TERMS OF REFERENCE
Endline survey on the status of youth participation in governance and their responsiveness to youth priorities
Position: Research Consultant
Terms: Temporary (Approximately 21 days)
Availability: Dec 2025
- Introduction
1.1 Contextual Analysis
The 2010 constitution guaranteed public participation in governance both at the national and county level. Whether it is policy making by the executive or making of laws by legislation the public is given the opportunity to share their opinions on matters that affect them directly. Whereas public participation has been taking place, many young people have not been involved yet they make up 75% of the population according to the 2019 census. This has meant that their needs are not met by the governments.
The three key issues that have been seen to hinder meaningful youth engagement are;
- Lack of knowledge and limited information, ignorance or non-compliance to the frameworks for youth inclusion by state and non-state actors
- Lack of robust frameworks of engagement, within counties, through which youth can articulate their grievances
- Marginalization and stereotyping of youth by those in authority
- Overview of the Defend Record Yako Project
The Defend Record Yako project sought to respond to some of the challenges and gaps highlighted in the preceding section. The project was a 3 year initiative targeting young people and women in Kakamega, through existing organized community-based groups. The project intended to work with County authorities (both the Executive and Assembly wings), especially the relevant departments responsible for public participation.
Kakamega county was selected because it covered a large geographical area with 12 sub-counties and 60 wards. The County had a Public Participation Act. However, over the last five years, their approved budget estimate is on the decline (2020-2021: Ksh 1m, 2021-2022: Ksh 480k,2022-2023: 840k, and 2023-2024: 882k). With limited monies allocated for civic education in the budget, the amount allocated cannot support public participation
1.3 ORGANISATIONAL BACKGROUND
Siasa Place is a youth NGO established in 2015, is a youth-led and youth-focused civic-tech organisation that is building confidence, skills, competencies and institutional structures necessary for meaningful and dignified participation of young people in politics, governance and the civic life. Inspired by the Constitutional promise of the right to public participation, convinced of young people’s interest, potential and capacity to influence decisions that affect them, Siasa Place is leveraging the technology to expand the reach and quality of young peoples’ engagement in the social, economic, civic and political life of their communities.
1.4 Project Outcomes
There are two outcomes the project intended to achieve, as outlined below;
Outcome 1: Strengthened Youth Groups capacities on use of existing platforms for enhanced Interactions and magnified youth voices
Outcome 2: Created youth-friendly avenues for participation and cooperation in advocacy and governance issues
1.5 Call-Out
With the above considerations in place, Siasa Place seeks a qualified and experienced consultant to conduct an endline evaluation of the DRY project in Kakamega County, with the aim of assessing the results achieved over the past three years and generating insights on how the implementation contributed to the intended outcomes.
1.5.1 Purpose, Objectives and Scope of the Assignment
The purpose of this consultancy is to undertake an endline evaluation of the DRY project in Kakamega County, assessing the results achieved over the past three years and determining the extent to which project interventions contributed to the intended outcomes. The evaluation will measure changes in youth participation in governance, the functioning and responsiveness of county government structures, and the effectiveness of ward-based youth groups since the project began. Findings will be critical in understanding progress, documenting achievements, identifying remaining gaps, and generating lessons to inform future programming.
The overall objective of the consultancy is to evaluate project performance against the outcome journal indicators, assess outcomes among target youth groups and county institutions, and determine the project’s contribution to strengthening inclusive, youth-responsive governance systems.
1.5.2 Specific Objectives of the Endline Evaluation
a) Assess the current status and changes in youth participation in governance, and evaluate how responsive governance structures have become to youth needs compared to project start.
b) Evaluate the relevance and effectiveness of the legal and policy framework in Kakamega County in facilitating or constraining inclusive youth participation, and assess any shifts influenced by the project.
c) Assess the capacity and participation of ward-based youth groups, including gender responsiveness of governance systems, and identify remaining gaps and recommended strategies for sustainability.
d) Evaluate the extent to which social media has been integrated into governance processes, document how usage has evolved over the project period, and recommend strategies for strengthening digital civic engagement.
e) Assess the extent to which youth and county government activities are responsive to climate-related issues, and document changes attributed to project interventions.
1.6 Scope of work
The Scope of Work under this consultancy includes the following;
i. Review the DRY project proposal, baseline report, implementation records, and Outcome Journal to understand the intended results and reconstruct the project’s theory of change, anticipated pathways, and progress milestones.
ii. Conduct an in-depth review of relevant literature and secondary data on youth participation and governance in Kakamega County and Kenya at large, to contextualize the endline findings and support contribution analysis.
iii. Prepare an Inception Report outlining the evaluation methodology, sampling design, analytical approach, and data collection tools, aligned with the project’s log-frame and endline indicators.
iv. Undertake fieldwork in Kakamega County to gather primary endline data through interviews, structured consultations, and other appropriate methods with sampled stakeholders engaged in youth governance processes.
v. Analyze endline data and produce a concise evaluation report detailing indicator performance, changes from baseline, project contribution, relevance and effectiveness, lessons learned, and recommendations for future implementation.
3.0 Deliverables
These include the following:
a) An Inception Report outlining the consultant’s proposed endline evaluation methodology, analytical approach, and a detailed work plan for conducting the assignment.
b) A complete set of endline data collection tools (qualitative and quantitative) designed to measure change against baseline values, capture outcome-level results, and assess project contribution.
c) A Draft Endline Evaluation Report presenting preliminary findings, emerging trends, and initial analysis for review and feedback by the project team.
d) A Final Endline Evaluation Report providing a comprehensive assessment of results achieved, indicator performance, changes from baseline, project contribution, relevance and effectiveness, lessons learned, and recommendations for future implementation.
The draft report that will emanate from this exercise shall be submitted in soft copy, to the Contracting Agency for review, within two weeks of completing the field work phase. Further, the consultant will submit the final report, within one week after receiving feedback from the Project Consortium Members.
Approval of the final report shall be done by the Executive Director, Siasa Place.
4.0 Proposed Methodology
It is recommended that the successful candidate shall ensure the consultancy is conducted in a consultative and participatory manner that is both complexity-aware and context-sensitive.
The consultant should consider the use of a Mixed Methods Approach through primary and secondary data collection methods, which will yield both qualitative and quantitative data.
The data collection tools ought to be designed in a manner that corresponds to the sourcing for data for all the indicators in the project log-frame. The collected data will have to be collated, analysed and interpreted in a coherent and systematic manner, using detailed data/information analysis method(s).
5.0 Time-frame
This consultancy will take approximately (30) days, based on a reasonable ‘Level of Effort’ estimation.
These days will be spread from the day of signing of the contract. The consultant is expected to share a work-plan that indicates how these days will fit into the three phases of the consultancy; Inception, Fieldwork and Post-Fieldwork phases. The proposed plan will be reviewed by the project team in consultation with the consultant, before roll-out.
6.0 Profile of the Consultant
There are mandatory and desirable competencies of this;
Mandatory;
6.1. Solid experience in mixed methods research including designing and conducting baseline surveys in youth and governance programmes.
6.2 Extensive experience working in the youth governance sector, especially in capacity enhancement and advocacy programmes.
6.3 Knowledge of and experience in working in the project county counties will be an added advantage.
6.4 Knowledge and understanding of devolution and county government systems in Kenya.
Proficiency in report writing skills in English language.
6.5 A degree in any of the following fields: public policy, monitoring and evaluation, project management, political science or in a related field is an added advantage.
7.0 Management of the Consultancy
The Programme Manager, Siasa Place shall be directly involved in the supervision and management of the consultant during the period of engagement.
During the fieldwork phase, the consultant shall work with designated county coordinators of the project consortium members to ensure meaningful engagement with the stakeholders and successful collection of data from the sampled institutions and individuals.
8.0 Terms and Conditions of Engagement
These include the following;
8.1 The Contracting Agency (Siasa Place) will provide the consultant with the required information and support in setting up interviews with the identified respondents in the field.
8.2 The Contracting Agency commits to provide ‘Duty of Care’ to the consultant during the Field/Data Collection Phase of the work in line with Siasa Place’s policies and guidelines.
8.3 Upon contracting, the consultant shall be responsible for settling his/her taxes, apart from the statutory deductions that will be affected by Siasa Place, as a result of engagement in this assignment.
8.4 As part of the contracting process the consultants shall be expected to abide by all the policies of Siasa Place, inter alia, Child Protection, and Sexual Abuse.
9.0 Application Procedure
Interested applicants should send their applications addressed to the Programme Manager, Siasa Place, by Close of Business on 5th Dec 2025 via this link https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfY0j1RXd3scbN2WpLPE6vb8lkxA-lN40ioO6V94VQvMq04Aw/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=117632968753871279992
Applications should include the following documents:
- Cover letter (max 1 page) outlining your suitability for this assignment
- Technical proposal (max. 8 pages). The technical proposal must outline the following;
- The consultants’ understanding of the TORs
- Proposed methodology
- Proposed work-plan
- Consultant’s relevant experience in previous related assignments
- Financial Proposal (max. 1 page) outlining in Kenya Shillings, the consultant’s proposed cost for undertaking the baseline survey. This should include both the professional and logistical costs.
- Attach a SAMPLE of an evaluation survey report that you have conducted in the recent past.
- List of referees
Use the title of the advert as the email subject.
