[Consultancy] Technical and Operational Support to the MERL Unit
Terms of Reference – Short-Term MERL Support Consultant
Accelerating Change Through InnoVation In Agricultural TVET (ACTIVATE)
Location
Ghana
Duration of Contract
1st September, 2026 – 31 December 2026 with the possibility of extending to 31 August, 2027
Reports to
MERL Manager
Application Deadline
20th August, 2026
Expected Start Date
1st September , 2026
Level of Effort
48 days
- WUSC Background
World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is a leading Canadian international development organization dedicated to expanding education, economic, and empowerment opportunities to improve the lives of disadvantaged youth globally, particularly young women and refugees. WUSC envisions a world where all young people can thrive in safe, secure, and supportive environments; access high-quality education from early childhood through adulthood; secure fair, decent, and fulfilling economic opportunities; and actively participate in the development of their societies.
WUSC works as a facilitator and convener, bringing together diverse stakeholders to address complex development challenges at a systems level. The organization leverages a broad network spanning civil society, post-secondary institutions, the private sector, and youth themselves to design and implement initiatives that generate sustainable, long-term impact.
WUSC operates in over 25 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, with an annual budget exceeding CAD 45 million and more than 300 staff globally. WUSC implements development projects in collaboration with donors such as Global Affairs Canada (GAC), the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and the Mastercard Foundation.
In Ghana, WUSC has worked since 1997, contributing to national development priorities through partnerships with the Government of Ghana, civil society organizations, private sector actors, and other key stakeholders. WUSC has co-designed and implemented innovative youth-focused programs, particularly in business environment reform and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), to improve employment and entrepreneurship outcomes nationwide.
- ACTIVATE Project Background:
Accelerating Change Through InnoVation in Agricultural TVET (ACTIVATE) is a five-year national initiative aimed at improving the well-being and resilience of young women and men by strengthening an industry-led, demand-driven Agricultural Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ATVET) system in Ghana.
The program blends education and skills training while fostering collaboration among public and private sector actors, academia, and agricultural value chain stakeholders. ACTIVATE addresses key challenges in agriculture and adjacent sectors, prioritizing youth aspirations and integrating a strong gender and disability inclusion lens.
Over its five-year lifespan, ACTIVATE will reach more than 80,340 individuals, including approximately 79,360 youth aged 15–35. Youth will be engaged through:
- Market-relevant, high-quality skills training in agricultural sub-sectors such as agro-processing, vegetables and primary processing, fabrication and maintenance, and specialized services.
- Non-formal and informal training modalities (improved apprenticeships, on-farm/on-the-job training, Recognition of Prior Learning), targeting approximately 65% of participants.
- Formal ATVET institutional training, including job readiness, career guidance, employment referral, and workplace experience learning.
The program aims to achieve employment outcomes (wage or self-employment) for approximately 68,289 youth (85% of participants), with at least 70% being young women. By strengthening a more inclusive, gender-responsive, and market-relevant ATVET system, ACTIVATE seeks to deliver lasting impact beyond the project lifecycle.
- Purpose of the Assignment:
The purpose of this assignment is to provide technical and operational support to the MERL Unit to ensure timely implementation of priority MERL activities, strengthen data quality, improve database management, and support routine monitoring and reporting during the intensive Year 3 implementation period.
The consultant will be engaged on a five-month assignment, working up to 12 working days per month, based on MERL priorities and the availability of tasks.
- Scope of Work:
The consultant will work under the supervision of the MERL Manager/Lead and will undertake assignments based on monthly MERL priorities. Key responsibilities include:
- Learner Profiling and Data Validation
- Support Year 3 learner profiling activities.
- Coordinate participant data validation and verification exercises.
- Review learner records for completeness, consistency, and accuracy.
- Resolve data quality issues with implementing partners and Zonal Coordinators.
- Review and track milestones reviews process
- Database Management
- Manage routine updates to the Airtable MERL database.
- Perform routine database cleaning and validation.
- Maintain backup copies of key MERL databases.
- Support database maintenance and troubleshooting.
- Digital Data Collection
- Develop and update Kobo Toolbox and other digital data collection tools.
- Deploy digital questionnaires for field data collection.
- Test and monitor functionality of digital tools.
- Support data synchronization and troubleshooting during field activities.
- Monitoring, Reporting and Data Quality Assurance
- Support routine programme monitoring activities.
- Conduct data quality checks and validation.
- Follow up with implementing partners on identified data quality issues.
- Compile monitoring information for routine reporting.
- Support the implementation of Tracer Study and Outcome Surveys
- Support preparation of programme dashboards and data summaries.
- Expected Deliverables
The consultant will deliver, as applicable to the monthly work plan:
- Verified participant validation records.
- Airtable database updates completed and maintained.
- Digital data collection tools developed and deployed.
- Field monitoring and support provided to Partnership Facilitators report
- Routine database quality assurance reports.
- Milestone verification support reports.
- Data quality issue logs and follow-up actions completed.
- Monthly progress summary of assignments undertaken.
- Technical support provided for the Tracer Study, Outcome Surveys, and Midterm Evaluation.
- Backup copies of designated MERL databases.
- Duration and Level of Effort:
The consultancy is expected to require approximately 48 days of level of effort over the period September 2026 – December 2026.
- Consultant(s) Qualifications:
The Consultant(s) or firm should meet the following minimum qualifications:
- A bachelor's degree in Monitoring and Evaluation, Statistics, Economics, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Information Management, or a related field.
- At least six (6) years of experience supporting monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning activities.
- Demonstrated experience in participant profiling, data validation, and data quality assurance.
- Experience managing digital databases such as Airtable or similar systems.
- Proficiency in Kobo Toolbox, ODK, SurveyCTO, or similar digital data collection platforms.
- Strong analytical, organizational, and reporting skills.
- Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Excel and other data management tools.
- Ability to work independently and meet tight deadlines.
- Reporting and Supervision:
The consultant will report directly to the MERL Manager and will:
- Agree on a monthly work plan before commencing assignments.
- Submit a brief monthly progress report summarizing activities completed, deliverables produced, challenges encountered, and recommendations.
- Submit a timesheet indicating the actual number of days worked each month.
- Payment Arrangement:
The consultant will be paid based on the actual number of days worked, up to a maximum of 12 working days per month, upon satisfactory completion of assigned tasks, submission of agreed deliverables, approved timesheets, and certification by the MERL Manager.
- Submission of Applications:
Interested candidates should submit their applications to the link below: https://wusc.bamboohr.com/careers/377 by 20th August 2026.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Monitoring and Evaluation, Statistics, Economics, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Information Management, or related field.
- At least six (6) years of experience supporting monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning activities.
- Demonstrated experience in participant profiling, data validation, and data quality assurance.
- Experience managing digital databases such as Airtable or similar systems.
- Proficiency in Kobo Toolbox, ODK, SurveyCTO, or similar digital data collection platforms.
- Strong analytical, organizational, and reporting skills.
- Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Excel and other data management tools.
- Ability to work independently and meet tight deadlines.
What We Do
World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is a Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to driving positive education and economic change for young people globally, with a particular focus on women and displaced people. Operating in over 25 countries, WUSC works as an international development organization to improve education, employment, and empowerment, catalyzing positive outcomes that enable youth to thrive and reach their full potential.
