BRAC
Research Assistant Consultancy Botswana Rapid Youth Economic Opportunities Assessment
Botswana, South Africa
About BRAC
BRAC is a global leader developing and implementing cost-effective, evidence-based programs
to empower the most marginalized in extremely poor, conflict-affected, and post-conflict states.
Founded in Bangladesh in 1972, BRAC now works across 11 countries in Asia and Africa.
BRAC takes a holistic approach to alleviate poverty, running programs in education, healthcare,
microfinance, women and girls’ empowerment, agriculture and food security, and human and
legal rights.
Since its inception, BRAC has understood that including women and girls at the forefront of its
development initiatives are critical in achieving our mission and vision. We are determined to
root out the systemic causes of poverty, particularly through the empowerment of marginalized
women and girls. Centering AGYW in our youth work is done through curriculum development
designed with youth and community input, through designated peer groups and mentorship
approaches, and by targeting the enabling environment for AGYW, including trainings and
advocacy with men, boys, and custodians of power systems, who tend to be male in BRAC’s
target areas.
BRAC’s signature youth programme in sub-Saharan Africa is its Empowerment and Livelihoods
for Adolescents (ELA) model. The ELA model is a three-pillared approach concentrating on
education, social empowerment, and economic empowerment. Young women meet in groups of
20-30 with a peer mentor from the community to engage in a year-long program and AGYW are
split by age: 10 to 14 and 15 to 24. The content delivered by mentors includes intra and inter
personal skills, sexual and reproductive health, soft skills, planning ahead and community
leadership. Sexual and reproductive health rights are emphasized to reduce teenage pregnancy
and violations of rights such as forced/early marriage and gender-based violence. BRAC is
increasingly focusing on menstrual hygiene management and eliminating associated barriers to
education for girls at this critical transition age, particularly barriers related to stigma and the
lack of facilities, policies, and access to products, information and medicines to manage
menstruation while attending school.
Additionally, wage or self-employment is a key intervention within BRAC’s ELA programme,
especially for those who are in the older age group, out of school, unemployed and young
mothers. This includes financial literacy and economic empowerment training modules as well
as support for technical training and access to financial services, including BRAC microfinance
loans.
To measure ELA’s impact, a randomized control trial (RCT) in Uganda conducted by
independent researchers found that, four years post-intervention, AGYW in villages with ELA
clubs had delayed pregnancy and marriage or cohabitation, reduced sex against their will and
were more likely to participate in income-generating activities. RCTs from South Sudan and
Sierra Leone have further demonstrated ELA’s effectiveness in making girls more resilient in the
face of crisis, which is particularly important given the growing risks related to COVID-19 around
the globe.
Background and Context
BRAC USA have been contracted to provide technical advisory support to implementing partners of the DREAMSprogram (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored, Safe) in Botswana and across the Africa region. DREAMS is an initiative of The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR.).
As part of BRAC’s delivery of Technical Assistance (TA) for Adolescent and Youth Empowerment in Botswana, including components of BRAC’s signature Empowerment and Livelihoods for Adolescents (ELA) model we are seeking short-term research consultants to provide local support to the delivery of a rapid Youth Economic Opportunities Assessment. The rapid Youth Economic Opportunities Assessment will support DREAMs programme partners to deliver of economic strengthening components of the DREAMS programme.
This assignment will be led by a Project Manager and supported by a research assistant. Specifically, this Terms of Reference is for a local junior researcher that can provide short-term support to the project manager that will include field visits to programme sites to collect primary data on local labour market dynamics and economic opportunities of AGYWs.
Purpose of Rapid Youth Market Opportunities Assessment
The purpose of the Youth Economic Opportunities Assessment is to gain a deeper understanding on local labour market dynamics across three programme locations in Botswana, but with a specific focus on economic opportunities for AGYW. The findings of the assessment will inform decision making, design, and delivery of DREAMs economic strengthening programme activities supporting income generating activities for AGYWs as well as practical strategies in strengthening programme mechanisms for lasting economic impact.
The assessment is intended to support programme services focusing on entrepreneurship support, market-led and employability skills training, and life skills trainings.
Objectives
This assessment builds on findings from an earlier rapid DREAMS Botswana programme context analysis. The overall objective of this assessment is to is to provide appropriate insights and actionable recommendations to the DREAMS project that can equip AGYWs to pursue gainful economic opportunities in the project locations. Examples of specific objectives include to:
- Identify the main economic activities in each location, and those most performed by AGYWs
- Identify AGYWs expectations (and aspirations) regarding local economic opportunities.
- With considerations to AGYW, identify the key market gaps and opportunities in each location. This should include insights into local business and sector growth potential, local job vacancies, business resilience, current and emerging enterprise opportunities, labour needs, linkages to major markets.
- Determine the drivers and obstacles for AGYWs engaging and participating in viable economic activities.
- Establish the sectors, products, and services with the lowest entry barriers for AGYWs. And determine the work opportunities with the most potential to provide enhanced income generating opportunities for AGYWs.
- Assess local opportunities for skills development (e.g. TVETs or other government or donor-funded programmes) and ascertain the attitudes among local business owners and other institutions towards the provision of local jobs, internships, and apprenticeships to AGYWs.
- Establish the capacitation needs that can support AGYWs to enter key sectors or opportunities.
- Identify key organisations and institutions that present real and achievable opportunities for programme collaborations.
Expected Activities and Deliverables
The Research Assistant is expected to support the project manager in the delivery of the assessment through pre-fieldwork prep, primary data collection and preliminary data analysis.
The assessment will involve the research assistant visiting each programme location. The RA will be trained on how to facilitate and use specific data collection methods and tools.
Site visits are expected to last three-weeks. During the site visit, the RA will undertake four key activities for the assessment:
- Youth surveying and focus groups
- Market observations and community surveying
- Business and employer surveying
- Key Informant Interviews
The number of interviews and FGDs will be determined prior to departure and in collaboration with the DREAMS programme partners.
Specific activities and deliverables:
- Support to the project manager in pre-fieldwork logistics and data collection strategy
- Schedule and organise FGDs and KIIs
- Support the project manager review and develop data collection tools
- Attend pre-departure training on tools and methods
- Programme site visits: spend approximately three-weeks at programme sites undertaking primary data collection
- Data uploaded into an excel document, cleaned, and submitted to project manager.
- A high-level trip report with preliminary data analysis is submitted to project manager (5-10 pages)
Competencies and qualifications of the consultant
This position is for Botswana nationals or those residing in Botswana and with the right to work.
Essential
- Ideally, hold a good first and postgraduate degree in economics, commerce, or business management. If you do not hold a relevant degree, you should be able to demonstrate excellent equivalent working knowledge and experiences of these subjects.
- At least three-years professional work experience, with a strong preference given to working in (or with) the private sector
- Strong qualitative and quantitative research skills
- Experience coordinating primary field work
- Experience of facilitating surveys
- Experience of facilitating interviews (and/or Focus Group Discussions)
- Comfortable travelling and working remotely
- Demonstrable knowledge and application of Excel
- Demonstrable ability to write fluently in English
- Fluent in both English and Setswana. Birwa is an advantage
Desirable
- Experience with participatory research methods
- Experience facilitating surveys
- Good understanding of local government in Botswana
- Knowledge of the key youth employment challenges in Botswana
- Knowledge of the key challenges facing AGYWs in Botswana
BRAC USA values a diverse workforce and is an equal opportunity employer. Personnel are chosen on the basis of ability without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, marital status or sexual orientation, in accordance with federal and state law.
How to apply
For apply please click here :https://bracusa.hire.trakstar.com/jobs/fk02pm5?source=ReliefWeb