Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Analysis Consultant

Background to the consultancy assignment

This assignment will provide support to the “Leave No Youth Behind” (LNYB) project, which SOS Children’s Villages Denmark implements in partnership with SOS Children’s Villages Ethiopia, Kenya and Somaliland and other local partners and with funding from a Strategic Partnership with Danida.

The aim of LNYB is to contribute to young care leavers in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somaliland demonstrating resilience and self-reliance to become independent and contributing members of society.

The project addresses systemic gaps, policy environment, youth participation, engagement and identified social work force gaps by focusing on three outcomes:

1. that decision makers put policies/laws in place that strengthen the support for young care leavers;
2. that the social protection systems respond to the needs and rights of young care leavers on their journey to independent living;
3. and that young people leaving care actively claim their right to social protection, assistance, and active participation, which in turn will make them resilient, self-reliant, and contributing members of society.

Reviews of the project have found indications that aftercare is a highly gendered topic in the East African context, with gender inequality affecting access to rights and exacerbating vulnerabilities.

Last year, SOS Children’s Villages, local partner teams and youth representatives implementing the LNYB project in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somaliland have acquired capacities for planning and implementing Gender, Diversity, and Inclusion (GDI) Analysis through training facilitated by SOS Children’s Villages Global Gender Advisor.

The three country teams have subsequently developed the basic parameters for GDI Analysis in the targeted locations.

Objectives of the GDI Analysis

Understanding the gender, diversity and inclusion factors that affect the program participants differently is key in strengthening gender equality in project implementation and making sure that no one is left behind due to gender, age, disability status and other diversity factors.

The GDI assessments will inform the project’s interventions as well as future projects and interventions to ensure they counter gender inequality and promote inclusion.

The assessments’ findings and recommendations will also be used to inform the content of the new Strategic Partnership Agreement application and accordingly, GDI interventions will be designed in the involved countries.

The GDI assessments aim to:

• Examine and challenge social norms that reinforce gender inequalities and unequal power relations and affect care leavers’ opportunities to shape their own futures and that of their societies.
• Provide an understanding of how gender inequalities intersect with other factors, such as disability, displacement status, family background / type of care experienced, rural/urban context, and how these intersections contribute to specific challenges and enhanced experiences of exclusion among male and female young people with care experience thereby determining who are at most risk of marginalization and inequality.
• Identification of the distinct needs, roles, relationships, protection risks, voice, decision making and power dynamics in target areas and its implications for youth care leavers access to and control over resources, rights and opportunities.
• What risks exist in the context of a program for youth care leavers for different population groups in marginalized position, and how might they be mitigated considering the socio-economic, legal, policy and structural factors?
• Identify opportunities for empowering young people with care experience at risk of exclusion to actively claim their right to social protection, assistance, and active participation.

Methodology

The GDI analysis will involve meaningful consultations with people of all genders, in all their diversity. The GDI Analysis will apply a combination of secondary data analysis (desk review) and primary data analysis. Primary data collection shall focus on utilizing participatory methods/semi-structured tools to produce qualitative data.

Data shall be collected and analysed with an intersectional lens, considering that the causes of inequality / power imbalances can be based on different dimensions operating together and exacerbating each other, such as inequality based on gender, disability, ethnicity, age, religion, socio-economic status, family background/type of alternative care, displacement status or whether a person lives in a rural or urban area.

As an example, intersectional analysis could consider the situation for young women with disabilities with institutional care experience, where the overlap of gender, disability, age and type of alternative care is analysed.

The GDI analysis should be developed through meaningful youth participation where an inclusive and supportive environment for young people to participate and involve themselves is ensured.

It is expected that the consultant supports the co-creation process between the young people and the rest of the country research teams with inspiration from Laura Lundy’s model for youth participation where attention is given to securing space, voice, audience and influence throughout the GDI process in the countries.

The consultant should therefore provide guidance to ensure a conducive and safe environment for equal participation of the research team members in the GDI analysis.

Institutional Arrangement

During this assignment, the consultant reports to SOS Children’s Villages Denmark’s Gender focal person and joins a GDI support team, comprised of: SOS Children’s Villages International Global Advisor, SOS Children’s Villages Denmark’s Gender focal person, SOS Children’s Villages Denmark Youth Participation focal person, and the Leave No Youth Behind Regional Programme Manager.

The division of tasks between the consultant, the support team and the country teams (bringing together the respective SOS Children’s Villages Member Association, youth representatives -e.g. youth advisory boards or care leavers networks-, and local partner/s) is described below (See ‘Deliverables).

Scope

• GDI analysis locations:
  Kenya – Uasin Gishu, Mombasa Counties (Kenya); Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Hargeisa (Somaliland)
• Consultancy:
  Remote / home office. Some travel to the project locations may be required.
• Duration of assignment:
  We anticipate the assignment to take approximately 30-32 working days. The assignment will be for a period between mid-February and 2 May 2025

Consultant’s responsibilities and deliverables

Planning (2 days estimated time effort)

• Pre-reading of project-related documentation.
• Participation in kick off meeting: Clarification of and common understanding of tasks (consultant and support team).
• Project country teams (including youth representatives) present analysis frameworks and key parameters to the support team, including the consultant.

Desk / Secondary data review (3 days estimated time effort)

• Project country teams gather, systematize and share with the support team an overview of available information about the gender, diversity, and inclusion context and specific information that helps respond to the defined GDI Analysis questions.
• The consultant reviews the secondary data gathered, corrects and adds missing information as required and consolidate the secondary data systematically.

Collection of primary data on gender, diversity and inclusion (6.5 days estimated time effort)

• Project country teams, including youth representatives, lead the collection of primary data.

• The consultant, in coordination with the support team, provides coaching to country teams on the design and application of participatory tools to produce data that responds to the research questions.

  This entails as a minimum:

• The consultant leads an online workshop in preparation for the country teams’ collection of primary data, ensuring that the primary data collection methodology is designed in a way that:

  • Will contribute to answer the identified research questions, filling the gaps remaining after the secondary data has been gathered, is feasible and aligned with the resources available.
  • The tools are fit to reflect intersectionality, collecting data that can be disaggregated by sex, age, disability and other diversity dimensions that have been identified.
  • Enables co-creation of the research with Youth with care experience.

• Ongoing backstopping for the teams during the collection of data, via email and Teams.

Analysis of collected gender, diversity and inclusion data (4.5 days estimated time effort)

• Project country teams are responsible for processing primary qualitative data (transcripts, notes, illustrations, photos etc.) in a systematic way to develop findings.
• The consultant, in coordination with the support team, provides coaching and ongoing backstopping to country teams on the analysis of data.
• Country teams develop draft findings and submit to the support team.
• The consultant reviews the draft findings and provides feedback.

Developing recommendations for reviewing ongoing project and developing new projects (5 days estimated time effort)

• The consultant facilitates 1 x 3 online workshops to support country teams in the development of recommendations.
• Project country teams develop draft recommendations and submit to the support team
• The consultant reviews the draft recommendations developed by country teams. The consultant provides feedback to the draft recommendations and gathers and consolidates feedback from the support team.

Developing draft GDI analysis reports for review and feedback. (6 days estimated time effort)

• Based on the draft findings and recommendations, the consultant develops draft GDI analysis reports (3 country reports and one multi-country report) for feedback by country teams and support team.
• The consultant leads online feedback and validation workshops with partners and support team (1×4)
• One feedback loop more possible following feedback workshop.

Submitting final assignment, incorporating feedback (5 days estimated time effort)

• The consult finalises and submits the final assignment, incorporating feedback which includes:

• 3 country GDI Analysis reports (Kenya, Ethiopia, Somaliland).

• One overall multi-country GDI Analysis report.

• Each report is written in English and shall not be longer than 30 pages (excluding annexes).

  All GDI reports include:

• An executive summary (max. 2 pages).

• Methodology, scope, limitations and ethical considerations (max. 2 pages).

• Findings reflecting the analytical framework used in the analysis.

• Recommendations, including for adaptations of ongoing LNYB project and for planning of new projects and activities, including a new Strategic Partnership Agreement proposal to Danida. All recommendations should be addressed to specific actors who have the space to act on the recommendations within their capacities and mandate.

• In addition, the multi-country report includes country-specific chapters providing summaries of each country report (4 pages each).

Competencies

• Strong knowledge and expertise in gender, diversity and inclusion analysis with an intersectionality lens, preferably in the context of child and youth rights.
• Excellent analytical and report writing skills and demonstrated experience in conducting gender-focused research, including qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis.
• Ability to communicate effectively with varied stakeholders across cultures.
• Ability to ensure co-creation with youth.
• Ability to work under tight schedules.
• Ability to deliver written and oral communications in English that meets high standards.

How to apply

Applicants should submit the following by 9 February:

• CV
• A sample of previous work related to gender, diversity and inclusion analysis.
• Technical and Financial proposal which will include:
  • The objectives, scope and deliverables of the assignment
  • Methodology for the achievement of the assignment, including regarding intersectional analysis and meaningful youth participation and co-creation.
  • Assumptions and risks.
  • Work plan with timelines.
  • Financial proposal. The financial proposal must be expressed in the form of an “all-inclusive” lump sum amount supported by a detailed breakdown of costs, including a proposed number of working days and the daily fee. Under the lump sum approach, the contract price is fixed regardless of changes in the cost components or duration of the assignment.

The submission shall be submitted by 9 February. Read more here https://www.job-support.dk/jobbet/jobannonce.asp?id=379377

More information

Enquiries on the assignment can be addressed to Ana Fontal (afo@sosbornebyerne.dk). Kindly mention “Application for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Analysis Consultant” in the subject of your mail.