STUDY ON APPROPRIATE ISLAMIC FINANCING, CREDIT AND INSURANCE SCHEMES WAJIR COUNTY

Project Title: Improving Access to Financial Services so as to strengthen markets for diversification of Livelihoods in Wajir County

1. Background

Oxfam is an International Organisation working with others to overcome poverty and suffering. Oxfam has been working in Kenya since 1963 working in long term development and humanitarian response in collaboration with various local and International organizations. Oxfam and partners (WASDA and ALDEF) are working in Wajir implementing various projects including the DFID Funded programme. The programme is anchored in Vision 2030, the county’s development blue print particularly the third foundation of enhancing equity and wealth creation opportunities for the poor. This emphasizes that no society can gain the social cohesion if significant sections of the populations live in abject poverty and hence prioritization of investment to the arid and semi arid districts where there is significant incidences of poverty. The programme will contribute to MDG 1: Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger and MDG 3: Promoting gender equality and empowering women. The programme builds on going National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA, HSNP and an ECHO Consortium Resilience project led by Oxfam in various wards in Wajir County. Through this programme, Oxfam and its local partners ALDEF and WASDA seeks improve resilience of 24, 000 people in Wajir including 11,000 women and strengthen county capacity in planning plans and budget for resilience outcomes. In directly the programme will impact on 165, 000 people in Wajir County and to achieve this outcome - three pathways of change have been prioritized:

1. Strengthening markets for diversification of livelihoods,
2. Protecting productive assets and ,
3. Strengthening county governments to deliver improved planning services for resilience in Wajir .
4. Project Summary

The project aims at strengthening community resilience through strengthened markets and value chains in meat and fodder production. The main areas of focus are to support people living in Wajir and Habaswein town who are involved in value added meat trade locally known as (Nyiri Nyiri) to diversify their livelihoods and access support services including financial services.

Under this component the project aims at undertaking activities such as business skills development, promotion of beef value addition through processing, Quality improvement, and market linkages as well as enhancing their bargaining power in the market through increased trader voices and unity. In addition, the project would link the women groups with financial service providers and micro credit schemes. The project seeks to influence the development of and adoption of appropriate ‘sharia’ compliant products to benefit these women. There is a general and unqualified observation that access to the current products available in Wajir County remains low. Part of the study seeks to understand the underlying reason(s) for this.

In this regard Aldef Kenya and its partners are seeking a highly experienced consultant to lead the study into understanding the current knowledge, attitudes and practices, in relation to products that are currently available and their suitability/alignment to Islamic Banking principles for both commercial financial institutions as well as State managed funds such as Women Enterprise fund, Youth Fund and Uwezo fund. The study will seek to understand the gender disaggregation on how women and men interface with financial services and products – a kind of analysis on how women and men differently access financial services and the practical and theoretical reasons influencing the low – uptake of services.

1. Purpose
   The purpose of this study is to carry out a survey on the reasons for the low uptake of financial services and credit from banks and government financial mechanisms such as the women enterprise funds, youth funds and Uwezo funds by small scale traders in Wajir and Habswein towns. The study will make recommendations on the development of and marketing of appropriate financial instruments that supports small enterprises such as traders and women in business. The study process MUST collect and provide relevant and reliable current data. This is essential to ensure a proper advocacy on influencing financial institutions and state managed funds and institutions into developing sharia compliant/Appropriate products and services aimed at increasing the uptake of financial services by the small scale traders.
2. Methodology

The consultant should ensure the study is conducted in a participatory manner and that the exercise enables participating staff (and partners) to pick useful data collection and analysis skills. The team/consultant must develop an appropriate methodology and appropriate tools as part of the bid submission and study process. The methodology should be clear on how the consultant will ensure participation of various project stakeholders including community and religious leaders, small scale women traders, youths, financial institutions, ulammas (a body of Muslim scholars recognized as having specialist knowledge of Islamic sacred law and theology), and government departments.

1. Expected deliverables

The required outputs of this consultancy will be as follows: i. An inception report (maximum 15 pages) outlining the approach/methodology and execution programme/timetable. This report shall be submitted for review and approval by Aldef Kenya, (2) days after the signature of the contract, but before commencement of the work. ii. Data collection tools which shall be submitted within two days after acceptance of the methodology for review and approval by ALDEF K. iii. Draft report which shall be submitted within five days after completion of the field activities iv. Presentation of the key findings to Aldef and other relevant stakeholders for input and comments if any v. The final report and which shall be submitted within five days after the stakeholders’ dissemination workshop and shall incorporate both Aldef and other stakeholder’s inputs.

1. Study report

The production of the research report will be the responsibility of the consultant covering all the aspects as outlined in the TORs. Partners’ staff and partners’ management will only be responsible for coordinating the study exercise. The final report should be: Produced in English language and should be simple in expression and easy to understand.
Maximum of 30 pages with some short annexes.
The report format and text should be an A4 paper size and a legible font (e.g. Times New Roman 11 or 12, Arial 10 or 11 The consultants are liable to submit at least one hard copy and one electronic copy of the research report by the agreed deadline.

1. Eligibility for Consideration.

Quotations are invited from suitably qualified and experienced consultants with capacity to undertake the above activity. Applicants should have traceable referees and evidence of relevant working experience in the financial services or other relevant background. It is an added advantage if the consultant(s) has substantial scholarly knowledge and wider experience in matters of Islamic Jurisprudence.

The consultant is required to have the following qualifications and experience: o Applicant must be a holder of a Master’s Degree in social sciences preferably in Islamic Finance o Experience in impact assessments using both qualitative and quantitative techniques with Competence in use of personal computers, with Proficiency in data analysis particularly SPSS, Epi Info and Excel and report writing with Proven background in undertaking baselines in Value Chains.
o Strong interpersonal and analytical skills. o Familiarity with the different cultures in Kenya and ability to speak and understand Kenyan languages preferably Swahili language; o Experience of effective interaction with local national organizations, government departments, and international humanitarian actors. o Conversant with application of cross cutting themes like gender mainstreaming, and gender competence, M&E, Advocacy. o Good spoken and written communication skills in English. o Proven experience of using participatory rural appraisal tools as means of data collection for programme research.

1. Bid Requirements.

Firms or Consultant(s) who meet the requirements should submit expression of interest (Maximum 15 pages), which should include the following: • A suitability statement, including commitment to availability for the entire period of the assignment. • With A brief statement of on the proposed study methodology including a detailed proposed work plan.
• A detailed financial proposal. The financial proposal should include daily cost per major activity. • Updated curriculum vitae that clearly spell out qualifications and experience Of the key consultant(s) • Contacts of 3 organizations that have recently but preferably the last 3 years contracted the firm/consultant(s) to carry out a baseline survey

1. Reporting Lines

The consultant shall work under the direct supervision of the Markets based Livelihoods Advisor liaison with Executive director and meal officer

1. Timeframes and Budgets

It is anticipated that the assignment will take 15 working days. However, the total costs of the assignment will be negotiated with the consultant.

How to apply:

All interested and qualified consultants should send their Expression of Interest application to:kenyajobs@oxfam.org.uk and indicate in the subject line: APPLICATION FOR STUDY ON APPROPRIATE ISLAMIC FINANCING IN WAJIR

Deadline for application is 10th March 2014, at 5:00 pm. Applications received after this time will not be reviewed.

Please note that only the successful and shortlisted applicants will be contacted.