Youth/Education Needs Assessment Consultant at Relief International

Duration: 1 month
Reports to: Regional Programs Director, Africa

Overview

• The purpose of this consultancy is to lead the design, implementation, and analysis of a Youth/Education needs assessment in 3-4 selected areas of Borno State, Nigeria.
• The assessment will examine a range of issues affecting children and youth in selected areas, with an emphasis on education.
• The consultant will design and conduct a mixed-methods assessment using the objectives/assessment questions described in the scope of work below (to be finalized with the selected consultant).
• The assessment consultant will conduct a desk review, develop appropriate primary data collection tools with appropriate study design, sample size determination and sampling technique.

Scope of Work
Objective 1: To understand the socio-economic characteristics of targeted areas.

Questions:

• What are the basic demographics of the population in the targeted area including household composition?
• What are the main existing household and community assets and resources?
• What are the existing local systems (focused on education system mapping at a state and LGA/ward-level) and structures in targeted areas?
• How do gender, cultural and socio-economic characteristics and norms at household and community level affect attitudes towards education and access to education in the selected areas?

Objective 2: To understand education and related needs of school-age children (in school and out of school, in particular girls) in targeted areas.

Questions:

• What are the main barriers affecting education access (in school and out of school), quality/relevance (content ad methodology) and community engagement (governance and decision-making, participation and support and community attitudes) in the selected locations?
• What strategies can be employed to overcome the barriers to accessing education for girls and boys?
• What are the formal and non-formal education opportunities available, including for out-of-school children?
• What strategies can be employed to increase community awareness on the importance of education?
• What psychosocial/child well-being issues or barriers are preventing effective learning?

Objective 3: To identify most effective activities, approaches, and delivery mechanisms to meet the needs of in and out of school children in targeted areas.

Questions:

• What approaches by existing partners have been effective and how can they be complemented?
• How can youth and education actors increase capacity of the education system (including in DRR) given the current capacity, infrastructure and human resource limitations?
• What opportunities exist for youth and education programming within the context of the humanitarian-development nexus?

Objective 4: To identify opportunities for vocational education and youth employment in Maiduguri

• What vocational education and livelihood opportunities exist for youth?
• What are the existing assets (natural, human, physical, social and financial) of conflict-affected youth?
• What is the operational environment for existing youth entrepreneurs? (market dynamics, regulations, services/programs that influence success)

Deliverables

• Inception report outlining final assessment plan (in coordination with RSO and PD staff) and data collection tools
• Draft assessment report including all qualitative and quantitative data
• Final assessment report incorporating comments from RI
• Proposed results framework for a program strategy leading to improved educational outcomes for children and youth in the assessed/targeted areas.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Extensive experience (over 7 years) in education and/or youth programming.
• Previous experience in Nigeria highly desired.
• Education: Master's in education or related field required, at a minimum.
• Experience with mixed methods assessment/survey design, data collection and analysis.
• Experience with managing and working with local partners.
• Excellent organizational and coordination skills.
• Strong report writing skills and experience.
• Excellent English language skills.

Timeline
The consultancy will last for 30 days. A sample timeline is included below, to be finalized with the selected consultant.

• Desk review: 2 days
• Inception report w/ draft tools: 2 days
• Incorporate feedback: 1 day
• Travel to Abuja: 2 days
• Travel to Maiduguri: 1 day
• Meet key stakeholders: 3 days
• Refine data collection tools: 2 days
• Data collection sites 1-4: 10-12 days
• Data analysis and interpretation workshop: 2 days
• Report writing: 3 days