National Individual Consultant: Development of a Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) Communication Toolkit and Community Engagement Package, NOC

Nigeria is implementing the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda through the National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security under the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development and relevant national and state partners. The YPS agenda recognises young women and men as partners in peacebuilding, conflict prevention, social cohesion, civic participation, protection, partnership, and disengagement and reintegration.

UNFPA Nigeria, through the SAFEYOPS/YPS programme, is supporting the Federal Government and selected states to operationalise the YPS agenda through technical assistance, state-level contextualisation, youth development centre programming, communication, education, community engagement and coordination support.

A practical communication toolkit is required to translate the YPS agenda into clear, locally adaptable, youth-positive, gender-responsive and conflict-sensitive messages and tools for federal, state, LGA and community use. The toolkit should support coordinated rollout through peer educators, media platforms, youth centres, schools, religious/traditional structures, digital channels and community feedback systems.

The purpose of this consultancy is to develop a practical, inclusive, nationally coherent and state-adaptable YPS Communication Toolkit and Community Engagement Package for use by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, state ministries of youth development, State YPS Technical Working Groups, youth-led organisations, peer educators, media actors, community leaders and SAFEYOPS partners.

The toolkit will provide standard messages, rollout guidance, audience segmentation, media products, peer educator tools, community entry pathways, feedback/referral tools and monitoring templates that promote youth participation, protection, prevention, partnership, peaceful coexistence, early warning, responsible media reporting, gender inclusion and non-stereotypical narratives about young   people.

The consultant will:

• Review existing YPS documents, SAFEYOPS programme materials, state inception outputs, SBCC communication methodologies, National YPS Framework, UN YPS guidance and other relevant government/partner communication materials.

• Conduct a rapid communication needs and audience analysis covering federal, state, LGA and community-level users, including in-school youth, out-of-school youth, young women and girls, PWD youth, displaced youth, NYSC members, youth associations, parents, religious/traditional leaders, security and justice actors, media and influencers.

• Develop a full YPS Communication Toolkit with practical messages, IEC content, media guidance, peer educator resources, community engagement scripts, digital/social media content, safeguarding guidance, referral-aware messaging and feedback tools.

• Develop standardised message banks for YPS pillars: Participation, Protection, Prevention, Partnership, and Disengagement/Reintegration, including messages on youth agency, social cohesion, countering stereotypes, GBV prevention, early warning, rumour management, civic participation and community accountability.

• Develop a peer educator and youth messenger package, including selection criteria, training outline, facilitation guide, session plans, supervision approach, reporting tools, consent guidance and safeguarding/referral protocols.

• Develop media engagement tools, including media briefing notes, press release template, radio/TV discussion guide, public service announcement scripts, talking points, editorial guidance for youth-positive reporting and a social media content calendar.

• Develop a community engagement methodology that defines entry steps, audience-channel mapping, community dialogue processes, faith/traditional leader engagement, market/school/youth centre outreach, feedback collection, referral linkage and learning/adaptation loops.

• Support message testing and validation with selected youth, government, CSO, media and community stakeholders to ensure clarity, cultural relevance, accessibility, conflict sensitivity and do-no-harm.

• Facilitate a technical validation session and revise the toolkit based on consolidated feedback from UNFPA, FMYD, State YPS actors, youth representatives and relevant technical partners.

• Prepare final editable and print-ready versions of the communication toolkit and all annexes/templates for national and state-level rollout.

Suggested toolkit components:

●        Audience and channel mapping guide.

●        Core message bank and local-language adaptation guide.

●    IEC materials and content templates: flyers, posters, referral cards, banners, radio jingles/scripts, social media cards and WhatsApp messages.

●        Peer educator facilitator guide and session reporting tools.

●        Media engagement pack and responsible reporting guide.

●        Community dialogue guide and rollout pathway.

●        Feedback, safeguarding, referral and rumour-management tools.

●        30-90 day rollout action planning template and monitoring checklist.

Guiding Principles:

• Human rights-based and youth-rights approach.

• Leave No One Behind (LNOB), including young women and girls, PWD youth, displaced youth, rural youth, out-of-school youth, youth in fragile communities and other underserved groups.

• Meaningful, safe and non-tokenistic youth participation in message design, testing, rollout and monitoring.

• Gender-responsive, age-responsive, disability-inclusive and conflict-sensitive communication.

• Do No Harm, safeguarding, data protection, informed consent and protection from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (PSEAH).

• Survivor-centred and referral-aware communication for GBV, protection, justice, psychosocial support and other sensitive issues.

• Culturally grounded, locally adaptable, accessible and language-sensitive messaging.

• Evidence-informed and feedback-driven communication planning.

• Government ownership, inter-sectoral coordination and sustainability through state-level adaptation.

1. Inception report with methodology, workplan, refined toolkit outline, audience analysis approach, stakeholder engagement plan, message testing approach and quality assurance framework.

2. Desk review and communication needs assessment brief covering YPS communication gaps, audience groups, priority channels, message risks, accessibility needs and recommended toolkit structure.

3. Audience and channel mapping matrix for national, state, LGA and community-level rollout, including youth, government, media, traditional/religious, school, youth centre and digital platforms.

4. Draft YPS Communication Toolkit with core messages, rollout guidance, IEC templates, peer educator tools, media pack, community engagement guide, safeguarding/referral guidance and monitoring tools.

5. Peer Educator and Youth Messenger Package, including selection profile, training outline, facilitation notes, session plans, consent guidance, issue/feedback log, referral log and monthly reporting template.

6. Media Engagement Package, including press briefing template, radio/TV discussion guide, social media content calendar, youth-positive reporting guide, interview talking points and public service announcement scripts.

7. Community Engagement and Rollout Package, including community entry steps, stakeholder pathway, dialogue guide, religious/traditional leader engagement notes, rumour management protocol and 30-90 day action planning template.

8. Message testing and validation report summarising participants, feedback, risks identified, revisions made and recommendations for rollout.

9. Final YPS Communication Toolkit and annexes in editable Word/PowerPoint/Excel formats and clean PDF-ready versions.

10. Final handover/orientation session for UNFPA, FMYD, State YPS actors and selected implementation partners.

The consultancy is expected to last eight (8) weeks, equivalent to approximately 40 working days, inclusive of desk review, communication needs assessment, audience and channel mapping, drafting, peer educator/media/community package development, message testing, validation, revision, design-ready finalisation and final handover.

The eight-week duration is intended to allow adequate time for participatory review, message testing with youth and stakeholders, conflict-sensitivity checks, technical quality assurance and final refinement before national and state-level rollout.

Deliverables and Schedule

The assignment will be conducted over a period of eight (8) weeks from the contract start date, with specific milestones as outlined in the deliverable schedule below

Indicative deliverable schedule:

• Week 1: Inception report, detailed 8-week workplan, desk review plan, stakeholder engagement plan, quality assurance approach and proposed toolkit outline.
• Week 2: Desk review and rapid communication needs assessment, including review of YPS documents, SAFEYOPS materials, state inception outputs and existing communication/engagement tools.
• Week 3: Audience and channel mapping matrix for national, state, LGA and community-level rollout, including priority youth groups, government actors, media, schools, youth centres, traditional/religious structures and digital platforms.
• Week 4: Draft message framework and core message bank covering the YPS pillars, youth-positive narratives, GBV/protection-aware messaging, early warning, rumour management, civic participation and community accountability.
• Week 5: First full draft of the YPS Communication Toolkit, including IEC/content templates, peer educator package, media engagement pack, community engagement guide, safeguarding/referral guidance and monitoring tools.
• Week 6: Message testing and stakeholder consultations with selected youth, government, CSO, media and community actors; documentation of feedback, risks, accessibility issues and recommended revisions.
• Week 7: Revised toolkit package and validation report submitted for UNFPA/FMYD technical review, including comment-response matrix and updated rollout tools/templates.
• Week 8: Final YPS Communication Toolkit and annexes submitted in editable Word/PowerPoint/Excel formats and PDF-ready versions, followed by a final handover/orientation session for UNFPA, FMYD, State YPS actors and selected implementation partners.

The consultant shall submit electronic copies of all reports, tools and materials in editable Word/PowerPoint/Excel formats and in PDF-ready formats where required.

• The consultant shall submit brief weekly progress updates throughout the eight-week assignment.

• Structured technical review meetings shall be held at key milestones, including inception, draft message framework, first full draft toolkit, post-testing revision and final handover stages.

• Bi-weekly progress presentations shall be made to UNFPA/FMYD and the technical review group, or more frequently where required by the assignment timeline.

• All drafts shall be submitted in editable formats for technical review and consolidation of comments.

• The consultant shall maintain a comment-response matrix for substantive feedback received from UNFPA, FMYD, youth representatives and technical partners.

• The consultant shall document message testing, validation feedback, revisions made and any unresolved technical issues.

• Final payment shall be subject to acceptance of all deliverables by UNFPA and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development.

The consultant will work under the overall guidance of the UNFPA Resident Representative and direct supervision of the UNFPA Youth Focal Point.

A technical review group should be constituted to provide quality assurance and may include representatives from the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, UNFPA, the Federal Ministry of Information/National Orientation Agency, UNESCO where education messaging is relevant, IPCR, youth-led organisations/National Coalition on YPS, State Ministries of Youth Development, State YPS TWGs, media/communication specialists, protection/GBV specialists and selected CSO partners.

UNFPA will coordinate technical review, while FMYD will guide government ownership, alignment with national YPS priorities and clearance for broader rollout.

• Home-based with possible travel to Abuja and selected states for consultations, message testing, validation or handover, as applicable.

• Any travel must be agreed in advance and will be covered in accordance with UN travel policies and security guidelines

• The consultant must adhere to UNFPA ethical standards, safeguarding requirements, confidentiality, informed consent and respect for cultural sensitivities.

• Communication materials must not expose young people, survivors, at-risk groups or communities to stigma, retaliation or security risks.

• The consultant must apply Do No Harm and conflict-sensitivity principles in all messages, visuals, scripts, examples, case studies, media guidance and community engagement tools.

• Any GBV, protection, justice, psychosocial support or referral messaging must be survivor-centred, confidential, referral-aware and cleared by relevant technical actors.

• Images, testimonies and personal stories of young people must only be used with informed consent and in line with child/youth safeguarding and data protection standards.

• The consultant must ensure disability inclusion and accessibility, including plain language and options for local-language adaptation.

• UNFPA has Zero Tolerance to sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (PSEAH).

Academic Qualifications

• Masters degree in Communications, Social and Behaviour Change Communication, Development Communication, Peace and Conflict Studies, Youth Development, Public Policy, Education, Social Sciences, Gender Studies or related field.

• Additional certification/training in SBC, peacebuilding communication, media development, curriculum/facilitation design, safeguarding or conflict-sensitive programming is an advantage.

Professional Experience

• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience for lead consultant team lead in communication strategy, SBC, toolkit development, peacebuilding communication, youth engagement or development communication.

• Demonstrated experience developing communication toolkits, message banks, IEC materials, media packs, facilitator guides, community engagement guides or training materials.

• Strong understanding of the YPS agenda, youth development, peacebuilding, civic participation, social cohesion, protection, GBV prevention and conflict-sensitive communication in Nigeria or similar contexts.

• Experience designing participatory and youth-led communication processes, including message testing and validation with diverse youth groups.

• Experience working with government, UN agencies, CSOs, media, religious/traditional institutions and youth-led organisations.

• Experience producing user-friendly, accessible and visually clear communication materials for multi-level rollout.

Competencies

• Excellent writing, editing, facilitation and presentation skills.

• Strong ability to translate technical YPS content into simple, actionable and culturally appropriate messages.

• Strong knowledge of audience segmentation, channel mapping, media engagement and digital communication.

• Ability to apply human rights, gender, LNOB, safeguarding and do-no-harm principles.

• Ability to work across diverse cultural, ethnic, religious and political settings with sensitivity.

• Strong organisational skills and ability to deliver high-quality outputs within tight timelines.

• Ability to meaningfully engage and co-create content with youth

Languages

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.

• Ability to support or coordinate adaptation into Nigerian local languages is an advantage.

• UNFPA and FMYD will provide relevant available documents, including YPS policy documents, SAFEYOPS programme materials, state inception outputs, communication methodology and existing tools where available.

• UNFPA/FMYD will facilitate access to government counterparts, NOA/Information sector actors, youth-led organisations, CSOs, state actors, media partners and other relevant stakeholders.

• UNFPA/FMYD will support convening of technical consultations, message testing and validation meetings, subject to approved programme arrangements.

• The consultant will work with its own laptop, software, internet access and equipment unless otherwise agreed.

• All materials produced under this consultancy will be cleared by UNFPA/FMYD, and copyright/usage rights will remain with UNFPA/FMYD in line with contractual provisions.

Payment will be made based on accepted deliverables across the eight-week assignment:

• 20% upon approval of the inception report, detailed 8-week workplan, stakeholder engagement plan and proposed toolkit outline.
• 20% upon acceptance of the communication needs assessment brief, audience/channel mapping matrix and draft message framework.
• 25% upon submission and technical acceptance of the first full draft communication toolkit, peer educator package, media engagement pack and community engagement package.
• 20% upon completion of message testing, submission of validation report, comment-response matrix and revised toolkit package.

• 15% upon acceptance of the final toolkit package, editable annexes, PDF-ready versions and final handover/orientation session.

  All payments shall be subject to satisfactory completion and acceptance of deliverables by UNFPA/FMYD and compliance with applicable UNFPA procedures.