Request for Proposal for Consultant Specializing in Livelihood and Social Finance at International Labor Organization (ILO)

The objective of this consultancy is to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment of smallholder farmers, workers, and vulnerable groups within the tea and coffee value chains in Kenya. The consultant will focus on assessing livelihoods, identifying financial and non-financial service needs, and examining how these impact child labour. The assessment will provide actionable insights that will guide interventions aimed at eliminating child labour by addressing the economic vulnerabilities of these groups.

Scope of Work

• Detailed Scope: the consultant will perform a detailed assessment through the following phases:
• Desk Research and Preparation (4 days): conduct inception meetings with the project team, review existing reports, studies, and data on child labour, financial inclusion, and smallholder livelihoods in the tea and coffee sectors. Develop all necessary tools for data collection, including focus group discussion guides, interview protocols, and survey questionnaires.
• Field Research (10 days): map and identify key beneficiary groups such as smallholder farmers, workers, cooperatives, and village savings and loan associations (VSLAs). Conduct site visits to communities to collect data via surveys, focus groups, and interviews. Assess labour demand and supply dynamics in relation to child labour, and the specific financial needs of these groups.
• Stakeholder Interviews (5 days): engage with stakeholders including financial service providers, and association and NGOs to understand the current services and gaps that contribute to child labour in value chains.
• Data Analysis and Reporting (5 days): analyze collected data to identify key challenges in livelihoods and financial access. Develop a comprehensive report including actionable solutions and personas that describe typical beneficiaries’ interactions with financial services.
• Feedback and Validation (5 day): present preliminary findings to key stakeholders, facilitate a feedback session, and refine the final report based on this input.

Deliverables

• Inception meetings summary
• Data collection and analysis tools
• Raw data
• Comprehensive needs assessment report (PDF and Word format)
• Stakeholder workshop materials
• Dissemination Materials: a one-page summary, and PowerPoint presentation summarizing the findings and proposed solutions