Learning Partner – Accelerating Change Through InnoVation In Agricultural TVET (ACTIVATE)

Location	Ghana or remote with frequent travel to Ghana
Duration of Contract	May 2024 – May 2025 with the possibility of extension through June of 2029
Reports to	MERL Manager
Application Deadline	30 April, 2024
Expected Start Date	20 May, 2024
Level of Effort	44 days

WUSC Background

WUSC is a leading Canadian international development organization committed to providing education, economic and empowerment opportunities to improve the lives of millions of disadvantaged youth around the world, particularly young women and refugees. WUSC’s vision is a world where all young people can thrive in safe, secure and supportive environments; have access to high-quality education opportunities from early childhood to adulthood; are able to secure fair, decent and fulfilling economic opportunities; and can actively participate in all aspects of their societies’ development. WUSC works as a facilitator and a convener, bringing together diverse resources and stakeholders to tackle complex challenges at a systems level. WUSC leverages a wide network of actors from civil society, post-secondary education, the private sector and youth themselves to design and implement initiatives that will bring lasting change for the benefit of youth. 

WUSC operates in over 25 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, with an annual budget of over $45 million CAD. WUSC has over 300 staff globally implementing many development projects in collaboration with donors, such as Global Affairs Canada, the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, and the Mastercard Foundation. With support from Global Affairs Canada and other funders, WUSC has worked in Ghana since 1997, contributing to national development goals through partnerships with the Government of Ghana, civil society, the private sector, and other key development actors. WUSC has co-designed and implemented a number of innovative programs with a focus on youth economic opportunities, in particular business environment and TVET activities to improve employment and entrepreneurship outcomes across the country.

ACTIVATE Background

Accelerating Change Through InnoVation in Agricultural TVET (ACTIVATE) is a 5-year initiative that 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 in Ghana. The program is national in scope, blending education and skills training while building collaboration and linkages among key  stakeholders, such as public and private actors, academia, and agriculture sector actors. Together with these stakeholders, ACTIVATE will respond to key challenges facing the Agriculture and Adjacent sectors. The program’s proposed interventions prioritize elevating the voice and aspirations of youth and integrating a strong inclusivity lens with respect to gender and disability, in particular.  

Over 5 years, ACTIVATE will reach a total of over 80,340 individuals, including approximately 79,360 youth (aged 15-35). These  individuals will be reached through high quality, market-relevant skills training in specific agricultural sub-sectors/value chains with opportunities for young men and young women, such as agro processing, horticulture, livestock, and agribusiness, and adjacent sectors such as transportation, logistics and IT, which will be confirmed following an in-depth market assessment process. Out of the 79,360, 65% will participate in modular and/or short courses using non-formal & informal training (improved apprenticeship, On-Farm/On-the-job training) and Recognition of Prior  Learning approaches. They will also receive entrepreneurship training and support. The remaining youth will be reached through formal training in the ATVET institutions, including job readiness training and employment referral support, career and guidance  counseling, and facilitation of workplace experience learning. The program interventions will result in over 68,289 employed Youth (in wage employment or self-employment) or approximately 85% of all youth participants. ACTIVATE targets a minimum of 70% of those supported youth to be young women. By working to create an ATVET system that is stronger, more gender-responsive, inclusive, and market-relevant, and delivering enhanced, market-relevant training, ACTIVATE will have a lasting impact on the ability of  young people in Ghana to thrive beyond the life of the program.

Consultancy Purpose

WUSC is seeking to engage a learning partner for the duration of the ACTIVATE project (2024-2029). The successful candidate will be engaged on a one-year contract with a possibility of extension in subsequent years. The purpose of the consultancy will be to 1) provide technical support to the design and implementation of ACTIVATE’s annual outcome surveys; 2) convene diverse stakeholders to support the regular assessment of progress toward outcomes using innovative, participatory approaches; 3) facilitate reflection and learning from Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) activities, such as baseline, midterm and endline studies, as well periodic, targeted research initiatives to inform adaptive management and producing learning products; and 4) provide an external perspective on lessons learned and implications for program adaptation.   

Scope of Work

• Lead the design and implementation of ACTIVATE’s Learning strategy, including the development of learning questions and products, in coordination with the MERL team (MERL Manager, MERL Officer and Global MERL Advisor), project management/staff members, and key partners, including Women’s Rights Organizations.
• Design and undertake the developmental evaluation of key project components to be determined in coordination with the MERL team and project management
• Provide input into baseline, midterm and endline study design and support interpretation and translation of findings and recommendations among project staff, partners and other key stakeholders
• Lead the development of a survey methodology and data collection tools for Outcome indicators. In coordination with the MERL team lead the development of data collections tools for the following surveys; Youth Survey, ATVET System Actor Survey, Trainee Survey, and ATVET Service providers.
• Support the MERL team to regularly assess progress toward outcome achievement, including systems change, using innovative, participatory approaches (e.g. outcome harvesting, most significant change, stakeholder mapping exercises, etc.)
• Provide external feedback and overall quality assurance on all MERL systems and processes of ACTIVATE and Anchor partners. Support capacity assessment and strengthening activities of Anchor partners. 
• Provide technical expertise to Project governance structures and/or communities of practices.

Level of Effort 

The level of effort for this consultancy is anticipated to be approximately 44 days in year 1.

Indicative Timelines and Deliverables (Year 1) 

Estimated contributions expected in working days will be determined in consultation with the selected candidate. The following proposed schedule will be revised in consultation with the successful candidate during the inception phase.

Task	Days	Timeline
Contract signing	0.5	May
Inception Meeting	0.5	May
Submission of draft inception report, including detailed year-one work plan	4	May
Submission of final inception report	1	May
Consultations on the design of ACTIVATE’s MERL strategy (learning agenda and annual outcome survey methodology)	15	Ongoing
Developmental evaluation planning	15	Ongoing
Consultations on baseline study design	3	TBD
Interpretation and translation of baseline study findings	5	TBD
Total	44

Consultant(s)/Firm Qualifications

• At least 10 years of relevant experience (international development MERL/research)
• Demonstrated experience designing and supporting MERL systems and processes
• Strong research background, with a focus on qualitative research
• Demonstrated experience designing and undertaking developmental evaluations
• Experience with systems approaches to MERL (Most Significant Change)
• Expertise in facilitation of multiple/diverse stakeholder groups
• Experience integrating gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) into MERL approaches, including engagement of young men and young women
• Expertise in knowledge translation 
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Strong analytical skills
• Excellent written and oral communication in English
• Knowledge of local Ghanaian languages desirable
• Familiarity with Ghana’s TVET/ATVET sector desirable
• Familiarity with Mastercard Foundation’s shared measures desirable

Applications

WUSC is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates taking part 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 a short technical proposal of no more than three pages, a one-page financial proposal, and CVs of the consultant or consultants. Questions regarding this consultancy can be directed to Christian Kuder, Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning Manager at [email protected] 

Only electronic proposals will be accepted.

The deadline for the submission of applications is 30 April 2024  at the close of business 5:00 pm (GMT).