Livelihoods and Market System Development (MSD) Consultant

HAMNASA is seeking a consultant to provide part-time livelihoods and MSD technical assistance to HAMNASA for a new USAID funded four-year project called: Breaking Barriers, Building Better Livelihoods: Integrated Gender Based Violence (GBV) Response in Timor-Leste. The objective of Breaking Barriers is to dismantle systemic gender barriers by implementing integrated GBV prevention and response in the four project municipalities: Ermera, Liquica, Covalima and Bobonaro[1].

Breaking Barriers will comprise of four key areas of focus: 

1) Community engagement: Community Microplanning and Information and Learning sessions will be carried out in communities and junior and senior high schools on GBV, gender and social norms as well as provision of important information about the law and referral services.  

2) Women’s economic empowerment: Business education for survivors and vulnerable women and a small grants component designed to provide an independent source of income to women, in which selected economic activities will address the threat and impact of climate change by focusing on business opportunities that are climate smart and environmentally friendly. The business sessions for grantees will include climate change risks and adaptation and focus on grantees becoming change agents in adapting economic activities to mitigate the effects of climate change; This component will help women to gain the skills, resources, and opportunities to participate equally in markets, and to control the benefits from their earnings.  

3) Male Engagement: Deliver curriculum-based sessions for men that employ a gender transformative approach to address harmful gender norms. This area of focus will also help to ensure support from men for the women’s economic empowerment activities.  

4) GBV Health Provider Training and follow-up sessions:  Health providers will be be trained and empowered to respond with empathy and skill to the needs of clients experiencing violence. Supportive supervision and heath facility readiness assessments will identify gaps and areas for improvement at the facility level. 

Duties and responsibilities 

This consultancy will support the women’s economic empowerment component of the project and work closely with the Livelihoods and MSD officers (to be recruited). 

1. Led a value chain assessment identify potential products and marketing strategies in each project municipality. 
2. Support the mapping of microfinance institutions and village savings and loan groups in project implementation suku; 
3. Led the development of the project’s economic empowerment approach.  
4. Develop guidance for grant partner selection to provide basic financial literacy and agriculture (horticulture and livestock) to women’s groups. 
5. Develop guidance for a small grant’s component for women’s groups – allocation of one grant per suku; 
6. Ensure that small grant business ideas are compliant with green principles and address a climate change action area. 
7. Ensure these economic empowerment activities integrate a household decision making component to strengthen equitable household decision making between women and men and other family members related to production, livestock management, and division of household and productive labor; and 
8. Support engagement with relevant Government counterparts (such as Institute for the Support of Business Development, the Secretary of State for Equality, the Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Industry, and Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Livestock MAFL). 

Skills and experience required:  

• Degree/Certificate in agriculture, economics, market system development, rural development, engineering, or another related degree.  
• Minimum seven years’ experience in MSD and agriculture or related programs. 
• At least three (4) years of work experience in community mobilization of local farmers and farmers’ cooperatives and/or women’s economic empowerment. 
• Experience utilizing a do no harm approach. 
• Experience with climate smart agriculture approaches. 
• Experience engaging with the private sector and government counterparts at Ministry of Agriculture, especially extension workers and veterinary technicians. 
• Experience mentoring diverse staff members. 
• Excellent communication, analytical and report writing skills in English. 
• A minimum working knowledge of Tetum. 

Application process:

To apply for this position, email application letter addressing each of the selection criteria and Curriculum Vitae (CV) with three references to [email protected] by CoB on 22 March 2024. Complete COVID-19 vaccines include 3 doses as a requirement for this position.