TERMS OF REFERENCE - Business Beyond Barriers Project (Ref No: HIHEA/03-2026/MEAL)
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| Location | Kenya, Kenya |
| Closing | in 3 months |
Ref No: HIHEA//MEALProject Title: Business Beyond Barriers ProjectType of Assignment: Baseline EvaluationLocation of project: Kenya - Kajiado & Narok CountiesTanzania - Kilimanjaro & Arusha RegionsType of Applicants: Firm OnlyAssessment Period: 90 days
BACKGROUND 1. Organizational background Hand in Hand operates in a network where the partner organizations are independent organizations, with their own board and locally employed staff. The Hand in Hand (HIH) global footprint is already in; India, Tanzania, South Africa, Afghanistan, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda with support offices in Hand in Hand International (London) and Hand in Hand Sweden. These organizations operate with a mission to work for the economic and social empowerment of marginalized women, youth and men and therefore the society by supporting the creation of sustainable Enterprises and Jobs.
To facilitate enterprise creation, HIH uses a 4-step enterprise development model that entails seven training modules that starts with set-up or mobilizing self-help groups that act as savings groups, delivering enterprise skills through training, enhancing financial management as well as financial access and providing linkage to broader markets. While entrepreneurship is the strategic focus of HIH, the work is complemented by efforts in thematic areas that increase resilience to climate change, promote advocacy and human rights, and enhance gender mainstreaming, regenerative agriculture and circular economy.
1.1 About the project The Business Beyond Barriers Project is a three-year intervention focused on engaging and strengthening democratic grassroots civil society structures, including 855 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) small groups of 15-20 members and 16 Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), positioning them as platforms for learning and as key drivers of positive change. This project aims at empowering marginalized communities in Kenya and Tanzania. Through entrepreneurship training and support, the project will equip over 17,100 individuals (Kenya;12,100 Tanzania;5,000) with the skills to establish enterprises, leading to the creation of over 15,000 jobs. To ensure effective delivery of project objectives, the project will be implemented in two cohorts within the three years of implementation.
By integrating enterprise development with awareness of rights and advocacy initiatives, the project will further enhance socio-economic empowerment at the individual, household, and community levels, fostering resilience and sustainable livelihoods. Aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the project seeks to create a sustainable future through strengthening civil society and empowering rights holders, working toward objectives such as increased income and savings, gender equality, strengthened capacity to claim rights and participate in decision-making, climate change adaptation and lifelong learning.
1.2 Key Intervention Components: a. Economic and Social Empowerment: Establishing 11,970 enterprises and generating 15,561 jobs to enhance socio-economic rights for individuals at the bottom of the economic pyramid.
b. Strengthening resilience and adaptation against climate and financial shocks. Providing Rights Way Forward (RWF) training to 25,600 individuals, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to advocate for their rights and drive positive community change and development. Developing 112 locally recruited Advocacy Champions to address cultural barriers hindering women's participation in business and decision-making processes.
c. Increased Awareness of Human Rights: Through Right(s) way forward methodology, community members will be capacity build to become more aware of the gender dynamics in their communities that limit income opportunities for women. Additionally, community-led discussions at local events will raise awareness on the benefits of gender equality and equity. The project incorporated strategic gender components addressing barriers barring equitable participation of women in economic empowerment initiatives. This includes issues on women decision making on business income, production, access to credit, access to and legal ownership of resources such as land or other assets and the triple roles of women hampering success in women-led enterprises.
d. Enterprise Acceleration: Supporting 300 enterprises to scale up operations, increase sales and net incomes, generate 600 new jobs, and stimulate local economic growth.
e. Capacity strengthening Supporting partner organizations and CBOs to build capacity within their organizations with the goal of creating stronger, more self-sufficient and effective civil society actors. The project integrates Hand in Hands focus on economic empowerment with key development principles such as; human rights, gender equality, environmental sustainability, climate resilience and conflict sensitivity, to ensure long-term and sustainable impact and results. A core aspect of the initiative is partnership and capacity building, including south-to-south knowledge exchange which strengthens the collaboration between the implementing partners in Kenya and Tanzania.
f. Adult Literacy Due to high illiteracy rates among the target group (especially among the women) the project embeds a component to promote adult literacy. Once the members have reached a determined level in the curriculum, they will participate in a proficiency test set by the governmental run Directorate of Adult and Continuing Education (DACE) and upon passing, they will receive a certificate. The members will also participate in campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of literacy for being able to claim rights and contribute to a sustainable future.
1.3 Project Goal The overall goal of the project is to support and promote empowered and resilient communities rising out of poverty and contributing to a sustainable future. This will be achieved by engaging and strengthening grassroots democratic civil society structures and building our partners capacity to run efficient and effective programmes that enable women and youth to start/enhance and control enterprises and become financially independent. Additionally, the intervention will support the creation of stronger and more diverse civil society actors advocating gender equality and fulfilment of rights.
The initiative will target the root causes of social and economic injustice and contribute to changing unequal gender structures and negative cultural norms that perpetuate multidimensional poverty. To promote sustainability, HiH will support communities to become more resilient to climate effects and shocks. This will be achieved through awareness campaigns and training programmes that provide knowledge and skills on climate-smart practices, enabling communities to better adapt to climate-related challenges. SHG members will also be supported to develop business practices that reduce damage to their local environment. The change is envisioned under three outcomes.
Outcome 1: Women and youth have increased and lasting socio-economic empowerment.
Outcome 2: Strong civil society actors advocate for Gender Equality and Fulfilled Rights.
Outcome 3: SHG members increase mitigation of and adaptation to climate change.
2. THE EVALUATION PURPOSE AND SCOPE Hand in Hand Eastern Africa (KE & TZ) is seeking a qualified consulting firm to undertake a Baseline Evaluation for Business Beyond Barriers project in line with OECD-DAC and SIDA’s guidelines for conducting evaluations. The baseline evaluation aims to:
i. Provide an assessment foundation. The baseline evaluation will inform the initial members’ state before implementation. This data will serve as a reference point from which indicators will be tracked during monitoring and at the Endline evaluation. ii. Assess Relevance and Coherence. The baseline evaluation will help determine the extent to which the project design, objectives, and planned interventions align with the identified needs of the target population. It will also assess whether they are logically connected within the program’s theory of change and aligned with other existing policies and initiatives. iii. Assess the measurability of selected indicators. This will help redefine indicators where possible and set realistic targets. iv. Improve project design and strategies. Any gaps/unexpected needs identified at the baseline will be incorporated to ensure the project objectives are met. v. Support accountability and reporting. The baseline data will provide an accurate starting point to support evidence-based reporting to our donors and stakeholders.
2.1 Consultant Responsibilities The consultant/firm will be responsible for conducting the baseline evaluation in Kenya and Tanzania and will undertake the following key tasks:
i. Desk Review & Methodology Development Review all project documents and develop a clear methodology covering sampling, data collection approaches, ethical considerations, and quality assurance.
ii. Sampling & Tool Development Develop a statistically sound sampling strategy for each country. Design/refine quantitative and qualitative tools aligned to HiH standard tools and mapped to indicators and evaluation questions. Use program approved tools in Kobo Toolbox or ODK and ensure proper translations (English & Kiswahili).
iii. Piloting & Enumerator Preparation Pilot the tools, integrate feedback, and finalize instruments. Recruit and train enumerators and supervisors, providing all necessary guidance materials. Plan and coordinate data collection in Kenya and Tanzania and Ensure quality through spot checks, back checks. Collect both quantitative and qualitative data as per agreed protocols.
iv. Data Cleaning, Analysis & Reporting Clean and analyze all datasets After data collection in both countries has been completed and ensure proper indicator construction in line with the MEL plan.
Prepare preliminary findings, and produce Draft 0, Draft 1, and the final baseline report using the HIH EA template. Present findings to the project team.
v. Submission of Data & Documentation Submit all raw, cleaned, and processed datasets, transcripts/ thematic coding in xlsx, csv or agreed format.
2.2 Deliverables The consultant will be expected to provide the following deliverables: i. Inception Report. Including methodology, sampling plan, data collection approach, fieldwork schedule (Travel and logistical arrangements) and costing for each country separately. An analysis of evaluation possible challenges, risks and mitigation measures ii. Finalized Data Collection Tools. Validated tools mapped to indicators and evaluation questions. iii. Post-Fieldwork Summary. Brief report on sample achieved, number of interviews/FGDs conducted, challenges, and data quality notes. iv. Datasets & Documentation. Raw, cleaned, and worked datasets (.xlsx or .csv) Codebook/metadata, qualitative transcripts/notes (.docx or .xlsx) v. Baseline Evaluation Reports.
3. CONSULTANT QUALIFICATIONS The consulting firm /consultant must demonstrate the following qualifications, skills, and experience (or equivalent): i. Legal and Operational Requirements. Must be a legally registered entity/firm authorized to operate in both Kenya and Tanzania with capacity to deploy field teams in both countries. ii. Academic and Professional Experience. Lead consultant Must have a Master's degree in either Social Sciences, Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation, Political Science, or any other related degree. At least ten (10) years’ demonstrable experience in either project management, democracy, human rights, gender issues or governance and proven experience in Monitoring and Evaluation iii. Team composition should at least have a specialist on Environmental and Climate Justice Matters. Proven experience working with PBOs|NPOs|NGOs, government agencies, or international development organizations. iv. Knowledge of gender equality and women’s empowerment initiatives. Knowledge of country context. (e.g., Maasai women in Kenya and Tanzania). Knowledge of the Right(s) Way Forward (RWF) methodology and its usability in driving sustainable community-driven change. v. Evaluation and Research Competencies. Proven ability to design and implement mixed‐method evaluations, including sampling, tool development, data collection, and analysis (Qualitative & Quantitative). Proficiency in digital data collection platforms such as Kobo Toolbox, ODK or equivalent. Familiarity with participatory approaches and community‐driven evaluation methods. Experience in social outcome measurement using Social Return on Investment (SROI) or equivalent will be an added advantage. vi. Communication, Training, and Facilitation Skills. Demonstrate ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders, including community members, civil society partners, project teams, and local leaders. Culturally sensitive, with the ability to foster inclusive, respectful engagement across gender and cultural contexts. Fluent in English and Kiswahili (written and spoken).
4. METHOD OF APPLICATION Interested firms should submit the following a letter of interest and a detailed proposal outlining; i. Understanding of the Terms of Reference. ii. The approach, methodology, and workplan for the assignment. iii. A financial proposal detailing the cost of services in KES and TZS (Separate financial breakdown) including relevant taxes. iv. CVs of key personnel (Lead Consultant) highlighting relevant experience and examples of similar assignments undertaken (At least two).
Proposals are limited to a maximum of 10 pages in pdf or word format (including a cover page and contents page, but not including annexes and CVs).
11. Anti-Corruption and Safeguarding Hand in Hand Eastern Africa strives to fight corrupt practices within its operations and the same is expected of its vendors, contractors and service providers. HIHE EA staff are therefore prohibited from accepting any gift/s, consideration or benefit/s of any kind which may constitute illegal or corrupt practices, either directly or indirectly, as an inducement or reward for the award of a contract.
HIHE EA and all its employees undertake to create a safe environment for our members and to prevent any form of exploitation or abuse. We are committed to acting in the best interest of our member’s and any willing vendor, contractor or service provider is required to commit and comply with our position on safeguarding.
Submission of proposals Applications should be sent to on or before 9th April 2026 with subject heading being the TOR Reference number.
NB: Only shortlisted applicants will be invited for an interview and could be asked to provide references and/or samples of their work. If you do not hear from us within three weeks after the application deadline, please consider your application unsuccessful.
BACKGROUND 1. Organizational background Hand in Hand operates in a network where the partner organizations are independent organizations, with their own board and locally employed staff. The Hand in Hand (HIH) global footprint is already in; India, Tanzania, South Africa, Afghanistan, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda with support offices in Hand in Hand International (London) and Hand in Hand Sweden. These organizations operate with a mission to work for the economic and social empowerment of marginalized women, youth and men and therefore the society by supporting the creation of sustainable Enterprises and Jobs.
To facilitate enterprise creation, HIH uses a 4-step enterprise development model that entails seven training modules that starts with set-up or mobilizing self-help groups that act as savings groups, delivering enterprise skills through training, enhancing financial management as well as financial access and providing linkage to broader markets. While entrepreneurship is the strategic focus of HIH, the work is complemented by efforts in thematic areas that increase resilience to climate change, promote advocacy and human rights, and enhance gender mainstreaming, regenerative agriculture and circular economy.
1.1 About the project The Business Beyond Barriers Project is a three-year intervention focused on engaging and strengthening democratic grassroots civil society structures, including 855 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) small groups of 15-20 members and 16 Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), positioning them as platforms for learning and as key drivers of positive change. This project aims at empowering marginalized communities in Kenya and Tanzania. Through entrepreneurship training and support, the project will equip over 17,100 individuals (Kenya;12,100 Tanzania;5,000) with the skills to establish enterprises, leading to the creation of over 15,000 jobs. To ensure effective delivery of project objectives, the project will be implemented in two cohorts within the three years of implementation.
By integrating enterprise development with awareness of rights and advocacy initiatives, the project will further enhance socio-economic empowerment at the individual, household, and community levels, fostering resilience and sustainable livelihoods. Aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the project seeks to create a sustainable future through strengthening civil society and empowering rights holders, working toward objectives such as increased income and savings, gender equality, strengthened capacity to claim rights and participate in decision-making, climate change adaptation and lifelong learning.
1.2 Key Intervention Components: a. Economic and Social Empowerment: Establishing 11,970 enterprises and generating 15,561 jobs to enhance socio-economic rights for individuals at the bottom of the economic pyramid.
b. Strengthening resilience and adaptation against climate and financial shocks. Providing Rights Way Forward (RWF) training to 25,600 individuals, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to advocate for their rights and drive positive community change and development. Developing 112 locally recruited Advocacy Champions to address cultural barriers hindering women's participation in business and decision-making processes.
c. Increased Awareness of Human Rights: Through Right(s) way forward methodology, community members will be capacity build to become more aware of the gender dynamics in their communities that limit income opportunities for women. Additionally, community-led discussions at local events will raise awareness on the benefits of gender equality and equity. The project incorporated strategic gender components addressing barriers barring equitable participation of women in economic empowerment initiatives. This includes issues on women decision making on business income, production, access to credit, access to and legal ownership of resources such as land or other assets and the triple roles of women hampering success in women-led enterprises.
d. Enterprise Acceleration: Supporting 300 enterprises to scale up operations, increase sales and net incomes, generate 600 new jobs, and stimulate local economic growth.
e. Capacity strengthening Supporting partner organizations and CBOs to build capacity within their organizations with the goal of creating stronger, more self-sufficient and effective civil society actors. The project integrates Hand in Hands focus on economic empowerment with key development principles such as; human rights, gender equality, environmental sustainability, climate resilience and conflict sensitivity, to ensure long-term and sustainable impact and results. A core aspect of the initiative is partnership and capacity building, including south-to-south knowledge exchange which strengthens the collaboration between the implementing partners in Kenya and Tanzania.
f. Adult Literacy Due to high illiteracy rates among the target group (especially among the women) the project embeds a component to promote adult literacy. Once the members have reached a determined level in the curriculum, they will participate in a proficiency test set by the governmental run Directorate of Adult and Continuing Education (DACE) and upon passing, they will receive a certificate. The members will also participate in campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of literacy for being able to claim rights and contribute to a sustainable future.
1.3 Project Goal The overall goal of the project is to support and promote empowered and resilient communities rising out of poverty and contributing to a sustainable future. This will be achieved by engaging and strengthening grassroots democratic civil society structures and building our partners capacity to run efficient and effective programmes that enable women and youth to start/enhance and control enterprises and become financially independent. Additionally, the intervention will support the creation of stronger and more diverse civil society actors advocating gender equality and fulfilment of rights.
The initiative will target the root causes of social and economic injustice and contribute to changing unequal gender structures and negative cultural norms that perpetuate multidimensional poverty. To promote sustainability, HiH will support communities to become more resilient to climate effects and shocks. This will be achieved through awareness campaigns and training programmes that provide knowledge and skills on climate-smart practices, enabling communities to better adapt to climate-related challenges. SHG members will also be supported to develop business practices that reduce damage to their local environment. The change is envisioned under three outcomes.
Outcome 1: Women and youth have increased and lasting socio-economic empowerment.
Outcome 2: Strong civil society actors advocate for Gender Equality and Fulfilled Rights.
Outcome 3: SHG members increase mitigation of and adaptation to climate change.
2. THE EVALUATION PURPOSE AND SCOPE Hand in Hand Eastern Africa (KE & TZ) is seeking a qualified consulting firm to undertake a Baseline Evaluation for Business Beyond Barriers project in line with OECD-DAC and SIDA’s guidelines for conducting evaluations. The baseline evaluation aims to:
i. Provide an assessment foundation. The baseline evaluation will inform the initial members’ state before implementation. This data will serve as a reference point from which indicators will be tracked during monitoring and at the Endline evaluation. ii. Assess Relevance and Coherence. The baseline evaluation will help determine the extent to which the project design, objectives, and planned interventions align with the identified needs of the target population. It will also assess whether they are logically connected within the program’s theory of change and aligned with other existing policies and initiatives. iii. Assess the measurability of selected indicators. This will help redefine indicators where possible and set realistic targets. iv. Improve project design and strategies. Any gaps/unexpected needs identified at the baseline will be incorporated to ensure the project objectives are met. v. Support accountability and reporting. The baseline data will provide an accurate starting point to support evidence-based reporting to our donors and stakeholders.
2.1 Consultant Responsibilities The consultant/firm will be responsible for conducting the baseline evaluation in Kenya and Tanzania and will undertake the following key tasks:
i. Desk Review & Methodology Development Review all project documents and develop a clear methodology covering sampling, data collection approaches, ethical considerations, and quality assurance.
ii. Sampling & Tool Development Develop a statistically sound sampling strategy for each country. Design/refine quantitative and qualitative tools aligned to HiH standard tools and mapped to indicators and evaluation questions. Use program approved tools in Kobo Toolbox or ODK and ensure proper translations (English & Kiswahili).
iii. Piloting & Enumerator Preparation Pilot the tools, integrate feedback, and finalize instruments. Recruit and train enumerators and supervisors, providing all necessary guidance materials. Plan and coordinate data collection in Kenya and Tanzania and Ensure quality through spot checks, back checks. Collect both quantitative and qualitative data as per agreed protocols.
iv. Data Cleaning, Analysis & Reporting Clean and analyze all datasets After data collection in both countries has been completed and ensure proper indicator construction in line with the MEL plan.
Prepare preliminary findings, and produce Draft 0, Draft 1, and the final baseline report using the HIH EA template. Present findings to the project team.
v. Submission of Data & Documentation Submit all raw, cleaned, and processed datasets, transcripts/ thematic coding in xlsx, csv or agreed format.
2.2 Deliverables The consultant will be expected to provide the following deliverables: i. Inception Report. Including methodology, sampling plan, data collection approach, fieldwork schedule (Travel and logistical arrangements) and costing for each country separately. An analysis of evaluation possible challenges, risks and mitigation measures ii. Finalized Data Collection Tools. Validated tools mapped to indicators and evaluation questions. iii. Post-Fieldwork Summary. Brief report on sample achieved, number of interviews/FGDs conducted, challenges, and data quality notes. iv. Datasets & Documentation. Raw, cleaned, and worked datasets (.xlsx or .csv) Codebook/metadata, qualitative transcripts/notes (.docx or .xlsx) v. Baseline Evaluation Reports.
- Draft 0 report. (For review and comments)
- Draft 1 report (With incorporated feedback)
- Present findings (A PowerPoint presentation summarizing key results, insights, and recommendations.)
- Final baseline report
3. CONSULTANT QUALIFICATIONS The consulting firm /consultant must demonstrate the following qualifications, skills, and experience (or equivalent): i. Legal and Operational Requirements. Must be a legally registered entity/firm authorized to operate in both Kenya and Tanzania with capacity to deploy field teams in both countries. ii. Academic and Professional Experience. Lead consultant Must have a Master's degree in either Social Sciences, Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation, Political Science, or any other related degree. At least ten (10) years’ demonstrable experience in either project management, democracy, human rights, gender issues or governance and proven experience in Monitoring and Evaluation iii. Team composition should at least have a specialist on Environmental and Climate Justice Matters. Proven experience working with PBOs|NPOs|NGOs, government agencies, or international development organizations. iv. Knowledge of gender equality and women’s empowerment initiatives. Knowledge of country context. (e.g., Maasai women in Kenya and Tanzania). Knowledge of the Right(s) Way Forward (RWF) methodology and its usability in driving sustainable community-driven change. v. Evaluation and Research Competencies. Proven ability to design and implement mixed‐method evaluations, including sampling, tool development, data collection, and analysis (Qualitative & Quantitative). Proficiency in digital data collection platforms such as Kobo Toolbox, ODK or equivalent. Familiarity with participatory approaches and community‐driven evaluation methods. Experience in social outcome measurement using Social Return on Investment (SROI) or equivalent will be an added advantage. vi. Communication, Training, and Facilitation Skills. Demonstrate ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders, including community members, civil society partners, project teams, and local leaders. Culturally sensitive, with the ability to foster inclusive, respectful engagement across gender and cultural contexts. Fluent in English and Kiswahili (written and spoken).
4. METHOD OF APPLICATION Interested firms should submit the following a letter of interest and a detailed proposal outlining; i. Understanding of the Terms of Reference. ii. The approach, methodology, and workplan for the assignment. iii. A financial proposal detailing the cost of services in KES and TZS (Separate financial breakdown) including relevant taxes. iv. CVs of key personnel (Lead Consultant) highlighting relevant experience and examples of similar assignments undertaken (At least two).
Proposals are limited to a maximum of 10 pages in pdf or word format (including a cover page and contents page, but not including annexes and CVs).
11. Anti-Corruption and Safeguarding Hand in Hand Eastern Africa strives to fight corrupt practices within its operations and the same is expected of its vendors, contractors and service providers. HIHE EA staff are therefore prohibited from accepting any gift/s, consideration or benefit/s of any kind which may constitute illegal or corrupt practices, either directly or indirectly, as an inducement or reward for the award of a contract.
HIHE EA and all its employees undertake to create a safe environment for our members and to prevent any form of exploitation or abuse. We are committed to acting in the best interest of our member’s and any willing vendor, contractor or service provider is required to commit and comply with our position on safeguarding.
Submission of proposals Applications should be sent to on or before 9th April 2026 with subject heading being the TOR Reference number.
NB: Only shortlisted applicants will be invited for an interview and could be asked to provide references and/or samples of their work. If you do not hear from us within three weeks after the application deadline, please consider your application unsuccessful.
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Hand in Hand Eastern Africa (HiH EA)
Hand in Hand Eastern Africa (HiH EA) is a Kenya-based organization focused on em...
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