Consultancy on the Provision of Digital Skills Mentorship and Market Access Linkages for Freelancers in Dadaab – DRC

Who is the Danish Refugee Council

Founded in 1956, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a leading international NGO and one of the few with specific expertise in forced displacement. Active in 40 countries with 9,000 employees and supported by 7,500 volunteers, DRC protects, advocates, and builds sustainable future for refugees and other displacement-affected people and communities. DRC works during displacement at all stages: In the acute crisis, in displacement, when settling and integrating into a new place, or upon return. DRC provides protection and life-saving humanitarian assistance; supports displaced persons in becoming self-reliant and included in hosting societies; and works with civil society and responsible authorities to promote the protection of rights and peaceful coexistence.

DRC has been present in Kenya since 2005 working with the displaced, and offering support in areas of protection, livelihoods, and armed violence reduction. The areas of operation include: Dadaab, Kakuma refugee camps (including Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement), as well as urban refugees in Nairobi and Mandera

Purpose of the Consultancy

The Danish Refugee Council is an implementing partner of UNHCR in Digital Skills training and is seeking a digital online consultant to;

• Support market connections and job networking for sustainable online job connections to freelancers.
• Provide linkages to the local and global freelancers’ community to support awareness of trends in the gig economy.
• Support market connections to local super agents and established freelancers in the freelancing industry
• Support freelancers’ onboarding to emerging and convenient freelancing marketplaces.

Background

Digital Skills Project is designed to address gender, social, cultural, and economic barriers that affect youth’s ability to access education and employment opportunities. The project specifically targets the most critical moment in Dadaab’s youth educational Journey. The transition from basic education to higher education or employment consists of a large range of interventions, including teacher training, life skills education, financial literacy training, engagement for behavior change, mentorship programs, and market-based digital skills training.

Freelancing is among the notable fields in the 21st century which contribute immensely to the livelihoods of youths who work in either digital or digitally-enabled jobs. Danish Refugee Council(DRC) Digital Skills Project is among the livelihood components which aim at increasing economic inclusion and empowerment for freelancers in Dadaab. Part of the digital skills DRC offers to freelancers in Dadaab across the three refugee camps includes data entry, translation, Virtual assistance, Digital marketing, Transcription, and content writing. The key online work platforms introduced include Upwork, Remotask, and Fiverr. The scope of the capacity enhancement activities for freelancers involves intense training and mentorship.

Based on our freelancing experience since 2021, we have identified algorithmic bias based on geographical location and nationality in the dominant freelancing marketplaces, which makes it difficult for local freelancers to excel in the gig economy. Besides, Kenyan freelancers struggle to withdraw their online earnings from online payment methods that in most cases end up holding users’ funds indefinitely without clarification. As such, we have so far identified a locally available gig market that could be sustainable in the long run. Our startup leverages digital skills to promote the United Nations’ sustainable development goals of decent work, economic growth, and reduced inequalities among the Persons of Concern.

One of the major goals of the Digital Skills Project is to increase the equitability participation of Dadaab youth in the formal and informal workforce. The digital online skills training is therefore an integral component of the program, which intends to support at least 200 youth in Dadaab and surrounding host communities to obtain training in digital skills which will subsequently lead them to obtain sustainable work.

Danish Refugee Council is seeking to hire an experienced, skilled, and result-oriented Digital online work consultant to provide both online, offline, local, and international work linkages to the trained Dadaab online freelancers and participate in developing a mentorship model; and support strategies that will transition trained Dadaab online Freelancers to access wages and /or self-employment opportunities and earn a dignified income.

The Role Of The Online Work Consultant.

Aligned with this purpose, the consultant will play the following roles:

Enhance Market Access

• Conducting research to identify in-demand skills and niches in the freelancing market, and understanding the current trends and demands and link graduates with these opportunities.
• Assisting graduates in building a strong personal brand that highlights their expertise and showcases their unique skills and value proposition.
• Guiding graduates on effective networking strategies to connect with potential clients, industry professionals, and relevant freelancing platforms.
• Advising on the selection of suitable freelancing platforms based on the graduates’ skills and target audience.
• Assisting in creating marketing materials and promotional strategies to attract clients and stand out in the crowded freelancing market.
• Offering ongoing support and mentorship as freelancers navigate the market and encounter various challenges.

Mentorship;

• Review the mentorship curriculum and strategies in place.
• Support high-quality face-to-face mentorship access to on-demand digital skills across the three refugee camps.
• Provide online work linkages to trained freelancers.
• Support the freelancers in bidding for online work and offer assistance when required.
• Support acculturation, priority setting, networking, career planning, and counseling related to the individual’s (mentee’s) identified goals toward advancement in their freelancing career.
• Support freelancers in client engagement and contract management strategies
• Watch out for trends on the online platforms and advise the program team on ways to align implementation
• Support knowledge sharing, with other experienced freelancers and Business Process Outsourcing Business Process Outsourcing (BPOs) in the local and internal market, both offline and online.

Training;

• Train selected members of 2 BPOs to be able to outsource digital work
• Simulations of freelancer-client engagement, thorough client management, job search, and bidding strategies.
• Helping freelancers create an impressive portfolio that showcases their past work, projects, and accomplishments
• Support the BPOs in developing bids and proposals for digital work
• Onboarding the trainees to a maximum of three freelancing marketplaces for the maximum possible success rate.
• Work closely with the partner trainers and mentors in training and assessing participants before onboarding to work platforms.
• Training the trainees on freelancing ethics including privacy and confidentiality safeguards between freelancers and clients.

Sustainability;

• Work closely with DRC to establish and build the capacity of business processing units, ensure a good governance structure of the units is in place, and support linkages to digital online work and financial services.
• Oversee the creations of local freelance clubs and agencies within Dadaab to harness digital opportunities, and knowledge sharing for sustainability.
• Web/Mobile App development for Market access and enhanced online visibility of the trained freelancers to the online job market.
• Support market connections and job networking for sustainable online job connections to freelancers.
• Provide a reputable freelancing marketplace(Platform) where the trained and mentored freelancers can be onboarded.
• Provide information to trained freelancers on entrepreneurship pathways, and support the implementing partner with life skills and financial literacy training.
• In collaboration with the Economic Recovery officer, facilitate linkage to credible financial institutions.

Quality Control and Impact Measurement;

• Implement, monitor, and evaluate intervention using a result-based monitoring system to measure a success rate of more than 50%.
• Participate in the weekly feedback sessions and provide a progress report based on the week’s performance.
• Perform monitoring and evaluation of the mentorship program to measure adoption and success.

Scope of Work and Methodology

The Consultant will be required to prepare a mixed approach methodology which will include physical training, physical and virtual mentorship, knowledge sharing among the trainees, and market access in terms of linking the freelancers to reputable local, and international work platforms and BPOs. The consultant will be required to develop a result-based monitoring system to measure a success rate. In this regard, the training tools used should be aligned with the current curriculum manual being used i.e. AjiraDigital, ICDL, and Life Skills. The work plan indicating how the objectives of the project will be achieved, and the support required from DRC Kenya should also be incorporated.

Deliverables

The Consultant will submit the following deliverables as mentioned below:

Inception Report

• The consultant should provide an inception report containing a work plan with an emphasis on methodological and planning aspects, the timing, key deliverables, and milestones. The inception report will provide the DRC digital training team the opportunity to verify that they have the same understanding of the project’s objective

Mentorship

• Support high-quality face-to-face mentorship access to on-demand digital skills across the 3 refugee camps.

Trainee Skills Profiling

• To conduct freelancer profiling based on the skills acquired during digital training, interest, and career goals.
• Hard Skills and Onboarding to freelancing marketplaces
• To support high-quality face-to-face mentorship access to on-demand digital skills across the three refugee camps

Client/Contractual Engagement

• To support freelancers in client engagement and contract management strategies

Mid Reporting

• The consultant should provide a mid-report showing the progress of the project activities.

Market Access

• To support market connections and job networking for sustainable online job connections to freelancers.

Monitoring and Evaluation Reporting

• To perform monitoring and evaluation of the mentorship program to identify alignment with intended outcomes and create interventions for missed targets.
• Documenting the impact of the mentorship and market access capacity enhancement activities
• Reporting key learnings.

Final Reporting

• Finalization of the report based on input provided on the inception report.
• The Consultant will provide the documentation via email.

What DRC will provide;

• Office space;
• Working space and WIFI connection during the duration of the assignment.
• DRC will also support the mobilization of all required respondents.
• Transportation from Dadaab Main Office to the digital hubs in Dagahaley, Ifo, and Hagadera.
• Accommodation and Meals.
• Transportation from Nairobi to Dadaab and back.

The consultant will cater for;

• Insurance

Duration, Timeline, and Payment

• The total expected duration to complete the assignment will be no more than 4 months
• The consultant shall be prepared to complete the assignment no later than 30th January 2024.

Proposed Composition of Team

• Economic Recovery Team leader
• Economic Recovery Officer : Digital Learning Officer
• Economic Recovery Officer : life skills
• Economic Recovery Assistant
• Digital trainers: General Support

Eligibility, Qualification, And Experience Required

The successful candidate(s) must be able to work independently to deliver the required outputs working with a variety of internal and external stakeholders. Qualifications will include:

Essential:

• Experience in the digital and freelancing economy

Desirable:

Eligibility:

• • The consultant has the authorization to work in Kenya

Qualification:

• • At least a Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, BBIT, Community Development, or any other related field.
  • Minimum of 3 years working experience with humanitarian programs in the field of Economic Recovery with at least 1 year of experience engaging with refugees, asylum seekers, migrants, and/or other vulnerable populations in economic strengthening interventions.
  • Excellent command of common methodologies used to identify, assess and monitor livelihood activities, with a proven record of achievements in digital work.
  • Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
  • Strong analysis skills (qualitative and quantitative)
  • Good understanding of complex emergencies and crisis contexts.
  • Goal-oriented with the ability to work under pressure, independently, and with limited supervision.
  • Ability and willingness to work and live under challenging conditions.

Experience:

• • A minimum of 5 proven years of freelancing and the digital economy.
  • Experience working online and bidding for online jobs
  • Experience in working with underprivileged youths
  • Experience in digital creation, innovation, and problem-solving

Skills and Knowledge:

• • Strong cultural awareness and sensitivity.
  • Excellent computer skills.
  • Flexible and creative.
  • Strong Organizational and logistical skills.
  • Proven track record in conducting similar assignments and assessments.
  • Must have working online work platform where freelancers can access jobs-local and international jobs.

Language Requirements:

• • Written and spoken fluency in English and Kiswahili
  • Working knowledge of the Somali Language is an advantage

Technical Supervision

The selected consultant will work under the supervision of:

• Economic Recovery Team Leader- Dadaab Field Office

Location and Support

Travel will be around Dadaab Main Office and Refugee camps in Ifo, Hagadera, and Dagahaley Digital Hub. The Consultant will provide his/her computer and mobile telephone. DRC will also support the mobilization of all required respondents.

Submission Process

Interested candidates must submit as a minimum:

• Document 1: Updated CV(s) of the consulting team and a company profile should also be included.
• Document 2: A brief document (10 pages max) outlining a basic strategy and technical approach to the TOR, team composition, and timeline, clearly indicating the level of effort required.
• Document 3: A brief document (10 pages max) showing a portfolio of previous relevant assignments or work. Where possible, this should include links to published works or online platforms.
• Document 4: A separate financial proposal with a breakdown of the budget covering consultancy fees and all related expenses to implement the activities of the consultancy, including travel and transportation, accommodation, and all logistical requirements
• Document 5: A comprehensive work plan outlining the project’s objectives, tasks, timelines, resource requirements, and deliverables.

Evaluation of Bids

A bid shall pass the administrative evaluation stage before being considered for technical and financial evaluation. Bids that are deemed administratively non-compliant may be rejected. Documents listed below shall be submitted with your bid.

The financial proposal should be in USD with a breakdown of budget covering consultancy fees and all related expenses to implement the activities of the consultancy, including travel and transportation, accommodation, incidentals and all logistical requirements. The quoted price will be subjected to 20% withholding tax for non-residents and 5% withholding tax for Kenya residents, consider this in your quote.

All bids that pass the Technical Evaluation will proceed to the Financial Evaluation. Bids that are deemed technically non-compliant will not be financially evaluated

Proposals failing to meet the above minimum requirements will not be considered further. DRC will conduct reference checks from at least 1 previous work as an additional mandatory requirement.

Data Protection and Confidentiality

While executing this assignment, the consultant and all the parties involved shall ensure effective protection of confidential and sensitive data and information in conformity with the humanitarian and protection principles and to applicable legal data protection standard. All data collection and processing activities shall be executed in accordance with the following principles:

• Safeguarding individuals’ personal data is a crucial part of humanitarian mission to protect the lives, integrity and dignity of beneficiaries and participants and is fundamental in the provision of protection response and humanitarian aid.
• People-centered and inclusive: Evaluation activities will respect the interests and wellbeing of the population and stakeholders, in all relevant phases of the evaluation and which activities must be sensitive to age, gender, and other issues of diversity.
• Do No Harm: Evaluation activities must include a risk assessment and take steps, if necessary, to mitigate identified risks. The risk assessment must look at negative consequences that may result from data collection and subsequent actions.
• Defined purpose and proportionality: The purpose must be clearly defined and explained to the participants in the data collection process.
• Informed consent and confidentiality: Personal information may be collected only after informed consent has been provided by the individual in question and that individual must be aware of the purpose of the collection. Further, confidentiality must be clearly explained to the individual before the information may be collected. Consent must be genuine, based on the data subject’s voluntary and informed decision.
• Data protection and security: The evaluation process must adhere to international standards of data protection and data security.
• Competency and capacity: Actors engaging in this evaluation are accountable for ensuring that evaluation activities are carried out by a competent team who have been trained appropriately.
• Impartiality: All steps of the evaluation cycle must be undertaken in an objective, impartial, and transparent manner while identifying and minimizing bias.

Additional Information

For additional information regarding these terms of reference, please send your questions to procurement.KEN@drc.ngo

Please find complete bidding documents in the following link: RFP-KEN-017055 Provision of Digital Skills Mentorship and Market Access Linkages for Freelancers in Dadaab