The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has announced an exciting consultancy opportunity for experienced monitoring, evaluation, research and learning professionals to conduct an External Review of the Pathways for Better Education and Livelihood Programme. The consultancy offers an opportunity to contribute to an international programme supporting displacement-affected young people across six countries.
Applications and expressions of interest are open until 18 September 2026, making this an opportunity that qualified consultants and evaluation teams should consider if they have relevant experience in programme evaluation, education, livelihoods and youth-focused humanitarian or development programming.
About the Pathways for Better Education and Livelihood Programme
The Pathways for Better Education and Livelihoods Programme is a four-year initiative running from 2024 to 2027. The programme is designed to support displacement-affected young people to continue their education and/or improve their income and livelihoods, ultimately contributing to improved wellbeing.
The programme operates across six country operations: Ethiopia, Myanmar, Palestine, Niger, El Salvador and Honduras.
Rather than focusing only on direct service delivery, the programme also seeks to strengthen youth participation, community engagement and ownership. It works with a broad range of local actors to improve young people’s access to learning and livelihood opportunities.
The external review will therefore examine not only what the programme has achieved, but also why particular outcomes have occurred and what can be learned to strengthen future programming.
What Will the External Review Examine?
The review has a dual purpose. First, it will assess the extent to which the programme has achieved results to date. Second, it will serve as a learning exercise for stakeholders and help inform the design of the programme’s next phase.
The review will focus on three major lines of inquiry.
1. Programme Design and Youth Outcomes
The review will consider whether the programme’s design creates the right conditions for young people to achieve positive outcomes and make informed decisions about their own futures.
This means examining whether programme approaches are sufficiently responsive to young people’s needs, aspirations and circumstances, particularly in contexts affected by displacement.
2. Understanding What Has Changed
The evaluation will investigate what has changed for young people as a result of the programme and why those changes have been sustained for some participants but not others.
Importantly, the review will also explore what young people themselves identify as the factors that contributed to these changes. This places participants’ experiences and perspectives at the centre of the learning process.
3. Barriers to Youth Transitions
The review will examine the factors that constrain young people’s transitions in the different programme contexts.
It will also assess which adaptations made by NRC have helped address these challenges and made a meaningful difference. This can generate valuable lessons about how programmes can remain relevant and responsive in complex humanitarian and development environments.
Who Should Apply?
This consultancy is particularly relevant to experienced evaluation professionals, research consultants, monitoring and evaluation specialists and consultancy teams with a strong background in international development or humanitarian programming.
According to the vacancy information, the opportunity is classified under Monitoring and Evaluation, with an experience level of 5–9 years.
Candidates are likely to be particularly well positioned if they can demonstrate experience in areas such as:
- Programme evaluation and external reviews
- Monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL)
- Qualitative and quantitative research
- Youth-focused programmes
- Education and livelihoods programming
- Humanitarian and development contexts
- Research involving displaced or crisis-affected populations
- Learning and adaptive programming
- Multi-country evaluations
- Stakeholder engagement and participatory approaches
- Developing evidence-based recommendations for future programming
Teams combining complementary expertise may also be well suited to the assignment, particularly given the programme’s geographic and thematic scope.
Why This Consultancy Matters
Young people affected by displacement frequently face significant barriers to education, employment, income generation and participation in community life. These challenges can have long-term consequences for their wellbeing and future opportunities.
Understanding which interventions genuinely help young people navigate these challenges is therefore critical.
An external review can provide an independent perspective on programme performance while also helping organisations understand what works, what does not work, and why.
For NRC, the findings will contribute to organisational learning and help inform the design of the programme’s next phase. For consultants, the assignment represents an opportunity to contribute to evidence-based programming across multiple humanitarian contexts.
Key Application Dates
Interested consultants and teams should pay close attention to the procurement timetable.
The deadline for submission of bids is Friday, 18 September 2026. Shortlisted teams are expected to participate in interviews between 22 and 25 September 2026, with contracting expected to be finalised by Friday, 2 October 2026.
Completed bids should be submitted by email to HO.Procurement@nrc.no.
Clarification questions can be directed to Ana Stiglic at ana.stiglic@nrc.no.
Applicants should consult the full Terms of Reference and procurement requirements before preparing their submissions.
A Chance to Contribute to Better Youth Programming
The External Review of the Pathways for Better Education and Livelihood Programme provides an opportunity for experienced evaluators to contribute to an important international learning process.
With activities spanning six countries and focusing on education, livelihoods, youth engagement and displacement, the assignment requires professionals capable of working across complex contexts and turning evidence into practical recommendations.
For consultants with 5–9 years of relevant experience in monitoring and evaluation, research, humanitarian programming or international development, this could be a valuable opportunity to apply their expertise to a programme with significant implications for displacement-affected young people.
The application deadline is 18 September 2026, so eligible individuals and teams should review the full Terms of Reference, prepare their technical and financial submissions, and submit their bids before the closing date.
Organisation: Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)
Opportunity: External Review of the Pathways for Better Education and Livelihood Programme
Type: Consultancy
Field: Monitoring & Evaluation
Experience: 5–9 years
Countries covered: Ethiopia, Myanmar, Palestine, Niger, El Salvador and Honduras
Closing date: 18 September 2026
Submission email: HO.Procurement@nrc.no
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