Consultancy for Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) and Gender Toolkit

BACKGROUND

CARE International is one of the world’s largest humanitarian organizations, fighting global poverty and working in over 90 countries. CARE’s emergency response efforts are particularly effective because we view all our programs through a unique gender perspective, putting women and girls at the center.

CARE’s focus on women and girls gives us a unique lens on leveraging cash and voucher assistance (CVA) for more and longer lasting impact. CARE is committed to ensuring that projects with CVA are designed with and for women and girls, addressing recipients’ needs, challenges, and opportunities. CARE’s strategic ambition for CVA aspires to have all projects with CVA be gender sensitive, based on CARE’s Gender Marker Continuum, and to respond to gender-based violence (GBV) and mitigate GBV risks in projects with CVA.

CARE has invested in significant research on how to make cash work for women and girls through a gender sensitive approach that frames the processes and outcomes of the modalities, with a special focus on GBV prevention, mitigation, and response. In 2019, CARE spearheaded and funded the development of the Cash and Voucher Assistance and Gender-Based Violence Compendium: Practical Guidance for Humanitarian Practitioners in collaboration with 15 organizations and shortly after released three sets of accompanying training modules based on the Compendium with the Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC). In 2021 the Cash and Voucher Assistance and Gender-Based Violence Online Training was developed and rolled out, based on the Compendium, to complement existing in-person curricula and expand access, reach, and uptake among field-level practitioners.

In 2019, CARE commissioned a multi-country study on what gender sensitive CVA looks like with a new iterationreleased in 2021. In 2020, the Gender Sensitive Cash and Voucher Assistance: Guidance to Ensure Approach in the Field was released to support the application of gender sensitive CVA throughout the project cycle and at the response level. In 2020-2022, CARE, its national partners, and WRC partnered in Ecuador, Colombia and Northwest Syria to better understand the use of CVA in GBV case management. In late 2022, CARE released the CVA Toolboxfor quality and gender sensitive CVA programming.

As such, CARE is seeking to update and refresh its operational guidance on gender sensitive CVA with a focus on simplifying the necessary steps needed to integrate gender mainstreaming into CVA programming. This will call for a special focus on intersectionality principles and ensuring this is properly reflected along the program cycle, for example when conducting gender analysis for CVA. The guidance will be one part of the Cash and Voucher Assistance & Gender Toolkit, the rest will encompass a set of practical tools to guide field staff in effectively integrating a gender lens to CVA programming.

SCOPE OF WORK AND LEVEL OF EFFORT

The expected deliverables for this consultancy include:

• Updated guidance on how to integrate gender mainstreaming into CVA programming, with an emphasis on intersectionality and vulnerable groups, with adequate contextualization throughout the document
• Utilize CARE’sGender Marker Continuum and Gender Marker Vetting Form to create and adapt one focused on gender sensitive CVA programming
• Desk review of existing gender and GBV tools and resources available, drawing from Gender Equality and CVA: Tools and Guidance and GBV and CVA: Tools and Guidance
• A comprehensive set of tools including tipsheets and templates on mainstreaming gender in CVA, such as a gender sensitive CVA proposal checklist**,** M&E indicators, PDM templates, etc.
• Script for multimedia video to showcase guidance and the toolkit
• Standardized PowerPoint slide deck adaptable for various target audiences (humanitarian practitioners, donors, etc.)

CONSULTANCY TIME SCHEDULE & DURATION

This consultancy is expected to take place between April and May for a maximum of 35 days. All deliverables for this project are expected to be completed by the 31st of May 2023.

MANAGEMENT

This consultancy is commissioned by CARE USA’s Global Cash and Markets Team. The Gender and CVA Specialist will manage the consultant, with the support of the Senior Technical Advisor for Cash & Markets.

ESSENTIAL PROFILE OF THE CONSULTANT

For this consultancy, CARE is seeking the following expertise:

• Substantial knowledge and experience in integrating gender mainstreaming in humanitarian programming
• Demonstrated experience in conducting gender analysis/assessments and working with field teams to operationalize tools
• Experience with cash and voucher assistance (CVA) in humanitarian settings
• Experience with GBV risk mitigation desirable
• Working knowledge of Arabic/French/Spanish is desirable