Gender Consultancy 2017

Aga Khan Foundation Canada Supporting Civil Society Initiatives 

Gender Consultancy 2017

The Organization

Aga Khan Foundation Canada (AKFC) is a non-profit international development agency, working in Asia and Africa to find sustainable solutions to the complex problems causing global poverty. AKFC concentrates on a small number of specific development challenges in health, education, rural development and civil society. In Canada, AKFC raises funds, builds partnerships with Canadian institutions, and promotes discussion and learning on international development issues. Established in 1980, AKFC is a registered Canadian charity and an agency of the worldwide Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).

1.    Introduction

The consultant will undertake a participatory gender assessment of two Supporting Civil Society Initiatives (SCSI) sub-projects, which began in April 2014 and will continue to September 2017. The assessment will include: a rapid analysis of the Central Asia (Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan) context as it relates to gender equality and civil society; an evaluation of gender integration progress, identifying what has worked and what has not in terms of gender equality – including measuring and reporting on gender equality results; and recommendations to strengthen gender equality initiatives in current and future AKDN civil society programming, with a particular focus on gender transformative programming. Results will be presented at a gender equality learning event in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan the week of April 24, 2017. The consultant will also use the gender equality learning event to train AKDN staff on gender equality, with exact topics to be decided based on a needs assessment. Finally, the consultant will be responsible for preparing the learning event report.

Name	Location	Description
GIS Technique for Strengthening Participatory Urban Planning in Kyrgyzstan (Innovation Stream)	Naryn, Kyrgyzstan	Mountain Societies Development Support Program[1] Kyrgyzstan’s sub-project strengthens cooperation between civil society organizations and municipal authorities to improve the provision of water and sanitation public services in Naryn town by building the organizational capacity of CSOs and municipal authorities and using GIS technology to inform decision-making on water and sanitation issues.
Supporting Civil Society to Address Climate Change Across the Border Areas of Tajikistan and Afghanistan (Climate Change Stream)	Khorog, Tajikistan	AKF Tajikistan and AKF Afghanistan’s sub-project reduces poverty related to climate change by enabling government and civil society actors in rural communities to understand and address climate change-related impacts and challenges

2. Project Background

In fragile developing country contexts, organizations and institutions that make up the civil society sector play a critical role in advancing equitable human development and in building stable, democratic, pluralist societies. Institutions and organizations within the broader civil society sector can provide technical assistance and input on policy development, drive innovation and introduce new models and approaches that may increase access to and quality of services.  As a critical strategy to support human development in Africa and Asia, the AKDN is working to strengthen local civil society at multiple levels, from village-level organizations and community clusters to national level institutions that will foster democratic local governance, facilitate delivery of basic services, and drive economic and social development over the long-term. Gender equality is both a necessary driver of and marker of sustainable development, and integration within these projects is key to supporting the growth of an equitable civil society sector and fostering women’s leadership and empowerment.

SCSI is part of the five-year $100 million Partnership for Advancing Human Development in Africa and Asia (PAHDAA), co-funded by Global Affairs Canada and AKFC. SCSI is contributing to the PAHDAA outcome of improved human development, especially for women and children, in target areas of Africa and Asia. 

Between 2012 and 2017, SCSI is providing funding and technical assistance to 17 sub-projects that will reach approximately 150,000 beneficiaries. The project focuses on three key components: (i) gender equality; (ii) innovation; and (iii) climate change adaptation.  SCSI sub-projects focused on gender equality aim to strengthen the capacity of CSOs to address gender equality objectives in their multi-sectoral projects. Recognizing that advances and improvements in development programming often come from experimentation, SCSI also supports CSOs to test new and innovative development approaches across sectors.  Through climate change adaptation sub-projects, SCSI is assisting CSOs to work with communities to mitigate the effects of climate change.

3. Purpose of the Assignment

Purpose:

1)      To understand the extent to which two SCSI sub-projects have effectively integrated gender in project design, implementation, and monitoring, evaluation, research and learning (MERL).

2)      To lay the foundation for effective gender integration in future AKFC civil society programming, including identifying entry points for gender transformative programming.

Objectives:

1)      To undertake a participatory gender assessment of two SCSI sub-projects:

-   Prepare a rapid analysis of the Central Asia (Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan) context as it relates to gender equality and civil society (secondary document review).

-   Evaluate the extent to which two sub-projects have successfully undertaken gender integrated, gender targeted, and gender transformative activities.

-   Review extent to which SCSI monitoring, evaluation, research and learning system tracks progress on gender equality activities effectively.

-   Assess the extent to which SCSI gender integration activities and results are sustainable beyond the life of the project.

-   Make recommendations to strengthen gender equality integration and identify entry points for gender transformative programming in future AKFC civil society programming.

-   Support AKF country staff (Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan) to present results at a gender equality learning event and prepare a gender assessment report based on AKF country project results.

2)      To provide one-day gender equality training to AKF country staff (Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, the latter including Afghanistan staff) on gender equality topics selected by AKF country staff.

3)      To provide one-day gender equality training (topics determined based on needs assessment) for all SCSI implementing partners during gender equality learning event.

4)      To prepare a report on the gender equality learning event.

4. Activities and Deliverables

Activity	Deliverable	Start Date	End Date	# of days
Introductory Skype session	Skype call	March 9	March 10	0.25
Prepare work plan	Work plan	March 9	March 10	1.75
Develop outline for gender assessment report	Outline	March 13	March 17	0.25
Review secondary documents to inform rapid gender analysis	N/A	March 13	March 17	1.5
Prepare a gender context analysis section of gender assessment based on secondary document reviews.	Gender Context Analysis (1-3 pages)	March 13	March 17	1
Review project documents to inform gender assessment	N/A	March 20	March 24	1.5
Prepare content for country staff training	-  Staff consultations -  Presentation	March 20	March 24	1.5
Conduct key informant interviews and Focus Group Discussions with project staff, partners, and beneficiaries in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan	-  Interview and FGD protocols -  Transcripts	March 25	April 9	11[2]
Train Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan country staff on gender analyses and gender assessments	One training in Kyrgyzstan, one training in Tajikistan (including Afghan colleagues)	March 25	April 9	1
Prepare draft gender assessment report	Draft report	April 10	April 14	5
Conduct needs assessment to inform learning event training	Needs assessment	April 10	April 14	2
Prepare content for learning event (presentation of report, training)	Presentations	April 24	April 28	2
Facilitate learning event	Learning event	May 1	May 3	3
Incorporate comments and prepare gender assessment final reports	Final report	April 21	May 5	3
Develop outline for learning event report		May 4	May 5	0.25
Prepare learning event draft report	Draft report	May 8	May 12	3
Prepare learning event final report	Final report	May 22	May 26	2
			TOTAL	40

 

5. Technical Requirements

-   At least a Master’s degree in Gender and Development, International Development, Development Studies, or other relevant field.

-   Extensive knowledge of and experience in participatory gender assessment and gender analysis, particularly as it applies to civil society and Central Asia.

-   Experience in conducting qualitative research, including Key Informant Interviews and Focus Group Discussions.

-   Experience in facilitating trainings.

-   Knowledge of MERL, particularly in regard to gender integration.

-   Excellent written and oral communication in English.

-   Ability to speak and write in Russian is considered an asset.

-   Familiarity with Global Affairs Canada approaches and priorities.

-   Work experience in Central Asia (desirable).

6. To apply

Please submit a Statement of Interest (maximum three pages), including qualifications, proposed approach and consulting fee, and a CV to hr@akfc.ca before February 26, 2017 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time.