M&E Framework for WEF

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

Title: Consulting Services to develop a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework for the Women Enterprise Fund (WEF) of the Ministry of Gender Children and Social Welfare

Country: The Gambia

Projects: Sub-Saharan Africa Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend Project Plus (P176693)

Reference: GM-SWEDD-GM-478811-CS-CQS

Grant No: E2410

Introduction

As part of the World Bank-funded Sub-Saharan Africa Women Empowerment and Demographic Dividend Project Plus (SWEDD+), the Ministry of Health Projects Coordination Unit (PCU) is hiring a consultant to develop a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework for the Women Enterprise Fund (WEF) of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare. The PCU invites eligible consultants (firms) to indicate their interest. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the services. The shortlisting criteria are qualifications and experience of the Consultant.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 World Bank’s Procurement Regulations dated July 2017, revised in November 2017, August 2018, November 2020 and September 2023, and is open to all eligible bidders as defined in the guidelines (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. In addition, please refer to the following specific information on conflict of interest related to this assignment: the Bank requires that individuals involved in Bank IPF procurement shall not have a conflict of interest.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours from Monday to Thursday 8am to 4pm. The terms of reference are also attached to this request.

Projects Coordination Unit

Attn: Fatou Sagarr Jagne

Kairaba Avenue

Opposite GIEPA House, The Gambia

Tel: +220 7962011

E-mail: [email protected]

Copy: [email protected]

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Title: Consulting Services to develop a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework for the Women Enterprise Fund (WEF) of the Ministry of Gender Children and Social Welfare

Country: The Gambia

Projects: Sub-Saharan Africa Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend Project Plus (P176693)

Reference: GM-SWEDD-GM-478811-CS-CQS

Grant No: E2410

• Background information

The Women Enterprise Fund (WEF) is a government-backed initiative established by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare (MoGCSW) to promote women’s economic empowerment and strengthen their participation in national development. It is part of the government’s strategy to reduce poverty, promote gender equality, and enhance women’s access to finance. The Fund provides revolving loans and capacity development support to women’s groups (kafos), associations, and cooperatives, particularly at the grassroots level hence women economic empowerment. Global evidence suggests that women’s economic empowerment and female entrepreneurship are drivers of economic growth and job creation. However, the Gambian economy is characterized by the informal sector with women playing a pivotal role: 90 percent of the micro enterprises are informal with 80 percent of these comprising of women, involved in distributive trade, gardening, handicrafts, and artisanal trade. Women entrepreneurs are predominantly active in rural areas, often in lower paid sectors, and responsible for unpaid care work. Women’s overrepresentation in low-paid informal sectors is compounded by systemic social and economic constraints that do not support the economic empowerment of girls and women, especially those with lack of/low capacity or skill. These societal factors create a myth about women’s lack of entrepreneurial skills and business acumen. A World Bank 2019 report on Policies for Private Sector-Led Growth identified the absence of gender-specific training content for firms as one constraint to promoting female entrepreneurship in The Gambia. Women’s economic empowerment in The Gambia is challenged by their limited access to market information, finance, education, and legal and policy frameworks. Although in principle, women have the same economic rights as men, women have limited access to credit in practice. This limited access is driven by high-interest rates, collateral requirements, co-payments or matching funds that most women, especially women in rural Gambia, cannot satisfy. Due to socio-cultural norms, women rarely own land and other economic resources, nor are they the sole or primary decision-makers over the use of assets to be leveraged in wealth generation.

To address these challenges, the Government of the Gambia joined SWEDD+, a multisectoral five-year initiative funded by the World Bank. The project aims to increase girls’ and young women’s access to learning, economic opportunities, and health services and strengthen the region-wide institutional environment for gender equality. The activities of the project closely align with the National Development Plan (Yiriwa 2023 – 2027), the Women’s Act (2010), The Children’s Act (2005) and other sectoral polices of the basic and secondary education, and health.

In light of the above, the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Welfare (MoGCSW) is seeking to identify a consultant or consortium that will develop an M&E framework for the Women Enterprise Fund (WEF). The WEF since it establishment did not have an M&E framework as a result of adequate funding to support manual development process.

• Overarching Objective

The overall objective of the assignment is to design a comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for WEF that will enable the systematic tracking of activities, outputs, outcomes, and impacts, in alignment with the Fund’s strategic goals and national development priorities.

• Specific Objectives:

• Develop systematic tools for tracking activity implementation, outputs, and outcomes; including data collection instruments and reporting templates that are tailored to the WEF.

• Provide a systematic way to track progress and identify challenges during project implementation.

• Prepare a costed implementation plan for the M&E framework.

• Provide training to relevant staff on the use and maintenance of the M&E system.

• Scope of Work:

The Consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Conducting a desk review of relevant WEF documents, including the Strategic Plan, the WEF diagnosis report, Annual Work Plans, reports, and policy documents.

• Assessing current M&E systems, tools and data systems.

• Consulting key stakeholders including WEF staff and board, Ministry of Gender, implementing partners, development partners and beneficiaries to identify performance indicators and information needs.

• Designing a results-based M&E framework including a logical framework, inputs, outputs, outcomes, impact, performance indicators, baselines, targets, data collection tools.

• Developing data quality assurance mechanisms and reporting tools.

• Proposing a functional M&E system structure including institutional roles, reporting flows, and frequency.

• Validating and finalizing the framework by incorporating inputs from stakeholders.

• Deliverables

Each deliverable shall be submitted in one (1) hard copy and a soft copy. The key deliverables and their indicative durations are:

A comprehensive inception report detailing the consultant's understanding of the assignment, methodology, a desk review report identifying the gaps and opportunities in the existing M&E programs such as the WEF Strategic Plan, WEF Diagnosis Report, WEF Operations manual, etc.

• Draft M&E Framework accompanying the Logical framework/results matrix, Key performance indicators (KPIs), Data collection and management tools, Institutional roles and responsibilities, Reporting templates and reporting timeline

• A comprehensive M&E tools package that includes data collection templates, indicator tracking tools, and data management protocols.

• A capacity building plan

• Validation Workshop with Key Stakeholders

• Final M&E Framework document which incorporates the stakeholder’s feedback from the validation workshop including a detailed budget and timeline for operationalizing the M&E framework.

• Duration of the assignment.

The contract is for 16 Days.