External Consultant - Impact Assessment and Strategic Roadmap for DICE Programme

Finn Church Aid (FCA) is seeking to engage an external consultant or consultancy to carry out an impact assessment of its Digital and Creative Economy (DICE) programme and to develop a forward-looking strategic roadmap for the programme. The assignment is expected to run from August to November 2026, subject to final procurement and contracting timelines. The assignment involves physical data collection in Uganda and Ethiopia, and a light remote review of the DICE programme in Kenya. This purposive scope is intended to balance depth of analysis, regional learning value and available resources. Uganda is included because it provides the longest implementation experience and important learning from both urban and refugee/host community programming contexts. Ethiopia is included because it represents one of the most developed current DICE models, including the FCA Creators Hub and dual employment–entrepreneurship pathways, and because the country’s development direction increasingly emphasises digital transformation and the emerging creative economy. This makes Ethiopia strategically relevant for assessing how DICE can align with national digital economy priorities and position young people for future-oriented work. Kenya will be covered through desk review and selected remote key informant interviews to ensure that learning from the wider East Africa DICE portfolio informs the strategic roadmap, while keeping the assignment feasible within the available budget and logistics. About FCA Finn Church Aid (FCA) is the largest Finnish development cooperation organisation and an important provider of humanitarian assistance. FCA is a rights-based and faith-based organisation founded by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, and a member of the ACT Alliance. FCA works with the most vulnerable people regardless of their religious beliefs, ethnic background, or political convictions, and operates in fragile and conflict-affected contexts across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. FCA is certified against the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS). FCA's vision is a world consisting of resilient and just societies where everyone's right to peace, quality education, and sustainable livelihood has been fulfilled. FCA specialises in three thematic priority areas: Right to Livelihood (R2L), Right to Quality Education (R2QE), and Right to Peace (R2P), with gender equality and social inclusion, and climate action and environmental sustainability as cross-cutting priorities. FCA Global Strategy (2022 onwards) is the highest-level strategy document for FCA. FCA's Global Programme 2026–2029 translates this vision into practice through phenomena-based programming, a new approach that addresses complex, multi-dimensional challenges holistically rather than as isolated issues. The programme is organised around four key phenomena shaping the world: Planetary Boundaries Re-Shaping the World, Youth in Waithood, People on the Move, and People's Voices in a Fragmented World. About the DICE Programme FCA has worked in the livelihoods sector for decades, providing sporadic support to digitalisation and youth engagement in creative sectors over the years. A fully focused programme in this space, the Digital and Creative Economy (DICE) programme, began in 2021. Formerly known as the Culture and Creative Industries (CCI) initiative, DICE launched in Uganda and later expanded to Kenya and, from 2023, to Ethiopia. The creative and digital economies of Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya are emerging as powerful drivers of employment, innovation, and inclusive growth, with all three governments increasingly recognising their strategic importance. Digital technology has accelerated this momentum, enabling new forms of creativity, entrepreneurship, and job creation. Through DICE's integrated approach, which blends creativity with entrepreneurship, young people gain practical training in advanced digital skills, including graphic design, digital illustration, 3D animation, motion design, web development, and digital marketing, alongside business competencies such as opportunity identification, business planning, financial management, and marketing strategy. In Uganda, FCA has built a strategic focus on structured incubation, legal support, and sector-development of sector-specific hubs. The Kampala Creators Hub offers industry-aligned training, incubation support, access to tools, and pathways into dignified livelihoods. Uganda also offers learning from both urban and refugee/host community contexts, showing the relevance of digital and creative skills for youth with limited access to formal employment and market opportunities. In Ethiopia, DICE has established one of its most developed models through the FCA Creators Hub in Addis Ababa, that cones digital and creative skills training, co-working and creative spaces, dual employment and entrepreneurship tracks, and links to local and international job and freelance platforms. Ethiopia is also strategically relevant given the country's growing emphasis on digital transformation, innovation, and the creative economy. In Kenya, DICE provides a useful regional contrast, particularly in relation to digital livelihoods, refugee and host community programming, private sector engagement and ecosystem-based approaches. Kenya’s relatively developed digital economy, innovation ecosystem and experience with digital work platforms create important learning for how DICE can strengthen employment pathways, enterprise incubation, private sector partnerships, and scalable digital livelihood models. DICE equips marginalised refugee and host community youth with market-relevant digital and creative skills and connects them to employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, built around FCA's Linking Learning to Earning (LL2E) methodology. This integrates market-driven technical training, employability and entrepreneurship skills, career guidance, work-based learning, and private sector engagement. A significant proportion of participants are women, youth with disabilities, and refugee or otherwise displaced young people. DICE is one of FCA's most forward-looking programmatic approaches, with significant potential for expansion. While traditional sectors remain needed, studies suggest the creative and digital economies have huge potential to employ young people. FCA now wants to strategically package the programme more effectively and sharpen its impact focus, exploring more meaningful partnerships and gradually shifting from traditional donor-recipient models toward long-term public-private partnerships. While there have been project-level evaluations and assessments of individual DICE interventions, there has been no stock-taking or analysis of the programme at the organisational level. This makes the present moment the right time to take stock and chart a forward course. Rationale, Purpose and Objectives FCA is operating in an increasingly constrained funding environment, where every investment must demonstrate clear value and strategic direction. Against this backdrop, the assessment serves a dual purpose: to generate credible, organisation-level evidence of what DICE has achieved, and to translate that evidence into a practical, forward-looking strategy for strengthening and scaling the programme alongside heading towards longer-term partnerships with shared impact between partners. The assessment is therefore not positioned as an accountability exercise alone, but as a strategic platform for programme development, diversification of FCA's funding portfolio, and strengthening of FCA's value proposition for DICE programming in the future. Two primary objectives are set for this assignment: • Objective 1 (Impact assessment): To assess the relevance, impact, and sustainability of the DICE programme across Uganda, Ethiopia, and Kenya during 2022–2025, with particular attention to youth employment, earnings, economic resilience, and the inclusion of women, youth with disabilities, and refugee or displaced youth. • Objective 2 (Strategic roadmap): To develop a forward-looking strategic roadmap that guides FCA's strategic direction for programme development, diversification of its funding portfolio, and strengthening of its value proposition for DICE in the period 2026–2029 and beyond. Scope of the Assignment The assessment covers the implementation of the DICE programme from 2022 to 2025 across three country contexts. The depth of assessment differs by country in order to use resources efficiently: • Uganda – physical assessment. As the country where the programme began, Uganda offers the longest implementation history and the richest learning on both successes and challenges. Data collection will take place in Kampala and Rwamwanja refugee settlement area (~270 kms by road from Kampala; 5-hour drive) • Ethiopia – physical assessment. As the most fully developed expression of the model, including the FCA Creators Hub and the dual employment-entrepreneurship tracks, Ethiopia is also the country with the strongest potential for expansion and scale-up. Data collection will take place in Addis Ababa. • Kenya – light remote review. Kenya will be covered through a desk review and up to three remote key informant interviews. Key Tasks 1. Conduct a desk review of existing programme documentation, evaluations, and secondary data related to DICE across Uganda, Ethiopia, and Kenya for the period 2022–2025. 2. Design and implement a mixed-methods data collection strategy, including: a. Key informant interviews with FCA staff, partners, beneficiaries, and relevant stakeholders in Uganda and Ethiopia. b. Focus group discussions with programme participants, including youth, women, persons with disabilities, and refugees/host communities. c. Surveys or structured questionnaires targeting programme participants and stakeholders to gather quantitative and qualitative data. d. Case studies highlighting successful interventions, challenges, and lessons learned from each country context. e. A light remote review in Kenya, including desk review and up to three remote key informant interviews. 3. Analyse the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability of the DICE programme, with a focus on: a. Youth employment outcomes, including job placements, self-employment, and income generation. b. Economic resilience and empowerment of marginalised groups, particularly women, youth with disabilities, and refugee/host communities. c. The integration of digital and creative skills training with entrepreneurship and employment pathways. d. Partnerships with private sector, government, and civil society organisations. e. Alignment with national digital economy priorities and strategies in Uganda, Ethiopia, and Kenya. 4. Assess the programme’s theory of change, assumptions, and risks, and identify areas for improvement and innovation. 5. Develop a forward-looking strategic roadmap for the DICE programme (2026–2029 and beyond), including: a. Strategic priorities and objectives aligned with FCA’s Global Programme 2026–2029 and the four key phenomena shaping FCA’s work. b. Recommendations for programme diversification, including potential new sectors, geographies, and partnerships. c. Strategies for strengthening FCA’s value proposition, including branding, advocacy, and resource mobilisation. d. A theory of change and results framework for the next phase of DICE programming. e. Monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) recommendations to strengthen programme accountability and learning. 6. Present findings and recommendations in a clear, concise, and actionable report, including visualisations, infographics, and executive summaries tailored to different stakeholders. 7. Facilitate validation workshops with FCA staff, partners, and beneficiaries to review and refine the assessment findings and strategic roadmap. Deliverables 1. Inception report outlining the methodology, data collection tools, and work plan for the assignment. 2. Draft impact assessment report, including findings, analysis, and preliminary recommendations. 3. Draft strategic roadmap, including strategic priorities, objectives, and recommendations for the next phase of DICE programming. 4. Final impact assessment report, incorporating feedback from validation workshops and stakeholder consultations. 5. Final strategic roadmap, including a theory of change, results framework, and MEL recommendations. 6. Presentation of findings and recommendations to FCA staff, partners, and key stakeholders. Budget The maximum consultancy fee for this assignment is EUR 13,000, inclusive of VAT. The consultant is responsible for paying any VAT and all statutory contributions from within this amount. Bids that propose fees above this ceiling will not be eligible for evaluation. Costs of domestic data collection within the consultant's own country of residence are to be managed from within the consultancy fee. Separately and in addition to the consultancy fee, FCA will cover the cross-country travel costs up to EUR 6,000 for up to a maximum of two persons when the consultant travels between Uganda and Ethiopia for data collection, namely airfare, in-country transportation, accommodation, and per diem. All reimbursements will be made on an actual cost basis upon submission of supporting receipts. No other costs will be covered by FCA. The proposed fee and a detailed budget breakdown should be presented in Euros on the budget template provided by FCA. Presence in Uganda or Ethiopia The bidder must demonstrate an established operational presence in Uganda, Ethiopia, or both. As part of their submission, the bidder should provide a description of their operational presence, including details of any offices, personnel, or long-term local affiliates or partners in the respective country(ies). The submission must also include relevant supporting documentation to substantiate the information provided.

1. Education: Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in a relevant field such as International Development, Economics, Social Sciences, Education, Business Administration, or a related discipline. 2. Experience: a. Minimum of 7 years of relevant professional experience in international development, livelihoods, youth employment, digital economy, or a closely related field. b. Proven experience in conducting impact assessments, evaluations, or strategic reviews for development programmes, preferably in East Africa or similar contexts. c. Experience in designing and implementing mixed-methods research, including qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis. d. Familiarity with digital and creative economy programmes, youth employment initiatives, or livelihoods programmes is highly desirable. e. Experience working with marginalised groups, including women, youth with disabilities, and refugees/host communities, is an asset. 3. Technical Skills: a. Strong analytical and writing skills, with a demonstrated ability to produce high-quality reports and strategic documents. b. Proficiency in data collection tools and methodologies, including surveys, interviews, focus group discussions, and case studies. c. Experience with monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) frameworks and results-based management. d. Familiarity with digital tools and platforms for data collection, analysis, and visualisation is an advantage. 4. Language Skills: a. Fluency in English (written and verbal) is required. b. Proficiency in Amharic, Swahili, or Luganda is highly desirable. 5. Other Requirements: a. Demonstrated understanding of FCA’s thematic priorities, particularly Right to Livelihood, and cross-cutting issues such as gender equality, social inclusion, and climate action. b. Experience working with Finnish development organisations or familiarity with the Finnish development cooperation context is an asset. c. Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with diverse stakeholders, including government officials, private sector representatives, and community members. d. Ability to work independently, manage multiple tasks, and meet tight deadlines. e. Commitment to FCA’s values, including rights-based and faith-based principles, and a passion for working with marginalised communities.