Terms of Reference: Short-term Consultancy Services for Mapping and Project Inception Activities

Organization background:
BRAC is the world’s largest, and leading development organization dedicated to poverty alleviation and empowerment of the poor. Initiated in Bangladesh in 1972, BRAC now operates in 11 countries across Asia, Africa. To counter poverty and promote social empowerment, BRAC strategically integrates development programs in microfinance, agriculture, health, education, human rights and legal aid, community empowerment, and more. Stichting BRAC International is registered with RGB for NGO operations within Rwanda and started operations in Rwanda in 2022. 

1. Rationale of the assignment

According to the 5th Rwanda Population and Housing Census (RPHC) conducted in August 2022, 3.6 million Rwandans are adolescents and young people aged between 16 to 30 (27.1% of the population). Ushering this cohort of adolescents and young people into healthy and productive adulthood is critical for the country’s ability to achieve its development goals as per Rwanda’s Vision 2050 and Agenda 2030 as well as harnessing the demographic dividend (DD). Despite Rwanda’s progress in improving the health and well-being of its population, there is still a need for acceleration given some of the persistent challenges such as the rising rate of pregnancies amongst adolescents (~ 9% -HMIS 2021/22) with high prevalence in poor households posing significant health concerns. To address these challenges, there is a pressing need for accelerated and sustainable comprehensive approaches that tackle the root causes of youth health related issues. These approaches should focus on improving the knowledge and understanding of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRH&R), enhancing skills and decision-making power regarding bodily autonomy, promoting the use of SRHR services, and improving the livelihoods of adolescents.

The SIF-Funded Youth Empowerment Accelerator for Health (YEAH) integrates Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights within economic empowerment initiatives to prevent early and unintended pregnancies, by increasing access to sexual and reproductive health with emphasis on contraceptive services and reducing exposure to gender-based violence. By focusing on the holistic development of young people, the intervention aims to unlock their full potential and enhance their quality of life.

The YEAH model encompasses various strategies, including leveraging innovation and technology, engaging the private sector and investors, facilitating microfinancing opportunities, and fostering partnerships for scale-up. By bringing together these elements, the intervention seeks to create a comprehensive and effective framework for addressing adolescent pregnancies in Rwanda. 

National Consultants will be recruited to provide technical and coordination support to the Project Manager to organize and coordinate the inception phase of the project. In essence, the responsibility of the recruited consultants is to ensure that the overall technical direction of the projects in this phase is maintained and flexibly adapted to meet the practical challenges faced during implementation.

2. Duties and Responsibilities

The recruited consultants will work closely with the Project Manager Specifically his/her tasks include but are not limited to:

• Get familiar with the project documents, i.e., objectives, outcomes, outputs, monitoring indicators, planned activities and sub-activities including project work plan and monitoring and evaluation plan.
• Conduct mapping of existing youth groups within Bugarama sector Rusizi, and selected sectors in Nyanza. 
• Coordinate and facilitate consultative workshops in the respective districts to increase community buy in, awareness of the project, and build partnerships with relevant organizations. Ensure all relevant parties including district officials, Vice Mayors, FIs, Health representatives at Sector levels, Directors of TVET representatives, director of education at District level, Heads of Health Centres, NGOs in the area are present. 
• Form a selection committee for the competitive selection process of youth groups. 
• Compile the proposed participant list for approval by the selection committee.
• Coordinate and facilitate selection committee meetings for youth group and participant selection. 
• Conduct mapping of prospective partner organizations, including ones with links to finance, VLSAs, and health institutions.
• Establish partnership mechanisms with key partners.
• Gain proof of commitment to collaborate from at least 3 key partners including financial institutions.
• Develop inception workshop concept note.
• Organize inception workshops at district levels: Nyanza and Rusizi.
• Support the Project Manager in organizing the implementation of the different sub-components of the project at the inception phase, including the launching of the project and its initiation.
• Support the project manager with organization and coordination of the national launch event in Kigali, December 2023. 
• Drafting of the Project Inception Report.
• Draft end of quarter report. 

3. Expected Outcome

Due to the mapping and project inception activities, clubs will be selected for program implementation and all preparations will be completed to enable delivery to begin in January 2024. 

4. Calendar of the assignment

6. Knowledge and skills required from individual consultant or firm /company

• Having academic qualification of Masters's Degree in social sciences, Business Administration, Community Development or a relevant field
• Experience working in an NGO in mapping, planning, and implementing inception activities for programme implementation 
• Able to demonstrate proven examples of having carried projects from inception to implementation 
• Able to demonstrate proof of having built partnerships between NGOs and financial institutions
• Cultural Competence: Having an understanding of Rwandan culture and history
• Subject Competence: Having knowledge of key concepts on and skills in business development, VSLAs and SRHR 
• Able to work and provide the required assignment respecting the deadlines
• Provide RDB certificate if it is a company
• Completion certificate for a similar assignment
• Fluency in English and Kinyarwanda
• Excellent proofreading skills

7. Documents required

Interested candidates should apply by sending in PDF format the following documents:

• Proposed budget for activities. 
• Academic qualification documents and CVs for the company team or individual consultant
• Company profile (if it is a company) with RDB certificate
• Proof of past work or completion certificates for the similar work by a recognized organization or company

Safeguarding Policy

BRAC is committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share the same commitment. We believe every stakeholder and every member of the communities we work with has the right to be protected from all forms of harm, abuse, neglect, harassment, and exploitation - regardless of age, race, religion, and gender, status as an individual with a disability or ethnic origin. BRAC holds a zero-tolerance policy against sexual exploitation, discrimination, exploitation, abuse and harassment. Violations to stated policies will be subject to corrective action up to and including contract termination.

Interested candidates should apply by sending all the required documents to sbirwanda.procurement@brac.net and cicely.khoubain@brac.net

The deadline for submission is November 13th 2023 at 17:00.