Objective of the WEACT Project
The broader objective of the project is to enhance women’s economic empowerment, well-being and inclusive economic growth for women in the shea and cocoa value chains. The project will address the gender-specific barriers for women, including female youth, working in agriculture and in the informal economy of the shea and cocoa sectors in Upper West, Upper East, Northern, Savanna, Western and Western North Regions. The project will increase the ability of women and young women to individually and collectively overcome legal and social barriers; improve capacity for household members to recognize, reduce and redistribute unpaid work; increase access to innovative and viable gender-responsive business models; and enhance equal access to productive resources for women, including gender-responsive financial products and land ownership and use.

The project will also increase women’s agency and leadership to become economically empowered through multiple entry points. It will bring together many stakeholders working collaboratively and banking on their strengths and areas of influence to shift gender-related attitudes and behaviours across the agricultural sector. More than 5400 women (ages 18 to 60) will benefit directly from the project by receiving technical and financial support to empower them economically. 1,200 women will participate in dialogue spaces with traditional and religious leaders. 900 women will receive gender-responsive skills-development training, and 60% (540) of them will receive direct technical and financial assistance over a 2-year period (270 per year) for the development of alternative or additional livelihoods.

In line with the project objectives, we are seeking an expert to provide technical assistance including reviewing business plans, coaching and mentoring to women in the shea and cocoa value chains to successfully launch additional or alternative livelihoods.

Geographic scope

The geographic scope of the project includes 18 communities in 9 districts and across 6 regions. See table for the details.

Objective of the assignment:

To provide technical assistance including business plans review, coaching and mentoring to 270 women in the shea and cocoa value chains across the 18 project communities. (15 per community).

Specific Objectives

• Engage women entrepreneurs to understand and assess the feasibility/profitability of their choice of businesses or businesses already engaged in.
• Support women entrepreneurs to review their business plans.
• Recommend markets to link the women entrepreneurs.
• Provide coaching and mentoring to the women entrepreneurs to transition from entrepreneurial skills training to launch their businesses.

The ultimate outcome of this assignment is to support women in the shea and cocoa value chains to engage in profitable livelihood ventures within or outside the shea and cocoa value chains as additional or alternative livelihoods to strengthen their economic positions.

Additional Assignment Requirements

The consultant will be expected to undertake the following:

• Submit draft report
• Convene periodic meetings with the project team to update them on progress.
• Abide by Oxfam policies for research and protecting data. 
• Work in collaboration with the WEACT Project team at Oxfam and partners.
• Submit final report

Duration

The assignment is expected to be completed within 36 consultancy days. Kindly develop your work plan into weekly deliverables.

Selection

Selection will be based on:

1. Technical evaluation of the proposal elaborating approach/methodology, work plan, and budget.
2. Establishing your credibility in undertaking assignments of a similar kind.