National/International Gender Consultant

TOR

National/International Gender Consultant

CLAP-MAIL

Profile:
Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock (MAIL) has two projects funded by IFAD, Community Livestock and Agriculture Project (CLAP), and Support to National Priority Program 2 (SNaPP2). The overall goal of the projects is to contribute to reducing poverty in rural Afghanistan. More specifically, the project's objective is to improve the food security of 28,1000 rural households in selected districts in the provinces of Kabul, Parwan, Logar, Herat, Nangarhar, Balkh and Baghlan by increasing agriculture and livestock productivity. This will be achieved by enhancing productive assets, skills, services, private sector development, linkages with the market, technologies, and income opportunities of the targeted beneficiaries (i.e. by introducing appropriate livestock and agriculture technology options, strengthening local capacity, and some weak areas of value-chain, including linkages with markets). The projects also aim gender mainstreaming by increasing the social and economic status of women engagement at office and field activities through key areas of economic empowerment, equal workload and enhanced decision-making.

CLAP and SNaPP2 are seeking a Consultant (Gender Evaluator) to undertake a gender impact study to illustrate the gender performance of the project interventions. This will entail review all the relevant gender documents that would provide a broad overview of experiences, policies, institutions, and lessons learned about gender roles; discussion with project teams and beneficiaries, developing relevant evaluation methodologies in the context of project interventions, data verification and saturation and developing operational guidance for the project teams to improve the performance on gender equality and women’s empowerment. The projects will provide for a three-month consultancy for an international/national gender consultant and evaluation expert, focusing specifically on gender impact study. Review, improve, and develop gender-related documents produced by the projects, and provide recommendations for gender and social inclusion in field activities, project M&E system and for project teams to deliver on gender equality and women’s empowerment.  

Job Summary:
Consultancy Objective:

This consultancy is intended to design and commission gender impact study for IFAD funded programs, review and improve all documents developed by gender unit which include gender strategy, action plan, etc. Also develop required documents and strategic inputs to M&E, to assist gender unit to monitor, streamline, and evaluate gender-related activities in the future. 

The methodological framework for the delivery of outputs

·        Literature review (review project design documents, M&E framework, Annual Work Plans, Annual Outcome Surveys, Baseline survey, project gender related documents etc)

·        Design evaluation methods and methodology (develop a comprehensive survey guideline which includes sampling framework, sampling, data collection methods, evaluation tools, data amylases technique and participatory tools)

·        Field activities (Households survey, focus groups discussion, key informant interviews)

Job Requirement:
Qualification and Experience

Education:

·        University degree (at least Master’s) in development studies, gender studies, economics or related discipline (PhD will be an advantage).

Experience:

·        At least eight years of working experience on research/consultancy in the area of economic analysis, impact evaluation; or gender and economy;

·        Previous experience in working on research with people of different backgrounds, cultures, and languages. Work experience/context knowledge in gender mainstreaming and women’s equality.  

·        Experience working on agricultural projects and rural development programs are highly recommended.

Language:

·        Fluency in written and spoken English.

Job Duties & Responsibilities:
Overall responsibilities of the Gender Expert (consultant) are to design and undertake a gender impact study, describing the impact of the project intervention on gender mainstreaming, women improvement, access and control over income resources, equity, and equality made by the project. Enhancement in agency and decision making and sharing of household responsibilities between men and women towards equitable workloads. Train the project staff on gender mainstreaming, develop a full package that includes updating the gender strategy and develop gender action plans for the remaining duration of the project, gender evaluation methodology, gender-sensitive indicators, and their reporting template.

Under the direct supervision and guidance of the gender unit and in close collaboration with project managers and M&E unit team, the Gender Expert will undertake the following key tasks (along with those mentioned above):

1.      Review relevant CLAP and SNaPP2 documents with regards to performance on  gender mainstreaming (such as GM’s strategy on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, M&E framework, Annual Work Plans, Annual Outcome Surveys, Baseline survey, project gender related documents etc);

2.     Develop Evaluation matrix which includes evaluation questions, method, and methodology sampling strategy, sampling and questionnaire;

3.     Conduct a detailed gender study for (CLAP & SNaPP2) to provide operational guidance for the remaining duration of the project and provide evidence on women’s empowerment and gender equality benefits created by the projects, keeping the following in mind:

4.      

a.      Analyze the achievements and challenges in achieving the gender targets outlined in the logical framework. Track funding and initiatives in support of women’s organizations / productive initiatives for women

b.     Analyze the project's impact on the lives of the target group, as individuals, within households and within communities. Identify gender-transformative interventions/gender mainstreamed/potential interventions.

c.      Assess the degree of integration and potential synergies of gender activities with other components of the project and suggest pathways for improving gender performance project component wise

d.     Verify that the information and data are disaggregated by sex and collect sex-disaggregated data and provide inputs to projects M&E performance to track gender performance.

e.      Link gender-related achievements to the objectives and targets set by IFAD’s policy on Gender Equality and rural empowerment

5.     Based on gender study, develop an action plan with a time frame and designated responsibilities that identifies opportunities and intensifies mainstreaming gender into the projects activities. The action plan for gender mainstreaming should mirror the project’s log frame and development objective and include the development of gender-specific project components, gender-responsive targets and indicators;

6.     Review, provide inputs and strengthen the existing gender related documents of the projects;

7.      Provide inputs to strengthen the capacities and performance of gender unit.

8.     Documents lessons learned through failures, opportunities of scaling up, innovation employed and success of the project on gender-related activities.

9.     Lead overall the study (literature review, data collection analysis, data quality, and reporting).

Expected Outputs and Deliverables:

·        Inception report

·        Draft evaluation report

·        Inputs to projects M&E framework

·        Final evaluation report

·        Improve, gender strategy, Action plan, gender responsive monitoring indicators and tools

·        Assignment completion report

Institutional Arrangement:

1.      The consultant will report and work directly under the supervision of the M&E Unit Head and under overall supervision of PMs and overall supervision of PD

2.      The project team (M&E, Communication and Coordination specialist, Gender) will assist, in data collection, arranging meeting and provide administrative and logistical support to the selected consultant.

3.     Gender consultant will lead the whole process which are mentioned above.

Duration of the Work: The effective duration of this consultancy is 3-months.

Location of Study: Kabul and travel to SNaPP2 and CLAP covered Provinces  

Performance Criteria: The Consultant is expected to undertake the services with the highest standards of professional and ethical competence and integrity. He or she should be able to deliver all responsibilities in a most effective, independent and efficient manner, within the period of the work.

Documents