GESI consultant

Company Description

SNV is a mission-driven global development partner, rooted in the contexts and societies where we work. We contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through effective programme delivery and influencing, with a central focus on transforming agri-food, energy, and water systems. We are dedicated to a society in which all people are free to pursue their own sustainable development, and no one is left behind. This commitment to equity directs us to focus on gender equality and social inclusion (GESI). SNV has a long-term, local presence in 24 countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. We commit to operational excellence and are proud to be a not-for-profit organisation implementing our mission exclusively through project financing. We are one team of over 1,600 people, the vast majority coming from the operational areas where we work.

Vision: a world where across every society, all people live with dignity and have equitable opportunities to sustainably thrive.

Mission: to strengthen capacities and catalyse partnerships that transform the agri-food, energy, and water systems, which enable sustainable and more equitable lives for all.

For more information on SNV, visit our website: www.snv.org.

Background

The Empowering Smallholder Farmers for Food Security and Climate Resilience (NOURISH Tanzania) project aims to achieve resilient food security for smallholder farmer (SHF) households in key regions of Tanzania. The project is funded by Norad for five years, from January 2024 to December 2028.

Tanzanian SHF households heavily dependent on agriculture face significant food insecurity and nutrition challenges. SHFs have low productivity due to poor quality seed, limited and variable rainfall, poor extension services and limited access to markets. Lack of knowledge of nutritional requirements and how to meet them, exacerbated by gender inequalities, affects household nutrition.

The project targets 168,000 SHFs and 100 MSMEs and farm organisations, with special emphasis on vulnerable SHFs (in particular, women-headed households that comprise approximately 23% of all households). The project focuses on two areas: the central-northern zone (Singida, Dodoma, Manyara) and the Southern Highlands (Songwe, Rukwa). With a focus on four high-potential value chains (sorghum, sunflower, common bean, and vegetables), the project will tackle barriers to SHF food security through three interconnected outcome pathways:

1. Increased productivity: strengthening SHF climate-smart agricultural knowledge, skills, and access to inputs and finance.
2. Increased and diversified food supply to local markets: fostering collaborations among market actors, promoting digital solutions, and empowering SHFs and MSMEs.
3. Improved utilization of household resources to provide nutritious and diverse food: promoting nutritious diets, household food budgeting, and enabling women to have greater influence in HH decisions.

The project is implemented by SNV and Farm Africa in partnership with CSOs, which collectively have significant experience in climate-resilient agriculture, nutrition, gender, social inclusion, and value chain development.

Objectives

The overall objective of the consultant is to conduct a thorough GESI assessment to identify existing gender and social disparities, barriers to inclusion, and opportunities for promoting gender equality and social inclusion within the project promoted agriculture value chains. The consultant will develop a GESI action plan with actionable recommendations and strategies for ensuring that the project effectively promotes gender equality and social inclusion. By reviewing existing relevant research along with analysis of the rapid survey results which will be conducted, the consultant will be able to identify specific needs, preferences, and challenges for women and other vulnerable populations and make recommendations for NOURISH to be inclusive, including in the delivery of project activities and interventions.

Activities

Under the direct supervision of the Nutrition and GESI coordinator, the GESI consultant will undertake the following tasks:

• Desk Review: Review existing project documentation, including project proposals, workplan, baseline report and any previous gender or social inclusion assessments to understand the NOURISH project and approach as well as identify key themes, challenges, and successful strategies related to GESI strategies for agriculture interventions in development projects.
• Stakeholder Mapping: Identify and map key stakeholders that the project should target, including women’s groups, women led MSME’s, people with disability and marginalized groups in the project area.
• Data Collection: Design data collection methods, including rapid surveys, focus group discussions, and interviews which will provide insight about gender and social dynamics within the project area, barriers to inclusion and opportunities for promoting gender equality and social inclusion with the project promoted agriculture value chains. The consultant will be expected to travel to Singida, Dodoma, Manyara, Rukwa and Songwe Regions to collect qualitative data using the tools that s/he has designed. A minimum of two focus group discussions per region will be conducted as well as 3-4 in depth interviews with key stakeholders identified during the mapping exercise.
• Analysis: Analyse collected data to identify gender gaps, social exclusion issues, and specific barriers to inclusion within the project promoted agriculture value chains.
• Reporting and Recommendations: Prepare a detailed report summarizing findings from the assessment, including an overview of gender and social inclusion issues and gaps. Provide recommendations for the project on opportunities for promoting gender equality and social inclusion with the project promoted agriculture value chains and methodologies for ensuring that the project is GESI responsive in the design and delivery of its interventions.
• Strategy and Action Plan Development: Develop strategies and interventions to address identified gender and social inclusion issues based on the assessment findings and the baseline findings. Create a detailed GESI action plan outlining specific actions, responsibilities and timelines to ensure women, youth and disadvantaged groups can have meaningful participation in the project promoted value chains.
• M&E tools: Develop tools for the project team for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of implemented strategies.

Deliverables

The consultant will have the following deliverables:

1. GESI Assessment Report: A comprehensive report detailing the findings of the GESI assessment, including an analysis of gender and social dynamics, identified gaps, and recommendations.
2. GESI Action Plan: A detailed action plan with strategies, actions, responsibilities, timelines, and monitoring indicators.
3. M&E tools: Monitoring tools in English and Swahili to be used by project staff and partners on a regular basis to track the GESI action plan.
4. Presentation of Findings: A presentation summarizing key findings and recommendations from the assessment and action plan to the project team and key stakeholders.

Job Description

Activities

Under the direct supervision of the Nutrition and GESI coordinator, the GESI consultant will undertake the following tasks:

• Desk Review: Review existing project documentation, including project proposals, workplan, baseline report and any previous gender or social inclusion assessments to understand the NOURISH project and approach as well as identify key themes, challenges, and successful strategies related to GESI strategies for agriculture interventions in development projects.
• Stakeholder Mapping: Identify and map key stakeholders that the project should target, including women’s groups, women led MSME’s, people with disability and marginalized groups in the project area.
• Data Collection: Design data collection methods, including rapid surveys, focus group discussions, and interviews which will provide insight about gender and social dynamics within the project area, barriers to inclusion and opportunities for promoting gender equality and social inclusion with the project promoted agriculture value chains. The consultant will be expected to travel to Singida, Dodoma, Manyara, Rukwa and Songwe Regions to collect qualitative data using the tools that s/he has designed. A minimum of two focus group discussions per region will be conducted as well as 3-4 in depth interviews with key stakeholders identified during the mapping exercise.
• Analysis: Analyse collected data to identify gender gaps, social exclusion issues, and specific barriers to inclusion within the project promoted agriculture value chains.
• Reporting and Recommendations: Prepare a detailed report summarizing findings from the assessment, including an overview of gender and social inclusion issues and gaps. Provide recommendations for the project on opportunities for promoting gender equality and social inclusion with the project promoted agriculture value chains and methodologies for ensuring that the project is GESI responsive in the design and delivery of its interventions.
• Strategy and Action Plan Development: Develop strategies and interventions to address identified gender and social inclusion issues based on the assessment findings and the baseline findings. Create a detailed GESI action plan outlining specific actions, responsibilities and timelines to ensure women, youth and disadvantaged groups can have meaningful participation in the project promoted value chains.
• M&E tools: Develop tools for the project team for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of implemented strategies.

Deliverables

The consultant will have the following deliverables:

1. GESI Assessment Report: A comprehensive report detailing the findings of the GESI assessment, including an analysis of gender and social dynamics, identified gaps, and recommendations.
2. GESI Action Plan: A detailed action plan with strategies, actions, responsibilities, timelines, and monitoring indicators.
3. M&E tools: Monitoring tools in English and Swahili to be used by project staff and partners on a regular basis to track the GESI action plan.
4. Presentation of Findings: A presentation summarizing key findings and recommendations from the assessment and action plan to the project team and key stakeholders.

Qualifications

Evaluation Criteria

The preferred consultant should have the following qualifications, experience and competencies:

• Advanced degree in Gender Studies, Social Sciences, Development Studies, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 year of relevant experience conducting GESI assessments and designing and leading leading field surveys, interviews and focus group discussions, particularly in rural agricultural communities.
• Demonstrated expertise in developing and implementing GESI strategies and action plans.
• Familiarity with the socio-cultural context of Tanzania and experience working in similar settings and with agriculture, food and nutrition security development projects is highly desirable.
• Strong analytical and report-writing skills.
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks within tight deadlines.
• Fluent in English and Swahili (required)

The evaluation will be performed based in the following criteria:

Criteria

Description To be managed internally not for sharing with the participants

Technical (65%)

• Advanced degree in gender studies Social Sciences, Development Studies, or a related field
• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience

20%

Proposed approach and methodology.

25%

Good report-writing skills assessed based on previous work.

20%

Financial (30%)

Competitive fee

30%

Sustainable procurement (5%)

Internal Guidelines

5%

Additional Information

Reporting Line

The consultant will report to the NOURISH Team Leader. The Nutrition and GESI coordinator will be the approved supervisor for the scope of the work and will be responsible for checking that the deliverables are in line with the quality required by SNV.

Payment

Payments will be made based on the agreed upon days for each deliverable. Payments will be released upon receipt and approval of the deliverables.

DSA and accommodation will be reimbursed based on SNV policy.

Level of effort required

Contract Type and Duration: 30 days with the possibility of extension

Contract Type: Open to national and international candidates. The consultant must have the right to legally work in Tanzania.

Duty Stations: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania with field travel to Singida, Dodoma, Manyara, Rukwa and/or Songwe Regions during field work

Timeframe

September-November 2024

To Apply

1. If you believe that your credentials meet the outlined profile, we invite you to apply by uploading your
2. CV (not more than three pages with three referees)
3. Technical proposal describing methodology and timeline
4. Financial proposal including number of days required for each deliverable and rate/day
5. Two Examples of previous work
6. We will require you to provide us with the details of three people willing to act as referees. We will not contact these referees without your explicit permission. Please note that reference checks may be conducted before the selection decision.
7. Should SNV wish to proceed with your application, interview with the Selection Committee will occur.
8. After your interviews with the Selection Committee, we will advise you of the Committee’s decision as soon as possible.

Deadline for submission of proposals- September 4th 2024

ONLY SHORTLISTED CANDIDATES WILL BE CONTACTED.

Key compliance issues

SNV carries out rigorous background and reference checks concerning possible safeguarding incidents for all candidates applying for International determined positions. As SNV participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, all reference checks include a request to past employers to fill in a questionnaire regarding Misconduct (sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment), the “Statement of Conduct”. This Statement of Conduct adopts the definitions used in the Scheme. 

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