Entrepreneurship Ecosystem & Ethnic Networks Assessment Consultant – Kenya

POSITION SUMMARY:

HIAS seeks a consultant to do an entrepreneurship ecosystem and ethnic networks assessment and mapping in selected locations in Nairobi and surrounding counties.

BACKGROUND:

HIAS is a global Jewish nonprofit organization working across five continents to ensure that refugees and displaced persons are protected. Guided by our values and history, we help refugees rebuild their lives in safety and security and advocate ensuring that all displaced people are treated with dignity.

Organizationally, HIAS is guided by its Refugee Rights Framework. This rights-based approach, based on international human rights, humanitarian and refugee law and practice, provides a programming framework for HIAS’ focus on refugee protection. This framework prioritizes programming impact that ensures forcibly displaced people realize their potential and become contributors to society, with this impact being achieved through the realization of legal and civil rights and social and economic rights, including through: 1) the right to protection from harm, violence and discrimination; 2) the right to recovery from the shock of displacement; and 3) the right to economic self-sufficiency and inclusion.

According to UNHCR’S latest figures, around one hundred and three million refugees have been forced to leave their homes; of which 74% are hosted in developing countries. Refugees and host communities find themselves facing extreme poverty and scarce economic opportunities. This, added to the fact that most refugees around the world live in protracted situations for five years or more, the need for finding long-term solutions is a priority.

While refugees’ specific needs vary, the most common gaps observed throughout HIAS’ operations in the world include the inability to cover basic needs, education and health services, and the inability to earn a sustainable income. Therefore, the overall goal of HIAS’ Economic Inclusion programming is for forcibly displaced people and vulnerable migrants to improve their access to dignified and sustainable livelihoods that promote self-reliance. This goal is supported by the following outcomes: (1) Individuals and communities increase livelihoods assets to improve their inclusion in the local economies; (2) Individuals and communities participate in gainful employment and livelihoods opportunities; and (3) Individuals and families have access to sufficient income to sustain basic needs and overcome shocks.

HIAS, through all the years in the field and from market assessments conducted in the past has reached a good understanding of the macroeconomic landscape of the country and more specifically the profile of refugees and their socio-economic characteristics. However, more information needs to be explored at the local level to understand the dynamics of the business ecosystem, the localized opportunities and how the networks represent a door for accessing economic integration through self-employment and job creation.

At the same time, there is extensive research on the role of ethnic enclaves. Recent findings from the study of ethnic enclaves have found pros and cons as a pathway for economic integration and fostering social networks. Positive outcomes include employment opportunities, the availability of financial resources and business opportunities thanks to pre-existing social networks and common language skills (Maani 2016). They can also provide facilitated access to entrepreneurial initiatives, a secure market and social capital to help ease the process of integration and coping in their host country. Language is a recurring element that may help facilitate initial employment opportunities, but potentially hinder language acquisition over the long term.

GOAL:

To this effect, HIAS plans to conduct an assessment in the priority areas of Rongai in Kajiado county, Eastleigh, in Kamkunji sub-county and Kasarani in Kasarani sub-county, and if feasible in Kawangware in Dagoreti sub-county, Kayole in Embakasi East sub-county and Kitengala in Kajiado North sub-county with the aim of identifying the characteristics of the local and ethnic minorities and refugee owned businesses operating, understanding their ecosystem and identifying their coping strategies. The overall goal is to understand more on how the ethnic networks operate and identify opportunities and gaps to address to strengthen their role as accelerators for the economic integration of peers through entrepreneurship or job opportunities.

OBJECTIVES:

There are three main blocks to carry out in this assignment.

1. Entrepreneurship ecosystem and ethnic strategies

• Businesses are embedded in an ecosystem that influences their performance. To be able to support the refugee community and provide more opportunities for accessing economic integration, HIAS needs to understand the localized ecosystem where local and ethnic minorities and refugee owned businesses operate, develop a systematic categorization that will enable us to craft more targeted strategies and understand how the ethnic networks operate to put in place ethnic strategies to address challenges related to their business operations. The consultant will:
  • Conduct a desk review of existing data and reports to update the market assessment information on economic microdata and refugees flow conducted by HIAS in 2023.
  • Identify the main characteristics of businesses in the locations included in the assignment and propose a categorization method based on best international practices. Some ideas are:
  • Sector of activity
  • Years in activity
  • Motivations to start – and for refugees whether they have prior experience.
  • Employees – and how they outsource, manpower, and skills demanded
  • Assets and turnover
  • Skills and education background
  • Gender
  • Registration – formal/informal
  • Markets – are they very local or do they have clients in more than one location. Size of the market
  • Support networks
• Provide a description of the categories of businesses owned by ethnic minorities this includes migrants and refugees and businesses own by the local population highlighting the differences and common characteristics based on the field observations from the consultant and HIAS’s staff and information obtained from business owners, community leaders, other private and public agencies, NGOs and other relevant actors in the communities and locations.
• Map the entrepreneurial ecosystem existing in those areas including – business environment, linkages, and relations and cultural and attitudes towards self-employment. This aims to understand the ecosystem in which they operate at a more local and granular level.
• Identify the strategies of the refugee owned businesses use to overcome challenges related to the ecosystem.

1. Specific areas of interest

• HIAS has particular interest in two dimensions that will have to be addressed in the upcoming program design and reflects the priorities of HIAS’s funding partners. Those are: access to finance for refugees and their businesses; and the use of social media as an accelerator for expanding their businesses. The consultant will need to:
  • Provide a detailed description of the status of access to finance and potential solutions to improve it. This also requires exploring more innovative channels based on existing Fintech solutions.
  • Identify their marketing strategies with particular interest in the use of social media as marketing tools used to access clients and assess the potential as well as the skills gaps existing from the refugees’ owned businesses.

1. Community based solutions and recommendations

• Based on the insights gathered by the consultant and the challenges identified:
  • Discuss and identify potential actions to address challenges from the community for the community, in particular how the ethnic networks can be supported to increase the potential for peers to access economic opportunities.
  • Identify and recommend some main lines of action to improve some of the challenges experienced by ethnic minorities businesses.

METHDOLOGIES:

The consultant should carry out a desk review to identify best practices and the criteria to build the characteristics of businesses and propose a categorization method.

Mixed methods can be proposed although the assignment should strongly rely on qualitative methods to gain more insights on the entrepreneurial ecosystem, behavior and motivations of entrepreneurs, roles of the different actors/stakeholders, ethnic networks operating and community dynamics, among other factors. Those will include in-depth interviews and FGDs with different actors of the refugee community to understand the entrepreneurial and economic ecosystem, the relations and the ethnic networks operating.

Participatory methods are encouraged to engage actors of the different ethnic networks in defining their main challenges and priorities and identify alternative solutions. This is meant to identify how to support the businesses but also the role that ethnic networks play in supporting peers to achieve economic integration.

Triangulation of findings is expected regarding the entrepreneurial ecosystem with some key informants from the public sector and private sector.

PROCESS:

Phase 1: Inception Report & Plan of Action

• Based on the TOR, the consultant will draw up an inception report with a detailed plan of action to be sent to HIAS nominated representative. The Plan of Action will include the proposed team and its qualifications, methodology description, a broad timeframe for the assignment consecution, and a budget use description. It will also explain how the involvement of HIAS’ experts and relevant stakeholders will be achieved. The Plan of Action will include a clear description of the different stakeholders to be analyzed. Once the consultant and HIAS have mutually agreed to the plan of action, the following next steps will take place.

Phase 2: Field Work

• The filed work will be carried out based on the Plan of Action, and the consultant will have weekly check-in meetings with the HIAS dedicated team. The consultant will also deliver a report presenting the results, information gaps and the proposed approach to fill these information gaps. The Economic Inclusion Coordinator in Kenya will support the consultant in terms of identifying key stakeholders to be interviewed and scheduling these meetings.

Phase 3: Draft Final Study Report

• The consultant/ research institution will deliver and present the draft report covering the key findings and results to HIAS staff, and other relevant stakeholders. Feedback on the draft report will be incorporated into a final version of the report.

Phase 4: Dissemination and presentation of the Study

• The consultant will prepare a slide deck with the main findings that will be used by HIAS for dissemination and presentation purposes.

DELIVERABLES:

A report detailing that containing the following:

• Proposed method to establish the categorization of the local and ethnic businesses
• Description and categorization of the existing local and ethnic businesses
• Map and description of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the locations covered under this assignment. This includes the networks and cultural attitude towards entrepreneurship by the different nationalities present.
• Identify competitive sectors for starting businesses and potential job demands of specific skills at local level (this is in the locations covered in this study)
• Description of the ethnic strategies adopted to overcome the challenges and of how the ethnic networks operate (this is to support access to information, access to finance, and outsourcing of manpower among others)
• Detailed description of the financial sector accessible in the areas covered, and the potential institutions including but not limited to Banks, MFIs, Mobile money and other Fintech solutions. Include an overview of any regulation that may hinder or benefit access to the financial sector.
• Detailed description of the use of social media and the gaps and opportunities they can represent for business development.
• Recommendations and solutions identified by the community for the community and
• Recommendation for the design of the next program phase.
• Slide deck with the main takeaways of the report.

QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS:

• Master’s degree in Economics, Development Economics, Labor Economics or related is preferred (extensive experience with labor market assessments will also be considered)
• Experience in conducting assessments and mappings related to entrepreneurship ecosystems or related to entrepreneurship development.
• Experience working on economic integration of refugees, migrants, or vulnerable groups would be a plus.
• English fluency is required.
• Ability to work independently.
• Good communication skills and culturally sensitive.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

• The applicants should send the following:
  • A brief technical proposal that will show the understanding of the consultant of the TOR and how they propose to carry out the assignment. Additions and suggestions that improve the TOR and consider best practices will be welcomed.
  • A financial proposal
  • The CVs of the experts proposed, and a brief write up explaining the relevant skills and experiences to qualify for the assignment.

SAMPLE HIRING PROCESS:

We are committed to a fair and respectful hiring process, and we do our absolute best to respond to every applicant. We prioritize communication and transparency with all candidates, even those who are not moving forward. Here’s a snapshot of our hiring process for consultancies:

Step 1: Submit your application!

Step 2: Video interview with the hiring manager.

Step 3: Offer, consultancy agreement and background check.

Step 4: Start your professional journey with HIAS!

Note: Some of our hiring processes may vary, and not all candidates will advance to each step.

ABOUT US:

Over one hundred years ago, the Jewish community founded HIAS (originally the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) in New York City, the immigrant gateway to America. Supporting Jews fleeing persecution and poverty in Eastern Europe, our founders were guided by the traditions, texts and history of the Jewish people—a history of oppression, displacement and diaspora. HIAS has since helped generations of Jews facing violence because of who they were, and HIAS remains committed to helping Jewish refugees anywhere in the world. Today, our clients at HIAS come from diverse faiths, ethnicities and backgrounds, as do our staff. We bring our experience, history and values to our work across five continents, ensuring that refugees today receive the vital services and opportunities they need to thrive.

HIAS is a learning community, committed to diversity and inclusion. We do our work with integrity, accountability, transparency and a commitment to the highest ethical standards. We seek employees from diverse backgrounds and life experiences to join our teams located in the United States and across the globe. People who identify as BIPOC, people with disabilities, people from the LGBTQ+ community and people with lived experiences of forced displacement or immigration are all encouraged to apply. We are committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects our vision, mission and values.

VISION:

HIAS stands for a world in which refugees find welcome, safety and opportunity.

MISSION:

Drawing on our Jewish values and history, HIAS provides vital services to refugees and asylum seekers around the world and advocates for their fundamental rights so they can rebuild their lives.

VALUES:

Welcome • Acogimiento • Hospitalité • Hachnasat Orchim

We Welcome the Stranger

Justice • Justicia • Justice • Tzedek

We Pursue Justice

Empathy • Empatía • Empathie • Chesed

We Approach our Clients with Empathy

Partnership • Compañerismo • Coopération • Chevruta

We Believe in Changing the World through Partnership

Courage • Coraje • Courage • Ometz

We Act with Courage to Build a Better World

Resilience • Resiliencia • Résilience • Ruach

We Adapt and Thrive, Continuously Demonstrating our Resilience

DIVERSITY:

HIAS is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. As an equal opportunity employer, all qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, ethnic background, ancestry, citizenship status, religious creed, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, registered domestic partner or civil union status, familial status, pregnancy, childbirth, military status, protected veteran status, political orientation or other legally protected status.

SAFEGUARDING:

HIAS is committed to the protection of children, vulnerable adults and any other person from any harm caused directly or indirectly due to their coming into contact with HIAS. We will not tolerate sexual exploitation, abuse or any form of child abuse or neglect by our staff or associated personnel. Any candidate offered a job with HIAS will be expected to sign and adhere to HIAS’ Code of Conduct and Safeguarding policies. All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records. HIAS also participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. Likewise, HIAS will share this information when other organizations inquire about current and former HIAS staff as part of their recruitment process. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.