IDENTIFICATION OF SERVICE PROVIDERS – Accelerating Change Through InnoVation in Agricultural TVET (ACTIVATE) Ghana

BACKGROUND

The World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is one of Canada’s leading non-profit international development organizations, committed to building a more equitable and sustainable world. Our vision is a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable world for youth. It is a world in which all young people, especially women and refugees, are empowered to secure a good quality of life for themselves, their families, and their communities. We work with a diverse network of students, volunteers, institutions, governments, and businesses to improve education, economic, and empowerment opportunities for youth, and to improve the lives of millions of disadvantaged people around the world.

 Accelerating Change Through InnoVation in Agricultural TVET (ACTIVATE) 

The Accelerating Change Through InnoVation in Agricultural TVET (ACTIVATE) program is a 5-year project funded by the Mastercard Foundation, which aims to improve the well-being and resilience of young women and men by strengthening an industry-led demand-driven Agriculture Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ATVET) system nationwide in Ghana. Using an inclusive market systems approach, the program blends education and skills training while building collaboration and linkages among key stakeholders such as public and private actors, academia, and agriculture value chain actors. Over the course of five years, this program will respond to key challenges facing the Agriculture and Adjacent sectors (defined as sectors  that are directly or indirectly aligned with agriculture such as ICT and logistics)  including: 

• Low quality of ATVET instruction, curriculum and equipment/infrastructure; 
• Non-alignment of new TVET policies and reforms across ministries; 
• Lack of ATVET engagement with industry to understand their human resource needs; 
• Poor business skills among young people and insufficient entrepreneurship support to the diverse needs of agripreneurs;
• Insufficient management capacity of ATVET providers, regulators and support organizations 

The project will reduce gender specific barriers, elevate the voice and aspirations of youth and integrate a strong inclusivity lens, with respect to gender and disability.

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION STRUCTURE

Ghana’s agriculture sector, which currently contributes 23% of GDP and is the country’s largest employer, holds significant potential to be a key driver for employment and economic opportunities for young women and men in Ghana. Critical to achieving this potential is a well functioning agriculture education and training sector where  ATVETs  in particular are enabled to  deliver high quality education and demand-driven skills development and technical training that lead to job creation and employability in the sector. 

With extensive experience in the agriculture and TVET sectors in Ghana, WUSC, as the lead partner will work in close collaboration with two anchor partners, Social Enterprise Ghana (SEG) and CERATH Development Organization (CDO).

SEG is the national network of 16 social innovation hubs and 900 high impact social entrepreneurs. SEG will anchor the Skills Training component working in collaboration with the Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana, University of Ghana, Fair River International Association for Development, and other partners and service providers, will develop and deliver quality, market relevant and gender responsive skills training for youth through their 16 regional hubs, enterprise support organisations and female led hubs using farmer field school and farmer business schools models. SEG will also facilitate employability skills and job readiness training for ATVET students and graduates to train young people in demand driven sectors leading to wage employment or self employment.

CDO will lead on the design and launch of an agri-preneurship program to transition trainees into self-employment and entrepreneurship. This includes equipping high potential youth agripreneurs for success through incubator programs and transition packages, mentorship and coaching, and training on business development processes and resilience. 

NATURE & SCOPE

WUSC is looking for Service Providers (SPs), individual consultants or organizations, with specialities in various areas of focus, Career Counselling, ATVET Skills Training, Tracer Studies, TVET Policies and Reforms, Environment and Climate Change, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion, as well as Communications, Branding and Marketing (with a focus on attracting youth to enroll at ATVETs).

AREAS OF FOCUS & RESPONSIBILITIES

AREA 1: CAREER COUNSELLING

• Provide training for ATVET instructors and administrators on career counselling
• Facilitate community of practice of guidance counsellors

AREA 2: ATVET SKILLS TRAINING

• Deliver technical short courses in agriculture ex. mushroom farming
• Improvement and redevelopment of informal short courses
• Facilitation of Workplace Experience Learning/internships with industry

AREA 3: TRACER STUDIES

• Train ATVET staff in TVET performance measurement and tracer studies
• Support ATVET colleges and stakeholders to conduct tracer studies
• Technical Assistance on integrating tracer study data into course planning and teaching

AREA 4: TVET POLICIES & REFORMS

• Incorporation of pre-tertiary agriculture programmes into the NTVETQF
• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) guide for agriculture/ATVET

AREA 5: ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

• Support partners in development of short-course training by integrating topics on mitigation and adaptation towards climate smart agriculture, biodiversity conservation, nature-based solutions, natural resource management etc. 
• Review and provide feedback on agripreneurship and environment and climate change training and curriculum

AREA 6: GENDER EQUALITY & SOCIAL INCLUSION (GESI)

• Conduct gender and  inclusion audit of ATVET training institutions

• Development of gender-responsive and disability inclusive training manuals
• Conduct trainings on GESI with partners

AREA 7: COMMUNICATIONS, BRANDING & MARKETING

• Expertise in behaviour change communication
• Developing multi-media campaigns

QUALIFICATION

• Advanced degree in a relevant discipline or relevant work experience deemed as equivalent.
• Five years technical or training experience in relevant field with report writing skills
• Proficiency in spoken and written English 
• Ability to provide training or technical support in at least one local language
• Professional certification in the appropriate field preferred (CMC, PMP, etc.)
• Experience providing consultancy services in international development for an INGO (preferred)

The following skills will be essential: 

• Solid understanding and ability to apply gender equality principles to technical assistance
• Strong organisational and time management skills
• Knowledge in green growth and environmental friendly approaches
• Understanding of the supply and demand side actors within the ATVET system
• Knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods

APPLICATION PROCEDURES: 

WUSC is an equal-opportunity employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities. Reasonable Accommodations are available upon request for candidates participating in all aspects of the selection process. Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. No telephone calls, please.

Interested parties are encouraged to submit an application package using the google form.  The application must include:

1. a short technical proposal of no more than three pages detailing explicitly your capacity, area(s) of focus you are applying for (can be one area of focus or multiple),  and experience to the assignment
2. Daily rates
3. Organisational profile (if applicable)
4. CV(s) of the consultant or consultants

Questions regarding this consultancy can be directed to Appiah Boakye, ACTIVATE Project Director at [email protected] 

The application submission deadline is 3 May 2024

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you provide all requested information.