SME Policy Expert

Job Title: SME Policy Expert

Sector: Small & Medium Enterprises

Position Type: Part-Time

Duration/Level of Effort: Short-Term Position

Location: Zambia

Project Summary: The Facilitating Inclusive, Resilient and Sustainable Trade (FIRST) Project, funded by the Government of Canada and implemented by Cowater International, supports the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mozambique, and Zambia to strengthen inclusive trade, enterprise competitiveness, and regional market integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) are the backbone of Zambia’s economy, contributing significantly to employment creation, household incomes, innovation and economic growth. MSMEs also play an important role in regional and cross-border trade, with women, youth and persons with disabilities representing a substantial proportion of entrepreneurs operating within the sector. Despite their contribution, MSMEs continue to face multiple barriers, including limited access to finance, business development services, markets, technology, infrastructure, formalisation opportunities and regulatory support. These constraints disproportionately affect enterprises owned or led by women, youth and persons with disabilities. Zambia is currently developing a modern policy and legislative framework to strengthen SME development, improve coordination of enterprise support services, promote formalisation and competitiveness, and create an enabling environment for innovation, productivity and participation in regional and continental markets. To support this process and ensure that the Bill responds to the needs of women, youth and persons with disabilities, the FIRST Project will engage a national consultant to gather evidence and develop evidence-based policy recommendations and technical guidance to inform the SME Bill and the mid-term review of the SME Policy.

Objective of the Consultancy: The objective of the consultancy is to provide technical assistance to the Ministry of MSME Development to develop evidence-based policy recommendations and technical inputs to inform the development of the SME Bill and the mid-term review of the SME Policy. The consultancy will contribute to strengthening Zambia’s policy, legal, and institutional framework for SME development by identifying priority reforms that support an inclusive, competitive and enabling environment for SMEs, aligned with national development priorities and the AfCFTA.

Scope of Work: Under the supervision of the FIRST Team Leader, and in close collaboration with the Ministry of MSME Development and relevant stakeholders, the consultant will undertake the following tasks:

3.1 Inception and Technical Planning: The consultant will participate in an inception meeting with the FIRST Project and the Ministry of MSME Development to confirm the methodology, work plan, stakeholder engagement approach, deliverables, and implementation timeline for the assignment. Following the inception meeting, the consultant shall prepare an Inception Report detailing the proposed methodology, analytical framework, stakeholder consultation plan, work plan, implementation schedule and outline of the proposed deliverables. Deliverable: Inception Report.

3.2 Diagnostic Assessment of the MSME Policy, Legal and Institutional Framework: The consultant shall undertake a comprehensive review and diagnostic assessment of Zambia’s MSME policy, legal and institutional framework to identify key constraints, opportunities and priority reforms required to strengthen an inclusive, competitive and trade-oriented MSME sector. The assessment shall identify priority policy, legal and institutional gaps and provide evidence-based recommendations to inform the development of the SME Bill and the mid-term review of the SME Policy. The assessment shall include, but is not limited to: Review of existing MSME-related policies, legislation, strategies and institutional arrangements; Assessment of policy, legal, regulatory and institutional barriers affecting MSME development, formalisation and competitiveness; Assessment of constraints affecting women-, youth- and persons with disabilities-led enterprises, including opportunities to strengthen Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) within the MSME ecosystem; Review of the alignment of the existing framework with Zambia’s national development priorities, the AfCFTA Agreement, including the Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade, and relevant regional frameworks; and Identification of relevant regional and international good practices to inform Zambia’s MSME policy and legislative reform process. Review and align with the findings of the FIRST Zambia Export Development Diagnostic. Deliverable: Diagnostic Assessment Report.

3.3 Stakeholder Consultation and Validation: The consultant shall design and facilitate a stakeholder consultation and validation workshop, convened by the FIRST Project in collaboration with the Ministry of MSME Development, to validate the findings and recommendations of the Diagnostic Assessment Report and consolidate stakeholder inputs to inform the SME Policy and mid-term review of the SME Policy. The FIRST project will cover all direct event costs (venue, catering, participant travel allowance, etc). The consultant shall support the Project to organize the logistics of the event. Deliverables: Workshop Presentation Materials; Validation Workshop Report, including a consolidated stakeholder comments matrix.

3.4 Final SME Policy Recommendations Report: A consolidated report containing evidence-based policy recommendations and technical legislative guidance to inform the development of Zambia’s SME Bill and mid-term review of the SME Policy, incorporating feedback from stakeholder consultations and the validation workshop. The submission shall: synthesize the findings of the diagnostic assessment, stakeholder consultations and validation workshop; identify priority policy, legislative and institutional reforms; provide recommendations to strengthen MSME competitiveness, formalisation and enterprise development; integrate GEDSI considerations throughout the proposed policy recommendations; and ensure alignment with Zambia’s national development priorities, the AfCFTA, including the Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade, and relevant regional frameworks. Deliverable: Final SME Policy Recommendations Report.

The consultant shall support the FIRST Project’s MEL objectives by systematically collecting sex-, age-, and disability-disaggregated participation data across all consultation and validation activities, documenting key stakeholder feedback, and providing input to support project indicator tracking and reporting.

Deliverables: The consultant will produce the following deliverables: Inception Report setting out the proposed methodology, analytical framework, stakeholder consultation plan, work plan and implementation schedule. Diagnostic Assessment Report: A comprehensive assessment of Zambia’s MSME policy, legal and institutional framework, including an analysis of policy and institutional gaps, priority reform recommendations, GEDSI considerations, and policy options to inform the mid-term review of the MSME Policy and the development of the SME Bill. Validation Workshop Package: Workshop agenda and presentation materials, a Validation Workshop Report, and a consolidated stakeholder comments matrix documenting feedback and proposed revisions. Final SME Policy Recommendations Report: A consolidated report containing evidence-based policy recommendations and technical legislative guidance to inform the development of Zambia’s SME Bill and mid-term review of the SME Policy, incorporating feedback from stakeholder consultations and the validation workshop.

Qualifications and Experience:

Education: An advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in International Trade, Law, Economics, Business Administration, Development Studies, Public Policy or a related discipline.

Professional Experience: At least 7 years’ professional experience in international trade, export promotion, MSME development or enterprise competitiveness. Demonstrated experience in public policy development, policy analysis, legislative or regulatory reform, institutional assessments, or MSME development. Experience working with ministries responsible for MSME development, export promotion agencies, business associations or development partners. Good understanding of the AfCFTA, regional trade integration and Zambia’s MSME development ecosystem. Experience integrating gender equality, youth, and disability inclusion into enterprise development programmes is an asset. Experience facilitating stakeholder consultations and multi-stakeholder workshops.

Skills: Excellent analytical, research and report-writing skills. Strong facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills. Excellent written and spoken English. Ability to prepare practical, evidence-based technical guidance for government institutions.

Reporting Arrangements: The consultant will report to the FIRST Team Leader and work closely with the FIRST Zambia Country Coordinator and the Ministry of MSME Development throughout the assignment.

Duration of the Consultancy: The consultancy will be undertaken between 24 August and 30 October 2026.

Application Process: Interested candidates are invited to submit the following documents: Curriculum Vitae (CV) highlighting relevant qualifications and professional experience. Cover Letter outlining their suitability for the assignment. Technical Proposal (maximum two pages) describing the proposed methodology and approach. Financial Proposal. Applications should be submitted as one consolidated PDF. Please name the file using the following format: Surname_First Name_Position Title_Date. Application deadline: August 07, 2026. Selection will be based on the candidate’s qualifications, relevant professional experience, technical proposal and financial proposal.

Cowater International strives to maintain a fair, transparent, and human centered recruitment process. As part of our commitment to responsible hiring practices and compliance with evolving recruitment regulations, we may use AI assisted tools to support limited aspects of our talent acquisition workflow, such as reviewing or shortlisting applications. These tools are used only to enhance efficiency and consistency in our processes. All assessments, interviews, and final hiring decisions are made exclusively by our human recruiting managers. Candidates may request additional information about the use of these tools or reasonable accommodations during the recruitment process. Cowater International is an equal opportunity employer, basing employment on merit and qualifications as they relate to professional experience and position expectations. Cowater does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, religion, sex, gender identity, disability, age, or any other basis protected by law. We thank all applicants, however only those shortlisted will be

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