Consultant Opportunity- Youth Programming Needs Assessment, Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI)

BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT

Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) is an INGO, founded in 1976, devoted to building simple, decent, and affordable housing.

HFHI operates through a federated network of independent National Organizations and branches as well as partnerships in more than 70 countries around the world. HFHI hosts its international headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. HFHI has subdivided its global operation into four regions: Asia and the Pacific (supported from Manila); Europe and the Middle East (supported from Bratislava); Africa (supported from Nairobi), and Latin America and the Caribbean (supported from San Jose).

In Africa, HFHI works across 9 countries to empower people through decent and affordable housing. The Africa region was launched as a separate region in the past year. The Area Office out of Nairobi strives to deliver housing more effectively throughout the locations we work in.

PURPOSE

According to the 2022 – 2025 HFHI Africa Strategy, the Area Office recognizes youth programming as an instrument of achieving its strategic objectives and enhancing the sustainability and relevance of our impact. The Area Office works in collaboration with our 9 National Organizations (NOs) as implementing partners in the region. Many of our NOs have engaged and incorporated youth programming as part of their program approach towards inclusion and sustainability. Some have gone further to identify partners and build relationships with them in a bid to collaborate more seamlessly in addressing the youth needs in their respective countries.

From the Area Office, a youth working group has been leading conversations on how to tackle youth programming from a regional perspective.

The aim of this consultancy is to scope the youth landscape and establish what the challenges and opportunities of young people are within the housing ecosystem. This assessment will give a tailored African perspective with special focus to the countries that we are present in: Malawi, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa and Zambia. The assignment will also support Habitat for Humanity in firming up a definition and scope of youth programming and engagements in alignment with the Africa strategy. The assignment will support in crystallizing an understanding of the youth challenges and opportunities in the housing sector in Africa; and propose feasible strategies of effectively engaging youth.

SCOPE OF CONSULTANCY

The scope of the assessment includes:

• Source and review secondary data for the 9 countries, where HFHI is present in Africa, to understand youth demographics, behaviors and norms, and other relevant dynamics that point to youth challenges and opportunities in the housing ecosystem as well as gaps in research.
• Conduct a desktop research of current youth focused interventions across the 9 countries to understand best practices and youth unmet needs within the housing sector.
• Review definitions of youth programming from peer organizations and global practices.
• Interview program teams in National Offices to map out types of youth programming currently being undertaken.
• Based on country data obtained, review HFH Africa regional strategy and operational framework to align needs with recommended approaches to solutions based on best practices.
• Highlight short term focus areas for youth engagement framework for the next 1-3 years, in the countries that we are present in for the organization’s youth work.
• Conduct the needs assessment process collaboratively with the National Directors of the countries we are present in
• Determine the parameters of youth engagement that the organization should consider based on peer organizations’ youth engagement strategies, the needs established for youth’s participation in the housing ecosystem and any other relevant frameworks.

CONSULTANT RESPONSIBILITIES

Key deliverables/outputs & deadlines

The deliverables include:

A Needs Assessment report that outlines:

1. General overview and description of the youth in Africa: demographics, social norms and behaviors and any other relevant dynamics in respect to specific countries.
2. Youth housing needs in relation to the housing ecosystem and key triggers to these needs.
3. Current approaches by HFH National Organizations and peer organizations targeted at addressing youth needs in the housing sector. Youth needs highlighted shall be categorized by country.
4. Proposed solutions and partnerships, categorized by country, for addressing youth needs in the housing sector.
5. An outline of parameters that will define youth engagement within the housing sector across Africa
6. Any other relevant information

A validation exercise for the report will take place at the end of the assignment.

HFHI RESPONSIBILITIES

HFHI shall provide the documentation and information required to support this assignment.

REPORTING ARRANGEMENTS

The consultant will be expected to report to the Director-Program Operations, Africa and the Youth Working Group Lead.

DURATION OF ASSIGNMENT

We anticipate this work to take no more than 30 calendar days of work (spread across the time from procurement to the validation).

EXPECTED PROFILE OF CONSULTANT

• Master’s degree with experience in research on youth and/ or housing.
• Have minimum of 10 years demonstrated experience in qualitative and/or mixed methods research.
• Strong commitment and capacity to engage staff and National offices through participatory approach and consultative approaches.
• Extensive experience in data management and analysis.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Please send in an Expressions of interest (EoI), including:

• CV with details of qualifications, experience, contact details and names of three referees,
• Technical proposal that summarizes your understanding of the TOR, the proposed approach, and tools to be used for the assignment,
• Financial proposal providing cost estimates of daily consultancy fees
• Contacts of two organizations that have recently contracted you to carry out similar assignment
• Experience portfolio of past activities
• The foreseen work plans

SELECTION PROCESS AND EVALUATION CRITERIA

The Request for Applications will be advertised across all of Habitat’s usual channels for promotion including its website, industry websites and through its network of staff and supporters.

Questions submitted by 29th May 2023.

Applications will be accepted through by 6th June 2023.

Applications should include a narrative with a Technical and Financial proposal.

It is preferred that the budget under the financial proposal is segmented on the basis of the deliverables defined in the Scope of Work but should at a minimum include an explanation for the type of costs represented therein.

Only selected applicants will be contacted. Selection Criteria will include:

• Understanding of the assignment and the business need
• Proposed approach and timing of engagement
• Relevant experience
• Overall approach and stakeholder awareness
• Competitive pricing
• Experience with federated networks in the development sector