Mercy Corps is hiring a
Consultancy Title: Positive Youth Engagement Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Analysis Consultant
Consultancy Location(s): Palestine- West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza
Expected Start Date and Duration: March – May 2023
Application Deadline: 30 January 2023
Project Background
The Positive Youth Engagement (PYE) Program is a five year, USAID funded program implemented by Mercy Corps and partners. PYE aims to increase the access of marginalized and vulnerable youth friendly services and safe spaces, targeting 50,000 youth and to improve their perceptions about their future life and work by 50% in targeted areas. The program will be implemented in selected areas of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza. To meet the goal of transforming vulnerable youth into productive, connected, and contributing citizens. The program will deliver a three-pronged, mutually reinforcing intervention, segmented by gender and age across the targeted communities:
PYE is designed to weaken the push and pull factors that drive adolescents to violence by supporting their personal well-being, helping them develop skills to lead the lives they choose, and strengthening their positive interactions with the community networks and institutions that serve them, including schools, civil society organizations, and private businesses. In direct partnership with Palestinian youth, the program will reintegrate older adolescents (15-19 years old) into social and economic life by empowering them to successfully pursue their goals and prevent younger adolescents (10-14 years old) from becoming isolated and disconnected from social and economic opportunities.
Overall Goal
The goal of the PYE gender and social inclusion (GESI) analysis is to identify gender gaps in youth engagement including youth living with disabilities, and inform program implementation on how to better integrate gender and inclusion considerations into the program cycle through identifying key gaps that have emerged over the past year of implementation. The analysis will seek to determine 1) what are the gender and social inclusion priorities for youth, 2) What are the successes and gaps in PYE addressing them, and 3) how can PYE enhance its interventions to further respond to these realities. In line with the program objectives, it is essential that the study includes a focus on Persons Living with Disability (PLWD) as part of inclusion.
Specific Objectives
The specific objectives of the PYE GESI analysis are:
Desired Methodology
The gender analysis will comprise of a two-stage process: a desk review and primary qualitative data collection.
Desk review: The consultant(s) will conduct a desk review of secondary data analysis including key project documents and reports (such as the baseline study and the annual report) as well as other key reports, analysis, policies and assessments by Government or other NGOs. The desk review will help identify key data gaps that will inform the focus of the primary data collection exercise and determine the guiding framework for analysis.
Primary data collection: The gender qualitative field study will incorporate focus group discussions and key informant interviews to understand the views of male and female youth, parents (both mothers and fathers), male and female coaches and trainers and youth living with disabilities on their priorities and needs. The design and execution of the qualitative field study will be explicitly informed by the findings of the desk review. Appropriate data collection methods and tools will be used to ensure that relevant data is collected, to inform subsequent activity design and appropriate gender and youth intervention strategies. The use of gender and youth analysis tools to gather information from participants, or to enable them to openly share their views on deep underlying issues in a safe environment/ space, will be facilitated and encouraged. Sensitive data collection and rigorous data analysis and reporting is pivotal; not only to ensure quality and comprehensiveness but also for the overall outcomes of the study.
Key Responsibilities and Deliverables
The consultant/firm is expected to lead the gender analysis desk review and related qualitative data collection in the specific project locations, in order to contribute to the refinement of PYE’s interventions to enhance participation and project outcomes. This includes:
Mercy Corps Responsibilities
Mercy Corps will provide the Agency with necessary support to undertake and implement the assignment and execute the objective of this SoW. Such responsibilities include the following:
Reporting
The consultant will report to the Senior Partnerships Manager, and work closely with the PYE Monitor, Evaluation and Learning Advisor. This task can be conducted remotely or in the country depending on the location of the consultant(s)/firm with travel to the field as necessary.
Individual Consultant(s)/ Firm Qualifications
DELIVERABLES FOR THE “GESI ANALYSIS”
Deliverable
Weeks
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Deliverable 1: Inception report including proposed research methodology and workplan
X
Deliverable 2: List of documents reviewed and summary of findings and gaps from literature review
X
Deliverable 3: Qualitative tools for data collection (FGD and KII) including enumerator guides
X
Deliverable 4: Enumerator training in data collection tools
X
X
Deliverable 5: Qualitative analysis of data
X
X
X
Deliverable 6: Draft report including findings and initial recommendations
X
Deliverable: PowerPoint presentation (maximum 20 slides) of the key findings and recommendations from the report
X
Deliverable 7: Workshop with PYE team to review findings and develop recommendations for the program
X
Deliverable 8: Final report
X
PAYMENT SCHEDULE AND DELIVERABLES
Payments will be based on meeting specific requirements and deliverables/milestones.
Installment of Payment/ Period
Installment of Payment/ Period Deliverables or Documents to be Delivered
Percentage of Payment
1st Installment
Upon submission and acceptance of the inception report including proposed research methodology and workplan
30%
2nd Installment
Upon submission and acceptance of final report
70%
Selection Criteria
Applications will be evaluated in accordance with the Evaluation Criteria set forth below.
#
Technical Evaluation Criteria
Overall %
1
Technical Proposal: technical approach & methodology
25%
2
Technical Capacity: qualifications of proposed key personnel
25%
3
Previous Experience: sample reports authored by the consultant/s for (related) studies
25%
4
Financial Proposal
25%
How to apply
Interested applicants to send a technical and financial proposal for the work in line with the following guidance:
Capability statement: How the consultant or firm is structured for the assignment including the CVs of the key personnel who will take part in the consultancy.
Technical proposal: The consultant’s understanding and interpretation of the Terms of Reference (ToR), a detailed methodology on how the desk study will be done and detailed implementation schedule for the evaluation.
Financial proposal: Itemized budget proposal that should include the consultancy fees and operational costs in USD.
References: Names, addresses, telephone numbers of three organizations that you have conducted similar studies for within the last three years, which will act as professional referees.
Desk study reports: Three sample reports authored by the consultant/s for (related) studies conducted in the recent past (ideally within the past 3 years).
Interested consultant/firm should submit a technical and financial proposal including the above-mentioned documents by 4pm on January 30, 2023 to PS-MC-TENDER@MERCYCORPS.ORG
The subject line of the email must be marked with the title: Positive Youth Engagement (PYE) Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Analysis Consultant.