Review and Development of the Bonga Life Skills Curriculum for South Sudan

Stromme Foundation (SF) is seeking an experienced curriculum development consultant or firm to review, revise, contextualise, and where needed develop new curriculum materials for Bonga, SF’s non-formal life skills and adolescent empowerment programme in East Africa. Bonga is a dialogue-based learning programme that supports vulnerable adolescents, particularly out-of-school girls and boys, to build life skills, confidence, agency, resilience, leadership, rights awareness, and positive decision-making. In South Sudan, the programme is implemented through community-based and school-based pathways and aims to strengthen adolescents’ ability to navigate the transition to adulthood, remain engaged in education where possible, and access positive livelihood and community participation opportunities. The assignment will focus on reviewing the existing Bonga curriculum and supporting materials, identifying gaps, and developing an updated, age-appropriate, gender-responsive, inclusive, culturally relevant, and implementation-ready curriculum package for South Sudan. The work should preserve and strengthen Bonga’s core dialogue-based and participatory methodology while ensuring that the content is relevant to the realities of adolescents in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. The consultant will develop or revise curriculum materials for three Bonga pathways: Bonga in Community for older out-of-school adolescents, Bonga Back to School for younger adolescents with potential to transition into formal or alternative education, and Bonga in School for learners at risk of absenteeism or dropout. The assignment will also include the development or revision of a Training-of-Trainers manual and practical guidance for facilitators, supervisors, and programme teams. Key areas of focus include adolescent development, life skills, gender equality, inclusion, safeguarding, child protection, health, rights awareness, leadership, communication, conflict resolution, peacebuilding, financial literacy, livelihood readiness, active citizenship, and pathways to education and economic opportunities. The consultant will be expected to conduct a desk review, consult with Strømme Foundation staff, partners, facilitators, and other stakeholders, prepare a curriculum gap analysis, develop a proposed curriculum framework, draft and revise curriculum materials, support validation and field testing, finalise the full curriculum package, and conduct Training of Trainers for SF and partner staff. The ideal consultant or firm will have strong experience in curriculum development for adolescents and young people, particularly in non-formal education, life skills, participatory learning, adolescent empowerment, and programmes targeting vulnerable or out-of-school adolescents. Experience in South Sudan or similar fragile contexts will be considered an advantage. Purpose of the assignment The purpose of the consultancy is to strengthen the Bonga curriculum for implementation in South Sudan. The consultant will review the existing curriculum and supporting materials, identify gaps, and develop an updated, age-appropriate, gender-responsive, inclusive, culturally relevant, and implementation-ready curriculum package. The assignment should preserve and strengthen Bonga’s core dialogue-based and participatory methodology while ensuring that the content reflects the realities, opportunities, and challenges faced by adolescents in South Sudan, including those affected by poverty, conflict, displacement, early marriage, adolescent pregnancy, school dropout, harmful social norms, and limited livelihood opportunities.

Scope of work

The consultant will be expected to:

- Conduct a desk review of existing Bonga curriculum materials, manuals, and supporting documents. - Consult with Strømme Foundation staff, implementing partners, facilitators, and other relevant stakeholders. - Prepare a curriculum review and gap analysis. - Develop a proposed curriculum framework, including learning outcomes, structure, pathways, and core content areas. - Revise, contextualise, and where needed develop curriculum materials for different age groups and implementation pathways. - Strengthen content on life skills, adolescent development, gender equality, safeguarding, child protection, inclusion, leadership, communication, conflict resolution, peacebuilding, financial literacy, livelihood readiness, active citizenship, and pathways to education and economic opportunities. - Support validation, piloting, final revisions, and rollout of the curriculum package. - Conduct Training of Trainers for SF’s and partner staff. Key deliverables The assignment will result in a complete Bonga curriculum and training package, including: - Inception report with methodology, workplan, tools, stakeholder engagement approach, and timeline. - Curriculum review and gap analysis report. - Revised and contextualised Bonga in Community Curriculum for older adolescents aged 16–19. - Revised and contextualised Bonga Back to School Curriculum for younger adolescents aged 13–15. - Revised and contextualised Bonga in School Curriculum for learners aged 9–13. - Training-of-Trainers manual, including practical guidance for facilitators, supervisors, and programme teams. - Technical recommendations for piloting, implementation, monitoring, and continuous improvement. - Final assignment report summarising the review process, key revisions, and implementation recommendations. Required expertise

The consultant or firm should have:

- A master’s degree or higher in education, curriculum development, adolescent development, public health, social sciences, psychology, or a related field. - At least 7–10 years of experience in curriculum development, review, and adaptation for adolescents and young people. - Demonstrated experience in adolescent empowerment and life skills programming, particularly for out-of-school adolescents. - Experience developing or adapting non-formal, dialogue-based, lear