Terms of Reference (ToR)

Engage a Consultant to Facilitate the Technical Working Group Meeting on Ending Child Marriage and Develop a Governance Manual to Promote Coordination and Sustainability

1. Background

Education as a Vaccine (EVA) is a youth-focused non-profit organisation dedicated to advancing the rights and well-being of children and young people. Our mission is to work in partnership with young people to protect their right to health and safety while empowering them through various initiatives.

Child marriage remains a persistent violation of girls’ rights in Nigeria and a major barrier to their education, health, and long-term well-being. Despite Nigeria’s commitments under national and international frameworks, implementation gaps remain significant, particularly at the subnational level. These gaps are most pronounced in northern states where prevalence rates exceed national averages. While policies exist, they are often not translated into actionable, well-resourced, and coordinated interventions. Weak multi-sectoral coordination, limited use of evidence in decision-making, and insufficient budgetary prioritisation continue to undermine progress.

An enabling policy environment is critical to upholding the rights of girls and ending child marriage. The government of Nigeria is making progress through the development of the Revised National Strategy to End Child Marriage and various initiatives aimed at protecting girls’  rights. To build on this momentum, Education as a Vaccine (EVA), alongside CSACEFA, OneLife Initiative, and YouthHubAfrica through the Strengthening Systems and Communities to End Child Marriage (SSCE) Project funded by the Malala Fund, seeks to support ongoing government efforts by strengthening the National Technical Working Group (TWG) on Ending Child Marriage. The goal is to foster stronger policy coordination, build stakeholder networks, and ensure a more supportive and inclusive implementation environment through the development of a governance structure that ensures sustainability beyond project cycles, as the Technical Working Group on Ending Child Marriage has historically served as a coordination platform for stakeholders working to end child marriage in Nigeria. However, gaps in governance structure, undefined roles and responsibilities, and limited coordination mechanisms have constrained the platform’s  effectiveness and sustainability.

Education as a Vaccine (EVA) seeks to engage a skilled facilitator to work with us to support ongoing coordination efforts by facilitating a TWG meeting and developing a governance manual that strengthens coordination, accountability, and sustainability.

2. Objectives

● To facilitate a Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting that re-engages stakeholders, strengthens coordination, and builds momentum for collective action to end child marriage .
● To support the TWG in strengthening its coordination structure by facilitating participatory development of a governance manual that defines roles, decision-making processes, meeting protocols, and accountability mechanisms.

● To foster cross-sectoral collaboration and sustainable coordination mechanisms across government ministries, UN agencies, civil society organizations, and youth-led networks working to end child marriage.

3. Scope of Work

The Facilitator will:
1. Review existing TWG documents and previous meeting reports to understand current coordination dynamics, gaps, and sustainability needs.
2. Work closely with EVA to co-design the structure and content of a draft governance manual that outlines TWG mandate, governance structure, member roles and responsibilities, decision-making processes, meeting protocols and frequency, coordination mechanisms, accountability structures, and long-term sustainability strategies.
3. Facilitate a two-day TWG meeting to re-engage stakeholders, gather participatory inputs on the governance framework, and build consensus on coordination structures and sustainability mechanisms.
4. Finalize the governance manual incorporating stakeholder feedback and EVA review.

4. Deliverables

1. Draft Governance Manual and Facilitation Plan: Prepare initial governance framework outline and detailed facilitation plan for the TWG meeting in collaboration with EVA.
2. TWG Meeting Facilitation: Facilitate a two-day participatory meeting with TWG members to gather inputs on governance structure, coordination mechanisms, and sustainability strategies.
3. Meeting Report: Document key discussions, agreements, and action points from the TWG meeting (submitted within 3 working days of meeting).
4. Finalized Governance Manual: Comprehensive governance manual (10-15 pages) incorporating stakeholder inputs, clear structure, roles, coordination timelines, and sustainability mechanisms in Word and PDF formats (submitted within 10 working days of meeting).

5. Required Qualifications

● Proven experience facilitating multi-stakeholder platforms, technical working groups, or coalitions, particularly in the development, child rights, or gender equality sectors.
● Demonstrated expertise in developing governance frameworks, coordination manuals, or terms of reference for multi-stakeholder platforms.
● Strong understanding of child protection issues, child marriage, and the Nigerian policy landscape on child rights and gender equality.

● Excellent facilitation, communication, and writing skills with ability to engage diverse stakeholders including government, UN agencies, civil society, and youth-led organizations.
● Familiarity with the Revised National Strategy to End Child Marriage or similar national frameworks is an advantage.

6. Timeline

Total Duration: Approximately 10 days from engagement to final submission
● Day 1-3 : Review of existing documents and development of draft governance framework
● Day 4-6: Facilitation of TWG meeting and submission of meeting report
● Day 7-10: Finalization of governance manual incorporating stakeholder feedback

7. Remuneration

● Total Fee : N1,500,000 calculated at N150,000 per day
● Payment Schedule: 70% upon completion of TWG meeting and submission of meeting report; 30% upon submission and approval of final governance manual.

8. Application Process

Interested consultants should submit the following to hr@evanigeria.org :
● Technical proposal (maximum 2 pages) outlining understanding of the assignment, proposed methodology, and work plan
● Financial proposal with detailed budget breakdown
● Current CV highlighting relevant experience
● Sample of previous governance manual, coordination framework, or similar document
developed by the consultant

Application Deadline: 5/06/2026