Terms of Reference to produce most significant change stories for the Women Empowerment and Micro Small Enterprises Support 

Introduction

We Effect is a Swedish development organisation with country offices for Africa in Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. It supports development powered by people who themselves live in poverty and works with local organisations. We Effect’s vision is a sustainable and just world free of poverty. To succeed, it must start by changing the situation for the most vulnerable – women and youth, who constitute 70% of those living in poverty.

We Effect in Southern Africa believes that the most effective and sustainable approach to addressing the root causes of poverty is by taking a holistic and multi-levelled gender transformative approach. This means together with our different partner organizations, we will work at different levels to contribute to the overall programme: at personal, social, material, organizational and structural levels. We Effect has global and regional strategies, whose focus is being Stronger Together and prescribes gender equality as the core of all We Effect work. 

We work in the thematic fields of sustainable rural development and adequate housing. We apply a human rights-based approach in our programmes, assisting people living in poverty to secure their rights and entitlement to adequate living conditions and broad empowerment. We Effect targets women in partner organisations to secure them the same rights and entitlements as men, especially to own and control land and access to financial resources. Partner organizations include farmer organizations, housing cooperatives, and savings and credit associations. The core strategy is to strengthen cooperatives of women and men living in poverty through membership-based democracy, long-term economic thinking, social responsibility, and transparency.

We Effect is inviting consultancy companies or individual consultants to undertake the production of the most significant change stories for the Women Empowerment and Micro Small Enterprises Support project implemented in eight greater Lusaka areas namely Matendere East; Chainda; John Howard; Chawama; Kamanga; Garden; Mandevu and Ngwerere. The consultant(s) will work closely with We Effect Project team and their Africa area advisors, the project partners and community stakeholders.

Project Background

We Effect Zambia and its partners (ChildFund and Civic Forum for Housing and Habitat Zambia) with funding support from the European Union through the European Commission’s Lusaka Transmission Distribution Rehabilitation Project (LTDRP)- Low Voltage Distribution Network are implementing the Women Empowerment and Micro Small Enterprises Support project.

The overall objective of the project is to contribute to the increased access to complimentary services including business management/entrepreneurial skills and credit facilities among women benefiting from the subsidized Lusaka Transmission Distribution Rehabilitation Project (LTDRP) electricity connections in the target areas of Lusaka.

The project specific objectives are:

1.     To build or strengthen resilient and profitable women and youth owned business that ensure continuous delivery of quality empowerment services to vulnerable women, and youth in the target areas.

2.     To promote gender coordinated transformative, sustainable, and rights-based empowerment services that foster women and youth’s entrepreneurship in the target areas.

Objectives for Most Significant Change Stories (MSC) Production

·       Document Transformational Impact-Capture personal and community-level changes experienced by women, men, youth and micro/small enterprise (MSE) beneficiaries, highlighting shifts in livelihoods, confidence, and economic resilience.

·       Amplify Women’s Voices- Provide a platform for women and youth to share their own narratives in their own words, ensuring their perspectives, challenges, and successes are authentically represented.

·       Support Learning and Reflection-Use stories as tools for project staff, stakeholders, funders and policymakers to reflect on what interventions are working, what challenges remain, and how strategies can be improved.

·       Promote Accountability and Transparency-Demonstrate to donors, government, and partners the tangible outcomes of project investments, showing evidence of empowerment and enterprise growth for women, youth and men in the operational areas.

·       Encourage Peer Inspiration-Share stories that motivate other women and youth entrepreneurs to engage in similar initiatives, fostering a culture of innovation, resilience, and self-reliance.

·       Strengthen Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)-Integrate most significant change stories into the project’s monitoring and evaluation framework to complement quantitative data with rich qualitative insights, providing a fuller picture of impact.

·       Influence Policy and Advocacy-Use compelling stories to inform and influence local and national policies on women’s economic empowerment and small enterprise development

Key Deliverables

1. Story Collection

• Selection of Beneficiaries: Identify diverse participants across the eight townships, age groups, and enterprise types.
• Interview Transcripts: Conduct and document in-depth interviews with women and Micro and Small Enterprise owners from the eight townships.
• Raw Story Drafts: Capture unedited narratives to preserve authenticity.

2. Story Development

• Refined most significant change stories: Edit drafts into clear, compelling, and structured stories following the MSC template.
• Beneficiary Validation: Share drafts with storytellers for confirmation and consent.
• Multilingual Versions: Translate stories into English and local languages for wider accessibility.

3. Knowledge Products

• Most Significant Change Story Compendium: A consolidated digital collection of the most impactful stories.
• Case Study Briefs: Short, thematic summaries highlighting key lessons for policymakers and donors.
• Visual and Audio Materials: Photo essays, short video clips, or audio recordings to complement written stories.

4. Capacity Building

• Training Materials: Guidelines and tools for staff on MSC methodology and ethical storytelling.
• Facilitator Workshops: Sessions for project staff and partners on collecting and analysing MSC stories.

5. Dissemination and Learning

• Stakeholder Reports: Present MSC findings in project progress reports and donor updates.
• Community Feedback Sessions: Share stories back with communities to validate and inspire.
• Policy Advocacy Pack: Use selected stories to influence gender and enterprise development policies.

6. Monitoring and Evaluation Integration

• Most Significant Change Stories Database: Digital repository of stories linked to project indicators.
• Learning Notes: Insights and recommendations derived from the stories for adaptive project management.
• Impact Dashboard Inputs: Qualitative evidence integrated into monitoring and evaluation reporting systems

Duration and Timing

The whole duration of the assignment will be for 30 days from the day of signing and beginning the assignment.

Qualifications and Experience of the Consultant(s)

1.      An advanced degree in communication, journalism, communication for development or any other relevant qualification.

2.      At least 7 years’ experience in producing MS for various organizations

3.      Expertise and knowledge of the thematic areas relevant to the Women Empowerment and Micro Small Enterprise Support.

4.      Excellent analytical, editing, writing and communication skills;

5.      Excellent written and spoken English.

Remuneration, logistics and duration of the contract

The consultants will be paid an agreed daily rate based on qualification and experience. Workdays will be distributed between the date of contract signature and end date of the study.

Payment fees will be based on the delivery of outputs, as follows:

• 40% of the remaining amount on the assignment upon submission of the final materials.
• 40% Upon delivery and submission of the first draft copies of the materials
• 20% Upon deliver and submission of all content

Application Procedures

Applications consisting of:

•  A cover letter summarizing suitability and qualifications for this assignment.
•  List of relevant similar assignments or actual outputs from these assignments.
•  CVs of the team members.
•  Technical and financial proposal with indicative work plan showing consultant’s planned approach to the assignment.
•  Company profile and compliance to the Laws of the Republic of Zambia, if registered as a company;
• Any other support materials.

Documents indicating “Women Empowerment and Micro Small Enterprise Support Most Significant Change Stories Production” should be sent before close of business on 22^nd May 2026 toprocurement.zambia@weeffect.orgor physically submitted to:

The Country Representative;

We Effect Zambia,

Plot No. 93 Kudu Road Kabulonga,

Lusaka