(Offre en anglais) Mercy Corps recrute un consultant pour le projet YES! Retour vers les opportunités

Project/Consultancy Title: Final Evaluation, YES! Project
Project Location(s): Tunisia
Duration of Assignment: 35 working days, starting March 2018

Background

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. Across the more than 40 countries in which we operate, we’re working to address root causes of poverty head on, and helping those caught in crisis not only meet their immediate needs, but build a brighter future. In taking on these challenges, Mercy Corps does not act alone nor are we satisfied with business as usual. In our work, we strive to innovate for greater impact – often through increased take-up of technology and investment in market-driven models. In our work, we see technology as an enabler to improve scale, access, efficiency, engagement, and effectiveness in our global work.

Youth Empowered for Success (YES!) is a partnership with The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation (TCCAF) and Harambee which seeks to enhance employment for 25,000 young people in six African countries by 2018, and 500,000 by 2022. Mercy Corps is the lead implementer in Kenya, Uganda, Liberia, Nigeria, and Tunisia. The program has three work streams:

• Core YES! Model: Localizing the YES! model in 6 countries to improve the employment and entrepreneurship of 11,000 youth.
• Innovation and Digital: Driving innovation in youth employment in Africa through business solutions including digital tools, reaching 14,000 youth.
• Thought leadership: Research and learning on youth economic empowerment in Africa, building an evidence base enabling partnerships to scale to reach 500,000

YES! Program Description:

YES! began operating in Tunisia in 2015. In Tunisia, YES! implements its Core Hub Model, designed as a distinctly YES! approach to youth economic empowerment, which is significantly customized in different country contexts but is invariably based on three processes:

1. Youth engagement: In order to reach youth efficiently, YES! engages participants at pre-existing natural convening points which we call ‘Hubs’ e.g. youth groups, community centres, etc., and collaboratively determines youth needs and interests for linkages.
2. Private sector engagement: Based on labour market assessments and research in target markets, YES! identifies opportunities suitable for youth, including jobs, franchising, entrepreneurship opportunities, new markets, and financial services.
3. Facilitated linkages: Based on the opportunities identified, YES! facilitates linkages through a range of activities including training in technical and transferable skills; negotiating and buying down risk; and organizing linkage meetings and events

Working through the Government agency responsible for vocational training in Tunisia, the Agence Tunisienne de la Formation Professionnelle (ATFP), YES! has established Clubs Entreprendres in 42 of ATFP’s 135 technical vocational educational training (TVET) schools as well as eight Hubs through the
Higher Institute for Scientific and Technology (ISET), and two with community-based organization. In total, YES! has 44 active Clubs Entreprendres. These clubs seek to provide an out-of-classroom forum for youth to develop the soft skills that employers and the labour market demand.

Objectives of the Consultancy:

So far, YES! has engaged over 4,400 youth and nearly 2,500 youth have received training through the program. However, we have only carried out one small qualitative study to determine intermediate outcomes of our Clubs Entreprendres strategy. As YES! closes out its first phase in Tunisia, the program is committed to continue building its evidence base on what works and what does not in our current strategy to empower young people in Tunisia as well as to contribute meaningfully to the global conversation on youth economic empowerment.

The YES! Program in Tunisia is seeking a qualified consultant to conduct a final evaluation examining the outcomes and any impact of the program against the program plan, the effect of various strategic changes during the life of the program, as well as the sustainability of its actions. Key areas of inquiry to be investigated in this evaluation are outlined below; these shall be revised and refined in consultation with the successful bidder.

Learning and Livelihood Outcomes

YES! employs a “mixed livelihoods” approach, which moves beyond a conception of employment as static and rigid, in the form of formal wage employment, to a more robust understanding of youth employment as complex and dynamic. YES! recognizes that neither youth ‘unemployment’ nor ‘employment’ are black and white in Africa; most young people have complex livelihoods, piecing together their employment from a combination of different income streams rather than through full-time salaried positions, which the local economies do not provide. YES! therefore measures its impact on youth employment in four domains of change:

1. Skills: includes work readiness as well as financial literacy skills
2. Security: indicated by the stability and/or diversity of work portfolios, as well as viability of youth businesses
3. Income and savings: indicated by the Net Additional Income Change (NAIC), and financial management capacity
4. Meaningfulness: indicated by work satisfaction and retention, confidence in employment and entrepreneurship potential, and presence of supportive environment

Apart from assessing outcomes based on the above domains of change, the consultant will determine: to what extent YES! has reached ‘vulnerable youth’; the constraints and enablers of youth benefiting from the program; and the effectiveness of various program components in facilitated desired outcomes in
participants.

Program Sustainability

1. The consultant will also examine the sustainability of the program, specifically, The ability of the community and local governments to continue program initiated activities after Mercy Corps’ exit.
2. The capacity of local institutions for improved support
3. The capacity of community structures to maintain the infrastructure developed in the program

Consultant Objectives:

The consultant will develop their own approach, in collaboration with the YES! Results, Learning & Research Coordinator. S/he will employ research methodologies with sufficient rigor to generate actionable answers to the research questions within the resources and timeframe available for this effort. S/he will have access to the database of monitoring data from YES! implementation so far, but much of the research will require onthe-ground observation, interviews, surveys, focus groups, participatory activities and more. The tools will be submitted to Mercy Corps program staff for review prior to field testing or deployment. The assessment should actively and respectfully engage primary stakeholders throughout the research cycle.

The consultant will deliver a final evaluation report that outlines the achievements, challenges and learnings of the program, and will provide recommendations for future programming in the particular geography and technical area. A draft copy of the report will be reviewed for feedback by Mercy Corps for completeness and accuracy of program objectives and results. The report will be no longer than 35 pages excluding annexes.

The target audience for the report is Mercy Corps, its partners, and other organizations operating in the region.

Consultant Activities:

The Consultant will:

1. Develop a sampling frame based on geography and program beneficiary numbers that justifies the methodology
2. Develop qualitative and quantitative tools that will be reviewed by program staff before piloting and implementation
3. Thoroughly test the survey tools before full field deployment
4. Use survey tools to survey program participants and beneficiaries
5. Travel to YES! Hubs in Tunisia to undertake data collection activities
6. Use tested qualitative tools to conduct focus group discussions and key informant interviews with Hub leaders, community partners, and key program staff

Consultant Deliverables:

The Consultant will deliver:

1. An inception report no more than one week after the signing of the contract including a detailed
   sampling frame
2. All survey and interview tools for review prior to testing and deployment
3. A draft final evaluation report for review by YES! management
4. A final evaluation report highlighting the results and achievements of the program in relation to its stated objectives
5. The full raw dataset of surveys and interviews conducted for the evaluation

The consultant will have responsibility for ensuring quality and rigor of the research findings. The consultant will engage in the following activities and others as required:

The work from start to finish is estimated to take 35 days. This contract will be deliverables-based and payment will be based on the successful completion and delivery of all components of the work.

Time frame:

The consultancy will take place over 35 days starting March 2018

Resources:

• Mercy Corps will be responsible for:
  • Field transportation
  • Field logistics
  • Access to program documents and key program staff
  • Workspace while in the field
• The consultant will be responsible for:
  • Travel to Tunisia/primary Mercy Corps site
  • All field expenses (food, accommodation, communications, etc.)
  • Any computer or software needed for the assignment
• The Consultant will report to:
  • YES! Results, Learning and Research Coordinator.
• The Consultant will work closely with:
  • The YES! Tunisia Program Manager, YES! Program Director, YES! staff in Tunisia as well as TVET partners in Tunisia.