Terms of Reference (ToR)

 Rwanda TVET Crop Training and its Effects on Farmers: Study of four TVET Schools

1. Overview

Swisscontact – the Swiss Foundation for Technical Cooperation – is an independent, non-profit development organization founded in 1959. Operating in over 40 countries, Swisscontact promotes inclusive economic growth through private sector development. In Rwanda, it has been active since 2012, focusing on skills development, sustainable agriculture, and entrepreneurship in alignment with the country’s Vision 2050.

Under the AgroInnovation Project – “Fostering resilient food systems and smallholder livelihoods” – Swisscontact supports startups and agribusinesses in developing and scaling climate-smart innovations to improve productivity, nutrition, and market access for Rwandan smallholder farmers. It achieves this by providing comprehensive support during the early stages for startups (agripreneurs), including incubation, mentorship, networking with potential business partners, and access to customized financing options tailored to the agri-sector.  AgroInnovation project emphasizes the promotion of replicable, climate-friendly business models within the food system, helping to build resilient farm-to-fork supply chains that ensure sustainability, transparency, and traceability from production to consumption. Particular attention is given to women-led businesses, recognizing their central role in subsistence farming in Rwanda.

The project’s objectives align around three pillars: increasing smallholder incomes and livelihoods, strengthening the overall Rwandan food ecosystem and food security, and advancing climate change mitigation and adaptation by building farmers' resilience to climate shocks.

This study aims to assess TVETs’ role in smallholders’ technology uptake and graduates’ pathways into the farming labour market. The findings will inform programming under AgroInnovation project and broader national efforts in vocational training and agricultural transformation.

2. Purpose

The purpose of this study is to assess how crop-production-focused TVET institutions in Rwanda enable smallholder farmers’ adoption and sustained use of agri-tech and to examine graduates’ transition into dignified employment and entrepreneurship in the agri-food sector. The study will also assess schools’ systems to track graduate outcomes and their use of feedback to keep curricula relevant, and the effectiveness of partnerships. The study will focus on four select TVET schools, EFA Nyagahanga TSS (Eastern), Kabutare TSS (Southern), Esperance TVET School (Western) and the College Foundation Sina Gerard (Northern) – with analyses disaggregated, where feasible by gender, region, and institutional type.

3. Research Questions

Agri-tech adoption and farmer outcomes

1. In what roles do TVET graduates engage with smallholders (e.g., extension/advisory, agribusiness/cooperative employment, entrepreneurship), and what competencies do these roles require?
2. Which agricultural technologies promoted by TVET graduates are most commonly adopted by farmers, and at what level (awareness, trial, sustained use)?
3. What factors enable or hinder farmers’ adoption of these technologies (e.g., cost, access to inputs/finance, risk perception, gender norms, graduate advisory skills, regional context)?
4. What benefits do farmers associate with adopting these technologies (e.g., yield, income, quality, labor/time savings, resilience), and how do these differ by gender and region?

Graduate transition and TVET institutional capacity

5. How relevant are TVET curricula, training materials, and resources to farmers’ needs—including women farmers—and to the specific contexts of the provinces/districts served?
6. What barriers prevent graduates from securing dignified employment or starting farming‑related businesses, and what practical actions can TVET schools take to address these gaps?
7. How effectively do TVET schools prepare, counsel, guide, and place graduates into jobs, and how is support tailored for women and for different regional contexts?
8. What systems do schools use to track graduates’ employment outcomes (coverage, data quality, update frequency, data protection), and how is this information used for decision‑making?
9. How do schools collect and use feedback from graduates, employers, and farmers (including insights from outreach/extension activities) to update curricula and practical training?
10. What partnership mechanisms with private sector actors, cooperatives, RTB, and Twigire Muhinzi exist and how effective are they; what key gaps remain, and what prioritized improvements are recommended?

4. Study Methodology

To address the research questions, we suggest the following research methods. The consultant may refine the approach during inception.

a)Research Methods

Desk review: The consultant will review relevant documents, including national TVET policies and tracer guidelines, school curricula and materials, any available tracer or placement reports, and AgroInnovation project materials on agri-tech promotion. This review will provide context, inform tool development, and help answer questions related to curriculum relevance, graduate tracking systems, and institutional partnerships.

Graduate Online Survey: A short, mobile-friendly survey will target graduates from the last two academic years. It will collect data on employment and entrepreneurship status, roles and competencies, agri-tech promotion activities, observed farmer adoption, and the type of support received from TVET schools. The survey will provide a quantitative overview to complement qualitative findings.

Focus Group Discussions (FGDs)

Farmers: FGDs will explore farmers’ awareness, trial, and sustained use of agri-tech, as well as drivers and barriers to adoption and perceived benefits. Groups will include farmers who have interacted with TVET graduates and those who have not, to allow for comparison.

Graduates: FGDs will examine graduates’ roles in technology dissemination, employment pathways, challenges in the labour market, and recommendations for improving TVET support.

Key Informant Interviews (KIIs): KIIs will be conducted with school representatives, sector agronomists, and agri-tech firms or cooperatives. These interviews will provide insights into curriculum adaptation, graduate tracking systems, partnerships, and systemic factors influencing technology adoption and graduate employment outcomes.

b)Sampling frame and suggested minimum sample

Data collection will focus on four crop-production-focused TVET schools (two public, two private) across Rwanda’s four provinces. The consultant may propose justified adjustments within the agreed level of effort.

Frames:

• Graduates: Lists from schools (last two academic years; phone/WhatsApp contacts).
• Farmers: Catchment communities; exposed = direct interaction with a TVET graduate in past 12 months; non-exposed = similar context without such interaction.

5. Deliverables

6. Management and Reporting

The consultant will report to the AgroInnovation project Coordinator at SwissContact Rwanda. SwissContact and in collaboration with the Rwanda TVET Board (RTB) will facilitate introductions and coordination with two public TVET schools, Esperance TVET and College Foundation Sina Gerard. The consultant will work closely with the project’s technical advisor, ensuring this is a joint effort with shared technical input throughout the study.

7. Consultant Qualifications

• Advanced/master's degree in a relevant field (e.g., Agricultural Economics, Rural Development, Education).
• Demonstrated professional working experience in mixed-methods research for at least 5 years.
• Proven experience in conducting applied research or evaluations in TVET or vocational education and in Agriculture programs.
• Knowledge of Rwanda’s TVET landscape, Ag tech ecosystem, and rural development dynamics.
• Experience engaging with smallholder farmers and vocational education systems in Rwanda.
• Strong analytical, writing, and presentation skills.

8. Proposal Submission Guidelines

Interested consultants or consulting firms must submit:

• A technical and financial proposal not exceeding 12 pages in total.

• • The technical approach should take 8 pages, should outline understanding of the assignment, proposed methodology, and implementation plan.
  • In addition to the technical approach, the technical proposal should include information on their relevant experience by including project references of similar assignments they have successfully completed (2 pages). This should highlight their capability to deliver quality results for this specific type of work.

• The financial proposal must not exceed 13,200 CHF (inclusive, salary and all taxes, transport and accommodations expenses, and all other associated costs).

• •  The financial section (2 pages) must detail the budget and demonstrate cost-effectiveness

• Proposals should be submitted in PDF format by the specified deadline (to be communicated in the call for applications).

Evaluation criteria and methodology

The consultant will be selected using the quality and cost-based selection and the evaluation will be conducted against the following criteria:

• Administrative Evaluation

1. The consultant should be legally operating as a consultant
2. VAT and/or Tax clearance certificates if applicable
3. Bid validity period

• Technical Evaluation

N.B: The minimum technical score for the consultant to pass the technical stage is 70%.

For consideration for this consultancy opportunity, please submit the required documents by September 10^th, 2025 (05:00 PM, Kigali time) via email to rw_info@swisscontact.org using the email subject: "Consultancy for Impact Assessment of Rwanda TVET Crop Training”.

Applications will be reviewed upon receipt, so early submissions are highly encouraged. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted directly by SwissContact.