Consultancy Title: Mid-term Review of the Bridge project “From secondary education and skills development to job opportunities for refugee and host community youth in Uganda 2022-2027”

Reports to: Bridge MEAL Manager,

Supported by: Country MEAL Manager; Bridge Project Director, Uganda; Senior Manager, Programs, Canada, Uganda and Senior Technical Specialist.

Background: War Child Canada is an international charity organization registered in Toronto, Canada, dedicated to helping children and their communities overcome the devastating effects of active and post war. Its vision is “Accelerating Peace by disrupting the cycle of violence” and its mission is “Driving Generational Change for The Hardest Hit by Investing in The Power of Local Communities.”

Since being founded in 1999, War Child Canada has worked in 20 countries across the world and we are currently operational in Afghanistan, Yemen, Sudan, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.

During the past five years, War Child Canada reached over 2,500,000 conflict-afflicted children and adults; 985,000 people benefitted from War Child’s educational initiatives; 480,000 people were helped to climb out of poverty and 1,075,000 people learned more about their rights and had better access to justice systems.

War Child Canada in Uganda: Since 2014, War Child Canada has worked in 10 districts, mainly Refugee hosting, and implementing programs on integrated education, access to justice (includes peacebuilding), and livelihoods in the districts of: Adjumani, Obongi, Yumbe, Terego, Madi-okollo, Koboko, Isingiro, Lamwo, Kikuube, Koboko and Kamwenge districts.

The Bridge Project: War Child Canada in partnership with Mastercard Foundation, Community Empowerment for Rural Development – CEFORD, Education Local Expertise Uganda (ELECU) and eight Refugee Led Community based organizations, are implementing the Bridge: From Secondary Education and Skills Development to Job Opportunities for Refugee and Host Community Youth in Uganda’ Project.

The 5-year Bridge project (2022 to 2026) is part of the Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works Strategy (2018 to 2030) [1] to address the youth unemployment challenge among refugee and host communities in 9 refugee settlements in Adjumani, Obongi, Isingiro, Kamwenge, Kikuube, Yumbe, Terego, Madi-okollo and Koboko districts.

War Child Canada and project implementing partners employ a gender sensitive and inclusive approach to programming, empower young people and recognize their potential as agents of change to ensure effective implementation and sustainability of the interventions. The goal of the project is improved access to quality and relevant education and employment opportunities among refugees and host community youth in Uganda by 2027.

This will be achieved through two outcomes.

1. Increased access to market relevant secondary and tertiary education and skills for refugee and host community youth
2. Improved capacity of education institutions and teachers to offer quality and relevant education and skills for refugee and host community youth

The program aims to increase demand for education through strong community engagement and supply by strengthening the capacity of Accelerated Education Program (AEP) in host schools and BTVETs on gender and age-sensitive education by enrolling 20,400 Lower Secondary AEP learners (14,280 female) and 2,168 (1,518 female) Advanced level learners into 34 lower secondary AEP centers, 2,003 learners (1,402 female) in 15 Business, Technical, Vocational Education and Training (BTVET) schools and 136 learners in different universities across the country.

The program aims to improve the quality and relevance of education by placing a strong focus on teacher capacity and formal, non-formal and alternative education and learning opportunities.

The program further supports young people in their transition to dignified work and throughout the life of the project, to thrive in their chosen form of employment or livelihood. Activities to support their success will include conducting market analysis annually to tailor interventions to the business context at the refugee settlement, implementing an adopted UPSHIFT business incubation “boot camps”, strengthening youth business support centers and BTVET institutions through training and infrastructure improvements, providing financial support to young people to access training programs and set up businesses and pairing young people with mentors from the business community. Finally, the program approach promotes continuous learning and development to ensure project sustainability.

[1] For more information Mastercard Foundations Young Africa Works Strategy, please refer to this link – https://mastercardfdn.org/research/young-africa-works/

Consultancy summary: War Child Canada is seeking an external consultant for a mid-term review of the Bridge project implemented in (9) refugee-hosting districts – Adjumani, Obongi, Isingiro, Kamwenge, Kikuube, Yumbe, Terego, Madi-okolo and Koboko districts (including within the refugee settlements).

The overall objective of the Mid Term Review is to assess the progress the project has made against planned objectives, changes in labor market demands for young people’s access to dignified work and guide the remaining and future implementation in terms of its focus and direction.

The mid-term review for bridge project will specifically serve the following purposes:

1. Assess the progress made towards project goals and objectives set at the beginning of the Bridge project. The consultant will measure the following indicators and provide comparison and analysis against baseline results disaggregated by gender:

• Goal Indicator 1: Percentage of targeted youth reporting dignified and fulfilling work
• Goal Indicator 2: Percentage of supported youth who rate themselves and /or their businesses as resilient (capacities to survive, cope, thrive or cope) to shocks & stresses
• Goal Indicator 3: Percentage of targeted youth who report actively influencing decision(s) that effect changes in the education sector
• Goal Indicator 4: Percentage of targeted youth who report positive changes in accessing resources (income, social networks, political, etc.)
• Goal Indicator 5: Percentage of targeted youth reporting improvements in their own well-being (access to services, life satisfaction, food security and safety
• Outcome 1 Indicator: Number of youths in work (YiW) with support from the project disaggregated by gender, annual income, etc.
• Outcome 2 Indicator: Percentage of teachers knowledgeable in gender equality, gender-responsive pedagogy, conflict sensitive education, entrepreneurship and 21st Century skills

2. Assess the changes in the current labor and market dynamics and skills demands within the project target area. These insights will inform strategic adjustments to the project in the remaining implementation period. This will ensure alignment with evolving market trends, effectively enhance the employability of the youth and ultimately contribute to dignified and fulfilling work for the youth involved. The consultant will address the following questions as part of the midterm review:

Labor Market Conditions:

• What emerging sectors or industries show potential for youth employment in the near future (3 years)?
• What are the changes in the local labor market, including demand for specific skills and occupations in the target area since the start of the project?
• How effectively are the project’s skills training programs aligned with the current labor market needs?
• What percentage of trained youth have secured employment or started entrepreneurial ventures?
• What trades or value chains offer particular opportunities for young women, considering the barriers and challenges they may face?
• Which value chains within the local context show the highest demand for labor and entrepreneurial opportunities for youth?
• What are the key barriers youth face in joining high-potential trades, and what support systems (e.g., financing, mentorship, infrastructure) are essential to overcome these barriers?

Skill Gaps:

• What skills have been acquired by youth participants through the project, and how do these align with current market demands?
• What skills and capacities are essential for youth to succeed in these high-potential trades, and how well does the current training align with these needs
• What skill gaps still exist among youth participants that need to be addressed to improve employability?

Challenges and Barriers:

• What challenges and/or barriers have young people/participants faced in accessing employment opportunities since the start of the project? What specific challenges have young women faced?
• How have socio-economic factors influenced youth employment in the region since the start of the project?

Impact of Training and Improvement:

• How has the skills training contributed to the employability of participants considering both self or wage employment?
• What adjustments can be made to training approaches to better meet the needs of the labor market and youth participants?

3. Identify project components which demonstrate evidence of significant impact and sustainability for scale-up in future phases.

The midterm evaluation will identify specific project components that are working well related to sustainability and with potential for scale up and document the key factors that contribute to this success under each outcome. The evidence generated will inform the design of future interventions.

4. Answer project learning questions. The following questions will be integrated into the mid-term review to inform understanding of key aspects of programming and the project’s theory of change:

• How do youth define dignified and fulfilling work from their perspective and its application in programming?
• To what extent and in what ways does current employment contribute to youth’s feelings of confidence and self-worth (well-being). For example, changes in self-perception, attitude, and confidence related to employment and job seeking)?
• To what degree are youth meaningfully engaged in their communities and in what ways does this contribute to their self-satisfaction?
• To what extent does the efficacy of teacher training improve teacher motivation, engagement and the quality of teaching and learning?
• To what extent has the program led to improved learning outcomes of the learners in the targeted communities.
• How has the professional development provided to teachers through the Bridge project influenced their capacity to implement gender-responsive pedagogy, entrepreneurship, and conflict-sensitive education?
• What specific support is needed by youth in their pursuit of employment goals and how can it be effectively provided to them?
• Assess transition processes within the project to determine which are performing well and which need improvement to increase youth transition to work.
• What specific support is needed by RLO partners to independently deliver programming on scale with this project? (To examine the relationship and capacity strengthening component of the Bridge project for successes, emerging good practices, and challenges)
• To what extent are the underlying assumptions of the project still holding true?
• What are the missed opportunities that the project can leverage on?
• What went has so far gone well, what are the areas for improvement?
• How can digital technology be leveraged to expand the reach and effectiveness of AEP programming in refugee and host communities?
• What factors contribute to successful transitions from Accelerated Education Programs (AEP) to vocational or formal education for refugee and host community youth?
• To what extent has the project addressed underlying barriers to female enrollment retention and completion in the project?
• How has the Bridge project been inclusive and safe for project participants since the project’s inception?

Suggested Methodology:

The selected consultant will be required to apply the DAC Criteria, developed by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC), to assess the project at its midterm. The project review will be based AEP, TVET, Scholarships, Partner capacity strengthening, Infrastructure development, Continuous Professional Development of Teachers, Market oriented skilling, ICT integration using the following five core DAC Criteria:

• Relevance: The degree to which the intervention meets the needs and priorities of the target population, the local stakeholders and aligns with the Mastercard Foundation Young Africa Works Strategy and the Uganda Country Strategic Roadmap.
• Effectiveness: An assessment of how well the intervention’s objectives are being achieved or are likely to be achieved, considering the factors influencing progress.
• Efficiency: An evaluation of how resources (time, money, expertise) have been used to achieve the project goals, including an analysis of the cost-benefit ratio.
• Impact: The long-term effects, both intended and unintended, of the intervention on the target community or region.
• Sustainability: The likelihood that the benefits of the intervention will continue after the current support ends, considering economic, social, and environmental factors. An analysis of key factors that contribute to success in specific outcomes. This could include but not limited to partnerships, training methods/approaches, or community engagement models that can be expanded or replicated in other settings.

Approach and Deliverables:

The consultant/team will conduct a mixed-method assessment integrating outcome harvesting where relevant, starting with an extensive desk review including the project’s baseline, quarterly reports, and year three market assessment. Primary data collection will engage key project participants and stakeholders. Secondary data collection will include a review of all project documents and relevant literature. The consultant/team and War Child Canada staff (in Canada and Uganda) will jointly finalize the assessment methods and tools.

The consultant/team will be responsible for design of the assessment and tools (which can be built from tools used in the first baseline study conducted at the start of the project), coordination, data collection, analysis, and reporting. The consultant/ team will provide the following deliverables:

1. Inception report with proposed methodology within one week of contract start.

2. Data collection tools within 2 weeks of contract start.

3. Summary of key findings/analysis tables within 8 weeks of project start.

4. Draft report within 10 weeks of project start.

5. Presentation of the preliminary findings to stakeholders for validation.

6. Final report 2 weeks before contract end of not more than 25 pages.

7. PowerPoint Presentation of assessment findings (joint presentation for project staff, Uganda stakeholders, and Mastercard Foundation) 1 week before contract end.

8. Final and cleaned raw data, field notes, tools, including any pertinent documents generated through the data collection process. Before contract completion.

9. Workshop with project staff to identify plans of action to integrate findings into program delivery by final week of contract. 1 week before contract completion.

   The consultant/team will present a review report that includes:

   (i) A one-to-two-page executive summary

   (ii) One-page infographic summarizing key assessment findings from across geographic areas (including any outlier findings)

   (iii) Summary of project impact and outcome measures

   (iv) Lessons learned and recommendations for project programming (i.e. sustainability, capacity-building, gender and inclusion).

   (v) Clear recommendations on scalable interventions, including the rationale for each based-on evidence of effectiveness, sustainability, and alignment with market demands.

   (vi) Case studies from representatives from key participant groups

   (vii) Personal reflections from stakeholders where possible

   (viii) Annex of methodology and tools applied during assessment

   (ix) Data disaggregation by gender, age group, geographical location, education level, income range, population segment (i.e. displaced, refugee or national), disability and sector is mandatory for this report.

   (x) The final report will have graphic design and will be formatted by the consultant/ team, with feedback from War Child Canada (Max 25 Pages).

The assessment is planned to occur between January and March 2025, with final deliverables provided no later than the last week of 31st March 2025.

Experience, skills; Consultants/consultancy team must demonstrate the following:

• The ability to meaningfully engage or ensure the most vulnerable refugee and host community youth activity participate in the assessment process. Capturing and reporting voices of young people is critical to the assignment.
• Previous experience in performing high quality mixed-method assessments in education, entrepreneurship interventions and labor market assessments with a strong understanding of program assessment procedures.
• Consultant/team must have strong research, data analysis, and excellent report writing skills in English and subject matter experts
• At least one team member with master’s degree or equivalent in relevant subject area.
• Experience working on projects related to children’s rights and protection issues, education programs, and youth engagement and skills training in Uganda or similar context.
• Experience working in Uganda.
• Strong English language skills required; other (local) languages such as Arabic and French are an asset.

Travel

Ability to travel to the project field locations in Adjumani, Obongi, Isingiro, Kamwenge, Kikuube, Yumbe, Terego, Madi-okolo and Koboko districts is required but subject to obtaining the required (security) clearance and approval from the OPM.