Top Line Objective

Girl Effect India is currently seeking an experienced Product Design Sprint Expert to conduct a design sprint to scope, design, prototype and test an online curriculum/service directory website for young girls on Technology Facilitated Gender Based Violence (TFGBV). This design sprint, adapted using established frameworks like Google Ventures Sprint, will cover facilitating a workshop to define the problem statement, working on the hypothesis, designing the solution and prototype testing with functional outcomes for the team to build a working online/digital solution.

Who We Are

Girl Effect is an international non-profit that connects girls to the resources and support she needs to overcome barriers, see themselves differently and unleash their full potential. We believe that the most powerful force to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty is GIRLS. When you connect GIRLS to what they need, unleash the limits communities set for them, and change how girls see themselves- they change the world. That’s the Girl Effect.

Our approach redefines what girls think they can and should do. We do this by building digital and media technologies that girls want, trust and need.From chatbots and applications to chat shows and TV dramas our approach uses modern technologies to reach girls where they are today.

Our reach is 23 million and counting.

We are girl centered. We engage girls through evidence based social and behavior change. We meet girls where they are today, in the spaces, on the platforms and channels they trust and love. We work with governments to transform systems to work for HER.

We reach girls across the world, where they are -online and offline, to support them at the critical moments in life when choices around their health, education and economic future need to be made.

We use our expertise in behavior change science to motivate and equip girls with information and support to help them see a different future for themselves, act on those choices, and drive greater demand for the opportunities and services available to them.

Chhaa Jaa in India, Tujibebe in Tanzania, Yegna in Ethiopia – are some of our youth brands. They exist across multiple channels – digital ( Meta, Google and other SM platforms), TV, radio, print and offline. Where required and relevant, we also use white-label brands for specific campaigns.

Our Approach

Girl Effect uses a branded media approach towards delivering behavioral change programmes.

We reach girls across the world, where they are – online and offline, to support them at the critical moments in life when choices around their health, education and economic future need to be made.

We use our expertise in behavior change science to motivate and equip girls with information and support to help them see a different future for themselves, act on those choices, and drive greater demand for the opportunities and services available to them.

Chhaa Jaa in India, Tujibebe in Tanzania, Yegna in Ethiopia – are some of our youth brands. They exist across multiple channels – digital ( Meta, Google and other SM platforms), TV, radio, print, and on-ground.

Project Context

As digital technology increasingly permeates our daily lives, it is also enabling new and more intense forms of Gender-Based Violence (GBV). Although online violence against women and girls is not a new issue, it has surged dramatically in recent years, posing substantial threats to safety and well-being both online and offline.

In India, increased internet and social media use has led to a rise in Technology-facilitated GBV (TFGBV). Cyber crimes against women increased by 11% in 2022, with significant rises in incidents involving transmission and publication of sexually explicit material.

Limited digital literacy and increased online activity puts adolescents at greater risk of online GBV. According to a recent study 15% of adolescents had faced at least one incident related to online sexual abuse or exploitation. Girls are less likely to have their own phones and their digital usage is often highly controlled. This leads to underreporting of TFGBV due to fear of further restrictions. The same study highlighted that adolescent girls are less likely to inform their parents of online GBV as they fear punitive action, including discontinuation of education and early marriage.

TFGBV has significant real-world impacts. TFGBV victims report negative effects on academic performance and daily routines and self-harm. Many victims feel ongoing fear, anxiety, and helplessness, leading many to reduce their use of mobile phones and social media, they become more cautious about posting content online.

What You’ll Do

Girl Effect India is currently seeking a product design sprint consultant/agency to facilitate a design sprint workshop with the GEI team members for the digital intervention-based service directory website/online TFGBV curriculum. This workshop will serve as an agile platform to brainstorm, discuss, design a prototype and test the initial version online product which will serve as a benchmark for the product and tech team to build a fully functional product for the beneficiaries.

The goal of this sprint is to collaboratively understand the problem, ideate solutions, design a prototype, and test it with end-users (young girls) to ensure the product is user-centric, impactful, and scalable.

The selected design sprint experts will be responsible for planning, facilitating, and delivering a 3 to 5-day design sprint. The sprint will follow the Google Ventures (GV) design sprint methodology or an adapted version suitable for our context.

The scope includes:

• Preparation:
  • Collaborate with Girl Effect India to define sprint goals, target audience, and key challenges.
  • Develop a detailed sprint agenda and pre-sprint materials for participants.
• Facilitation:
  • Conduct a 3/5-day design sprint with the team, guiding them through the following phases:
    • Day 1: Understand – Map the problem space, define user personas, and identify key challenges.
    • Day 2: Ideate – Brainstorm and sketch potential solutions.
    • Day 3: Decide – Select the most viable solution to prototype.
      Or, aggregate Day 1 to Day 3 in one-day
    • Day 4: Prototype – Create a high-fidelity prototype of the chosen solution (online curriculum or services directory website).
    • Day 5: Test – Conduct user testing with young girls to gather feedback and validate the prototype.
• Post-Sprint Support:
  • Provide a detailed report summarizing the sprint outcomes, user feedback, and recommendations for next steps.
  • Offer guidance on refining the prototype and preparing for implementation.

Key Process

The design sprint will follow a structured process to ensure clarity, collaboration, and actionable outcomes:

1. Pre-Sprint Planning:
   • Kickoff meeting to align on goals, timelines, and roles.
   • Research review (existing data on TFGBV, user needs, and competitor analysis).
2. Sprint Execution:
   • Daily facilitation of activities, including brainstorming, decision-making, prototyping, and user testing.
   • Use of collaborative tools (e.g., Miro, Figma, or equivalent) to document and visualize ideas.
3. User Testing:
   • Support recruitment and engage young girls (target audience) to test the prototype.
   • Collect qualitative and quantitative feedback to refine the solution.
4. Post-Sprint Review:
   • Present findings and recommendations to Girl Effect India.
   • Provide a roadmap for further development and implementation.

Final Outputs and Deliverables

The design sprint experts will deliver the following:

1. Sprint Report:
   • Summary of the sprint process, decisions, and outcomes.
   • User feedback and insights from testing.
   • Recommendations for refining the prototype and next steps.
2. High-Fidelity Prototype:
   • A clickable prototype of the online curriculum or services directory website, ready for further development.
3. User Personas and Journey Maps:
   • Detailed personas of young girls and their digital behaviors related to TFGBV.
   • User journey maps highlighting pain points and opportunities.
4. Implementation Roadmap:
   • A high-level plan for developing, launching, and scaling the product.

Timeline – To be completed with deliverables by 30th April 2025

If you work in the product design space and are passionate about unlocking the power of girls, then we would like to work with you.

What we value

• Alignment with our mission and commitment to empowering adolescent girls
• An understanding of and (ideally lived) experience in the countries we work in
• Empathy, curiosity and excellent communication skills
• The ability to really listen to our needs and drive to strive for the best solutions
• A supportive mindset to help our teams and partners develop their skills and knowledge
• Openness and honesty about where we could improve
• Portfolio of work demonstrating experience working on projects targeting youth and possibly health outcomes

Who you are

Skills and expertise:

The design sprint experts should demonstrate the following qualifications:

• Proven Experience:
  • At least 3–5 years of experience facilitating design sprints, preferably for digital products or educational tools.
  • Portfolio of successful projects with measurable outcomes.
• Subject Matter Knowledge:
  • Familiarity with gender-based violence, online safety, or youth-focused digital solutions is a plus.
• Facilitation Skills:
  • Strong ability to lead diverse teams, manage group dynamics, and drive decision-making.
  • Expertise in using collaborative tools (e.g., Miro, Figma, Slack).
• User-Centered Design Expertise:
  • Proficiency in user research, prototyping, and usability testing.
  • Experience working with young audiences (ages 18-24) is highly desirable.
• Communication and Reporting:
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Ability to synthesize complex information into clear, actionable insights.
• You are based in India and fluent in Hindi, Hinglish, and English.

Expected Commitment

• The project is expected to take approximately 5 weeks.
• The assignment period is from 23rd March 2025 to 30th April.

Location

The consultant must be based in India and have extensive experience in the country. The Assignment will be carried out in Goa, India.

Management

The consultant will have a primary point of contact within our India Product team. The language of the materials and reports shall be English. The contract supervisor shall approve all deliverables submitted before any payment is made.

Procurement Timelines

● Terms of reference published – 20th February 2025

● Deadline for responses – 5th March 2025

● Project commencement – 23rd March 2025

Proposal submission

Your proposal (Max 10 pages) should cover:

• Your understanding of the brief: A presentation/document showcasing your understanding of the brief with a detailed plan for conducting the design sprint, including timeline and tools.
• Credentials:
  • Please showcase a minimum of 5 examples of previous work relevant to what we are trying to achieve and the audience that we cater to (it need not be a direct example but perhaps the closest one)
  • Link to your CV and portfolio of work
• 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
• Breakdown of Costs:

i) Detailed budget sheet with the project fee with applicable taxes and other charges clearly identified in INR. Vendors should provide their daily or hourly billing rate or their proposed fixed fee for the requested deliverables.

• All applicable taxes should be quoted separately;
• Itemized cost estimate for the entire engagement, including facilitation, materials, and post-sprint support.

Selection Criteria

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

Technical Evaluation

• Understanding of Brief- 30%
• Examples of previous relevant work – 20%
• Quality of proposed approach and methodology – 30%

Financial Evaluation

• Value for money/proposed budget breakdown – 20%

Technical and Financial proposals will need to be submitted as separate documents. Financial bids will not be opened until the technical evaluation and then only for those proposals deemed qualified and responsive.

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.

Please note that Girl Effect 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 Girl Effect.

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

Tax

Girl Effect India is obliged by the Indian 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 Indian tax legislation when developing their proposals.

Disclaimer

GE reserves the right to determine the structure of the process, number of short-listed 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 ONLY successful applicant(s). The process of negotiation and signing of the contract with the successful applicant(s) will follow.

Please note: We will evaluate only proposals submitted following the application process outlined in the TOR and using our specified email addresses (suppliers@girleffect.org).

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.

Equal Opportunities

Girl Effect is committed to equal opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, 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 increasingly representative of, and works extensively with, the communities that we serve. To this end, due regard will be paid to procuring consultancy service organizations and individuals with diverse professional, academic and cultural backgrounds.

How to Apply:

To apply for this opportunity, please submit a proposal by email with the subject line “ Proposal for Product Design Sprint Consultant – TFGBV” to suppliers@girleffect.org by 5th March 2025