Tender Notice for Youth Needs Assessment

Tender Reference #: UA-CO- KYIV- RFQ-2024-105

Both Self-Employ and Companies are encouraged to apply.

Call for Tender: Youth Needs Assessment.

In response to the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crises in Ukraine, NRC is supporting Education program as one of multi sectors supported by NRC Ukraine. .

NRC in Ukraine requires a comprehensive Youth Needs assessment to effectively address the challenges posed by the ongoing crisis. Utilizing mapping technologies, data from Multi sources, and inputs from key informants.

The purpose of this tender is to select a consultant to set up a contract for the provision of Youth Needs Assessment.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

External consultant: Youth Needs Assessment

BACKGROUND

NRC is an independent, humanitarian, non-profit, non-governmental organisation, currently present in 31 countries. NRC works globally with refugees and internally displaced persons and supports the specific coping strategies that enable people to claim and defend their human rights.

In Ukraine, NRC focuses on Education, including Education in Emergencies; Shelter; Livelihoods and Food Security (LFS), Protection from Violence (PfV), and Information, Counselling, and Legal Assistance (ICLA) programmes.

The overall objective of NRC Ukraine Education Core Competency (CC) in 2023-2025 is to” contribute towards ensuring vulnerable, war-affected children and youth in Ukraine have access to safe and relevant learning opportunities, have increased hope for the future and – for youth in particular – become more active members of their communities.” We define youth in Ukraine as a person aged between 18 to 35 years old, in accordance with the Ukrainian system.

Regarding the youth education program, the main outcomes are:

Youth will be equipped with skills, knowledge and attitudes so that they can continue/return to be active and engaged members of their communities.
Unemployed male and female youth who have not completed basic education will develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes required for choosing and creating safe and sustainable livelihood options.

NRC’s Youth programme in Ukraine is delivered in partnership with Youth Councils and Youth Centres, and in design of/support to Youth-led projects, towards the following objectives:

Enhance youth wellbeing and engagement.
Empower youth as proactive community contributors.
Vocational trainings are available for youth in coordination with NRC LFS.
Youth are able to access learning support in soft and technical skills within Digital Learning Centres (DLCs).
In partnership with local organizations, youth have access to career coaching and support for soft skills development.

The NRC adopts the Ukrainian definition of youth as individuals aged between 18 and 35 years old, prioritizing war-affected youth. The NRC Youth programming works closely with the Livelihoods and Food Security (LFS) program to integrate interventions alongside the Information, Counselling, and Legal Assistance (ICLA) program, with a dedicated focus on youth-specific needs and learning pathways.

OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF WORK

The primary objective is to identify the areas of intervention which NRC should consider prioritising based on identified needs and in line with NRC education, ICLA, LFS and country strategies, for internal displaced youth living North, East, South and West oblasts.

To reach the main objective, in line with NRC’s three global learning pathways for Youth programming, the research will focus on identifying needs, challenges and opportunities for youth to:

Education transition – Transition from TVET/high school to employment..
Ready for livelihood opportunities – Gain market-driven and life skills to access the Ukrainian labor market.
Social Engagement – Deepen their meaningful engagement and leadership within their communities.

In addition to the primary objective, further objectives of the assessment include:

The identification of barriers to youth employment and/or income generation.
The identification of barriers (policy, structural, and religious/socio-cultural) and opportunities related to social engagement (e.g. networking, volunteering, increased roles in family/community decision-making).
The identification of relevant youth-led associations that foster youth engagement within their communities (such as community engagement projects, youth clubs, organizing sports events, etc.).
Identification of youth-led local partners appropriate to work on identified intervention areas.

Note: the process should be gender sensitive, conflict sensitive and a cultural/gender lens should be applied to the analysis and recommendations.

Major Tasks and responsibilities:

Desk Review: To develop an initial secondary data review (including NRC LFS findings) linked to barriers and opportunities for war-affected youth (18 to 35 years old) to access community engagement and livelihood opportunities in the targeted locations: North, East, South, and West Ukraine

Some areas of analysis related to opportunities might be:

Skill-building:
- Existing youth-friendly skill-building programmes and opportunities for male and female youth employment and social engagement
- Existing youth skill-building services and actors relevant to the objectives of NRC’s ambitions for youth programming
Employment:
- Sectors and businesses that could support jobs for war-affected Ukrainian youth (18 to 35 years old)
- Formal and informal channels for youth to seek for job opportunities
- Youth-run business opportunities
- Employment sectors more friendly to women with vocational skills
Social engagement:
- Youth community engagement opportunities and structures, with attention to opportunities for women and vulnerable youth

Consultation: Facilitation of the consultation workshops (focus group discussions [FGDs], participatory rural appraisal [PRA],Key interviews [KIIs] etc.) with groups of war-affected youth (18 to 35 years old) and NRC LFS team, focused on market-driven skills, life skills and community engagement. The data collection should include a “status” data on current displacement conditions, returnees, or regularly travelling between Ukraine, Moldova and Poland.
Where applicable, youth will participate to the data collection. Specifically, through the participatory workshop, clear information, suggestions and recommendations on specific skills needed to facilitate the transition from the education system to a job market, as well as initiatives that can strengthen youth participation and engagement within their communities, in order to inform NRC education Core Competence for future youth interventions. The consultation will extend to youth-led organizations, skill-building actors, youth-led private businesses etc. The workshops will be divided and repeated in all areas: North, East, South and West Ukraine, based on the sample that will be agreed with the consultant at the time of the design of the assessment.
Sense-making and recommendations: 1) Engage youth in interpreting assessment data, identifying key issues, and developing actionable recommendations for improving youth-focused humanitarian interventions; 2) to develop an internal workshop led by the consultant on sense-making and developing recommendations.
Report: Drafting and producing a final document outlining the process, findings and suggested actions related to the main objective of this consultancy.

2. ASSESSMENT PARAMETERS

These objectives will be achieved through:

Analysis and desk review of existing literature related to youth’s challenges and barriers to access to employment and community engagement .
Design and facilitate consultation workshops with youth using participatory approach in order to identify barriers and opportunities related to transitioning from TVET/high school to a job market.
The research will have a strong focus on youth participatory and youth-led methodology
Development of methodology focused on youth skills and youth empowerment transitional activities that can support youth access to a job market.

In line with the work plan, the assessment will commence from 1st October 2024 and will be conducted in three phases over a three-month period:

Preparation (five weeks from 1st September to 8th October 2024),
Data collection (four weeks from 9th October to 5th November 2024), and
Analysis and reporting (four weeks from 6th November to 3rd December 2024)

The assessment should conclude by 3rd December 2024. This excludes a final workshop to present the assessment and its findings, which can be held following the conclusion of the assessment work plan. This final workshop could include Regional and Global NRC colleagues but should also allow for the participation and voices of Ukrainian youth themselves, which will remain central.

The assessment will take place North, East, South and West Ukraine. Locations will be selected in coordination with the NRC team to ensure that there will be a representative sample for each location in which NRC is currently operating.

The target group is primarily female and male Ukrainian internally displaced youth (aged 18 – 35 years) residing in North, East, South and West Ukraine. It is around this demographic that the assessment will be designed and delivered. However, participants in the assessment can be determined according to the following two categories.

Focus Group Discussions

FGDs should be held in locations that are safe, comfortable, and culturally appropriate. FGDs should be sex-segregated and can be led by the consultant with a youth-participatory approach.

Key Informant Interviews

KIIs should also be conducted in safe, suitable, and appropriate locations with which all participants are comfortable. External stakeholders acting as key informants can be approached in advance to schedule interviews. KIIs should be conducted in pairs as described under the assessment parameters. A minimum of KIIs per location will be agreed with the consultant as well as the list of main stakeholders that will be included.
Specific Outputs
Design assessment plan exercise
Work plan including detailed assessment plan and workshop plans outlining the objectives, activities, materials required, and timing of the participatory consultations with the groups of youth and other relevant stakeholders.
Conduct youth participatory consultation workshop (FGDs etc.) related to market-drive skills, life skills and identify, through this specific component, youth’s needs, and gaps on existing capacities.
A final comprehensive and high-quality report in English and Ukrainian (including a proper layout), on the two components/objectives developed during the consultancy
Summary and charts that can be presented and shared with donors and Ukrainian local authorities
Delivery of a presentation to NRC Ukraine CO, outlining the assessment findings and recommendations for future youth interventions.
Timeframe

The overall facilitation, analysis of findings and strategy development components of the project is anticipated as below:

Output

Estimated Time

In-depth secondary data analysis

10 days

Design assessment plan exercise related to the assessment after checking secondary data.

10 days

Work plan including detailed assessment plan and workshop plans outlining the objectives, activities, materials required, and timing of the participatory consultations with the groups of youth and other relevant stakeholders.

5 days

Conduct youth participatory consultation workshop and additional data collection (FGDs, KIIs) related to youth’s challenges and barriers to access to job opportunities, identification of market-driven skills and initiatives to strengthen youth’s transition to job opportunities.

20 days

A Final comprehensive and high-quality report (including a proper layout), on the three components/objectives developed during the consultancy.

15 days

Delivery of a presentation to NRC Ukraine outlining the assessment findings and recommendations for future youth interventions.

1 days

Applicants are to propose a timeline of the activities of the consultancy to include:

Inception activities (e.g. desk research, orientation)
Preparation and facilitation
Analysis of findings, preparation of report and PowerPoint presentation

Whilst the consultant is welcome to work more than five days per working week many of the tasks may be dependent on other actors and it cannot be assumed they will be available on normal weekends.

Requirements

Consultant: The consultant will be assisted by NRC Ukraine Education staff where necessary for the in-country work. NRC field staff can act as translators during specific activities for international consultants if required.

National Team Members: NRC national education staff in Ukraine will be available to support the consultant. NRC staff will also contribute to logistics and security support.

Other Stakeholders: the consultancy will require interaction with MoE, education Cluster and other organizations working on youth in Ukraine. The consultant will also engage with NRC staff and partners.

Qualifications

The consultant must demonstrate the following qualifications:

Relevant university qualifications, preferably in a field related to education. Master’s degree (or equivalent) preferred;
A minimum of five years of relevant professional experience;
Demonstrated ability and experience to facilitate youth participatory assessment and initiatives;
Demonstrated understanding of gender issues, particularly in displacement contexts;
Experience working in complex and insecure environments;
Ability to work with a group of diverse stakeholders and produce results;
Significant political, cultural and gender awareness about Ukraine;
Fluency in the English language, both written and verbal;
Knowledge of Ukrainian language would be a benefit;
Familiarity with the education and youth context in Ukraine .

Preference will be given to a consultant with experience working in Ukraine as well as experience of youth participation in general.

Applications for Consultancy
Interested consultants must submit their application Via eTB System by 16th Aug 2024. The application must be sent in Word, Excel and/or PDF files as an attachment to the resume. Only shortlisted Service Provider will be contacted.

Consultants who wish to apply for this consultancy must submit an application that contains the following:

Consultant contact information including the consultant’s name, email address and phone number(s).
Cover letter
Consultant CV (or separate CVs if more than one consultant will participate). Each CV is limited to 3 pages
Expressions of Interest (see guidance below)

Budget and Timeline

Expressions of interest must include a proposed budget and timeline for the youth consultation exercise and reporting.

The timeline should include duration of proposed activities. Exact dates will be decided upon finalization of the contract between the consultant and NRC.

The budget is to include consultancy fees, travel, accommodation, per diem, insurances, communication, and any other incidental costs. Each of these items should be differentiated in the budget. The budget must present consultancy fee costs according to number of expected working days over the entire period. NRC will provide transport during the consultant’s period of work from Area Office to field locations.

Finalists may be asked to submit references and/or samples of past work.

Tender issue date: 02.08.2024

QA Deadline 16.08.2024

Deadline 23.08.2024