Consultancy Needed - Individual Consultant for Developing Guidance on VSLA Formation and Lessons Learned

Programme & Policy

Overview

Develop user-friendly guidance on VSLA formation and documentation.

You have:

• Bachelor’s degree (Master’s degree preferred) in economics, rural development, social sciences, gender studies, community development, or other relevant fields.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in designing, implementing, reviewing, or documenting community-based savings and loan initiatives, particularly the Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) or similar financial inclusion approaches.
• Proven experience in developing practical, simple, and user-friendly operational guidelines or learning documents related to women’s economic empowerment, financial inclusion, or community-based finance.
• Strong analytical, facilitation, and communication skills, with experience in synthesizing field-level learning into clear and actionable guidance.
• Demonstrated understanding of gender-responsive and inclusive approaches in economic empowerment programs.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively with program teams and partners.
• Availability and commitment to complete the assignment within the agreed timeline.

Background

Yayasan Save the Children Indonesia (SCIDN) is implementing GrowHer Cocoa Project, with support from GIZ and Mars. A consortium consisting of Grow Asia, Mars, Save the Children Indonesia, and PisAgro is jointly working on the implementation of GrowHer. GrowHer Cacao program's goal is to improve women and girls while exercising their rights in cocoa value chains. The program aims to strengthen women and girls' representation and accelerate access to economic resources and capacity-strengthening activities. GrowHer program's beneficiaries are 4,000 female smallholder cacao farmers and entrepreneurs in North Luwu and East Luwu District, in South Sulawesi Province. SCIDN and the consortium aim to empower girls and women from different backgrounds and ages, and adopt rural economic growth and resilience as one of the key essential interventions.

Under the program’s specific objectives, strengthening women’s socio-economic empowerment—particularly through improved financial literacy and access to community-based financial mechanisms—is a key performance indicator. During the 2023–2025 period, SCIDN and its partners have implemented savings and loan initiatives, including the establishment of VSLA and financial literacy activities, to support women in the cocoa sector and other vulnerable livelihoods. The Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) approach is adopted as a strategic mechanism to strengthen women’s access to financial services, promote saving practices, increase access to small-scale loans for productive and household needs, and foster collective agency and leadership among women.

As VSLA implementation expands across multiple project locations, there is a growing need to ensure consistent, high-quality, and contextually relevant application of the approach. Differences in facilitation practices, stages of group formation, and integration with other women’s economic empowerment interventions highlight the importance of having clear operational guidance and systematic documentation of learning. Therefore, the engagement of a VSLA Consultant is required to develop a practical guideline outlining the stages of VSLA formation and implementation, as well as to document learning and best practices (lessons learned) derived from program implementation. The guideline and learning document are expected to serve not only as internal references for project staff, partners, and community facilitators, but also as a reference for other stakeholders who intend to adopt and implement the VSLA approach in similar contexts.

Assignment

• Duty station : Remote with travel to North Luwu & East Luwu
• Duration : 1 months from 16 February 2026 – 16 March 2026
• Report to : Women Economic Empowerment & Gender

Purpose and Objectives

The purpose of this assignment is to develop practical and user-friendly guidance on the Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) approach by documenting the stages of VSLA formation and implementation, and by capturing learning and best practices derived from the GrowHer Cocoa Project implementation. This guidance aims to support consistent, high-quality, and contextually relevant application of VSLA as a key mechanism for women’s economic empowerment in cocoa-producing communities.

This activity has two main objectives:

1. To develop a simple, practical, and user-friendly VSLA guideline that outlines the key stages of VSLA formation and implementation, based on field experiences and best practices from the GrowHer Cocoa Project.
2. To document learning and best practices (lessons learned) from VSLA implementation, including insights on facilitation, group governance, and integration with women’s economic empowerment interventions, to serve as a reference for project staff, partners, facilitators, and other stakeholders interested in adopting the VSLA approach.

Scope of Work

The VSLA Consultant will be responsible for conducting a structured review and documentation process to develop a practical VSLA formation guideline and a lessons learned document based on the GrowHer Cocoa Project implementation. The scope of work includes, but is not limited to, the following activities:

Desk Review and Context Analysis

• Review relevant project documents, including program design, implementation reports, monitoring data, and existing VSLA-related materials used under the GrowHer Cocoa Project.

• Analyze the VSLA implementation context in North Luwu and East Luwu Districts, including integration with women’s economic empowerment interventions.

Field Learning and Stakeholder Engagement

• Compilation learning from the existing documents related to VSLA lesson learn.

• If necessary, conduct consultations with key stakeholders, including project staff, implementing partners, and selected VSLA group members.

• If necessary, Facilitate learning discussions or focus group discussions (FGDs) to capture experiences, challenges, enabling factors, and good practices related to VSLA formation and implementation.

Documentation of VSLA Formation Stages and Implementation Practices

• Identify and document key stages of VSLA formation, including community engagement, group formation, governance arrangements, savings and loan mechanisms, and sustainability considerations.

• Capture practical facilitation approaches and operational practices that have proven effective in the project context.

Compilation of Learning and Best Practices (Lessons Learned)

• Synthesize field-level learning, best practices, and key insights from VSLA implementation.

• Highlight practical recommendations for improving VSLA quality, consistency, and scalability in similar program contexts.

Development and Finalization of Outputs

• Develop a user-friendly VSLA guideline outlining formation stages and implementation steps.

• Produce a structured lessons learned and best practices document.

• Present draft outputs for review and incorporate feedback from SCIDN and consortium partners before finalization.

Deliverables

The VSLA Consultant is expected to deliver the following outputs:

Inception Report

A brief inception report outlining the consultant’s understanding of the assignment, proposed methodology, workplan, and timeline for completing the assignment.

Draft VSLA Formation and Implementation Guideline

A user-friendly and practical guideline detailing the stages of VSLA formation and implementation, including community engagement, group establishment, governance arrangements, savings and loan mechanisms, facilitation practices, and sustainability considerations, based on experiences from the GrowHer Cocoa Project.

Draft Lessons Learned and Best Practices Document

A structured document capturing key learning, best practices, challenges, and practical recommendations derived from VSLA implementation across project locations.

Final VSLA Guideline and Lessons Learned Document

Finalized VSLA formation and implementation guideline and lessons learned document, incorporating feedback from SCIDN and consortium partners, to serve as a reference for project teams and other stakeholders interested in adopting the VSLA approach.

Consultant Profile and Qualifications

Save the Children will hire an independent consultant to support the development of a VSLA formation guideline and documentation of learning and best practices from program implementation. The selected consultant should meet the following qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree (Master’s degree preferred) in economics, rural development, social sciences, gender studies, community development, or other relevant fields.

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in designing, implementing, reviewing, or documenting community-based savings and loan initiatives, particularly the Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) or similar financial inclusion approaches.

• Proven experience in developing practical, simple, and user-friendly operational guidelines or learning documents related to women’s economic empowerment, financial inclusion, or community-based finance.

• Strong analytical, facilitation, and communication skills, with experience in synthesizing field-level learning into clear and actionable guidance.

• Demonstrated understanding of gender-responsive and inclusive approaches in economic empowerment programs.

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively with program teams and partners.

• Availability and commitment to complete the assignment within the agreed timeline.

Apply now

Potential interview questions

Added 3 months ago - Updated 3 months ago - Source: savethechildren.net