Terms of Reference Graphic Designer and Illustrator (Individual Consultant)

Who We Are

Girl Effect is an international non-profit organization dedicated to addressing challenges faced by adolescent girls and youth in Ethiopia. Operating in the country since 2013, the organization leverages Social and Behavior Change (SBC) strategies, combining media and on-the-ground interventions to tackle various societal issues and empower young people. Girl Effect Ethiopia created the youth brand Yegna in 2014, since then has reached over 10 million people through multiple products, outreach programs, girl networks, and research pieces done all for the betterment of adolescent lives.

We create safe spaces for girls, sharing facts and answering questions about health, nutrition, education, relationships, etc. And we use innovative technology so we can reach girls at scale. We arm girls with the skills to negotiate and redefine what they are told is possible, so every girl can choose to be in control of her body, her health, her learning and livelihood.

When a girl unlocks her power to make different choices that change her life, it inspires others to do so too. She starts a ripple effect that impacts her family, community, and country. 

That’s the Girl Effect.

Background

Yegna, Girl Effect’s branded multi-media platform established in Ethiopia in 2014, focuses on empowering adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) through fun, factual and fictional content using role-modeling and storytelling to inspire them to think and behave differently. 

Meaning “Ours” in Amharic, Yegna brings young people together to overcome life’s challenges and realize their ambitions. Our platform comprises a national TV drama, music, digital and social media channels, and club activities. All our content is research-driven and co-designed with our audience. Testing, tracking and learning are critical to our design process. We aim for our content to be authentic, relevant, relatable to our audiences, and as engaging as possible.

As the demand for compelling, localized visual content increases across our platforms and programs, we are seeking a highly skilled graphic designer and illustrator to support our work in developing cohesive, engaging visuals that resonate with Ethiopian youth, especially girls.

What we are looking for 

We are looking for a creative professional who is both a strong graphic designer and a skilled illustrator to join our talent pool on a retainer basis. The selected designer will collaborate closely with our creative team to produce original visual assets that bring our stories and educational materials to life across both digital and print formats.

The ideal candidate will:

• Have proven experience in both illustration and graphic design, with a portfolio showcasing youth-oriented, culturally relevant work.
• Be confident in creating character-driven illustrations and narrative visuals that enhance storytelling and engagement.
• Be skilled in layout and composition for educational manuals, posters, flyers, and social media assets.
• Possess a strong eye for typography, color, and visual balance, with the ability to tailor designs to specific messaging goals and target audiences.
• Be comfortable working across multiple styles and formats and adapting visual tone to suit the needs of different campaigns or platforms.
• Demonstrate excellent attention to detail, consistency, and the ability to deliver high-quality, print- and digital-ready assets on schedule.

Scope of Work

The designer/illustrator will be responsible for:

• Developing original illustrations and design concepts based on creative briefs.
• Designing engaging and on-brand visuals for social media, print materials, and campaigns.
• Layout and design of educational materials, factsheets, manuals, and safeguarding guides.
• Supporting UI design for app interfaces or digital tools, where needed.
• Designing custom PowerPoint slides and visual templates for internal and external presentations, ensuring alignment with brand guidelines.
• Collaborating with the Create team to select the most effective visual formats for each message.
• Ensuring all content is audience-appropriate, gender-sensitive, and aligned with Girl Effect’s voice and brand guidelines.
• Delivering packaged project files and assets in formats suitable for production or digital use.

Expected Deliverables

Specific deliverables will vary by project and may include:

• Illustrated and graphic assets for campaigns, educational content, and digital use.
• Print-ready and digital-ready files for all assignments.
• Final packaged source files upon delivery.
• Design revisions and iterations based on feedback.

Management

The individual will have a primary point of contact within GEE’s Create team. 

Procurement Timeline

• Terms of Reference Published:  May 27, 2025
• Deadline for Proposal Submission:  June 11, 2025

Expected Commitment

This is a retainer-based engagement. The initial agreement will be for 6 months, renewable based on performance and project pipeline. Payment will be made based on submitted and approved deliverables, as per agreed timelines and retainer terms.

Location

The agency must be based in Ethiopia and have extensive experience in the country. The Assignment will be carried out in Ethiopia.

Proposal Submission

Your proposal, should you be interested (Max 5 pages), should cover:

• Portfolio
  • As part of your application, please include a link or PDF of your portfolio of recent work, highlighting your abilities and experience relevant to the role, with specific examples of how you work, think, collaborate, and contribute to great design outcomes.
  • Please note that we are unable to accept any applications without a portfolio.
• CV/Credentials/Profile - Please showcase any previous work that you consider relevant to what we are trying to achieve, how we approach our work, and the audience we cater to. Describe the qualifications, experience, and capabilities of the firm or consultant in providing the requested services.
• Reference - Provide at least three references for similar contracts with a description of the service provided, the value of the contract, and the contract periods of performance.
• Individuals should provide a detailed financial proposal based on daily/hourly billing rates, with separate rates clearly indicated for illustration and graphic design services. The proposal should outline the proposed retainer rate and any assumptions related to scope, availability, or working style.
• All applicable taxes must be itemized separately.

In their proposal, the bidder must demonstrate an understanding of the requirements described in the TOR and demonstrate how the bidder will meet the requirements of the evaluation criteria.

GE is not liable for any cost incurred during the award/contract preparation, submission, or negotiation of the award/contract. All submitted documentation and/or materials shall become and remain the property of GE.

VALIDITY of the proposal shall be for 90 days from the date of bid closure.

Evaluation Criteria

The criteria against which proposals will be evaluated are listed below.

Technical Evaluation

• Interpretation and understanding of this TOR - 10%
• Portfolio - 25%
• Showcases relevant experience in having done previous similar work with relevant agencies or organizations - 15 %
• Geographical Experience in Ethiopia- 10%
• Experience and Qualification, share your CV/Credential- 15 %

Financial Evaluation

• Value for money/proposed budget breakdown - 25%

How To Apply

To apply for this opportunity, please submit a proposal by email with the subject line “Graphic Designer and Illustrator-Ethiopia” to  suppliers@girleffect.org   by June 11, 2025.

Copyright

All materials/documents arising from this consultancy work shall remain the property of Girl Effect.

Equal Opportunities

Girl Effect is committed to equal opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity, or expression. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

We are committed to building an organization that is truly representative of the communities that we serve. To this end, due regard will be paid to procuring consultancy services of organizations and individuals with a deep understanding and experience of our programming markets and diverse professional, academic and cultural backgrounds.

Safeguarding

You may be required to undertake safeguarding checks. Shortlisted consultants will be assessed on our organizational values at the interview stage. The successful consultant will be expected to adhere to our safeguarding policy. We encourage you to read and understand our safeguarding policy, the executive summary of which can be found here. We have zero tolerance for all forms of violence against children, beneficiaries and staff. 

Tax

Girl Effect Ethiopia is obliged by the Ethiopian tax authorities to ensure all taxes are charged where applicable. Applicants are advised to ensure that they have a clear understanding of their tax position regarding provisions to Ethiopian tax legislation when developing their proposals.

Disclaimer

GE reserves the right to determine the structure of the process, the number of shortlisted participants, the right to withdraw from the proposal process, the right to change this timetable at any time without notice and reserves the right to withdraw this tender at any time, without prior notice and without liability to compensate and/or reimburse any party. GE shall inform the ONLY successful applicant(s). The process of negotiation and signing of the contract with the successful applicant(s) will follow.