Deadline: 14-Jul-23
IREX is pleased to announce a request for applications (RFA), that seeks to recruit 1 (one) partner based in Marsabit County, Kenya to conduct youth-led implementation research to strengthen youth engagement and employment in agriculture, food and water systems in the context of the global food security crisis and other shocks and stressors.
The USAID-funded Youth Excel: Our Knowledge Leading Change program implemented by IREX and its consortium supports young leaders and youth-led and youth-serving organizations around the globe to conduct quality “research-to-change” (implementation research); use data and learnings to improve their own cross-sectoral, positive youth development programs; synthesize data and learning; and engage in intergenerational dialogue with adult decision-makers so that together youth and adults can shape and advance data-informed development policies, agendas, and programs. Youth Excel currently supports activities in countries across Africa, MENA, LAC, and Asia through core funding and buyins. The 5-year program is in its third year of implementation.
Youth Excel operates in Kenya to support Kenya-based youth-led and youth-serving organizations and to provide global support, guidance, and leadership to Youth Excel’s regional and global activities. A major component of Youth Excel’s work in Kenya has supported advancing learning and cooperation on youth workforce opportunities in Kisumu County.
The RFS Youth and the Global Food Crisis activity will take place in Marsabit County.
The Local implementing partner in Marsabit will do the following: –
- Identify intersectional gender issues in food and water systems in Marsabit.
- Map current stakeholders in food and water systems in Marsabit.
- Engage with youth and YLOs/YSOs, using implementation research to understand youth engagement and experiences in food systems in relation to program interventions and responses to the food crisis.
- Organize internal and external stakeholder events.
IREX will do the following:
- Train the partner in conducting a rapid gender analysis and implementation research.
- Provide subgrants support and technical support during the award period.
- Onboarding of the partner to the project and Youth Excel approaches.
- Work with the partner to convene stakeholders for external-facing events e.g., co-creation, learning events and the data summit.
- Hold regular check ins to support the partner during implementation.
- Provide capacity development support based on partner’s priority need areas.
- Onsite monitoring visits to provide technical support as needed.
Focus Areas
- Youth Excel’s key technical areas of support for the local partner include:
- Gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) is an approach that helps them to understand the importance of equal rights and opportunities for all individuals regardless of their social identity. This concept addresses unequal power relations between different social groups that cause exclusion.
- Protection is an approach that helps them to understand and prepare for protection concerns related to Youth Excel, which can be digital, physical and psychosocial. Youth Excel partners take local protection measures to prevent, mitigate and respond to risks and threats that Youth Excel can unintentionally exacerbate (risks associated with programs, operations, and people). Youth Excel aims to understand the specific risks, but also the protection capacities, the available resources and the right to protection of participants.
- Research-to-Change (implementation research) involves collecting data to inform decision-making to strengthen programs while they are being implemented. By using data alongside implementation, Research-to-Change provides an opportunity to gain insights that can help you maximize program benefits before the implementation concludes. It does not involve a one-time research project, but a continuous process of using data to learn and adapt while implementing. Your Research-to-Change engagement with Youth Excel will look like the following:
- Set a learning goal focused on a decision you need to make and develop a research plan,
- Gather data to achieve this learning goal,
- Share findings with your fellow grantees in a learning workshop while gathering recommendations for decision-making,
- Adapt your implementation and set a new learning goal,
- Repeat steps 1-4.
Funding Information
- A total funding pool of USD $130,000- USD $150,000 is allocated for this RFA.
Duration
- August 1, 2023, to May 31, 2024 (10 Months)
Eligible Activities
- Activity 1: Co-facilitate the co-creation process with IREX, and develop updated, youth-led understanding of youth priorities, opportunities, and barriers from a gendered, intersectional lens. (2 Months)
- USAID and stakeholder meetings: The local partner with support from the IREX team will organize 2 stakeholder meetings as part of entry meetings before implementation starts. The entry meeting with the stakeholders will serve as a briefing on the project to the stakeholders, and an opportunity to get their input and identify areas of participation and/or collaboration. The meetings with USAID will be to inform them of the progress and get to know the local partner and their plan for activities.
- Co-Creation Process: Through a facilitated meeting and discussion, the local partner will jointly develop the learning questions for this project with select USAID Implementing Partners, and USAID Mission representative(s). This will be the second engagement with USAID and the local stakeholders. This meeting is proposed to be a physical meeting to encourage relationship building and engagement during the development of the learning questions. In the same co-creation workshop, the local partner will facilitate a stakeholder mapping exercise to help identify stakeholders in Marsabit working on food and water systems who could also be potentially engaged in the implementation of the project. and invited for dissemination workshops once.
- IRGPA: The local partner will conduct an (IRGPA) in the implementation county. The IRGPA is done to have a better understanding of the current context, identify gaps and recommendations that will be used when the partner is planning for the implementation research activities. The IRGPA process includes youth-led research question identification, secondary data review, identification of gaps, and primary data collection if needed. Youth researchers will draw from existing data, including any data from USAID’s Feed the Future activity and other USAID programs.
- Activity 1 Deliverables:
- Plan and execute Stakeholder meetings and share summary report of the meetings
- Finalized Learning questions document
- IRGPA draft report
- IRGPA Final Report
- Activity 2: Implementation Research Preparation Activities (2 Months)
- In preparation for the implementation research/research-to-change, the local partner will conduct a scan or desk review of policies and programs underway in Marsabit County and Kenya to address global food security crisis and the extent to which they aim to engage and meet the needs of youth. This exercise will help the local partner have a good understanding of the current landscape as they plan for their implementation research activities. This will help know which existing activities and partners to reach out to during implementation.
- The IREX IR advisor and IR mentor will support the Local partner to develop the draft Planning for Ethical and Effective Research (PEER) workbook. The PEER workbook, which is Youth Excel’s tested planning tool to develop youth-inclusive research protocols, helps to ensure that the research is conducted according to the research ethics code, and to help plan the research so that it achieves its stated objectives. Specifically, the PEER workbook outlines the learning questions, schedule of activities, identifies the data collection methodologies and data collection tools they will use. The IR advisor and IR mentor will lead the review of the Peer Workbook and submit it for approval by the IREX Ethical Review Committee if indicated.
- Activity 2 Deliverables:
- Policy Scan and existing programs summary report
- Draft PEER 1 Workbook
- Finalized PEER 1 Workbook
- Activity 3: Implementation Research Activities – Implementation Stage (5 Months)
- After receiving approval from the Youth Excel Ethical Review Committee, the Local partner will conduct the 1st round of research as per the PEER workbook. The local partner will be supported day-to-day by the local IR Mentor, in consultation with IREX’s IR Advisor, as they carry out their implementation research activities, using the finalized PEER 1 workbook described in activity 2 as a research guide. The local partner will engage researchers to carry out the research in the identified locations. Once the first round of implementation research is complete, the IR Mentor will support the Local partner to conduct data analysis and prepare initial report/presentation will be prepared.
- The Local partner with support from IREX will plan and execute the 1st Learning Event which will be held virtually, and this is proposed to be an internal event between the local partner and IREX. In this learning event, the local partner will share the findings from the first round of implementation research as well as share challenges and lessons learned f and their plans for the 2nd round of implementation research.
- The Local partner will conduct the 2nd round of implementation research. After the research is complete, data will be analyzed with support from the IR Mentor, synthesized and presented in a draft final report is generated.
- Activity 3 Deliverables:
- Draft PEER 2 Workbook
- Finalized PEER 2 workbook
- Draft Learning Brief from 1st round of research
- Conduct 1 Learning event
- Draft Implementation Research report
- Final Implementation Research Report
- Activity 4: Knowledge Mobilization (1 Month)
- Youth Excel will support the local partner to prepare a final Learning Brief and disseminate it through social media, Mission contacts, and through a Data Summit where adult allies, including USAID, commit to specific actions based on the data.
- Youth Excel will support the local partner to create a final learning brief summarizing data and findings from each round of research and overall learnings from this program.
- The Local partner will share their implementation research and solutions in a Data Summit with USAID and key stakeholders, open to the broader youth development community in Marsabit county.
- Following the showcase, Youth Excel will finalize the learning briefs and together with the local partner, disseminate them publicly leveraging the partner’s networks, YouthLead.org and Mission/in-country youth networks.
- Activity 4 deliverables:
- Conduct Local Data Summit
- Design, Develop and share knowledge products
Location
- Marsabit County, Kenya
Eligibility Criteria
- This RFA is open to local organizations, registered youth-led and/or youth-serving organizations, including new recipients of USAID funding, that meet the following minimum criteria and share Youth Excel objectives. Organizations led by and/or serving youth from marginalized groups, which may include age, gender, disability, ethnicity, and other identities, are encouraged to apply. The RFA is not restricted to certain technical sectors or to research organizations.
- Legally registered, local organization in the country of activity implementation:
- Is legally organized under the laws of Kenya
- If undergoing registration process, it will have been fully registered by the anticipated date of signing the grant agreement.
- Has its principal place of business or operations in Kenya
- Is majority-owned by individuals who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of Kenya
- Is managed by a governing body, the majority of whom are citizens or lawful permanent residents of Kenya
- Non-governmental or private organization of any legal type
- Youth-led and/or youth-serving organizations o Youth-led organization whose Chief Executive Officer or other leaders are under the age of 35, and whose Board of Directors are predominantly under the age of 35.
- Youth-serving organization that has a mission, mandate, or programs with an expressed priority of serving or supporting youth under age 35
- Eligible to accept and receive USAID funding:
- Has or willing to register for UEI Number
- Able to sign ADS 303mav Certifications, Assurances, Representations, and Other Statements of the Recipient
- The partner should have:
- Demonstrated commitment to youth engagement and positive youth development principles
- Experience or expertise in resilient food systems, food security, climate change, livelihoods
- Active networks with youth and youth-led or youth-serving organizations in Marsabit County
- An active presence in Marsabit County
- Experience working with and working through stakeholders such as county governments, other NGOs, donor agencies, etc.
- Skills and experience in facilitation and/or hosting and convening workshops or other types of events
- Experience with research including drafting surveys, convening focus groups, and drafting written reports
- This RFA will fund youth-led and youth-serving organizations who are addressing the global food crisis, food security and drought mitigation. Youth Excel will fund either of the following:
- Your organization has a project model that addresses the youth and the global food security crisis. Youth Excel funding will enable you to start and implement this project and conduct research and learning activities as you implement it to make your project better.
- Your organization is currently implementing a project that addresses the youth and the global food security crisis with funding from another donor. Youth Excel funding will enable you to add research and learning activities to your existing project to make the project better and learn more from it as you continue with implementation.
- The selected local partner will set their workplan based on their activities, experience, expertise and context.
Ineligibility Criteria
- Unregistered organization, group, or individual
- International organization
- Consortium of multiple organizations
- Government institutions or political parties
- Not eligible due to appearance on certain watchlists or exclusions from receiving U.S. Government funding:
- Appears on Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control list
- Has active exclusions in the System for Award Management
- Appears on United Nations Security Designation list
- Appears on U.S. Government suspended or debarred list
- Has conflict of interest
For more information, visit IREX.