Gender Transformative Programme and Influencing Practices Mapping

1. Overview

Plan International West and Central Africa (WACA) hub seeks a skilled consultant (or team of consultants) to identify promising practices for gender transformative development and humanitarian programming and influencing.

2. Background

Plan International is one of the world’s largest organisations working for the rights of children and youth, and for equality for girls. Guided by the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC) and The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Plan International works in over 70 countries worldwide in both humanitarian and development settings.

Plan International’s Global Strategy,100 million reasons, is to work with vulnerable children and especially girls, so that they can lead, learn, thrive and decide. Plan will do this by delivering greater impact, leading on girls’ rights, transforming girls’ lives, leaving no one behind, deepening partnerships and influencing at global and local levels. Plan International has a gender transformative approach to programming and influencing throughout our portfolio in the following six thematic areas: sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR); child protection (CP); inclusive quality education (IQE); early childhood development (ECD); youth entrepreneurship and employment (SOYEE); and, youth activism (LEAD). As part of the Programme and Influencing approach, we understand influencing as an umbrella term used to describe the systematically planned, coordinated, and integrated range activities that seek to change the behaviour of one or more decision-makers to achieve development outcome for children and girls. This includes advocacy, partnerships, strategic communications and youth engagement.

3. Purpose of consultancy

The overall purpose of this consultancy is to map and assess gender transformative programming and influencing in WACA. It should identify good gender transformative practices throughout the six thematic areas as well as in disaster & risk management programmes, and including COVID-related adaptations to on-going programmes. The consultancy should also make recommendations for supporting the scale-up of strong gender transformative programme and influencing practices or models adapted to the WACA context.

3.1 Key information

Task 1. Conduct a mapping of gender transformative programme practices implemented by Plan International Country Offices (COs) in the West and Central Africa

• COs will identify their best 36 projects across a range of thematic areas and in both development and humanitarian settings. They will assess their project using Plan’s Gender Transformative Marker and share these results along with other relevant project documentation.

• Based on a document review and key informant interviews, the consultant will map out promising gender transformative practices in several categories. These categories include Plan’s 6 key elements of gender transformative programming and influencing (gender norms, agency, condition & position, working with boys & men, diversity, favourable environment), as well as youth engagement, and girls aged 10-15 years.

• Where the chosen projects use established programme models (such as Champions of Change, Safer Cities for Girls, VSLA++, 18+, etc), the mapping should focus on the adaptation of the gender transformative practices to the WACA context.

• The mapping should be sufficiently detailed to create a short-list of initiatives to be selected for further evaluation, and comprehensive enough to get a clear picture of gender transformative projects being implemented in all the thematic areas.

Task 2. Develop case studies on 5 projects, documenting the impacts of the gender transformative practices, lessons learned, and potential for replication and scale-up.

• The consultant should propose selection criteria, although these should include such elements as evidence-base, availability of M&E data, thematic focus, cost, etc. Short-listed projects will be jointly selected with Plan International WACA Hub.

• Consultant to develop methodology and tools, consistent with Plan’s approach to programming and monitoring & evaluation. Participatory methodologies that incorporate the perspectives of youth and girls should be used where possible.

Task 3. Write a final report with the results of the mapping, case studies, and recommendations for strengthening the impact of gender transformative programming and influencing in the region.

• Provide a first draft of final report in English for comments and feedback from Plan International.

• Consultant will present the results and recommendations of the report to key internal stakeholders for feedback.

• Final version of the report should be in English, approximately 20-25 pages, excluding annexes.

It is expected that the consultant(s) work in a collaborative manner with key staff in Plan International. The assignment will be managed by Gabrielle Cole, Regional Head of Gender Equality & Inclusion, at Plan International WACA Hub.

4. Deliverables

1. Inception report with proposed methodology and tools

2. Individual case studies on 5 projects (8 pages each)

3. Draft report in English for feedback from Plan International

4. Final report in English (approximately 20-25 pages, plus annexes)

5 Timeline

The assignment is expected to take place from October to November 2020.

6. Skills, qualifications and experience

• Subject matter expert in gender equality, gender in emergencies and gender transformative programming

• Knowledge of influencing (advocacy, partnerships, strategic communications, youth engagement)

• Experience in program evaluation, particularly with participatory methods

• Demonstrated experience completing similar assignments

• Experience working in West and Central Africa preferred

• Strong speaking and writing skills in French and English

7. Application

Interested consultant(s) should submit the following:

• CV of the consultant/s, highlighting relevant experience and qualifications

• Technical proposal, outlining understanding of the assignment and proposed project plan

• Financial proposal, including daily rate of all consultants, data collection costs, and proposed timeline.

8. Payment

All reasonable expenses related to the consultancy will be covered by Plan International WACA Hub. Payment to the consultant/s will be agreed between Plan International WACA Regional Hub and the consultant in their contract, based on accepted proposal.