Request for Expressions of Interest [REOI]: Consultancy Services to Develop Curriculum for Strengthening Rural Youth Employment & Entrepreneurship in Mali and Identify Synergies and Gaps to Support Decent Rural Jobs in Mali

Tender number: 10/AUDA/PIPD/TCAS/ICS/2021

Closing date and time: July 9, 2021, 14:00hrs

Assignment Title: Consultancy Services to Develop Curriculum for Strengthening Rural Youth Employment & Entrepreneurship in Mali and Identify Synergies and Gaps to Support Decent Rural Jobs in Mali
Procurement Number: 10/AUDA/PIPD/TCAS/ICS/2021.
Date: 25 June 2021.

1.0 INTRODUCTION
The African Union Development Agency – NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD) is an African-owned and led continental agency, spearheading the implementation of Agenda 2063. The decision on the African Union Development Agency is an affirmation by Member States of their commitment to own an instrument that will champion development support to countries and regional bodies in advancing their priorities, through the implementation of Agenda 2063. The Decision was made during the 31st Ordinary Session of the Assembly of African Union Heads of State and Government in Nouakchott, Mauritania, in July 2018. The AUDA-NEPAD structure and directorates were approved during the 35th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of African Union Heads of State and Government in Niamey, Niger in July 2019.

The Programme Innovation and Planning Directorate (PIPD) of AUDA-NEPAD is charged with programme development, data analytics, research and innovation, as well as technical, cooperation and advisory services. PIPD wishes to recruit a consultant to support its work on decent rural jobs.

2.0 OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT
The main objective of the consultancy is to focus on (a) identifying gaps on the Mali Vocational Training, Integration and Rural Youth Entrepreneurship (FIER and suggest ways to address them (b) Identify relevant stakeholders involved in rural agriculture entrepreneurship and agribusiness, such as Government Ministries, Government Agencies and institutions, Agriculture and Technical Vocational Education Training centres (ATVET), youth networks and the private sector (c) Develop Curriculum/Training Materials customized for Mali along value. The developed curricula will support piloting and training of selected youth within the AUDA-NEPAD project. This will also create opportunities for the youth to be linked to other IFAD’s funding initiatives within the country, creating, therefore pools of young entrepreneurs and potential employers or employees.

At large, the consultancy is meant to facilitate the process of curricula development along selected priority strategic value chains (in case of Mali 5 value chains will be identified) and document the process of courses development based on Competency Based Education and Training (CBET) approach. The developed curriculum should identifying occupations/ skills which would enhance the young peoples, employability in the rural space, or the opportunity for them to become entrepreneurs. The curriculum should be based on the following principles and must include and is not limited to the following areas:

• Rural youth sensitive occupations in the curriculum development which must be reflected in the curriculum itself;
• Private sector (or labour market relevant occupations) skills demand must be the primary basis for developing the curricula;
• The curricula should be developed within the National Qualification Frameworks, norms and standards, to ensure that post-assessment the certification could be recognized nationally;
• The curriculum must be modularized to ensure that the training delivery can be done in modules and individuals can select relevant modules to be trained on for the non-formal training route;
• The level of curricula developed must be clearly defined and in agreement with the national stakeholders;
• Focus on agripreneurial concepts to identifying entrepreneurship areas and imparting soft skills in business approaches; and
• Where possible the curricula should ensure the inclusion of Gender Transformative approaches i.e., selecting value chains which have a high potential for females to partake in gainful employment, where socio-cultural norms hindered female participation amongst other gender barriers.

3.0 MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
The first part of the consultancy requires interviews and consultation with the coordinators of the Mali Vocational Training, Integration and Rural Youth Entrepreneurship (FIER to identify possible gaps on the programme. Some current youth beneficiaries of the programme should be interviewed in the process. In addition, identify key players in rural enterprises, such as Ministries, Non-Governmental bodies and private sector.

On the second part, in consultation with the relevant Ministries and ATVET centres, the consultant will be required to perform the following activities per value chain identified:

• Identify 5 of the country’s agriculture and agribusiness priority value chains;
• Carry out a training needs analysis (5 TNA for each of the value chains to be selected in Mali);
• Develop an Occupational Standards chart (use of the DACUM approach is highly encouraged);
• To document the process using CBET approach and different methodologies (DACUM / Functional Analysis);
• Prepare, develop and draft the 5-curriculum focusing various Value Chain Thematic Areas;
• Clarification of the context with relevance to process of curricula development (difference between occupational standards and curriculum), facilitate piloting, implementation, validation of the curriculum in Mali;
• Develop a guide on process of developing a curriculum that addresses rural youth unemployment; and
• Identify Agriculture Technical Vocational Centres/ Rural Focused Institutes where curricula will be piloted.

4.0 DELIVERABLES OF THE ASSIGNMENT
i. Prepare an inception report articulating the methodology for carrying out the assignment;
ii. Submit report of the gap analysis for the IFAD investment programme and recommendation of the value addition that AUDA-NEPAD project could bring;
iii. Identify 5 of the country’s agriculture and agribusiness priority value chains;
iv. Based on the value chains, provide the necessary formats and instruments for the curriculum development;
v. Prepare conceptual document for course development;
vi. Prepare the final report with the documentation of the complete process of course development based DACUM and functional mapping;
vii. Draft curriculum for validation;
viii. Submit the list and contact details of the relevant stakeholders involved in rural agriculture entrepreneurship and agribusiness, including ATVET centres; and
ix. Final report on curriculum on 5 value chains.

The level of effort is estimated at forty (40) person days to be implemented in two (2) months period tentatively between August and September 2021.

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be found at the following website: (https://www.nepad.org/corporate-procurement#tenders).

The Africa Union Development Agency - New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD now invites eligible Consultants to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services.

5.0 QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND COMPETENCIES
a) Master’s Degree in Rural Development, Development Management, Agriculture-Economics, Business Administration or other related field. (PhD in related discipline will be an advantage).
b) At least eight (8) years of professional experience in experience in course development processes in education or vocational training;
c) Demonstratable at five (5) years’ experience on understanding of gender, youth and rural development, with focus on local economic development and micro-credit and rural finance; and
d) Demonstrated at least eight (5) years’ experience in basic and/ or higher academic teaching, students supervision and curriculum / training model development.
e) Demonstratable experience working in Mali or Consultant in Mali based institutions - French speaking language - English will be distinct advantage.

6.0 THE SHORTLISTING CRITERIA ARE:
For evaluation of the expressions of interest, the following criteria will be applied with a pass mark of 70 points:
a) Qualifications - Education and Relevant Training (30 points)
b) Experience related to the assignment (60 points).
c) Knowledge of the region & local conditions (10 points)

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Individual Consultant’s Selection method set out in the African Union Procurement Manual Version 2.0 of 2016.

Interested candidates are requested to submit the following documents for AUDA-NEPAD consideration:
a) Cover letter.
b) Signed declaration of undertaking (downloadable from AUDA-NEPAD website).
c) Curriculum Vitae (CV).
d) Proof of stated qualifications in the form of the copies of the degrees obtained.

7.0 ONLY INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT IF THEY FULFIL THE FOLLOWING ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:
a) Have no conflict of interest in relationship to performance of this assignment;
b) Are not subject to, and not controlled by any entity or individual that is subject to, a temporary suspension or a debarment imposed by the World Bank or any other multilateral development bank and being listed on the website http://www.worldbank.org/debarr or respectively on the relevant list of any other multilateral development bank. Further, are not ineligible pursuant to a decision of the United Nations Security Council;
c) Have not been convicted by a final judgement or a final administrative decision or subject to financial sanctions by the United Nations or Country for involvement in a criminal organisation, money laundering, terrorist-related offences, child labour or trafficking in human beings; this criterion of exclusion is also applicable to legal Persons, whose majority of shares are held or factually controlled by natural or legal Persons which themselves are subject to such convictions or sanctions;
d) Are not being bankrupt, wound up or ceasing our activities, having our activities administered by courts, having entered receivership, reorganization or being in any analogous situation;
e) they have not been the subject of a judgment which has the force of res judicata for fraud, corruption, involvement in a criminal organization or any other illegal activity detrimental to the AUDA-NEPAD financial interests; and
f) they have not been declared guilty of gross professional misconduct proven by any means which AUDA-NEPAD can justify.

8.0 Interested Consultants may obtain further information from/at the addresses below during office hours 08:00 - 16:00 latest by July 8th, 2021, South African Time).

Expressions of interest with supporting documents must be delivered in a written form to the address below (by email on or before/by July 9, 2021, 14:00hrs (South African Time).

9.0 All EOIs must be marked “Consultancy Services to Develop Curriculum for Strengthening Rural Youth Employment & Entrepreneurship in Mali and Identify Synergies and Gaps to Support Decent Rural Jobs in Mali - Procurement Number: 10/AUDA/PIPD/TCAS/ICS/2021” in the subject line of the email.

The Chairperson Internal Procurement Committee (IPC)
Africa Union Development Agency - New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD)
230, 15th Road, P. O. Box 218 Midrand,
1685 Johannesburg, South Africa
Email: procurement@nepad.org and copy nhamos@nepad.org
In Attention of: Procurement Division.

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