Under the FHI 360’s ASPIRES (Accelerating Strategies for Practical Innovation and Research in Economic Strengthening) Project, Save the Children US has been contracted to provide Technical Assistance (TA) to deliver Economic Strengthening (ES) integrated with HIV/AIDS prevention education for at-risk youth in South Africa (SA). This is a three year (2015 – 2017) USAID funded project, which works with five (5) Implementing Partners (IPs) that deliver programming either directly to communities they serve or through Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) or Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in SA. The target population is low-income at-risk youth aged between 14 and 24. There is a strong emphasis in the project for reaching and impacting upon young girls.
Project Main Goal
The ASPIRES SA project main goal is to enhance the evidence base on and strengthen the capacity of IPs in Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal (KZN) provinces to carry out integrated HIV prevention and economic strengthening (ES) programmes.
Project Main Purpose
The main purpose of the project is to improve the long-term economic security and HIV prevention knowledge and skills of at-risk youth in South Africa through the application of combinations of evidence-based, gender-sensitive economic strengthening interventions.
Key Project Objectives
Core to the TA provision is to build the capacity of five IPs pre-selected by USAID/FHI 360. The ES package on which Save the Children US is supporting / building capacity of the IPs constitutes three core components namely: (1) Financial Capability – FC (financial education and linking youth to suitable savings mechanisms), (2) Employability and Entrepreneurship (E&E), and (3) Supporting Access to Tertiary Education – supporting youth to pursue tertiary education (SATE). Integrated into these modules are caregiver engagement, gender norms and potentially supporting the linkage to Testing, Treatment and Care (TTC) services for the targeted youth beneficiaries. The above objectives are all geared to achieving the main goal and purpose of the project by improving copying strategies of targeted youth towards better livelihoods and improved health outcomes.
About the Financial Capability Component
Financial skills serve as a foundation for young people and largely determine the kind of money management decisions that they will make in life. The young people should understand that their financial skills can make a big contribution in the achievement of their life goals. Therefore, in order to be better prepared for financial responsibilities in adulthood, young people need the knowledge, skills and attitudes that will enable them to become better money managers.
“Impumelelo” a Zulu word that means “success” is the name of the Financial Capability Training Curriculum and Mentor’s Guide that is ultimately provided to the youth beneficiaries by trained facilitators. This name taps into the deep aspirations of the youth and it is hinged on the dream of every young person to achieve a successful life.
The Impumelelo training gives young people an opportunity to discuss their perception on success and introduces them to different topics that will help them to associate their dreams and goals with money management knowledge, skills and attitudes. It also introduces the idea of a savings group or savings club which is included to allow the opportunity for practice in savings and money management in a safe and controlled setting.
This Mentor’s Guide for the ASPIRES SA FC is designed for use by mentors (trainers) who have the responsibility of delivering the training to the young people. The training targeted to train young people, both male and female, aged 14-17 years and 18-24 years from low income households in South Africa’s rural and urban settings. The ability for one to read and write fluently is not a requirement in this training; the approach used makes it possible for the mentor to effectively train any group regardless of their literacy level.
Displaying landmarks that the learners will visit during the course of the learning, the Guide uses an analogy of a journey that takes learners through the training from the start to finish. The landmarks are represented by seven modules with a combined total of 16 sessions which vary in length from 60 – 90 mins
In addition, a second educational stream, DREAMS seeks to reduce new HIV infections in adolescent girls and young women in 10 sub-Saharan African countries. The ultimate goal of the partnership is to help girls develop into Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored, and Safe (DREAMS) women.
DREAMS is about multiple solutions surrounding one problem, two of which emulate the goals of the ASPIRES SA programme being to provide integrated interactive learning opportunities in both the areas of FC and to HIV/AIDS (Vhutshilo) with the materials across the pillars to also included learning in negotiating and gender inequality. DREAMS is a more holistic response to HIV/AIDS. It has the potential to change how we work together to ensure an AIDS-free future for adolescent girls and young women.
With the commencement of the DREAMS programme there is an added target of young girls between the ages of 10 and 13 years.
Purpose for the Assignment
The purpose of the assignment is thus to appoint a consultant to develop a 10 – 12 hour financial education curriculum and a mentors guide for the target of girls aged between 10 and 13 years.
Scope of work
The scope of the work of the Consultant will be as follows:
- Develop a participants’ manual for 10 – 12 one hour sessions on FC. This guide, including the rights, risks and responsibilities in each aspect plus an awareness of gender equity, should include:
- Establishing a club
- Setting goals
- How to save
- Keeping money safe including banking
- Negotiations
- Develop a guide for facilitators/mentors to work in conjunction with the participants’ manual to train 10 – 12 one hour sessions on FC.
- Review, adapt and update content and associated materials (such as record keeping templates, ledgers, data collection forms, display charts etc) in partnership with ASPIRES SA and provide a completed training kit toolbox.
Deliverables
There will be three deliverables for this assignment as follows:
- Development of a participants’ manual for 10 – 13 year old girls.
- Development of a mentor’s guide for 10 – 13 year old girls.
- Provide all of the elements necessary for a facilitator with toolbox linked to the above manuals.
Compliance
It is the consultant’s responsibility to ensure all implementation of activities, reports, documentation, and training materials are fully compliant with Mexico City Policy as per SCI guidance.
Required Competency of Consultancy
A qualified and experienced Consultant is required to undertake this assignment. The specific competencies required for this assignment include:
- Ten years of demonstrated experience in developing youth financial capability learning programmes.
- Experience in a financial education program preferably for youth, including savings and banking will be an added advantage.
Timeline
It is anticipated that this assignment will be completed by the following deadline dates:
- Development of a mentor’s guide and a participant’s manual for 10 – 13 year old girls, including all required changes and updates, by 15 July 2017.
Remuneration for Consultancy
Remuneration for Consultancy will be an agreed fee. It will be paid in 2 tranches being on completion of the first draft of both guides by 15 June 2017 and on final completion and sign off of the assignment by 15 July 2017. Amounts will be paid based on satisfactory performance and completion of agreed deliverables/outcomes as stated above. All travel and accommodation costs will be covered by Save the Children.
Submission Format and Deadline
The Consultant should prepare a proposal on how this assignment will be undertaken including a clear work plan. Also include your budget costing, less travel and accommodation, and your curriculum vitae. The proposal must be concise and straight to the point. A soft copy must be submitted to [email protected]
The deadline for the submission of the proposal will be 26 May 2017 at 17h00.
More Information
- Job City South Africa
