Consultant - Youth & Gender Assessment (219714-927)

Deadline to apply: June 5th, 2015

Background

Mercy Corps has received funding from the Swedish government to implement the Transforming Agriculture for Improved Livelihoods (TRAIL) program in Kitgum, Uganda. TRAIL aims to enhance economic growth and food security in East Acholi by improving the performance of agricultural services and commodity markets. To achieve this goal, the program employs three specific strategic objectives: improving the production and productivity of targeted commodities for smallholder farmers; improving the performance of the key commodity markets in target areas and; improving access to financial services and products to farmers and small agri-businesses.

TRAIL is also premised on five key pillars which are central to ensure balanced and equitable positive impacts: sustained economic growth, sound environmental protection, a gender and youth focus, integration of technology and innovations, conflict sensitivity and Do-no-harm.

TRAIL is being implemented in the four East Acholi districts of Kitgum, Pader, Agago and Lamwo covering the majority of the sub-counties. The program uses a market development approach which means that Mercy Corps takes a facilitative role and seeks to catalyze interactions between market actors to create a more efficient, vibrant and inclusive market. This is expected to create opportunities for farmers, small and medium entrepreneurs and large business investors, with a special emphasis on women and youth.

Objectives

Understanding gender and youth dynamics is integral to the design and implementation of successful market systems development programs that lead to equitable outcomes for target communities. This is especially true in East Acholi, where women are almost entirely responsible for meeting household subsistence needs. They are also involved in the majority of activities along the agricultural value chain.

Youth on the other hand form the majority of the population but have increasingly been excluded from commercial value chains, depriving the sector of critical labor and weakening the knowledge and skills transfer from generation to generation.

The gender and youth assessment will focus on young men and women who fall into the 15 to 24 and 25 to 35 age range. The fundamental question that the gender and youth assessment will seek to answer is: how can the TRAIL program achieve women’s economic empowerment and create viable livelihoods and employment for youth to contribute to household economic empowerment and well-being In the context of this overarching question, the assessment will investigate on the following high-priority areas:

• Women, Youth and the Marketing and Sales Phase of the Ag-Production Cycle: What are women and male and female youth participation like in this phase Are they engaged to the same degree as adult males In what capacity What are the internal and external barriers to their effective participation How do men and businesses view women and youth’s participation in marketing and sales Are they good at business Do they engage with them Why or why not What support is needed to empower them


• Youth in Agriculture: Are young people engaged in the ag-production chain Why or why not Which age and gender groups and in what capacities What are the barriers to the meaningful engagement of this group in the ag-sector Are young men and women interested in agriculture What are their personal and professional aspirations How did the conflict affect the transmission of assets and knowledge to young people How do young people gain knowledge about practices and opportunities now


• Women and Youth as Consumers: Do women and male and female youth have different needs where ag-related products and services are concerned Is there anything they need (or want) in terms of inputs, equipment, specialized savings and loan products that is not currently available to them How do they currently hear about products or services How would they like to hear about them (word of mouth, radio, demonstrations at the market etc.) What are some of the constraints around purchase of these items (decision making, distance to shop, income cycles etc.) What would make them more likely to purchase

In addition to the above high-priority areas, it is important that the assessment has a foundational layer of understanding of the basics behind gender and youth dynamics. The following details sectors of focus that will likely be highlighted during the course of the initial literature review and foundational learning but are important to highlight here.

• Intra-household power dynamics particularly related to household structures, the roles, power dynamics, labor allocation patterns and distribution of assets within households


• Intra-household income and resource allocation patterns of husbands, wives and young family members including: What are the main income streams in the household and who is responsible for them Do household members pool income Who manages them (i.e., makes decisions about expenditures on household and productive goods and services such as healthcare, education, household equipment and technologies, cooking equipment and supplies, food, farm labor, seeds, fertilizers and other investments Can women and young people decide how money is spent Do they spend differently


• Gender and Age dynamics in producer groups and Agricultural-related groups including: How women, men and youth fit within the leadership structure of the groups Whether the groups are mixed gender or same-sex and what determines composition Do gender roles and age influence membership and leadership positions in groups What about other group structures that support agriculture-related activities, like water management groups, self-help groups, savings and loans groups, commodities traders and others. What similarities and differences exist between single-sex male and female groups in terms of group dynamics, profitability, level of member engagement, social capital and connections to government and private sector actors


• Intra-household and community dynamics, including barriers and potential enablers to women and youth’s engagement in the public and private spheres of work. An example would be community ideas and perceptions on the childcare barrier or the threat of domestic violence that prevent women from participating in, or reducing the benefit they gain from trainings, group activities and other behaviors that are necessary for sustained household food security, increased productivity and individual empowerment.

Key Tasks

The consultant will lead the gender and youth assessment process, which can be divided into four components:

1 Conduct a gender and youth assessment research study which includes a literature review; collection of primary quantitative and qualitative data; participatory appraisal activities with men and women from the targeted beneficiary groups; and key informant interviews with experts on gender, agriculture and livelihoods in East Acholi. 2 Conduct a participatory gender and youth awareness findings dissemination workshop for TRAIL staff that will discuss high-level findings from the research and how to address/integrate gender into our daily work. 3 Document findings and recommendations in a clear, concise and usable written report. The consultant is encouraged to use creative methods to present findings and recommendations that facilitate usability of information. 4 Recommend issues and strategies for inclusion in the TRAIL Barrier Analysis. The consultant should identify existing areas that warrant further exploration to identify and prioritize key determinants of behaviors and barriers and enablers of change.

Deliverables

1 A work plan that includes the anticipated methodology, the analytical frameworks that will be used, a sampling plan, a training plan, a timeline of fieldwork and drafts of all questionnaires and tools. The work plan will be submitted to TRAIL staff and the Mercy Corps’ Regional Gender Advisor prior to fieldwork for input and feedback. The consultant will finalize the inception report and field tools in collaboration with the Gender focal persons, other TRAIL staff and possibly with other TRAIL consultants. 2 A report that includes: methodology description and analytical frameworks used, including actual sample size, a list and demographic breakdown of interviewees (sex, age group, geographic location and other relevant details), findings, recommendations, a final work plan, a bibliography referencing all documents and data reviewed and cited, copies of training materials, copies of all actual tools and guidelines used, interviews and focus group guidelines. All references to secondary data must be appropriately cited. A draft report will be initially submitted to Mercy Corps for input and feedback.

Timeline

The consultancy is expected to take 20 working days excluding travel days. (approximately 5 days of documents review and research scoping, 7-9 days of field interviews and data collection, 1-2 days of dissemination workshop and findings alignment with team, and 5-7 days of reporting).

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Gender and women studies, sociology, international development, rural development or other related field required.


• Broad knowledge of youth, gender and development issues, agriculture, livelihoods and food security issues in the Acholi sub-region with substantial experience in designing, implementing and analyzing social and gender analyses and/or assessments in rural areas required.


• Proven experience combining formal expertise on gender mainstreaming and gender equality with action-oriented research and learning processes, developing gender training tools and delivering trainings on gender-responsive programming


• Demonstrated capacity in research methods including data analysis, qualitative methods and focus group discussions required.


• Experience training others in gender awareness and youth inclusion required.


• Demonstrated capacity to analyze complex issues, draw relevant conclusions and produce a comprehensive technical report.


• Must be independent but collaborative, willing to share thoughts and ideas, and able to give constructive feedback to Mercy Corps team and other consultants.


• Demonstrated cultural sensitivity, particularly in multi-ethnic and multi-religious contexts.


• Experience working for international donors, a plus.

Role of Mercy Corps

The consultant will be joined by the Mercy Corps Team, led by the Deputy Program Director and TRAIL Program Manager to provide technical inputs; managerial support; and overall coordination to the study. Mercy Corps will:

• Arrange logistics for field work including vehicles, accommodation and related travel expenses.


• Facilitate mobilization of required persons for interview schedules and discussions in the study areas.


• Mercy Corps will work closely with its local government partners to avail the necessary information and required persons for the study.


• Mercy Corps will provide inputs and comments to the work plan, assessment tools and report.


• Mercy Corps will organize a workshop for presentation and discussion of preliminary findings of the study.

Consultancy Work Proposal Specifications

Interested consultants for this assignment must include a detailed technical and financial proposal. The technical part should include the following components:

• Description of the assignment


• Approach and methodology to be used in undertaking the assignment


• Detailed implementation plan


• Organizational and personnel capacity including profile of key personnel (annex CVs)


• Experience of similar assignments (examples annexed)


• Any other relevant information to the assignment

The financial part of the proposal should include summary of the prices and detail breakdown of each component.