Nigeria Youth Futures Fund M and E Consultancy 2026: How to Land a High Impact Evaluation Role in Youth Governance

If you live and breathe logframes, evaluation matrices, and theory of change diagrams, this opportunity will feel like a dream assignment.

The Nigeria Youth Futures Fund (NYFF) is looking for a Portfolio Monitoring and Evaluation Consultant (an individual or a firm) to step in as the independent brain behind a major strategic review. Your task: take four-plus years of youth-focused governance, leadership, and advocacy work across Nigeria, and tell a clear, honest story about what worked, what did not, and why it matters.

This is not a quick “endline survey and go” job. It is a portfolio-level evaluation of a countrywide program that has been investing in young people, their ideas, and their influence from 2021 to 2025. You will be digging into grants, campaigns, trainings, and online engagement activities that span all six geopolitical zones.

If you care about evidence, accountability, and making youth programs better rather than just bigger, this consultancy puts you right at the center of a serious governance initiative.

The deadline is December 18, 2025. The assignment itself runs roughly from December 2025 to April 2026 – an intense but realistic window to design, collect, analyse, and synthesise.

Below is everything you need to know – and more than the official call tells you – to decide if you are a good fit, and how to craft a proposal that makes NYFF say, “Yes, these are our people.”

At a Glance

Why This Consultancy Actually Matters

A lot of evaluations are box‑ticking exercises. A few surveys, a workshop report, a nice dashboard, and everyone moves on.

This one is different.

NYFF has spent several years backing young Nigerians to influence governance, shape national conversations, and build leadership pipelines. That includes:

• A National Visioning Process where youth voices feed into national debates.
• Youth Leadership Development and grant making, funding youth‑led organisations and initiatives.
• Online and media engagement, amplifying youth perspectives across digital platforms.

Your evaluation will not just ask “Did activities happen?” but far bigger questions:

• Did these interventions meaningfully shift youth participation in governance?
• Are funded initiatives sustainable beyond NYFF money?
• Which strategies produced real change and which just created noise?
• What should NYFF – and other youth funds in Africa – do differently in the next phase?

In other words, your work will influence how resources are directed for youth governance, not only in Nigeria but potentially as a reference point for similar programmes across the continent.

If you care about youth power backed by solid evidence rather than slogans, this assignment puts you behind the steering wheel.

What This Opportunity Offers

A rare, portfolio‑wide vantage point

Most consultants get hired to evaluate one project, maybe two. Here, you are looking across several years of work and multiple interventions under three major pillars. That portfolio view is gold for any evaluator: it lets you see patterns, trade‑offs, and unintended effects that single‑project evaluations miss.

You will be expected to draw representative samples across pillars and regions, which gives you enough spread to say something intelligent about the programme as a whole without drowning yourself in data.

Serious methodological freedom

NYFF is not handing you a rigid, pre‑cooked evaluation design. They expect the consultant or firm to develop and apply an appropriate M and E approach tailored to NYFF’s context and goals.

That means you get to make strategic choices:

• Mix of quantitative and qualitative tools.
• How to structure contribution analysis.
• How to integrate administrative data with primary data collection.
• How to handle attribution vs contribution in complex advocacy and governance work.

If you are tired of being told exactly which indicators to “track and report,” this is an opportunity to design something that actually answers useful questions.

Direct access to people who matter

You will be engaging directly with grantees, implementing partners, and the NYFF internal team. That is crucial – you are not just reading PDFs in a corner.

You should expect interviews with young leaders, visits (or virtual meetings) with organisations across different states, and conversations with programme staff who have been in the trenches.

Done well, these relationships will not just help this assignment – they will deepen your network across Nigeria’s youth governance space.

A strong reference project on your CV

“Portfolio‑level evaluation of a national youth governance fund, using OECD DAC criteria, across six geopolitical zones” is not just a nice line on your CV – it is a project that signals you can handle complex, multi‑site, multi‑stakeholder evaluations.

If you are building a practice or firm specialising in governance, youth, civic participation, or African development initiatives, this is exactly the kind of flagship assignment that convinces future clients you know what you are doing.

(Note: the TOR does not list a fee range, but for a four‑month national portfolio evaluation, you should budget and price this as a serious, full‑scale engagement, not a side gig.)

Who Should Apply (and Who Probably Should Not)

Officially, NYFF is looking for:

• Someone with at least a Master’s degree in Economics, Monitoring and Evaluation, Development Studies, or a closely linked field.
• At least 5 years of experience in the development sector, especially NGOs or NPOs.
• Proven experience evaluating donor‑funded youth projects or programmes.
• Demonstrated experience working on portfolio‑level monitoring and evaluation, not just isolated projects.
• Availability from December 2025 through April 2026.

That is the basics. But let us translate that into real‑world profiles.

You are probably a strong fit if:

• You have already led at least one complex evaluation that covered multiple projects or regions – not just served as a data collector.
• You understand what it means to work with OECD DAC criteria in practice. You have actually used relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability as more than buzzwords in a report.
• You have evaluated youth‑focused work before: leadership training, advocacy campaigns, civic engagement, youth employment, or similar.
• You know Nigeria – either you are based there, or you have worked extensively in the country and understand the six geopolitical zones are not just lines on a map but very different political and social environments.
• You are comfortable doing fieldwork and stakeholder engagements while also sitting down to build serious analytical frameworks and reports.

Think twice if:

• Your experience is mostly single‑project, short‑term evaluations, and you have never tried to stitch findings across a large portfolio.
• You have never evaluated governance, advocacy, or political participation work. This is not a classic service delivery or humanitarian project; attribution is messy, and outcomes are often softer and long‑term.
• You are not realistically available during the proposed period. Cramming a portfolio evaluation into nights and weekends while you juggle three other contracts will almost certainly show in your final product.

If you are a firm, make sure your team composition reflects the brief: you will need a mix of quantitative and qualitative skills, field presence in Nigeria, and a team lead who can hold together the analytical narrative.

What You Will Actually Be Doing

Strip away the jargon and the core tasks look like this:

1. Understand the NYFF portfolio from 2021–2025: grants, programmes, campaigns, partners, budgets, strategies.
2. Design an evaluation framework that applies the OECD DAC criteria to that portfolio.
3. Select a representative sample of projects across the three pillars and all six geopolitical zones.
4. Collect data from multiple sources:
   • Administrative data (reports, monitoring data, grant documentation).
   • Primary data via surveys, interviews, focus groups, and document reviews.
5. Analyse and synthesise:
   • What has NYFF achieved?
   • Where are the gaps?
   • What patterns show up across pillars and regions?
6. Engage stakeholders with your findings, not just hand over a PDF:
   • Presentations.
   • Debrief sessions.
   • Possibly workshops to validate or refine conclusions.
7. Produce a clear final report that the NYFF team and donors can actually use to guide decisions for the next phase.

The TOR mentions all the usual suspects – methodology, sampling, data collection, analysis, reporting – but the real skill lies in your ability to turn scattered data into a coherent, actionable story about NYFF’s contribution to youth futures in Nigeria.

Insider Tips for a Winning Application

You are competing against other experienced evaluators and firms. A generic proposal will get buried. Here is how to stand out.

1. Treat “portfolio‑level” as central, not decorative

Do not just say you will evaluate “projects”. Show that you understand portfolio thinking:

• Explain how you will look across pillars to identify cross‑cutting outcomes.
• Describe how you will compare or cluster different types of interventions.
• Outline how you will manage sampling so that your findings are both credible and feasible.

Reviewers want to see that you are not going to drown in data or, conversely, cherry‑pick a few case studies and call it a day.

2. Be very specific about your OECD DAC approach

Everyone claims to use the DAC criteria. Few explain how.

For each criterion – relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, sustainability – give example evaluation questions and possible indicators tailored to youth governance in Nigeria. For instance:

• Relevance: How well did the funded activities align with youth‑identified governance priorities in each region?
• Impact: Did NYFF‑supported youth voices influence policy discussions, public debates, or institutional practices?

Concrete questions show you have already started thinking seriously about the work.

3. Show you understand youth governance, not just “youth projects”

You will gain major credibility if you demonstrate governance literacy:

• Mention experience with civic participation, policy influence, movement‑building, or advocacy.
• Show that you understand outcomes here might be shifts in behaviours, relationships, or public discourse – not just number of people trained.

Names of past assignments, even briefly described, can do a lot of heavy lifting here.

4. Build a realistic work plan, not a fantasy schedule

Your Key Activities and Work Plan should read like something a sane professional would actually follow between December and April.

Include enough time for:

• Instrument design and piloting.
• Securing approvals and scheduling interviews.
• Fieldwork across multiple regions (or remote equivalents).
• Data cleaning and analysis.
• Drafting and revising reports.

If your Gantt chart suggests you will visit all six geopolitical zones and talk to everyone in three weeks, reviewers will quietly move on.

5. Use your financial proposal to show you understand the task

Yes, the financial proposal is password‑protected, but it still tells a story.

Break down:

• Personnel costs by time allocation: who is doing what, and how long will they need.
• Reimbursable costs: travel, accommodation, data collection tools, transcription, etc.

Under‑budgeting makes you look inexperienced. Over‑budgeting without logic makes you look disconnected from reality. Aim for credible, justified, and proportional.

6. Curate your project experience, do not dump everything

They explicitly ask for verifiable project experience with award letters or completion certificates. Do not attach every small piece of work you have ever done.

Instead, pick 4–6 assignments that mirror this one in:

• Scale.
• Methodological complexity.
• Geographic spread.
• Thematic area (youth, governance, portfolios, donor‑funded programmes).

Then, in your main proposal, summarise what you did and what the client used your findings for. That shows impact, not just activity.

7. Make your methodology readable

You are writing for people who understand evaluation, but they are also busy. Use simple language, clear sub‑headings, and short paragraphs.

A dense block of abstract methodology text screams “copy‑paste from an old proposal”.

Application Timeline: Working Back from December 18, 2025

If you wait until December to think about this, you will submit a rushed, generic proposal. Here is a more realistic timeline.

• By mid‑October 2025
  Decide if you are applying as an individual or firm. Identify your team (if needed) and confirm everyone’s availability December–April. Start gathering your most relevant past evaluation reports and certificates.

• Late October – mid‑November 2025
  Draft your evaluation approach and work plan. Do some light background research on NYFF’s public materials so your proposal does not sound like you have never heard of the programme.

• Mid‑November – early December 2025
  Write the full 5–7 page proposal: methodology, sampling strategy, key activities, work plan, and a brief risk mitigation plan (for things like political instability, travel constraints, or low response rates).

  Parallel to this, prepare:

  • CV of the team lead and core team members.
  • Short, tailored profiles of your organisation or consultancy.
  • The financial proposal (in a separate, password‑protected document).

• By December 10, 2025
  Share your near‑final draft with a critical friend or colleague who has done similar tenders. Ask them specifically:
  “Does this sound credible, and does it feel tailored to youth governance in Nigeria?”

• December 15–17, 2025
  Polish, check for consistency across sections, verify attachments, and test your financial proposal password. Aim to submit at least 24–48 hours before the December 18 deadline to avoid last‑minute technical stress.

Required Materials and How to Prepare Them

NYFF wants more than a nice PDF. Here is what you need to put together and how to make each part work for you.

1. Profile of the Consultant or Firm
   This is your professional story. In 1–2 pages, explain who you are, your mission or focus, where you are based, your core services, and why you are particularly strong on youth, governance, or evaluation in Africa. Name key clients or donors if relevant.

2. Detailed Evaluation Methodology
   This is the heart of your 5–7 page proposal. Cover:

   • Your evaluation questions and how they tie to OECD DAC.
   • Your sampling strategy across pillars and geopolitical zones.
   • Your data collection tools (surveys, KIIs, FGDs, document review).
   • Your analysis plan (qualitative coding, statistical techniques, triangulation). Make sure it is tailored; replace generic phrases with NYFF‑specific ideas.

3. Key Activities and Work Plan
   Present a logical sequence of activities from inception to final report. A simple table with tasks, timeframes, and responsibilities works well. Build in space for feedback from NYFF after the inception report and draft findings.

4. CV of Team Lead and Core Evaluation Team Members
   Keep these focused on evaluation roles. Move unrelated experience down or out. Highlight:

   • M and E skills.
   • Youth‑related work.
   • Nigeria or similar‑context experience.
   • Language skills, especially English and local Nigerian languages.

5. Verifiable Project Experience
   Briefly describe selected past assignments and attach award letters or completion certificates as proof. Make it easy for reviewers by labelling files clearly (e.g., “Youth_Governance_Eval_Completion_Certificate_2023.pdf”).

6. Financial Proposal (Password Protected)
   Break down:

   • Summary of total costs.
   • Personnel costs by days or level of effort.
   • Reimbursable expenses (travel, data collection, analysis tools, etc.). Include short justifications. Keep the formatting clean; evaluators quickly lose patience with messy budgets.

What Makes an Application Stand Out

When reviewers are staring at multiple proposals, a few things separate the “maybe” from the “yes”.

Clear, tailored understanding of NYFF

You do not need inside information, but your proposal should make it obvious you have paid attention. Refer to the three pillars correctly, acknowledge the national scope, and show awareness of youth governance challenges in Nigeria.

Coherent logic from question to method to product

Strong applications show a neat chain:

• Here is what we want to find out.
• Here is how we will find it out.
• Here is how the findings will be used.

If any part of that chain feels vague or copy‑pasted, your score drops.

Realistic, grounded field strategy

If you are proposing primary data collection in multiple zones, reviewers will look at your plan and see if it holds water. Who is your local support? Will you work with enumerators? Are you planning remote interviews where travel is impractical? Details like this scream “experienced” or “not ready”.

Strong team composition

For firms, a team that mixes evaluation expertise, local knowledge, youth/gender expertise, and solid data management skills will outperform a team of generalists. For individuals, highlight any networks or partnerships that help you cover geography and language.

Professional, readable presentation

Sloppy formatting, inconsistent terminology, missing attachments – these hurt you more than you think. Your proposal is your first piece of “work” the client sees. Show you can communicate clearly and organise complex information.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Vague methodology buzzwords

Phrases like “we will use a mixed‑methods approach” without explaining how and why are red flags. Give concrete examples: sample sizes, types of interviews, analytic techniques.

2. Ignoring time and logistics in Nigeria

Pretending you can hop between all six geopolitical zones in a few days is unrealistic. Factor in travel, security, holidays, and potential disruptions. If you plan to use local associates, say so.

3. Over‑promising impact measurement

This is governance and advocacy work. You will not produce a fully quantified causal chain from every NYFF grant to every governance change in Nigeria. Do not promise what no honest evaluator can deliver. Instead, emphasise contribution analysis and triangulated evidence.

4. Weak treatment of sustainability

Since sustainability is explicitly part of the OECD DAC criteria, give it serious thought. How will you assess whether youth‑led initiatives will survive beyond NYFF funding? Think institutionalisation, local ownership, and follow‑on funding.

5. Last‑minute proposal assembly

Rushed proposals tend to mix old content, forget to edit names of past clients out, and leave contradictions in the work plan. Reviewers can smell this from a mile away.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can international firms apply, or is this only for Nigeria‑based consultants?
The call does not explicitly restrict nationality, but this is a Nigeria‑wide evaluation with intensive stakeholder engagement. International firms would need strong, credible Nigerian partners and a clear plan for context‑sensitive work. In practice, having a solid presence or partner network in Nigeria is almost essential.

Is this open to both individuals and firms?
Yes. The wording explicitly says “selected consultant/firm”. What matters is that you can field the right mix of skills and handle the workload in the timeframe.

How long should the main proposal be?
NYFF asks for a 5–7 page proposal excluding attachments. That means your methodology, work plan, and organisational profile must be concise and focused. Attach CVs, project references, and financials separately.

Do I need to have evaluated youth projects before?
Yes, that is not just a nice‑to‑have. They specify proven experience evaluating donor‑funded youth projects or programmes. If your background is purely in health, agriculture, or infrastructure with no youth angle, you will struggle to compete.

Will there be an inception phase?
While not spelled out, any serious portfolio evaluation should start with an inception phase: refining questions, validating the scope, agreeing on methods, and finalising the sampling frame. You should build this into your work plan and budget.

How detailed should the financial proposal be?
More than “evaluation services – total amount”. Break it down by staff, number of days, and per‑day rates, plus clear lines for reimbursable expenses. This helps NYFF see how you are prioritising resources.

Can I reuse a proposal I wrote for another evaluation?
You can reuse some skeleton pieces, but if it reads generic, you are out. At minimum, you must adapt your theory of change, questions, stakeholders, and tools to youth governance in Nigeria and to NYFF’s three specific pillars.

How to Apply

When you are ready to move from interest to action, follow these steps:

1. Read the full opportunity description carefully
   The summary here is detailed, but always check the official page to confirm any specific instructions, formatting requirements, or submission quirks that might trip you up.

2. Draft your 5–7 page proposal
   Focus on a clear methodology, credible work plan, and portfolio‑level thinking. Make sure your approach aligns with OECD DAC criteria and shows specific understanding of youth governance in Nigeria.

3. Prepare your attachments
   Gather:

   • CV of team lead and core team members.
   • Consultant or firm profile.
   • Verifiable project experience with award letters or completion certificates.
   • Password‑protected financial proposal with cost breakdown.

4. Check everything twice
   Confirm page limits, file formats, passwords, and that all required components are present. Sloppy submissions get penalised even before content is read.

5. Submit via the official application form
   Use the NYFF Google Form to upload your materials and complete any requested fields.

Ready to apply? Visit the official opportunity page here:

Apply for the NYFF Portfolio Monitoring and Evaluation Consultant 2026

If you bring sharp evaluation skills, a genuine interest in youth and governance, and the discipline to run a four‑month national‑level assignment well, this consultancy could be one of the most meaningful projects you take on in your career.