Terms of Reference for Training content development and BDS & Employment Linkage service provision for the Awaqi Digital Platform – First Consult PLC

Business Development

First Consult PLC

BACKGROUND

BRIDGES is a five-year programme (2019-2024) that aims to create employment opportunities for young women and men by unlocking the job creation potential of industrial parks (IPs), other anchor enterprises (AEs), and their surrounding ecosystem including micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). BRIDGES works to capitalize on, and scale-up its previous experiences and key learnings within the industrial sector toward creating direct employment linkages, as well as establishing sustainable market linkages between AEs and MSMEs.

With Ethiopia’s labour force expanding by two million each year, BRIDGES seeks to contribute toward the country’s efforts of creating highly productive and decent jobs for its young population by direct job creation within factories, as well as creating employment opportunities in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The result of these efforts will be the creation of jobs for more than 600,000 young people.

BRIDGES is funded by the Mastercard Foundation and is implemented by First Consult in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works initiative. First Consult is one of the prominent development consulting firms in Ethiopia, with more than 15 years of experience in designing and implementing several private sector development and access to finance projects.

The BRIDGES programme aims to contribute towards Ethiopia’s efforts of creating highly competent, skillful, and productive young people, ultimately supporting the creation of dignified and fulfilling jobs. The programme was able to reach only tens of thousands of people through conducting face-to-face trainings over the past two years. During the process, it was ascertained that most young people require motivation, a positive mindset, entrepreneurial, employability and soft skills to develop themselves and become major contributors to the economic development of the country. However, continuing in the face-to-face capacity building modality was not practical from financial and logistics perspective. Furthermore, targeting unemployed young people only through the government owned unemployed database was only fulfilling small portion of the supply side.

The BRIDGES programme aims to contribute towards Ethiopia’s efforts of creating highly competent, skillful, and productive young people, ultimately supporting the creation of dignified and fulfilling jobs. The programme was able to reach only tens of thousands of people through conducting face-to-face trainings over the past two years. During the process, it was ascertained that most young people require motivation, a positive mindset, entrepreneurial, employability and soft skills to develop themselves and become major contributors to the economic development of the country. However, continuing in the face-to-face capacity building modality was not practical from financial and logistics perspective. Furthermore, targeting unemployed young people only through the government owned unemployed database was only fulfilling small portion of the supply side.

Under the Enterprise Development Bridge, BRIDGES has launched ‘‘Awaqi’ young people digital platform’, an efficient way of delivery method, targeting young people throughout Ethiopia, using five social media outlets to redirect and refocus the mindset of at least one million young people to an entrepreneurial mindset, and support the creation of dignified and fulfilling jobs for 300,000 unemployed young women and men through wage and self-employment.

Awaqi is a young people-centered online mindset, soft skills, entrepreneurship and employability skills training and information sharing platform gearing towards enterprise development and employment creation. It includes evidence-based short inspirational and motivational videos, training materials, internship, training and job opportunities for young people. It also serves as an online guidance and coaching hub for young entrepreneurs to enable them create micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and diversify windows of opportunity.

The digital platform focuses on young people aged between 15-29 and with various educational level ranging from secondary school level to university degree holders in various regions around the country.

The digital platform can serve at a national level to:

•       reach out to and upskill young people on various topics such as mindset change, life skills, entrepreneurial skills, etc.

•       share informative, inspirational and educational messages

•       promote motivational messages to bring mindset change and positively impact young people

•       utilize the time young people spend on social media for a positive personal development

•       gather various useful educational resources for young people to be easily available in one place and in multiple local languages

•       communicate various opportunities for the young people on the platform

OBJECTIVES

The main objective of the assignment is to develop training materials for the Awaqi online learning platform (slides with voice over, videos, etc.) and to provide business development support and coaching to the young people who are planning to start their own business and provide employability skills trainings for those who are interested in wage employment.

SCOPE OF WORK

The service provider is expected to bring its experience and knowledge to implement one or more of the following scope of works:

SOW 1. Development of training content

·        Developing training materials in soft skills, entrepreneurship, employability skills, personal development, BDS, digital literacy, etc.

·        Preparing online training courses in slide format with voice-over audio, exercises/quizzes for an online Awaqi learning platform

·        At the end of the course, training participants should be provided a certificate upon successful completion of each course

The Service Provider should clearly state the area and topics of the training content they can develop.

 SOW 2. Provide Business coaching service & Support and follow-up Enterprise formation (minimum of 600 MSEs)

·        Prepare various business start-up guidelines

·        Offer business coaching service for young people on Awaqi who are interested in setting up their own businesses

·        Provide support using chatbots, live person chat, call centre, etc.

·        Organize online group coaching and/or one-to-one coaching service (online or face-to-face)

·        Provide business plan templates and support business plan preparation

·        Follow-up the young people to establish their own enterprises and report on the status

SOW 3. Provide internship and job placement service (minimum of 5000 young people)

·        Create partnerships with employers in private, public sectors and NGOs

·        Arrange internship and job placement opportunities for recent graduates and new entrants

·        Screen interested young people and support them to take online training courses and prepare their CVs

·        Provide orientation/short training to make the young people ready for the placement

 WORKING ARRANGEMENT

The service provider(s) will work closely with the Awaqi and Enterprise Development Bridge Team of the BRIDGES programme. 

 DELIVERABLES

SOW 1. The deliverables for this SOW will be online training modules and courses on one or more of the following (areas should be clearly specified in the proposal) – soft skills, entrepreneurship, employability skills, personal development, BDS, Digital Literacy and so on.

 SOW 2. The deliverables for this SOW will be providing coaching and BDS support to young people interested in starting their own business and support the establishment of a minimum of 600 MSEs.

 SOW 3. The deliverables for this SOW will be creating partnerships with employers and 5000 young people equipped with basic employability skills and placed in internships and jobs.

 REQUIRED EXPERTISE

•       Demonstrated experience in providing Business Development Services

•       Strong capability in preparing training materials and conducting trainings

•       Proven familiarity and practical experience with delivering training programs for startups

•       Existing training tools and modules is a plus

•       Excellent communication skills and ability to harmoniously work with other teams

 TIMELINE

The service provider should provide a detailed breakdown for the proposed timeline.

 BUDGET

The firm is expected to propose a daily rate / or rate per course for the team members and related accommodation if any. 

 NB:

·        Budget should be indicated in ETB including taxes.

·        All costs must be detailed such as daily rates and all other necessary costs. Lump sum budgets will not be considered.

Lien