Request for Proposals: Terms Of Reference (TOR) Consultancy for Endline Evaluation of the Kakuma Kalobeyei Challenge Fund (KKCF) Project on Gender Mainstreaming and Gender and Gender Based Violence (GBV) Response

1.0 The Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF)

The AECF, LLC (Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund) is a leading non-profit development organization that supports innovative enterprises in the agribusiness and renewable energy sectors with the aim of reducing rural poverty, promoting climate resilient communities, and creating jobs.

We catalyze the private sector by surfacing and commercializing new ideas, business models and technologies designed to increase agricultural productivity, improve farmer incomes, expand clean energy access, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve resilience to the effects of climate change. We finance high risk businesses that struggle to access commercial funding; we are committed to working in frontier markets, fragile contexts, and high-risk economies where few mainstream financing institutions dare to go.

To date, we have supported over 510 businesses in 26 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, impacted more than 33million lives and created over 35,000 direct jobs.

AECF is headquartered in Kenya and has offices in Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania, Nigeria, South Sudan, Benin, and Somalia.

2.0 Kakuma Kalobeyei Challenge Fund (KKCF)

The Kakuma Kalobeyei Challenge Fund (KKCF) is a five-year initiative implemented by AECF in partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Turkana County Government and the UNCHR. As a refugee and host community-focused initiative, KKCF seeks to enable private investment to unlock the economic potential of refugees and their hosts in Kenya’s Turkana County. The program applies to a competitive financing mechanism for micro, small, and medium enterprises across various value chains, including poultry, hydroponics, reusable sanitary towel production, beekeeping, financial services, cook stove production, waste management, vegetable farming, flour milling, renewable energy, general retail, education, and microfinancing. Currently, it supports 120 enterprises, at least 30% of which are women-owned. This has fostered the creation of jobs, improved service delivery, and expanded market opportunities to both refugees and the host communities.

At the program’s inception, IFC contracted Market Share Associates to conduct a gender assessment to inform the design and implementation of KKCF and identify potential risks. The assessment focused on key constraints, challenges, and opportunities affecting women’s access to employment and entrepreneurship. It provided recommendations on integrating gender considerations into the program’s design and implementation, including due diligence, risk identification, and addressing unintended gender-related effects. The study identified Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) as a major barrier to economic development. A 2021 study by Peter Ngala, a master’s student at the University of Nairobi, further highlighted this issue, revealing SGBV prevalence rates of 79.9% in Kakuma and 58.3% in Kalobeyei.

KKCF has prioritized gender mainstreaming and addressing gender-based violence (GBV) to ensure equitable benefits for women and vulnerable groups both within the business and at the host community. This has been achieved through several initiatives, including the development of gender mainstreaming toolkits, SGBV policies, and SGBV codes of conduct. Furthermore, annual capacity-building sessions on SGB have been conducted with investees. The program also participates in the GBV technical working group to collaborate with other partners in addressing GBV within both camps and host communities. By promoting inclusive economic opportunities, the program aims to tackle systemic gender inequalities within refugees setting and enhance safety and protection within business ecosystems.

3.0 Objective of the Assignment

As KKCF nears the conclusion of its five-year implementation period, AECF is seeking a qualified consulting firm or individual consultant to support in carrying out a Gender Mainstreaming, Gender and GBV Endline Evaluation to assess these interventions overall effectiveness, relevance, and sustainability. The evaluation will focus specifically on gender-responsive programming and GBV prevention and response strategies, analyzing their impact on refugee and host communities. The consultancy aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of program outcomes, document lessons learned and generate actionable recommendations for AECF and its partners to inform future programming. This includes: –

3.1 Evaluate Project Outcomes:

  • Assess the extent to which KKCF met its gender and GBV-related objectives over the five years.
  • Measure improvements in gender equality, women’s economic participation, and the safety of vulnerable groups in the target regions.

3.2 Analyze Program Impact:

  • Examine the socioeconomic impact of KKCF’s interventions on refugee and host communities, particularly for women, girls, and other vulnerable groups.
  • Review changes in private sector practices regarding gender inclusion and GBV prevention.

3.3 Assess Sustainability and Scalability:

  • Evaluate the sustainability of KKCF’s gender and GBV interventions and their scalability in similar contexts.
  • Assess the program’s contribution to long-term gender equality and socioeconomic resilience in Turkana County

3.4 Review of Implementation Approaches:

  • Analyze the effectiveness of gender mainstreaming and GBV prevention strategies implemented by KKCF, including partnerships with private sector actors, SMEs, and community stakeholders.

3.5 Identify Lessons Learned and Best Practices:

  • Document key successes, challenges, and innovations from the five-year implementation period.
  • Highlight best practices for addressing GBV and promoting gender equality in private sector programming.

3.6 Develop Recommendations:

  • Provide evidence-based recommendations to enhance future gender-responsive programming for AECF and its partners.

 

4.0          Scope of Work

The consultant(s) will be required to:

4.1 Inception Phase:

  • Conduct a desk review of program documents, reports, and relevant literature.
  • Engage with AECF and KKCF teams to refine the evaluation framework and methodology.
  • Develop an inception report detailing the evaluation design, work plan, and data collection tools.

  4.2 Field Data Collection:

  • Conduct qualitative and quantitative data collection through:
    1. Key informant interviews (KIIs) with AECF staff, KKCF partners, private sector actors, and community leaders.
    2. Focus group discussions (FGDs) with beneficiaries, including women, girls, and vulnerable groups.
  • Surveys targeting KKCF-supported businesses, local entrepreneurs, and community members.
  • Ensuring data collection is gender-sensitive and inclusive, capturing diverse perspectives.

4.3 Data Analysis and Reporting:

  • Analyze data to assess project outcomes, impacts, and lessons learned.
  • Develop a comprehensive evaluation report, including recommendations for future programming.

4.4 Stakeholder Engagement:

  • Present preliminary findings to AECF, KKCF stakeholders, and partners for feedback.
  • Finalize the evaluation report based on stakeholder input.

5.0      Deliverables

Deliverable No of days Indicator
1.       Inception meeting 2 Detailed evaluation methodology, work plan, and data collection tools.
2.       Desktop review of the current project tools, Gender reports, Investee profiles, quantitative and qualitative datasets 5 Survey questionnaires, interview guides, and FGD protocols developed.
3.       Data Collection 10 Analyzed Data field reports
4.       Draft Endline Evaluation Report 5 Summary of findings, lessons learned, and actionable recommendations
5.       Presentation of Findings 3 PowerPoint presentation of key findings and recommendations to AECF and stakeholders
6.       Final Evaluation Report 5 Comprehensive report incorporating stakeholder feedback.

 

6.0 Duration of Service

The consultancy will span 30 working days and involve fieldwork in Kakuma and Kalobeyei regions, Turkana County.

7.0.  Eligible Experience

The consultant(s)/Firm must demonstrate the following qualifications: –

  1. Advanced degree in social sciences, gender studies, development studies, or a related field.
  2. At least 8 years of experience conducting evaluations, with expertise in gender and GBV-focused programming.
  3. Strong understanding of private sector engagement and economic development in refugee-hosting contexts.
  4. Proven ability to collect and analyze gender-sensitive data using qualitative and quantitative methods.
  5. Excellent writing and presentation skills, with experience producing high-quality evaluation reports.
  6. Familiarity with the socio-economic dynamics of Turkana County and similar regions is an added advantage.

8.0 Evaluation Criteria

MANADATORY EVALUATION CRITERIA.

  1. Mandatory Requirements for firms: –
  1. Company profile.
  2. Trading license or Certificate of incorporation or Certificate of Registration and other statutory documents.
  3. Valid Tax Compliance certificate (Applicable to firms).
  4. Passport/National Identification of the lead consultant and key personnel (Applicable to independent consultants)

N/B: FAILURE TO ATTACH AND ADHERE TO THE ABOVE REQUIREMENTS WILL RESULT IN AUTOMATIC DISQUALIFICATION

The AECF will form an evaluation committee that includes employees. All members will be bound by the same standards of confidentiality. The trainer/training provider should ensure they fully respond to all criteria to be comprehensively evaluated.

The AECF may request and receive clarification from any consultant when evaluating a proposal. The evaluation committee may invite some or all the consultants to appear before it to clarify their proposals. In such an event, the committee may consider such clarifications in evaluating proposals.

In deciding the final selection of a qualified bidder, the technical quality of the proposal will be given a weighting of 70% based on the evaluation criteria. Only the financial proposal of those bidders who qualify technically will be opened. The financial proposal will be allocated a weighting of 30% and the proposals will be ranked in terms of total points scored.

The mandatory and desirable criteria against which proposals will be evaluated are identified in the table below

 

Key Areas for Evaluation/ Assessment Weighted Award 
(A)  TECHNIAL PROPOSAL  70
i) An understanding of the consultancy requirements;  
·       Demonstrate an understanding of the Assignment 5
·       An in-depth knowledge of Gender equality metrices and GBV programming

·       Knowledge and experience in gender related studies

10
ii) Methodology and workplan that will deliver the best value on the Assignment:  
·       Demonstrate the strategy and capacity to deliver each of the task(s) within a realistic timeline, underpinned by value for money. 25
·       Strategy that demonstrates capability to deliver a large part of this Assignment in onsite meetings

·       Demonstrate capacity and availability for physical community engagements

5
iv) Relevant services undertaken by the bidder in past engagements:   
·       Demonstrate relevant experience and recent engagements with private sector companies in Gender lens Investing. Experience in supporting MSMES (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise) in addressing gender barriers  

 

15

 

v) Detailed reference list indicating the scope and magnitude of similar assignments:  
·       At least 3 signed Letters of reference from past customers, where you have implemented related assignments 10
(B)  FINANCIAL PROPOSAL   
 

·       Financial proposal guided by the proposed methodology or your cost structure, for example a daily fee in USD (inclusive of any applicable tax). Separate the professional fee and logistical costs including travel, accommodation, communications and meals)

30
Total score 100

 

 

9.0 Proposal submission

Qualified consulting firms and /or individual consultants are invited to submit a proposal including the following requirements:

While submitting the proposal, the applicant shall ensure to attach the following:

  • A profile of the consultant (max. 3 pages) explaining why they are the most suitable for the work.
  • Relevant Experience (max 2 pages).
  • Recent consultants’ CV (s).
  • A proposed work plan and including timelines.
  • Previous experience in similar assignments on Gender and GBV in the private sector or humanitarian sector. Detailed reference list and signed letters indicating the scope and magnitude of similar assignments.
  • Samples of Previous Work, including similar evaluation reports.
  • Registration and other relevant statutory documents required.
  • Budget breakdown of the financial proposal in KES showing clearly the budgeted cost for the work to be conducted (to be submitted in a separate document from the technical proposal).
  • Technical and Financials must be submitted separately.
  • The preferred format for the submission is PowerPoint or PDF.

N/B: SUBMITTING THE FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL DOCUMENT AS ONE DOCUMENT WILL AUTOMATICALLY LEAD TO DISQUALIFICATION OF THE APPLICANT.

10.0. Pricing

The AECF is obliged by the Kenyan tax authorities to withhold taxes on service contract fees as well as ensure that VAT, is charged where applicable. Applicants are advised to ensure that they have a clear understanding of their tax position with regards to provisions of Kenya tax legislation when developing their proposals.

11.0 Application Details

The AECF is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The AECF considers all interested candidates based on merit without regard to race, gender, colour, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

  • Interested consultancies are requested to submit their technical and financial proposal to aecfprocurement@aecfafrica.org by 22nd April 2025, 5pm (EAT).
  • All questions should be directed to the procurement email by 14th April 2025, 5pm (EAT).
  • The subject of the email should be ‘’Consultancy for Endline Evaluation of the Kakuma Kalobeyei Challenge Fund (KKCF) Project on Gender and Gender Based Violence (GBV)”. The AECF shall not be liable for not opening proposals that are submitted with a different subject or responding to questions that did not meet the deadline as indicated.

 

12.0 Disclaimer

AECF reserves the right to determine the structure of the process, number of short-listed participants, the right to withdraw from the proposal process, the right to change this timetable at any time without notice and reserves the right to withdraw this tender at any time, without prior notice and without liability to compensate and/or reimburse any party.

The AECF does not charge an application fee for participation in the tendering process and has not appointed any agents or intermediaries to facilitate applications. Applicants are advised to reach out directly to the AECF Procurement Department.

 

About AECF

About us

The AECF (Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund) is a development institution that finances early and growth-stage businesses to innovate, create jobs, and leverage investments and markets to create resilience and sustainable incomes in rural and marginalized communities in Africa.

Since 2008, we have invested over US$ 300 million in over 510 businesses across sub-Sahara Africa focusing on Agribusiness, Renewable Energy, and Climate-smart Technologies. We have impacted more than 33 million lives, created over 35,000 jobs, and leveraged over US$ 838 million in matching funds to our portfolio companies.

AECF is headquartered in Kenya, with offices in Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania, Nigeria, South Sudan, Benin, and Somalia.