About PIN

Paradigm Initiative (PIN) works to strengthen digital inclusion and promote digital rights in order to improve the livelihoods of under-served Africans through a diverse team of 28, working out of sub-regional offices in Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Through the PIN flagship LIFE (Life skills, ICT skills, Financial literacy and Entrepreneurship) program, we provide access to web-enabled technologies, digital skills training, entrepreneurship and life-skills training, online work training, connection to short-term internships. We support youth to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams from our centres in Nigeria’s Abia, Kano and Lagos states and operate in-school programs in 15 schools across the three states. The LIFE program has also been extended to Senegal.

As part of our capacity building program, we teamed up with Dufuna to establish a  training program for ambitious and disciplined Africans for advanced digital skills.  Through a 6-month software engineering Bootcamp that teaches HTML, CSS,  JavaScript, PHP, SQL, Algorithms & Data Structures, Version Control, Dependency  Management, Debugging and Employability, we equip our scholars to become highly employable technology professionals. 

PIN’s digital rights advocacy program is focused on developing public policy for internet freedom in Africa. Our digital rights advocacy efforts include media campaigns, coalition building, capacity building, research, report writing, hosting the annual bi-lingual pan-African Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum, and promoting Digital Rights and Freedom legislation. PIN has worked in communities across Nigeria since 2007 and across Africa since 2017, building experience, community trust and an organisational culture that positions us as a leading social enterprise in Digital Inclusion and Digital Rights on the continent. 

•  Purpose

This Request for Proposal (RFP) seeks to identify a professional, independent, and experienced evaluator or evaluation firm (hereafter referred to as the ‘Applicant’) to conduct an independent evaluation of Paradigm Initiative’s programs and projects from 2007 to 2020.

• Scope

The evaluation will focus on the effectiveness, or otherwise, of PIN’s programs and projects, and proffer actionable recommendations for improvement. The evaluation will assess:

1. The alignment of programs’ and projects’ objectives with PIN’s core mission and Strategic Management Plan.
2. PIN’s implementation and management of programs and projects.
3. PIN’s monitoring and evaluation systems’ effectiveness in measuring impact and fostering learning.
4. PIN’s effectiveness in reaching relevant stakeholders.
5. PIN’s effectiveness in achieving program/project objectives and addressing target issues.

• Expectations

The Applicant is expected to 

1. Develop a rigorous evaluation plan, including designing adequate methodology, data collection tools and systems for the evaluation.
2. Submit an Inception Report within five days of the start of the evaluation period detailing evaluation objectives, work plan and schedules.
3. Conduct an independent evaluation of the impact and effectiveness of interventions of PIN’s programs and projects on intended beneficiaries.
4. Present final results of the evaluation to PIN Leadership by 18 June 2021.
5. Submit a final report by 25 June 2021.

•  About the Applicant

The selected candidate must:

1. Demonstrate long-term experience measuring the impact of community-based and other projects implemented by Non-Governmental Organisations, with a significant sample size.
2. Have a successful track record of conducting prior and similar evaluation(s) using an effective design, statistical techniques, and culturally competent approaches to working with participants and gathering data.

• Timeline

The work to be performed is expected to commence on or before 24 May 2021 and should be substantially completed on 25 June 2021.

•  Instructions on Proposal Submission

1. 1. Proposals must be received no later than 11:59 PM WAT on 17 May 2021.
   2. The Applicant must submit a narrative proposal demonstrating the Applicant’s technical competencies to carry out the assignment.
   3. The Applicant must submit a financial proposal.
   4. The Applicant must submit Curricula Vitae (with references) of all personnel involved in the evaluation, demonstrating each person’s qualifications and technical competencies.

Please send proposals, portfolio information and enquiries to rfp@paradigmhq.org 

For more information about PIN, visit https://wwww.paradigmhq.org