Call for Interest: Hosting Institutions/Service Providers fo...

Call for Interest: Hosting Institutions/Service Providers for the MEL Apprenticeship Program

]EOI # [24062-24-PQ002

Background

Global Communities works at the intersection of humanitarian assistance, sustainable development, and financial inclusion to save lives, advance equity, and secure strong futures. We support communities at the forefront of their own development in more than 35 countries, partnering with local leaders, governments, civil society, and the private sector to achieve a shared vision of a more just, prosperous, and equitable global community. We work with government, non-government, private sector, and community stakeholders to promote transparency, foster accountability, and access the channels they need to make their voices heard, promote change, and realize their full potential. 

 Pioneers Raedat Activity is a five-year $35M program funded by USAID is a transformative initiative implemented by Global Communities with funding from USAID. It aims to empower women and promote sustainable development in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. By leveraging a participatory approach and engaging local partners, including civil society organizations and the private sector, Raedat Activity aims to create inclusive and equitable opportunities for women. Through evidence-based strategic interventions, Raedat Activity strives to foster safer, more inclusive workplaces, mobilize communities and leaders to drive social and behavioral change, and address gender-based violence and women's protection. Our mission is to enable women to define and pursue their paths, exercise their full rights, and fulfill their potential as equal members of society.

Under the Raedat Activity, we invite expressions of interest from potential hosting institutions/service providers in the West Bank to support the USAID MEL Apprenticeship Program. This program aims to build a cadre of MEL professionals equipped with the skills needed to assist in fulfilling USAID performance monitoring requirements.

Eligibility Criteria

1. M&E Expertise:Institutions must have expertise in monitoring and evaluation. This includes a demonstrated track record in delivering M&E training and mentorship.
2. USAID Experience: Institutions must have experience working on monitoring and evaluation and/or collaborating, learning and adaptation (CLA) for USAID-funded projects. Institutions may be third-party M&E service providers to USAID / USAID-funded programs or direct USAID project implementers.
3. Legal Registration:Institutions must be legally registered entities in the West Bank.
4. Certification and Accreditation Potential:Institutions should demonstrate the potential to certify the apprenticeship program, providing formal recognition for participants.
5. Capacity for Structured Training:Institutions must support the delivery of structured, practice-based learning modules as part of the apprenticeship program.
6. Provision of Apprenticeship Placements:Institutions must be able to offer five-month apprenticeship placements for program participants, ensuring a practical, hands-on learning experience.
7. Experienced Mentorship and Coaching:Institutions must have experienced MEL professionals who can mentor and coach apprentices throughout the program.
8. Engagement in Marketplace Platform:Institutions must be willing to actively participate in developing and maintaining a marketplace platform to facilitate connections between graduates and employers.
9. GESI Principle Understanding and Implementation: Institutions must demonstrate a strong understanding of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) principles and a commitment to integrating these principles into the program.

Program Objectives

1. Expand the Pool of USAID-Ready MEL Professionals:The program aims to provide structured, practice-based learning and apprenticeships to develop individuals with equivalent experience in USAID MEL practices.
2. Address Talent Recruitment Challenges:The program will help address the challenges of recruiting and vetting candidates and the steep learning curve associated with USAID M&E terminology and tools.
3. Sustainable Implementation: Create lasting apprenticeship approaches and models that can be sustained beyond subsidized implementation.

Implementation Strategy

1. Structured Learning and Apprenticeship:The program includes six weeks of structured training and five months of apprenticeship.
2. Mentorship:Apprentices will receive ongoing mentorship from experienced MEL professionals to handle real-life MEL scenarios.
3. Marketplace Platform:A marketplace platform will be developed to connect graduates with employers, aiming for a high employment rate in the MEL sector.

Expectations from Hosting Institutions

1. Rapid Market Survey: Conduct a rapid market survey to develop a gender-sensitive, market-driven training program.
2. Program Accreditation: Lead the program accreditation process according to in country system requirements.
3. Training of Trainers (TOT): Provide a pool of MEL trainers for TOT with the nominated regional/global technical firm leading this program.
4. Support the Selection Process: Assist in the trainee selection process according to program criteria.
5. Support Structured Training:Assist in the delivery of structured, practice-based learning modules.
6. Employer Identification: Identify a relevant pool of employers who can support the implementation of the apprenticeship.
7. Provide Apprenticeship Opportunities:Offer five-month apprenticeship placements for program participants.
8. Mentorship and Coaching:Provide experienced MEL professionals to mentor apprentices.
9. Engagement in Marketplace Platform:Participate in developing and maintaining a marketplace platform to facilitate connections between graduates and employers.
10. Sustain Market-Driven Training Program: Collect feedback and regularly amend the training material based on collected feedback.

Submission Requirements

Interested institutions are requested to submit the following:

1. Expression of Interest Letter:The letter should highlight the institution's qualifications and experience in alignment with the eligibility criteria. It should outline the institution's expertise in M&E, capacity for structured training, ability to provide apprenticeship placements, and potential to certify the program and to sustain it beyond subsidized implementation phase.
2. Registration Documents: Proof of legal registration in the West Bank.

Interested service provider are required to submit the Expression of Interest documents in the name of [EOI # 24062-24-PQ002] via email at [email protected] no later than August 1st, 2024 @ 12:00 pm.

*This Call for Interest aims to identify a preliminary list of hosting institutions that meet the eligibility criteria. As part of the next phase, selected institutions based on the evaluation eligibility criteria will be invited to submit a detailed application. We look forward to your participation in this impactful initiative.