Terms of Reference: to Develop Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy Training Manual

1. Background

HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation is a long-standing development partner in Ethiopia, committed to fostering sustainable growth and economic empowerment among disadvantaged communities. In alignment with these goals, the UP-Women II Project is supporting young women in the Sidama and Oromia Regions by enhancing their access to skill development and employment opportunities.

The project provides vocational skills training, Integrated Functional Adult Literacy (IFAL), and support for labour market insertion and education to empower young women toward financial independence and improved life prospects. A core feature of the project is the use of Results-Based Financing (RBF) to ensure quality training outcomes and meaningful employment. Training and Employment Providers (TEPs) are selected based on their capacity to deliver demand-driven skills and successful job placement.

To support this, the project requires a standardized entrepreneurship and financial literacy training manual that complements the life skills, vocational skills training curriculum and equips participants with practical business and financial competencies.

2. Objectives

Main Objective

To develop a comprehensive, youth and women-friendly entrepreneurship and financial literacy training manual tailored to the needs of young women micro-enterprises, and TVET participants, aligned with national education frameworks and local realities, and grounded in trans-formative approaches.

Specific Objectives

• Conduct desk review of relevant literature, policies, and tools on entrepreneurship and financial literacy.
• Identify key entrepreneurial and financial competencies relevant to short term TVET participants.
• Develop a practical, context-specific training manual incorporating gender and social equity principles.
• Validate and finalize the manual through a consultative process with stakeholders and beneficiaries.

3. Scope of Work

The selected expert/consultant will:

• Review existing entrepreneurship and financial literacy materials so far on use in the project.
• Engage with UP-Women project staff, TEPs, and stakeholders to assess training needs and priorities.
• Develop a modular training manual covering:
• Entrepreneurship fundamentals (simple market analysis, idea generation, business planning, marketing)
• Financial literacy (budgeting, saving, credit) gender responsive business practices
• Interactive exercises, case studies, and local success stories
• Facilitate a validation workshop to gather feedback.
• Finalize the manual incorporating all inputs and submit in required formats and languages.

4. Deliverables

• Inception Report with methodology and work plan
• Draft Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy Training Manual indicating duration of the training
• Facilitation of validation workshop
• Final Manual in PDF and editable formats that includes simple pictures that could be understandable for young women and interactive exercises in it.
• Translated versions in Amharic, Sidama Afoo, and Afan Oromo

5. Timeline

The assignment is expected to take 4 weeks or 25 working days from the date of contract signing. A detailed schedule will be finalized during the inception phase.

6. Required Qualifications

• Advanced degree (MA) in Entrepreneurship, Economics, Business Development, Social Sciences, or related fields
• Proven experience in developing training manuals for marginalized youth and young women.
• Strong understanding of financial literacy and small business development
• Familiarity with gender-transformative approaches and youth empowerment
• Knowledge of Sidama Afoo and Afan Oromo is an asset
• Excellent writing, facilitation, and communication skills
• Ability to deliver high-quality outputs within tight timelines
• Experience referencing national frameworks

7. Reporting & Supervision

The consultant will report to the Project Manager and Employment & Capacity Strengthening Officer, with regular check-ins and progress updates.

8. Payment Modalities

In line with the UP-Women project’s Results-Based Financing approach, payments will be structured.

9. Copyright

All materials produced under this assignment will remain the property of the UP-Women II Project and HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation. Any material shared from Helvetas should not be used for any other purpose than this assignment.