Jordan Ministry of Youth Needs Assessment Consultant

Job Description

The Ministry of Youth (MoY) is keen on instituting Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (MEL) systems that support data-driven and evidence-based decision-making processes that use accurate, reliable and relevant information from various sources. At the same time, the United States Agency for International Development mission to Jordan (USAID Jordan) Education and Youth (EDY) Office is committed to strengthening government ministries MEL skills and resources to effectively use research and data analysis to inform their strategic planning, policy and decision-making.

USAID Jordan tasked Data and Evidence for Education Programs (DEEP) project, along with its Jordanian partner INTEGRATED, with conducting a rapid review of the MoY’s MEL planning, implementation, coordination, and communication structure to identify needed technical support and assistance to the ministry. Based on that review, Jordan Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Activity (MELA), in cooperation with the USAID Jordan, have developed a Capacity Building Plan for the MoY that focuses on four main interventions including the development of the Activity Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan (AMELP), providing basic MEL training to the MOY staff, organizing a MEL Training of Trainers (ToT) for the Youth Leadership Center staff, and conducting a Youth Needs Assessment for six Youth Centers.

II. Objective of this Consultancy

The objective of this consultancy is to train MoY staff, who are responsible for conducting the Youth Needs Assessment in the selected Youth Centers, on the different approaches and tools used for conducting the assessment including data collection (quantitative and qualitative), data analysis (quantitative and qualitative), and report writing, in addition to coaching them during the implementation of the assessment until finalizing the report. This should help the centers identify the needs of the youth in their respective cities/areas and create an action plan that, if implemented properly, would help the centers meet those needs. MoY has selected six centers to be the pilot for implementing the Youth Needs Assessment; two centers from the north of Jordan, two from the middle, and two from the south. Two out of the six selected centers are male centers, two female centers, and two mixed centers.

III. Specific Tasks of the Consultant

Under this Scope of Work, the consultant(s) shall perform, but not be limited to, the following tasks:

1. Review the Rapid Assessment Report prepared by DEEP in addition to any other literature that would help the consultant(s) understand the status quo of the selected Youth Centers and the expected outcomes of this consultancy. This might also include a couple of one-on-one meetings with different stakeholders within the MoY and its directorates as well as the selected centers.
2. Decide on the best combination of assessment tools to be used for achieving the objectives of this consultancy including surveys, focus groups, interviews, etc.
3. Design the assessment tools based on the expected outcomes of this consultancy, and then agree with the MoY and MELA on the sample size needed for each of the tools.
4. Train MoY designated staff on the needs assessment approaches and the designed tools, and prepare an Implementation Plan for the different tools.
5. Finalize the data collection tools with the MOY staff during the training
6. Coach MoY designated staff during the implementation of the assessment and provide continuous feedback that would help them enhance their performance and ensure the quality/accuracy of collected data.
7. Train MoY designated staff on the different tools used for data analysis and coach them during the data collection and analysis phase.
8. Train MoY designated staff on Report Writing including the development of Action Plans that, if implemented properly, would help the centers meet youth needs in their respective areas/cities.
9. Prepare Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that would describe the steps followed during the design and implementation phases of the assessment to ensure sustainability. The MoY would use those SOPs for conducting similar assessments at different centers.
10. Support MoY designated staff in finalizing the Needs Assessment Report summarizing the needs of the six selected Youth Centers.
11. Develop a tool to help MoY staff to evaluate satisfaction of the youth centers services as a result of USG support

Required Reporting includes:

1. The main deliverable of this intervention would be a Needs Assessment Report summarizing the needs of the six selected Youth Centers. This report should also include the assessment tools designed by the consultant(s), in addition to an Action Plan that specifies the actions to be taken by each center, responsibility for each action, budget, and timeframe. The report would be prepared by MoY, but the consultant would be responsible for ensuring and timely delivery.
2. Needs Assessment data collection tools.
3. Implementation plan.
4. Training material used during the training workshop.
5. Standard Operating Procedures that would describe the steps followed during the design and implementation phases of the assessment.
6. A Summary Report highlighting the main tasks performed by the consultant(s) in addition to a list of recommendations for the MoY in relation to the consultancy.
7. Community satisfaction assessment tool

All deliverables should be submitted in Arabic except for deliverable number 6, which should be submitted in both Arabic and English.

IV. Time frame for the Consultancy. Unless otherwise specified in writing, the following time frame will govern the timing of the completion of this consultancy:

Please see job posting on The Kaizen Company’s website.

V. LOE for the Consultancy.

This consultancy will require 27.5 LOE.

VI. Consultant Qualifications. The Consultant(s) shall have the following minimum qualifications to be considered for this consultancy:

• university degree in Business Administration, Statistics, Industrial Engineering or any related field.
• minimum 5 years of experience in data collection and analysis (quantitative and qualitative).
• excellent communication and training skills.
• excellent skills in Arabic and English writing.
• previous experience in the Youth Ecosystem in Jordan and the region is required.

About the Organization

The Kaizen Company (Kaizen) is a development consulting firm that cultivates innovative, scalable solutions that address emerging market challenges and opportunities. For more than a decade, Kaizen has brought innovation into the world of donor-funded international development in Africa, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America/Caribbean, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

In parallel, Kaizen has been incubating innovations to scale through market forces to achieve development objectives without the need for donor funding. Our proven solutions catalyze locally driven organizational and institutional performance improvements and establish communities of practice that facilitate peer-to-peer learning and the achievement of shared goals.

We leverage existing knowledge, technology, and new media, and local peer networks to support local reforms. Since our inception, we have provided support to more than 100 government, private-sector, and non-profit organizations in markets worldwide.