TOR to Undertake capacity gap assessments of partner TVET institutions to identify material and technical needs for the teaching of green skills

Description of programme locations

SOS Children’s Villages Addis Ababa and Harar programme locations are two of the seven programme locations under SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia and have been operating various interventions primarily focusing on children, young people, families, and communities in Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa city administration as well as Harari and Oromia regions… SOS Children’s Villages Addis Ababa and Harar programme locations currently implement alternative childcare programmes, Family and community development programs, humanitarian actions and advocacy. The specific sub cities, and kebeles in all intervention areas will be provided for the winner consultant while he/she develops inception report.

Rationale and overall objectives of to undertake capacity gap assessments of partner TVET institutions

SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia, with funding from the Government of Canada, is implementing the Green Growth Project aimed at increasing decent and sustainable green employment opportunities, particularly for youth and women. The project is designed to align with Ethiopia’s climate-resilient green economy strategy and contribute to gender equality and economic empowerment.

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions play a critical role in equipping youth with the competencies required for employability and sustainable development. In alignment with the global agenda for green skill development and climate resilience, there is an increasing need to integrate green skills into TVET curricula and teaching practices.

To effectively deliver on this mandate, partner TVET institutions required material, and technical capacity support. However, many face gaps in infrastructure, teaching resources, and faculty readiness to incorporate green skills into training programs. A systematic capacity gap assessment is therefore needed to inform program design, resource allocation, and targeted institutional strengthening.

Objectives of the gap assessments of partner TVET institutions

General Objective:

The main objective of this assessment is to undertake a comprehensive capacity gap assessment of selected partner TVET institutions.

Specific Objectives:

• Identify existing strengths and gaps in teaching green skills in selected TVET
• Determine material, technical, and human resource needs for effective delivery of green skill training in TVET
• Suggest a capacity development roadmap, including short-, medium-, and long-term interventions/ Assess linkages b/n TVETs and employers
• Provide actionable recommendations for strengthening institutional capacity to deliver gender-responsive, disability responsive, and market-relevant green skills training in TVET institutions

Project outcomes and outputs:

The Green Growth project has the following ultimate outcome, intermediate outcomes, immediate outcomes and outputs.

Ultimate Outcomes: Increased economic participation and resilience of disadvantaged youth within the green economy, especially for young women, in Ethiopia.

Intermediate Outcomes

• 1100 – Improved provision of quality gender-sensitive technical and vocational education, including trainings in green skills, for disadvantaged youth in Ethiopia, Somalia and Rwanda.
• 1200 – Enhanced marketable skills among disadvantaged youth, especially green skills among young women, in Ethiopia.
• 1300 – Increased formal employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for disadvantaged youth, especially for young women in the green economy, in Ethiopia.

Immediate Outcomes:

• 1110 – Enhanced capacity of TVET institutions to provide gender-sensitive training and green skill building
• 1120 – Enhanced capacity of TVET instructors to provide gender-sensitive and market-relevant education, especially in green and emerging skills.
• 1210 – Improved access to market-sensitive skills training among disadvantaged youth, especially young women.
• 1220 – Improved proficiency in employability skills among disadvantaged youth, especially young women.
• 1310 – Improved access to self-employment opportunities, especially for disadvantaged young women, in the green economy.
• 1320 – Improved access to waged employment, especially in the green economy, for disadvantaged youth.
• 1330 – Enhanced capacity of labour market actors and financial institutions/associations to support the economic participation of disadvantaged youth.

Outputs under immediate outcomes:

• 1111 – Revised TVET curricula that include the teaching of green skills to youth are developed.
• 1112 – Partnerships with the private sector created to ensure the provision of practical internships to TVET students.
• 1113 – Technical and material support provided to TVET institutions to facilitate teaching of new green and emerging skills in an inclusive environment
• 1121 – Training provided to TVET instructors on the revised TVET curricula focused on green skills
• 1122 – Training on inclusive teaching strategies provided to TVET instructors and management
• 1123 – Training provided to TVET instructors on work-readiness skills
• 1211 – Financial support provided to support the enrolment of disadvantaged youth in technical and vocational education, especially in green fields
• 1212 – Entrepreneurship training provided to disadvantaged youth
• 1221 – Trainings on employability skills provided to disadvantaged youth. (Includes digital literacy skills, soft skills, financial literacy, etc.)
• 1222 – Career guidance provided to disadvantaged youth (includes exposure to the workplace, job fairs, field trips to businesses, mentorship, etc.)
• 1311 – Business Development Services (Entrepreneurship coaching) provided to disadvantaged youth
• 1312 – Financial and material support provided to young entrepreneurs
• 1321 – Job and internship placement support provided to disadvantaged youth
• 1331 – Material and technical support provided to SACCOs/VSLAs and finance institutions to improve their capacity to provide financial support to disadvantaged youth.
• 1332 – Dialogues facilitated between stakeholders on the topic of youth employability and the green economy

Scope of Work:

Geographically, the assessment will focus on selected TVET partners institutions located in the (Dire Dawa), Addis Ababa and Adama cities. Specifically, the assignment will cover the AKAKI Polytechnic College (Addis Ababa), Misrak Polytechnic College (Addis Ababa), Adama Polytechnic College (Adama), and Ethio-Italy Polytechnic College (Dire Dawa). In addition to this, the consultant is expected to conduct desk review on existing policies, strategies and initiatives related to TVETs and Green Skills at national level.

The assessment will focus on the following key areas:

• Human Resource Capacity – The assessment critically examines TVET trainers’ knowledge, technical expertise, pedagogical skills, and readiness to deliver green skills training. It also explores the types and scope of training received by TVET instructors on green skills, gender, and inclusion, as well as the types of materials used during these trainings.
• Infrastructure and Facilities –Observe workshops, laboratories, ICT, and specialized equipment required for green skills training (Sanitation, safety and day care for young mothers and annual admission capacity.)
• Curricula and Teaching-Learning Materials –Evaluate the extent of green skills integration, relevance to labor market needs, inclusiveness, and gender responsiveness.
• Institutional Systems and Governance – Examine the management structures, leadership commitment, and resource allocation for gender mainstreaming and green skills.
• Industry and Labor Market Linkages – Critically assess partnerships with employers, and pathways to green jobs opportunities.
• Students’ Access and Participation – Evaluate on equity, gender inclusion, participation of disadvantaged groups, and learner engagement in green skills training programs in TVET.
• Partnership with private institutions for practical training, guideline for internship

The Project has the following direct participants/beneficiaries.

Project direct Beneficiaries for SOS CVE Ethiopia		Addis Ababa	Adama	Dire Dawa
Disadvantaged youth (60% women and 8% women with disability)	7,000 (4200 young women)	2,450 (60% young women of which 8 % women with disability)	2100 (60% young women of which 8 % women with disability)	2100 (60% young women of which 8 % women with disability)
private sector partnerships including partnerships with Green Tech electric vehicle manufacturing company and STEM Synergy solar bakery production company	56	20	17	19
TVETs	4	2	1	1
SACCOs, VSLAs or financial institutions	4	1	1	2

Methodology and approach for conducting the TVET gap assessment

The commissioned consultant is expected to develop relevant qualitative, tailored TEVT gap assessment methodology, semi structured questionnaires and questions. SOSCVE will share the project document, log frame and the performance measurement framework (Ethiopia) for winner consultancy firm. The consultant will carry out the following tasks:

Desk Review

1. Conduct key informant interviews with leadership, department, students, and stakeholders of partner TVET institutions.
2. Review existing policies, curricula, gender strategies, strategies, and institutional documents related to TVET and green skills.
3. Map ongoing initiatives in TVET on green skills integration in the country/

Focus group discussion.

Hold focus group discussion with TVET teachers and students/trainees

Assessment of Institutional Capacity

• Conduct field work and site visits in selected TVET institutions
• Assess human resource capacity including trainers’ knowledge, pedagogical skills, and technical expertise on green skills.
• Conduct field-based assessments on infrastructure and facilities classrooms, workshops, labs, ICT, and equipment relevant to green skills).
• Review curricula, teaching-learning materials, and training methodologies.
• Examine linkages with industries, employers, and labor markets
• Examine practices related to gender and disability
• Conduct FGD with selected students and key informant interview with partner industries

Sampling:

Within each institution, the consultant may use representative sampling for respondents during data collection. For example:

• Trainers/teachers: Select a representative sample across different departments (e.g., electrical, construction, automotive, ICT, renewable energy).
• Students/trainees: Use sampling to include both male and female students, and those from different training areas.
  • An inception report of 8 pages on assessment design, methodology, sampling frame, sampling technique, sample size, assessment tools and work plan
  • Draft assessment report with recommendations provided by experts in the TVET sector
  • Summary of current policies, regulation and initiatives at national and regional levels on TVET and green skills
  • The consultant is expected to present both the draft and final findings of the assessment
  • Validation Workshop Presentation
  • Final Report (with executive summary, findings, and recommendations)
  • Raw data, which has been cleaned (both qualitative and quantitative, including original field notes for in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, and recorded audio material), should be submitted with the report. SOS CVE will have sole ownership of all final data, and any findings shall only be shared or reproduced with the permission of SOS Children’s Village Ethiopia.

Work plan and expected deliverables:

work plan/timetable:

The assessment task is expected to be finalized within 30 consecutive days after the contractual agreement is signed.

The consultant is expected to develop her/his detailed work plan based on the following table.

Activities	Dates	Time frame	Location

Deliverables:

The commissioned external consultant must deliver the gap assessments of partner TVET institutions within 30 days of the contract signing. The consultant is expected to analyze the findings by programme intervention sites in each TVET found in Addis Ababa, Adama and Dire Dawa. Based on the work plan, SOS Children’s Villages of Addis Ababa and Harar programme locations’ MEAL coordinators, the national office MEAL and youth empowerment teams expect the following deliverables:

• An inception report of 8 pages on assessment design, methodology, sampling frame, sampling technique, sample size, assessment tools and work plan
• Draft assessment report with recommendations provided by experts in the TVET sector
• Summary of current policies, regulation and initiatives at national and regional levels on TVET and green skills
• The consultant is expected to present both the draft and final findings of the assessment
• Validation Workshop Presentation
• Final Report (with executive summary, findings, and recommendations)
• Raw data, which has been cleaned (both qualitative and quantitative, including original field notes for in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, and recorded audio material), should be submitted with the report. SOS CVE will have sole ownership of all final data, and any findings shall only be shared or reproduced with the permission of SOS Children’s Village Ethiopia.

Child Safeguarding and ethical issues:

SOS Children’s Villages is committed to ensuring that all research, evaluation and data collection processes (i.e. evidence-generating activities) undertaken by SOS Children’s Villages and its partners are ethical and respect child safeguarding policy and procedure.

The consultant must respect the rights, dignity and protection of children and other vulnerable population groups and should ensure special protection for children and other vulnerable groups during any data-generating activities to minimize any potential risks. Any research, evaluation and data collection SOS Children’s Villages is directly carried out or is involved in as a partner.

Ethical practices need to be ensured in the following circumstances:

• Any research, assessment, baseline, midterm or final evaluations and data collection SOS Children’s Villages has commissioned for ethical oversight of these processes.
• Any research, evaluation and data collection carried out by researchers/consultants on SOS Children’s Villages programmes and participants.

Hence, relevant project coordinator and location MEAL coordinator in Addis Ababa and Harar programme locations will ensure that any researchers, evaluators and data collectors should receive awareness training on, sign and adhere to SOS Children’s Villages core policies:

Obtaining consent from research participants is central to the research relationship and signals respect for the research participant’s dignity, their capability to express their views and their right to have these heard in matters that affect them. Informed consent is an explicit agreement which requires participants to be informed about and understand the research/assessment. This must be given voluntarily and be renegotiable, so that participants may withdraw at any stage of the research process.

Logistical arrangements:

The awarded consultant shall show feasible logistical arrangements for the assignment as part of the technical proposal. National or location-level staff (SOSCV) will be available to help organize the interviews including contacting SOSCV, announcing and local preparation of evaluation, and linking to community duty bearers and national authorities if required.

Duration of the contract and terms of payment:

Payment will be made only upon SOS Children’s Villages’ acceptance of the work performed in accordance with the above-described deliverables. Financial proposals should include proposed stage payments. Payment will be affected by bank transfer in the currency of birr.

Funding and Payment:

The consultant will be paid by SOS Children’s Villages as follows:

30% on the submission and approval of the inception report.

30% on completion of the draft report.

40% on completion of the final report.

Duration of contract: the contract is effective from the moment it was signed until the acceptance of work by the SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia management team.

Notice of delay:

Shall the successful bidder encounter a delay in the performance of the contract which may be excusable under unavoidable circumstances; the contractor shall notify SOS Children’s Villages in writing about the causes of any such delays within one (1) week from the beginning of the delay.

After receipt of the Contractor’s notice of delay, SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia shall analyse the facts and extent of the delay and extend the time for performance when in its judgment the facts justify such an extension.

Copyright and other proprietary rights:

SOS Children’s Villages shall be entitled to all intellectual property and other proprietary rights including, but not limited to, copyrights, and trademarks, with regard to products, processes, inventions, ideas, know-how, or documents and other materials which the Contractor has developed for SOS Children’s Villages under the Contract and which bear a direct relation to or are produced or prepared or collected in consequence of, or during the course of, the performance of the Contract. The Contractor acknowledges and agrees that such products, documents, and other materials constitute works made for hire for SOS Children’s Villages.

All materials: interviews, reports, recommendations, and all other data compiled by or received by the Contractor under the Contract shall be the property of SOS Children’s Villages and shall be treated as confidential and shall be delivered only to SOS Children’s Villages authorized officials on completion of work under the Contract. The external consultant is obliged to hand over all raw data collected during the assessment to SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia.

Termination:

The termination of the service agreement for the assignment will be in accordance with the contractual agreement to be included at the formal agreement’s actual signing.

Qualification of the researcher / research team:

• The applicant consultant shall have at least a master’s degree in relevant fields of study such Education, TVET, Sociology, Social Work, development studies, Economics, Project Management, Monitoring & Evaluation and other related fields per the required assignment
• In-depth knowledge of green economy sectors and TVET systems in Ethiopia
• At least 5 years’ work experience & proven competency in assessments, monitoring, and evaluation, including assessments or organizational/program evaluation (baseline, midterm, and final evaluations). The incumbent shall attach at least one sample baseline or final evaluation report on youth related projects produced by the candidate on a similar topic.
• Have proven experience in TVET, skills development, institutional capacity assessments, or education sector reviews.
• A good understanding of child/youth rights/safeguarding & other issues affecting vulnerable children in the Ethiopian context.
• Demonstrated knowledge and practical experience in green skills development, green economy, or sustainable vocational training approaches.
• Prior experience conducting capacity gap assessments, organizational analyses, or institutional strengthening assignments for education or training institutions, preferably on TVET institutions
• Strong experience on national and regional TVET policies, strategies, and frameworks.
• Strong skills in coordination, good facilitation, organizational, and interpersonal skills
• Strong skills in coordinating teamwork
• Analytical and conceptual skills on market and livelihood assessment
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English.
• Ability to transfer complex concepts and ideas into practical and simple language.
• Experience in organizing research processes with SOS Children’s Villages or similar child focused organizations.
• Experience and credibility in providing market and livelihood assessments for external communication and organizational purposes.
• Legally registered firms with renewed license, VAT registration and TIN number