Mali – International Consultant to develop Gender-Responsive Training Modules for Front-Line Workers and Services Providers Working for Girls, Boys and Adolescents

Introduction/Background

UNICEF MALI, in line with the Gender Action Plan 2018-2021 (GAP2), the new Country Programme Document (CPD 2020-2024) has a strong focus on gender equality and adolescent girls’ empowerment and aims to shift to gender-responsive programming with targeted gender-transformative interventions. Applying a gender lens to programming in Mali has led to the adoption of a life-cycle approach for the CPD. The accompanying Programme Strategy Notes by age groups include specific strategies, activities and indicators for more gender-responsive programming, aligned to UNICEF global Gender Action Plan and considering Mali’s context. The GAP as well as UNICEF Strategic Plan include a dedicated result on gender norms and socialization.

Gender norms and socialization patterns in Mali lead to stereotypes, discrimination and limit girls’ opportunities while restricting boys to narrow possibilities. They are either upheld or challenged in programmes and services directed at, or for the wellbeing of, girls, boys and adolescents.  Therefore, addressing gender socialization is a high-impact solution that can ensure opportunities and possibilities for girls and boys in various aspects of their lives. 

Aware of the glaring lack of gender and age sensitive data, information and gender analysis on children, adolescents, community care and services providers systems, UNICEF Mali has and is currently conducting main researches/studies related to:

1) Gender dimensions on community health systems, results contribute to inform new community health systems reform and better adjust gender-responsive community health and integrated multisectoral package interventions.

2) Specific vulnerabilities of adolescents and youth focusing on how gender identities are linked to violence, exploitation, child marriage, early pregnancy, FGM, conflict, child labour, migration.

3) Social and gender norms and their relation to harmful practices such as child marriage and FGM, results will be able to adjust partners’ behaviour change tools towards gender-responsive programming (including positive masculinities).

These studies, as well as knowledge previously gathered through programming experience and context analyses, support UNICEF Mali in regularly improving its approaches and methodologies especially.

i) the harmonization of National case Management guidelines and tools for all child protection actors in Mali – the training and roll-out process will be started in the coming months and its gender-responsiveness must be strengthened.  

ii) the development of an MHPSS strategy adapted to the Malian context, focusing on community-based PSS – the consequent roll-out of its operational framework and capacity building plan is ongoing and their gender-responsiveness must be strengthened.

iii) the production of Early Childhood Learning/Development and gender positive socialisation videos for Early Child Learning educators with the Pre-School Direction (Ministry of Education).

Objectives

• Identify the necessary standardized gender competencies for front-line workers and service providers (health and WASH agents, social and child protection workers, etc.) for them to be able to ensure that harmful gender norms, attitudes and practices are not perpetuated in the provision of said services working with and for girls, boys and adolescents.
• Develop training modules on gender equality, gender discriminatory roles and practices adapted to the different frontline workers (child protection/health/WASH) in the Malian context and the necessary gender competencies identified.
• Integrate in ongoing sectorial capacity building processes and available competency frameworks (case management, MHPSS) dimensions related to gender equality, gender discriminatory roles and practices (including case study) in order to ensure training packages for child protection/case management services providers and community based front-line workers are gender responsive.
• Lead the testing of training modules in coordination with an organization identified by UNICEF to roll-out the modules.

Scope of Work

The duration of the contract will be of 9.5 working months over a period of 11.5 months, home-based with 3 missions to Mali.

Expected Results (measurable results)

Under the supervision of the Child Protection Chief of Section and in coordination with the Gender Specialist and Sections Specialists, the consultant will be responsible to achieve the following results, through the elaboration of related deliverables:

Result 1:  A conceptual framework of Gender Competencies is defined for child protection frontline workers (including teachers and juvenile justice actors), as well as health and WASH front-line workers (including public servants, NGOs field agents and community focal points) in Malian intervention contexts.

Result 2:  A capacity building plan for gender competencies is developed based on the gaps identified between frontline workers’ current skills and targeted gender competencies in the conceptual framework. The elaboration must be done participatively with the targeted stakeholders.

Result 3: Gender competencies are mainstreamed within ongoing sectorial capacity building processes (case management, MHPSS…) to ensure training packages are gender responsive for child protection service providers, community-based frontline actors and frontline workers, including social and para social workers, teachers, juvenile justice actors, health workers.

Result 4:  Training modules for system-wide and/or sector specific gender competencies are developed, as defined in the capacity-building plan.

Result 5: A pilot phase of the training modules and monitoring tools is carried out in coordination with the field-based organization selected by UNICEF and/or government counterparts.

Result 6: Final versions of training modules are submitted and shared with relevant partners employing child protection, health and WASH front-line workers in Mali.

Expected Deliverables

Deliverables	Timeframe	Description	Payment
Deliverable 1a (Result 1)	Month 1 (2 weeks – home-based)	Inception report including detailed workplan and preliminary analysis.	5%
Deliverable 1b (Result 1)	Month 2 (home-based)	Conceptual framework of Gender Competencies	15%
Deliverable 2 (Result 2)	Month 3 (Mali)	Capacity building plan on gender competencies for child protection, health and WASH front-line workers in Mali.	10%
Deliverable 3a (Result 3)	Month 4 (home-based)	Mainstreaming of gender competencies within ongoing child protection sectorial capacity building processes (case management, MHPSS)	5%
Deliverable 3b (Result 3)	Month 5 (home-based)	Mainstreaming of gender competencies within ongoing community health platforms capacity building processes.	5%
Deliverable 4a (Result 4)	Month 6 (home-based)	Full training package (including modules and monitoring tools) on gender competencies for front-line workers in Mali, system-wide and specific for the child protection sector.	15%
Deliverable 4b (Result 4)	Month 7 (home-based)	Specific training module for WASH front-line workers	5%
Deliverable 4c (Result 4)	Month 7 (home-based)	Specific training module for Health front-line workers	5%
Deliverable 5 (Result 5)	Month 9 (Mali)	Report on training pilot phase results including propositions for improvement.	10%
Deliverable 6 (Result 6)	Month 11 (home-based)	Final versions of training modules and sharing presentation for partners.	20%

Core value ( Required

 Integrity, Accountability, Trust, Respect, Care

Functional Competencies (Required)

Builds and maintains partnerships, Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness, Innovates and embraces change, Drive to achieve results for impact, Manages ambiguity and complexity, Thinks and acts strategically, Works collaboratively with others, 

Duration, fees and payment schedule

The duration of the contract is estimated at 9.5 working months over a period of 11.5 months, starting on the date of the signature of the contract. The consultancy will be paid against the validation of submitted products. 

Qualifications and work experience:

-Advanced university degree required in any of the following:  Social Sciences, Public Administration, International Relations, Public Health, Education, Gender or other related areas.

-Significant experience (10+ years) conducting research at national and international level in professional competencies, HR accountability frameworks, professional development/certification.

– Experience in Gender Equality issues is required, ideally within the public sector.

– Demonstrated experience on intersectoral work with community-based approaches.

– Strong quantitative, qualitative and analytical research skills.

– Experience in training social, health and/or WASH front-line workers.

– Demonstrated experience in translating and communicating complex gender equality concepts/competencies in a clear way adapted to different types of audiences.

– Experience in coordinating multi-partner, multi-country initiatives required.

– Experience in developing training materials and facilitating training workshops as well as in the analysis of professional practices and supervision of teams.

– Demonstrated experience in designing and conducting complex, multi-stakeholder and multi-country studies, working with a team of researchers.

Language skills required:

Oral and written proficiency in French is required, as well as working knowledge of English.

 Other skills and attributes required:

– Experience within the UN System or other international development organizations an asset.

– Knowledge on rural context in West Africa, and concretely in Mali will be an asset. Sensitivity on conflicts and cultural diversity an asset.

– Good knowledge and use of Microsoft Office word, excel and power point

Duty station

The consultant will work partly from his/her home and will conduct 3 missions in Mali, each during 3 weeks-1month (considering quarantine at arrival and necessary security training), 2 in Bamako and 1 with movements to accessible regions for the pilot phase. 

Honoraria and Fees

Applicants are requested to submit a technical and financial proposal based on the deliverables required above. All fees will be paid upon full satisfactory delivery of services included in the contract. Travel expenses for the missions must be included in the financial offer, with the exceptions of internal travels within Mali which will be covered by UNICEF. 

General Conditions Procedures and Logistics:

– The consultant must have his/her own computer and email, phone and credits, printer and paper

– The scope of work would be carried out in Bamako and home-based, with potential travels within Mali if relevant and feasible.

– Travel to meet partners in the district of Bamako is the responsibility of the consultant. UNICEF will be in charge for travel out of the district of Bamako.

– The consultant must provide proof of personal medical coverage by valid health insurance that covers him for the duration of the consultation. UNICEF does not provide him with health insurance.

The consultant will be subject to current work requirements at UNICEF including PSEA training (https://agora.unicef.org/) and be up to date on safety courses (https: //dss.un.org/Home.aspx

Application:

The application must be submitted online, at the publication link that will be provided. The important documents to attach to the application file are:

1. CV and cover letter
2. Copy of the highest diploma
3. Separate technical and financial proposals