Background:
Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.
Ethiopia MNO Gender Innovation Facility - The Women's Economic Empowerment (WEE) Team of the BMGF has enlisted AgriFin to spearhead an innovation facility in Ethiopia. This initiative prioritizes expertise in gender-focused livelihoods development, the digital economy, and technology. The primary objective revolves around providing technical assistance to Ethiopia's two mobile network operators (MNOs) while ensuring equal access to innovation funding. The targeted focus aims to drive advancements that particularly benefit low-income women in the digital economy. The WEE fund's potential applications span diverse areas, including research, capacity building, business support, product innovation, content development, income generation, job creation, and the creation of digital tools, all aimed at empowering low-income women across multiple sectors. The grant's implementation places a strong emphasis on fostering active collaboration and co-design with MNOs to develop innovative digital products tailored specifically for low-income women.
The aim of the BMGF Weather and Climate Services (WCS) program is to bolster the resilience of small-scale producers against climate-related challenges by enhancing their access to and adoption of weather and climate services. This will be achieved through strategic approaches involving public-private partnerships (PPP/PPE), targeting improved decision-making in agriculture at a larger scale. The initiative encompasses comprehensive analyses at the country level to map the hydromet value chain, identify stakeholders, challenges, and opportunities for private sector involvement, alongside pertinent regulatory frameworks. By implementing pilot projects founded on transparent frameworks, the program seeks to deliver innovative WCS solutions tailored to smallholder agriculture, bridging the gap between demand and supply. The initiative aims to build trust and collaboration among public and private sector entities while specifically focusing on Kenya and Senegal.
Purpose / Project Description:
The objective of this investment is to address the digital divide by supporting a gender-led Innovation facility that will co-finance projects with leading global mobile network operators (MNOs) to build inclusive, digitally-enabled products and services for low-income women in Ethiopia. The project aims to improve livelihoods, digital skills, meaningful digital inclusion, agency, and economic opportunities for women.
Consultant Activities:
As part of this engagement, the consultant will engage with the Agrifin team across the following key activities:
• Support strong partner relationships, project plans and product roadmaps.
• Assist and in some cases, lead the development of partner business and work plans, reviewing rest marketing plans, business processes, operational manuals, product and technology specifications financial statements to do so.
• Perform tasks based on project plans, those agreed with BMGF MNO and WCS management, and those assigned program management.
• Monitor project progress, with regular oversight of technical consultants or third-party providers, and resolve, or assist in resolving issues, under direction of BMGF MNO and WCS management
• Prepare project progress reports and status updates.
• Conduct due diligence on prospective partners, compile required legal documents and share reports on the
same.
• Keep up to date with the Ethiopian agri/fintech ecosystems and participate in ongoing learning meetings with program stakeholders related to program focus areas, working in coordination with technical team managers.
• Assist the program in identifying technical consultants as needed, in preparing terms of reference and scopes of work, and provide support and oversight for consultants as required.
• Contribute to the BMGF MNO and WCS learning agenda and track partner impact metrics as and when required.
• Support the Ethiopian Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) develop and submit proposals to leverage the BMGF Innovation Fund
• Provide technical assistance and support the MNOS in designing and piloting approved proposal concepts
• Assist internal and external partners in generate key learnings and collect impact and reach data for the donors
Consultant Deliverables:
The consultant will work to produce the following deliverables, in close collaboration with the AgriFin’s DCSA Director:
Consultant Deliverables:
The consultant will work to produce the following deliverables:
1. Partner Prospecting and Project Development: Continue to support partner identification efforts and project development including participating in due diligence exercises, populating partner proposals and participation in pipeline update meetings. A monthly report accounting for activities done, meetings attended, back to office reports, and time sheet. Some of the prospective partners include two of Ethiopia’s MNO’s.
2. Project implementation and partner relationship management: Support implementation of identified projects including kick off meetings, ideation workshops, internal update meetings and regular updates with the partner and vendors to ensure project success. A monthly report accounting for activities outlined and time sheet. This is for all approved projects including BMGF MNO and WCS.
3. Project and program learning and reporting: Support when required end of project and program reporting including documenting lessons learnt and achievements of projects under the advisory of the consultant, support program learning initiatives both internal and external where scheduled. A monthly report specifying support provided to project and program reporting and timesheet. This will also include support for research activities under the ongoing initiative funded by the Gates Foundation MNO, and WCS.
Timeframe / Schedule:
The Timeframe will be between April 2024 – March 2025
The Consultant will report to:
Task Manager is DCSA Director
Program Director
The Consultant will work closely with:
Mercy Corps AgriFin’s Technical Team
Required Experience & Skills:
A bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, finance or related field, Master’s degree preferred
Minimum three years working for a bank, MNO, non-governmental organization or a reputable international or national organization preferred.
Experience with mobile money, financial services and/or technology for development, preferred.
Working knowledge of the Ethiopian Sector in mobile money, financial services and/or technology for development.
Excellent Computer, verbal and written communication skills, including report development, writing and editing.
Excellent inter-personal skills.
Highly pro-active and self-disciplined.
Experience and ability to work in a multicultural, multinational team
Experience with monitoring and evaluation of projects
Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills.
Demonstrated experience in project management skills.
Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.
We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.
Equal Employment Opportunity
We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.
Safeguarding & Ethics
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our stakeholders and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.