COLLEGES AND INSTITUTES CANADA (CICan)

Call for Applications

Focus Group Discussion Facilitators — SASTEP Midline Evaluation

Eastern Cape and Limpopo, South Africa

1. About the Opportunity

Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) is undertaking a midline evaluation of the South African Skills Training Enhancement Programme (SASTEP), which supports Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges to improve graduate job-readiness, expand online and hybrid learning, and strengthen gender equity and inclusion, including access and retention for women and persons living with disabilities, and the prevention of and response to gender-based violence (GBV).

CICan is looking for four (4) skilled facilitators to conduct Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with the program’s participating TVET colleges in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo.

2. Background

The South Africa Skills Training Enhancement Program (SASTEP) is a four-year, Global Affairs Canada (GAC)-funded initiative implemented by CICan. It builds on a long track record of CICan-managed Education for Employment (EFE) programming funded by GAC in other countries, including Tanzania, Senegal, Kenya, Mozambique, Tunisia, Egypt, and Mongolia.

The program connects South Africa’s Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and all 15 publicly funded Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges in Limpopo and the Eastern Cape with nine member colleges from across Canada.

The goal of SASTEP is to equip youth, particularly women and persons, with disabilities, with job-ready and business-ready skills that enable them to contribute to the economic and social development of the Eastern Cape and Limpopo. To achieve this goal, the program is focused on the following four thematic areas:

• Effective online and blended learning
• Gender equality and inclusion in the classroom and on campus
• School-to-work transition: career guidance, work readiness, and entrepreneurship
• Effective partnerships, including for work placements and applied research

The program is delivered through CICan’s Education for Employment and Entrepreneurship model, which brings Canadian and South African institutions together through four thematic partnerships. These partnerships are designed to strengthen institutional capacity, share practical expertise, and support reciprocal learning through study visits and ongoing collaboration.

Across these thematic areas, the program is grounded in six core principles: gender equality and social inclusion; partnership and participation; sustainability and local ownership; capacity building and institutional strengthening; industry engagement; and results-based management.

Positions Available:

2 x Eastern Cape (Fluent in English and isiXhosa)

2 x Limpopo (Fluent in English and Tshivenda and/or Xitsonga)

Candidates should be based in, or readily available to work across participating colleges in either Eastern Cape or Limpopo.

2. What You Will Do

As a facilitator, you will:

• Take part in a briefing session on the evaluation’s FGD guides, consent procedures, and safeguarding protocol.
• Coordinate with college focal points to confirm FGD dates, venues, and participant lists.
• Facilitate FGDs with lecturers, student support staff, and students, using the evaluation’s approved guides.
• Obtain informed consent from all participants before each session and apply the safeguarding protocol if any concern arises.
• Audio-record sessions (with consent) and produce accurate transcripts or detailed notes.
• Submit a short summary report for each FGD, and a final fieldwork report at the end of the assignment.

3. What We’re Looking For

We are looking for candidates who have:

• A bachelor’s degree, in the Social Sciences (e.g. Sociology, Psychology, Social Work, Development Studies, Education, or a related field).
• A demonstrated track record of facilitating focus group discussions, or similar qualitative research, in isiXhosa, Tshivenda, or Xitsonga, in addition to English.
• Experience conducting qualitative research in an educational, TVET, or similar institutional setting is an advantage but not required.
• An understanding of, or willingness to be trained in, gender-sensitive and GBV-sensitive facilitation techniques.
• Strong facilitation, active-listening, and note-taking skills, with the ability to manage group dynamics sensitively.
• Willingness to travel to college campuses within your province, including rural and peri-urban sites.
• A valid police clearance or background check dated within the last six months, as some sessions will involve students, including minors.
• Access to reliable transport, and your own laptop.

4. Assignment Details

• Duration: Approximately 15 days (Sept- Oct) (exact quantity TBC).
• Locations: TVET college campuses across the Eastern Cape or Limpopo (sites to be confirmed).
• Reporting to: Monitoring and Evaluation Officer and Senior Technical Advisor, CICan
• Remuneration: Daily rate TBC. Candidate to provide their expected daily rate (including applicable taxes).
• Reimbursable expenses: Pre-approved travel, accommodation, and per diem cost.

Deliverables

• A confirmed fieldwork plan (schedule, sites, and participant lists).
• Signed/verbal consent records for all participants.
• Audio recordings (where consented) for each FGD.
• A transcript or detailed notes for each FGD, within 3 working days of the session.
• A summary report per FGD, and a final fieldwork report at the end of the assignment.
• Provincial report of the findings from the colleges.

5. Our Commitment to Ethical Research

This evaluation is grounded in respect for participants’ rights and wellbeing. Facilitators are expected to obtain informed consent before every session, keep all participant data confidential and securely stored, ensure no participant is identifiable in any report, and follow CICan’s safeguarding protocol immediately if a safety concern or disclosure arises. Facilitators must not conduct student FGDs in the presence of lecturers, support staff, or college management.

How to apply

Interested candidates should submit the following to [email protected] by 07 September 2026.

1. A current CV, highlighting relevant qualifications and FGD/qualitative research experience.
2. A short cover note (maximum one page) describing how the above-mentioned requirements and competencies have been acquired and displayed in previous professional experiences, and what is the expected daily rate in Rands.
3. Contact details for two professional references.

Please indicate in your application which province you are applying for (Eastern Cape or Limpopo). e.g., Application for CICan FGD Facilitator- Limpopo/ Eastern Cape