C-TRTA REG: Preparing and Implementing Gender-Inclusive Projects

in Central and West Asia

Subproject 7: Promoting Growth of Women’s Enterprises in the Surkhandarya Region

TERMS OF REFERENCE
(Consulting Firm)

A. Background and Rationale

1. The subproject responds to the issues and acts on the key recommendations noted from
the key informant interviews (KIIs) done with the women, representatives of civil society
organizations (CSOs), and nongovernment organizations (NGOs) working with the communities
in the districts covered by the project. The poor state of the project roads and absence of public
transportation are major factors that limit women’s mobility to access markets, economic and
financial programs, social services, and educational opportunities. Women sellers of agricultural
produce expressed the need for support in processing fruits and vegetables into viable food
products to prevent wastage and generate income. Women in the handicrafts business request
for new product designs to improve marketability of their merchandise. The women entrepreneurs
also seek marketing platforms that will attract buyers and facilitate sales despite travel limitations.

2. The subproject will support the economic recovery of women entrepreneurs from the
adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. It will specifically target the women entrepreneurs
who are included in the government’s list(s) of women requiring social and economic assistance. 1 6F0F

A rapid assessment on women’s entrepreneurship will be conducted to help identify issues faced
by micro, small, and medium-scale women entrepreneurs, including challenges in transportation
of goods and services, and availability or lack of policies and programs to support women’s
enterprise development and movement of their goods and services. It will reinforce government’s
efforts in assisting women entrepreneurs and supplement the activities of the Gender Action Plan
to enable women entrepreneurs to better manage and grow their enterprises.

3. Subproject activities include provision of skills training for established and start-up
entrepreneurs on a range of topics including business and market expansion and improvement,
establishment and management of enterprises, development of business plans, basic digital
literacy specifically for business management and marketing, financial literacy, savings and
investment. The subproject will provide support in the development and marketing of women’s
products and services through product design, packaging, setting up of online platforms for
product marketing, and creation and/or expansion of network of potential buyers through linking
with private sector. It will assist women’s mardikar (day laborer) bazaars to upgrade their skills in
housekeeping, house management, and caregiver work skills by providing trainings on
housekeeping for tourism facilities, basic skills in plumbing, basic skills in troubleshooting and
repair of electrical appliances and fixtures. The subproject will also help expand their pool of
clients through networking and inclusion in the website of women’s products and services

1 Resolution of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated March 5, 2021 "On measures to further improve the
system of support for women, ensuring their active participation in society" PP-5020. The resolution included the
creation of the "female notebook" system to help the government in the analysis of concerns of women, identify the
assistance needed, as well as interests of the women included in these notebooks. The following is the link to the
unofficial English translation of the resolution https://cis-legislation.com/document.fwx?rgn=134264
B. Scope of Services:

4. ADB seeks a consulting firm to carry out the subproject. The firm should have a strong
capacity to design and carry out policy review and gender gap assessments, business and market
development, and capacity development on women’s enterprise development and TVET. The
major outputs and activities of the subproject are the following:

Major Outputs Delivery Dates Key Activities with Milestones

1. Rapid assessment May–December 1.1. Conduct review and analysis of the policy and
on women’s 2022 market environment that impact on the
entrepreneurship development of women’s enterprises.
1.2. Conduct market analysis to guide business and
product development and marketing strategies of
women entrepreneurs.
1.3. Conduct interviews and focus group discussions
with small and medium scale women
entrepreneurs, private sector groups, clients,
relevant government officials, and other relevant
stakeholders.
1.4. Prepare rapid assessment report.
2. At least 40 small- May–December 2.1. Assess current designs, product packaging,
and medium-scale 2022 marketing methods, strategies used in women’s
women entrepreneurs enterprises.
improved business 2.2 Develop a range of export-grade product designs
and market strategies and product branding.
and approaches 2.3 Review websites, online shops, and online
marketing strategies for women’s products and
identify good models and practices that may be
adopted.
2.4 Develop and conduct test run/operation of online
platforms for product marketing.
2.5 Conduct basic digital literacy training for women
entrepreneurs on management of online marketing
platforms.
2.6 Conduct (market) surveys and/or focus group
discussions (FGDs) to assess product marketability
and enhance product designs, product packaging,
and online marketing platforms based on results of
the market surveys and FGDs.
2.7 Develop linkages with relevant private sector
groups, government agencies, and support groups
for women’s enterprise development.
3. At least 75 start-up May–December 3.1 Conduct assessment of current level of knowledge
women entrepreneurs 2022 and skills in enterprise development, business
demonstrated development, and financial and digital literacy.
knowledge and skills 3.2 Develop learning modules and coordinate with
in enterprise relevant government agencies and business
development, basic development experts for the design and conduct of
financial management, trainings.
and basic digital 3.3 Organize and manage the conduct of trainings.
literacy for business 3.4 Conduct post training assessment (2–3 months
management and after the training).
marketing
 4. At least 50 May–December 4.1 Conduct assessment of current level of knowledge
members of women’s 2022 and skills in enterprise development, business
mardikar (day laborer) development, and financial literacy.
bazaars demonstrated 4.2 Coordinate with relevant technical, vocational
knowledge and skills education training (TVET) institute or expert for the
in housekeeping for design and conduct of the trainings.
tourism and hospitality 4.3 Organize and manage the conduct of the training/s.
establishments, 4.4 Conduct post training assessment (2–3 months after
caregiver work, basic the training).
plumbing and basic
repair of household
appliances.
Source: Asian Development Bank

5. Composition: The minimum composition of the consulting firm includes the following:

i. Business and Market Development Specialist (International, 7 person-

months, intermittent) The Business Development and Marketing Specialist/Team
Leader will have the overall responsibility of facilitating the implementation and monitoring
of the progress of the Technical Assistance (TA). The expert will provide guidance and
advice to the other consultants as necessary and lead the interaction with project
stakeholders to ensure successful implementation of the TA. The team leader should have
(i) advanced degree in a relevant field, with strong training and work experience on gender
and enterprise development; (ii) at least 10 years’ relevant experience in leading teams
for international development projects (experience with ADB projects is an asset) including
designing and implementing business and marketing strategies for women’s enterprises;
(iii) strong knowledge and experience in developing and implementing policy review,
gender assessments, and researches; (iv) experience working with multiple stakeholders
including government, academe, the private sector, and civil society organizations
(CSOs); and (v) good command of the English language. The tasks to be performed by
the Business Development and Marketing Specialist/Team Leader include the following:

a. Overall management – (i) lead and provide overall guidance and

management of the implementation of subproject activities, delivery of
outputs, and achievement of targets; (ii) provide guidance to the
Instructional Development and Training Specialist and subject matter
experts, in the development of training materials to ensure consideration of
gender-sensitivity, social, and cultural norms and context, and alignment
with or adherence to ADB’s policies and guidelines on information
dissemination, including those from the Department of Communication
(DOC).
b. Rapid assessment – (i) design and lead the conduct of rapid assessment
on women’s entrepreneurship; and (ii) prepare the assessment report and
recommendations
c. Business and Market Development – (i) design and lead the
implementation of business development and marketing support tailored
for women entrepreneurs in handicraft, food processing, and other
women’s enterprises present in Surkhandarya region; (ii) design and lead
the development of appropriate business models and marketing strategies
for micro, informal, and start-up women’s enterprises; (iii) assess the
business models of the project beneficiaries’ enterprises to improve
branding, packaging, and marketing strategies, including the use of social
 media and other online platforms and product placement on domestic and
export markets; (iv) explore, with the private sector, government agencies,
and other relevant entities, possible domestic and international market
placement for products of women enterprises.
d. Monitoring and reporting on progress and results – (i) provide
guidance on the monitoring of activities, preparation, and submission of
periodic updates and reports to ADB; (ii) oversee the preparation and
submission of all financial and administrative reports and project
requirements; (iii) lead the preparation of periodic project reports on the TA
following the guidance provided by ADB including highlighting lessons
learnt and recommendations; (iv) liaise with the gender specialist of the
(ensuing) project for integration of updates in the semi-annual report on
Gender Acton Plan implementation.
e. Coordination with stakeholders Lead coordination with project
stakeholders, including staff and management of the executing agency,
implementing agencies, other project consultants, and ADB to ensure
smooth implementation of TA activities.

ii. Instructional Design and Training Specialist (National, 6 person-months,

intermittent) The Instructional Design and Training Specialist will be responsible for the
overall design and management of all the training programs and will lead in organizing,
administering, and delivering the training programs. The specialist should have (i)
advanced degree in development education, TVET-related subject, and other relevant
field; (ii) at least 5 years’ relevant experience in development and delivery of training
programs in related skills areas; (iii) excellent organizational and planning abilities; (iv)
excellent communication (oral and written) and presentation skills; (v) substantial
knowledge of gender and development principles and concepts and application in
development of instructional, training materials; and (vi) experience in development of
instructional materials related to enterprise development and TVET skill trainings.. The
tasks to be performed by the Instructional Design and Training Specialist include the
following:

a. Assess the training needs of target participants through surveys and

interviews with target women entrepreneurs and markdikars.
b. Develop the training course and content for women entrepreneurs based
on the rapid assessment and training needs assessment.
c. Coordinate with subject matter experts-consultants and relevant
educational institutions and authorities in designing the training course
curricula and content.
d. Organize the training courses, including ensuring full attendance of target
training participants.
e. Coordinate with subject matter experts-consultants in conducting the
training sessions.
f. Coordinate the logistical arrangements prior to and during the conduct of
all the training activities.
g. Lead the conduct of the training activities in coordination with the team
leader and subject matter experts-consultants.
h. Monitor if all necessary clearances from relevant authorities have been
obtained for the participants of the various training programs.
i. Prepare assessment reports and recommendations for each training
course to enhance the effectiveness of the training courses.
iii. Project and Finance Associate (National, 7 person-months intermittent) The
Project and Finance Associate will support the team leader in her/his overall responsibility
of facilitating the implementation and monitoring the progress of the Technical Assistance
(TA). The Project and Finance Associate should have (i) University degree in business
and office administration, finance management, accounting, or any relevant field; (ii) at
least 5 years’ experience in finance and administrative work in government or international
organizations; (iii) at least 3 years’ experience in implementing development projects for
government or international organizations; (iv) excellent computer skills (MS Word and
Excel); and (iv) good command of the English language. The Project and Finance
Associate will:

a. Provide all administrative and logistical support to the project team.

b. Prepare and submit all financial reports, documentation of meetings, and
relevant progress reports and updates for the subproject.
c. Maintain detailed records of all project documents and reports, including
financial reports, instructional materials, training kits, and knowledge
products.
d. Keep and manage the subproject’s financial records in accordance with
ADB procedures.
e. Support the day-to-day project implementation.
f. Facilitate the requests for clearances from relevant authorities.
g. Perform other duties related to the project as requested by the team leader
and project leader.

iv. Pool of short-term consultants/resource persons (International, 1 person-

month; National, 3 person-months, intermittent) Short-term consultants/resource
persons will be engaged for the following assignments and key activities:

a. Data collection as part of the rapid assessment on women’s

entrepreneurship.
b. Development and enhancement of online marketing tools.
c. Development of export-grade product design and branding.
d. Development of course content and conduct of the training session for
topics, subjects which will include: (i) tourism and hospitality and other
identified TVET skills requirements of mardikars; (ii) digital marketing and
communications; (iii) financial literacy; and other learning areas, as
needed.