Thematic Expert- Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development (Kenya) at Busara Center

Purpose of the Role

The Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development Thematic Expert brings specialist expertise in entrepreneurship, financial sector development, MSME finance, and inclusive finance mechanisms (including credit guarantees, digital financial services, and value chain finance) relevant to Kenya and the East Africa region. On this assignment, the expert leads the analysis of financial inclusion outcomes, assesses contribution to system- and ecosystem-level change in the financial sector, and contributes substantively to final review reports. The expert will support Busara and Mastercard Foundation Kenya to establish: 

• How trends in Kenya’s entrepreneurship, enterprise development, financial inclusion, and MSME sector are impacting youth employment opportunities where the strategy is active in Kenya.
• The extent to which the strategy partnerships and investments are positioned to respond to and capitalize on these trends.
• The barriers, gaps, and opportunities for meaningful participation of young women, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and refugee communities in entrepreneurship and enterprise development.
• Opportunities, risks, and gaps in the strategy’s entrepreneurship, enterprise development, financial inclusion, and MSME sector positioning, and practical, prioritized recommendations to strengthen it.

Key Responsibilities

• Review literature, strategy documents, partner reports, and results data on entrepreneurship, enterprise development, financial inclusion, and MSMEs in Kenya.
• Analyze sector trends, key actors, and ecosystem dynamics, and benchmark Kenya’s context against relevant East African strategies.
• Conduct key informant interviews and stakeholder consultations with ecosystem actors, partners, and other informed respondents.
• Assess program relevance, coverage, and alignment with national priorities, with attention to youth employment, skilling, and participation by young women, PWDs, and refugee communities.
• Identify barriers, gaps, opportunities, and priority partnerships, delivery models, and sub-sectors to strengthen youth participation and outcomes.
• Evaluate how sector knowledge dissemination contributes to dignified and fulfilling work and improved financial outcomes for youth.
• Provide technical guidance on evaluation design, sampling, data collection tools, analytical frameworks, and enterprise-related theory of change and assumptions.
• Support the design and interpretation of POA indicators, with particular attention to enterprise-based pathways and progress.
• Assess participant experiences and outcomes related to enterprise establishment, growth, market access, productivity, resilience, financial inclusion, and business continuity.
• Provide technical input on enterprise finance and financial inclusion pathways, including access to finance, investment decisions, loan use, repayment, and progression dynamics.
• Support development of enterprise performance frameworks that reflect informal, emerging, and growth-oriented businesses.
• Interpret enterprise outcomes across participant segments, including youth-owned enterprises, women-owned enterprises, refugee-owned enterprises, persons with disabilities, MSMEs, and SMEs.
• Review quantitative and qualitative findings and synthesize evidence into actionable recommendations for program improvement, systems strengthening, and ecosystem development.
• Review and quality-assure inception reports, analytical frameworks, interim deliverables, strategic review outputs, and final evaluation reports.
• Produce a final report with findings, learnings, and recommendations, and a prioritization framework for Busara and Young Africa Works stakeholders.

Indicative Deliverables

• An inception report covering the methodology, work plan, and budget.
• Key Informant Interview (KII) discussion guides tailored to various stakeholders.
• Audio recordings and notes from Key Informant Interview (KII) discussions. 
• A draft narrative report including an executive summary, findings, learnings and recommendations, and a prioritized action matrix.
• A PowerPoint slide deck for presentation to the Foundation. 
• Hold a validation and dissemination session with the Foundation. 
• A final PowerPoint slide deck incorporating input from the validation and dissemination session.
• Participate in sensemaking sessions with the Foundation, Implementing Partners, and other relevant ecosystem actors, as required.
• A final narrative report incorporating input from the validation, dissemination, and sensemaking sessions.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Advanced degree in economics, finance, development studies, entrepreneurship, business administration, enterprise development, agricultural economics, private sector development, or a related field.
• At least 8–10 years of experience in financial sector development, MSME finance, inclusive finance, enterprise development, entrepreneurship promotion, market systems development, private sector development, or livelihoods programming in Kenya or East Africa.
• Demonstrated experience with one or more of the following: digital financial services, value chain finance, enterprise finance, or inclusive finance mechanisms.
• Proven experience analyzing financial inclusion or enterprise development outcomes for underserved groups, including youth, women, refugees, and persons with disabilities.
• Proven track record and consulting experience conducting strategic reviews, evaluations, or advisory assignments for donor-funded or foundation-funded entrepreneurship and enterprise development programs.
• Strong understanding of Kenya’s financial inclusion or MSME ecosystem, including informal enterprise dynamics, growth pathways, and relevant policy and regulatory landscapes.
• Experience working with youth entrepreneurs and inclusive enterprise development programs is highly desirable.
• Strong analytical, report-writing, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to communicate technical findings to specialist and non-specialist audiences.
• Familiarity with the Mastercard Foundation Young Africa Works strategy, Shared Measures framework, Program Outcomes Assessments (POAs), and Dignified and Fulfilling Work concepts is an advantage.