Request for Proposal For Consultancy To Train Youth Organizations On The Effective Use Of Policy Advocacy Tools

Request for proposals for Consultancy to Train Youth Organizations on the Effective Use of Policy Advocacy Tools. Location: Kigali Deadline: Friday, 16/10/2026 17:00 1. Introduction AGRA invites qualified Individual consultants to submit proposals to provide Consultancy to Train Youth organizations on the effective use of policy advocacy tools. This document outlines the requirements and guidelines for the submission of proposals. 2. Background Across Africa and many parts of the Global South, the youth demographic represents a transformative force for social, economic, and political change. With young people comprising the majority of the population, their meaningful inclusion in decision-making processes is no longer optionalit is imperative. Yet, despite this demographic advantage, youth remain largely excluded from the structures and processes that determine public policy, particularly in critical sectors such as agriculture and food systems, where they bear the brunt of unemployment, land inaccessibility, and food insecurity. In recent years, the agri-food system has emerged as a sector of strategic importance for youth development. Agriculture holds immense potential to absorb large numbers of young people into productive work while ensuring food and nutrition security for growing populations. However, the reality on the ground tells a different story. Structural, institutional, and socio-cultural barriers continue to limit youth participation in shaping policies that affect their engagement in the sector. These constraints are even more pronounced for young women, who face layered vulnerabilities rooted in gender norms, limited access to productive resources, lack of representation in farmer organizations, and discriminatory policies that sideline their needs and aspirations. Several interconnected barriers inhibit youth, particularly young women, from influencing agri-food systems policies: Limited access to land and finance: Many young people, especially women, do not own land or have the collateral needed to access agricultural credit or investment opportunities. Weak representation in decision-making bodies: Youth and women are underrepresented in farmers associations, cooperatives, and policy platforms where decisions on agriculture, food security, and climate adaptation are made. Inadequate technical knowledge of policy processes: Most youth organizations lack familiarity with how agricultural policies are developed, implemented, and evaluated. Low capacity for evidence-based advocacy: Limited skills in data analysis, policy research, and strategic communication hinder their ability to develop compelling policy positions and influence stakeholders. Social and cultural norms: Deep-rooted gender stereotypes often relegate young women to unpaid or low-value roles in agriculture, diminishing their visibility and bargaining power. Digital and knowledge divides: Unequal access to information, training opportunities, and digital advocacy tools further marginalize youth voicesespecially from rural, low income, or minority communities. While various governments and development partners are making efforts to integrate youths perspectives into agricultural strategies, these efforts remain fragmented and tokenistic in many cases. Without deliberate capacity-building and structural support, youth organizations will continue to struggle to assert their voice in the governance of agri-food systems. Policy advocacy offers a powerful pathway to address these inequities. When equipped with the right tools, youth-led and youth-serving organizations can play a pivotal role in transforming food systems to be more inclusive, sustainable, and responsive to the needs of young people and women. Advocacy enables youth to spotlight issues that often go unnoticedsuch as access to inputs, the gender gap in extension services, or the exclusion of youth from value chain financing. Through strategic engagement with government institutions, development actors, and private sector stakeholders, youth can drive reforms that create enabling environments for inclusive agri-food entrepreneurship and sustainable livelihoods. This intervention is designed to strengthen the policy advocacy capacity of youth organizations, particularly those working within or influencing the agri-food system. It will provide targeted training on the use of advocacy tools such as policy mapping, power analysis, coalition building, and digital campaigning. Importantly, it will promote gender sensitive advocacy approaches that empower young women to challenge discriminatory norms and shape policies that reflect their lived experiences and aspirations. By building a new cadre of youth advocates equipped with practical advocacy skills and a strong understanding of agri-food governance, this initiative will contribute to dismantling the systemic barriers that have historically excluded youth and women from influencing policy. In doing so, it will support the creation of more equitable, youth responsive food systems, and strengthen democratic accountability in agriculture and rural development. This training is not just a technical exercise; it is a strategic investment in a generation that must be at the forefront of driving agricultural transformation. Only by placing young people, especially young women at the heart of food systems advocacy, we can ensure that agricultural policies truly serve the next generation and promote a just, inclusive, and food-secure future. 3. Objectives 3.1. General Objective To strengthen the Rwanda Youth in Agrifood systems to become more confident, credible, and effective advocates for youth-responsive agricultural policies. The initiative aims to ensure that these organizations can enter policy spaces equipped to present evidence-based cases, build strategic alliances and drive meaningful change. 3.2. Specific Objectives Get a clear picture of where organizations of youth in agrifood systems currently stand, what advocacy skills they already have, where theyre struggling, and what support they really need, especially when it comes to amplifying the voices of young women and persons with disabilities. Design and deliver a practical, hands-on training program that directly addresses identified needs and immediately useful. Build participants understanding of key national, regional, and international policy processes related to agriculture, food systems, climate action, and youth development, including frameworks such as CAADP, the Malabo Declaration, UNFSS, COP processes, and SDG-related platforms Equip youth organizations with modern advocacy toolsfrom traditional stakeholder engagement to social media campaigns that grab attention and hold leaders accountable. Make sure gender is not an afterthought but woven throughout, ensuring young women are not just included but actively leading advocacy efforts. Support the creation of real, actionable advocacy plans that each district coordination committee can start implementing right away. Connect these organizations with regional and international networks to enhance their influence. Stick with them after the training, providing tailored mentorship to selected districts as they put their new skills into practice. 4. Scope of Work The consultant will undertake the following tasks: Conduct a rapid capacity and needs assessment of selected youth organizations to identify their existing knowledge, policy engagement gaps, and training needs in the agri-food system space. Design a participatory training curriculum and resource toolkit that integrates both foundational and advanced policy advocacy tools, emphasizing gender equity, food systems transformation, and youth engagement. Deliver a multi-day capacity-building workshop (virtual or in-person) for selected youth organizations, using adult learning methodologies and real-world policy scenarios in the agri-food system. Facilitate practical sessions on the development of advocacy strategies, stakeholder mapping, message development, alliance building, and digital campaigning. Map key national, regional, and international policy processes and platforms where youth voices can be integrated and develop a resource guide to help youth organizations engage with these platforms. Establish or strengthen linkages between youth organizations and relevant advocacy networks, including global forums (e.g., UNFSS, COP, UNMGCY), regional bodies (e.g., AU, NEPAD, AGRA), and national policymaking spaces. Support the development of advocacy action plans for participating organizations, tailored to their operational contexts and policy priorities. Provide post-training mentorship and advisory support (for a defined period) to select youth organizations as they begin implementing their advocacy strategies. Document the training process and lessons learned, including policy entry points for youth in the agri-food system and gender-responsive strategies for amplifying young womens voices. Tender Link : https://www.jobinrwanda.com/job/request-proposal-consultancy-train-youth-organizations-effective-use-policy-advocacy-tools