National Consultant to Conduct a Sustainability and impact assessment of the Digital Inclusion for Women’s Economic Empowerment (D4WEE) Project in Lofa, Bong, and Nimba Counties

Background

UN Women is the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. The entity was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide. As a UN agency, it supports UN Member States as they set global standards for achieving gender equality and works with governments and civil society to design laws, policies, programmes, and services needed to ensure that the standards are effectively implemented and truly benefit women and girls worldwide. It works globally to make the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals a reality for women and girls and stands behind women’s equal participation in all aspects of life, focusing on four strategic priorities:

• Women lead, participate in, and benefit equally from governance systems.
• Women have income security, decent work, and economic autonomy.
• All women and girls live a life free from all forms of violence.
• Women and girls contribute to and have greater influence in building sustainable peace and resilience and benefit equally from the prevention of natural disasters and conflicts and humanitarian action.

UN Women also coordinates and promotes the UN system’s work in advancing gender equality, and in all deliberations and agreements linked to the 2030 Agenda. The entity works to position gender equality as fundamental to the Sustainable Development Goals, and a more inclusive world.
UN Women’s Strategic Plan for 2022-2025 focuses on four thematic outcomes: Governance and participation in public life; Women’s economic empowerment; Ending violence against women and girls; and Women, peace and security, humanitarian action, and disaster risk reduction. As part of its work for women’s economic empowerment, UN Women is mandated to ensure that all women have income security, decent work, and economic autonomy (Outcome 3 of UN Women’s Strategic Plan). To achieve this goal and to also acknowledge that women’s economic empowerment also depends on championing women’s increased participation and leadership in the green economy and climate-resilient agriculture, UN Women is investing in private sector partnerships to ensure digital inclusion in the implementation of its Signature Flagship Programme Initiative on Women’s Empowerment through Climate-Smart Agriculture.

1.2 - Country-focused Situational Analysis: Rural women’s access to markets, financial services, energy infrastructure, and learning opportunities

Access to markets and learning opportunities

Women make about half of the population and the labor force in Liberia, where they work mostly in agriculture, forestry, fishing, and wholesale and retail commerce. Around 30% of Liberian enterprises, according to the National Establishment Census of 2017, are owned by women. However, women in Liberia still have difficulty getting access to adequate employment, financial support, and education. Rural Liberian women face numerous challenges in accessing markets and learning opportunities, which significantly hinder their socioeconomic development. Their capacity to sell products and services is constrained by limited market access, and their ability to grow personally and professionally is constrained by a lack of learning opportunities.

National census indicates that approximately 62% of the Liberian population resides in rural areas, where infrastructure and transportation networks are often inadequate, making it difficult for women to reach local markets. According to the World Bank, only 17% of rural roads in Liberia are in good condition, further hampering the transportation of goods to marketplaces. 70% of Liberian rural women lack access to market information, such as pricing, demand patterns, and market prospects, according to a study carried out by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Due to their inability to make sound judgments regarding their production, pricing, and marketing tactics, rural women in Liberia are unable to maximize their prospective revenues. They are also frequently prevented from participating in market activities including property ownership, loan access, and cooperative membership due to traditional gender norms and discriminatory practices embedded in the country’s cultural fabric. As per the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services, only 18% of rural women own land, significantly limiting their economic opportunities and market access.
On the other hand, the literacy rate among rural women in Liberia stands at approximately 34%, compared to 65% among their male counterparts, as reported by UNICEF. This educational disparity limits their ability to access higher-skilled jobs and engage in entrepreneurship, perpetuating the cycle of poverty. The lack of vocational training programs in rural areas further exacerbates the challenges faced by rural women in gaining new skills and knowledge. The Liberian Ministry of Education reports that only 22% of rural women have taken any kind of vocational training. Opportunities for learning are significantly impaired by the digital divide in rural Liberia. Access to technology, internet connectivity, and digital literacy skills are limited, hindering women's access to online educational resources and training programs.

Under these circumstances, as part of its “Women’s Empowerment through Climate Smart Agriculture” Flagship Programme Initiative, UN Women has been leading the design and development of digital and mobile platforms that are tailored to the needs of rural women, allowing them to more easily accessible digital and mobile technologies, as well as market opportunities, through e-commerce, information, and education opportunities, through e-learning, financial services, but also to allow them to control their assets, their business, and their productive resources.

Access to financial and disaster risk transfer mechanisms
Enhancing women’s resilience against crises and shocks to cope with the disasters risks and shocks remains a critical need to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment. Climate change and natural disasters, such as prolonged drought, floods, and tropical storms, can represent enormous shocks for rural women smallholders and their households, as they have the potential to dramatically cut off their income streams, making it harder to buy agricultural inputs, pay for labor, repay their loans, or obtain new ones; therefore, to readily bounce back following a crisis.

Agriculture and disaster microinsurance products are currently unavailable to farmers in Liberia. However, some products are available to protect women and men against other types of shock, such as healthcare and life insurance. However, no specific insurance or risk transfer service against climate-related risks and shocks exists. Several innovative products, services, and business models can be considered for financing or transferring the risk related to climate-related shocks. These can include but are not limited to traditional risk transfer solutions, such as insurance and microinsurance, or alternative risk transfer or financing mechanisms, such as self-insurance through savings, reserves, and other forms of capital set aside individually or collectively by individuals and companies/associations to be used when losses occur. However, several evaluations have shown that such risk transfer mechanisms have often failed to address the needs of the most vulnerable segments, including rural women. Among the reasons are products that are inadequate concerning the needs, constraints, and literacy level of the intended beneficiaries, poor understanding of and demand for such products, inappropriate delivery channels, and high operational costs. A user-centered design of these products, based on a thorough assessment and understanding of the needs of those in the most vulnerable circumstances, particularly rural women, is, therefore, necessary to ensure the development of products that are tailored to the needs and specific barriers faced by rural women in their context, thus leading to increased uptake and demand.

Digital technology presents numerous opportunities to bridge the financial and information gaps faced by rural women. Mobile banking allows individuals to access financial services through their mobile phones, bypassing the need for physical bank branches. Rural women can benefit from mobile banking by opening bank accounts, making deposits, withdrawing cash, and transferring funds conveniently and securely. This accessibility eliminates the need for them to travel long distances to reach a bank, saving time and money. Mobile wallets and electronic payment cards, for example, enable rural women to conduct transactions without the use of real cash. These methods make it safe and easy to pay for goods, services, and bills. Rural women can participate in the formal economy, create a financial history, and have access to loans and other financial services by using digital payment methods. They can also gain access to credit and capital through digital platforms that connect them to microfinance institutions and internet lenders. Women can apply for loans, submit documentation, and get monies immediately into their accounts via digital applications and platforms. This simplifies the loan procedure, lowers paperwork, and boosts efficiency, making it easier for rural women to obtain funds for income-generating activities or to deal with emergencies. Digital technology can deliver financial education and literacy programs to rural women, empowering them with knowledge about managing money, savings, investments, and financial planning. Online courses, mobile applications, and interactive platforms can provide accessible and tailored financial education, improving rural women's understanding of financial products and services, thus enabling them to make informed decisions. Insurance and other disaster risk transfer methods can shield rural women from the economic impact of natural disasters and other dangers. Insurance policy purchases, maintenance, and claims can all be facilitated by digital platforms. Women can get information about insurance plans, evaluate options, and submit claims more efficiently by using mobile applications or internet portals. Remote damage assessment can also be enabled by digital technology, streamlining the claims settlement procedure. Digital technology plays a crucial role in disseminating timely and accurate information about potential disasters. By leveraging mobile networks, SMS alerts, and mobile applications, rural women can receive early warnings, evacuation instructions, and disaster preparedness information. This empowers them to take proactive measures to protect their lives, assets, and livelihoods.
Access to clean energy and energy infrastructures
Having accessibility to clean energy resources and infrastructure is crucial for rural Liberian women's well-being, economic empowerment, and environmental sustainability. The statistics highlight the limited access to electricity, reliance on traditional fuels, lack of clean cooking solutions, gender disparities in energy decision-making, and barriers to energy infrastructure in rural areas. There is much to be done in enhancing the devasted energy infrastructure of the country to strengthen women’s resilience in the rapidly changing climatic landscape. The Rural Energy Strategy and Master plan for Liberia until 2030 indicates that Liberia continues to have one of the world's lowest grid electrification rates, with fewer than 3% of the population linked to grid power and less than 0.5% of the rural population connected. According to the data of the government and world bank, about 16.8% of urban residents and less than 2% of rural residents currently have electricity access largely from self-generation with gasoline or diesel generators using expensive imported fuel. Women's access to sustainable energy sources is further hindered by the absence of energy infrastructure in rural regions, such as transmission lines and distribution networks. Insufficient investment and prioritization of rural electrification projects contribute to the infrastructure gaps faced by rural communities, especially women.

The International Energy Agency reports that in Liberia, only 13% of the rural population has access to clean cooking solutions, including clean cookstoves and clean fuels. Rural Liberian women predominantly rely on traditional fuels such as firewood, charcoal, and kerosene for cooking and heating purposes. Due to indoor air pollution caused using these fuels, health risks exist, especially for women and children who spend a lot of time indoors and are more susceptible to respiratory infections. According to the ILO (2012), household air pollution caused by inefficient cooking methods was responsible for 4.3 million deaths worldwide, 60% of whom were female. There is a lack of awareness and knowledge among rural women regarding the benefits and availability of clean energy alternatives. Limited access to information about clean energy technologies and their advantages hampers women's ability to make informed decisions and adopt cleaner energy options. The upfront cost of clean energy technologies, such as solar panels or clean cookstoves, can be a significant barrier for rural women who often face financial constraints. Limited access to credit, combined with low household incomes, makes it difficult for rural women to invest in clean energy solutions.

On the other hand, significant gender disparities persist in decision-making processes concerning energy access and infrastructure development in the country. According to data from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), women's representation in energy-related decision-making bodies in Liberia is significantly low, limiting their influence in shaping energy policies that meet their specific needs. Some efforts are already in place for the development of the power sector in Liberia including the renewable sectors like solar energy. World Bank Electricity Sector Strengthening and Access Project and USAID’s Power Africa Project are some examples. However, there is a gap in data on the usage of solar energy in the country.
The transition to new technologies offers an opportunity to change the status quo of women's participation in the energy sector. In addition to wage employment in large-scale solar power generation, women can create smaller businesses that require less upfront investment (off-grid community power generation: mini-grid, SHS (solar home systems), pico-PV, solar pumps). Also, the multidimensionality of renewable energy (compared to conventional energy production) presents more employment opportunities for women in administrative and other non-STEM positions. The multidisciplinary nature of the sector can attract experts in finance, law, environmental sciences, economics, etc. This is particularly the case of solar energy, which is becoming more and more accessible to the most disadvantaged layers thanks to new business models such as PAYGO or pay-as-you-go financing, of which we have many examples in the region. Women play a central role in the use of energy, whether for productive or domestic uses, so they know very well the benefits of modern energy sources (for example in terms of saving time or impact on health). They thus have a better understanding of user needs and are therefore well positioned to play a key role in the design, distribution, promotion, and sale of equipment based on renewable energy sources.

1.3 Project overview
Supported by the Orange Foundation, UN Women Liberia is implementing the Digital Inclusion for Women’s Economic Empowerment (D4WEE) project, which is attempting to leverage digital inclusion for economic empowerment and resilience to disasters of rural women farmers and entrepreneurs. Thus, it will allow strengthening individual capacities of women and youth beneficiaries to enhance their access to remunerative markets and sustainable energy including support for disaster risk reduction, risk transfer and finance, access to digital literacy skills; sustainable finance; the boosting of self-confidence; and capacity building to participate in the energy sector. The project also seeks to enhance system/institutional capacities to respond effectively to women and youth beneficiaries’ needs and priorities including disaster risk reduction, risk transfer and finance, through policy interventions that can advance digital inclusiveness and participation in the energy sector.

As part of this endeavor, UN Women and partners have launched the “Buy from Women” initiative, which is piloting the development of a digital and mobile-enabled multifunctional “one-stop shop” platform for rural women in several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and other regions. The project operates in 15 active communities within three targeted counties (Lofa, Bong, and Nimba). UN Women is implementing in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ministry of Mines and Energy, and the Cooperative Development Agency in Liberia.

There are three major components of the project, namely:

1. Improving access to markets and learning opportunities through consolidation and scale up of the Buy from Women initiative, with a focus on the platform operationalization, as well as trainings, marketing, and other activities to facilitate women’s access to the digital platform.
2. Improving access to disaster risk reduction, risk transfer and finance, through consolidation and scale up of the Digital Solutions for Rural Women Resilience to Disasters (D4RWRD) project, by enhancing scope to include mobile-enabled disaster, weather forecast and alerts and climate-smart agricultural advisory.
3. Improving access to energy for rural women headed households and productive purposes, including through PAYGO solar asset financing, and strengthening women’s skills in the energy sector.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objectives of the services

The national consultant will assist UN Women Liberia in the execution of the proposed study considering a business model approach that will explore the effectiveness, sustainability and efficiency of the project approach and activities and provide recommendations to various stakeholders, including decision-makers, to adjust, replicate and scale up the approach adopted by the project. The key objectives of the work to be carried out are outlined below:

2.1.1 Assess the effectiveness of the project’s current sustainability plan, procedures, and practices (e.g., BfW e-commerce platform, digitizing of VSLA financial activities, and implementation of Orange solar kits and the PAYGO payment model) and identify potential areas for improvement.

2.1.2. Recommend measures and models that can be adapted to maximize rural women’s inclusion/access to markets, clean energy, financial and disaster risk transfer mechanisms, as well as their inclusion in the clean energy and financial services value chains through entrepreneurship and promotion of renewable energy sources/services.

2.1.3. Examine the gender, social and economic implications of the project approach and identify opportunities for positive contributions.

2.1.4. Provide program and policy recommendations for enhancing the sustainability/scale-up of the project interventions and influence government and other decision-makers to support replication and scale-up of the models promoted by UN Women.
The results from the study will provide actionable information and specific program recommendations to UN Women and its project partners that will guide decision-making during the project implementation phase, ultimately leading to the successful identification of innovative partnerships and sustainable business models for upscaling beyond the current project timeline. The policy recommendations will be used to create policy briefs aimed at national level advocacy, policy making, and replication of pilot program models promoted by UN Women.
Accordingly, the consultant should present results from this research by separating the sections containing the findings and recommendations for public dissemination from those containing internal recommendations that will guide the project implementation and upscaling.

2.2 -Scope of work and activities
To ensure that UN Women meets the objectives of the planned consultancy, the consultant will conduct several activities, including desk-based research and field data collection where and when applicable.

The selected consultant will therefore oversee delivering on the following activities:

2.2.1. Review project documents, including project plans, reports, and relevant policies.

2.2.2. Conduct site visits and interviews with project stakeholders and beneficiaries to gather information and insights.

2.2.3. Analyse the project's social impact on local communities, including gender mainstreaming, economic impact, social inclusion, and community development.

2.2.4. Assess the approach adopted by the project, consisting in partnering with the private sector to innovate and ensure the needs of women are at the center of their business model, and assess its economic viability, cost-effectiveness, revenue generation, and long-term financial sustainability, as well as challenges, lessons learnt and best practices.

2.2.5. Develop a comprehensive sustainability report outlining findings, program/policy recommendations, and a roadmap for implementation.

2.2.6. Develop 3 Case studies/Success stories highlighting the impact of the three key project activities (BfW, digitized VSLAs, and implementation of Orange Solar energy Kits and PAYGO Model).

2.2.7. Develop a policy brief on the use of solar energy to enhance rural women’s access/usage of clean renewable energy and support the Central Bank of Liberia in developing a policy brief on the short and long-term implications and impact of digitizing VSLAs.

The consultant will oversee managing all the operational activities related to this study, in close consultation with UN Women and project partners, including organizing focus groups and field visits, meetings, interviews, workshops, managing invitations, travel, venues and accommodation for participants. All tasks will be conducted with the technical support of and in close consultation with UN Women Liberia and UN Women West and Central Africa Regional Office (WCARO).

3. Expected deliverables

3.1 Duration of the work
The contract will tentatively start on 1st July 2023 and will end on 30th September 2023 (Maximum total number of working days for this consultancy is capped at 30 days). All the final revised reports will need to be submitted and approved by this date. Inception report will be submitted within seven calendar days of the contract start date. Milestone based intermediate reports will need to be submitted periodically at the end of each research component as outlined in the deliverable timeline being agreed. Final submissions – 3 case studies and 1 policy brief will need to be submitted and approved by 30th September 2023.

3.2 Location of work
The consultant will conduct several activities, including desk-based research and field data collection, mostly in Montserrado, Lofa, Bong, and Nimba Counties. Thus, it will be crucial that the consultant possesses sound understanding of the socio dynamics of these localities.

3.3 Supervision
The consultancy will be carried out under the overall guidance of the Deputy Country Representative of UN Women Liberia and the Women’s Economic Empowerment Programme Manager with direct supervision from the D4WEE International Project Specialist. The consultant will be solely responsible for timely reporting and obtaining required approvals from the respective supervisor assigned by UN Women.

3.4 Reports and other deliverables
The following will be the main deliverables to be submitted by the consultant. He/she will provide a preliminary chronogram of activities, methodology, and proposal. The selected consultant will then prepare a revised chronogram of activities and the methodology, based on feedback from UN Women as part of an inception report, which will be submitted within seven calendar days of the contract start date. The consultant will hold regular progress meetings using presentations with UN Women and its partners.

List of key deliverables:
• Deliverable 1: An inception report detailing the proposed methodology, work plan, and data collection tools submitted and approved.
• Deliverable 2: A comprehensive sustainability report showing a business-model approach, including a clear assessment of the project's approach and its sustainability performance, key findings, and recommendations validated, submitted, and approved.
• Deliverable 3: Slide decks/presentations summarizing the findings, recommendations, and the proposed implementation roadmap submitted and approved.
• Deliverable 4: Three case studies/Success Stories – 1 on the BfW initiative, 1 on digitized VSLAs, and 1 on Solar energy usage by rural women submitted and approved.
• Deliverable 5: A 3-5 paged policy brief on the use of solar energy to enhance rural women’s access to clean renewable energy submitted and approved. CBL is supported with the development of a policy brief on digitizing VSLAs.

The intermediate and final reports will be structured in a way to clearly and fully address all elements listed in Sections 2.1 and 2.2 of these terms of reference. According to the twofold objective of this work (see Section 2.1 and 2.2 of these terms of reference), the final report will be composed of two separate sections, one containing the information and findings to be disseminated and presenting the findings descriptively with long-term recommendations, and one additional for internal use, providing specific short-term recommendations analytically and aimed at guiding project implementation.

3.5 Schedule of key deliverables and payments

Deliverables

Timeline

Payment percentage

Deliverable 1: Inception report

Kick-off meeting held and report submitted
Workplan and methodology submitted, revised based on UN Women’s comments and approved.

By 7th July 2022 (Within 7 calendar days following the contract start date)

20%

Deliverable 2: Sustainability report

A comprehensive sustainability report outlining findings, short- and long-term recommendations, and a roadmap for implementation submitted, revised based on UN Women’s comments and approved.

Deliverable 3: Presentation Slide decks

Presentations summarizing the conclusions and recommendations from the study and the proposed implementation roadmap submitted, revised based on UN Women’s comments and approved

By 31st August 2023 (Within 55 calendar days)

40%

Deliverable 4: Case studies/Success stories

3 Case studies/Success stories highlighting the impact of the three key project activities submitted, revised based on UN Women’s comments and approved.

By 30th September 2023 (Within 30 calendar days)

30%

Deliverable 5: Policy brief

Policy brief on Solar energy submitted, revised based on UN Women’s comments and approved.
Support to CBL with the development of policy brief on Digitizing VSLAs, validated.

10%

Competencies

Note that the exact procedure for the technical and financial evaluation of the proposals received, as well as the specific technical evaluation criteria and their associated weighting are described in detail in the Annexes.

Required Skills and Experience

Qualification and selection criteria

Local consultants with relevant experience of minimum 7 years standing should have completed at least two similar or related projects with a focus on women and/or rural segments in developing markets. Work executed in Least Developed Countries and Africa is necessary. A sample of the consultant’s previous work in this or a closely related field (reports, etc.) will be a strong asset.

Personnel specifications and requirements:

Expert in digital finance, rural development, social protection, and gender
Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or higher) in economics, sustainable development, evaluation methodologies, energy, agriculture, rural development, policy support or related field
A minimum of 7 years proven practical experience in financial inclusion, digital economy (especially in developing products/solutions for rural marginalized clients, especially women), technical cooperation and policy support. The experience needs to include a minimum of 5 years in program evaluation and methodologies in social protection and gender research.
Experience in providing strategic advice to international organizations, in particular UN agencies and government authorities.
Experience in developing countries and Sub-Saharan, West and Central Africa
Fluent in English