Terms of Reference (TOR) - Transformative Youth Spaces Regional Study on ActionAid's Youth Space Approach and Its Contribution to Youth Civic Engage

Terms of Reference (TOR) - Transformative Youth Spaces

Regional Study on ActionAid's Youth Space Approach and Its Contribution to Youth Civic Engagement and Economic Empowerment in Jordan, Tunisia and Morocco

1. Background

Across the MENA region, young people continue to face structural barriers related to unemployment, exclusion from decision-making, shrinking civic spaces, and limited access to inclusive economic opportunities. In response, youth-centered programming has increasingly focused on creating safe, participatory, and youth-led spaces that foster leadership, social engagement, employability, and collective action.

Through its regional and country programming, including initiatives under the Danish-Arab Partnership Programme (DAPP), ActionAid has developed and supported Youth Spaces in Jordan, Tunisia, and Morocco. These spaces serve as platforms for youth engagement, leadership development, economic empowerment, social cohesion, innovation, advocacy, and community participation.

ActionAid’s Youth spaces, hosted by local civil society organizations, aim to create transformative spaces where youth can exercise agency, build skills, access opportunities, and influence social and economic change.

This regional study seeks to document the contribution of AA’s youth spaces to enhance youth leadership and economic empowerment across different contexts. The study would also assess the effectiveness of youth spaces as an anchor to youth programing. The study will also provide a comparative analysis of these spaces and governmental-led youth spaces/clubs. The study will examine how these spaces operate, what differentiates them from other youth-centered models (including government youth clubs and centers), and the extent to which they contribute to transformative change in young people’s civic and economic lives.

The study is expected to generate evidence, lessons learned, and recommendations to strengthen future programming, advocacy, and regional learning around youth-centered approaches.

2. Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to critically assess and document ActionAid’s Youth Space approach across Jordan, Tunisia, and Morocco, with a particular focus on:

• Understanding the operational models and methodologies used in each country./ Understanding how Youth Spaces are adapted and implemented in different national contexts, and identify contextual factors that enable or constrain the effectiveness, relevance and sustainability of Youth Spaces.
• Exploring how youth spaces contribute to transformative change (youth agency, leadership, civic engagement and economic empowerment) in the lives of young people.
• Examining the intersection between civic engagement and economic empowerment within the spaces./ Examining the relationship between Youth Spaces and broader youth ecosystems, including government, civil society, education and private sector actors.
• Identify the youth spaces unique value in the youth engagement eco-system, which includes comparative analysis of ActionAid’s youth spaces and government-led youth clubs and non-governmental youth hubs.
• Assessing the added value of anchoring youth focused programming within dedicated Youth Spaces.
• Identifying best practices, challenges, scalability opportunities, and lessons learned for regional programming and advocacy.

3. Study Objectives

The study will aim to:

3.1 Mapping and Documentation

• Document the different Youth Space models implemented in Jordan, Tunisia, and Morocco.
• Compare governance structures, operational approaches, partnerships, sustainability mechanisms, and youth participation models. / Analyze how contextual factors influence the design, governance, partnerships, operational approaches and evolution of Youth spaces in each country

3.2 Transformative Change Analysis

• Assess the extent to which Youth Spaces contribute to – taking into consideration the operational & programmatic context for each of the selected countries:
- Youth leadership and agency. - Civic participation and community engagement. - Employability and economic empowerment. - Gender equality and inclusion of marginalized youth.

3.3 Comparative Analysis

• Compare ActionAid’s Youth Space approach for youth engagement with:
- Government youth clubs/centers. - Other NGO-led youth hubs or innovation spaces. / Examine how Youth Spaces positioned within broader youth ecosystems
• Identify key differences in:
- Participation and governance. - Accessibility and inclusivity. - Youth ownership. - Flexibility and responsiveness. - Long-term impact and sustainability.

Assess relationship between youth spaces and governmental-led institutions, civil society organizations, educational institutions and private sector actors

Identify contextual factors that enable of constrain the effectiveness, relevance, sustainability and scalability of Youth spaces

Explore added value of dedicated Youth Spaces compared to alternative youth engagement mechanisms available in each context

3.4 Regional Learning and Recommendations

• Identify lessons learned and promising practices.
• Produce recommendations for strengthening and scaling the Youth Space approach regionally./ Produce evidence based recommendations on the conditions, capacities, partnerships and investments required for youth spaces to effectively support youth engagement, empowerment and long term sustainability across different contexts.

3.5 added Value and viability of the Youth Space approach:

• Assess the added value of anchoring youth programming with dedicated youth spaces
• Examine whether and how youth spaces strengthen programme outcome compared to programming delivered without these dedicated spaces
• Identify conditions under which investment in youth spaces represents an effective and sustainable strategy for youth focused programming

4. Key Study Questions

The study should explore, but not be limited to, the following questions:

A. Understanding the Youth Space Model

• What is ActionAid’s Youth Space approach in each country?
• How are the spaces structured and operated?
• Who manages the spaces and how are youth involved in governance and decision-making?
• What services, activities, and opportunities are provided?
• What contextual factors have influenced the development and implementation of the youth space in each country
• How has maturity and evolution of youth space influenced its current functioning and outcomes (relevant for older spaces)
• What role does the host organization play in shaping the effectiveness and sustainability of the youth space?

B. Civic Engagement and Leadership

• How do the spaces support youth participation in civic and public life?
• How do they encourage youth leadership, activism, volunteering, or advocacy?/ How do Youth Spaces enable young people to exercise agency, influence their communities, engage in collective action, and contribute to social change in ways that are relevant to their local context
• How do youth perceive their role and agency after engaging with the spaces?

C. Economic Empowerment

• How do the spaces contribute to employability, entrepreneurship, freelancing, green jobs, digital skills, or access to economic opportunities?
• What linkages exist with the private sector, TVET institutions, or labor market actors?
• How do youth spaces bridge economic and civic empowerment?

D. Transformative Change

• What changes have occurred in the lives of participating youth? How do young people perceive the contribution of Youth space to changes in their lives, opportunities, aspirations, relationships and future pathways?
• How do youth describe changes in confidence, decision-making, social participation, aspirations, and economic independence?/ which dimensions of change do participants most strongly associate with their engagement with the youth space?

E. Comparative and Contextual Analysis

• / What unique role do ActionAid-supported Youth Spaces play within broader youth ecosystems?
• How do Youth Spaces complement, collaborate with, or differ from existing youth engagement mechanisms in each country
• What makes these spaces effective? /Under what conditions do Youth Spaces provide added value compared to alternative approaches to youth programming?

F. Sustainability and Future Vision

• What are the main sustainability challenges for the youth spaces?
• What opportunities exist for scaling the model?/ What conditions are necessary for the long-term sustainability of Youth Spaces?
• How can the model better respond to evolving youth needs in the region? / What organizational, financial, partnership, and governance capacities are required to sustain Youth Spaces over time?
• Under what circumstances is investment in dedicated Youth Spaces an effective and viable strategy for youth programming?

G. Added Value of the Youth spaces Approach

• What value does a dedicated Youth Space provide that would be difficult to achieve through activity-based programming alone?
• How does the existence of a physical and/or dedicated youth space influence programme outcomes, youth engagement, and community ownership?
• What evidence exists that anchoring youth programming within dedicated Youth Spaces contributes to stronger or more sustainable outcomes?

5. Scope of Work

The selected consultant/team will be expected to:

• Conduct a regional study covering Jordan, Tunisia, and Morocco. With particular attention to the political social and programmatic context in which youth spaces operate
• Review relevant program documents, evaluations, reports, and learning materials.
• Conduct field visits and/or virtual consultations with:
- Youth participants. - Youth-led groups and community leaders. - Partner organizations. - ActionAid staff. - Government representatives. - Private sector actors and/or other stakeholders.
• Map & Analyze existing youth engagement ecosystems in the three countries. (including relationships with government institutions, civil society organizations, educational institutions, and labor market actors.)
• Examine the role and contribution of dedicated Youth Spaces withing these ecosystems and identify the conditions that enable or constrain their effectiveness relevance and sustainability
• Analyze how contextual factors, organizational capacity, maturity of the space and partnership structures influence outcomes across countries.
• Produce practical recommendations and learning products.

6. Methodology

The consultant/team is expected to propose a participatory and mixed-methods study methodology that may include:

Desk Review

• Program documents.
• Existing evaluations and assessments.
• National Youth policies and strategies.
• Literature on youth spaces and youth empowerment in MENA.
• Previous learnings related to the global platforms model

Qualitative Methods

The study will adopt a mixed-methods and participatory approach, combining comparative analysis across countries with Outcome Harvesting as a core methodology. Outcome Harvesting will be used to identify, document, and verify significant changes that ActionAid's youth spaces have contributed to at the individual, organizational, and community levels. This approach is particularly suitable given the absence of a clear baseline or control group and will enable the study to assess the contribution of youth spaces to transformative change while avoiding attribution challenges.

The methodology will include:

• Outcome Harvesting: To systematically identify intended and unintended outcomes related to youth civic engagement, leadership, agency, economic empowerment, social inclusion, and community participation, and to understand how youth spaces have contributed to these changes.
• Key Informant Interviews (KIIs): With ActionAid staff, youth space coordinators/managers, partner organizations, local authorities and community stakeholders to explore the evolution, positioning, and impact of the youth space model.
• Focus Group Discussions (FGDs): With youth participants, youth leaders, volunteers, and alumni to gather diverse perspectives on the relevance, accessibility, effectiveness, and outcomes of the spaces.
• Life Histories and Youth Testimonies: To capture personal journeys and transformative changes experienced by young people, including shifts in confidence, leadership, civic participation, employability, and social engagement.
• Participatory Reflection Workshops: Bringing together youth, partners, and ActionAid teams to validate findings, reflect on outcomes, identify success factors and challenges, and co-create recommendations for strengthening the youth space approach.
• Case Studies: In-depth documentation of selected youth spaces, initiatives, and individual change stories to illustrate how the model operates in different contexts and contributes to youth empowerment and community transformation.

This methodology will enable the study to generate both evidence of change and a deeper understanding of the mechanisms through which ActionAid's youth spaces contribute to youth empowerment, civic engagement, economic opportunities, and broader social change across Jordan, Tunisia, and Morocco.

Comparative Analysis

• Contextual, Ecosystem, and Contribution Analysis
• Cross-country analysis identifying similarities, differences, and contextual adaptations, enabling factors and lessons for future investment

Suggested Analytical Lenses

The study is encouraged to apply:

• Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA).
• Feminist leadership principles.

7. Expected Deliverables

The consultant/team will deliver:

Deliverable Description

Inception Report Methodology, workplan, tools, sampling approach, and detailed framework

Data Collection Tools KIIs, FGDs, survey tools, consent forms

Interim Presentation Preliminary findings and validation workshop

Draft Study Report Full draft report for review

Final Study Report Final revised report including executive summary and recommendations

Country Case Studies Short case studies from Jordan, Tunisia, and Morocco

Learning Brief Concise external learning/advocacy brief

Presentation Deck PowerPoint summarizing findings and recommendations

8. Expected Structure of the Final Report

The report should include:

1. Executive Summary 2. Introduction and Context 3. Methodology and Limitations 4. Country Profiles 5. ActionAid Youth Space Models/ Evolution of Youth spaces approach 1. History of development of each space 2. Role of Host organizations 3. Governance and operational models 4. Partnerships and resource mobilization 5. Maturity and lifecycle considerations 6. Contribution of Youth Spaces to youth outcomes 1. Civic Engagement and participation Findings 2. Economic Empowerment and employability Findings 3. Gender Equality and Inclusion 7. Transformative Change Analysis 8. Added value of the youth spaces approach 9. Contextual and Enabling Factors 10. Sustainability and Future Viability 11. Regional Lessons Learned 12. Recommendations 13. Annexes

9. Duration and Timeline

The assignment is expected to take approximately 8-10 weeks, including:

• Inception phase.
• Data collection.
• Analysis and validation.
• Reporting and finalization.

A detailed timeline will be agreed upon with the selected consultant/team.

10. Management and Coordination

The study will be managed by the regional program team of ActionAid International in coordination with country teams and implementing partners in Jordan, Tunisia, and Morocco.

11. Required Qualifications

The consultant/team should demonstrate:

• Proven experience in conducting regional qualitative and mixed-methods study.
• Strong understanding of youth engagement, civic participation, and economic empowerment in the MENA region.
• Experience working with youth-led organizations and civil society actors.
• Knowledge of HRBA, feminist leadership, and participatory methodologies.
• Excellent analytical and report-writing skills in English (Arabic and/or French is an asset).
• Experience in Jordan, Tunisia, and/or Morocco is highly preferred.

12. Ethical Considerations

The consultant/team must ensure:

• Informed consent and confidentiality.
• Child and youth safeguarding standards.
• Gender-sensitive and inclusive study approaches.
• Ethical representation of youth voices and experiences.

13. Application Requirements

Interested consultants/teams should submit:

• Technical proposal including methodology and workplan.
• Financial proposal.
• Relevant writing samples.
• CV(s) of team members.
• References from similar assignments.

14. Indicative Themes for Transformative Change Analysis

The study is encouraged to explore transformative changes across:

• Agency and self-confidence.
• Leadership and collective action.
• Access to employment and livelihoods.
• Entrepreneurial pathways and innovation.
• Social participation and community influence.
• Gender norms and inclusion.
• Digital participation and youth organizing.
• Long-term aspirations and resilience.

15. Language Requirements

Fluency in English is required, including excellent report-writing and analytical skills, as all final deliverables will be produced in English.

Strong working knowledge of French is highly desirable to enable effective engagement with stakeholders and review of documentation in Tunisia and Morocco.

Knowledge of Arabic would be considered an asset.

Applications from study teams are welcome, provided the team collectively possesses the required language competencies.