Data Collection for ECP Gender Assessment  

Project Background:

The USAID Enterprise Competitiveness Project is a five-year initiative that increases the income levels of Kyrgyzstani households through the creation of jobs and livelihood opportunities among small and medium enterprises (SMEs). By accelerating inclusive, market-led growth, the project increases Kyrgyz SME’s competitiveness, facilitates access to markets, catalyzes investment, builds opportunities for women and youth, and improves the business environment.

The USAID Enterprise Competitiveness Project works across the Kyrgyz Republic with a focus on regions with high poverty and unemployment rates. The project prioritizes sectors found to have the highest potential for growth, job creation, and the inclusion of women and youth, including agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, and technology.

Assignment Objectives:

The Kyrgyz Republic has achieved near-gender parity in education enrollment and literacy rates. However, in terms of women’s labor force participation and leadership, there are still gender gaps. USAID ECP is committed to closing these gaps. Currently, in its third year, the project would like to conduct a gender assessment with project-supported partners (SMEs) to evaluate how successful firms’ job creation strategies have been in engaging and benefiting women.

The objective of this assignment is to conduct key informant interviews (KIIs) with selected ECP partner firms, partners’ suppliers, and employees of partner firms. KIIs will be the data collection method used for the research due to COVID-19 restrictions limiting the number of people able to gather, barring the program from conducting focus group discussions (FGDs).

Job Summary:

The consultant will lead the data collection for this assignment. The data collections tools (KII guides) will be provided, and the research participants will be identified prior to the consultant collecting data. The consultant is expected to pilot test the data collection tools and work with the DCOP/ IEM Specialist and the HQ Associate Director, Gender and Youth to make any necessary adjustments prior to the data collection.

The consultant’s main objective for this research will be to collect data from the identified individuals within the partner firms, partner firms’ suppliers, and employees of partner firms through conducting key informant interviews (KIIs). The consultant will conduct 10 KIIs with individuals from partner firms, 2 KII with suppliers per firm, and 1-2 employees per firm (approximately 40 to 50 KIIs in total).

The DCOP/ IEM Specialist will provide the consultant with an orientation to the data collection tools through a remote-based session that is expected to happen right before data collection begins. It is expected that a short, follow-up session will take place after the consultant has pilot tested the data collection tools to discuss any adjustments that need to be made with the HQ Associate Director, Gender and Youth.

The consultant will conduct the KIIs over a three -week time-period. The consultant should audio record all the KIIs to ensure accuracy in notetaking and transcription. The consultant is expected to transcribe the data and submit to the DCOP/ IEM Specialist and HQ Associate Director, Gender and Youth no later than one week after primary data collection is completed.

Anticipated Tasks and Level of Effort:

May 17-21 (1.5 days of LOE)

• Onboarding session on the data collection tools with the DCOP/ IEM Specialist
• Pilot data collection and provide feedback on any necessary adaptions during the pilot debrief session.

May 21- June 6 (Up to 15 days of LOE including travel days)

• Consultant will conduct all the KIIs

June 7-11 (Up to 5 days of LOE)

• Consultant will finish any necessary transcription, clean, and provide any required translation of transcripts.
  • Transcribe and clean all transcripts, translate from Kyrgyz and Russian into English
  • Send all transcribed and cleaned transcripts, raw data, and any notes from data collection to DCOP/ IEM Specialist and HQ Associate Director, Gender and Youth

Deliverables:

Payment Schedule (Fixed Price): Upon completion of:

Schedule and Work Location(s):

Dates: May-June

Location:

Bishkek and Osh cities

Osh, Jalabad, Batken, Talas, Chui, Naryn, Issyk kul oblasts

Key Participants: USAID ECP beneficiaries

Supervision and Coordination of Work:

All supervision and approval will come from ECP’s Deputy Chief of Party with reviews completed by both DCOP/ IEM Specialist and HQ, Associate Director, Gender and Youth.

Other Pre-departure Requirements/Information:

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the consultant must follow all public health guidance regarding wearing a facial mask, socially distancing when possible, and practicing good hygiene like proper handwashing.

Qualifications:

• Experience leading and conducting qualitative research studies (required),
• Experience conducting gender related research such as a gender assessment (preferred),
• Good communication skills and ability to manage and meet deadlines (required)
• Experience in transcribing data from audio-recordings (preferred)
• Strong note-taking skills (preferred)
• Experience in gender-sensitive data collection (preferred)
• Strong written & verbal skills (required)
• Willingness to travel domestically
• Fluent in Kyrgyz and Russian, English is an asset.

The completed electronic copy of the RFQ and CV in Russian and English should be submitted by email to the USAID “Enterprise Competitiveness Project” email address: hr.ecpkg@gmail.com by 5 pm of May 21, 2021 with the subject line “Data Collection for ECP Gender Assessment”.