Country: Tunisia
Closing date: 25 Sep 2016
Terms of Reference
International consultanton youth learning, citizenship and employability
Context:
In Tunisia, like everywhere in the world, youth aspire to participate more fully in everyday social life. In order to do so, these actors of change need to live in conditions that encourage the fulfillment of their imaginations, their ideals, their energy and their visions. Today, adolescents and young people are called upon to integrate into society while at the same time acting for change to ensure the momentum of progress and development.
Adolescents and youth characterize that segment of the population aged 10 to 24 years old. They represent in Tunisia around 25% of the overall population, and adolescents from 10 to 19 years old represent 18.6% (2014 census), with an almost equal distribution amongst boys and girls. This age group of the Tunisian population is confronted today by numerous constraints, which have been accentuated in the past few years such that high academic dropout rates, the lack of participation, economic and social perspectives are discouraging. Indeed, the recent national report about children out of school based on the findings of the 2013 to 2014 OOSCI report give an exact idea of the phenomenon, particularly for adolescents from 12 to 15 years old, for whom 10% (about 50, 000 per year) leave school prematurely. 11% of students in lower secondary school (55, 000 per year) are said to be “at risk of dropping out,” which represents one of the highest rates in the MENA region.
Furthermore, active participation of adolescents and young people in social life and in the decision-making processes at the community, national, regional and local levels constitute a fundamental aspect of their integration and promotion. This allows better integration of teenagers’ and young adults’ interests in the relevant domains that concern them. For example, we find that there is a lack of young adults’ participation in the choice of priorities, as well as the execution and the evaluation of programs in which they are the primary beneficiaries. Currently, sports associations represent the principal domain for the participation of young adults in civil society, and this concerns essentially boys, for whom the rate of participation is more than five times the rate of girls’ participation (14.2% compared to 3%). Teenagers rarely participate in elections and their volunteer activities are limited for all, regardless of age, gender or geographic area. Therefore, the place and role of the adolescents, along with their rights of participation, should not be limited to only the family unit.
Finally, it is important to note that young adults experience difficult transitions between school and employment. The aptitudes and competencies acquired by youth at school are not necessarily demanded in the current job market. In turn, unemployment for youth from 15 to 24 years of age has increased since 2011, with the official unemployment rate reaching 32.7% of male and 29.9% of female according to the International Labor Organization, Key Indicators of the Labour Market database 2015. The 15-19 age group, whom are neither in the school system, undergoing professional training nor currently employed represent the most disadvantaged group of young people. The longer this period of inactivity lasts, the more these individuals become marginalized in society and exposed to risks, thus further accentuating their socio-economic exclusion.
UNICEF’s Role: Facilitating Learning and Employability
Investing in youth learning and employability – including in particular the most disadvantaged adolescents – is a priority that UNICEF has identified for the second decade of a child’s life. This priority links directly to the achievement of SDG targets, including those related to ending poverty in all its forms, enhancing education and life learning opportunities and promoting employment and decent work for all. Strategies adopted by UNICEF to provide better opportunities for adolescents to be productive and break intergenerational cycles of poverty include 1) accelerating programming for the retention of primary school students, transition to post-primary education and secondary completion with a focus on quality and learning outcomes; 2) investing in programs that nurture adolescents as innovators and critical thinkers, both through formal or non-formal learning environments; 3) supporting life skills approaches that build the skills and knowledge required for employability and entrepreneurship; and 4) empower adolescents, girls and boys, to be an actors of change and make their voice heard and their expectations and aspirations taken into account (U-Report…).
UNICEF Tunisia is intending to design a strategy and a programme aimed at improving the learning and employability of boys and girls aged 15 to 19 years by contributing to their acquisition of knowledge and skills and by providing them with increased opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship and citizenship. This strategy and programme will follow a multi-sectoral approach and build on the evidence and expertise generated by the various sections within UNICEF (education, child and social protection, adolescents and communication). It will also draw on the experience gained by others notably GIZ, British Council, ILO, UNDP, EU and the World Bank (WB), which have undertaken extensive work in the area of employment of young people in Tunisia.
Therefore , the office 'strategy and programme will build on 1) good practices in areas of learning and employability of youth; 2) the complementarity of roles between these organizations; and 3) lessons learned from existing regional/country level collaboration in the area of learning and employability.
Focusing on the most disadvantaged youth, including both those who are 12 to 15 years, who dropped out of school or are at risk of dropping out, and on 15 to 19 years who are not in school or in training, is a priority for this strategy and programme proposal. Hence the strategic framework and the programme design will be multi-sectoral and address issues of exclusion, among others through social inclusion schemes, addressing social norms as well as providing better learning, citizenship and employability opportunities for youth. Priority areas could include data, diagnostics, strategies and operation.
2) Justification of the consultation:
UNICEF Tunisia aims to design an adequate and adapted strategic framework and programme to respond to the particular needs described above about youth, especially 12 to 19 years old in Tunisia. Through the design of a strategic framework and programme UNICEF intends to contribute to reinforce pre-existing initiatives and develop inclusive programme with potential partners at both national and local levels, the private sector and civil society. For these reasons it is urgent to elaborate and integrate efficient strategies to counter the rising numbers of 12 to 19 years old leaving school.
3) Objective:
The purpose of the consultancy is through participatory and consultative processes, to assist UNICEF's Tunisia to develop and formulate an evidence-based strategic framework and programme targeting learning, citizenship, entrepreneurial ship and employability of girls and boys aged 12 to 19, in Tunisia. This will also including establishing a mapping for a more comprehensive understanding of the pre-existing and planned interventions targeted at this group of boys and girls.
4) Expected Results:
1) Draft a detailed and concise situation analysis on youth (including mapping of all stakeholders) based on desk review of available research and studies and conduct of interviews with various stakeholders including girls and boys aged 12 to 19 years old
2) Draft a strategic framework document ( narrative and ppt formats) on youth learning, citizenship, entrepreneurial ship and employability in consultation with various stakeholders including youth aged 12 to 19 years old
3) Draft a programme document including a log frame ( narrative and ppt formats ) on youth learning, citizenship, entrepreneurial-ship and employability in consultation with various stakeholders including youth aged 12 to 19 years old
5) Key Tasks:
§ Conduct a desk review of existing literature and conduct interviews / group consultations with ministries, NGOs, international organizations including the UN and IFs, private sector and boys and girls aged 12 to 19 years old including those in detention centers.
§ Draft a situation analysis and a mapping of all stakeholders working with this particular group of boys and girls ;
§ Through consultative and participatory processes develop and draft a strategic framework Document on youth learning, citizenship, entrepreneurial ship and employability. This will involve organizing and facilitating at least 6 consultations at regional (4) and national (2) level for designing and validating the strategic framework
§ Through consultative and participatory processes develop and draft a programme document including a log frame on youth learning, citizenship, entrepreneurial ship and employability. The same 6 consultations at regional (4) and national (2) level will be used for designing and validating the programme document.
DESCRIPTION of Tasks
Tasks
Deliverables
Period
Deadline
1) Synthesize the situation analyses of adolescents, girls and boys, in Tunisia from a human rights perspective
A brief and concise adolescents’ situation desk review report.
6 days
10 days after contract signing
2) Identify in country existing and planned interventions (by UNICEF and other agencies and organizations) that contribute to learning and employability of adolescents in Tunisia and identify potential entry points for collaboration among organizations and institutions, stakeholders including adolescents themselves to deliver a comprehensive adolescent development, employability programme
1) A cartography of relevant actors and stakeholders in the domain of development, employability, protection and participation of adolescents and 2) a Report to summarize the consultations with other organizations and keys stakeholders
3) draft a human interest story drawn from the consultations
30 days
2 months after contract signing
- Draft and discuss in country as with UNICEF team, partners and adolescents the adolescent learning, participation, protection and employability strategic framework.
Strategic Framework document and a brief summary and PPT
20 days
3 months after contract signing
- Draft one project proposal in consultation with UNICEF, partners and stakeholders
One project proposal documents including narrative, log frame, risk analysis, budget, visibility plans
20 days (including revisions)
4 months after contract signing
- Propose recommendations in order to ensure the implementation of the strategy
Final report with recommendations
3 days
4 months after contract signing
6. Duration, fees and location of the mission:
The mission shall start after the signing of the contract for a total period of five (5) months. Payment will be based on the financial offer of the consultant and UN rate. The payment schedules will be as follows:
• 30 % upon submission of a comprehensive and concise youth situation analysis (narrative and PPT formats) and mapping of stakeholders
• 35% upon submission of strategic framework document (narrative and ppt formats)
• 35% upon submission of the programme document including a Log frame (narrative and ppt formats)
UNICEF will cover all costs related to travel within the country and from/to the country of residence to Tunisia. Remote-based work can be considered after prior consultation with UNICEF. The organization and the cost related to the consultation at both regional and national level will be beard by UNICEF Tunisia country office.
7. Key competences, technical background, and experience required
· An advanced university degree in social studies, education or a related field;
· Strong programme design skills including formulation of strategic framework, programme and proposal writing, and/or management of programs related to youth especially out of school and socially excluded adolescents
· 10 years working experiences in adolescent and youth domain
· Strong communication and facilitation skills an asset
· Knowledge of most innovative youth education and employability strategies
· Sensibility to gender, Human rights and inclusive approaches
· Ability to work efficiently and effectively with project members in various locations and from multiple organizations, including remotely writing and revising proposal documents.
· Ability to integrate different experiences, methodologies, and approaches from a diverse range of stakeholders, organizations, and technical experts from multiple sectors.
· Excellent English speaking/writing skills required and good level of French
8. Supervision: It will be ensured by Gildas Banda, Programme and Planning Specialist with the support from Amel Cheikhrouhou, ADAP officer
9. The Application for Tender:
Interested candidates should send:
An expression of interest letter
A note of the TOR understanding and a methodological note briefly describing the approach to be adopted to meet the consultation’s terms of reference;
A detailed CV highlighting similar experiences with the attached certifications and experience required;
Provisional timetable;
Financial offer (global budget in USD);
10. Submission of the application:
Interested candidates shall address an expression of interest letter and the submission’s documents to the UNICEF office -Tunisia: United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), 58 avenue Tahar Ben Achour, Mutuelleville - 1082 Tunis – Tunisie or by Email: tunis@unicef.org
The candidates should state the position they are applying for “Consultation for the
International Consultant on youth learning, citizenship and employability”
- The deadline for applications is 25 September 2016 o
How to apply:
Interested candidates shall address an expression of interest letter and the submission’s documents to the UNICEF office -Tunisia:
Fonds des Nations Unies pour l’Enfance (UNICEF)
58, Av. Tahar Ben Achour 1082 Mutuelle ville
Tunis-Tunisie.
or by Email: tunis@unicef.org
The candidates should state the position they are applying for “Consultation for the International Consultant on youth learning, citizenship and employability”
The deadline for applications is 25 September 2016
Interested candidates should send:
- An expression of interest letter
- A note of the TOR understanding and a methodological note briefly describing the approach to be adopted to meet the consultation’s terms of reference;
- A detailed CV highlighting similar experiences with the attached certifications and experience required;
- Provisional timetable;
- Financial offer (global budget in USD);