Background and context:
Established in 2014, Tiko Africa is a nonprofit organisation that leverages technology and behavioural insights to design, implement, and scale a digital motivation platform called Tiko. Tiko connects adolescents and young people in low-income communities with non-judgmental, quality-assured HIV and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services and products tailored to their specific needs. We envision a world where all sub-Saharan African youth have the power to choose where, when, and how they meet their sexual health needs.
The Tiko platform meets our young people where they are and offers them services and products that help them to achieve their goals. These goals may include postponing or preventing pregnancies, ensuring healthy pregnancies, knowing their HIV status, using pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to reduce the risk of HIV, adhering to antiretroviral therapy (ART) for viral suppression, or acquiring the necessary digital, vocational, and soft skills to secure income opportunities.
In Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa, Burkina Faso and Nigeria Tiko has successfully established multiple ecosystems of partners, including private and public clinics, as well as local demand-generation community-based organisations (CBOs) and Mobilisers. These ecosystems address the unique challenges faced by adolescent girls, powering them to make informed choices regarding their SRH, mental health and menstrual hygiene.
By combining the power of technology, behavioural insights, and strategic partnerships, Tiko is dedicated to providing comprehensive support to adolescent girls. Our goal is to empower them to make informed decisions about their sexual health and well-being, ensuring they have access to relevant services.
Our challenge:
Until now, Tiko has directly trained all ecosystem actors involved in programme delivery, CBOs, Mobilisers, health service providers, and retailers. As Tiko expands into new geographies, this centralised approach is no longer scalable. To address this, we aim to develop a robust Trainer-of-Trainers (ToT) framework that empowers CBOs to take on the role of training and supporting new Mobilisers, and over time, extend this training to other actors such as community retailers.
Core Objectives:
The following objectives are expected to be achieved by the Consultant:
- Comprehensive trainer-of-trainers (TOT) framework: Develop a standardised and scalable cascade ToT framework that provides clear guidance on how ecosystem actors and Field Operations teams are equipped with the skills, knowledge, and resources needed to deliver effectively in their roles.
- Engaging, Tailored Training Materials: Update and refine existing training materials to ensure they are engaging, easy to understand, and customised to the specific needs of each actor. Including short assessments to measure the level of understanding and effectiveness of the training.
Training Model Principles:
The ToT framework and all training content should be grounded in the following principles:
Scalable: The training approach must achieve scale by working through ecosystem actors (CBOs, mobilisers, providers) rather than expanding Tiko’s internal staff. Cascade models, peer learning, digital platforms, blended learning, and proven methodologies should be leveraged to extend reach efficiently.
Standardised but flexible: Provide a core, standardised framework for training design, delivery, and assessment across all countries, while allowing localisation of content, delivery methods, and languages to ensure contextual relevance and responsiveness to actor needs.
Quality-driven: Ensure all training meets Tiko’s minimum quality standards and reinforces programme needs and expectations. Adopt competency-based learning and interactive methods that result in measurable outcomes and practical application.
Verifiable and integrated into Tiko systems: Training completion and competency must be tracked, documented, and quantifiable. Using the Tiko app for digital verification, assessments, and feedback mechanisms to ensure accountability and evidence of outcomes. It should also not be generic but custom to Tiko’s programmes and expectations.
Continuously learning: Embed training within a continuous learning cycle that includes refresher sessions, mentoring, and structured feedback loops. Actors should be consistently equipped and supported to learn and improve over time
Tailored for each actor: Design training that is concise, community-sensitive, and targeted to the specific knowledge and skills each actor requires. Customise to priority gaps and ensure alignment with methods that best support their understanding.
Expected deliverables:
The following deliverables are expected from the Consultant following being contract by Tiko:
- Deliverable: Completed Trainer-of-Trainers (ToT) Framework.
Breakdown: A comprehensive, standardised, and scalable cascade training framework tailored for Tiko’s programme and actors.
Clear guidance on CBO-led training and support for Mobilisers, with pathways for expansion to other actors (e.g., health providers, retailers).
Incorporation of competency-based learning, peer-to-peer approaches, digital tools, and blended learning methodologies.
Recommendations and practical tools for embedding refresher training, peer learning, and mentoring cycles into the ToT framework.
- Deliverable: Updated and Tailored Training Materials.
Breakdown: Revision and enhancement of existing training content to ensure clarity, engagement, and relevance for each actor.
Integration of interactive elements such as case studies, role plays, and scenario-based exercises**.**
- Deliverable: Actor-Specific Assessment Tools.
Breakdown: Development of short, practical evaluation assessments to measure comprehension, skill acquisition, and application for each actor group.
- Deliverable: Training Quality Assurance Mechanism
Breakdown: Minimum quality standards and guidance for CBO-led training delivery.
Tools and templates for monitoring training outcomes, documenting completion, and ensuring continuous improvement.
- Deliverable: Capacity Building of Tiko Trainers
Breakdown: Delivery of initial TOT sessions to prepare a cohort of master trainers within Tiko.
Application process timeline:
- Activity: RFP Shared. Time frame: 29 September. Deliverable: Tiko team
- Activity: Available for any questions and feedback. Time frame: 30 Sept- 14 October. Deliverable: Tiko team
- Activity: Partner Proposals shared. Time frame: 15 October. Deliverable: Consultant
- Activity: Presentations of proposals to take place. Time frame: 20-24 October. Deliverable: Consultant
- Activity: Partner Selection Complete. Time frame: 25 October. Deliverable: Tiko team.
- Activity: Contracting finalised. Time frame: 31 October. Deliverable: Consultant
Required skills and expertise
We are looking for a consultant or organisation with the following skills and qualifications:
- Proven experience in training design and delivery: Demonstrated expertise in developing, implementing, and scaling training programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly within the development and health sectors.
- Strong understanding of core actors: Practical knowledge of CBOs, Mobilisers, and health service providers, including what learning methodologies are most effective for each group.
- Capacity to apply diverse learning approaches: Familiarity with adult learning principles, competency-based training, cascade models, peer learning, and blended learning (in-person and digital).
- Experience in training needs assessment and analysis: Ability to identify skill gaps, assess capacity-building requirements, and translate findings into actionable training solutions.
- Monitoring, evaluation, and reporting skills: Proven ability to measure training effectiveness, track outcomes, and produce high-quality reports and recommendations.
Evaluation criteria
Proposals will be assessed against the following criteria:
Expertise, experience, and composition:
- Organisational/Consultant expertise, experience and understanding our Actors and training programmes and methodologies.
Weighting: 40
Strength of proposal:
- The overall strength of the proposed approach, including the ability to lead and deliver on the implementation of the proposal.
Weighting: 40
Budget:
- Value for money
Weighting: 20
How to apply
Organisations are invited to submit proposals for this engagement. Proposals should include:
- Relevant experience:
- Demonstrated experience in developing and implementing training programmes within Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in the development and/or health sectors. (Ideally through grassroot CBOs)
- Examples of similar ToT or capacity-strengthening initiatives previously led.
- Proposed approach:
- A short concept note outlining your approach to designing and implementing the TOT model. Suggested methodology for reviewing and updating existing training content to ensure it is engaging, contextually relevant and tailored to different actors.
- Measurement and evaluation plan:
- Clear description of how you would measure the effectiveness and impact of the proposed ToT model and updated training content.
- Proposed indicators, tools, and feedback mechanisms for monitoring progress and outcomes.
- Work plan and timelines:
- Detailed work plan outlining key activities, deliverables, and milestones.
- Proposed timelines for implementation, capacity-building, and reporting.
- Budget and cost breakdown:
- Comprehensive budget with a clear breakdown of costs (professional fees, travel, workshops, materials, digital tools, etc.).
- The submission must be clear, concise, and complete, not exceeding 10 pages. Applicants should submit only such information as is necessary to respond effectively to this request for proposals.
All applications should be sent to [email protected], with [email protected] and [email protected] in copy. With the subject name: Proposal submission Consultant to Design Tiko’s Trainer-of-Trainers Cascade Model. By close of business 10th October 2025.