Consultancy to Carry Out a Disability Inclusive and Gender Sensitive Value Chain in the E-Waste Programme

About Light for the World

Light for the World is a global disability and development organisation. We empower people with disabilities and enable eye health services in low-income countries. Over the last three decades we have contributed to improved health systems, enabled education for all, and amplified the voices of people with disabilities.

Our programmes include:

• Eye Health – preventing blindness and promoting eye health for all.
• Inclusive Education – ensuring children with disabilities receive quality, inclusive education.
• Inclusive Economic Empowerment – ensuring that barriers are removed for men and women with disabilities to access decent work and business opportunities.

In Kenya, our country strategy for the year 2021-2025 focuses on Inclusive Economic Empowerment, and disability inclusion. We do this using the twin track approach of capacity building of persons with disabilities, and building system strengthening so that barriers for employment and entrepreneurship are removed. Currently, Light for the World Kenya implements projects across the country with the country office located in Nairobi.

About the Power-up Programme

Through the support from IKEA Foundation, Bopinc, Light for the World and WEEE Centre will support 1800 aspiring youth entrepreneurs and 600 existing microentrepreneurs and small enterprises as they pursue and grow entrepreneurial activities in the e-waste sector in Kenya under the auspices of the Power-Up project. The project opens opportunities in the e-waste sector for young women and men, with and without disabilities, as a previously under-utilized and under-supported workforce. Our approach relies on empowering them with skills, networks and access to markets and finance so that they can play a meaningful role in tackling the problem of e-waste becoming the fastest-growing waste stream in the country.

The project’s first strategy is training and coaching young entrepreneurs on topics such as the safe handling of e-waste, entrepreneurial mindsets, and viable business models.

The proposed project will be implemented across four regions in Kenya. As part of strategy two, WEEE Centre will expand its e-waste collection and processing capacity into these regions, to be a launching customer that can guarantee the purchase of e-waste from the youth and small enterprises. In strategy three, we will raise awareness among consumers on E-Waste to guarantee sufficient supply of e-waste, and we will orient participants on different access to finance opportunities, as well as market players for different materials or services, including those that are complementary in their services to WEEE Centre.

As part of strategy four, we will share learnings and inform more favorable policies and practices for an inclusive e-waste sector among practitioners, industry actors, donors, investors, and policy makers. The first year will be a pilot year on a small scale, allowing us to evaluate the results and social and environmental impact against our KPIs and optimize the approach before we scale in years two, three and beyond the project period.

Objectives of the consultancy

To conduct a disability-inclusive and gender-sensitive value chain assessment to

• Identify Barriers for women and men with disabilities, and women without disabilities in the four value chains of the e-waste sector.
• Identify Opportunities for women and men with disabilities, and women without disabilities in the four value chains of the e-waste sector.
• Elaborate recommendations for adaptation of the Power-up programme to ensure effective inclusion of women and menwith disabilities, and women without disabilities in the e-waste sector.

Scope of Work

Under the overall supervision of the LftW’s Head of Programmes, and the direct supervision of the Gender specialist, the consultant will carry out a disability inclusive and gender sensitive value chain assessment to ensure the E waste programme (Power Up) addresses the needs and challenges of young women and young persons with disabilities.

• Use recent learning products and lesson learnt developed by Light for the world InBusiness programme and other secondary sources to describe and analyse the gender and disability barriers.
• Assess the risk that the E waste (Power up) project potentially limits young women’s and men’s ability to effectively engage in micro-entrepreneurship considering their different roles and positions in their local communities and the wider Kenyan society.
• Undertake technical consultations with stakeholders at the county and national levels to collect inputs and to define concrete measures aiming at eliminating gender and disabilities inequalities in the strategies of project implementation.
• Describe the key barriers in each of the four value chains: Collection, Dismantling, Repair/Refurbishment, recycling to achieving gender and disability equality (including social norms, legislative frameworks, institutional capacities, political will, etc.) in relation to the project focus areas.
• The Value Chain Assessment should include expected revenues in the value chain, needed training, and health hazards within each value chain.
• Identify relevant actors with mandate and capacity to act for gender equality (NGOs, donors, line ministries, public and private entities, etc.) that the Power Up consortium partners can leverage.
• Identify realistic objectives and opportunities for policy dialogue or advocacy work as related to Power up gender equality component and develop an inclusive gender action plan to be implemented over the project period.

Methodology

The consultant is required to propose and justify a suitable methodology that will generate reliable and valid results for the gender analysis. The consultant can employ surveys, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, desk reviews, observations, etc. as appropriate.

Data Collection, Analysis and Quality Assurance

The consultant will review the raw data from the existing InBusiness programme baseline, market assessment, impact evaluation and Gender and Intersectionality insight brief to tease out the data we have on gender and disability disparities so far. And research for other secondary resources on disability and gender inclusive e-waste management. The consultant will additionally engage in KIIs/FGDs to assess the barriers and opportunities to participation in each of the four value chains.

Deliverables

• Gender and disability assessment report (max. 30 pages) detailing the current gender and disability barriers and opportunities in relation to the four E-waste management value chains.
• A gender and disability action plan based on the gender and disability assessment with clear set of recommendations and framework for monitoring the action plan.

Timelines

The consultancy contract shall run for 1 month. The consultant will be required to provide a detailed work plan and a justifiable budget for the assignment.

Reporting

Inception report detailing the methodology, data collection tools and processes, any foreseen challenges and how to mitigate or manage them, and the support required from LftW.The consultant will proceed to the next phase of the assignment after the inception report has been accepted and a go-ahead given by Light for the World’s Head of Programmes.

Qualifications of the Consultant

The consultant should possess the following criteria:

• A master’s degree in gender studies, social sciences, or any other relevant field.
• Should work in a team of at least two persons one man and one woman.
• At least 10 years of solid experience in the substantive area, at national and/or international level.
• Proven experience of working in the Kenyan small and micro-entrepreneurship and disability fields with good network in the sector.
• Extensive knowledge on gender & Disability analysis and action planning, and gender and disability mainstreaming into projects, programs, or policies.
• Knowledge of gender transformative project design with substantial experience in design, monitoring, and evaluation of projects.
• Knowledge of national, regional, and international frameworks, agreements, and initiatives on gender and Disability.
• Demonstrable experience in the usage of SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Zoom.
• Fluency in both Kiswahili and English language is required.