SOW Revised.docx

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED

Statement of Work

Expert Services under Gender and Social Inclusion Program for DigiFemmes Program Coordinator

A. Introduction

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a U.S. Government corporation whose mission is to support economic growth and poverty reduction in carefully selected developing countries that demonstrate a commitment to just and democratic governance, economic freedom, and investments in their citizens. Key MCC operating principles relating to the award of country grants include emphasis on economic impact, country-led solutions and implementation, and focus on results. For more information on the MCC, please visit www.mcc.gov.

The Gender and Social Inclusion (GSI) unit at MCC seeks an experienced project coordinator to help oversee the implementation of the DigiFemmes program, which is located in Côte d’Ivoire. The specific skillsets, required experience, and anticipated tasks and deliverables are detailed in subsequent sections. The range of tasks and deliverables will require a talented, experienced, motivated, and adaptive consultant who is well-networked and thrives working in cross-sectoral teams.

The DigiFemmes program, initially referred to as the Women’s Data Lab and Network (WDLN), is a three-year data and digital skills-building program for women in Côte d’Ivoire. The program is a partnership of MCC, US Agency for International Development, and Microsoft, with MCC serving as the lead implementor. After an intensive co-creation process, the program was officially launched in April 2022. The program seeks to build Ivorian women’s knowledge of and skills in the data and digital domain by offering several distinct tracks. The first track, referred to as the DigiFemmes Academy, is a two-year training program for women seeking to become full stack developers and entrepreneurs. The Academy uses an experimental gamification pedagogy and runs cohorts of 150 women annually. The second track, DigiFemmes Entrepreneures, offers targeted entrepreneurship training focused on data and digital skilling for women with established small to medium enterprises (W-SMEs) in Côte d’Ivoire. 50 women enter the incubation phase of this track and after 6 months, 15 are selected to continue in an Acceleration program. In addition to these tracks, the program seeks to build data and digital skills in the business ecosystem in Côte d’Ivoire through periodic “Light Touch” trainings for women entrepreneurs who are not official participants of the program, as well as by improving the enabling environment through targeted gender trainings for ecosystem actors.

The DigiFemmes Program aims to:

· Provide a centrally accessible, welcoming, and safe space for W-SMEs, while also supplying entrepreneurs access to business development training, data and digital training, resources, mentors and role models they need to succeed.

· Build the capacity of women-owned businesses and associations to generate user-friendly data and business intelligence information and develop delivery methods for use by women-owned businesses, business associations, cooperatives, etc.

· Deliver in-demand data analytics, visualization, machine learning, and other data science skills, which will enhance the ability of W-SMEs and businesses to make use of available market data and business data, and to develop technology services.

· Build a digital network and strengthen the community of women-owned businesses and associations to access online tools, knowledge, resources and solutions.

As stated above, this program is funded by USAID through their Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Fund. Thus, it is implemented separately from other MCC investments in Côte d’Ivoire. However, the DigiFemmes team within MCC coordinates with the Resident Country Mission within Abidjan, as well as with relevant USAID programs in the country.

B. Scope

The Country Program Coordinator (CPC) shall be based in Côte d’Ivoire for the DigiFemmes effort and will contribute to local program due diligence and oversight as described below. The CPC will be part of the “MCC DigiFemmes Core Team” – and will report to the COR/DigiFemmes Program Lead in the Gender and Social Inclusion Practice Group at MCC headquarters and will work in close coordination with the entire MCC DigiFemmes team, which also includes representatives from the Data Collaboration for Local Impact (DCLI), the Gender and Social Inclusion Practice Group, and the Office of Strategic Partnerships (OSP). The CPC’s oversight role has now become particularly important since the local implementation team has been formed and the program has launched.

The CPC shall perform the following:

1. Local Program Oversight, Coordination and Monitoring (50%): The CPC plays a critical role for oversight of the technical program implementation team established by the Cooperative Agreement Partner. The CPC shall oversee and provide regular updates on in-country program activities and operations to the broader MCC DigiFemmes team. The CPC will facilitate effective coordination between the local implementor and other MCC (or related USAID) investments and ensure regular communications with the members of the MCC DigiFemmes Core team. This may include tracking the implementation and reporting of the activities, monitoring the use of partners funds, and contributing to the review of the partner’s monthly and quarterly financial and narrative reports.

2. Local Technical Perspective and Input (30%): As part of their role within the MCC DigiFemmes Team, the CPC will provide important technical supervision at each stage of the design and implementation of the DigiFemmes program, with particular emphasis on the local feasibility, local acceptance and local sustainability of proposed focus and activities. They will review draft design deliverables and implementation technical progress reports.

3 Representation (20%): The CPC shall serve as the first in-line MCC in-country representative of the DigiFemmes Program. The CPC may be asked to direct political and institutional outreach for the program and to advise on proper and customary protocol for working in the country. The CPC may also be asked to advance the program’s reach and effectiveness through leveraging new or existing connections within government, non-government, donor and/or private sector organizations.

C. Countries

The majority of the current anticipated DigiFemmes activities shall take place in Côte d’Ivoire. However, the CPC may need to travel regionally to learn from and/or coordinate with other connected initiatives (such as other data and digital labs and/or partners), events, and/or outreach programs. Occasional trips to work with the MCC DigiFemmes team in Washington D.C. are also possible.

D. Tasks

Based on the three categories of tasks described in the Scope Section, the CPC shall undertake the following tasks and deliverables working in close collaboration with the MCC DigiFemmes Team:

Local Program Oversight, Coordination, and Monitoring:

a. Monitors all program activities and provides real-time programmatic oversight and guidance to accomplish the DigiFemmes Program objectives.

b. Coordinates with the MCC DigiFemmes core team, as well as contracted personnel and consultants, grantees or implementing partners, to obtain input on country-specific status and progress related to the DigiFemmes Program.

c. Contributes to the review of technical and financial reports and other deliverables in coordination with MCC GSI Program Lead and other members of the DigiFemmes team.

d. Participates in meetings with Program stakeholders, including: MCC staff, USAID and Microsoft representatives, consultants, grantees, national and local government entities, and implementing partners.

e. Actively tracks progress towards agreed-upon deliverables, schedules, reporting, and budget.

f. Contributes to overall budget tracking and reporting, working to ensure timely preparation of monthly and quarterly reports for MCC and USAID.

g. Participates in Digifemmes Core Team meetings and provides regular (at least biweekly) verbal or short digital updates on key areas of activities and progress according to the project requirements.

h. Performs other related duties as assigned.

Local Technical Perspective and Input:

a. Collaborates with the MCC DigiFemmes core team to provide (or seek out) local perspective and input on the appropriateness of the program focus, activities, and strategies to achieve sustainability so that the DigiFemmes Program will have the greatest impact in the immediate, medium, and long term.

b. Coordinates with the DigiFemmes Implementation Team, technical assistance partners, and potential program advisors (who may be subcontracted) to guide the local implementation partner in its design of an advocacy strategy for the growth and outreach to W-SMEs and pertinent associations.

c. Coordinates with the DigiFemmes Team, technical assistance partners and potential program advisors to guide the local implementation partner in its efforts to sustain, adapt and expand (sustainability plan) support to W-SMEs through digital skills and data use and core business fundamentals.

d. Performs other related duties as assigned., e.

Representation:

a. Provides MCC representation and support to the local implementation partner during critical national and sub-national level outreach activities.

b. Working with the DigiFemmes Communication Specialist, conducts outreach activities to publicize the broader MCC, USAID and partner-related program and activities.

c. Advances the program’s reach and effectiveness through utilizing new or existing connections within government, non-government, donor and/or private sector organizations, including high-level communications and meetings, and as-needed coordination with additional local advisors.

d. Performs other related duties as assigned.

E. Period and Place of Performance

All work shall be completed between the dates of the award through a one-year base period of performance, with an additional one (1) six-month option.

The estimated level of effort is estimated at up to, and not to exceed, 2,000 hours for the first year and 1,000 hours for the six-month option year, inclusive of any national and international trips as required. MCC anticipates this level of effort but does not guarantee this level of effort as it may increase or decrease.

The CPC shall perform the tasks under this contract from their home office in Côte d’Ivoire. The CPC may need to travel regionally in order to learn from and/or coordinate with other connected initiatives (other data and digital labs and/or partners), events and/or outreach programs. Occasional trips to work with the MCC DigiFemmes team in Washington D.C. are also possible.

F. Subcontracting

Experts are authorized to subcontract data collection, data preparation, data or economic analysis, and related services as needed. The overall costs for subcontracting shall not exceed 25% of the expert’s total negotiated unloaded direct labor cost.

G. Conflict of Interest

The CPC would be precluded from bidding on work involving the implementation and assessment of the DigiFemmes Program.

H. Timing and Reporting

All formal communication with MCC, including reports, will be submitted to the MCC DigiFemmes Team Lead, and other designated MCC personnel as stipulated. The CPC will submit monthly progress reports to the MCC DigiFemmes Team Lead, in a format to be agreed upon in collaboration with the MCC Team Lead. The MCC DigiFemmes Team Lead will have technical responsibility for monitoring the contractor’s performance and will review and evaluate the contractor’s performance. The CPC will submit timesheets and expense reports for reimbursement to the Project Monitor for this contract on a cadence to be determined in collaboration (the CPC and the PM).

Any changes in the terms of the SoW will be made in writing and approved by the Team Lead and Contracting Officer. No representation of the COR/PM shall serve as a basis for an alteration in the general scope of this SoW or of the terms and conditions of the SoW unless confirmed in writing by the Contracting Officer. The contractor must communicate with the Contracting Officer on all matters that pertain to the Contract terms. Proceeding with the work without proper contractual coverage could result in nonpayment for that work.

I. *Evaluation Criteria

Mandatory:

· Minimum seven years of project / program management experience working in a leadership position in Africa for major international development donors, such as World Bank, African Development Bank, USAID, MCC etc., including technical and financial oversight, monitoring and reporting on work plans and implementation activities of international development projects.

· Prior technical experience on programs involving assistance to SMEs, W-SMEs in particular, and/or awareness / training in programs that enable better SME business performance, innovation or scaling is highly desirable.

· Demonstrated experience managing positive and constructive multi-stakeholder relationships, especially in the context of grants management, business development, or international development.

· Minimum five years of experience addressing gender and social inclusion in development projects in middle to low-income countries.

· Demonstrated experience working in the entrepreneurship and data and digital ecosystem in Côte d’Ivoire, with a current and in-depth understanding of the governmental and private sectors as well as civil society landscape in that country.

· Must be a resident in Côte D’Ivoire – and with a permit to work in Côte d’Ivoire.

· Must have excellent written and verbal proficiency in English and in French.

· A bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in international relations, development, gender and social studies, business administration, public administration, economics, or a related field; or four years of equivalent experience.

Preferred:

· Knowledge of international best practices and ability to apply data and data skills to international development projects, including capacity building (data literacy) in developing countries.

· Knowledge of strategic and operational planning processes and techniques and the ability to manage for results, problem-solve and identify innovative solutions.

· Experience serving as a program representative to high-level, senior government and industry leaders.

· Experience working with United States government international development entities.

· A demonstrated track record of producing high quality, well-written deliverables in a timely fashion.

*NOTE: The Government, at its sole discretion, may consider substitutions and/or requests for deviation from any of the following personnel qualifications (e.g., experience in lieu of education), if to do so would be in the best interest of the Government.)

Other requirements:

International travel is required. The expert may be requested to mobilize on a short notice and will be expected to deliver high quality finished products in a timely manner.