Association Friends of Raoul Follereau – AIFO-Liberia

Vacancy Announcement No.016

Project: VOICE

Issued on: March 7,2022

Deadline for Application: March 21,2022

Position Title: Gender Analysis Consultant

Qualified women and men with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. Please be informed that this is a national position, so the terms and conditions of Liberian employees will apply.

AIFO Liberia is currently seeking to recruit or hire a Gender Analysis Consultant to conduct gender analysis on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing persons and the disable community in general under the project “Voices for Inclusion and Civil Society Empowerment (VOICE) – Disabled People Organisations stepping up for people with disabilities rights in Liberia”, funded by the European Union (EU) – CSO-LA/2020/421-002.

The European Union

For more information on the European Union and the Delegation of the European Union to Liberia, please refer to website of the Delegation of the European Union to Liberia.

AIFO Liberia

The “Association Friends of Raoul Follereau” (AIFO) is an Italian non-for-profit organisation that has been present in Liberia since 1997. AIFO Liberia offers opportunities for people affected by leprosy, persons with disabilities (PWDs), women/children and members from vulnerable and marginalised communities to lead a better quality of life. AIFO Liberia focusses on healthcare and economic empowerment to provide a better quality of life and create large scale positive change. AIFO Liberia is accredited by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Republic of Liberia; accreditation number 0094.

VOICE Project

The project titled: “Voices for Inclusion and Civil Society Empowerment” (VOICE), is a two-year innovative project (01/02/2021-31/01/2023) funded by the European Union. The project aims at enhancing the capacity of civil society organisations, to promote and empower persons with disabilities and to ensure that people with disabilities can fully enjoy their rights in Liberia. In particular, the action aims at enabling the umbrella federation of people with disabilities, the National Union of Organization of the Disabled (NUOD), the Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) and their members to effectively demand the respect and fulfilment of the human rights of all People with Disabilities (PWDs), in line with the Convention on Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD) to which Liberia is a signatory since 2012.

The primary beneficiaries of the project are deaf and hard of hearing persons who will be supported to ensure that they have equal access to work and employment opportunities. It is implemented in Montserrado, Bomi and Nimba Counties in partnership with Williette Safehouse.

About the Role

This is a one-month contract, with no extension. The concentration area of the actions includes, Greater Monrovia-Montserrado, Sanjeh-Bomi and Garr Bain-Nimba Counties. The Gender Analysis Consultant will work full-time in collaboration and consultation with the AIFO Project team and partners and he/she will report to AIFO Country Director.

Objectives

Main tasks and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

1. General functions

o Review available background data, including sex-disaggregated demographic information and social and economic indicators of the project districts, and gender issues related to targeted sectors and access to financial, market, information and employment opportunities services in the target districts (where available).

o Carry out a desk review of project-related documents since 2018 to assess to what extent the project has made progress on promoting gender equality and disability inclusion in the project areas (e.g. was gender analysis carried out at the beginning of the project in 2018? To what extent the project has addressed the needs and constraints of disable women and men in the target areas? To what extent has the project ensured equal and fair participation and representation, and distribution of resources to disable women and men under the project?)

o Conduct gender analysis and needs assessment (quantitative and qualitative assessment) of disable women and men in the project target districts.

o Identify gender-based constraints and recommend key elements of a gender policy for ensuring that both disable men and women benefit from the project’s activities.

o Draft a monitoring action plan, co-developed with project staff and outlining the different roles and responsibilities of staff with respect to the action plan and indicators to measure the success of actions.

o The gender analysis will aim to identify gender-based constraints related, but not limited, to the areas outlined below and provide practical recommendations so the program can design interventions that respond to, employment opportunities, accommodate, or overcome the constraints identified. It might be useful to group identified constraints and practical recommendations by categories of disable workers in areas such as; GoL, factory, employees in social enterprises, smallholder and etc.

o Produce a quantitative and qualitative geneder analysis reports in both hard and solft copies

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2. Requirements to achieve role’s objectives:

• Have degree(s) in Gender, Social Work, Anthropology, Economics or a related field. • Minimum five years of research experience to develop gender monitoring plans or strategies for projects
• Minimum five years of experience collecting primary data and field work.
• Experience in livelihood development in rural areas would be an asset
• Demonstrated ability to write high quality, methodologically sound, analytical papers in English • Solid communicate skills and sensitivity to the target group
• Ability to liaise properly with technical and administrative staff of international organizations. • Ability to liaise properly with senior officials of government and social partners. • Exposure to value and principles of the thematic issue areas of AIFO as well as sensitivity to gender, disadvantaged groups and diversity.
• Have a good working knowledge of the quantitative and qualitative performance of analysis methods and programming strategies commonly used in data collection.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, send your CV, a cover letter detailing how you meet the job specification and two references to: aifoliberia@gmail.com indicating in the subject of the email: Application for” VOICE Gender Analysis Consultant”. Or apply through the system below.

We apologise in advance, but only qualified and shortlisted candidates will be contacted. We encourage applicants to submit the application on or before the deadline date. The selection respects the principles of equal opportunities (Law 903/77).

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VOICE PROJECT- GENDER ANALYSIS CONSULTANT TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR)

1. PROJECT INFORMATION

Project Title: Voices for Inclusion and Civil Society Empowerment (VOICE)-Disabled People Organisations stepping up for people with disabilities rights in Liberia

Country of intervention: Liberia

Areas of intervention:

• Nimba, Garr Bain District
• Bomi, Senjeh District
• Montserrado, Greater Monrovia District

Project Duration: 2 years (24 months)

Consortium: Italian Association Amici di Raoul Follereau – AIFO (Lead Applicant); Williette Safehouse – WSL (co-applicant): National Union of Organizations of the Disabled – NUOD; National Commission on Disabilities – NCD (Associate) Oscar Romero School of the Deaf -ORS (Associate).

Donor: European Union

2. INTRODUCTION

The “Association Friends of Raoul Follereau” (AIFO) is an Italian non-for-profit organisation that has been present in Liberia since 1997. AIFO Liberia offers opportunities for people affected by leprosy, persons with disabilities (PWDs), women/children and members from vulnerable and marginalised communities to lead a better quality of life. AIFO Liberia focusses on healthcare and economic empowerment to provide a better quality of life and create large scale positive change. AIFO Liberia is accredited by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Republic of Liberia; accreditation number 0094.

VOICE Project

The project titled: “Voices for Inclusion and Civil Society Empowerment” (VOICE), is a two-year innovative project (01/02/2021-31/01/2023) funded by the European Union. The project aims at enhancing the capacity of civil society organisations, to promote and empower persons with disabilities and to ensure that people with disabilities can fully enjoy their rights in Liberia. In particular, the action aims at enabling the umbrella federation of people with disabilities, the National Union of Organization of the Disabled (NUOD), the Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) and their members to effectively demand the respect and fulfilment of the human rights of all People with Disabilities (PWDs), in line with the Convention on Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD) to which Liberia is a signatory since 2012. The primary beneficiaries of

the project are deaf and hard of hearing persons who will be supported to ensure that they have equal access to work and employment opportunities. It is implemented in the counties of Montserrado, Bomi and Nimba. In order to achieve this goal, the project includes four different outputs with specific activities.

Output 1.1: 9 DPOs and NUOD members (100), in particular deaf and HOH persons, trained to advocate for PWDs economic and work rights on national and county level.

Output 1.2: 9 DPOs and NUOD members (100), in particular deaf and HOH persons, engaged in the development of advocacy and lobby strategies to influence policy-makers at local and national level. Output 1.3: Raised awareness of the general public, as well as national and local decision-makers regarding the right of PWDs to work and employment.

Output 1.4: 90 Deaf and HOH young persons improved employability and technical/vocational skills.

3. CHALLENGE: INCOME GENERATION

Although much has not been done to lift most of the People with Disability (PWDs) in Liberia out of poverty. It is estimated that 752.000 people, 14% of total population according to UNICEF, 1999), in particular all deaf and HOH young persons (estimated 52,640 people) and women. Persons with disability in Liberia continue to face a variety of challenges ranging from health care, education, economic opportunities, and access to other basic social services; a situation that limits their opportunities to work and employment. Additionally, COVID-19 has exacerbated their marginalization, causing even more exclusion and accessibility limitation. The Action will strengthen NUOD and DPOs capacities to advocate for PWDs economic and work rights at national and county level.

It is gathered that deaf and head of hearing (HOH) young persons’ family members (estimated 250,000 members). Their major challenges are communication barriers with their children or relatives with hearing impairment, which causes low understanding of their needs and the lack of awareness of their rights. As a result, family members have little capacity to provide supportive care. Inadequate understanding by educators, community leaders, and governmental actors adds to stigma, discrimination, exclusion and neglect. The project through its sign language training program will allow deaf persons, parents groups and potential employers to overcome communication barriers and to have a better understanding of the needs and potential of youth with hearing disability.

The livelihood and skills training component combines technical skills and job readiness training (TVET implementation). Besides developing their technical and vocational skills, the deaf and Hard of Hearing – HOH will also develop their leadership and other essential employability skills through the Fellowship program. Moreover, communication barriers will be reduced through sign language training and market linkages will be enhanced through trade fairs and networking opportunities. These interventions are part of the full package that the young deaf and HOH people can benefit from to allow them to be successful in any type of livelihood

4. INCEPTION PHASE

AIFO with funding from EU has secured preliminary support for the collection of necessary baseline data to devise strategies with a greater results and impact orientation under this comprehensive joint program.

It is expected that during the implementation phase, the project will have strengthened the successful models, and completed gap analysis through technical and gender assessment and studies, and developed a draft joint program for the next phase. More robust assessments will be needed such as extensive value chain development studies. The main objectives of these studies are to identify unexploited livelihood development opportunities, technological and technical gaps, new market opportunities, environmental and resilience constraints, emerging needs for equal employment opportunities and also examine ways in which the project can further establish new partnerships.

A disable gender assessment will also be conducted as a first step to enable gender sensitive planning and for the promotion of disable gender equality. Efforts will be made for the collection of sex-disaggregated data that is essential for mainstreaming disable gender issues. Such assessment will support the development of a disable gender policy for the project from the onset, providing direction, support, and clarification on the incorporation of disability gender issues and specific needs of both women and men into project design and implementation. Furthermore, it will spell out the resources and practical steps needed to involve disable women and men.

5. TARGET REGION

The project is to be implemented in Bomi, Montserrado and Nimba Counties. The entire process will cover three (3) administrative districts within the three (3) counties, namely, Greater Monrovia, Senjeh and Garr Bain Districts.

Furthermore, the preliminary results of the disable gender analysis study will give a new understanding to AIFO as she is currently implementing potential expansion of its inclusive project approach in the disable community, where unemployment among the deaf and hard of hearing persons is very high particularly.

6. OBJECTIVE

The main objective of this assignment is to generate information on equitable participation of women in all activities, including decision-making. The Action intends to address gender imbalances in participation by posing programmatic resolutions related to their participation and preferentially work with Organisations of Women with Disabilities (OWWDs), as well as other Disabled People’s Organisations and disable community within the project target areas particularly as evidence-based data to develop a gender policy and implementation plan for the project and other future projects.

The study will also:

(a) Identify gender gaps, particularly or exclusively, for female headed households and people with disabilities, in terms of livelihood needs, constraints, opportunities, access to micro-credits and savings groups, access to business development services, enterprise development, employment opportunities, and other relevant training.

(b) Access to education for the children of women headed households should also be ascertained. It will also identify gender gaps with regards to the percentage of women in managerial positions at the level of cooperatives, local government, community and private sector.

(c) Provide operational recommendations for strengthening the project strategy of AIFO and project phase, and provide key elements of a gender policy and strategies for the project new phase;

(d) Develop a monitoring plan of key gender indicators for each sector (deaf and hard of hearing persons and disable in general) and the project objective, with concentration on (1) Sustainable income generation, (2) Gender and disability inclusion and (3) scaling up interventions into government institutions, social partners and relevant private sector actors.

7. KEY TASKS

The overall study is comprised of the following key tasks:

1. Review available background data, including sex-disaggregated demographic information and social and economic indicators of the project districts, and gender issues related to targeted sectors and access to financial, market, information and employment opportunities services in the target districts (where available).
2. Carry out a desk review of project-related documents since 2018 to assess to what extent the project has made progress on promoting gender equality and disability inclusion in the project areas (e.g. was gender analysis carried out at the beginning of the project in 2018? To what extent the project has addressed the needs and constraints of disable women and men in the target areas? To what extent has the project ensured equal and fair participation and representation, and distribution of resources to disable women and men under the project?) –
3. Conduct gender analysis and needs assessment (quantitative and qualitative assessment) of disable women and men in the project target districts.
4. Assess the capacity and practices of key partners as well as the project’s capacity and practices to deliver gender-responsive services and identify training needs of staff members and/or stakeholders on identified gaps.
5. Identify gender-based constraints and recommend key elements of a gender policy for ensuring that both disable men and women benefit from the project’s activities.
6. Draft a monitoring action plan, co-developed with project staff and outlining the different roles and responsibilities of staff with respect to the action plan and indicators to measure the success of actions. The gender analysis will aim to identify gender-based constraints related, but not limited, to the areas outlined below and provide practical recommendations so the program can design interventions that respond to, employment opportunities, accommodate, or overcome the constraints identified. It might be useful to group identified constraints and practical recommendations by categories of disable workers in areas such as; GoL, factory workers, employees in social enterprises, smallholder and etc.

7.1 Livelihood opportunities.

The Voices for Inclusion and Civil Society Empowerment “(VOICE)” Project will provide livelihood and skills training component combines technical skills and job readiness training (TVET implementation). Besides developing their technical and vocational skills, the deaf and Hard of Hearing – HOH will also develop their

leadership and other essential employability skills through the Fellowship program. Moreover, communication barriers will be reduced through sign language training and market linkages will be enhanced through trade fairs and networking opportunities. These interventions are part of the full package that the young deaf and HOH people can benefit from to allow them to be successful in any type of livelihood.

8. TARGET BENEFICIARIES (DISABLE):

▪ 9 Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) and the National Union of the Organisations of the Disabled (NUOD) members in Montserrado (3 DPOs and NUOD central office), Bomi (3 DPOs and NUOD county delegation) and Nimba (3 DPOs and NUOD county delegation), made of 1.047 people with disabilities (PWDs) of which 419 are women and 628 are men (within the DPOs the Action will scope in particular deaf and HOH persons and will pay specific attention to gender empowerment).

▪ 90 deaf and HOH young persons in Montserrado, Bomi and Nimba counties participating in livelihood and skills training (age from 15 to 35).

9. BUDGET

The consultant should provide a detailed budget in which all costs as it relates to the implementation of this gender analysis. The Consultant is expected to work across the three localities where the VOICE Project is implemented (Nimba, Bomi and Montserrado Counties). For data collection, a sample of locations can be taken.

10. DELIVERABLES

This involves identifying opportunities for disable women and men to serve as employees within both public and private sectors and become association leaders such as with cooperatives, any capacity building needs required for disable women and men to take on these roles, and any other gender-based constraints that limit disable women’s and men’s ability to have and benefit from equal employment opportunities within the public and private sectors.

It also includes the identification of constraints and factors that may hinder women from taking leadership positions in societies.

The following outputs will be produced through the overall study:

1. There will be only one phase report that will contain context analysis and target communities, partners and agencies to review: That is, review of available literature on gender as well as sex-disaggregated demographic, social and economic data in the three (3) counties, namely, Bomi, Montserrado and Nimba Counties; A proposed list, developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Labor (MoL) team and other relevant partners within targeted Counties specially, the three districts to review the list of organizations (including key government agencies, cooperatives, business development, services providers, private sector partners, etc.
2. The development of an interview guide including a list of proposed questions to guide survey, individual interviews, focused group discussions, as well as mixed group discussions, a methodological guide to triangulate data collection in order to identify any misconceptions between the disable female and male beneficiaries and management/government institutions.
3. Based on inputs received from Ministry of Labor (MoL) and other relevant partners, the consultant will revise, if necessary, the list of locations and organizations to be reviewed and the interview guide as appropriate.
4. Review of available literature on gender as well as sex-disaggregated demographic and socio-economic data in the three identified administrative districts.
5. Submission of key findings of qualitative and quantitative gender analysis of the target beneficiaries in the project target districts, covering all areas identified above;
6. An assessment of the capacity of key partners as well as the project’s capacity and the review of organizational practices to deliver gender responsive services, including proposed training needs to ensure that both disable women and men benefit from the project’s activities and other employment opportunities.
7. identifying challenges in benefiting from government extension services and from other actors funded through government programme. What are services available to disable women and men? Are disable women and men aware of these services and employment opportunities and accessibility them?
8. identifying the impact of poor education and limited skills on access to services as well as identifying the gender-based production and marketing constraints related to access to extension information, markets and prices, other private sector services and other inputs for all target value chains.
9. a final draft report, including a draft executive summary, narrative, Conclusions and recommendations (part of the reporting requirement) and will be judged according to the following criteria;

– Is the results-matrix format part of the report?

– Does the report contain a comprehensive and clear executive summary?

– Were the Terms of Reference fulfilled and is this reflected in the report?

– Are the methods and processes of the Consultancy sufficiently documented in the consultant report?

– Does the report describe and assess the intervention logic (e.g. log frame, project methodology/theory?

– Are cross-cutting issues analysed in the report?

– Are the conclusions and recommendations based on findings and are they clearly stated in the report?

– Does the report clearly differentiate between conclusions, lessons learnt and recommendations?

– Are the recommendations realistic and is it clearly expressed to whom the recommendations are addressed to?

– Does the report present the information contained in a presentable and clearly arranged form?

– Is the report free from spelling mistakes and unclear linguistic formulations?

– Can the report be distributed in the delivered form?

1. Attachment of annexes including Key elements of a gender policy and strategies for the project and Monitoring action plan

Besides these reports, one workshop or working session will be organized to present preliminary and final outcomes of the study to public and private sectors and other relevant partners. Additional copies of the findings will be shared with all relevant partners. The exact timing of the workshops will be decided later based on the draft findings and needs of the donors.

11. DURATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The period of assignment will be 30 days from 1 to 30, 2022 and there will be no extension of the period. 12. ADMINISTRATION, REPORTING AND COORDINATION

The Consultant will be contracted through the provided contacts and emails. The Office space, equipment and other logistical arrangements will not be provided to the Consultant during the period of work from home, but will be provided during the work in the field and at office levels.

The Consultant will report to the Country Director of AIFO Liberia Office. Under her overall supervision, the Consultant will liaise with the project team, which is primarily responsible for technical backstopping on the proposed study.

13. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

The consultant must have the following experience and skills to be able to perform the tasks of the TOR: • Have degrees in Gender, Social Work, Anthropology, Economics or a related field.

▪ Minimum five years of research experience to develop gender monitoring plans or strategies for projects

• Minimum five years of experience collecting primary data and field work. Experience in livelihood development in rural areas would be an asset.
• Demonstrated ability to write high quality, methodologically sound, analytical papers in English • Solid communicate skills and sensitivity to the target group
• Ability to liaise properly with technical and administrative staff of international organizations. • Ability to liaise properly with senior officials of the government and social partners.
• Exposure to value and principles of the thematic issue areas of AIFO as well as sensitivity to gender, disadvantaged groups and diversity.
• Have a good working knowledge of the quantitative and qualitative performance evaluation methods and programming strategies commonly used in data collection.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.