Inclusivity and Stakeholders’ Analysis

Terms of Reference (TOR)

Demand-driven Inclusivity and Stakeholders’ Analysis in the Governorates of Ninawa and Halabja

Project title: Build a Better Future for Youth and Women through Decent Work

Project description:

the project goal is to contribute to the sustainable livelihood and empowerment of youth and women among refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, and host communities in the governorate of Ninewa, Iraq, and Halabja in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). The project places a strong emphasis on youth and women’s participation, as well as the inclusion of persons with disabilities (PWSN) in the labor market, adopting a gender-responsive and inclusive approach.

Objectives of the assignment:

Gender analysis:

• To identify the different needs, interests, constraints, and opportunities of women and men in the target areas.
• To assess the socio-economic and cultural factors influencing gender dynamics in the project areas.
• To identify gender inequalities in access to resources, decision-making processes, and participation in livelihood activities.
• To analyze the impact of the project on gender equality and women’s empowerment.
• To propose strategies and recommendations to mainstream gender considerations across project interventions.

Stakeholder analysis:

• To identify the key actors and partners that can support or hinder the achievement of the project objectives, with particular attention to gender dynamics and inclusivity.
• To identify and map key stakeholders at the local, regional, and national levels, including government agencies, NGOs, community-based organizations, private sector entities, and representatives from diverse gender backgrounds.
• To assess stakeholders’ interests, concerns, and potential contributions to the project, ensuring the inclusion of perspectives from various genders and marginalized groups.
• To develop a stakeholder engagement strategy to foster collaboration, coordination, and partnerships for project implementation, emphasizing the importance of gender-responsive approaches and inclusive practices.

Key Deliverables:

• Detailed Analysis: A comprehensive report that identifies the current state of women’s and men’s participation including PWSN in MSME (Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprise) and TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) and, gender inequality in access to resources within the targeted regions, barriers, challenges including socio economic and cultural factors and opportunities for women’s involvement.
• Capacity Building: Proposals for capacity-building initiatives that equip women and PWSN with the necessary skills and resources to participate effectively in the MSME and TVET sectors.
• Policy Recommendations: Suggestions for policy changes or enhancements that could support increased participation of women and PWSN in MSME and TVET sectors and create a more enabling environment for their economic empowerment.
• Stakeholder Engagement Plan: A plan or recommendation for engaging key stakeholders, including local authorities, community leaders, and male counterparts, to foster an inclusive environment that supports the participation of women and PWSN.

Scope of work and Expertise:
The Gender and Stakeholder Analysis Expert will be tasked with:

• Differentiating Gender Approaches: The expert will differentiate between gender-sensitive, -responsive, and -transformative approaches to ensure that all gender perspectives are considered and integrated into the project’s framework. Ensuring Service Relevance and Accessibility: Conducting an analysis to confirm that the project’s outcome are relevant, considering cultural norms, socioeconomic status, geographic location, and other factors affecting accessibility.
• Applying Social-Behavior Change Theories: Incorporating evidence-based social and behavior change theories to support gender equality and address harmful gender norms and stereotypes within the assessment.
• Addressing Stereotypes and Structural Barriers: Actively addressing stereotypes and structural barriers that hinder the full participation and access of women and girls, and promoting gender-equitable norms and empowerment.
• Policy Comprehension: The expert must have a thorough understanding of the organization’s procedures and policies.
• Humanitarian and/or Development Insight: The expert should possess an understanding of humanitarian and/or development work, with particular attention to Gender-Based Violence (GBV), child protection, and safeguarding principles.
• Collaboration and Reporting: The expert is required to follow instructions, work collaboratively, and report to the organization’s staff in English.
• Confidentiality: Maintaining the confidentiality of the process is imperative.
• Data Exclusivity: All information, data, and reports are to be exclusively shared with the organization and must not be disseminated to other NGOs, companies, or individuals.
• Impartiality: The expert must remain impartial and free from any form of fanaticism, including religious, political, national, or sexual biases.

Design, methodology and deliverables
The Expert is expected to use a diverse set of methodologies, including, but not limited to:
Preparation: This includes:

• A comprehensive work plan outlining the detailed steps of the analysis process, the work plan should include a clear timeline, specific tasks, methodologies, and anticipated outcomes. The organization will review and approve the submitted work plan before starting the activities
• A kick-off meeting, a desk review of key project documents and literature/ reference frameworks, explorative interviews and the development of data collection tools in the inception report.

Field visit: The field phase includes visits to the project sites.
Synthesis: The synthesis phase includes a workshop session at the end of the field visit to share findings, prior to writing the field mission report.

Reporting: The final assessment report should be logically structured in English language containing evidence-based findings, conclusions, lessons and recommendations, and should be free of information that is not relevant to the overall analysis. The report should be presented in soft and hard copies, in a way that makes the information accessible and comprehensible.

Process

• The relationship between the Expert and others must, from the outset, be characterized by mutual respect and trust.
• Assessment should be conducted in a professional and ethical manner. The organization will assist the expert in the data collection process by providing field staff (enumerators).
• The anticipated time period for the assignment is two weeks after signing the contract to conduct gender and stakeholders’ analysis, and one week to provide specific assessment for conducting a gender-sensitive needs assessment among the selected beneficiaries of the MSME projects.
• The organization will define the start dates of the process.

Expert’s specifications:
The selected expert/ team of analysis shall have the following profile:

• Experience with conducting similar kind of analysis; two relevant assessments and reports to be submitted to the organization.
• Experience in humanitarian aid, with a special emphasis on gender and stakeholder analysis
• Knowledge and working experience in the target area of this assignment.
• Ability to travel to project sides for the field phase which are the governorate of Ninawa, Iraq, and Halabja in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).
• Fluency in English, both written and spoken, is required.
• Proficiency in Arabic speaking is essential for Ninawa, while fluency in Kurdish speaking is necessary for Halabja.

Eligible Service Providers

• Applications are accepted only from experts (Persons, companies or institutions registered with the government (KRI or Federal Iraq based on the location).
• The organization will select the appropriate proposals based on both cost and technical considerations. Additionally, chosen candidates will be subjected to an interview process.
• Only candidates who have been shortlisted will be notified. Offering the lowest bid does not guarantee selection if the interviewee does not perform well during the interview process
• The selected company or candidate will be required to establish an account with RT-Bank to facilitate the transfer of funds from the organization.