Consultant – Positive Youth Engagement Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Analysis – Palestine

Background:

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.

The Positive Youth Engagement (PYE) Program is a five year, USAID funded program implemented by Mercy Corps and partners. PYE aims to increase the access of marginalized and vulnerable youth friendly services and safe spaces, targeting 50,000 youth and to improve their perceptions about their future life and work by 50% in targeted areas. The program will be implemented in selected areas of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza. To meet the goal of transforming vulnerable youth into productive, connected, and contributing citizens. The program will deliver a three-pronged, mutually reinforcing intervention, segmented by gender and age across the targeted communities:

• Core programming that supports, protects, prepares, and engages adolescents in safe spaces located within a strong network of community-based organizations (CBOs);
• Tailored packages of activities, resources, and referrals that will set youth on individually-selected pathways building on the core curriculum to increase opportunities for youth to effectively contribute to social and economic development; and
• Opportunities for sustained community engagement and leadership through youth-led pathways and councils, community and social media advocacy campaigns, and mentorship of subsequent cohorts as part of sustainable community youth networks.

PYE is designed to weaken the push and pull factors that drive adolescents to violence by supporting their personal well-being, helping them develop skills to lead the lives they choose, and strengthening their positive interactions with the community networks and institutions that serve them, including schools, civil society organizations, and private businesses. In direct partnership with Palestinian youth, the program will reintegrate older adolescents (15-19 years old) into social and economic life by empowering them to successfully pursue their goals and prevent younger adolescents (10-14 years old) from becoming isolated and disconnected from social and economic opportunities.

Purpose / Project Description:

The goal of the PYE gender and social inclusion (GESI) analysis is to identify gender gaps in youth engagement including youth living with disabilities, and inform program implementation on how to better integrate gender and inclusion considerations into the program cycle through identifying key gaps that have emerged over the past year of implementation. The analysis will seek to determine 1) what are the gender and social inclusion priorities for youth, 2) What are the successes and gaps in PYE addressing them, and 3) how can PYE enhance its interventions to further respond to these realities. In line with the program objectives, it is essential that the study includes a focus on Persons Living with Disability (PLWD) as part of inclusion.

Specific Objectives

The specific objectives of the PYE GESI analysis are:

1. To better understand the gender gaps and priorities that exist between male and female youth as well as Person’s Living with Disability (PLWD) in relation to the program objectives.
2. Identify the gender related barriers/ challenges and opportunities to their participation.
3. Identify barriers/ challenges and opportunities to the participation of PLWD.
4. Examining gendered support systems surrounding youth engagement and how they impact their participation
5. To highlight strengths and gaps in current PYE programming and address the gender and inclusion priorities identified based on the first year of implementation.
6. To refine PYE interventions based on the GESI analysis findings, and ensure gender and inclusion are mainstreamed throughout the programs’ interventions.
7. Inform the design and implementation of gender responsive interventions where appropriate to enhance participation and/or program impact.
8. To facilitate effective gender and youth integration into PYE’s Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning frameworks, project planning and key program interventions.

Consultant Activities:

The consultant is expected to lead the gender analysis desk review and related qualitative data collection in the specific project locations, in order to contribute to the refinement of PYE’s interventions to enhance participation and project outcomes. This includes:

• Conduct literature review and analysis, including all relevant PYE project documents and assessment reports.
• Identifying gender and inclusion related gaps that have emerged based on the desk review and during the first year of implementation.
• Develop a gap analysis based on the secondary data analysis and a guiding GESI framework of analysis with the gaps identified for primary data collection
• Prepare a presentation of secondary findings to the team and plans for primary data collection (in PowerPoint format).
• Draft the study protocol, including detailed objectives, target participants, methodology, sampling plan, analysis plan and timeline.
• Design data collection tools and procedures with a gender-inclusion and disability-inclusion lens, support in recruiting data collectors, and train data collectors on the tools.
• Oversee and assure quality of the study through pre-testing, review, and finalization of data collection tools.
• Supervise and actively support primary data collection in the field, to ensure quality processes and outcomes.
• Develop a PowerPoint presentation (maximum 20 slides) of the key findings and recommendations from the report.
• Conduct a workshop with the PYE team to identify an action plan based on the findings of the analysis. Facilitate an interactive PYE team dissemination session to discuss findings with the team and identify agreed recommendations for the project.
• Provide a comprehensive gender analysis report. The consultant is expected to submit a soft copy of the final study report (which should be 30 pages maximum, without annexes), including the following components:
  • Executive Summary
  • Project background
  • Purpose of the study
  • Methodology
  • Analysis
  • Findings
  • Study limitations, and
  • Final recommendations
  • Bibliography, List of Acronyms and Abbreviations, Definition of Terms and Concepts)
  • Introduction: Project description, context, purpose, and objectives of desk study
  • Review the study logframe to include GESI considerations.

Consultant Deliverables:

Deliverable 1: Inception report including proposed research methodology and workplan

Deliverable 2: List of documents reviewed and summary of findings and gaps from literature review

Deliverable 3: Qualitative tools for data collection (FGD and KII) including enumerator guides

Deliverable 4: Enumerator training in data collection tools

Deliverable 5: Qualitative analysis of data

Deliverable 6: Draft report including findings and initial recommendations

Deliverable 7: PowerPoint presentation (maximum 20 slides) of the key findings and recommendations from the report

Deliverable 8: Workshop with PYE team to review findings and develop recommendations for the program

Deliverable 9: Final report

Timeframe / Schedule:

After signing the contract, the consultant is expected to submit the following:

Deliverable 1: Inception report including proposed research methodology and workplan to be submitted within the first week.

Deliverable 2: List of documents reviewed and summary of findings and gaps from literature review to be submitted within the second week.

Deliverable 3: Qualitative tools for data collection (FGD and KII) including enumerator guides to be submitted within the third week.

Deliverable 4: Enumerator training in data collection tools to be submitted within the fourth week.

Deliverable 5: Qualitative analysis of data within the seventh week to be submitted within the seventh week.

Deliverable 6: Draft report including findings and initial recommendations to be submitted within the eighth week.

Deliverable 7: PowerPoint presentation (maximum 20 slides) of the key findings and recommendations from the report to be submitted within the eighth week.

Deliverable 8: Workshop with PYE team to review findings and develop recommendations for the program to be submitted within the eighth week.

Deliverable 9: Final report to be submitted within the nineth week.

The Consultant will report to:

the Senior partnership Manager

The Consultant will work closely with:

the PYE Monitor, Evaluation and Learning Advisor. This task can be conducted remotely or in the country depending on the location of the consultant with travel to the field as necessary.

Required Experience & Skills:

• Master’s Degree in gender studies, sociology, and/or other relevant social science, with at least 5 years of experience in gender/youth programming.
• A combination of strong experience in qualitative research methods, and extensive expertise in gender and inclusion analysis preferably in Palestine and/or the Middle East.
• Experience in integrating gender, inclusion and youth considerations in already existing programs.
• In-depth knowledge and experience of participatory research approaches and tools.
• Proven experience in gender research/studies
• Experience in training and coordinating with diverse groups of project staff and stakeholders, especially on relevant issues and work.
• Experience in qualitative data analysis packages
• Excellent analytical and English language report writing skills.
• Fluency in written and spoken English and excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Arabic is preferred.
• Excellent time management skills, ability to take initiative and deliver assignments within set deadlines.

Payment Schedule

Payments will be based on meeting specific requirements and deliverables/milestones as follows:

1. First installment: Upon submission and acceptance of the inception report including proposed research methodology and workplan (30%)
2. Second installment: Upon submission and acceptance of final report (70%)

Selection Criteria

Applications will be evaluated in accordance with the Evaluation Criteria set forth below:

1. Technical Proposal: technical approach & methodology (25%)
2. Technical Capacity: qualifications of proposed key personnel (25%)
3. Previous Experience: sample reports authored by the consultant/s for (related) studies (25%)
4. Financial Proposal (25%)

How to apply

Interested applicants to send a technical and financial proposal for the work in line with the following guidance:

• Capability statement: How the consultant is structured for the assignment including the CVs of the key personnel who will take part in the consultancy.
• Technical proposal: The consultant’s understanding and interpretation of the Terms of Reference (ToR), a detailed methodology on how the desk study will be done and detailed implementation schedule for the evaluation.
• Financial proposal: Itemized budget proposal that should include the consultancy fees and operational costs in USD.
• References: Names, addresses, telephone numbers of three organizations that you have conducted similar studies for within the last three years, which will act as professional referees.
• Desk study reports: Three sample reports authored by the consultant/s for (related) studies conducted in the recent past (ideally within the past 3 years).
• Interested consultant should submit their CV and cover letter through Jobvite. However, the technical and financial proposal including the rest above-mentioned documents should be submitted by 4pm according to Palestine Time on January 30, 2023 to [email protected].
• The subject line of the email must be marked with the title: Palestine – Positive Youth Engagement (PYE) Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Analysis Consultant.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity
We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our stakeholders and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.