Company Profile

WUSC is a Canadian non-profit organization working to create a better world for all young people. We bring together a diverse network of students, volunteers, schools, governments, and businesses who share this vision. Together, we develop solutions in education, economic opportunities, and empowerment to overcome inequality and exclusion for youth around the world, particularly young women and young refugees. WUSC currently works in 25 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Caribbean, with an annual budget of approximately CAD $40 million. We have over 90 staff in our Canadian office, and over 200 people overseas implementing 16 development projects in collaboration with donors such as Global Affairs Canada, the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the MasterCard Foundation, and the African Development Bank.

Job Description

Terms of Reference - Consultant

Accelerating Change Through InnoVation In Agricultural TVET (ACTIVATE)

Accelerating Change Through InnoVation in Agricultural TVET (ACTIVATE)

The Accelerating Change Through InnoVation in Agricultural TVET (ACTIVATE) is a five-year project funded by the Mastercard Foundation, designed to improve the well-being and resilience of young women and men in Ghana. The program focuses on strengthening an industry-led, demand-driven Agriculture Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ATVET) system using an inclusive market systems approach. It combines education and skills training with collaboration among public and private stakeholders, academia, and actors in the agriculture value chain.

ACTIVATE addresses key challenges in the agriculture and adjacent sectors, including the low quality of ATVET instruction and infrastructure, lack of alignment in TVET policies across ministries, limited engagement between ATVET and industry, weak entrepreneurial support for youth, and insufficient management capacity among ATVET providers and regulators. The project aims to reduce gender-specific barriers and promote inclusivity, particularly for women and persons with disabilities.

The program’s overall goal is to improve the well-being of youth through strengthened ATVET systems, quality education, and industry-relevant skills. It seeks to create impact at the individual level by increasing youth access to inclusive and innovative training institutions; at the community level by equipping youth to contribute to household income; and at the systems level by building the capacity of institutions in gender-responsive and participatory practices.

Over 80,340 individuals will benefit from the program, including 79,360 youth aged 15 to 35, with a focus on 85% youth employment and 70% female participation. Expected outcomes include stronger ATVET institutions, improved practices, better coordination among stakeholders, and more confident and skilled youth entering the workforce.

As part of its commitment to holistic youth development, the project highlights the importance of career guidance. Currently, many facilitators in ATVET institutions are not specialized in career counseling and often combine it with their teaching duties, limiting their effectiveness. To address this, the project will train facilitators to become qualified Career Services Providers, equipping them with the skills needed to support learners in making informed educational and career choices. Model career centers will also be established in selected institutions, serving as resource hubs that can be replicated across other ATVET schools.

OBJECTIVES & DELIVERABLES

The objective of the technical support is to provide ATVET institutions’ facilitators with the relevant skills in career service delivery  to guide learners in their career choices .

The output associated with this task is: 1311 – Career and guidance counseling services are provided by ATVET providers and organizations to trainees.

Activities to be conducted include the following:

• Develop Assessment Tools: Conduct rapid assessment to ascertain situation underpinning career counseling delivery in ATVET institutions.
• Compile Evaluation Report: Write and submit a comprehensive report on the evaluation of career guidance service delivery across ATVET institutions.
• Create Facilitator List: Develop a list of selected facilitators for career training in collaboration with Ghana TVET Services and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA).
• Develop Manual: Develop a simple manual on career delivery for training
• Complete Training of Trainers (ToT) Program: Conduct the ToT program for selected ATVET facilitators.
• Submit Report: Write and submit a detailed report on the ToT.

The expected deliverables are outlined below:

1. Assessment for  career guidance services conducted.
2. Comprehensive report on the evaluation of career guidance service delivery across ATVET institutions submitted.
3. List of selected facilitators for career training, developed in collaboration with Ghana TVET Services and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA).
4. Local context career service simple career service manual developed
5. Training of Trainers (ToT) program conducted
6. Detailed report on the ToT submitted.

Duration:

The assignment is expected to last for 3 months with a total level of effort of 35 days starting from the date of the contract award.

Proposal Submission Requirements:

Technical Proposal

Firms/consultants interested in this assignment must submit the following documents:

• Brief profile of the firm or consultant (0.5 page).
• Understanding of the assignment (0.5 page).
• Proposed methodology; and strategies for addressing each of the itemized deliverables (5 pages)
• List of past experiences/work in similar assignments or case studies of agripreneurship and agricultural education interventions (1page).
• Summary experience of the team related to the assignment (1 page).
• Detailed work plan with assigned responsibilities (Annex 1).
• Summary CVs (max 2 pages per each) of at least 2 key personnel who will be involved in the project, demonstrating relevant experience and qualifications (Annex 2).
• References (at least 3) from previous clients (Annex 3).

Financial proposal

Applicants are requested to submit a financial proposal outlining the fees and reimbursable expenses for the 35 days estimated as the level of effort required for the assignment. The budget should be provided in Ghana Cedis (GHS).

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Technical Approach (30%): Demonstrated understanding of the scope of work, including the proposed methodology, approach to stakeholder engagement, and strategy for program development.
• Expertise and Experience (30%): Proven experience in executing similar assignments, with relevant qualifications and track record.
• Suitability and Clarity of Work Plan (10%): A clear, comprehensive, and realistic work plan that outlines steps towards achieving the specified deliverables.
• Value for Money (30%): A well-structured budget that reflects cost-effectiveness, financial sustainability, and alignment with the project’s deliverables.

Required Skills or Experience

Qualifying Criteria

Prospective consulting firms or organizations or a team of experts must satisfy the following requirements. 

Relevant Expertise in Career Guidance:

• Proven experience in developing and implementing career guidance and counseling services in educational or vocational training contexts.
• Familiarity with the principles and practices of career development and counseling frameworks.

Assessment Tool Development:

• Demonstrated ability to create assessment tools for evaluating program effectiveness, specifically in career guidance services.
•  Experience in qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods.

Local Context Adaptation:

• Understanding of the local context in Ghana, including cultural, economic, and educational factors influencing career services.
• Ability to develop tailored career service training manuals to meet the needs of ATVET institutions.

Training Program Development:

• Ability to develop training materials including manuals and powerpoint presentations for different audiences, including facilitators and trainers.
• Experience designing and delivering Training of Trainers (ToT) programs.

Collaborative Partnerships:

• Proven track record of collaborating with organizations such as TVET services, educational ministries, and professional associations (e.g., Association of Career Service Providers).
• Experience in fostering partnerships that enhance service delivery and capacity building.

Strong Communication Skills:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for report writing and presenting findings.
• Experience in creating clear, actionable documentation for various audiences.

Team Composition:

• A diverse team with a range of expertise, including career counseling, education, project management, and evaluation, can enhance the quality of the deliverables.