Company Profile

The World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is one of Canada’s leading non-profit international development organizations, committed to building a more equitable and sustainable world. Our vision is a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable world for youth. It is a world in which all young people, especially women and refugees, are empowered to secure a good quality of life for themselves, their families, and their communities. We work with a diverse network of students, volunteers, institutions, governments, and businesses to improve education, economic, and empowerment opportunities for youth, and to improve the lives of millions of disadvantaged people around the world.

Job Description

 Gender Responsive & Inclusive Pedagogy Consultant

Accelerating Change Through InnoVation in Agricultural TVET (ACTIVATE)

Terms of Reference

BACKGROUND

World University Service of Canada (WUSC)

The World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is one of Canada’s leading non-profit international development organizations, committed to building a more equitable and sustainable world. Our vision is a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable world for youth. It is a world in which all young people, especially women and refugees, are empowered to secure a good quality of life for themselves, their families, and their communities. We work with a diverse network of students, volunteers, institutions, governments, and businesses to improve education, economic, and empowerment opportunities for youth, and to improve the lives of millions of disadvantaged people around the world.

 Accelerating Change Through InnoVation in Agricultural TVET (ACTIVATE) 

The Accelerating Change Through InnoVation in Agricultural TVET (ACTIVATE) program is a 5-year project funded by the Mastercard Foundation, which aims to improve the well-being and resilience of young women and men by strengthening an industry-led demand-driven Agriculture Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ATVET) system nationwide in Ghana. Using an inclusive market systems approach, the program blends education and skills training while building collaboration and linkages among key stakeholders such as public and private actors, academia, and agriculture value chain actors. Over the course of five years, this program will respond to key challenges facing the Agriculture and Adjacent sectors (defined as sectors  that are directly or indirectly aligned with agriculture such as ICT and logistics)  including: 

• Low quality of ATVET instruction, curriculum and equipment/infrastructure; 
• Non-alignment of new TVET policies and reforms across ministries; 
• Lack of ATVET engagement with industry to understand their human resource needs; 
• Poor business skills among young people and insufficient entrepreneurship support to the diverse needs of agripreneurs;
• Insufficient management capacity of ATVET providers, regulators and support organizations 

The project will reduce gender specific barriers, elevate the voice and aspirations of youth and integrate a strong inclusivity lens, with respect to gender and disability.

The project’s ultimate goal is “Improvement in well-being and resilience of young women and men as a result of strengthened ATVET Systems, quality education and industry relevant skills training in agriculture and adjacent sectors”. In order for the program to successfully facilitate these positive impacts, the interventions of WUSC and its partners will focus on multiple actors across the agriculture and adjacent sectors, with the aim of effecting change at the individual, community, and systems level. For example, youth will have increased access to more innovative and inclusive ATVET institutes as a result of activities to improve the quality of instruction and curriculum (individual). As a result of access to quality education, youth will be well prepared to enter and contribute to the workforce, thereby adding income streams for their families (community). Finally, through the program’s prioritization of capacity building of local entities in gender-responsive approaches and participatory decision-making, the program is creating the right conditions for youth to thrive within the agriculture and adjacent sectors (systems).

The project will have a total reach of over 80,340 individuals out of which 79,360 will be youth aged 15 to 35 years old with 85% youth in work and 70% young women. As well as stronger and resilient ATVET Institutions, changes in practices of ATVET organisations, improved coordination, and confident youth with enhanced skills are expected results.

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION STRUCTURE & RATIONALE
Ghana’s agriculture sector, which currently contributes 23% of GDP and is the country’s largest employer, holds significant potential to be a key driver for employment and economic opportunities for young women and men in Ghana. Critical to achieving this potential is a well functioning agriculture education and training sector where  ATVETs  in particular are enabled to  deliver high quality education and demand-driven skills development and technical training that lead to job creation and employability in the sector. 

With extensive experience in the agriculture and TVET sectors in Ghana, WUSC, as the lead partner, will work in close collaboration with two anchor partners, Social Enterprise Ghana (SEG) and CERATH Development Organization (CDO).

SEG is the national network of 16 social innovation hubs and 900 high impact social entrepreneurs. SEG will anchor the Skills Training component working in collaboration with the Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana, University of Ghana, Fair River International Association for Development, and other partners and service providers, will develop and deliver quality, market relevant and gender responsive skills training for youth through their 16 regional hubs, enterprise support organisations and female led hubs using farmer field school and farmer business schools models. SEG will also facilitate employability skills and job readiness training for ATVET students and graduates to train young people in demand driven sectors leading to wage employment or self employment.

CDO will lead on the design and launch of an agri-preneurship program to transition trainees into self-employment and entrepreneurship. This includes equipping high potential youth agripreneurs for success through incubator programs and transition packages, mentorship and coaching, and training on business development processes and resilience. 

PURPOSE OF CONSULTANCY
WUSC is seeking to engage a Gender Responsive and Inclusive Pedagogy consultant for the ACTIVATE project (2024-2029). Under Output 1222: ATVET instructors supported to integrate inclusive and gender-responsive practices in the delivery of ATVET the project will support ATVET instructors and training facilitators to ensure that their instructional pedagogy and technical skills are well positioned to strengthen the learning outcomes of ATVET students and ultimately contribute to a well qualified and skilled agriculture labour force. To ensure that instructors are using pedagogies that inclusively respond to the learning needs of women and men, including those with disabilities, training providers will be supported to integrate inclusive and gender-responsive practices in the delivery of ATVET. The Consultant will be responsible for developing a gender responsive and inclusive pedagogy training program for selected ATVET training providers and industry players within the project regions to integrate inclusive and gender-responsive practices in the delivery of agriculture technical and vocational skills training.

WORK PACKAGE  
The scope of work for the consultancy includes:

• Leveraging on the existing Gender Responsive Pedagogy Facilitators Manual (from the INVEST project), and the Gender Audit Report, develop a Gender Responsive and Inclusive Pedagogy Training of Trainers program (manual and tools). Collaborating with project partner AAMUSTED for feedback and the Gender and Inclusion partner when needed.
• Conduct a Validation Workshop with 20 stakeholders to review the draft Gender Responsive and Inclusion Pedagogy Training of Trainers program and incorporate feedback.
• Conduct a National Training of Trainers Workshop for 40 stakeholders, including AAMUSTED, on the Gender Responsive and Inclusive Pedagogy Program
• Provide ad hoc backstopping support to AAMUSTED to scale up training at ATVET institutions within the 4 zones

INDICATIVE TIMELINES AND DELIVERABLES

Required Skills or Experience

CONSULTING PARTNER QUALIFICATIONS
The lead consultant(s) should have the following qualifications:

• Degree in Social Sciences, Education, International Development, or a related discipline
• Strong skills in conducting gender equality and social inclusion analysis, developmental strategies, gender responsive and inclusive pedagogy, and implementation and operational plans
• Experience in conducting capacity assessments and development of gender-responsive and inclusive tools and trainings
• Experienced in programming on gender equality, equity, inclusion, and promotion of diversity, targeting of vulnerable and marginalized groups
• Awareness of gender equality and equity issues in the agriculture TVET and its adjoining sector space.
• Minimum five (5) years of relevant professional experience in your field of expertise
• A commitment to gender equality, youth, and disability inclusion.
• Expertise in the facilitation of multiple/diverse stakeholder groups
• Expertise in knowledge translation
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Strong analytical skills
• Excellent written and oral communication in English
• Knowledge of local Ghanaian languages is desirable
• Familiarity with Ghana’s TVET/ATVET sector is desirable
• Prior experience working with donors such as Mastercard Foundation and Global Affairs Canada is an asset.