Consultancy for Youth Co:Lab Malaysia 2021

Background

UNDP and UNICEF are partnering to empower Asia-Pacific’s next generation with 21st century skills, engagement, and entrepreneurship. Together UNDP and UNICEF will promote systemic entrepreneurial skill-development, flexible financing and blended mentoring to enable the most vulnerable to lead community initiatives and social enterprises.

This includes scaling up successful youth social entrepreneurship development initiatives, such as UNDP’s Youth Co:Lab initiative within the national system. Co-created in 2017 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Citi Foundation, Youth Co:Lab aims to establish a common agenda for Asia-Pacific countries to invest in and empower youth to accelerate implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through leadership, social innovation, and entrepreneurship.

By developing 21st century skills, catalysing and sustaining youth-led startups and social enterprises across the region, Youth Co:Lab is positioning adolescents and young people front and centre in order to solve the region’s most pressing challenges. In addition to supporting youth entrepreneurship, Youth Co:Lab also works closely with multiple stakeholders across the region, including governments, civil society and the private sector, to strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystem and policy support to better enable young people to take the lead on new solutions that will help meet the SDGs. Youth Co:Lab is also positioned to provide opportunities for adolescents and young people from marginalised communities with ideas and solutions for challenges raised in their communities.

After a successful pilot in 2018, 2019 and continuously in 2020, Malaysia is running the fourth year of Youth Co:Lab in 2021. The online programme consists of A: three sets of 2-day ideation bootcamps, B: a one-month incubation programme, and C: a 2-day national dialogue.

We are calling all youth-led social enterprises based in Malaysia to amplify their growth through developing minimum viable products (MVPs), finding product market fit, and at the same time making them investment ready. The programme will help social entrepreneurs to answer these questions:

What’s next after the ideation and concept stage?
How do I develop a MVP for my solution?
How do I create more traction and look for clear market validation?
What do I need to do before I launch my product?

Hence, by targeting youth-led social enterprises residing in Malaysia, between the age of 15-30, which are at the ideation stage and are looking to get ready to develop MVPs, and pitch to potential investors, the programme aims to achieve these objectives;

To incite, catalyse and sustain youth innovation that is aimed at creating positive impact on some of the nation’s most pressing issues.
To empower and give youth the platform to create solutions that will address the sustainable development goals through social entrepreneurship.
To make youth-led social enterprises investment ready.

At the end of Youth Co:Lab Malaysia 2021, 2 winning solutions each from two individuals/teams, will qualify to represent Malaysia at the Asia-Pacific Regional Dialogue Youth Co:Lab Summit 2022 to compete in the regional Social Innovation Challenge. Meanwhile in between, they will receive guidance and mentorship through the Springboard Programme organized by the Youth team from Bangkok Regional Hub.

Following this, UNDP and UNICEF are seeking to engage the support of a consultant to co-organise the virtual sessions of Youth Co:Lab Malaysia 2021 and the mini-incubation programme for adolescent and youth entrepreneurs.

Duties and Responsibilities

The consultant’s scope of work will include:

Content Development:

Support UNDP and UNICEF on programme design development and adaptation for adolescent and youth audiences.
Execution and implementation of the three 2-day virtual ideation bootcamps, mini-incubation programme, and 2-day national dialogue; Youth Co:Lab Malaysia throughout September to November 2021 for youth and adolescents.
Collaborate with UNDP and UNICEF Malaysia County Office on delivering the content of and focus of Youth Co:Lab Malaysia 2021.
With UNDP and UNICEF Malaysia, design the promotional items required for the execution and the outreach of the bootcamps.

Event Implementation and Logistical Coordination:

Coordinate the inputs of UNDP, UNICEF, Citi Foundation, MaGIC and other implementing partners into the agenda, and coordinate the event management for Youth Co:Lab Malaysia 2021.
Manage all logistics related matters in organising the programme:
Virtual setup for the programme
Materials ordering and posting
Equipment rentals
Participation selection process
Manpower
Assist in inviting mentors/experts
Facilitators for the virtual bootcamps
Coaches for the participants selected for the Mini-Incubation programme from October to November 2021

Design Work:

To lead in design related work which includes backdrop, slides, digital marketing assets, t-shirts, photography and videography
To assist in copywriting and thematics of the bootcamp.

Partnership Management Communications and Marketing:

Support the UNDP and UNICEF CO in developing partnerships and facilitate knowledge sharing, technology exchange, and access to finances with partners.
Assist in communications aspects of the bootcamps, including social media posts, radio, newspapers, press release, videos and photographs of event.

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT

The consultant will report to the Youth Engagement and Innovation lead as part of the Inclusive Development and Growth portfolio at UNDP Malaysia and work in close collaboration with the UNDP and UNICEF CO and other associated parties. The success of the project depends on the timely delivery of each component.

UNDP and UNICEF CO will have the following responsibilities: (i) Provide relevant documents; (ii) Discuss and agree on the methodologies of the assignment; and (iii) Monitor and evaluate the progress of the assignment. The contract and payments will be performance-based and regularly assessed by the UNDP CO. All travel expenses to and from the target area should be included in the financial proposal.

The present ToR may be subject to modification, without changing the overall objective and the scope of work, on the basis of mutual consultations. UNDP will hold the copyright of the assignment deliverables.

EXPECTED OUTPUTS & DELIVERABLES

The consultant is expected to submit their proposed deliverables towards the output completion of Youth Co:Lab Malaysia 2021:

Deliverables with timeline

Breakdown with details

Payment

Expected Timeline

Deliverable 1:

Upon satisfactory completion and acceptance of a workplan and methodology to execute the Youth Co:Lab 2021 and Pre-Bootcamp support.

10%

September 2021

Deliverable 2:

Upon satisfactory completion and acceptance of organizing and execution of the 2-day Virtual Ideation Bootcamp for Youth Co:Lab Malaysia 2021.

20%

October 2021

Deliverable 3:

Upon satisfactory completion and acceptance of the mini-incubation programme consisting of three workshops; Define, Prototype, Strategise.

40%

November 2021

Deliverable 4:

Upon satisfactory completion and acceptance of A: the 2-day virtual national dialogue, B: allocation of SEED funding to top 3 winners and their plan for the funds, and C: final report detailing the full Youth Co:Lab 2021 journey, its achievements and lessons learned including a 3-minute multimedia output showcasing the highlights of the project.

30%

November 2021

DURATION OF ASSIGNMENT, DUTY STATION AND EXPECTED PLACE OF TRAVEL

Contract duration: 3 months (September 2021 to November 2021).

The assignment will be conducted virtually, however the consultant may be required to travel to project sites or attend the events relevant to the project within Malaysia. Travels will be authorized by the programme manager if required.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards.
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP, and partner organizations.
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional Competencies:

Excellent knowledge of the current and emerging social development challenges, particularly facing issues faced by adolescents and youth.
Promotes teamwork, contributes towards building team consensus.
Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback.
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.

Development and Operational Effectiveness

Ability to apply organizational policies and procedures.
Organizes and accurately completes multiple tasks by establishing priorities while taking into consideration special assignments, frequent interruptions, deadlines, available resources and multiple reporting relationships.
Plans, coordinates and organizes workload while remaining aware of changing priorities and competing deadlines.

Management and Leadership

Supports teams effectively and shows conflict resolution skills.
Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities.
Excellent teamwork and leadership skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

Diploma or degree in a related field, e.g., social sciences, education, arts and humanities, management.
Extensive work experience with adolescents and youth or the start-up ecosystem may be considered in lieu of diploma or degree in the specific fields listed above.

Professional Experience

At least 8 years working experience within the start-up ecosystem in Malaysia, social entrepreneurship, as well as the Youth, Adolescent, and Innovation field.
Excellent track record for training and facilitation of innovation labs, incubation programmes and the successful creation of start-ups and social entrepreneurs in Malaysia.
Excellent organizational skills with a successful track record of planning and implementing innovation events.
Experience with adolescent and youth engagement from marginalized groups (young women, B40 youth, youth with disabilities, and Orang Asli) in Malaysia is an added advantage.

Language Requirement

Proficient in English. Proficiency in Bahasa Malaysia is an added advantage.