Save the Children International has been working in Ethiopia over the past several decades to bring about immediate and lasting change in the lives of children. As one of the largest organizations working in Ethiopia, Save the Children implements programs on child protection, education, food security, health, humanitarian, livelihood, nutrition, WASH programs. As part of the different programs implemented in the country office, USAID’s building the potential of youth conducts different operation researches and surveys to document progress on results/outcomes and encourage evidence-based adjustment and decision to further accelerated changes in the lives of youth beneficiaries and the community at large.
Consultancy Service for a study on the effect of youth business mentoring for the success of youth livelihood USAID’s Building the Potential of Youth Activity (Individual Consultancy)
Save the Children International and its partners Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), Facilitator for Change (FC), HUNDEE-Oromo Grassroots Development Initiative (HUNDEE), Professional Alliance for Development in Ethiopia (PADet), Relief Society of Tigray (REST) and are implementing the USAID’s building the potential of youth (POTENTIAL) Activity. POTENTIAL directly addresses youth unemployment and economic activity by increasing access to skills building and employment promotion services. It specifically focuses on young women and builds on youth livelihoods activities implemented in Ethiopia. POTENTIAL operates in 30 woredas of Afar, Amhara, Oromia, SNNP, Somali and Tigray regions. So far, the Activity has reached close to 32,000 youth beneficiaries through its targeted intervention mechanism. The POTENTIAL training curricula provide youth with the skills and knowledge they need to clarify their personal and professional goals, find work, and develop healthy work habits and behaviors that will help them to be successful. Youth completing WRN! have been guided and coached to complete a Personal Development Plan (PDP) that helps them make decisions about what employment pathway they would like to follow. In POTENTIAL, youth business mentoring is provided by experienced and knowledgeable community members who volunteer to support and encourage youth to achieve their goals. The main focus of mentoring is building the capacity of youth to perform a better job in their own business or wage employment.
Ideally, the mentors work with youth for an initial period of six months, which could then be extended by agreement between the youth and the mentor. Mentors primarily provide regular support and guidance through a One-on-One mentoring process. This can be in person, by phone or text message. However, at least one meeting per month is done in-person at the youths’ business place.
POTENTIAL aims to reach 34,537 unemployed or underemployed rural youth in the 15–29 age group, POTENTIAL Activity focuses on the most vulnerable sections of the society, particularly women, and those transitioning out of pastoralism. The POTENTIAL is achieving its objectives by:
Mentorship in POTENTIAL
POTENTIAL designed its mentorship component to involve community-based volunteer business mentors. To achieve this, the Activity developed a business mentorship guide that helped implementers to adapt different mentorship strategies on the basis of the local context.
Operationally, mentors are defined as individuals (females and males) with knowledge, skills, a positive attitude, and a willingness to support youth to start a business. These individuals can include: community business owners, government workers, former POTENTIAL beneficiaries and other community stakeholders. With this in mind, mentorship is a community based formal process that involves the mentor helping an individual youth or a group of youth providing technical and emotional support to help the youth gain knowledge and skills, access market information, and develop their businesses.
Objective of the Study
The objective of this research is to explore and analyze the impact of POTENTIAL's mentorship strategy in its intervention regions and, therefore, better understand how mentorship can contribute to youth business development.
Research Questions
· How successful has business mentorship been in providing youth with opportunities to start and grow their businesses?
· What are the good characteristics of mentors appreciated by the mentees (Youth)?
· What did work well and what did not during implementation of mentoring?
· What makes mentors successful? What motivates them to support youth, and what needs to be done to create more mentors in the community?
· How do mentees perceive male and female mentors? Are female mentees comfortable with male mentors and vice versa?
· Is there difference in outcome between youth who received mentoring and those who did not?
POTENTIAL conducts this research as part of its effort to generate evidence to inform USAID and its development partners, including youth, Government of Ethiopia (GOE), and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), on appropriate, effective, and sustainable market driven youth workforce development intervention. Hence, this study anticipates understanding the added value of POTENTIAL in the lives of youth six months or more after they had left the program. The study will be divided into two parts: (1) a quantitative survey (2) a qualitative study. The qualitative survey is expected to provide in-depth information regarding the experience, thoughts, contribution etc. of mentors and mentees.
Methodology
The consultant will design appropriate consultancy service delivery methodologies (quantitative and qualitative) and tools for consultancy service which are aligned with the objectives of the study. The consultant will submit the detailed consultancy service delivery methodology plan and work-plan prior to starting consultancy service.
Scope of the study
The study shall consider taking a representative sample and shall be limited to the total population of the Activity. Geographically, POTENTIAL operates in 30 woredas of Afar, Amhara, Oromia SNNP, Somali and Tigray regions. The consultant will draw a reasonable sample from among the 32,000 trained male and female beneficiaries residing in the target woredas.
The consultant is also expected to conduct at least four individual case studies on selected mentors and six mentees to capture a more personalized experience, with in-depth approach to interviewing. The underlying assumption for this is that respondents are more comfortable in giving detailed information around sensitive subjects, such as aspirations, frustrations, and other factors driving migration during one-on one interview.
Deliverables of the consultant
· Detailed work plan with milestones.
· Inception report 5 days after the inception meeting
· Documentation of the key lessons for POTENTIAL
· Clear methodology along with qualitative and quantitative study instruments and indicator measurement, analytical approach and robustness check approach
· Draft complete study report and presentation to POTENTIAL
· Final report, incorporating suggestions and recommendations (at the end of the consultancy assignment one week after draft report presentation).
· Submit all data files/ audios/photos in printed and electronic format and completed questionnaires
Time frame
It is anticipated that this consultancy will be starting on April 1, 2019 with an effective input of 60 man-days. Moreover, the lead consultant will prepare a detailed work plan that will form part of the contract
Term of payment
Term of payment will be determined later
In general, the consultant or the consultancy firm should have practical experiences at least in the following competency areas;
Education
University advanced degree in sociology, economics, statistics or any related qualifications with:
Experience
· Minimum of twelve years of proven and strong research experience in the development of national employment policies and / or national migration policy;
· A good understanding of migration dynamics and issues related to youth task force development in Ethiopia would be an added advantage;
· A good knowledge of statistical systems is considered an asset.
· Committed to deadlines
· Excellent writing and verbal communication skills in English.
· The consultant is expected to bring at least one team member with excellent knowledge of SPSS, STATA, or other statistical software who has very good experience in coding, entering and processing of the data.
· Experience in managing and analyzing qualitative research data.
· Experiences in communication and facilitating learning workshops
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