Recruitment of a consultant with expertise in Gender Transformative Approaches

Sonke Gender Justice (SGJ) is a women’s rights organisation that is committed to feminist principles, using a rights-based and gender-transformative approach to achieve human rights and gender justice. Sonke Gender Justice’s mission is to strengthen the capacity of governments, civil society, and citizens to advance gender justice and women’s rights, prevent gender-based violence and reduce the spread of HIV and the impact of AIDS, and in this way contribute to social justice and the elimination of poverty.

Plan International Finland strives for a just world, working together with children, young people, supporters, and partners. They also believe that gender equality is central to achieving long-term change and envision a world that values girls, promotes their rights and ends injustice. 

Plan International Finland has developed a multicomponent approach to SRHR and a set of core values that inform all country level projects included in its new Programme Framework, My Body My Future 2 (MBMF2). MBMF2 is multi-country Programme funded by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs from 2022-2025. It is a continuation of an earlier SRHR programme (My Body My Future 1) and the impact to be delivered is that children, adolescents and youth in all their diversity have control over their bodies and futures in a healthy, safe and supportive environment. MBMF2 will be implemented in four countries: Ethiopia, Uganda, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

Sonke Gender Justice is looking at supporting Plan International Finland and her partners on identifying specific actions across contexts to best support boys and men in projects to adopt healthy and positive behaviours, new masculinities and to challenge harmful gender norms. The purpose of this project is to:

1. Strengthen Plan International staff’s capacities in developing more systematic work with boys and men for gender transformative SRHR outcomes,
2. Roll out programme tools, and creation of reflection spaces for this area of work (e.g., community of practice).

Objectives 

The overall objective of the assignment will be the following: 

1. The consultant will review all relevant project documentation of about 30 pages per country. This consultancy will focus on the following countries only; Ethiopia, Uganda, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The consultant will be expected to  prepare a document with recommendations on how the component on transforming masculinities can be improved and further integrated into the respective projects in each of the 4 countries. 
2. Assess the overall planned intervention vis-a-vis gender transformative approaches and propose key areas where gender transformative approaches can be used to strengthen the project outcomes.
3. Propose and develop capacity building plans for the gaps identified on GTA in the project documents from Ethiopia, Uganda, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The capacity building plans should include recommendations for follow up thematic workshops. The capacity building plans should include in-person-meetings to discuss plans and obtain buy-in from the 4 country offices.  

Methodology 

The implementation of this study will be based only on a desk review exercise. The desk review will cover the review of project documents and other national strateies and result in the development of reports, recommendations and capacity building plans based on the most efficient means of integrating transforming masculinities within the respective country projects.

Expected outcomes and deliverables 

No	Deliverables/Output
1	Review of project documents from the 4 countries
2	Draft report with recommendations on how the component on transforming masculinities can be improved and further integrated into the respective projects.
3	Draft report with proposals for capacity building plans per country on how the component on transforming masculinities can be improved and further integrated into the respective projects.
4	Final report incorporating the recommendations and capacity building initiatives

The report should be logically structured, contain evidence-based findings, conclusions, lessons, and recommendations, and should be free of information that is not relevant to the overall analysis. It should include a set of specific recommendations formulated for the project, and identify the necessary actions required to be undertaken.

Institutional arrangement / reporting relationships

1. The Regional SRHR Coordinator, will manage and oversee the consultancy contract and evaluation process with the Consultant. 
2. The Regional SRHR Coordinator will ensure that the consultant is provided with necessary support and guidance to undertake this task.
3. The consultant will work closely with the Regional SRHR Coordinator to ensure the submission of a quality review. 
4. The Consultant will ensure periodic meetings with the Regional SRHR Coordinator to liaise on the development of this task. 
5. The Sonke RPN Team will provide review support to ensure the quality of the draft and final report.

Duration of the work 

The work has to be completed between 10^th August and 10^th September 2022. 

Qualifications of the successful contractor 

The Consultant is required to have the following professional and technical qualifications.

• Academic Qualifications:
  • Advance degree in gender, public health or relevant fields.
• Years of experience:
  • At least 5 years of relevant work experience consulting within the scope of Gender Transformation
• Competencies:
  • Track record on integrating or working on gender transformative approaches in SRHR projects
  • Expertise in masculinities, SRHR and gender
  • Expertise in SRHR project work
• Language and other skills:
  • Excellent knowledge of English, including writing skills.
  • Computer skills: full command of Microsoft applications (word, excel, PowerPoint) and common internet applications will be required
  • Access to relevant databases.

Only the applicants who hold these qualifications will be shortlisted and contacted.

Criteria for selecting the consultant

Qualified consultants are expected to submit a detailed proposal, work plan/schedule and budget of no more than six (06) pages in total.  Accordingly, individual consultants will be evaluated based on Cumulative Analysis as per the following scenario:

• Responsive/compliant/acceptable, and
• Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation. In this regard, the respective weight of the proposals is:
  • Technical Criteria weight is 70%
  • Financial Criteria weight is 30%.
• The consultant shall prepare and submit the proposal by latest the 25^th July 2022 including: 
  • detailed curriculum vitae with three references (two professional and one personal)
  • a proposal, work plan and budget with a proposed timeframe

The proposal and other necessary documents should be submitted to Jude Thaddues Njikem at Jude@genderjustice.org.za   

The selected consultant needs to be available to start the work by 10^th August and complete by 10^th September. A service contract will be signed between the consultant and Sonke Gender Justice before engagement on this task.

Confidentiality and proprietary interests

The Consultant shall not either during the term or after termination of the assignment, disclose any proprietary or confidential information related to the consultancy service without prior written consent. Proprietary interests on all materials and documents prepared by the consultants under the assignment shall become and remain properties of Sonke and her partners.