Thematic Expert- Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development (Kenya)

Role Overview

This consultancy places you as the thematic authority on entrepreneurship, enterprise development, and inclusive finance within a strategic review of the Mastercard Foundation’s Kenya programming. Working with Busara and the Foundation, you will evaluate how current investments and partnerships in the MSME and financial inclusion space are shaping youth employment and enterprise growth, with a specific lens on underserved groups such as young women, refugees, and persons with disabilities. Your analysis will directly inform strategic adjustments, helping the Foundation sharpen its approach to fostering dignified and fulfilling work through enterprise-based pathways across Kenya and the broader East African context.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the thematic analysis of Kenya’s entrepreneurship, MSME finance, and financial inclusion landscape, drawing on strategy documents, partner reporting, results data, and relevant literature to build an evidence base.
• Map and benchmark sector trends, ecosystem actors, and market dynamics, comparing Kenya’s position with other East African strategies to identify divergences, gaps, and lessons.
• Conduct key informant interviews and structured consultations with ecosystem players, implementing partners, youth entrepreneurs, and other relevant stakeholders to capture on-the-ground insights.
• Assess the relevance, reach, and alignment of current programming with national priorities, paying particular attention to whether young women, refugees, and persons with disabilities are meaningfully included in enterprise and employment outcomes.
• Evaluate the role of sector knowledge dissemination, skill-building, and market linkage efforts in enabling youth to establish or grow enterprises and achieve improved financial resilience.
• Provide technical direction on evaluation design, sampling approaches, data collection tools, and analytical frameworks, ensuring they are fit for capturing enterprise-level change and contribution to broader ecosystem shifts.
• Analyze participant outcomes across segments—including youth-owned, women-owned, refugee-owned, and disability-inclusive enterprises—covering enterprise creation, growth, market access, productivity, continuity, and access to finance.
• Support the interpretation of Program Outcomes Assessment (POA) indicators and contribute to the development of performance frameworks that accommodate informal, emerging, and growth-oriented businesses.
• Quality-assure key deliverables, including inception reports, analytical frameworks, interim outputs, and final evaluation reports, ensuring rigor and coherence throughout.
• Translate evidence into practical, prioritized recommendations for programs, partnerships, delivery models, and sub-sector focus, packaged for Busara and Young Africa Works stakeholders to act upon.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Advanced degree in economics, finance, development studies, entrepreneurship, business administration, enterprise development, agricultural economics, private sector development, or a closely related field.
• At least 8–10 years of hands-on experience in financial sector development, MSME finance, inclusive finance, enterprise development, entrepreneurship promotion, market systems, private sector development, or livelihoods programming, specifically within Kenya or East Africa.
• Proven expertise in at least one specialized area: digital financial services, value chain finance, enterprise finance, or other inclusive finance mechanisms.
• Demonstrated record of analyzing financial inclusion or enterprise development outcomes for disadvantaged groups, including youth, women, refugees, and persons with disabilities.
• Substantial consulting experience delivering strategic reviews, evaluations, or advisory engagements for donor-funded or foundation-funded entrepreneurship and enterprise development initiatives.
• Strong working knowledge of Kenya’s financial inclusion and MSME ecosystem, including informal enterprise dynamics, growth pathways, and relevant policy and regulatory landscapes.
• Experience engaging with youth entrepreneurs and designing or assessing inclusive enterprise programs is strongly preferred.
• Excellent analytical, facilitation, and writing skills, with the ability to communicate nuanced findings clearly to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.
• Familiarity with the Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works strategy, Shared Measures framework, Program Outcomes Assessments, and concepts of dignified and fulfilling work is a distinct advantage.