Deadline of this Job: 26 August 2022
About mespt:The Micro-Enterprises Support Programme Trust (MESPT) is a development organization that has since its establishment in 2002 developed a niche in supporting the growth of micro, small and medium enterprises by providing integrated business solutions for sustainable development.
The Trust is jointly founded by the Government of Kenya and the Royal Danish Embassy in Kenya, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (DANIDA). It operates in the context of the financial services and the agricultural sectors to promote economic growth, employment creation and poverty alleviation. Currently, MESPT is working in 25 counties of Kenya.
MESPT achieves its objectives by predominantly developing agricultural value chains whilst embracing the green growth philosophy which entails sustainable management of natural resources. The focus on the agricultural sector is informed by its critical contribution to Kenya’s economic development notably through informal employment creation especially for the marginalized. The Trust has implemented its mandate through two key segments namely, Value Chain & Enterprise Development (VC&ED) and Financial Services (FS). VC&ED have largely focused on value chain and market systems development while FS has been geared towards wholesale lending and capacity building of financial intermediaries with a focus on creating financial inclusion in targeted excluded enterprises.
In its Strategic Plan (2021-2025) MESPT has a clear growth path and development orientation that will shape its profile and ensure that it remains relevant to the spirit and expectations of its founders, customers, and key stakeholders. By the end of the strategic plan period (2025) therefore, the Trust is expected to have achieved the following strategic objectives.
Facilitate the establishment and growth of 100 sustainable agri-business MSMEs and integrated at least 75,000 smallholder farmers in targeted Value Chains.
Grow MESPT niche in financial access and inclusion.
Increase agricultural productivity and food safety for 75,000 smallholder farmers.
Increase awareness, investments & adoption of green interventions.
During this strategic period, the Trust’s development approach has four thematic areas that provide wholistic interventions that intend to ultimately improve the livelihoods of its clients and beneficiaries. These broad areas are: - (1) Agri-Enterprise development, (2) Access to Finance, (3) Agricultural productivity and Food Safety and (4) Green transformation.
MESPT Currently has five (5) Board of Trustees members.
Purpose of the consultancy:
MESPT would like to carry out a board performance appraisal to assess the performance of the board as a unit and the contribution of each of the Trustees with a view of building a high performing board, which is equipped to anticipate, meet, and overcome future challenges and ensure alignment with the Trust’s long-term goals.
Scope of work:
Evaluate the general operations of the Board and to assess whether:
The structure of the Board (this includes Board organization and dynamics, such as the mix of skills, knowledge, diversity, experience and independence)
Board efficiency and effectiveness (this includes clarity of purpose, roles, functions and responsibilities direction and values of the organization; quality of leadership and key Board relationships)
Risk management and governance.
Strategic review and resource allocation.
People issues and succession planning.
Ethics management.
Business performance (this includes the level and quality of reporting)
Evaluate the effectiveness of the collective Board, the individual Trustees and the Chairman of the Board, in terms of:
Meeting attendance; agenda and the Board papers; management, effectiveness and appropriateness of meetings
Adequacy of information flow and communication to and from the Board
Strategy, stewardship of resources, talent (management of the human capital), risk & knowledge management, and in enhancing innovative creativity/strategic thinking
Exercising leadership, integrity and judgement in providing direction and effective oversight to the organization in the performance, transformative leadership, compliance and concordance roles
Assess the objectivity, independence and impartiality of the Board and Management
Assessing the implementation of work plans/recommendations made from the previous year’s assessment and measure changes if any in performance of the Board
Assess the Board mechanism for assessing the performance of the CEO and make recommendations
Appraisal and review of governance instruments and frameworks to assess Trustees management of risk, legal compliance and accountability. In this regard, the Consultant should consider:
The adequacy of the governance framework, policies and instruments and their suitability of purpose now and into the future.
The adequacy and suitability of the governance framework, policies, instruments and documents now and into the future
The overall effectiveness of the governance structures, processes and systems in place
Analysis of the impact and results obtained from implementation of the governance processes.
Conduct a board capacity assessment and develop a two-year board capacity development plan
Design a tool for use in conducting the capacity assessment
Using the tool conduct a capacity assessment and develop a capacity development plan of the Board
Deliverables
BOT Evaluation report and action plan
Board capacity assessment tool and capacity development plan
Proposed work schedule
The firm will include the following in their work schedule:
Inception
Develop a detailed methodology and work Implementation Plan
Develop a performance assessment tool for the Board of Trustees
Review of Existing Documents and Records
Review relevant documents including but not limited to:
Board Charter and all instruments of governance
MESPT Trust Deed
MESPT Strategic Plan
MESPT’s relevant policy documents
Collection of Primary Data and Data Analysis and Interpretation
Determine the best approaches to collect the relevant primary data and carry out the data analysis and interpretation of the same.
Data analysis will involve extraction of meaningful information from raw data. The analysis will be guided by the terms of reference.
Reporting
In Execution of this assignment, they will work closely with the Founders of MESPT and report directly to the Board
Any queries or comments concerning this TOR, or any aspect of the assignment are to be directed to procurement@mespt.org
Qualifications of the firm
Should have at least 7 years’ experience and expertise in corporate governance and in appraisals and board evaluations
Should have strong interpersonal skills; results-oriented and -focused; ability to interact with senior executives; can work within reasonable timelines
CVs (maximum 3 sides of A4 paper each) of key individuals, tailored to the assignment
Outline of team structure, including roles and responsibilities of team members
Provide a summary of the relevant experience
In addition, bidders are expected to provide an itemized budget with professional fees and reimbursable expenses where applicable (including fee rates, number of days and a breakdown of expenses). The financial proposal should include all applicable taxes i.e., VAT, WHT etc
Deadline of this Job: 26 August 2022
About the ProjectThe Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN) is a Kenyan NGO whose mission is to improve the livelihoods of communities in East Africa through the delivery of knowledge and skills on sustainable agriculture and adaptation to climate change using modern technologies. In its new strategy (2022-2027), ALIN Promote solutions that enhance long-term resilience of communities and enable them to thrive in the face of devastating climate shocks.
With support from Oxfam, ALIN is implementing the climate justice component of the Oxfam IBIS project titled “Democracy, climate justice and public education for all in Kenya.” The Project’s impact objective is “Strengthened democracy, progressive resource mobilization the right to free, public quality education, and successful progress towards climate justice and a green economy has enhanced sustainable, gender sensitive and equitable socio-economic development in Kenya.”
This means that the project contributes to two of the overall strategic priorities in the Danish Strategy for International Cooperation: Democratic Values and Human Rights with main emphasis on protecting democracy and supporting effective, democratic and responsible states, including providing education; and Climate and Green Solutions, with main emphasis on strengthening civil society capacity to engage in advocacy efforts related to climate justice.
Background
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) ‘Summary for Policymakers of the Working Group I Contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report, Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis’ report shows that global surface temperature will continue to increase until at least the mid-century under all emissions scenarios considered. Global warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius and 2 degrees Celsius will be exceeded during the 21st century unless deep reductions in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions occur in the coming decades.
In Kenya, Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) which occupy 80% of the country’s landmass are highly devastated by the extreme conditions clearly being experienced by the marginalized and most vulnerable communities in these areas. According to the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) July bulletin, drought continued to worsen in 20 of the 23 ASAL counties. The number of counties in the Alarm stage of drought has increased from five (5) in May to eight (8) in June 2022 while twelve (12) counties are in the Alert drought phase. This is attributed to the poor performance of the 2021 short rains coupled with the previous two failed consecutive seasons and early cessation of the 2022 long rains season.
Proposed Study and Purpose
The Democracy, climate justice and public education for all in Kenya Programme believe that a climate justice and a green economy advocated by women, youth and civil society alliances lead to a more sustainable, gender transformative and equitable socioeconomic model in Kenya.
As part of this project, ALIN with support from Oxfam wishes to conduct a scoping studyon the climate justice efforts, gaps and opportunities in ASAL counties around loss and damage, adaptation and mitigation for the ASAL counties, and design a national influencing strategy including around COP27 in Egypt which seek to accelerate global climate action through emissions reduction, scaled-up adaptation efforts and enhanced flows of appropriate finance.
The scoping study will help inform Oxfam and ALIN programming in climate justice in Kenya for the next 2-3 years. This scoping study has five objectives assignment:
To analyse climate justice efforts, gaps and opportunities in ASAL counties around loss and damage, adaptation, and mitigation
To map out policy and regulatory frameworks that will enable and or hinder Climate Justice in Kenya
Analyse potential national climate budget monitoring and advocacy work, including an overview of current efforts and design a national influencing strategy including around the Conference of Parties (COP27)
To undertake partner and stakeholder mapping to inform potential areas of collaboration and complementarity
To identify gaps, and opportunities for programming that Oxfam in Kenya and ALIN should prioritise on climate justice in Kenya for 2-3 years
The scoping study should among others cover the areas highlighted below;
Climate change adaptation in ASAL areas
How are communities in ASALs areas adapting to climate change?
What are some of the climate change adaptation interventions that are currently implemented in ASAL areas?
Are communities in ASAL areas involved in climate change adaptation planning and budgeting?
Are communities able to influence or monitor climate adaptation expenditure?
To what extent do climate adaptation actions in ASALs and budgets reflect achieving gender equality? Are there requirements for achieving gender equality?
Are there successful examples of communities in ASALs’ involvement in developing and implementing climate adaptation projects?
How can ASALs enhance efforts and resources for adaptation measures?
Climate change mitigation in the ASAL area
What are some of the climate change mitigation actions implemented in ASAL areas?
Are communities in ASALs involved in climate change mitigation planning and budgeting?
Are communities able to influence or monitor climate mitigation expenditure?
Are there successful examples of communities in ASAL’s involvement in developing and implementing climate mitigation projects?
How can ASALs enhance efforts and resources for climate change mitigation measures?
Loss and damage
Illustrate the loss and damage impacts of climate change-related hazards such as droughts, food, and soil degradation in ASAL areas
Explain the various loss and damage impacts these climate hazards are having on the lives, living conditions and livelihoods of communities and marginalised groups
Highlight how loss and damage impacts compound or exacerbate other risks ( such as poverty, health, marginalization, conflict and so on in ASAL
Explain the impact loss and damage is having at the level of community and society such as on access to basic services and institutions, migration, and climate-induced conflict among others?
Illustrate the coping and adaptation measures- both traditional and innovative- that are being employed by households and communities in ASAL areas to address, minimize or avert loss and damage risks
Highlight the existing gaps and challenges and what needs to be done to help the communities to prepare, cope and recover from loss and damage
Explain the priorities for action on loss and damage in ASAL areas, sharing solutions and providing recommendations
Are there interventions in ASAL counties to track and report on loss and damage?
How can ASAL counties secure dedicated finance for loss and damage?
Conference of Parties (COP) 27
What are some of the climate change mitigation and adaptation actions do ASAL communities feel are important to be captured in Kenya’s COP 27 position paper?
What are some important case studies that the Kenyan delegation can present during COP27 on loss and damage that can help to inform the operationalization of the Santiago Network on Loss and Damage (SNLD)
What would be considered a successful COP27 outcome for ASAL
In order to achieve this, ALIN wishes to procure an external entity to undertake the study through an Expression of Interest (EOI).
Consultant Profile
We are interested to hear from consultant (s) that meet the following criteria:
Relevant academic, practical or professional experience in climate mitigation and adaptation, loss and damage and United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) processes
Demonstrated experience in conducting climate change research in Kenya and specifically in ASAL
In-depth knowledge of ASAL in Kenya
Demonstrated understanding of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) processes
Demonstrated understanding of the climate change policy and legal framework in Kenya