Gender Equality and inclusion self-assessment consultant

Introduction

We strive to advance children’s rights and equality for girls all over the world. As an independent development and humanitarian organisation, we work alongside children, young people, our supporters and partners to tackle the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood and enable children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge. For over 80 years we have been building powerful partnerships for children, and we are active in over 75 countries.

Crises are high-catalyst settings for gender and social norm change, which often occurs organically because of power shifts that can be either unintentionally negatively exacerbated or positively facilitated by humanitarian actors. A humanitarian response that does not tailor toward an analysis of these factors risks doing further harm by entrenching these inequalities, being less effective and not upholding rights. It is therefore important to explore the factors that increase the gender inequality gaps and possible interventions.

Scope and focus of the study

Plan International South Sudan Country office intends to conduct a Country Gender Analysis in Juba, Yei, Torit/Magwi, Pibor administrative area, Rumbek and Malakal between November and December 2022. The key areas of focus for analysis will include protection, education, nutrition, food security, livelihood and nutrition with a deep dive into the impact of hunger on women, girls, boys and men in all their diversity(persons with disability, elderly, etc.).

The Gender Analysis should provide quantitative and qualitative information, sex-age disaggregated data and analysis on the gender situation in South Sudan in order to contribute to Plan International gender transformative outcomes, programming and influencing.

The consultant shall ensure:

• Thorough secondary data review and presentation to inform the study by using key recent information, data and statistics on the situation of women and girls, men and boys in their diversity (elderly, persons with disability, etc.) – which will also provide relevant statistics that reflect Plan SSD thematic areas;
• Identify key barriers to achieving gender equality (including social norms, policies, institutional capacity, political will etc.) focusing on those areas that are of interest to Plan International;
• A mapping of actors with mandate and capacity to act for gender equality – NGOs, donors, international organizations, financial institutions, government, service providers gender equality national machineries, etc.;
• Clear assessment of where Plan International can add value for achieving South Sudan agenda on gender equality and Inclusion as part of national development;
• Identify realistic/value based opportunities for policy advocacy and engagement/dialogue;
• Tangible recommendations and strategies for Plan International and different actors gender equality and inclusion for both short term and long term.

Justification of the study

Plan International South Sudan programme areas are highly affected by a multifaceted hazard such as hunger, floods, famine likely situation and conflict. The intersection of these factorscomplicate the disaster situation/humanitarian crisis/context in the area thus putting the lives of women, men, girls and boys and at-risk groups exposed to harm and thus uniquely changes the gender dynamics. These challenges have adverse effects on the lives of the people and therefore it’s important to understand how it influences their lives so as to improve our programming.

Plan International has an ambitious three – year country strategy and key to its success is ensuring we achieve gender transformative outcomes by June 2024.

Objectives

The main objectives of this study is to assess how the (specific crisis) crisis and disasters (hunger, floods, drought, displacement and communal conflict) have affected the lives of women, men, girls and boys including persons with disability in Plan International Programme Implementation Areas of South Sudan. The consultancy will also provide recommendations for mainstreaming/ integrating gender transformative strategies into the projects and emergency response in a specific Gender action plan.

Objective of the consultancy

The purpose of this consultancy is to identify underlying gender norms, practices and how these have affected girls, women, boys, men including persons with disability both in time of stability and how they have played out in face of current crisis.

Specific Objectives

1. Understand the gender norms and power dynamics of the communities that Plan International is operating in.
2. How the crisis (hunger, conflicts) and social/ gender norms has affected women, young mothers, , girls, boys and men including the elderly and persons with disability and ways of addressing them.
3. How the crisis (hunger, conflicts,) has affected the power dynamics and its relation to access and control over productive assets, access to public services and participating in household and community decision making.
4. Assess the existing services (nutrition, protection, SOYEE, education, FSL (in full)) including the response mechanisms (referral system) available for women, young mothers, adolescent girls and boys and possible areas of intervention for PISS.
5. Review gender related policies and legislation in the programme thematic areas to assess the gendered impact of its presence and implementation and where Plan can add value.
6. Recommend strategies aimed tackling the root causes of gender inequality and exclusion and on reshaping unequal gender and power relations to realise girls’ rights and equality between all children, young people and adults in Plan operation areas.

Research questions:

• • What are the social and gender norms in the community that contribute to the increase of gender in equality? How can they be addressed?
    – How has the crisis and disasters including hunger crisis in South Sudan affected the roles and responsibilities of women, girls, boys and men in the community
    – What are the emergent unique and similar needs of women, men, girls, boys, and persons with disabilities in the communities, especially related to education, SRHR, FSL, SOYEE, nutrition and protection?
    – What are the current gaps in humanitarian and service delivery including legislation for women, men, girls, boys, and persons with disabilities in the communities, especially related to PI thematic areas?
    – What are the opportunities upon which humanitarian and development aid could leverage based on the local efforts and ambitions of women, men, girls, boys, and persons with disabilities in host and displacement communities, especially related to PI thematic areas?

Consultant’s tasks

The consultant will perform the following activities:

• Carry out a robust gender analysis through primary data collection, analysis, clear conclusion and recommendation, bringing out trends and making comparisons on the social and gender norms, power relations in the communities that Plan International South Sudan operate in while looking at the socio-economic and gender issues at the local and national level.
• Conduct secondary data review while reviewing most recent data and resources at national, regional and International.
• Consult national gender mechanisms (e.g. women’s ministries, national women’s council), women’s civil society organizations, or women/girls in the target region of the project been involved in the design of the project

Key deliverables:

• Prepare and submit an inception report of not more 5 pages within 2 days of being contracted.
• Development of child friendly, gender responsive and inclusive data collections tools including adapting Plan International Gender Transformative analysis tools.
• Data collection and analysis – secondary and primary data
• Produce a comprehensive Gender Analysis report with clear thematic findings and recommendations
• Presentation of the gender analysis findings and recommendations to the country management for review and approval.

Methodology

The study will employ a mix method of both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods that will involve collecting both primary and secondary data where primary data will involve generation of new data using the available tools while secondary data will be collected using desk review of already available data sources. Child friendly and inclusive data collection tools should be used to capture views of children.

Data collection tools and target

In addition to the new tools developed by the consultant, standard data collection tools used by PI will be adapted and ensure they are adolescent and child friendly so that their views and opinions are captured it is critical in our programming. One of the tools recommended in PI’s work is to capture the views and interest of the children and adolescent is “A day in the life of an adolescent and Adolescent kit” which is a qualitative tool that helps to understand and profile the adolescents’ roles and responsibilities in the day today life.

Key informant interviews will be conducted with key stakeholders especially government who have more information, knowledge and authority on the issues at national and community level.

Focus group discussions will be conducted with boys, girls, adolescent boys and girls, young mothers, Adult/ elderly women and men, young men and women separately and also as mixed group with the view of understanding the collective concern raised by these groups.

The community resource/service mapping tool should also be issued to identify and understand the services being provided in addressing the gender needs/gaps and areas that need strengthening.

Gender Analysis implementation timeframe will start from 1st November and end on 31st December 2022 with a final submission of an report.

Location and duration

Assessment locations will consist of Plan International, programme Implementation Programme area South Sudan which will include Yei, Torit/Magwi, Pibor administrative area, Rumbek and Malakal and Juba.

Duration

The gender analysis will take 45 days starting 21st November- 4th January 2023

QUALIFICATIONS OF THE SUCCESSFUL CONSULTANCY FIRM

1. Academic Qualifications:

The consultancy team should include a gender expert, a human rights expert and a monitoring and evaluation expert with experience of conducting a similar exercise at country level is a requirement with at least three similar assignments – report to be shared for review.

• • The team should possess post graduate degrees in Project Management, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Public Policy, Economics, Gender Studies, Human Rights or related discipline.
    – Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in a field relevant to the assignment, for example in gender studies, social sciences, development studies or equivalent

1. Years of experience:

   • Minimum of ten (10) years professional experience in social development, gender analysis, project management and a very good understanding of project/programme development.
   • Specific experience and expertise on gender analysis, gender mainstreaming and women’s participation;
   • Extensive experience working on national gender policies in developing and humanitarian countries; experience of working in the South Sudan is essential; other field experience being desirable;
   • Knowledge of international/regional frameworks on gender such as SDGs, CEDAW, Beijing Platform, etc.;
   • Demonstrated experience in programmes related to the following sectors such as education, child protection, gender-based violence, livelihood, private sector engagement, food security, nutrition, peace building, climate change, youth and women empowerment

2. Competencies:

   • Prior demonstrated experience inleading on development programmes within a developing country context.
   • Extensive knowledge on gender analysis, gender M&E framework and action plan development and gender mainstreaming into projects and programs.
   • General knowledge of gender transformative approach with substantial experience in project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation

3. Language and other skills:

• Excellent knowledge of English, including the ability to set out a coherent argument in presentations and group interactions; Arabic will be an added advantage
• Oral and written communication: capacity to communicate fluently with different stakeholders (development partners, government authorities, local communities, project staff); and reflect results in comprehensive report.
• Computer skills: full command of Microsoft applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and common internet applications will be required.