Terms of Reference (ToR) for Gender and Youth Advocacy Consultation

Project Title: Empowering Rural Youth for Resilient Economic Development

Location: Bauchi, Benue, Kaduna, Niger, and Plateau States

Client: ThriveAgric

Contract Duration: 1 Month (To be completed September 2024)

Application Submission Deadline: 30th August 2024

Contracting: 2nd September 2024

Background:

Thrive Agric is an agri-tech company created to help smallholder farmers gain access to formal markets through a partnership with large agribusinesses that require high quality cultivation of the cash crops they buy. ThriveAgric is implementing the "Empowering Rural Youth for Resilient Economic Development" project across Bauchi, Benue, Kaduna, Niger, and Plateau States. The project aims to provide job opportunities to thousands of unemployed and underemployed young people within these states, with a target of 50% women and 100% youth inclusion.

Despite the urgent need for gender and youth inclusion in employment and training programs, this target audience often faces significant barriers, including exclusion from opportunities. ThriveAgric recognizes the need to advocate for greater inclusion and policy adoption to ensure that women and youth, particularly in rural areas, can fully participate in economic development.

To this end, ThriveAgric seeks to engage a consultant to lead gender and youth advocacy across the five states.

Objectives of the Consultancy:

1. Gender and Youth Advocacy:

Lead advocacy efforts aimed at promoting gender and youth inclusion in employment, training, and economic development programs across Bauchi, Benue, Kaduna, Niger, and Plateau States. The advocacy should focus on ensuring that community members, households, and local policies support inclusive opportunities for women and youth, particularly in rural communities.

2. Policy Adoption:

Collaborate with key stakeholders, including youth and women lead associations and individuals, local organizations, and community leaders, to advocate for and promote gender and youth inclusion in economic development initiatives. The consultant should work to influence mindset change and if possible policy adoption at both the state and community levels.

3. Capacity Building:

Design and facilitate meetings, step down advocacy events, and other activities for young people to ensure a strong understanding of gender and youth inclusion needs and how to ensure their voices are heard.

4. Monitoring and Evaluation:

Develop and implement a framework to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the advocacy efforts and the integration of gender and youth inclusion into the project. Provide regular reports and recommendations based on the findings.

5. Media Promotion:

Work with the ThriveAgric communications team to develop communication and promotion strategies for all the activities to be conducted across each state.

Scope of Work:

1. Conduct a gender and youth inclusion assessment across the five project states to identify key barriers to participation and opportunities for advocacy.

2. Develop an advocacy plan tailored to each state, with clear objectives, strategies, and target stakeholders.

3. Engage with government officials, community leaders, civil society organizations, youth and women organizations and individuals, and other stakeholders to promote gender and youth inclusion across their communities.

4. Facilitate events and advocacy sessions with young people on gender and youth inclusion.

5. Monitor and evaluate the impact of advocacy efforts and provide regular reports to ThriveAgric.

6. Promote the project on various social and conventional media platforms.

Deliverables:

1. Gender and Youth Inclusion Assessment Report for Bauchi, Benue, Kaduna, Niger, and Plateau States.

2. Advocacy Plan for promoting gender and youth inclusion across the five states.

3. Physical gender and youth inclusion advocacy activities conducted across each of the five states with MoVs such as reports, pictures, videos etc.

4. Regular progress reports and a final consultancy report detailing the outcomes of the advocacy including challenges and lessons learnt.

Qualifications:

Firms expressing interest in this assignment must demonstrate that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to undertake the assigned tasks. Shortlisting will be based on an analysis of the following information:

● Be officially registered in the country of operation with current and active registration.

● Proven experience in gender and youth advocacy, particularly in rural contexts.

● Strong understanding of gender and youth inclusion principles and best practices.

● Demonstrated experience in policy advocacy and engagement with government and community stakeholders.

● Experience in designing and facilitating advocacy activities.

● Excellent communication and reporting.

● Ability to work and deliver high-quality results within tight deadlines.

● Have a thorough understanding of the local context, including cultural norms, community dynamics, and geography, to effectively interact with and build rapport with participants and stakeholders.

● Maintain and enforce policies such as Code of Conduct, Safeguarding Principles, Anti-Fraud, and Conflict of Interest.

Duration:

The consultancy is expected to commence on the 1st of September 2024 and be completed by the 31st of September 2024. The specific timeline for each phase of the work will be outlined in the data collection plan.

Application Process:

Interested consultants should submit the following:

1. A detailed proposal outlining your approach to the consultancy, including a timeline and methodology.

2. Company profile including your team's CV highlighting relevant experience and qualifications.

3. A budget proposal for the consultancy job.

Applications should be sent on or before the deadline to samirah.bello@thriveagric.com, subject: “EOI – Gender and Youth Advocacy Consultation (Name of Firm)” by 30th August 2024.

Reporting:

The consultant will report directly to the Head of Strategic Partnership at ThriveAgric and will work closely with the project team throughout the consultancy period.

N.B: Firms who do not have the minimum requirements need not to apply

Only shortlisted firms will be contacted for the next stage of the recruitment. PLEASE NO PHONE CALLS