Terms of Reference to Conduct a Gender and Youth Participation, Inclusion, and Decision-Making Assessment in Agri-Food Systems

TERMS OF REFERENCE TO perform A GENDER AND YOUTH PARTICIPATION, INCLUSION, AND DECISION-MAKING ASSESSMENT IN AGRI-FOOD SYSTEMS.

1. Background

Agriculture is central to Rwanda’s economic development, food security, employment, and rural livelihoods. Women and young people are key actors across the agri-food system, contributing significantly to agricultural production, processing, marketing, household food security, and agribusiness. However, their contribution is not always matched by an equal level of representation, influence, or decision-making authority. Differences in access to land, finance, information, technologies, markets, leadership opportunities, and other productive resources can affect their ability to shape decisions and benefit from emerging opportunities.

At the household level, decisions related to agricultural production, land and asset use, income management, investment, access to finance, technology adoption, and marketing have direct implications for women and youth. Similarly, within Milk Collection Centers (MCCs), cooperatives, and other agri-food structures, membership and attendance at meetings do not necessarily translate into meaningful representation or influence over strategic, financial, investment, and organizational decisions. Understanding these dynamics is essential to identifying existing gaps, determining what enables effective engagement, and identifying measures that can strengthen women’s and youth’s voice and agency.

Young people face additional challenges in engaging in agriculture and related enterprises, including limited access to land, finance, skills, appropriate technologies, markets, and employment opportunities. At the same time, they represent an important source of entrepreneurship, innovation, digital skills, and new ideas that can contribute to the transformation of Rwanda’s food systems. Creating pathways for young people to participate in decision-making, access productive resources, create enterprises, and engage in value chains can therefore contribute to more inclusive, innovative, and sustainable agricultural development.

These considerations are particularly relevant to the Power for Food Partnership (P4FP), which seeks to contribute to productive, resilient, inclusive, and sustainable food systems through the integration of Regenerative Agriculture (RA) and Productive Use of Renewable Energy (PURE). Regenerative Agriculture promotes practices that restore soil health, enhance ecosystem functions, enhance productivity, and strengthen resilience to climate change. Productive Use of Renewable Energy facilitates the application of renewable energy technologies in agricultural activities, including solar-powered irrigation and water pumping, processing, drying, cooling, and storage. The integration of these approaches creates opportunities for women and youth to access technologies, skills, finance, employment, entrepreneurship, value addition, and markets.

However, the introduction of improved agricultural practices and renewable energy technologies does not automatically guarantee equitable access to or benefits from these opportunities. Gender and age-related norms, unequal control over productive resources, limited access to finance and information, and underrepresentation in leadership structures may influence who can adopt technologies, make investment decisions, control income, and benefit from new economic opportunities. It is therefore important to understand how these factors shape the experiences of women and youth within the agri-food system, particularly in relation to the adoption and application of RA and PURE practices and technologies.

As a P4FP implementing partner, the Rwanda Climate Change and Development Network (RCCDN) plays an important role in advocacy, awareness raising, policy engagement, stakeholder coordination, and promoting an enabling environment for sustainable and inclusive agri-food systems. To strengthen these efforts, RCCDN requires evidence on the current situation of women and youth within household, MCC, cooperative, and other relevant agri-food structures. The assessment will examine their representation, access to resources and opportunities, participation in key processes, leadership roles, ability to influence decisions, and the factors that either enable or constrain their meaningful engagement.

The assessment will also engage relevant stakeholders, including local government authorities, farmer organizations and cooperatives, agricultural extension personnel, women and youth representatives, private-sector actors, financial institutions, and other relevant agri-food system stakeholders. Their perspectives will help detect institutional practices, policy and regulatory factors, existing good practices, and opportunities for strengthening inclusive participation and decision-making.

It will generate practical evidence on the barriers, opportunities, good practices, and institutional and policy factors shaping women’s and youth’s engagement and influence within household, MCC, cooperative, and other relevant decision-making structures. The findings will assist RCCDN to detect priority advocacy and policy issues, strengthen stakeholder engagement, and create practical recommendations for promoting more equitable participation, representation, leadership, and decision-making by women and youth within Rwanda’s agri-food systems and the RA–PURE Nexus.

2. Purpose of the Assignment.

The purpose is to generate evidence on the participation, representation, inclusion, and decision-making power of women and youth within agri-food systems and to detect practical opportunities for strengthening their meaningful participation. The findings will inform RCCDN's advocacy, awareness raising, policy engagement, and stakeholder engagement under P4FP.

3. Objective

To assess current gaps and opportunities for the inclusion of women and youth in decision-making structures at different levels of agri-food systems, including households, MCCs, and cooperatives. 

 Specific Objectives.

The assessment will seek to:

1. Assess the current level of participation and representation of women and youth in decision-making structures within households, MCCs, cooperatives, and other relevant agri-food system structures.
2. detect the key barriers limiting women's and youth's meaningful participation, representation, leadership, and influence in decision-making.
3. Assess women's and youth's involvement in decisions related to:

• agricultural production;
• access and control of productive resources;
• finance and credit;
• agricultural technologies;
• renewable energy technologies;
• marketing and value addition;
• income and investments and leadership

1. Assess the participation of women and youth in decisions related to the adoption and use of Regenerative Agriculture and Productive Use of Renewable Energy practices and technologies.
2. evaluate relevant institutional and policy factors affecting gender and youth inclusion in agri-food decision-making.
3. create practical recommendations for RCCDN's advocacy and policy engagement, including priority issues that require action by relevant stakeholders.

4. Scope of assessment

The assessment will cover the following six districts including Rubavu, Rutsiro, Nyagatare, Bugesera, Rwamagana and Kayonza 

The assessment should consider participation and decision-making at different levels, including:

Household level, MCC level and Cooperative level

The consultant should also engage other relevant actors where necessary, including local government, farmer organizations, agricultural extension personnel, youth and women's representatives, private-sector actors, financial institutions, and relevant P4FP stakeholders.

6. Key Deliverables

The consultant/firm will be expected to deliver:

1. Inception Report
2. Data Collection Tools
3. Field Data Collection
4. Draft Assessment Report

6. Reporting

• Draft reports for evaluate 
• Incorporate feedback from RCCDN 
• Submit final consolidated report
• deliver advocacy recommendation 

7.Timeframe

The consultancy will be conducted in 26 days, starting from the date of contract signing. The timeline includes drafting and final submission.

8. Languages

The document will be produced in English

Required Qualifications and Experience

9. Application Process

Interested consultants are requested to submit the following documents:

• A detailed CV or company profile.
• A cover letter outlining the consultant’s experience addressed to RCCDN coordinator 
• Detailed financial proposal and approach to the consultancy.
• List previous relevant work or research performed.

Interested candidates are invited to bring their application documents, to RCCDN Head Officer located in Kicukiro District, Kagarama Sector, Rukatsa Cell, not later thanthursday, 8th Oct 2026 at 4: 00pm.The proposal will be evaluated first and candidate who shall pass both the technical stage and financial evaluation will be notified. 

10. Evaluation Criteria.

The consultant will be selected based on a combination of technical and financial criteria. The evaluation will focus on the clarity and relevance of the proposed methodology, the consultant’s understanding of the activity, the quality of the work plan, and the consultant’s experience and qualifications. The appropriateness of data collection methods and the professionalism of previous work will also be considered.

The financial proposal will assess the cost-effectiveness of the proposal, alignment with the assignment’s scope, timeline, and the detailed breakdown of costs

11.Safeguarding Programme Participants: Program/Project right holders, PWD, Children & Adults 

RCCDN respects the intrinsic dignity of every person, celebrates differences and aims to create relationships of mutual respect wherein the rights and dignity of every person are respected. The Network is committed to safeguarding people within our programmes from exploitation and abuse and has specific policies on this commitment and the code of perform, which outlines the expected behaviors and the responsibility of all staff, board members, consultants and other organizational representatives. RCCDN is committed to promoting transparency, gender equality, and inclusivity in all its engagements.

Done at Kigali on 1st October 2026

VUNINGOMA FAUSTIN 

RCCDN Coordinator