1. Background
The PPDP for Inclusive Decent Employment and Productive Livelihoods is a project developed in collaboration between the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida). The project aims to contribute to the inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development of Nakuru, Narok, and Kajiado counties. It seeks to create employment opportunities and drive economic growth through the enhancement of employability and job access, the promotion of inclusive job opportunities within sustainable enterprises and value chains, and the engagement of communities for productive employment and livelihoods. The project is designed under the Market Systems Development (MSD) approach to ensure sustainable socio-economic development.
As a precursor to implementing the project activities, the PPDP project has recently completed a study in Nakuru, Narok, and Kajiado counties, identifying tourism as one of the sectors of intervention for the project. To further inform how the project will intervene in the tourism sector, the project will conduct a comprehensive study of the tourism sector in these counties, building on the previous study. This study will take the form of a Market Systems Analysis (MSA), which will seek to understand the tourism value chain potentials for jobs creation but also the key supporting functions and rules and regulations that affect the performance of the tourism value chain.
In order to conduct the tourism sector Market Systems Analysis, the ILO requires the services of a consultant with expertise and knowledge in the tourism sector in Kenya, which is the objective of this assignment.
It should be noted that, in parallel to conducting this MSA, the project will also conduct an MSA focused on the fodder sector as well as a gender focused study which will result in a “gender action plan”; plan for mainstreaming environment, climate and biodiversity for the project. On this note, it will be critical for the MSA and the gender and environment, climate and biodiversity parameters to be aligned and complementary. That said, the MSAs will also, in and of themselves examine gender and environment issues to a certain degree, as is standard practice in any MSA (as MSAs put target groups at the center) but also aided by application of ILO’s gender-sensitive MSA guidance1 and ILO Strategic frameworks in the areas of environmental sustainability and climate change2 and guidance related to MSD and environmental issues3.
1 See chapter 3 of ILO’s complementary guide on gender-sensitive VCD.
2 https://www.ilo.org/resource/ilo-strategic-frameworks-area-environmental-sustainability-and-climate
3 See Market systems development for a just transition: What does it really mean for donors and practitioners? jobs-near-me.org International Labour Organization; Market Systems Development and the Environment jobs-near-me.org International Labour Organization; Environmental Sustainability in Value Chain and Market System Development for Decent Work : A Short Guide for Analysis and Intervention Design jobs-near-me.org International Labour Organization
2. Objectives of the assignment
The primary objective of this assignment is to help conduct a Market System Analysis (MSA) of the tourism sector in Nakuru, Kajiado, and Narok counties. The support provided by the consultant to this end will be both of technical nature (e.g. advising on appropriate key informants, developing research methods and tools, collecting data, analysing findings, preparing the reports etc.) and of logistical nature (e.g. establishing contact with relevant stakeholders / key informants, planning and setting up meetings with these, etc.).
Specific objectives of the MSA:
In this assignment, the national consultant will work closely with the PPDP team and HQ backstopping team to complete the market systems analysis following ILO methodology, as outlined in section 3 of ILO’s VCD guide and its complementary gender-sensitive VCD guide.4 This will include covering the 5 key steps of an MSA which include:
- Understanding and mapping the tourism value chain’s structure and its main dynamics: The MSA will seek to better understand the different tourism “value chain stages” (e.g. pre-travel, travel to destination, on-ground experience, post-travel) and the current and projected supply and demand for different tourism services within these different stages (among both domestic and international tourists). This will notably include examining the different actors providing these services, their performance, their relationships with other actors, etc. A gender perspective will be adopted, identifying the proportion of men and women employed at each stage of the value chain, the extent of women’s unpaid labour, the proportion of businesses at each stage owned by women and men, their channels to the market, among other gender equality considerations. It should be noted that, although the definition of tourism services shall be considered in a wide sense at the outset of analysis5, it is intended that the main focus of analysis will be on key tourism services identified relatively early on. This prioritization will be based on discussions within the team on feasibility and opportunity to achieve project objectives.
- Understanding the employment outlook in the tourism sector and market opportunities associated with better DW outcomes for women and men: The MSA will seek to understand the number and nature of jobs in key tourism sector services, with an eye towards understanding gender and age differences and barriers to improved Decent Work outcomes for different groups. Informed also by the tourism value chain analysis conducted under step 1, the MSA will then seek to identify market opportunities with potential for creating more jobs or increasing incomes to the benefit of youth and women in the target counties. Here, the MSA will also notably seek to understand skills requirements for different occupations and potential gaps among youth and women that the project may realistically address within its skills development component.
- Identifying key supporting functions and rules and regulations: Following the analysis of the core value chain and identification of market opportunities with associated employment impact, the MSA will seek to better understand what is constraining the realization of these opportunities. To this end, the MSA will seek to identify which supporting functions (including provision of training, business development services, financial services, etc.) and rules and regulations (coordination, tax regulations, investment incentives, quality standards, etc.) can be improved to unlock identified market opportunities and associated employment impact.
- Analysing key supporting functions and rules and regulations: Having identified key supporting functions and rules and regulations, the MSA will analyze these in further depth. In other words, it will examine the behaviors and practices of key supporting actors (e.g. financial institutions, training institutions, coordination bodies, government agencies, etc.) and why they are not delivering what tourism sector stakeholders need to unlock identified market opportunities. Specific attention will be given to the identification of gender-based constraints, potentially limiting women’s access to supporting functions in the broader market system. This will also include a forward-looking analysis of the capacities and incentives of such support actors to improve their practices, and what are the main barriers they face in this regard (and which sub-systems they originate in6). At the end of this step, the research team should be confident it has identified the “root causes” of constraints, including gender-based constraints, to more and better jobs in the tourism sector.
- Identifying and prioritizing implementation opportunities: The end result of the MSA will provide the project initial intervention ideas to deliver in partnership with local actors. These intervention ideas will be informed by a realistic “systemic change” vision of how project interventions will address the root causes of constraints identified under step #4 and how addressing these will lead to more and better jobs in the tourism sector. The design and prioritization of intervention ideas will have to consider the time and budget available as well as the potential partners available to drive these interventions.
In order to ensure a properly structured analysis, it is recommended that the team should hold a debrief on each step in due time, recapping the findings on that particular topic and what this means for the “next” step of analysis. This is not to say that the research should necessarily follow this sequence – time constraints require that research be done on multiple different steps in parallel. However, when drawing conclusions of research and to guide the analytical process (as opposed to the research process), this sequencing should be followed.
Throughout the assignment, the research team and the consultant will keep a keen eye on cross-cutting issues. This will include keeping an eye out for key environmental issues, notably surrounding human-wildlife conflict in the three counties, and potential solutions that can mitigate environmental damage (e.g. community-based tourism, regulation, green tourism labels, etc.). Moreover, although already highlighted in the steps above, it should be underlined that the MSA will strive to understand target group specific barriers and opportunities, notably related to gender7 and age differences8. These often bear significant implications on intervention areas and strategy and thus are crucial to understand in order to effectively positively impact vulnerable groups such as women and youth. Lastly, the MSA should also consider a rights-based approach, focused on protecting worker rights, promoting social dialogue, and ensuring inclusive, safe, and secure work environments for all, especially the most vulnerable and marginalized workers.
3. Activities and outputs
As previously mentioned, the support provided by the consultant will encompass tasks both of technical nature (e.g. advising on appropriate key informants, developing research methods and tools, collecting data, analysing findings, etc.) and of logistical nature (e.g. establishing contact with relevant stakeholders / key informants, planning and setting up meetings with these, etc.). This support will be provided throughout the 5 steps of the research.
More specifically, this support will encompass major types of work, in three different “phases”, namely 1. Preparatory work, 2. Field work, 3. Analysis, Reporting and Validation. More information is presented below on the activities to be conducted under each of these different phases and their associated outputs.
Preparatory work
The preparatory work phase will notably include activities related to the onboarding of the consultant, desk research and preparation of the field work phase. Key tasks for the consultant will notably include:
a) Participation in onboarding mini-training including on the market systems development approach ILO’s market systems analysis methodology, and ILO’s gender-sensitive approach to value chain development.
b) Briefing to ILO research team on key tourism sector dynamics, constraints and opportunities in target counties (covering both international and domestic tourist segments), based on prior knowledge of consultant
c) Rapid desk research, identifying and categorising existing project documents, county and national policies, regulations, and relevant literature.
d) Contribution to draft mapping of sector and the main market segments, as well as the main employment opportunities within these, informed by desk research
e) Identification of key primary research areas, informed by information gaps identified in rapid desk research, and identification of from who / where to get this information, and development of “rough” research tools (survey, interview questions, focus group discussions) and pilot testing them.
f) Contribute to organization of field research, including notably by setting up meetings with key informants
Associated outputs:
Output 1 – Inception report with annexed certificate of participation in ILO MSD onboarding course and PPT slide deck of briefing
Field Work
The fieldwork phase will cover primary data collection, in line with the research plan, as specified in the inception report. The data collection will adopt a gender-sensitive approach and adopt the guidance provided in ILO’s complementary guide for a gender-sensitive approach to value chain development.9 This will also possibly include follow-up field research, should that be deemed necessary by the ILO research team. Key tasks for the consultant will notably include:
a) Primary data collection (key informant interviews, focus group discussions, surveys, etc.)
b) Preparation and participation in follow-up field research meetings
Associated outputs:
Output 2 – Final list of meetings attended, and written key takeaways and key follow-up questions for each meeting attended (list and written inputs to be updated on daily basis during field research)
Analysis, Reporting, Validation
The final phase of work will encompass analysis of data collected, reporting and validation of findings with stakeholders. Key tasks for the consultant will include:
a) Analysis of data collected and identification of root causes of different market constraints (including through building problem trees and other methodologies, as deemed relevant)
b) Summary of research findings for discussion with the ILO research team
c) Drafting of interim MSA report
d) Contribution to delivery of MSA validation workshop with stakeholders
e) Preparation of final report
Associated outputs:
• Output 3 – PPT of key “rough” findings of field research, outlining conclusions on the five “steps” of research, as outlined in section 2 and presenting problem trees of key constraints to DW identified.
• Output 4 – Interim Market Systems Analysis report
• Output 5 – PPT of presentation in validation workshop
• Output 6 – Final Market Systems Analysis report
4. Expected level of effort and tentative delivery timeframe
The assignment has an expected level of effort of 30 workdays for the consultant (likely spanning for approximately two months starting from day of engagement). Anticipated timelines for each intermediate step and activities, as well as their respective expected level of effort are presented below.
As the consultant will be expected to work closely with the ILO research team, the table below also includes information on who is expected to lead relative to different tasks (whilst noting that when the consultant is expected to lead, that will be under the supervision and the guidance of the ILO, which may adopt a more important role than initially planned should it be deemed necessary).
Throughout the assignment, the consultant will be expected to keep a record of the number of days spent on different tasks. In the event that the consultant foresees a level of effort for a given task in excess of the number of days planned in the contract, the consultant should inform the contract administrator as early as possible.
5. Duration, remuneration and payment schedule
The contract is expected to begin within two weeks of the submission end date, and it will end on the 30th of April 2025.
Transport during field work outside of Nairobi will be provided by the ILO. Accommodation outside of Nairobi and other relevant expenses during field work will be reimbursed by the ILO based on real costs incurred and in line with ILO policy. As such, the remuneration of the consultant will correspond to their daily rate multiplied by 30 workdays (the “professional fee”) in addition to reimbursement of the real costs incurred.
The payment schedule of the consultant’s remuneration will be structured as follows:
• 1st payment equivalent to 30% of the professional fee upon satisfactory delivery of Output 1.
• 2nd payment equivalent to 40% of the professional fee upon satisfactory delivery of Outputs 2 and 3.
• 3rd (and final) payment equivalent to 30% of the professional fee and reimbursement of real costs incurred upon satisfactory delivery of Outputs 4, 5 and 6.
6. Qualifications and experience
a) Degree in Tourism, Hospitality Management, Economics, Business Management, or related field.
b) 5 years of experience in the tourism sector in Kenya.
c) Good understanding of the socio-economic context of Nakuru, Kajiado, and Narok counties.
d) Excellent analytical, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills.
e) Experience in conducting research
7. Reporting lines
The expert will work with the PPDP’s National Project Officer for Market Systems, matrixed to ILO’s Technical Officer – Systemic Change Initiative.
Throughout the assignment, the consultant will be expected to communicate regularly with ILO staff and work directly with ILO staff wherever deemed necessary.
How to apply
Interested candidates should submit their application by 4th of February 2025 (11:59 PM Nairobi time) to the address nboprocurement@ilo.org with the subject line “PPDP tourism MSA”. This application should include:
- A Curriculum Vitae
- A motivation letter of maximum two pages explaining why they are the right person to conduct the assignment (e.g. presenting the relevant experiences they have).
- The daily rate of the consultant (this daily rate should only include their daily work fee, and not any other costs such as transport or accommodation, considering that these will be provided by the ILO, in line with ILO policy)
- At least one referee’s contact details (email address & telephone number)
Should the hiring team deem it necessary to help choose its preferred candidate, shortlisted applicants may be required to undertake a short interview following the submission end date (likely during the week of the 10th of February). Information on this interview (should it be deemed necessary) will be communicated to shortlisted candidates within days following the application deadline.