate in English (written and oral)
• Computer Skills and knowledge, in particular, Microsoft Office Package – Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook
• Must be a Nigerian national

 

Duration of Assignment and Payment Schedule

The position is on a casual basis, for the entire duration of the program. Payments will be made upon the submission of payment requests for agreed amounts subject to the completion of tasks and core reporting responsibilities as agreed.

 

Facilities to be provided by the Client

• Smart Devices for data
• Past and existing relevant documents and material that will facilitate the performance of the assignment.

 

Copyright

All raw and finished materials would be owned and copyrighted, permission to use materials by the consultant for other projects shall require written permission of the employer and the Consultant shall maintain in strict confidence all information received from the employer concerning imports, financial records and nature of the business.

 

Selection Method

The Consultant shall be selected using the National Experts selection method set out in the Procurement Framework for the BRAVE Women Nigeria Programme and in line with the Islamic Development Bank’s procurement guidelines.

 

Mode of Application

Hard copies and electronic copies of all applications should be sent to the following to address below and should include the following:

• Cover Letter (no longer than one page)
• Curriculum vitae/Résumé
• If possible, reference letters from previous assignments

The deadline for submission is two (2) weeks from the date of the initial publication, that is, Wednesday, 17 November 2021.

 

Project Manager

BRAVE Women Nigeria Program Bank of Industry, BOI House, Central Business District Abuja.

Email: oagbiti-douglas@boi.ng  Phone Number- 01-2715070-1 (ext 1082)