Terms of Reference to conduct a project baseline study of  Strengthening Youth-Led Organizations to advocate for enhanced Budget Accountability in Rwanda project.“Rubyiruko gira uruhare mu itegurwa ry’ingengo y’imali.” 

1. Introduction 

ActionAid Rwanda (AAR) is a Non-Governmental Organization and an Affiliate member of the ActionAid Global Federation. AAR is committed to combating poverty and working with marginalized communities. Since its inception in Rwanda in 1982, AAR has strived to achieve social justice, gender equality, and poverty eradication by empowering communities, redistributing resources, and advocating for the rights of those living in poverty and exclusion. With funding from the European Commission Kigali, AAR in partnership with CLADHO is implementing a project aimed on  Strengthening Youth-Led Organizations to advocate for enhanced Budget Accountability in Rwanda project. A rights-based approach will ensure no-one is left behind in the budgeting processes in Rwanda. The action will advocate for increased budgetary allocation on the needs of persons with disabilities and social protection that also reach teenage mothers and adult women survivors of any form of GBV. By promoting good governance (as the Impact of the action) this will ensure the rights of youth, children and minorities are promoted and protected. 

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The Overall Objective, or Impact, of the action is to ‘Promote budget transparency and accountability through strengthening youth-led organisations and platforms to participate in the public finance management policies in Rwanda’. Young people infrequently engage in the budget review process, do not understand public finance management policies, and do not participate in the forums aimed at identifying citizen priorities in the districts. This action will target youth groups and networks, equipping them with the tools to further empower young people with the knowledge and skills that will enable them to participate in budget review forums at the local and at national levels through Sector Working Groups and other governance groups.

2. Purpose of the Consultancy 

During the project initiation process, the consortium (AAR and CLADHO) developed a project logframe with project objectives and indicators that will be measured to ensure project performance. Based on existing data and desk review of available materials, the consortium set indicators bench marks that need to be validated during the baseline study.  

As suggested in the title of these Terms of References, this assignment consist in collecting baseline information on the current status of youth participation in PFM processes as well as the level of national and district budget allocations to youth empowerment programs. This information will be used as benchmarks for project indicators and will help to develop a project M&E framework to monitor project implementation and evaluation of impact throughout the lifetime of the action. This will also be an opportunity to further identify risks and assumptions which might have developed since the original evaluation and project submission. The baseline data will be validated with youth target organisations and stakeholders. 

3. Scope of Work:

The consultant will need to read the project proposal and its annexed logframe to determine the most appropriate methodology to be adopted in undertaking this assignment. However, the study will have to consider the following categories on the targets groups (TGs) who are direct project participants; TG1: The National Youth Council (NYC) at district and national level. They consist of 5 young people committee members from each of the 30 districts (150 people) plus 18 at national level totalling 168 youth project participants. TG2: The Agroecology and Business Learning Youth Network (YALTA) will be directly engaged in the action. YALTA consists of 380 individual members from 43 youth-led organizations across the country and at least 40% of participants will be young women. TG3: Rwanda Youth in Agribusiness Forum (RYAF) will be involved in the action. RYAF consists of 512 total members: 6 committee members at national, and 3 representatives from each of 30 districts, and 1 representative from 416 sectors. TG4: The project will select 2 representatives, 1 young female and 1 young male member from NCPD committees ranging from district to provincial (70 youth) plus 5 members of the NCPD national committee making a total of 75 to participate in all project activities. TG5: 110 National and local decision makers including 30 district planners and 30 district Chief Budget Managers, 5 province planners and 5 province Chief Budget Managers, 30 central-level policy makers, 10 members of private sector federation from the special cluster of women, youth, and persons with disabilities and 10 representatives from civil society organizations whose interventions are related to youth empowerment and budget accountability. 

4. Time-line:

The consultancy assignment is expected to be completed within four weeks from the commencement date. 

5. The project indicators to be measured

During the project design period, the consortium, defined and established a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that will be used to measure project success over time. the consortium also planed that the same indicators measured during the baseline study will again be measured at the end of the project to identify project achievements. The expected results of the project and their corresponding indicators to be measured through out the project are included in the table below;

6. Deliverables of the assignment

Listed below are the main deliverables that are expected from the consultant; 

a. An inception report: The consultant will produce an inception report in which they will describes the consultant’s understanding of the Terms of References and outlines the objectives, methods, and expectations of the assignment. As part of the inception report, the consultant will provide on annex well structured tools and instruments which will be used for data collection, including survey questionnaires, interview guides, and any other data collection forms.

b. A Baseline Assessment Report: The primary deliverable that will be produced by the consultant is a comprehensive baseline assessment report which will provide values for the measured project Key Performance Indicators. This report will include an overview of the project's objectives, the methodology used for data collection, a description of the study area, and detailed findings based on the data collected. Additional information that will be presented in the baseline report will include the following;

• Raw Data: The consultant will share the raw data collected during the baseline study, including survey responses, interview transcripts, and any other data sources.
• Data Analysis Report: The consultant will present an analysis of the collected data, including both quantitative and qualitative data. This report will include statistical summaries, data visualization, and a clear interpretation of the findings, highlighting strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to youth-led organizations' budget accountability.  
• Comparison with Benchmarks: The consultant will compare the baseline findings to relevant benchmarks or best practices in budget accountability. This will help identify areas where youth-led organizations may need improvement and set realistic goals for the project.
• Stakeholder Engagement Report: The consultant will identify and document the key stakeholders involved in the project. This report will detail their roles, interests, and levels of engagement to ensure a clear understanding of who should be involved in project activities.
• Feedback Mechanism: propose a feedback mechanism to the consortium to gather input and insights from project stakeholders on the baseline assessment process and findings. 

c. Annexes to the report will include:

• Risk Assessment: The consultant will identify potential risks and challenges that may impact the project's success. This should include a risk register with mitigation strategies and contingency plans.
• Documentation of Data Sources: The consultant will include a detailed list of all data sources used during the baseline study. This documentation is crucial for transparency and for future evaluations of the project.
• Presentation Materials: The consultant will prepare presentation materials, such as slides or a summary report, to communicate the baseline findings to project stakeholders, funders, and the broader community. 

7. Qualifications:

• The consultant(s) should possess a master's or Ph.D. degree in a relevant field such as economics, public policy, public administration, social sciences, or a related discipline.
• Prior experience in conducting baseline studies, impact assessments, or research related to youth-led organizations, budget accountability, or similar areas.
• Knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies and data collection techniques.
• Familiarity with the dynamics, challenges, and opportunities of youth-led organizations and their role in advocating for budget accountability.
• An understanding of the unique needs and perspectives of young people in the context of governance and accountability.
• Proficiency in understanding government budgets, financial systems, and public expenditure tracking.
• Knowledge of budget accountability mechanisms and the ability to assess their effectiveness.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to engage with youth-led organizations, government officials, and other stakeholders involved in the project.
• Knowledge of ethical considerations in research, including obtaining informed consent and ensuring the privacy and safety of research participants, especially when working with young people.
• Proficiency in the relevant languages spoken by the Rwandan youth-led organizations and communities to facilitate effective communication and data collection. 

       8. Reporting:

The consultant(s) will report to the Programme Policy and Business Development Lead and coordinate closely with the project coordinator. 

9. Budget:

The budget for this consultancy assignment will cover consultant fees, travel expenses (if applicable), data collection costs, and other relevant expenditures. The budget will be finalized in consultation with AAR procurement committee. 

10. Confidentiality:

All information and data collected during the consultancy assignment will be treated with strict confidentiality. 

11. Evaluation:

The success of this consultancy assignment will be evaluated based on the based on proposed financial proposal, qualification and expertise of the consultant in conducting project evaluation processes, related experience in conducting baseline studies on Strengthening Youth-Led Organizations to advocate for enhanced Budget Accountability. 

12. Application:

Interested individual consultants, should submit their application to actionaid.rwanda@actionaid.org by Friday December 15^th  2023 at 16:00PM GMT/UTC+2h. 

The  application documents will include:

1. Copy of CV of the main consultant(s) who will undertake the assignment not more than 6 pages.
2. Technical proposal in line with the terms and conditions of this ToR not more than 3 pages
3. Financial proposal detailing consultant(s) itemized fees, transport cost, hotel and meals, data collection and administrative costs tax inclusive.
4. At least submit 3 track records of successful completion of similar assignments.
5. RDB registration certificate
6. Valid RRA Tax clearance certificate 

Successful consultant will be expected to abide to ActionAid’s values and adhere to ActionAid policies including the Safeguarding Policy, the Child Protection Policy and anti-modern slavery policy, among other ActionAid policies. 

13. Contact Information:

For inquiries or clarification regarding this consultancy assignment, please contact +250280300142.