World Education Inc. / Bantwana (WEI/B) is an international non-governmental organization with a proven track record of designing and implementing successful interventions for orphans, vulnerable children (OVC) and youth in Zimbabwe.
WEI/B is implementing the “Siyakha Girls” pilot for the USAID-funded Accelerating Strategies for Practical Innovation & Research in Economic Strengthening (ASPIRES) project. Building on a comprehensive job demand market analysis tailored to the situation of Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) in Zimbabwe, detailed in the Zimbabwe Employment Market Opportunity Analysis (ZEMOA) 2018 report, the project seeks to place adolescent girls and young women in jobs, self-employment or group business. Siyakha Girls seeks to create the evidence of the promise that integrated employability programs provide sustainable livelihood options for AGYW in Bulawayo. Equipping AGYW with foundational and vocational skills to support their participation in high economic growth sectors with linkages to appropriate mentorship, the 7 month project will be implemented in Bulawayo.
The project, therefore, seeks the services of a highly motivated and qualified individual to fill the following position:
Micro-Value Chain Economic Consultant
WEI/B is seeking to recruit a senior, strategic and dynamic consultant to lead a value chain mapping and mentorship capabilities assessment exercise in Bulawayo. Focusing on the leatherwork, textile and auto-mechanics industries of Bulawayo, the Consultant will work within formal and informal enterprises collaborating with the National Employment Councils (NECs) for the aforementioned industries and the Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Association.
Specific responsibilities will include
Mapping of the leather, textile and auto-mechanics industry micro-value chains; Identifying areas, within each industry, where AGYW can participate meaningfully in either full time employment, self or group business; Developing a checklist for the identification and selection of host companies within each sector for AGYW mentorship; Provide inputs for revision of vocational skills training curricula in each industry; Developing sector specific value propositions that promote companies’ uptake of and commitment to mentorship of AGYW. Key capabilities of mentorship should include the host companies’ ability to house the girls, support their interest area and enhance their skills. In addition the host company will be supported with links to business development.
Qualifications, Experience and Competencies Required
A Master’s degree related to Economics, Statistics, Agriculture, Development studies, international development, or other (desirable); Minimum 8 years of experience working in value chains, livelihoods, urban resilience building, micro-enterprise development and evaluation of donor funded projects (Experience working on USAID-funded projects is highly desirable); Demonstrated ability to interact and communicate with wide range of stakeholders (including government, private sector, formal and informal businesses, technical schools, etc); Proven experience in research into livelihoods, resilience building, economic strengthening for sub-populations within urban settings; Experience in economic growth analysis and business development models and quality deliverables within deadline; Strong interpersonal skills.
This consultancy is for a period of 14 days.
