Development of Country Investment Agenda for the Generation Unlimited (GenU) Rwanda

1.Background

1.1.Generation Unlimited (GenU) is a global partnership launched at the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2018 that brought together public and private partners and young people to enable the young people between the ages of 10-24 years to be prepared for the transition to work and engaged citizenship by 2030.  It is made up of a Global board, high-level leaders, and champions that are drawn from global business, government, young leaders and the UN community.

On April 12th 2019, the GenU Global Board was presented with a strategy which outlines the vision, the operating model, and the seven strategic priority areas spanning secondary-age education, training, entrepreneurship, employment, and citizenship For more details on the GenU strategy and operating framework, please visit: https://www.generationunlimited.org/our-work/strategy:

1.Quality and relevant secondary age schooling: Promote formal school experiences that build skills young people need for productive lives and the future of work;

2.Alternative education and skilling: Provide young people outside formal schooling with opportunities for training, skill development, and additional education;

3.Transition to work: Improve connections between young people and existing work opportunities;

4.Decent jobs: Increase the number of quality work opportunities available to young people;

5.Entrepreneurship: Foster entrepreneurship as a mindset and a livelihood;

6.Equity: Promote equitable access to quality education, training, employment, entrepreneurship, and civic participation;

7.Civic engagement: Equip young people as problem-solvers and engaged members of civil society, helping to create a better world.

1.2.GenU's operating model is country-based and builds on and promotes the work of the UN System by creating public-private platforms that will attract and pool investment to scale up innovation and promising initiatives for improved outcomes for young people on education, skills, entrepreneurship and employment. Together with partners, GenU supports the development of comprehensive country investment agendas including high-level roadmaps and portfolios of scalable initiatives and innovations, designed with and for young people, to attract public-private capital and achieve large impact. This involves strong commitment and leadership from highest levels of government, engagement of the private sector through shared value partnership, and participation from relevant international and local civil society organizations-and, most importantly, engaging young people as co-creators and implementers

1.3 Under the leadership of the President Kagame who is also a GenU Co-Chair, and the Minister of Youth and Culture who is leading on the Youth Agenda, Rwanda will be among other first set of frontrunner countries Other frontrunner countries include Bangladesh, India, Kenya, Rwanda, Indonesia, Mexico, Ethiopia, South Africa and more. to roll out GenU at country level. With the support of UNICEF Rwanda, the Ministry of Youth and Culture will undertake the following four interlinked activities to operationalize GenU in country:

a.Country Investment Agenda development: developing country-level investment agenda that lays out a 1) high level roadmap for Government, business, young people, civil society and development partners to accelerate progress across the major national challenges that youth face and 2) a portfolio of bankable and scalable initiatives that will support achievement of the targets of the roadmap.  The country investment agendas will be the base for public-private partnerships and the creation of GenU partnership in Rwanda for investment in large scale programmes.

b.Global Breakthroughs: identifying new partnerships and investments in innovations that has the potential to bring transformative changes in Rwanda that will support progress for youth, and, in particular, the most marginalized. This will build on and link with the global level efforts of GenU to develop business plans around specific innovations at scale.

c.Youth Challenges and youth engagement: working with young people to respond entrepreneurially and creatively to the challenges they and providing opportunities for young people to be a central part of the decisions that affect them by being a core part of GenU structures and impacting local decision and services.

d.Knowledge management: supporting and facilitating knowledge generation, capacity development and networking to connect GenU-related actors around the world. This function is to enable the other GenU functions, such as the identification of a portfolio of bankable and scalable solutions.

The Government of Rwanda, with support from UNICEF Rwanda, will bring together a GenU Partners Group contributing to the youth agenda- including the multilateral and the UN, private sector, civil society, and young people themselves - to implement the initiative through a coordinated approach with clear accountabilities, building on existing efforts around education and skills, entrepreneurship, employment, and empowerment of young people.

2.Objectives and purpose of the consultancy

UNICEF Rwanda is seeking the services of a consultancy provider (hereafter, Contractor) to support the development and operationalization of GenU in Rwanda.  Specifically, the Contractor will support:

a)Country landscape analysis of the local ecosystem for young people, including an analysis of existing partnerships and initiatives, key progress and gaps, and opportunities for GenU to strengthen and scale actions; and

b)Development of a Country Investment Agenda which includes:

A high-level roadmap around GenU's seven strategic priorities, with results targets for key priorities for Rwanda. The roadmap will articulate the key gaps in the landscape of existing actions related to young people's needs, and white space in the programming and financing ecosystem, and identification of promising programmes ready to scale.

A portfolio of scalable initiatives and deals which will provide a menu of specific initiatives and investments required by partners that are aligned with the roadmap's targets and covering key thematic priorities for GenU in Rwanda.

The Contractor will also support the official launch and initial implementation of GenU Rwanda, including development of key materials, sourcing of public and private investment opportunities, recommendations on governance and management of the partnership, and other areas as required and identified by with the GenU Partners Group.

3.Description of the assignment

Under the overall supervision of UNICEF Rwanda Deputy Representative, the Contractor will work closely with the Ministry of Youth and Culture team during the consultation process to complete the assignment in the following phases:

3.1.Phase 1: Inception Phase (approx. 3 weeks)

The Contractor will support an initial rapid diagnostic of the country's 'readiness' for GenU, local needs and gaps in the ecosystem for young people, and the identification of the overall direction and emerging focus areas for the Rwanda's GenU roadmap. This may involve: a review of the global GenU Strategy documents; meetings with key GenU partners in Rwanda to discuss the aims and priorities of GenU as a partnership and the investment case; a rapid desk review of existing documentation on the country's strategies, policies, actions, and partnerships related to young people and the strategic priorities of GenU; and stakeholder consultations to take stock of current issues and challenges and identify key opportunities and plan for GenU.

The Contractor, in consultation with all key stakeholders (GoR, UN, public-private sectors), will also begin to identify potential domestic and international investors to support the emerging focus areas for GenU in Rwnada.

Based on this diagnostic, and in consultation with GenU Partners Group in Rwanda, an inception report including the detailed deliverables, methodology, and workplan of the consultancy will be produced for approval.

3.2 Phase 2: Country Investment Agenda Development (approx. 2 to 3 months)

3.2.a.Country landscape analysis

Building on the findings emerging from the inception study, the Contractor will undertake an in-depth analysis of the country landscape through an agreed research approach that may include a combination of: literature review; analysis of current investments, partnerships, and initiatives related to the key priority areas; stakeholder interviews and consultations with public and private sector partners, UN and multilateral, civil society organizations, and young people; surveys; and field visits.

The detailed analytical framework will be tailored specifically to the needs of Rwanda and determined during the inception phase, to ensure use of existing information and knowledge base and avoid duplication of efforts, but will broadly cover the following areas:

1. Review of policy and regulatory environment related to secondary-age education, skills training, entrepreneurship, employment and civic engagement

2. Demand-side analysis on the perspectives of adolescents and young people, their concerns, challenges and aspirations around priority areas

3. Supply-side analysis of macroeconomic landscape particularly in education and employment sectors as well as key programmatic gaps and opportunities

4. Inefficiencies and areas where changes/improvements in investment might lead to greater return on investments (RoI)

5. Opportunities for GenU in promoting partnerships and funding, white spaces and gaps for further public/private partnership, shared value opportunities for private sector involvement.

3.2.b. Country Investment Agenda development

Based on the findings of the country landscape analysis, the Contractor will lead the design of the Country Investment Agenda which includes two components: a high-level, multi-year roadmap which outlines the goals and objectives of GenU and a portfolio of scalable initiatives aligned with the roadmap’s targets.

Specifically,

. The roadmap will be inspired by GenU's strategic priority areas, with results targets for key priorities as agreed by the GenU Partners Group in Rwanda. The roadmap will articulate the key gaps in the landscape of existing actions related to young people's needs, and white space in the programming and financing ecosystem, and identification of promising programmes ready to scale.

. The portfolio of initiatives which will provide a menu of specific initiatives and investments required by partners that are aligned with the roadmap's targets and covering key thematic priorities for GenU in Rwanda. The portfolio will be structured on a rolling basis and aim to leverage partner collaboration, mobilize financing, and achieve scale by providing models of shared-value partnerships, expand existing efforts across the partnership, and improved coordination.

As part of the Country Investment Agenda, the Contractor will also develop of the national GenU Theory of Change, result matrix and monitoring framework, and provide key recommendations on strategies for youth engagement and mobilization of catalytic funding aligned to focus areas and key financial commitments from domestic and international partners.

3.3.Phase 3: Launch and initial implementation of GenU Rwanda (approx. 2 months post-launch)

The Contractor will support the official launch of GenU by supporting the development of the agenda and technical and communication materials to be used for the launch.   The Contractor will also support the GenU Partners Group in the initial implementation of GenU by sourcing investment opportunities to partners, donors and other interested parties, based on the high-level roadmap and portfolio of initiatives designed as part of the Country Investment Agenda.   The duration of this support will be determined during the inception phase and based on recommendations of the GenU Partners Group.

Also, in consultation with the GenU Partners Group, the Contractor will provide key recommendations on the governance and management structure of GenU in Rwanda, as required.

4.Deliverables

1.February 1, 2020: Inception report

2.April 15, 2020:  Country Investment Agenda, including high-level roadmap, portfolio of initiatives and deals, and supporting documents

3.May 15, 2020:  Materials for the Launch of GenU Rwanda

4.(date TBC) July 15, 2020: Sourced investment opportunities and recommendations on governance and management structures for GenU Rwanda

5.Qualification requirements

Successful Contractor will offer the following:

Demonstrated expertise in analyzing, designing, and managing complex analysis and strategy development processes with a range of private sector, multilateral agencies, governments, and young people for the strategic priority areas outlined in the RFP

·Business management expertise with more than 10 years of experience working on the relevant fields are eligible to respond to the RFP.

Proven ability to access and provide recognized specialists with national and/or international reputations in their area of expertise

A group of experts in the areas outlined in this ToR, including through consortia as needed

Positive references/recommendations from previous clients in terms of facilitating effective recruitment, engagement and monitoring of consultants.

Experience working with organizations similar to UNICEF

For each category of experts, bidders are requested to provide a daily rate.

Based on prior experience, it is anticipated that each team will require a combination of personnel in areas such as:

·Project manager/Senior level

o Individuals serving in a project management role wills serve as the primary point of contact between the firm(s) and the contracting office for all administrative, project planning and oversight functions for all Country Investment Agenda(s) process under management by the firm. Persons recommended for this position should have at least twenty years of professional experience, at least five of which should be in a function closely related to project management or coordination. Direct work experience in topics related to this work (business management and execution planning; social enterprise and social impact businesses consulting, public-private partnerships for development, etc.) is highly valued and a working knowledge of all three areas is expected. They should also have at least two experiences setting up similar project teams in similar contexts.

·Team leader/Senior to Middle level

oIndividuals serving as a Team leader will be those that act as the primary country lead for a Country Investment Agenda process in country(ies).  Team leaders must have a minimum of fifteen years of professional experience, at least five of which should be directly related to strategy development, analysis, partnership and resource mobilization, and/or other related fields. A solid working knowledge of youth issues, education and skills, employment, entrepreneurship, social impact businesses, and public-private partnerships in international contexts is expected. Additional specialization in emerging trends analysis is highly valued. They should also have at least two experiences setting up similar project teams in similar contexts

·Associates/Middle to Junior level

o Individuals providing technical and operational support to the process should be strong, efficient communicators and capable of solving programmatic and partnership challenges in complex environments. They should also have at least eight years’ of experience in; operations; results-based management/planning; communications; quantitative and qualitative research and analysis; secondary age education; skills and jobs; and entrepreneurship.

All proposed team members must demonstrate respect for UNICEF’s core values and must demonstrate flexibility and innovative thinking in the face of complex and often changing circumstances

All team members must have fluency in oral and written communication in English, which will be primary language of communication. Ability to work and deliver in key UN languages should be demonstrated when needed.

6.Management and Reporting

6.1.Successful Contractor will be contracted by UNICEF Rwanda and will be overseen by the GenU Partners Group, led by the Ministry of Youth and Culture.  The GenU Partners Group, be responsible for review and approval of all outputs as defined under each contract.

6.2.Day to day management of the Contractor will be undertaken by UNICEF Rwanda, on behalf of the GenU Partners Group.  The service providers will also meet with GenU Global Team via teleconference, or on an as-needed basis, for technical guidance and input as per the global GenU Strategy and lessons from other countries.

6.2.The Contractor would also be expected to build relationship with public and private partners in Rwanda and major regional and international partners, including young people, to ensure consultative process and quality outputs.

How to apply

Complete proposals, including technical and financial proposals should be sent to rwasupply@unicef.org by 26th December 2019 AT 5PM Rwanda time.

Any request for clarification related to this proposal shall be addressed to gingabire@unicef.org

Please find detailed TORs and guidelines in the attached TORS