RE-ADVERTISEMENT- CLEAN ENERGY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MENTOR– ONE (1) POSITION

PRACTICAL ACTION

Digitizing Clean Energy Sector Service Delivery Ecosystem in Marginalized Regions of Kenya” Project

Practical Action is a change-making organization that works in unconventional ways. We bring people together in bold collaborations, using knowledge and innovation, to build futures free from poverty and help shape a world that works better for everyone. We put ingenious ideas to work so people in poverty can change their world.

We are an international development agency with more than 50 years’ experience in development and scaling of a range of technologies appropriate to the needs of the poor. Working throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America, Practical Action improves the lives of around one million people every year through access to energy, sustainable agriculture, water, sanitation, hygiene and waste management, and disaster risk reduction.

We are a trusted partner of many communities, governments, development agencies and the private sector. We are uniquely placed as a knowledge broker with a breadth of capacities which enable us to capture and share knowledge in relevant ways for our diverse audiences. We are influential at national level where we work, and globally and considered a “go-to” agency by those seeking to improve lives for men and women living in or vulnerable to poverty.
Our vision is a world where all people have access to the technologies that enable them to meet their basic needs and reach their potential, in a way that safeguards the planet today, and for future generations.

In pursuit of our Vision and Mission, we are committed to advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment through all our work including programmes, knowledge sharing, advocacy, external communications, and also through our own organizational development.

Integral Media Limited (IML) is a publishing and digital development firm specializing in development and deployment of interactive media, including web dashboards and mobile applications.

Background of the Consultancy Assignment

Practical Action, in partnership with IML, was recently awarded a grant by EnDev to implement the Digitizing Clean Energy Sector Service Delivery Ecosystem in Marginalized Regions of Kenya (“DCE Kenya” or DCE-K). This project is aimed at increasing access to clean energy for marginalized communities. The project will take a digital approach to tackling systemic value chain challenges, through deployment of Yakazi Network, a suite of mobile Apps and online dashboards that connect different stakeholders and provides a platform for sharing opportunities, upskilling, networking and e-commerce across sectors.

The intervention will focus on two counties in Kenya – Narok and Baringo counties. This intervention aspires to:

• Promote digitization of the clean energy (CE) sector, with a focus on off-grid lighting and clean cooking solutions.
• Empower youth and women to pursue livelihoods in the energy sector.
• Create a sustainable supply system of qualified technical personnel accessible “on demand”
  via geo-location on a mobile application and also enable user ratings.
• Strengthen information flow and connectivity among different actors.
• Upgrade the capacity of last mile entrepreneurs.
• Upskill technical personnel and enable digital peer networking and work referrals.
• Create awareness on clean energy products via the digital platform.
• Avail product and troubleshooting information to end-users in audio format.
• Target, mentor and serve last mile end-users via a mobile application and podcasts.

The initiative is an ambitious service delivery system overhaul, and the first of its kind in the energy sector in East Africa. It promises a paradigm shift in how information flows, key stakeholders are inter-connected, business support services are delivered, tools and equipment accessed, and technical personnel are trained, deployed, found and engaged by both energy companies and end-users. It will lead to increased energy access, work and business opportunities for youth and women (100 jobs created, 10 existing and new Last Mile Entrepreneurs (LMEs) supported and increased incomes for women and youth owned CE enterprises.

Objective and Scope of Assignment
The overall objective of this assignment is to support Practical Action Kenya and IML in capacity building of stakeholders and enterprises to effectively share opportunities and enhance work and business performance and results using the Yakazi Network. To achieve this, we are seeking to recruit 1 resource persons preferably based in Narok who will act as Clean Energy Business Development Mentor for the project.

Consultant(s) Roles and Responsibilities
The Volunteer Business Mentors will undertake the following tasks:

1. Carry out a needs assessment on the identified project beneficiaries and stakeholders.
2. Map work and business opportunities that can be shared and realized through use of the Yakazi Network;
3. Support in training and follow up support of the project beneficiaries and stakeholders on how to effectively use the Yakazi Network;
4. Provide training for business skills development, agency empowerment, self-leadership and other areas based on identified capacity gaps;
5. Providing customized one-on-one business/professional mentoring support to project beneficiaries in the project areas as per the identified needs;
6. Be the link between project beneficiaries and the project implementation team;
7. Support in coordinating and conducting project awareness campaigns;
8. Collecting data/information for regular monitoring of project indicators;
9. Organizing meetings and liaising with stakeholders in collaboration with the project implementation team for any planned field activities;
10. Any other task that may be assigned by the DCE Project Manager

Required Qualifications and Experience

1. Diploma or degree in a business-related field.
2. Minimum of 3 years’ working experience in business development services for enterprises.
3. Experience in the energy sector and/or agency empowerment programs will be an added advantage.
4. Demonstrate reasonable experience in adult capacity building; especially in the fields of business skills development.
5. Strong communication, interpersonal, training and coaching skills, with good command of English, Swahili and local languages.
6. Excellent time management, organizational, networking, liaison skills, self-motivated and with the ability to work under minimal supervision.
7. Must be computer literate and can prove proficiency is using basic computer applications and knowledge in online reporting and report writing.
8. Immediate availability is highly desirable.

For a detailed Terms of Reference of the assignment please visit:https://practicalaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Re-advertisement-TOR-Clean-Energy-Business-Development-Mentors-Narok.pdf