Nathan Associates London Inc is Currently Recruiting in Zambia

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A ZAMBIAN HANDICRAFTS EXPORTERS GUIDE

PEPZ background:

The Private Enterprise Programme Zambia (PEPZ), funded by UKaid, works with and through the Zambian private sector at the intersection of profitable business growth and inclusive economic growth. The core of the PEPZ value offer to potential partners is formulated under three headings:

Position: Consultant

Capital: Our cost-sharing financial intervention mechanisms designed to incentivise business innovation that will benefit Zambian SMEs and micro-enterprises;

Capacity: Our internal expertise and our network of external specialist consultants who can help intervention partners design and implement solutions; and

Connections: Our networks and contacts that allow us to facilitate business connections and transactions.
PEPZ focuses on three target sectors important to the Zambian economy: food and agriculture, mining and mining services and tourism and hospitality.

Context of the Assignment

Globally, handmade products are a design and market trend offering African producers a ready market. The handicraft industry can be a viable and important driver of economic development in Zambia through the tourism and export markets. For this reason and with the support of a handicraft expert, PEPZ will implement an intervention with a goal to create a strong base of marketable product collections across the Zambian handicraft landscape. This will be done through design and business training inputs and a rapid link to strong buyers who will commit to purchasing from Zambia and to continue their B2B relationships for many years to come.

PEPZ would therefore like to commission a consultant to develop a Zambian handicrafts exporters guide that will serve as a tool for SMEs and other players in the handicraft sector that plan to get into the export market. The guide will contribute towards a successful handicraft development programme for Zambia that focuses on product development and market linkages.

Overall responsibilities for the position

Private Enterprise Programme Zambia expects the consultant to edit and produce a detailed Zambia handicraft exporters guide that should cover but should not be limited to the following subsectors; baskets, wood, jewelry, textiles and recycled products. The assignment will involve the engagement of stakeholders such as Zambia Development Agency, Zambia Revenue Authority, Export Board of Zambia, National Arts Council as well as other private sector companies/associations that have actively been involved in the export of handicrafts.
The handicraft exporters guide will specifically cover but should not be limited to the following:

• Overview of markets such as the North American, European and regional market
• Pre-export considerations
• Local and international export rules and regulations in each of the handicrafts subsectors
• Export procedures and documentation including preparation of products for export, customs considerations, implications of free trade agreements, and freight & logistics
• Pricing for the export market
• Developing an export strategy
• Market Research – products and trends
• Customer Service
• Branding
• Financing options for the companies planning to export handicrafts
• A directory with all the key organisations involved in the handicraft export such as Zambia Revenue Authority, Zambia Development Agency, Export Board of Zambia, Zambia Environmental Management Agency etc.

Deliverables

• A suitable Zambian handicrafts exporters reference guide submitted
• Summary presentation to the PEPZ team on the handicrafts exporters reference

Minimum qualifications

The consultant will have the following minimum qualifications:

• Appropriate academic and/or professional qualifications in creative arts or related disciplines; and
• Extensive and progressive experience in developing export guides
• Extensive knowledge of export practices, policies and requirements

Proposals

You are invited to submit a technical and financial proposal to PEPZ in response to this TOR. Technical proposals should be no more than 5 pages, comprising:

• Brief statement of understanding of the assignment
• Methodology and work plan (including timelines)
• Brief description of deliverables

Additionally, you should submit a CV of the named consultant(s) (no more than 2 pages per consultant) and reference summaries of past relevant assignments that demonstrate your capability to undertake this assignment (up to three such summaries of no more than 1 page each). For each reference summary, you should provide the contact details of an individual who we can contact for a reference if you are selected to undertake this assignment. Please note that PEPZ will not contact any of your references without your prior knowledge/agreement.

The financial proposal should set out:

• Fees (name of consultant, day rate and the number of days input)
• Reimbursable expenses (any out of pocket costs that you would recover as assignment expenses)
• Proposed payment schedule (milestones, deliverables, and proportion of payment associated with each)

Selection criteria

The proposals will be reviewed by a selection committee based on following criteria:

• Quality of technical proposal
• Relevant experience
• Cost (fees and expenses combined)

We will inform our preferred candidate of the outcome of the selection process and request permission to check references before confirming the selection.

Submission

Proposals should be sent to [email protected] by 17.00 on 17th September. Requests for clarifications can be sent to the same email address no later than 17.00 on 14Th September. 

Timeframe

We anticipate the visit and work starting week 24th September 2018.