Consulting services for the development of an operational manual or guide with care methodologies for adolescents in vulnerable situations, focusing o

Terms of Reference

Terms of Reference for Individual Contracts
(Individual Contractors, Consultants and Fellows)
(This work assignment description forms an integral part of the individual contract)

I. PROJECT DETAILS
Requesting office (hiring office): Field office for Guatemala (FOGUA)
Title of project: Consulting services for the development of an operational manual or guide with care methodologies for adolescents in vulnerable situations, focusing on employability and soft skills in the labor market, for the Casa Joven Program of the Secretariat of Social Welfare.

Purpose of project (summary):
This project aims to develop an operational manual or guide with care methodologies for adolescents in vulnerable situations, focusing on employability and soft skills development for the labor market, specifically within the Casa Joven Villa Nueva program of the Secretariat of Social Welfare in Guatemala. The project seeks to enhance the care approach for vulnerable adolescents and youth by strengthening the soft skills necessary for employment and integration into the workforce, this includes creating tailored methodologies, establishing partnerships with public and private sectors, conducting workshops, and developing tools that support young people in shaping their life projects.

II. ASSIGNMENT DETAILS

1. Contract type:
Individual Consultant 1
(An expert who is a recognized authority or specialist in a specific field area engaged by UNHCR under an individual contract in an advisory or consultative capacity)
2. Engagement via Partnership: NO
3. Engagement type: Lump-Sum 1
(Contractor works on a well-defined product against an agreed lump-sum price)
Proposed instalment schedule:

First Payment: 10%
Condition: Delivery of the work plan, including methodology, timeline, and validation by the project management team.
Estimated Delivery Date: 1 month after the start of the consultancy.

Second Payment: 20%
Condition: Delivery of the draft manual/guide with methodologies for the care of vulnerable youth and the development of soft skills for employability.
Estimated Delivery Date: 6 weeks after the start of the consultancy.
Note: Includes a progress report and feedback.

Third Payment: 20%
Condition: Completion of training workshops for Casa Joven staff and submission of the corresponding materials.
Estimated Delivery Date: During the third month of the consultancy.

Fourth Payment: 20%
Condition: Completion of workshops with youth beneficiaries of the Casa Joven program, with submission of the materials and reports.
Estimated Delivery Date: End of the fourth month.

Final Payment: 30%
Condition: Submission of the final consultancy report, including the systematization of the process and verification materials for all deliverables.
Estimated Delivery Date: At the conclusion of the consultancy of February).

Total budgetary amount allocated for individual contract including fees, travel, DSA, any other costs (indicate currency) (for NIL/NIL type ‘Not applicable’): $ 7,380.07

7. Duration and dates of the contract:
From: ASAP To: February 2025
8. Position Location (duty station): Guatemala, Department Guatemala
II. DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT, DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ENGAGED INDIVIDUAL CONTRACT HOLDER

9. General Background of Project or Assignment, Operational Context:
Casa Joven is a program under the Secretariat of Social Welfare of Guatemala, established by Governmental Agreement 101-2015. It aims to provide protection and care for children, adolescents, young people, and their families. The program’s purpose is to create safe spaces in high-risk communities, functioning as a comprehensive and personalized intervention to foster a safer environment and offer positive alternatives for youth.

Casa Joven operates through five youth centers that were created as part of the Presidential Secretariat of Social Welfare’s strategy to deliver preventive, comprehensive, and personalized care. The program primarily serves individuals from communities with high levels of violence, poverty, and insecurity, helping young people adapt to their family and social environments through psychosocial care, entrepreneurship, and education.

The program’s methodology focuses on providing comprehensive care to at-risk individuals through two main channels: a) personalized psychological and social care, and b) facilitation of technical and vocational educational opportunities to support youth in shaping their life projects. This approach integrates psychological care, vocational training, and community service.

The program’s interventions also aim to prevent forced migration and displacement, early unions, and forced gang recruitment by acting as a support network for adolescents and young people involved in the program.

Since its inception, Casa Joven has provided valuable experiences and learning opportunities that allow for planning, organizing, and directing actions that offer protection and care alternatives. These actions help restore rights and ensure a dignified life for adolescents and young people in vulnerable situations. However, to enhance the ongoing efforts and achieve better results in the care provided, it is necessary to hire a consultant or consulting firm to strengthen the care of vulnerable adolescents and young people, with a focus on soft skills development for employability at Casa Joven Villa Nueva. The resulting methodologies should be replicable across the five youth centers within the program.

Given the diverse contexts and profiles of the youth served, the existing care protocols require reinforcement within a strategic care framework. There is a need for a sustainability and support instrument to guide the approach and care for adolescents and young people in vulnerable situations and internal displacement, ensuring the program addresses their specific needs effectively.

10. Occupational Safety and Health Considerations
To view occupational safety and health considerations for specific duty stations, please visit this link: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel
Specific Occupational Safety and Health Considerations to this assignment (if applicable):

11. Purpose and Scope of Assignment:

This consultancy aims to develop a guide or manual that strengthens the care approach for adolescents and young people in vulnerable situations by enhancing their soft skills for employability. The consultancy will also establish public and private partnerships to facilitate labor market insertion for youth who complete their training at Casa Joven.
Work Methodology recommended: The consultancy will closely coordinate with the project management team, led by the assigned coordinator. Activities will include organizing face-to-face surveys, interviews, and focus groups, with the support of Casa Joven center directors and educators. Data collection will prioritize a human rights-based approach, considering ethnic and age diversity, and must be disaggregated by community and municipality.
Both online and in-person data collection tools will be used. Participatory and accessible methodologies will ensure effective involvement of all stakeholders, making their voices visible. All tools and participant selection processes must be validated by the project team. The work plan will be approved and periodically reviewed, and the methodology will include at least one activity to present the baseline findings to key stakeholders.
Activities:
1. Develop a work plan outlining the methodology and timeline for the consultancy.
Output: Work plan document
Delivery Date: One week after consultancy start

2.Create a guide/manual with methodologies to strengthen soft skills for employability and labor market insertion for adolescents and young people.

Output: Completed guide/manual
Delivery Date: Three months after consultancy start, with monthly progress reports.
Impact Indicator: Improved employability skills, measured by feedback from program staff and beneficiaries

3.Establish public and private partnerships to facilitate labor market insertion for Casa Joven youth.
Output: The consultant will be responsible for facilitating connections with public and private sector organizations, creating opportunities for future partnerships. While not directly responsible for signing formal agreements, the consultant will focus on initiating contact and laying the groundwork for potential employment, internship, and training opportunities. This will result in a directory of interested partners.
Delivery Date: Ongoing throughout consultancy
Impact Indicator: Success will be tracked by the number of partnerships initiated and the opportunities for employment created, measured through:
Number of organizations engaged: Public and private sector entities actively involved in discussions for youth labor market insertion.

4. Lead working group meetings to align strategies with project objectives.
Output: Meeting minutes and reports
Delivery Date: Throughout October-November 2024
Performance Indicator: Reports demonstrate progress and collaboration on new methodologies

5. Conduct five training sessions for Casa Joven staff to apply the new methodologies across all centers.
Output: Workshop materials and attendance lists
Delivery Date: October to January
Impact Indicator: Youth engagement, measured through feedback surveys

6.Systematize the creation process of the guide/manual with methodologies for strengthening employability skills.
Output: Systematization report
Delivery Date: Monthly and final report in February 2025

7. Submit periodic reports on progress, workshops, and team agreements.
Output: Periodic progress reports
Delivery Date: Every 15 days for meetings, monthly for progress reports
Performance Indicator: Timely submission and adherence to work plan milestones
8. Submit the final consultancy report summarizing the process and results of the consultancy.

Output: Final report including verification materials
Delivery Date: Second week of February 2025
Performance Indicator: Quality and completeness of the report, evaluated by stakeholders

Measurable Outputs:
Work plan outlining methodology and timeline
Guide/manual incorporating employability methodologies
Directory of public-private partnerships identified
Five staff training sessions and supporting materials
Five youth workshops and supporting materials
Systematization report
Periodic and final consultancy reports
Impact Indicators:
Enhanced employability skills in youth, reflected in post-training evaluations
Consistent application of new methodologies across all five Casa Joven centers
Stronger partnerships for labor market insertion, measured through partnership engagement
Performance Indicators:
Timeliness of deliverables (reports, workshops, and training sessions)
Quality and relevance of the guide/manual, as assessed by stakeholders
Effectiveness and value of the methodologies, based on cost-effectiveness and youth outcomes

Expected Deliverables of the Consultancy:
• Guide or manual with methodologies to strengthen the approach to caring for adolescents and youth in vulnerable situations, focused on the development of soft skills for employability.
• Directory of contacts from public and private organizations interested in establishing partnerships for the labor market insertion of Casa Joven youth.
• Diagnostic assessment identifying the main barriers and needs that hinder access to decent employment for youth in vulnerable situations and in contexts of human mobility.
• Brochure to support the development of life projects for youth.
• Design and development of 5 workshops to train Casa Joven technical staff in the new methodologies.
• Design and development of 5 workshops for Casa Joven youth beneficiaries, focused on strengthening employability skills.
• Systematization of the process of creating the guide/manual with innovative methodologies.
• Final consultancy report, including verification materials and presentation of results.

Clarifications
UNHCR and its collaborators are not responsible for any faults, accidents, payment of fees, or any other situation related to the work performed by the contracted consultant within the scope of the Project.

All information and documents generated from this consultancy will be the intellectual property of the Social Welfare Secretariat of the Presidency.

The produced materials must include the logo and credits of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The duration of the contract is five months.

III. CANDIDATE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS, SELECTION CRITERIA
Required qualifications, language(s) and work experience:
Degree: Required
Bachelor’s degree in one of the following areas: social and humanistic sciences, economics or related areas, preferably with experience in pedagogical methods of care and employability.

Field of expertise, competencies:
Required/Mandatory Qualifications and Work Experience:
1. Knowledge and Contextual Understanding
o In-depth knowledge of the country’s reality, particularly regarding communities in vulnerable situations and those affected by internal or external displacement.
o Expertise in youth employability, labor market insertion, and soft skills development for adolescents and young people in vulnerable situations.
o Sensitivity to working with individuals in vulnerable situations, with a strong human rights approach and an understanding of ethnic and cultural diversity.
o Familiarity with the Casa Joven Program or similar initiatives focused on vulnerable youth and community-based interventions.
2. Professional Experience
o Minimum of 2 years of experience in development projects, with a focus on pedagogical methods for addressing youth in vulnerable situations, specifically in employability and skills-building.
o Proven experience facilitating dialogues with multiple stakeholders, including civil society organizations, public and private sector representatives, and institutional partners.
o Experience in generating, mediating, validating, and editing documents related to youth development, employability, and strategic frameworks for social programs.
o Demonstrated ability to manage and coordinate with various actors, including public and private institutions, for the establishment of partnerships aimed at promoting labor market insertion for vulnerable youth.
o Experience in the participatory construction of strategic frameworks related to employability requirements and labor market integration for adolescents in vulnerable situations.
o Proven experience in managing workgroups and providing training for youth on soft skills development, life project planning, and employability.
3. Technical Skills
o Proficiency in participatory and consultation methodologies, with a focus on the co-creation of employability and educational tools.
o Strong drafting and editing skills for technical reports, strategic documents, and methodological guides focused on youth employability and care approaches.
o Proficiency in using Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
o Familiarity with and proficiency in virtual communication platforms (e.g., Zoom, Teams, etc.).
4. Communication and Organizational Skills
o Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas related to youth development and employability clearly.
o Proven ability to work collaboratively with teams and stakeholders from diverse backgrounds, ensuring inclusive and participatory approaches.
o Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities efficiently while ensuring the timely delivery of project milestones.

5. Technological Requirements: Own technological equipment to conduct virtual and on-site activities.

13. Minimum years of work experience (NOTE: candidates with less years of experience cannot be short-listed or recommended): Minimum of 2 years of experience working in development projects, with emphasis on pedagogical methods for caring for youth in vulnerable situations.
Language: Required: Spanish Required: English

IV. EVALUATION, MONITORING, SUPERVISION

14. Monitoring and Progress Controls
(Measures put in place to ensure the quality of work the individual contract holder delivers, e.g. report requirements, periodicity, format, deadlines, performance indicators, milestone discussions, survey completed, data collected, workshop conducted, research documents produced specify etc.)
The coordination of the work to be carried out will be under the responsibility of the Undersecretariat for Protection and Care of Children and Adolescents or by the Nominating Authority within the scope of their competence in the Secretariat of Social Welfare.

Standard Job Description

Required Languages

Spanish

English

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

Bachelor of Science (BS) (Required)

Certifications

Work Experience

Other information

This position doesn’t require a functional clearance

Home-Based

No