Promoting African Grassroots Economic Security (PAGES) YEE Editorial Consultancy

Plan International (Plan) is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) which is dedicated to the rights of children and to working with the most marginalized and excluded groups. The organization’s approaches promote children’s participation, protection and economic empowerment in order to reduce child poverty and to advance children’s human rights.

Plan Canada, a member of Plan international, with support from CIDA has been implementing a five-year (2010 to 2015) program; Promoting African Grassroots Economic Security (PAGES) that aims to combat household poverty in seven African countries - Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania; by (1) improving the vocational and entrepreneurial skills of women and youth; (2) increasing the access of women and youth to microfinance and productive assets, and; (3) increasing the access of girls and marginalized children to quality basic education.

Plan International through its PAGES Programme has tried to address the issue of Youth economic empowerment, and subsequent employability; however this approach has been primarily supplying technical skills to the job market without necessarily exploring whether the ‘informal graduates’ skills meet the requisite demands for employability required by the job market. Plan has identified this gap as an opportunity to explore and establish how well it could inform its programming towards imparting the right skills to youth to ‘fit-in’ in to the current and future job markets.

In response, Plan conducted a research study within PAGES programme countries to provide evidence for market employability-skills need, and market capacity for absorption of youths to meet the demand, in current technological age. Plan, in collaboration with its PAGES Programme partners, will use the reports to influence both policy and practice. The study explores the context in East Africa.

The PAGESS YEE 2013 Study Report, are meant to contextualize Youth Economic Empowerment issues in an African perspective, in order to inform program and advocacy work in Africa.

The reports are in five parts,

1. Four Country Specific Reports – Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda
2. Summarised Report – A summarised version capturing outcomes from all the four country specific reports presented.

DELIVERABLES OF THE CONSULTANT

1) Review of all research outputs (country reports, summary report, case studies, qualitative data bases);

2) Production of a proposal for the report outline and of a detailed work plan including planning for internal review processes

3) Writing of the report

4) Coordination and integration of inputs from Plan offices and contributing partner organizations.

More details in attached TORs

QUALIFICATIONS, TECHNICAL EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

The consultant needs to comply with the following profile:

• 5 years of proven experience in development writing with a specialization on adolescent girls in emergencies, child protection or gender
• A track record of at least 3 major publications in a relevant topic for a major development organization or UN institutions
• Solid understanding of development issues in Africa
• Excellent writing skills in English and the ability to analyze resource documents in English and French.

TIMETABLE

Deadline of proposal submission: October 13th 2013
Deadline for selection of consultant: October 17th 2013
Contract start: October 21st 2013
Submission of November 18th 2013 delivery of 1st draft output
Delivery of final output: November 28th 2013
End of contract: December 4th 2013

Work will be coordinated at the Plan Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office by the Regional Youth Employability and Governance Specialist

How to apply:

Responding consultants shall prepare and submit by October 13th 2013 a financial and technical proposal toresa.procurement@plan-international.org

The submission should include:

• a description of the proposed working plan
• a budget
• a CV
• two references of previous clients
• a writing sample

DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION

It is understood and agreed that the Consultant/Organization shall, during and after the effective period of the contract, treat as confidential and not divulge, unless authorized in writing by Plan, any information obtained in the course of the performance of the Contract. Information will be made available for the consultants on a need-to-know basis.