RFP for Gender Analysis for a BRAC International flagship programme Purpose of assignment:

Conduct a gender analysis for a flagship programme to be initiated in 2022 (in a partnership of Mastercard Foundation and BRAC International) to inform the design and implementation of a five-year programme aimed at achieving social and economic empowerment of adolescent girls and young women (AGWY) in four countries of Africa including Uganda, Tanzania, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

Deliverables:

▪ A work plan that details the methodology, data collection tools (e.g., questionnaires, interview guides, etc.) by target audience, and implementation plan, adhering to the do no-harm principle, with a risk assessment and mitigation plan

▪ A draft report and presentation on key findings

▪ A final report, including a two to three-page standalone brief

RFP submission date: 20 March 2022

Anticipated assignment period: 01 April – 10 June 2022

1. Background

BRAC International is a leading non-profit organisation with a mission to empower people and communities in situations of poverty, illiteracy, disease, and social injustice. Our approach is grounded in the conviction that people living in vulnerable situations can be agents of change if they are empowered with the tools, skills, and hope they need to change their lives. We design proven, scalable solutions that equip people with the support and confidence they need to achieve their potential. BRAC’s institutional expertise on successfully implemented programmes is applied across 10 countries, touching the lives of over 130 million people, where our models are adapted according to the country’s context.

In 2022, the Mastercard Foundation in partnership with BRAC International (BI) will be announcing an initiative that will create positive and measurable impact for 1.2 million adolescent girls and young women and 9.5 million people across seven countries in East and West Africa, including Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Uganda. The programme has the following objectives:

1. a) To increase the agency and voice of 1.2 million AGYW aged 12-35 to make decisions and act on their aspirations
2. b) To enhance community engagement, particularly of men and boys, to support and advance empowerment of 1.2 million AGYW living in programme areas
3. c) To economically empower 1.19 million aged 15-3527 to engage in and benefit from decent and sustainable livelihoods
4. d) To empower 1.19 million AGYW aged 15-35 to advocate for their rights e) To create an enabling ecosystem where key stakeholders including policy and decision-makers are supportive to the social and economic advancement of AGYW

The programme follows an integrated programme implementation approach. The core of the implementation modality is BRAC’s microfinance footprint and its associated community network providing both the base and accelerator for social and economic interventions to operate at scale by integrating other sectoral interventions to unlock the potential of AGYW. BRAC’s proven development models will be implemented in a coordinated way for purposeful synergies of impacts – Ultra-Poor Graduation (UPG) and Youth Empowerment among others.

Collaboration and coordination with a range of stakeholders – starting from the government ministries at national level to the lowest administrative units, community leaders, local CBOs and civil society, private sector actors, multilateral organizations, and international development partners – will be instrumental in the success of this integrated programming. Given the diversity of the contexts of the countries in terms of socio-economic conditions, political dynamics, and cultures, it is deemed necessary to conduct a gender analysis of implementing an integrated programme in partnership with stakeholders.

BRAC International intends to conduct a gender analysis as part of its inception work of the flagship programme under the partnership. This RFP is inviting interested individuals and consultant firms to submit their proposals to conduct the gender analysis for four countries in which the programme will be implemented (Uganda, Tanzania, Liberia, Sierra Leone).

2. How to Apply and a Follow-up Communication

Application format

Bidders can choose any standard application contents/format for their application. However, it is recommended that the application contains the following:

1. a) A cover letter explaining the reasons for applying and their understanding of the context and the task.
2. b) A technical proposal outlining:

o scope of the study, recommended methodology, sample work plan including data collection and data analysis plan for report submission including activity Gantt chart. o how the consultant will operate their activities in the Covid-19 uncertainties c) A financial proposal detailing the budget for the scope of work and the payment terms. BRAC will deduct any required tax at source according to the applicable national and international law.

1. d) CV(s) and a summary of the bidder’s or team’s experience in gender and social inclusion in the development sector, especially in specific areas relevant to the project e) Any time limitations or constraints to your availability during the proposed period should be clearly stated.
2. f) Two professional references should be provided (name, designation, address, and contact info) who could be contacted to comment on the organization/individual applying for this task.

All proposals shall be in the English language and shall remain valid for 90 days after submission.

3. Eligibility, RFP Timeline, and Assessment Criteria

Eligibility

The following eligibility criteria shall apply:

▪ Experience of leading gender analysis at country or cross-country level, preferably in the continent of Africa

▪ Demonstrated analytical skills on issues related to gender mainstreaming and women’s social and economic empowerment

▪ Previous experience in developing programmatic documents for international organizations or civil society organizations on women’s social and economic empowerment

▪ Ability to facilitate and relate to stakeholders at multiple levels

▪ Sensitivity to cultural/historical context in the data collection process

▪ Track record of strong analytical and publication skills and knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods.

▪ If the applicant is a firm, the names of the leading researcher/s for each country will have to be specified with confirming their availability for the study.

▪ The bidders can apply for a single country, several countries, or all four countries. Those who intend to work in multiple countries, need to explain how and who will be the core team for each country. The capacity statement of the bidder/s must describe their capacity for each country separately and the capacity statement must mention the name, affiliation, contact (email & mobile), and short biography of the lead researcher/s for each country.

▪ Consortium covering all four or more than one country is encouraged. However, in-country teams under the consortium should be formed mostly with national researchers. ▪ The team must consist of African researcher(s) and any team with exclusively African researchers is preferred.

RFP Timeline

Proposal assessment grid

The proposals will be assessed by a cost and quality principle in the following manner.

4. Scope

Scope and process for the deliverables

The purpose of the gender analysis for the flagship programme is to identify key issues contributing to gender inequalities faced by adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in the

target communities and assess the country-specific local, institutional, and systemic barriers which keep AGYW from accessing and benefiting equitably from livelihoods opportunities and actively engaging in the community. The analysis will be conducted in four countries where BRAC currently operates and will implement the flagship programme – Uganda, Tanzania, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The scope of the gender analysis is as follows:

1. a) To enlist and provide recommendations on the gender dimensions which are important to implement the sectoral interventions on health, education, youth employment, women empowerment, and financial inclusion and poverty reduction. The analysis will explore domains around which dynamics of gender and power relations are negotiated such as household division of labor and decision-making, access to assets and services, beliefs and perceptions, participation in the public sphere, bodily integrity and gender-based violence.
2. b) To do a stakeholder analysis at the levels of country and sector, and outline the problems which are relevant to implement the programme.
3. c) To map country-specific institutions, laws and policies which are relevant to implement the programme.

The gender analysis aims to answer the following questions (this is not an exhaustive list):

5. Methodology and Deliverables

The proposal should propose a methodology drawing on commonly used gender analysis frameworks to guide the data collection and analysis with attention to both qualitative and quantitative methods. The proposal should explain how triangulation with multiple sources and

methods will be used to validate any analysis. Literature review may be the primary method of the study, but the types of literature review and other primary data collection techniques to complement the findings of literature reviews should be outlined.

Some primary data will be collected through community gender assessments conducted internally by BRAC. A wide study population will be covered including adolescent girls and boys and young women and men, community people, and policy actors. This data will be provided to the consultant to complement and triangulate the findings from the primary and the secondary data by the consultant.

Do-No-Harm Approach: As BRAC adheres to the do-no-harm principle, the potential risks to participants linked to this analysis and mitigation plans to overcome risks should be outlined.

Deliverables

The deliverables include:

▪ A work plan that details the methodology, data collection tools (e.g., questionnaires, interview guides, etc.) by target audience, and implementation plan, adhering to the do no-harm principle, with a risk assessment and mitigation plan;

▪ A draft report and presentation on key findings;

▪ A final report, including a two to three-page standalone brief

Activity Gantt Chart outline

The table below is a sample outlining the main activities, timeline, and comments. The bidders are encouraged to adjust according to their technical proposal and transform this into an activity Gantt chart in more detail.

6. Reporting, performance assessment, and finance

The consultant will report to the Head of Gender and Safeguarding or any assigned person by BRAC. The consultant’s performance will be assessed along the consultancy duration particularly the quality of research tools and protocols, their timely implementation, time commitment, and

meeting the scope and objective of the task. Other conditions like incidental liability, intellectual property, non-disclosure policy, ethical standard and data protection protocol, and safeguarding policy will be applicable as per BRAC’s related policies.

The maximum budget threshold for four countries is USD 48,000.

7. Submission process and deadline

Proposals responding to the RFP should be sent electronically to procurement logistics.uganda@brac.net with the subject line “Gender Analysis for BRAC International”. Bidders are required to identify and disclose any actual or potential Conflict of Interest.

The deadline of the submission is 20 March 2021.

All responses must be received on or before the date and time indicated above. All responses submitted after this date will not be accepted.

All questions related to this RFP awarding process should be addressed exclusively to procurement-logistics.uganda@brac.net

Communication or persuasion to influence the selection process in any form will disqualify the candidacy for the assignment.

You can download the RFP pdf version at: RFP Gender Analysis for BRAC International, Mar2022