Market Assessments in Ma’an and Zarqa Governorates at National Association for Family Empowerment

1. Introduction

The National Association for Family Empowerment is implementing the project:

“Women’s Economic Growth Towards Sustainable Peace and Security funded by Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF)” that aims to strengthen livelihoods of vulnerable Syrian and Jordanian women and girls in Ma’an and Zarqa governorates and engage them in the recovery process. Through strengthen capacities of women and girls to play a broader role in combating protection risks and effectively engaging in community civil peace and tolerance, prevention of conflict, and increase their participation in national efforts towards reducing tension and violent extremism including UN Resolution 1325, therefore, brings broader benefits to refugee and host communities.

2. Background and Rationale: **

Zarqa’a

The city of Zarqa is the second city of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan after the capital Amman in terms of general economic activity, and it is the hub of Zarqa Governorate.

Zarqa is situated 20 kilometers northeast of Amman. It is characterized by its middle geographical location between the cities of the Kingdom and it has an international transport network linking Jordan with the neighboring countries.

The area of Zarqa is 60 square kilometers. It has a dry desert climate in summer and low rainy season in winter. It has the basic services infrastructure, so it is the industrial capital of Jordan where it has a wide range of industries and is always an attraction center for people from all over the Kingdom. It is the city of the powerful productive soldiers.

The city is also home to the second largest Syrian refugee camp, Al Azraq camp, hosting approximately 36,605 Syrian refugees according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Between 2010 and 2015, Zarqa witnessed a rise in child marriage with the second highest rate in Jordan at 18.8%.

Ma’an

it is located south of Amman, Jordan’s capital. Its capital is the city of Ma’an. This governorate is the largest in the kingdom of Jordan by area.

Although Ma’an Governorate has the largest area of the 12 governorates that constitute the Kingdom of Jordan, it has the lowest population density: less than 4 persons per square km. It has international borders with Saudi Arabia from the east and south, and borders Aqaba, Tafilah, and Karak governorates from the west, and Amman Governorate from the north

Ma’an is home to the Ma’an Development Area (MDA), a special economic zone with reduced income taxes, no other taxes (including taxes on income from exports), and streamlined regulatory procedures. Construction of the MDA’s industrial park began in 2008 and is set to be completed in 2030.[34] The Shams Ma’an Solar Power Plant is located in the MDA. The main economic activities in Ma’an are centered around agriculture, tourism, solar energy and industries.

The National Association for Family Empowerment is initiating two market assessments meetings and desk review in Ma’an and Zarqa governorates to identify employment opportunities, potential viable home-based small businesses that women could be engaged in, employability skills, and potential MFIs and grants providers for Jordanian and refugee women and girls, to facilitate the employment, self-employment and obtaining of grants/loans for women and girls.

The assessments will identify high-potential small-scale, niche market opportunities in the informal and formal economy in both governorates. It will identify economic opportunities and constraints, and evaluate strategic business niches. Additionally, it will look at the requirements and terms required for engagement in employment and self-employment opportunities

Because of restrictions on refugees’ right to work, freedom of mobility, and safety, NAFE will also evaluate what types of business are most appropriate for this group. This may include: home-businesses, joint ventures with Jordanians, or selling through CBOs.

The assessment will focus on culturally appropriate growth sectors for women. This may include looking at assets that are gender neutral, so that the risk of discrimination and backlash is reduced.

The assessment will guide the development and delivery of skills development prgrammes targeting women and girls mainly the vocational training and employability skills.

3. Assessment Description

Assessment Goal: Identify potential growth sectors and market opportunities for employment and self-employment “home-based productive activities and small businesses” in Ma’an and Zarqa Governorates especially within the context of COVID-19 pandemic in terms of government protection measures and impact of COVID-19 on local economy in both governorates.

Assessment Objectives:

(1) Identify potential self-employment opportunities for refugees and vulnerable host community members, especially within the context of COVID-19 pandemic.

(2) Identify potential employment opportunities within labour market in both governorates especially private sector, especially within the context of COVID-19 pandemic.

(3) Understanding skills, resources, terms, and requirements for accessing different employment and self-employment opportunities for women and girls that would guide the development and delivery of skills required, especially within the context of COVID-19 pandemic.

(4) COVID-19 impact on local market dynamics in both governorates with special focus on pandemic effect on women’s’ engagement in economic sector.

The market assessment is based on three core principles:

*Market-Driven:* The assessment is based on the rationale that the first step would identify potential economic growth sectors and local opportunities for micro- and home-based small businesses. The second would focus on identifying potential employment opportunities within different economic sectors mainly the private sector. The third step would focus on identifying the gaps between the skills of target income seekers and the ones needed for growing market sectors. By engaging in such an assessment and gap analysis, the project ensures that the project target groups (women and girls) are well informed about the market dynamics including employment and self-employment opportunities and receiving relevant/appropriate skills that respond to market needs to have greater impact on host communities and refugees in their pursuit of livelihoods.

*Community-Led:* NAFE will work with community-based organizations identified in project locations to organize key informant interviews, assemble focus groups, and identify local businesses to survey. This would ensure that all project interventions would be relevant to both the needs of target beneficiaries and the realities of the local market, as well as build that technical capacity of community-based organizations.

*Informal- Focused:* Based on previous experience, women and vulnerable groups prefer to work from home. This allows them to juggle household and childcare responsibilities, and limit risks associated with mobility in public spaces.

4. Methodology **

The Rapid Market Assessment will utilize multiple tools in order to achieve the outlined objectives both quantitative and qualitative, including:

Desk review: The purpose of this tool is to look at previous market assessments and reports produced for Ma’an and Zarqa Governorates with focus on employment and self-employment opportunities including market dynamics, skills required, challenges and obstacles facing women to access economic opportunities and operating environment in both governorates.

Small business/private sector interviews: conduct 12 interviews 6 in each governorate. Divided equally between small businesses and private sector targeting 50% females and 50% males The purpose of this tool is to identify high potential growth sectors. Interviewees are asked to identify employment and self-employment opportunities including terms and conditions for accessing those opportunities, marketable goods and services, barriers to business growth, competition levels, and consumer trends. Specific question looks at gender-specific barriers to women’s employment and business ownership. In addition, analysis of supply markets can inform possible entry-side businesses for participants. Sample may include formal and informal businesses, multinational and national companies in various sectors (agriculture, livestock, manufacturing, retail, etc.).

Key Informant Interviews: In order to determine the larger market environment for employment and self-employment, specific growing market sectors, and opportunities for program linkages, the assessment will develop key informant interview questions to be administered to targeted 12 stakeholders with gender balance and divided equally among the two governorates location with different stakeholder such as government officials, chambers of commerce, donors, CBOs, NGO leaders, and business associations, training providers and others in each location.

Focus Group Discussions (FGDs): FGDs are used to assess refugees and host community (potential employment/self-employment) perceptions of their current skills and opportunities for economic engagement. It is used to help determine gaps between perceptions, skills and existing market opportunities. Discussions will also be used to identify constraints and risks faced by target groups when earning income. 4 FGDs will be conducted in total, 2 in each governorate, Focus groups will be disaggregated by gender, nationality, and age. Men and women should be in separate sessions. Focus groups would cover include: refugee and Jordanian women and young women as well as refugee and Jordanian men.

Market Observation: This will be focused at a higher level to understand general local market activity including basic supply and demand of goods and services, gender dynamics in the marketplace, protection concerns, as well identify challenges of consumers and local market actors.

Timeline

One month from signing the agreement

Deliverables

• Market assessment report/materials required according to the above description
• list of recommendations for linking women with employment and self-employment opportunities.
• Presentation that includes the market assessment results and recommendation,

Qualifications

• Postgraduate degree in social sciences or relevant discipline, including development studies, economics, women empowerment and youth development.
• At least 5 years of professional experience in working on development programmes, economic empowerment for women and youth, gender equality, CSOs development and mainstreaming including project management, knowledge generation, and results based management.
• Proven knowledge and understanding of operational context within Jordan and preferable in Ma’an and Zarqa including employment and self-employment environment.
• Demonstrated experience in mixed method of evaluations, outcome measurement, documentation and impact assessment.
• Demonstrated experience in qualitative and quantitative data collection methods and analysis.
• Demonstrated knowledge, experience and understanding of NGOs and CBOs operations including private sector.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience of different cultural, traditional dynamics of local communities in Jordan.
• Proven communication and facilitation skills with varied stakeholders and audiences.
• Excellent skills in teamwork and consensus-building in a multi-cultural setting.
• Strong written and oral communication skills in English and Arabic languages.
• Have prior experience in designing and delivering presentations.