INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION

THE OFFICE OF THE ILO LIAISON OFFICER

Call for Expression of Interest ILO/YGN/20/31

15 September 2020

Title Assessing e-commerce potential for SMEs in Myanmar

Organization International Labour Organization

Technical Cooperation Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises

Programme (SCORE)
Location Remote/home-based

Type of contract International/National consultant (External

Collaborator)
Duration 25 days in October-November 2020

Closing date 25 September 2020

Submission of applications Expressions of interest must be submitted by email

with subject line “Consultant E-commerce” to:
Ms. Su Su San san@ilo.org
ILO, Liaison Office, Yangon
Myanmar

1. Background
Since 2014 the ILO has supported Myanmar’s small and medium enterprise (SME) sector through
entrepreneurship development and business management trainings. With funding from the
Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) and the Swiss State Secretariat for
Economic Affairs (SECO), these capacity building interventions have established a pool of 800+
certified trainers which in turn have served 41,000 + entrepreneurs, in businesses ranging from
agri-fisheries and food production to tourism and hospitality services.

The current project phase (2017-21) seeks to expand the training package in response to emerging
SME development needs and opportunities, while building on the ILO’s Start and Improve Your
Business (SIYB) and Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises (SCORE) programmes.
Among the areas for potential SMEs improvement is the introduction of e-commerce, along with
related digital business platforms and tools.

In recent years Myanmar SMEs have started using social media for connecting buyers and sellers,
while the country’s business ecosystem has stimulated the growing use of digital payments for
online shopping. This year the E-Commerce Association of Myanmar (ECAM) was launched to offer
opportunities and protections to e-commerce businesses and customers, and to assist in crafting
relevant national policies and regulations.

The following Terms of Reference (ToR) describes the scope of work and responsibilities of a
consultant to assist the project in assessing e-commerce potentials for SMEs in Myanmar.
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2. Tasks

The consultancy will assist the project: 1) To examine current and future prospects for e-commerce
in Myanmar’s SME sector, 2) To identify e-commerce opportunities for its partner SMEs, and 3) To
identify potential project interventions and support roles for ecommerce by partner SMEs.

The consultancy covers three key tasks:

Scoping study on e-commerce in Myanmar’s SME sector
• General status and trends for e-commerce and related digital business in Myanmar’s SME
sector
• E-commerce strategies, platforms and tools being used and/or considered by SMEs
• Key institutional players in e-commerce industry including for operations and investments,
support services and expertise networks, and policies and regulations
Consultation and awareness raising with project’s partner SMEs
• Current e-commerce knowledge, practices and emerging insights from experience
• Interests in further learning and applying e-commerce for their SMEs
• SME needs in enhancing capacities and mobilizing resources for e-commerce
Prioritizing and launching project interventions
• Facilitating peer-learning and experience-sharing among partner SMEs
• Developing, adapting and introducing training and related products
• Brokering partnerships with key actors and supporters in e-commerce industry
• Other strategic interventions

3. Outputs

The consultant will deliver the following outputs:

1. Report: scoping study on e-commerce (approx. 10 pages with annexes)
2. Report: consultation and awareness-raising activities (approx. 10 pages with annexes)
3. Report: prioritizing and launching project interventions (approx. 10 pages with annexes)

4. Schedule

The consultancy is expected to require 25 working days between October and November. A
tentative schedule is outlined below, though finalized dates must be agreed by both parties.

Tasks Work Proposed Activities

Days dates
1. Planning 1 October • Briefing from ILO
2020 • Preparation of detailed workplan
• Review of related project documents
2. Scoping 8 October • Collection of secondary information
study 2020 • Key informant interviews
• Desk review and drafting of report
• Discussion of report (output 1) with ILO and finalization
3. 10 October • Key informant interviews and focus group discussions
Consultation 2020 • Presentation of scoping study report (output 1) and
and discussion with partner SMEs
awareness • Discussion of report (output 2) with ILO and finalization
raising

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 4. Prioritizing 7 November • Desk-work to formulate prioritized project interventions
and 2020 • Discussion of draft recommendations with ILO
launching • Seminar (webinar/e-mode) with project partners and
project external stakeholders on proposed interventions and
interventions follow-up actions
5. Debriefing 2 November • Discussion of report (output 3) with ILO and finalization
2020 • Debriefing with ILO

5. Payment
The terms of payment are as follows:
1. 30% of total fees to be paid on delivery of output 1
2. 70% of total fees to be paid on delivery of outputs 2 and 3

Deliverables and invoices will be submitted to the Project Manager who will provide clearance.
Payments are subjected to the successful delivery of all products and are approved by the ILO.

6. Working Arrangements, Administration and Coordination

The consultant will report to, and work under, the direct supervision of the Project Manager or
designated staffmember. He/she will work in collaboration with and to be directly assisted by: 1) e-
commerce specialist of SIYB Myanmar Association, and 2) project assistant.

7. Qualifications and Experience

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree, with additional professional training relevant to business

development.
• General knowledge of e-commerce trends, needs and opportunities in developing
countries.
• Practical skills in e-commerce/digital business tools, platforms and/or systems and their
application in the SME sector.
• Experience in conducting analyses of enterprises, market systems and/or value chains
particularly in relation to innovations in information and communication technologies.
• Excellent written and spoken English, including good report-writing skills.
• Experience in the Asia region, and particularly in Myanmar, would be an asset.

8. Submission of Applications

Interested consultants are invited to submit proposals that must include the following:
• A CV and a summary of qualifications and experience to deliver this assignment (3 pages).
If more than one expert is suggested, all CVs and summary of qualifications and experience
must be included.
• A cover letter (maximum 3 pages) including: a) how this assignment would be implemented
in terms of activities and tasks, b) suggestions for refining the consultancy TORs any key
risks that would need to be managed, and c) proposed daily rate for professional fees, in US
dollars for international consultants and in Myanmar Kyat for local consultants.